Christmashas its origins in thepagancelebration ofSaturnalia, the Romans’ feast for their agriculturalgod Saturn. Knowing this, would you go further to celebrate on such a day for thebirth of Jesuswho isnot a godbut theson of Godand is above thosefalse gods? In any case, let this be fo...
The word "tithe" comes from the Hebrew word "ma'aser," which means a tenth part. In ancient Israel, the tithe was a divine ordinance, a portion of the produce of the land set aside for sacred purposes. The land itself was seen as a gift from God, and the tithe was a ...
The act of gathering grapes is a significant event in the agricultural calendar, marking the time of harvest. Vineyards were a symbol of prosperity and blessing in Israelite culture. The Hebrew root for "gathered" (אָסַף, asaph) implies collecting or assembling, which can also be...
In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word used to describe the realm of the dead issheol. It simply means “the place of the dead” or “the place of departed souls/spirits.” The New Testament Greek equivalent ofsheolishades, which also refers to “the place of the dead.” Other Scriptures i...
22“‘When you reap the harvestof your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you.I am theLordyour God.’” The Festival of Trumpets ...
19 “When you reap your harvest in your field, and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat your olive tr...
That which grows by itself from your harvest you shall not reap, nor gather the grapes of your unpruned vines, for it is a year of complete rest for the land. The sabbath produce of the land shall be food for you: for you, and for your male and female servants, and for your hired...
Genesis 4:1 Cain sounds like the Hebrew for brought forth or acquired. Genesis 4:1 Or have acquired Genesis 4:8 Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Masoretic Text does not have “Let’s go out to the field.” Genesis 4:15 Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew Very ...
Galatians 6:7 says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” The “cursing” that Solomon mentions, then, is seed which will one day reap a harvest of darkness. Irony can be a wonderful tool, and Solomon uses it beautifully in th...
That was certainly true for the Israelites. Their exile led to what Peterson calls “the most creative period in the entire sweep of Hebrew history,” one in which they “lost everything they thought was important and found what was important: They found God.” ...