When Was Jesus Christ Born?

"and the word was made flesh and Tabernacled amoung us" John 1:14

Luke tells us that John the Baptist’s earthly father Zachariah served in the course of Abijah or Abia. In 1st Chronicles 24 David divides the priest into 24 courses which were assigned to minister in the temple. Each course served in the temple for one week twice a year. These 24 courses served 2 weeks a year so 24 x 2 covers 48 weeks of the 51 week Jewish year. The remaining three weeks were during Feasts and all 24 courses were required to minister those 3 weeks. The 3 feast where all were required to minister were Pesach (Passover/Feast of unleavened bread), Shavuot (Pentecost) and Sukkot (Tabernacles). The courses began serving on Nisan 1 (Late March to Early April on our calendar) which is the Jewish religious New Year. So the first course, which we know from 1st Chron. 24 was the course of Jehoiarib, always served the first week of Nisan, the second course the 2nd week, all courses served the 3rd week for the Feast of Passover/The Feast of Unleavened Bread; Course 3 served the fourth week; Course 4 the fifth week; Course 5 the sixth week; Course 6 the seventh week; Course 7 the eighth week; Course 8, which is the course Zachariah belonged to (the course of Abijah) served the ninth week and all courses served the tenth week for the Feast of Pentecost. So every year Zachariah’s course served two weeks in a row in the first part of the year. The course of Abijah served their course in the 9th week and the Pentecost course in the 10th week. Pentecost always falls on Sivan 6th which is early to mid June on our calendar

The main point is that Zachariah was ministering in the temple in the 9th and 10th week (early to mid June) so it was during one of those two weeks in early June when he was visited by the angle and told that Elisabeth would conceive John. So if Elisabeth conceived as soon as Zechariah returned home, then John the Baptist was conceived in early to mid June. Luke 1:26 tells us that in the 6th month of Elisabeth’s pregnancy, Gabriel visits Mary and explains that she will conceive by way of the Holy Spirit. So if John was conceived in early to mid June and we assume that Mary conceived through the Holy Spirit while or shortly after Gabriel visited her then Christ would have been conceived in early to mid December near or most likely on what had become Chanukah the Fwatival of Lights.

So if Christ was conceived in early to mid December, then Christ would have been born 9 months later in what would be early to mid September which would coincide with the Jews Fall Feast. Most likely the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) celebrated on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Tishri. John suggests this in his gospel when he says that the Word became flesh and Tabernacled amongst us. During Tabernacles all Jewish people were required to leave their permanent dwellings and stay in a temporal dwelling known as a Sukkah (The plural is Sukkoth which is where the holiday gets its name). These dwellings were representative of the dwelling the Hebrews stayed in during their wilderness wanderings. I would not be surprised if Christ was actually born in a Sukkah or Tabernacle. How fitting that Christ would leave his permanent dwelling and be born in a temporal one since this was his temporal home. The Tabernacle in the wilderness was where Yahweh came to dwell amongst his people. How fitting would it be that Christ would come to dwell among his people on the very Feast which commemorated this very event. John 1:14 says that “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us”. The word dwelt here is skēnoō which literally means to abide or live in a tabernacle or tent.

Some other fun facts: The shepherds near Bethlehem tended to the temple flock and in turn watched over the sacrificial lambs. One night an angle appeared to them and instructed them to go watch over the ultimate sacrificial lamb, The Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

If Christ was indeed born on the feast of Tabernacles it is interesting to realize that the Feast of Tabernacles was a feast whose focus was rejoicing Deut 16:4 says “Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine: And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast.” During this feast the temple would be lit up by means of huge 75-foot candelabras, which stood upon the Temple Mount. These giant candlesticks held four huge bowls which were filled with oil. The priest would also dance around holding torches and the Temple musicians would sing and play music. Jewish sages are recorded as having said that “He who has not seen the rejoicing during the Feast of Sukkoth, has never seen rejoicing in all of his life.” Luke 2:10 says “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Luke 2:13 says “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God” So if Christ was born on Tabernacles then here on the night of Christ birth we have Light Luke 2:9 and Joy Luke 2:10 and Praises being sung Luke 2:13 which is exactly what was going on in the Temple at that same time. The light emitted during these evenings the entire Temple Mount and the surrounding area so worshippers on their way up to Jerusalem could see these flames from miles around in every direction. During the Feast of Tabernacles in ancient times, the light from the temple lamps would be the only light visible in the darkness. John 1:4-5 tells us that “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” How fitting would it be that the Light of the World would be born during a feast in which the illumination of the temple played such an important role.

Another interesting aspect about these lamps is that the wicks which were used in the lamps were made of the priest’s old garments. The garments would be cut into strips to be used as wicks. Luke 2:7 tells us that Mary “brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes” It is interesting that the word in Luke translated as swaddling is sparganoō. Sparganoō is derived from sparganon which means strips. I would not be surprised if the strips used to wrap Christ came from the strips made from the old priestly garments.

There is another interesting aspect about the swaddling clothes. The Jews would take new born babies and wash them in salt water. This had a hygienic purpose since salt purifies, but it also had a symbolic purpose. The salted water was used to represent the hopes that as the child grew the child’s words would be salted and also that the child would be pure and also preserved since salt is also used as a preservative. After the child was washed they were wrapped in the swaddling clothes from head to toe. The swaddling clothes were strips of cloth wrapped tightly around the babies which caused their limbs to straighten. This symbolized the hope that the child would grow up straight and walk a straight path and not be crooked or wayward. This practice is confirmed in scripture by the Holy Spirit through Ezekiel when in chapter 16 verse 4 while speaking of Isreal he says “And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.”

Sidenote: In Ezekiel 16:6 still speaking of Israel it says “And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live” notice who’s blood they are covered in, their own, not Christ’s. It goes on to say in 16:8-10 that “Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine. Then washed I thee with water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil. I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.” Notice it says He girded them about with fine linen. The word linen is the same word used in Exodus to describe the material out of which the priestly garments were to be made.

I could go on forever but I will end with one last thing, after the 7 day feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot, there was a solemn day known as Shemini Atzeret which means the eighth day of assembly Lev. 23:34. If Christ was indeed born on the first day of Tabernacles, then in accordance with Genesis 17:12 he would have been presented in the temple for his circumcision 8 days later on Shemini Atzerat.

Having said all of this we must rememeber that the most important thing is not WHEN He came, but THAT He came and for what purpose He came.

Be an Andrew

The Apostle Andrew is not someone who we typically regard as major player in the Gospel account. In fact he is only mentioned 3 times in scripture (John 1, 6 and 12) but I have recently learned that each time he is mentioned in scripture, he is introducing someone to Jesus! Not much more is said about Andrew but not much more needs to be said in my opinion! What a testimony to have that every time you are mentioned you are introducing someone to Jesus! Often we think that there is little we can do for the Lord or we don't know what to do for the Lord. We need to focus more on being like Andrew. Andrew cast the line and let Jesus land the fish. Here is man who won souls to Christ just by introducing people to their Savior. Like the Samarian woman by the well who went back to her village and told the people there "Come behold a man". She had no theological background or training, she had no in depth knowledge of scripture she simply said "come behold a man" and she let Jesus do the rest and by that simple act an entire village was saved. It’s worth mentioning that one of the people Andrew introduced to Jesus was his brother Peter. How many countless precious souls have been won for Christ through Peter's Spirit filled words and actions? We have no clue the harvest that might be reaped by bringing just one soul before Jesus. So today, be an Andrew and introduce someone to The Lord Jesus Christ!

The Laver of Water

Okay, so it has been a long time since I posted. I apologize, to try and get back in the swing of things I typed up this breif post on the Laver of Water outside the Tabernacle in the Wilderness of Sin.

God commanded in Exodus that a laver of brass be fashioned and position between the Tabernacle and the Alter. The laver was to be filled with water and used by the priest to wash before performing their priestly duties Exo 30:18-21. The water in the laver is symbolic of The Word John 15:3, 17:17 and we like the priest are urged to bathe in it Eph 5:26. The Lord instructed that the laver of water be made of the hand mirrors of the women in Ex 38:8. The hand mirrors of that time were pieces of highly polished brass in which your reflection could be seen. The Lord instructed this because just like the hand mirrors reflected the women’s image, God’s Word, represented by the water in the laver, reflects our image and shows us for who we really are, sinners in need of a Savior. Rom 7:7, James 1:23-25.

Other interesting things about the laver: As we saw in the verses given above we are instructed to bathe in the water/word but in Rev 15:2 we are standing on it. Also it is interesting and important to note that even details that the Holy Spirit chooses to leave out hold a great deal of significance. That being said there are at least two details that the Spirit chose not mention about the laver 1) No dimension or size is given – indicating that the Word has no measure, it is inexhaustible 2) No covering is mentioned – indicating that the Word is always accessible and available to those who wish to receive.

Amazima is Amazing!!!

YOU HAVE TO CHECK OUT THIS SITE



and her blog

kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com.

In December of 2006, Katie Davis traveled to Uganda. She was immediately captivated and fell in love with the people and the culture. While in Uganda, Katie met Pastor Isaac Wagaba who implored her to come teach Kindergarten at his orphanage in Buziika, Uganda, called Canaan Children's Transit Center.

In the summer of 2007, Katie returned to Uganda to teach Kindergarten at Canaan. As she walked the children home from class each day, she was shocked to see the sheer number of school-aged children sitting idly on the side of the road or working in the fields. It was then that it came to Katie's attention that there were very few government-run public schools in Uganda, and none in the area where she was working. Most schools in Uganda are privately run and therefore require school fees for attendance. Due to the extreme poverty in this region of Uganda, many children are unable to afford schooling.

God laid it on Katie's heart to start a child sponsorship program, matching orphaned children who are unable to afford schooling with sponsors in the US. Sponsors pay$300.00 per year to send these children to school and provide school supplies, 2 hot meals each day, and all needed minor medical care. Originally planning to have 40 children in the program, Katie had signed up 150 by January 2008. By the grace of God,in December 2008 the sponsorship program had successfully sent all 150 children to school for a full year and provided them will all life's essentials.

This incredible woman of God is only 20 years old! She left everything she knew in America, traveled to Uganda and adopted 13 children!!! She strives everyday to bring Christ's love into the lives of Uganda's "unwanted" children!

"I Thirst"

“After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.” I think that it is very interesting that Christ chooses to express a condition so uniquely human at this point on the cross, a point in which he had fully taken our place, and it always manages to remind me of the fact that He experienced this world exactly the way that we do. “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities” Hebrews 4:15 It is also worth mentioning that Christ’s thirst likely goes far beyond a physical need for water. As we just stated, at this point on the cross Christ was in our place and had fully taken on all of our sin. This is why Christ cried out “My God My God, why hast though forsaken me?” It was the only time that He did not call Him Father. He couldn’t because he was in our shoes. For the first time in all eternity God the Son was separated from God the Father and He longed for the righteousness that up until this point He had always known. Two simple words “I thirst”: He balanced the clouds, and filled the mighty deep. He who guided every river in its course, who commands the rain to fall and water the parched earth, who caused water to flow from the smitten rock in the wilderness, who calmed the roaring seas, who turned the water into wine and said to the Woman of Samaria: “Give me to drink.” who promised all, that should they follow Him, they would never again thirst. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords, before whom hell trembles and the earth is filled with dismay; endures matchless condescension from the infinite power of the Almighty God to the weakness of a thirsty, dying man! We must always remember just how much it cost Him so that we might be free. 1st Corinthians 6:20 reminds us that we, “are bought with a price” and we should never lose sight of how great that price was! How then should we live? 1st Corinthians 6:20 goes on to tell us that we should glorify God in our body, and in our spirit, each of which belong to God. We should thank Him and glorify His name continually for all that He has done on our behalf!!

The First Marriage and The Last Adam

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." Gen. 2:24

This verse is quoted by Jesus in Matt 10:6-9 and Mark 19:4-6. Why is the idea of marriage, particularly marriage between one man and one woman in a lasting union so important to God? Let's look at the first union of man and woman in the Bible and see what we can glean.

My understanding and insight into the scriptures was hindered my whole life until God brought me to the realization that every word, every place, every name, every number, every letter, every story points to Jesus Christ.

That being said, it is puzzling how Paul could say in Romans 5:14 that " death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come" When Paul says that Adam is “similitude” or foreshadowing of "him that was to come” who is he talking about? Well “him that was to come” is of course none other than Jesus Christ. This verse in fact gives us one of the many names we use for Christ, that being the "Last Adam" 1st Corinthians 15:45. So how is it that Adam, who sinned by taking the forbidden fruit, be a figure or foreshadowing of Jesus Christ?

The most important part of this story is to realize what caused Adam to sin. We can find the answer to this in1st Timothy 2:14 "And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." If Adam was not deceived, then we can conclude that Adam knew what he was doing. He knew the consequences that this sin entailed and yet he knowingly and willingly took this sin upon himself. So again we ask how could Adam be a figure or a Jesus Christ? The answer is really quite touching.

Let’s look at what had taken place up to the point in which Adam was offered the fruit. Eve had been deceived and she had sinned; her eternal salvation had been forfeited. She was doomed to be eternally separated from God due to her sin. She would now have to face the world and death completely alone, for there were none who shared her predicament.

Adam on the other hand, before he took the fruit mind you, was perfect, he walked with God, he dwelt in paradise, he partook of all the blessings and joy that God offers one who is in perfect communion with Him. Adam, had he chosen, could have left Eve to her terrible fate. He had not sinned and was not subject to the punishment she would certainly endure. However that is not what Adam chose to do at all. Adam knew that Eve's fate was sealed and he knew exactly what partaking of her sin would ultimately cost him, yet he loved her so much that he chose to leave his Father’s side and made Eve's sin his own so that his bride would not have to face a world of sin and death alone with no hope of redemption. You could technically say that he "became sin" for her.

I don’t think it’s too difficult to realize that our Father is trying to show us is that this is exactly what Christ did for us "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." And just like Adam, Christ, out of the immense love He had for His beloved bride, left His Father’s side, stepped into a sinful world, took His bride’s sin upon Himself and ultimately gave His life so that she, His bride, would not have to face this world of sin alone with no hope of redemption. "God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 Adam’s story is just the opening stanza of a love story, written in blood on a cross in Judea over 2,000 years ago.

So that brings us back to the original question. Why is the idea of marriage between one man and one woman in a lasting loving union so important to God? Because marriage offers us a way to experience if only in a small way the love that Christ, the groom, feels towards us, His bride, and the love and reverence that we, the bride, should have for Christ, our groom. Marriage provides a way for us to experience the relationship Christ desires with us in a way that is impossible by any other means.

It is also worth mentioning that because Adam took on this sin, it provided means by which offspring would be produced through which the God of Eternity would be born of a virgin in small Judean town and ultimately take that first sin and all that will ever be committed upon Himself and do exactly for us what Adam did for his bride.

“And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed [are] they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” Revelation 19:9

Note: I would like to point out that Adam did sin and betrayed God. No sin is justified, and God does not cause people to sin for his own purposes. However God in all his glory used what Adam had done to give an example in the earliest parts of the scriptures of the price Christ would ultimately pay for his beloved bride. Remember that the death of Jesus Christ on the cross was not a tragedy, it was an accomplishment, it was a victory, it was the culmination of a plan laid down before the world began. Christ when speaking to the two men on the road to Emmaus about His suffering and death on the cross ask "Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" Luke 24:26. Christ himself tells us that it happened exactly the way it was supposed to. What an amazing God we serve!!

For another story about marriage from the Bible see my post titled Christ's First Miracle
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Under the Lamb

Over the year’s archeologist, anthropologist, theologians, missionaries and many others have found countless examples where certain elements of a certain people group's customs or traditions point directly to the God of the Bible and Christ’s finished work. Missionaries in turn have been able to use these elements, which appear to have been strategically placed, to win souls for Christ. An example of this was presented in the previous post regarding the custom of the Sawi tribe's offering of a "Peace Child". What follows is yet another example.

The Chinese system of writing is based on 214 signs, or “roots”. These 214 roots are combined to produce between 30,000 and 50,000 characters. Many missionaries who have had to learn the Chinese language have understandably met with great difficulty. However, one day certain missionary was studying the Chinese character for the word "righteous". The missionary noticed that the character is made up of three symbols which form two distinct parts, an upper and lower portion.



The upper portion consists of the Chinese symbol for a lamb.



The bottom portion is actually made up of two symbols.

The symbol for hand



and the symbol for spear or knife



When these two symbols are used together they form the first person pronoun I.



So in total the word "righteous" consisted of the symbol for the first person pronoun I underneath the symbl of a lamb.



The missionary had made an extraordinary discovery; here, hidden within the complex Chinese writing system was the heart of the Gospel:

I under the Lamb am righteous!

The Chinese were baffled when their attention was drawn to this hidden message. They had never noticed it before, but now they saw it very clearly. From that point forward missionaries would point out this message hidden within the Chinese’s very own writing system and ask them, "Under which lamb do we have to stand in order to be righteous and just?" When the Chinese could not provide an answer the missionaries would joyfully tell them about the "the Lamb which was slain" Rev. 5:12, the same "Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world" John 1:29, none other than The Lord Jesus Christ. Remember, God does not leave Himself without a witness! Acts 14:17

Note: It is very interesting that the symbols used to form the pronoun I are a hand and a spear/knife. Perhaps this points to the sacrifice which was required of this Lamb in order for us to be made righteous. In addition to that, this could also point to the fact that this Lamb would be pierced. Psalms 22:16, Zec 12:10, John 19:34, Rev. 1:7. There is no limit to the lengths our Father has gone to, to gather us back into His arms. We truly serve an Amazing God!

Taken from Don Richardson's book: Eternity In Thier Hearts

Christ: The Ultimate Peace Child

In 1962, missionary Don Richardson his wife Carol and their eight-month-old son Stephen, traveled to New Guinea and lived as missionaries among the Sawi one of nearly a thousand tribes living in New Guinea. The Sawi people are one of only five tribes in the world who practice both headhunting and cannibalism. The Sawi prided themselves on being masters of treachery in that they would befriend an individual and gain their trust only to later slaughter and cannibalize that individual. Individuals who can sustain this form of trickery for long periods of time with various individuals are highly revered by the Sawi people



Because of this strange custom Richardson and his wife met with many difficulties while trying to communicate the gospel to these people. The Sawi viewed Christ’s betrayer Judas as the hero of the gospel story because of his success in deceiving Christ with his friendship only to later betray him. The Sawi would cheer and dance when the story of Judas betrayal kiss was told. The Sawi viewed Christ as simply the naive dupe to be laughed at and made fun of. The Richardson’s struggled to find a way to communicate the real meaning of the gospel story to people whose customs are so far removed from Christian values.

Richardson ask God for help. One day, an enemy tribe attacked the tribe Don was living with. For weeks they fought each other. Finally Don told the leaders of the tribe, that if they did not stop fighting he would leave the tribe. That was a serious threat to them. They liked Carol's medical care and Don's steel implements. Plus, the presence of the white family gave them status. The chief of Don's tribe realized that he had to pay the price of peace.

One day as Don watched the warriors of the warring tribes formed a line opposite each other. The chief of the tribe Don was staying with took his newborn son from the arms of his wife. She sank to the ground wailing in uncontrollable grief. Then the Chief walked down the line of his warriors and each of them put their hands on his little newborn child. With determination and resolve the chief walked across the open space between the two warring tribes. He stood face to face with his enemy and placed his son into the arms of his adversary.

With the baby in his arms, the chief of the enemy tribe walked down the line of his warriors. In full view of the father and the father's tribe, each enemy warrior placed his hands on the baby boy; next the warriors turned and disappeared in the bush with the infant. The baby was gone, never to be returned to its grieving parents.



Richardson soon learned that the Sawi had a unique way of making peace and forestalling violence among warring tribes. If a Sawi father offered his son to another tribe as an offering of peace, then all past grievances would be forgiven and future violence and treachery would be prevented. The Sawi name for this peace offering was the "peace child" The requirement for peace was that each member of the tribes would each lay their hands on the given son and say "We receive this child as a basis for peace." The "peace child" would then live with the enemy tribe for the remainder of his life and there would be peace between the two tribes as long as the child lived. The Sawi viewed betrayal of a "peace child" as the worst possible crime.

God had provided Richardson with the means to break the spiritual barriers of the Sawi people, by explaining to them that Jesus Christ was and is the ultimate "Peace Child" given to us by his Father as an offering of forgiveness and peace and Judas by betraying him had committed the worst possible crime. Richardson used verses like Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us child is born, unto us a son is given" To show that God had freely given his Son. He told the Sawi that if they would accept Christ the Son of God, the ultimate "Peace Child" then all their past and future sins would be forgiven and there could be peace with God as long as the Peace Child lived. And since Christ is alive today and forevermore if you accept him there can always be peace with God.

Since then approximately two-thirds of the Sawi people have, as they say, laid their hands by faith upon "Gods Peace" Child Jesus Christ. Richardson uses this illustration and many others to show how God has placed unique customs and practices into the lives of even the most primitive peoples as a means of conveying to them the story of the gospel. He urges fellow believers and especially missionaries not to dismiss these practices as simply pagan or barbaric beliefs and practices, but rather as catalysts into sharing the gospel story to these people. Just as Paul says in the book of Acts, "(God) in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness." Acts 14:16-17 The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:11 that "God has made everything in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." and elsewhere in Jeremiah "I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people" Jer. 31:33

It is amazing the lengths that God has gone to, to write eternity into our hearts so that none may perish. All he ask is that we accept the peace and forgiveness he has offered us by accepting His Son who came into this world to be a ransom for all. All that is required is for us to "lay our hands by faith" upon His "Peace Child" Jesus Christ"

Excerpts taken from Don Richardson's book
"Eternity in Their Hearts"

Lessons Learned

In the previous post we discussed how Jacob assumed the identity of his brother Esau to receive the blessing from his father. While this gives us an example of how we approach our Father by assuming the identity of Christ, there are other important lessons we can learn from this passage about how we should conduct ourselves, or rather how not to conduct ourselves when trusting in the Lord.

A lot of things were done wrong in this story and all participants were at fault: first we will start a few chapters earlier in Genesis 25:29-34 when Esau sold Jacob his birthright for a bowl of beans.

Esau is portrayed in these verses as being emotional: he was fainting and gasping, and then despising. To live on this base level, to satisfy one’s appetites, inevitably leads to a despising of spiritual things.

On this same note, Isaac was attempting to thwart God’s plan by blessing Esau instead of Jacob in chapter 27. Natural senses play a conspicuous part in this part of the story as well. Notice the emphasis placed on Isaac’s love for the taste of wild game and also his sense of touch and smell to try and identify Esau. Our natural senses and the things we desire are always at odds with what God desires for us and more often than not these senses and appetites deceive us just as they did Isaac. We must trust in God and his plan for our well being. We must be careful about what our human senses desire as they almost always led us away from the Lord. Giving in to the physical senses and fleshly appetite is also how Eve was deceived in the garden.

Genesis 3:6
“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”

Next, Rebekah and Jacob tried to achieve God’s blessing by deception. Their “victory” would ultimately reap hatred and separation in the family; Rebekah never saw Jacob again and vice versa. In a sense Rebekah and Jacob did win, though they gained nothing that God would not have given them anyway; and they ultimately lost much more. Their family life was destroyed, and each had to bear lonely hours of separation, disillusionment, and regret. Rebekah would never see her favorite son again, and Jacob would have to face life without a father, mother, or brother. Their activities accomplished only what God had already ordained. Yet God would work through their conniving. God’s program will triumph, often in spite of human activities. However if we remove these human interventions, God’s plan will work without all the heartache and difficulty that occurs when we are impatient and try to assist Him or hurry Him along. We must realize that God does not need our help, and whenever we try to intervene, we always cause problems that would not have arisen had we simply been patient and trusted in Him to act. The saying that “God helps those who help themselves” IS NOT in the Bible. What the Bible does continually instruct us to do however is to “be still” and “wait”. Psalms 145:15 “The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.” Other verses that tell us to wait on the Lord include Pslams 25:21, 27:14, 37:7, 37:9, 37:34, 39:7, 52:9, 59:9, 62:5, 104:27, 123:2, 130:5, Isa 8:17, 30:18, 40:31, 49:23, Jer 14:22, Lam 3:25-26, Hosea 12:6, Micah 7:7, Zeph 3:8, Luke 12:36, Acts 1:4, Gal 5:5, 1ST Thes. 1:10 This can be seen in the story of Jacob as well as various other passages including when Abraham fathered a child by Sarah’s maidservant. Sarah and Abraham were not waiting on the Lord to accomplish what He said He would do, they tried to help God bring a son into the world. The problems that arose from this incident have been with us for 6,000 years.

It is also interesting to note that Jacob deceived his father, and throughout Jacob’s life we find that Jacob was deceived by others. He was first deceived by Laban when he was fooled into marrying Leah instead of Rachel. Laban’s excuse for this deception was that “It must not be done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.” Genesis 29:26 This must have cut Jacob deeply since in his case the younger had come before the firstborn. Jacob was also deceived by his children when they told him that his beloved son Joseph had been killed by wild beast. Interestingly enough Jacob’s sons used Joseph’s coat to deceive their father, much like Jacob had used to deceive Isaac. Remember Galatians 6:7 says “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

Master of Disguise

27:11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man:

27:12 My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.

27:15 And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:

27:16 And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:

27:18 And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?

27:19 And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.

27:21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.

27:22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands [are] the hands of Esau.

27:23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.

We all know this story from Genesis 27 in which Jacob pretends to be his brother Esau so that his father Isaac will bless him as the firstborn instead of Esau. So what exactly is going on here, and what does it have to do with us. Well let’s look at what Jacob desires and how he goes about obtaining it. Jacob desires his father’s blessing, and even more specifically the blessing of the first born son. Jacob obtains this blessing by pretending to be Isaac’s first born son Esau, using both his name and his raiment. So Jacob comes before his father and assumes the identity of the first born son, in order to receive blessings from his father. This is exactly what we do. We use the name and assume the identity of Christ the Son, in order to receive blessings from our Father. This same concept can be found in 1st Samuel 18:4 where Jonathan places his garments on David. The New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed, and the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed. It is ONE book and it’s all about HIM!!!

The Agony of Love

"He creates the universe, already foreseeing—or should we say “seeing”? There are no tenses in God—the buzzing cloud of flies about the cross, the flayed back pressed against the uneven stake, the nails driven through the medial nerves, the repeated incipient suffocation as the body droops, the repeated torture of back and arms as it is time after time, for breath’s sake hitched up. If I may dare the biological image, God is a “host” who deliberately creates His own parasites; causes us to be that we may exploit and “take advantage” of Him. Herein is love. This is the diagram of Love Himself, the inventor of all loves." - C.S. Lewis

Crucifixion was invented by the Persians between 300-400 b.c. It was "perfected" by the Romans in the first century b.c. It is arguably the most painful death ever invented by man and is where we get our term "excruciating." It was reserved primarily for the most vicious of criminals.

The most common device used for crucifixion was a wooden cross, which consisted of an upright pole permanently fixed in the ground with a removable crossbar, usually weighing between 75-100 lbs. Victims of crucifixion were typically stripped naked and their clothing divided by the Roman guards. In Jesus' case this was done in fulfillment of Psalm 22:18, "They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots."

As a gesture of "Roman kindness" the prisoner was offered a mixture of vinegar (gall) and wine as a mild anesthetic. This anesthetic was refused by Jesus. Consequently, He bore it all! The Apostle Peter stated of Jesus:

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter 2:24

The victim was then placed on his back, arms stretched out and nailed to the cross bar. The nails, which were generally about 7-9 inches long, were placed between the bones of the forearm (the radius and ulna) and the small bones of the hands (the carpal bones). (Figure 1.)

The placement of the nail at this point had several effects. First it ensured that the victim would indeed hang there until dead. Secondly, a nail placed at this point would sever the largest nerve in the hand called the median nerve.


The severing of this nerve is a medical catastrophe. In addition to severe burning pain the destruction of this nerve causes permanent paralysis of the hand. Furthermore, by nailing the victim at this point in the wrist, there would be minimal bleeding and there would be no bones broken! Thus scriptures were fulfilled:

I can count all my bones: they look and stare upon me. Psalm 22:17

He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Psalm 34:20

The positioning of the feet is probably the most critical part of the mechanics of crucifixion. First the knees were flexed about 45 degrees and the feet were flexed (bent downward) an additional 45 degrees until they were parallel the vertical pole. An iron nail about 7-9 inches long was driven through the feet between the 2nd and 3rd metatarsal bones. In this position the nail would sever the dorsal pedal artery of the foot, but the resultant bleeding would be insufficient to cause death. (Figure 2)


The Catastrophic Result

The resulting position on the cross sets up a horrific sequence of events which results in a slow, painful death. Having been pinned to the cross, the victim now has an impossible position to maintain. (Figure 3)


With the knees flexed at about 45 degrees, the victim must bear his weight with the muscles of the thigh. However, this is an almost impossible task-try to stand with your knees flexed at 45 degrees for 5 minutes. As the strength of the legs gives out, the weight of the body must now be borne by the arms and shoulders. The result is that within a few minutes of being placed on the cross, the shoulders will become dislocated. Minutes later the elbows and wrists become dislocated. The result of these dislocations is that the arms are as much as 6-9 inches longer than normal.

With the arms dislocated, considerable body weight is transferred to the chest, causing the rib cage to be elevated in a state of perpetual inhalation. Consequently, in order to exhale the victim must push down on his feet to allow the rib muscles to relax. The problem is that the victim cannot push very long because the legs are extremely fatigued. As time goes on, the victim is less and less able to bear weight on the legs, causing further dislocation of the arms and further raising of the chest wall, making breathing more and more difficult.

The result of this process is a series of catastrophic physiological effects. Because the victim cannot maintain adequate ventilation of the lungs, the blood oxygen level begins to diminish and the blood carbon dioxide (CO2) level begins to rise. This rising CO2 level stimulates the heart to beat faster in order to increase the delivery of oxygen and the removal of CO2. (Figure 4)


However, due to the pinning of the victim and the limitations of oxygen delivery, the victim cannot deliver more oxygen and the rising heart rate only increases oxygen demand. So this process sets up a vicious cycle of increasing oxygen demand-which cannot be met-followed by an ever increasing heart rate. After several hours the heart begins to fail, the lungs collapse and fill up with fluid, which further decreases oxygen delivery to the tissues. The blood loss and hyperventilation combines to cause severe dehydration. This is almost certainly why Jesus said, "I thirst."

Over a period of several hours the combination of collapsing lungs, a failing heart, dehydration, and the inability to get adequate oxygen supplies to the tissues cause the eventual death of the victim. The victim, in effect, cannot breath properly and slowly suffocates to death. In cases of severe cardiac stress, such as crucifixion, a victim's heart can even burst. This process is called "Cardiac Rupture."

To slow the process of death the executioners put a small wooden seat on the cross, which would allow the victim the privilege of bearing his weight on his buttocks. The effect of this was that it could take up to nine days to die on a cross.

When the Romans wanted to expedite death they would simply break the legs of the victim, causing him to suffocate in a matter of minutes. At three o'clock in the afternoon Jesus said, "Tetelastai," meaning "it is finished." Then He gave up the ghost. When the soldiers came to Jesus to break His legs, He was already dead. Not a bone of Him was broken!

How Should We Then Live?

I realize that it is difficult to read of the details of Jesus' physical sufferings. And yet, when we realize that He looked forward, on our behalf, to the cross, we are overwhelmed with His practical demonstration of love and, hopefully, a personal realization of our unworthiness. How should we then live? I believe that the Apostle Paul said it best:

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11

I would also like to point out that Christ does not wish for you to feel guilty about what He had to endured on the cross. Remember what he told the 2 men on the road to Emmaus "Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?" Luke 24:25-26

Christ is telling them that it had to happen the way that it did, and we should always remeber that. We couldn't accomplish what He did ourselves, He had to do it and He was happy to.

However it is important for us to realize just how much it cost Him. If this post does nothing else I hope that it helps you realize that first of all, you were indeed "bought with a price" 1st Corinthians 6:20 & 7:23 and second, you were not cheap!!

It is also worth noting that we were purchased individually, It was not a package deal. Christ suffered and died for each individual sin of every human being who has ever walked this Earth. That's right, your sins have already been dealt with on the cross and forgiveness is now offered as a free gift. Whether or not you choose to accept or deny that gift is your personal choice, and it is a choice which will determine where you spend your eternity. As I said Christ has dealt with your sin, therefore no one will be denied entry into heaven and thus banished to eternal punishment because of their sin. Rather they will be excluded based solely on their refusal to accept the reconciliation that God provided for that sin through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. In order for a gift to become your possession, you must first accept it. Also remember that, "he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarded of them that diligently seek him." Thank Christ today for what He has accomplished for us and ask Him to grant you the free gift of forgiveness of sin and eternal life with Him through belief in His death and resurrection.

http://khouse.org/articles/1998/113/

We Are Barabbas!!

Given the time of year, this topic seemed appropriate.

Matthew 27:15 – 26

15] Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.
16] And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.
17] Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?
18] For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.
19] When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.
20] But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
21] The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.
22] Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.
23] And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
24] When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
25] Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
26] Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

First of all, who is Barabbas

We learn a from Mark 15:7 that Barabbas was a murderer

“And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made
insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.”

and we know from John 18:40 that he was a thief.

Barabbas stood under the righteous condemnation of the law. He knew the One who was to take his cross and take his place was innocent. He knew that Jesus Christ was for him a true substitute. He knew that he had done nothing to merit going free while another took his place.

However;

The murderer’s bonds, curse, disgrace, and mortal agony were transferred to the righteous Jesus, while the liberty, innocence, safety, and well-being of the Nazarene became the lot of the murderer. Barabbas is installed in all the rights and privileges of Jesus Christ; while the innocent Christ enters upon all the infamy and horror of the rebel’s position. The delinquent’s guilt and cross become the lot of the Just One, and all the civil rights and immunities of the later are now the property of the delinquent. Where are you and I? …in Barabbas’ shoes! We are Barabbas!

By the way, Barabbas means “Son of the Father” Very Interesting!!

The Day of Double Blessing

Since we just discussed Christ’s first miracle at the wedding in Cana, I thought I would mention an interesting fact about this passage regarding what day the wedding was held.

We know from Scripture that this wedding took place on the "third day"

“And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:” John 2:1

Just like with our week, the third day of the week for the Jewish people is Tuesday.

Day 1) Sunday
Day 2) Monday
Day 3) Tuesday
Day 4) Wednesday
Day 5) Thursday
Day 6) Friday
Day 7) Saturday (The Jewish Sabbath, the day The Lord rested.)

So why is this wedding taking place on “the third day” a Tuesday?

Well for the answer to that question, we have to go all the way back to the first chapter of Genesis.

You will find when you read in Genesis that God would create, declare those things “good” aka bless those things (the Hebrew word is Towb Strong’s H2896) and then conclude the day.

This declaration of "good" happened on the first day (Sunday) of course.

4] And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5] And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Genesis 1:4-5

On the second day (Monday) however, God does not declare anything "good". I have to agree with Him on this one, there is nothing good about Monday's!!

6] And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

7] And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

8] And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

Genesis 1:6-8

So again, nothing is declared good on the second day

God makes up for the lack of any blessings or declarations of "good" on the second day, by declaring two things "good" on the third day (Tuesday).

9] And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

10] And God called the dry [land] Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

1st declaration of "good"

12] And the earth brought forth grass, [and] herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

2nd declaration of "good"

13] And the evening and the morning were the third day.

Genesis 1:9-10 & 12-13

Since God declared that what he had created was "good" 2 times on the third day (Tuesday), to the Jewish people the third day came to be known as the “Day of Double Blessing”

So all good little Jewish girls, if possible, will hold their weddings on Tuesday, the third day, the “Day of Double Blessing”

And it was no different for the young couple whose wedding Jesus attended in Cana.

Christ's First Miracle

(Note: Like so many other studies I put together, this didn't come out anywhere near as clearly or concisely as I had hoped. There is just so much depth to this stuff that it is hard to know what to include and what to leave out since in my eyes it is all equally important. I can only hope that you will see it through the lens of the Holy Spirit and will able to glean some useful things from it. That being said, if you have any questions about any of my post feel free to e-mail me. I will try my best to clear things up.)

I have recently studied Christ’s first miracle and how it relates to our lives both before and after we come to know Christ.

It is my view, that we have in our possession a collection of 66 books, penned by 40 different authors, over thousands of years and yet it is an integrated message system, given to us by supernatural means through the power of the Holy Spirit from beyond our time domain. It is in its total one book, devoted to one topic, that topic being of course Jesus Christ. One book, it’s all about Him.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” 2nd Timothy 3:16

What this verse is saying is that there are no wasted words. The Holy Spirit is both efficient and
effective. If a word or detail is there, it is there by His design and points to something deeper.

So let’s focus on Christ’s first miracle the turning of the water into wine at the wedding in Cana in John
chapter 2.

1] And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
2] And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
3] And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
4] Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
5] His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do [it].
6] And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
7] Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim

“Firkin”: A firkin is a goatskin measurement of 6-8 gallons; 2-3 firkins would equalbetween 12-24 gallons each. The Greek word translated as “containing” is chōreō which actually means “to have space or room for receiving or holding.” So the end of this verse could be more accurately translated “which could hold two or three firkins apiece”. The point is, the the pots were empty. That is why Christ tells the servants to fill them with water.

8] And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare [it].
9] When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
10] And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: [but] thou hast kept the good wine until now.
11] This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

John tells us that this act is Christ’s first miracle. That being said it seems like a very strange way for Him to begin His ministry. No blind or deaf or lame are healed, no demons are cast out, no one is of great benefit from this miracle save a few drunken wedding guests. In fact John states in verse 9 that the wedding guest didn’t even know that Christ had done this work. Only the servants knew.

So Why would the Hoy Spirit mention this and why would Christ choose this to be the first miracle He would ever perform in His earthly body? Remember that every detail is there by design and is there for our learning. 2nd Timothy 3:16

Here is a list of details / occurrences regarding these waterpots that emerge from these verses.

1) There are 6 pots
2) They are made of stone
3) They are empty
4) The pots are the type used by the Jews for religious cleansing
5) By the word of Christ they were filled to the brim
6) The water turned to wine
7) People believed in Christ as a result of the miracle

What do these details tell us?

The first detail is that there were 6 pots. As you study scripture, you come to realize that certain numbers hold certain meanings. Throughout scripture the number 6typically points towards man and also suggests incompleteness. The number 7 on the other hand represents spiritual perfection or completeness.

“And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested
on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.”

Man on the other hand was created on the 6th day Genesis 1:26, he is resigned to his labor 6 days per
week Ex 24:31. 7-1=6, man falls short of God’s perfection Romans 3:23.

So the fact that there are 6 vessels suggest these waterpots are representing man or mankind

The other characteristics of these water pots are that they are

2) Made of stone
3) Empty
4) They represent empty religion (religion being man’s vain attempt to reconcile himself to God.)

Now, what happened to these water pots?

5) At the command of Christ they were filled with water to the brim
6) The water was turned to wine / fruit was produced.
7) Many believed in Christ as a result.

I believe one of the main reason’s Christ’s choose this to be His first miracle, is because it is in direct
correlation to the first miracle that He performed in our lives as believers.

Before we believed:

1) We are all of mankind therefore we were sinful and fallen. Romans 3:10, 3:23, 5:12

2) We had a heart of stone Ezekiel 36:26, Hebrews 3:15

3) We were empty. Void of love, compassion etc. There are no verses that allude to us being empty, but there are countless verses that speak of us being filled and in particular filled by the Holy Spirit. In order for something to be filled, it must first be empty. Matt 5:6, Acts 2:4, 4:8, 4:31, 9:17, 13:52

(Water is used many places in scripture to represent the Holy Spirit - John 4:1,John 7:37 - 39)

4) Our only hope of salvation was a vain attempt to cleanse ourselves through our own works or
traditions / empty religion (Hebrews 10:4, 10:11)

5) At the word of Christ we were filled to the brim with living water / Water = The Holy Spirit. (John 6:63)

6) That water is then turned to wine/manifest itself as fruit. Once we have been filled with the “living water” we too should begin to produce fruit. (John 15:4-5 ,15:8, 15:16, Rom 7:4)

(Wine at times is used to speak of joy (Psalms 4:7, Psalms 104:15) So once we are filled with this “living water” it is turned into joy)

7) Ideally, once we have been filled with water (The Holy Spirit) and it is turned to wine (produces fruit) others are led to believe in Christ as a result of the miracle Christ performed in our lives. (Matt 13:8, Acts 9:40-42)

(Disclaimer: I included Acts 9:40-42 in the last section as a means to back up the premise that once these men had been filled with the ”water” (Holy Spirit), they began to produce fruit and others believed in Christ as a result. It should be noted that being fruitful does not necessarily have to include healing the sick or raising the dead. It can include any number of things can be considered fruit so long as Christ is glorified. Anything you do that glorifies Chirst, helps others further their knowledge of Him or furthers His kingdom in any way can be considered fruit.)

While We're On The Topic!

I saw this in the news today and thought it was pretty amazing. A contractor in Holland has built a replica that is roughly half the size of the Biblical Ark.

The massive central door in the side of Noah's Ark was thrown open Saturday for the first crowd of curious Pilgrims and townsfolk to behold the wonder.



Of course, it's only a replica of the biblical Ark, built by Dutch Creationist Johan Huibers as a testament to his faith in the literal truth of the Bible.

The ark is 150 cubits long, 20 cubits wide and 30 cubits high. Huibers replica is half the length, and less than half the width of the Biblical Ark. The height of the replica is the same dimension as that given in the Bible. (The Biblical Ark was 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high.) Life-size models of giraffes, elephants, lions, crocodiles, zebras, bison and other animals greet visitors as they arrive in the main hold.



A contractor by trade, Huibers built the ark of cedar and pine

Biblical Scholars debate exactly what the wood used by Noah would have been.

Huibers did the work mostly with his own hands, using modern tools and with occasional help from his son Roy. Construction began in May 2005.

On the uncovered top deck - not quite ready in time for the opening - will come a petting zoo, with baby lambs and chickens, and goats, and one camel.



Visitors on the first day were stunned.

There is enough space near the keel for a 50-seat film theater where kids can watch a video that tells the story of Noah and his ark.




Huibers said he hopes the project will renew interest in Christianity in the Netherlands , where church going has fallen dramatically in the past 50 years.

www.cbn.com/CBNnews/147622.aspx

More Interesting Facts About Noah's Ark

The ark of Noah was the ONLY way that one could be saved from the coming judgment due to sin. Christ is our ONLY way to be saved from the coming judgment due to sin. There was ONE ark, ONE way to be saved. There were not a number of different arks with varying sizes and accommodations of which you could choose the one that fit you best. Christ said Romans tells us that there is “ONE name given among men, by which it is appointed unto man to be saved”. In keeping with the one way theme, the Holy Spirit also makes a point to tell us that there was only one door, only one way into the security the ark provided. Christ said “I am the door of the sheep” and also again “I am the way the truth and the life no man may enter in unto the Father except by me.” And also “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.” I would also point out that our Lord suggested that the one door leading into the Ark was relatively narrow. “Narrow is the way that leads to eternal life and few there are who find it.”

The ark was a shelter from the judgment handed down due to sin. Christ provides this same shelter for those who believe in Him. “For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.” Psalms 61:3

Although some translations say that God said “Go” into the ark, the original text states that God said “Come” into the Ark. This is the same invitation that Christ gives today to all mankind. “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you Rest” Do you know what the Hebrew word for rest is? “Noah”. Noah = Rest.

It is worth mentioning that the world outside of the ark was in turmoil. Huge waves were crashing against the bow, torrential rains were pouring down, but it was the Ark that bore the full brunt of the judgment while Noah and his family rested comfortably inside. “He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.” Psalms 107:29 Also Isa. 4:6, 25:4. That can be an invaluable lesson, especially in these troubled times, as to what Christ did and is continuing to do for us. Christ says in John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Christ continually speaks of His desire for us to dwell in Him. What is outside of the Ark? Judgment and Turmoil. What is inside the Ark? Noah. Remember Noah is the Hebrew word for Rest. If you enter into the ark, you will find Noah (Rest).

The Lord told Noah in Genesis 6:14 “Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.” The Hebrew word translated as “pitch” in this verse is “Kaphar” (Strong’s # H3722). Every other time “kaphar” is used in scripture it is translated as atonement. Hummm, so The Ark of Noah was sealed by way of atonement!! That’s interesting! It is also interesting that the Ark was covered with “pitch” both inside and out. This seems like overkill, but could it be possible that this was done in order to preserve the Ark. Is it possible that sometime in the near future The Ark of Noah will actually be discovered and once again serve as a witness and a warning to a sinful world about a coming judgment? Stay tuned to find out!!

There were 3 types of people affected by the judgment of the flood,
1) those who were preserved through the judgment, Noah and his family
2) those who perished in the judgment, All who were not on the ark
3) those who were removed before the judgment, namely Enoch. “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” Genesis 5:24.

Many scholars believe that story of the flood points towards a future judgment which has yet to occur where there will be 3 distinct types of people.

1) The scholars believe that Noah and his family represent the nation of Israel who God will preserve through the coming judgment.
2) Those that perished in the flood represent those referred to as “Earth Dwellers” in Revelation who refuse to give glory to the Most High God and perish in God’s judgment of the Earth.
3) Enoch represents Christ’s Church who, like Enoch, will be removed before the coming judgment and sit down with our risen Savior at the marriage supper of the lamb.

There is an interesting Jewish tradition that states that Enoch was born on Pentecost, which is also the day the Church was born as recorded in the book of Acts. Tradition also states that Enoch was removed “taken out” on his birthday. Could it be possible that on some future Pentecost, the Church will be removed on its birthday before the Earth’s impending Judgment? Stay tuned and keep looking up, but remember that only the Father knows the hour.

Lastly, the text in Genesis states that God himself shut the door and sealed Noah and His family in the Ark Genesis 7:16. Once the door of the Ark was closed, all arguments over religion or theology were over. You were either within the safety of the Ark, or you were outside facing judgment. Remember that Christ said “When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are” Luke 13:25 Today, the door to our Ark of security our shelter from the storm, Jesus Christ, is open to all and our Father calls us all to “Come”. A day will come however; when The Lord will shut this door as well, and the season of grace will be ended. Where will you be when the door is shut? Will you be within the security offered by the Lord Jesus Christ through belief in his sacrifice for forgiveness of your sin, or outside looking in, awaiting judgment?

DON’T GET CAUGHT IN THE RAIN!!!

Christ Is Our Ark

And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. - Genesis 8:4

Why did the Holy Spirit think it was important that we know the ark rested on the 17th day of the 7th month? Every detail is there for our learning. 2nd Timothy 3:16

Remeber Proverbs 25:2 says "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings to search out a matter."

Okay, This one takes a little digging. We know that the seven feasts of Moses are not only commemorative of events in Israel's past; they are also prophetic of Christ. Passover is celebrated on the 14th of Nisan, this is commemorative of Israel being "passed over" by the angel taking the firstborn in Egypt, but it is also prophetic of our Passover, Jesus Christ; who, as the Lamb of God, was also offered on the 14th of Nisan. Just like the blood of the lamb on the doorpost caused the angel of death to "Passover" the house in Egypt, the shed blood of Christ the Lamb causes death to pass over us. In fact, even the food that is eaten during the Passover meal, as well as how the food is prepared and eaten is prophetic of Christ.

(If you have never had the privilege to participate in a traditional Seder or Passover dinner which focuses on how the Passover meal is representative of Christ, then I urge you to give it a try. Many churches offer Passover meals around “Easter” and there are many guides you can find online that will walk you through preparation of all the food and the ceremonial meal itself. You will be greatly rewarded, and it is a great dress rehearsal for the type of things we will be doing in the coming kingdom)

Passover is always celebrated on the 14th of Nisan". In the fourteenth day of the first month at evening is the Lord's Passover." Leviticus 23:5 Remember that Jesus and his disciples were celebrating the Passover dinner on the night that he was arrested. In fact when Christ breaks the bread and says take and eat, for this is my body, he is speaking about one of the pieces of motzah that is eaten during the Passover dinner. Also when he says take and drink for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins he is speaking of the 3rd cup of 4 total cups taken during the Passover meal which interestingly enough was known as the cup of redemption.

So we know Christ was crucified on Passover Nisan 14th. The Jewish day begins at sundown, so the night the Lord and His disciples were celebrating in the upper room, the same night that Jesus was later arrested and tried, was actually the beginning of the day of Nisan 14th / Passover. Of course later on that same ”day”, what we would consider the “next” day, Jesus was crucified.

Now as we have stated and as we all know, Christ was crucified on Passover Nisan 14th. Christ of course rose on the 3rd day after his death just as He told us He would. Nisan 14th + 3 days = Nisan 17th

So what does Noah’s Ark resting on the 17th day of the 7th month have to do with Christ being resurrected on the 17th day of Nisan? The key is understanding that the Jews have two calendars, a civil calendar and a religious calendar. The religious calendar was instituted in Genesis 12. When you examine the institution of Passover, God instructed Moses in Exodus 12:2 to make that month, Nisan, the "beginning of months." "this month (The month of Nisan) shall be unto you the beginning of months." Therefore, the Jews observe two calendars: the original (Genesis) calendar which begins on Rosh Hoshana, the 1st of Tishri, in the fall; and the religious calendar instituted in Exodus 12 which begins on the 1st of Nisan, in the spring.




















So on the old civil calendar of Genesis, Nisan is the 7th month. Remember, scripture tells us that the ark rested on the 17th day of the 7th month. So for Noah and all those living before the institution of the religious calendar in Exodus 12, the 17th day of the 7th month would be Nisan 17th! As we discussed earlier, this is the exact day that Christ rose from the dead. So the day the ark of Noah rested and ushered in a new beginning for mankind on planet earth, was on the anniversary, in advance, of the day that Christ would raise from the dead and usher in our new beginning on earth through Him and His finished work.

The New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed, and the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed. It is staggering to realize the lengths that our Father has gone to in order that we may know him more. In all his graciousness He blessed us with a collection of 66 books, penned by 40 different authors over 1000's of years, yet it is an integrated message system dictated directly from the God of Eternity. One Book, one message. It's all about Him!!!

The Gospel In Genesis

In Genesis Chapter 5, we have the genealogy of Adam through Noah. This is one of those chapters which we often tend to skim over quickly as we pass through Genesis on our way to bigger and better things. But what if anything can we learn from this chapter. Remember 2nd Timothy 3:16 tells us that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Even the parts of scripture we may feel are slightly less significant than others.

God of course always rewards the diligent student. Let's examine Genesis chapter 5 more closely.
In our Bible, we read the Hebrew names, but what do these names mean in English?

A Study of Original Roots:

The meaning of proper names can be a difficult pursuit since a direct translation is often not readily available. Even a conventional Hebrew lexicon can prove disappointing. A study of the original roots, however, can yield some fascinating insights.

(Please Note: many study aids, such as a conventional lexicon, can prove rather superficial when dealing with proper nouns. Furthermore, views concerning the meanings of original roots are not free of controversy and variant readings.)

So let’s just dive right in.

Adam:

Adam's name means man. As the first man, that seems straight forward enough.

Adam = Man

Seth:

Adam's son was named Seth, which means appointed. Eve said, "For God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew."

Seth = Appointed

Enosh:

Seth's son was called Enosh, which means mortal, frail, or miserable. It is from the root anash, which is used to speak of mankind as a whole and his mortality. It also suggest the idea of being incurable, used of a wound, grief, woe, sickness, or wickedness.

Enosh = Mortal

Kenan:

Enosh's son was named Kenan, which can mean sorrow, dirge, or elegy.

(The precise denotation is somewhat elusive; some study aids unfortunately presume that Kenan is synonymous with Cainan.) Balaam, looking down from the heights of Moab, uses a pun upon the name of the Kenites when he prophesies their destruction.

Kenan = Sorrow

We have no real idea (besides being part of God’s ultimate plan, as to why these names were chosen for their children. Often they may have referred to circumstances at birth, and so on. )

Mahalalel:

Kenan's son was Mahalalel from Mahalal which means blessed or praise; and El, the name for God. Thus, Mahalalel means the Blessed God. Often Hebrew names include El, the name of God, such as Dan-i-el, "God is my Judge", Beth-el “House of God” etc.

Mahalalel = The Blessed God

Jared:

Mahalalel's son was named Jared, from the verb yaradh; meaning shall come down or descend. This same word is used in Genesis 11:5 “And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded” as well as numerous other verses.

Jared = Shall Come Down

Enoch:

Jared's son was named Enoch, which means teaching, or commencement. He was the first of four generations of preachers. In fact, the earliest recorded prophecy was by Enoch, which amazingly enough deals with the Second Coming of Christ (although it is quoted in the Book of Jude in the New Testament):

“Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against." Jude 14, 15

Enoch was the father of Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah. Apparently, Enoch received the prophecy of the Great Flood, and was told that as long as his son was alive, the judgment of the flood would be withheld. And indeed the year that Methuselah died, the flood came. (See Section on Methuselah for explanation)

Enoch, of course, never died: he was translated (or, if you'll excuse the expression, raptured). That's how Methuselah can be the oldest man in the Bible, yet he died before his father!

Enoch = Teaching

Methuselah:

Methuselah comes from muth, a root that means "death"; and from shalach, which means to bring, or to send forth. The name Methuselah means, "his death shall bring". This apparently was a prophecy given to Enoch that the judgment of the flood would be withheld until the death of his son Methuselah. And just as his father Enoch had predicted, the year that Methuselah died, the flood came.

Methuselah was 187 when his son Lamech was born, and lived 782 more years after that for a total age of 969. Lamech had Noah when he was 182. 187 (Age of Methuselah when his son Lamech was born + 182 (Age of Lamech when Noah was born) = 369. So Methuselah was 369 years old when his grandson Noah was born. Scripture tells us that the flood came in Noah’s 600th year. 369 (Methuselah’s age when his grandson Noah was born) + 600 (Noah’s age when the flood came) = 969, Methuselah's age when he died.

It is interesting that Methuselah's life, in effect, was a symbol of God's mercy in forestalling the coming judgment of the flood. Therefore, it is fitting that his lifetime is the oldest recorded in the Bible, speaking of the extensiveness of God's mercy. Remember that 2nd Peter 3:9 tells us that “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering towards us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Methuselah = His Death Shall Bring

Lamech:

Methuselah's son was named Lamech, a root still evident today in our own English word, lament or lamentation. Lamech suggests despairing. (This name is also linked to the Lamech in Cain's line who inadvertently killed his son Tubal-Cain in a hunting incident.) Lamech said in Genesis 4, “for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.” He is in despair over this young man’s death.

Lamech = Despair

Noah:

Lamech, of course, is the father of Noah, which is derived from nacham, to bring relief, rest, comfort, as Lamech himself explains in Genesis 5:29. When Noah was born Lamech, “called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.”

Noah = Comfort

The Composite List:

Hebrew --------------------English
Adam-----------------------Man
Seth-------------------------Appointed
Enosh-----------------------Mortal
Kenan----------------------Sorrow
Mahalalel------------------The Blessed God
Jared----------------------Shall come down
Enoch------------------------Teaching
Methuselah----------------His death shall bring
Lamech--------------------The despairing
Noah------------------------Rest, or comfort

So let’s put all of this together:

Man (is) appointed mortal sorrow; (but) the Blessed God shall come down teaching (that) His death shall bring (the) despairing rest.

That is rather remarkable; Here is a summary of God's plan of redemption, hidden here within a genealogy in Genesis!

Evidences of Design:

The implications of this discovery are far more deeply significant than may be evident at first glance. It demonstrates that in the earliest chapters of the Book of Genesis, God had already laid out His plan of redemption for the predicament of mankind. It is the beginning of a love story, ultimately written in blood on a wooden cross which was erected in Judea almost 2,000 years ago.

Taken from: "A Hidden Message: The Gospel in Genesis" by Dr. Chuck Missler – http://www.khouse.org/articles/1996/44/

Be Like The Bereans!!

I would like to say before I begin, that you should always begin any study of scripture by asking the Holy Spirit for guidance and discernment. What better way to find the answer to a question or to discern the “Word of Truth” than to go directly to the author Himself? I would also like to stress that you should not believe anything I say without verifying it on our own. If you take one word I say at face value, and simply believe it because I said then you fail the test!! Remember that the Holy Spirit through Paul urges us to be like the Bereans who, “received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11. What Paul is saying is do your homework. Don’t just believe something because I say it or your pastor says it or your friends or family or some guy on TV says it. We can’t afford to be led astray. You should “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2nd Timothy 2:15 Remember that our adversary, “as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” 1st Peter 5:8. Peter reminds us in the beginning of that same verse to always be sober and vigilant. So two things, One, Always approach the study of scripture by asking the Holy Spirit for guidance and discernment and it’s also worth mentioning in that same breath, do not forget your armor (Ephesians 6:13)!! Second, don’t believe a word I or anyone else says unless you have searched the scriptures daily, to see whether those things are so!!!

How Do I Begin?

I have been contemplating for a while now just how exactly I wanted to start this off and I decided that I will begin by offering you the same challenge that I was presented with years ago. This challenge holds that we have in our possession a collection of 66 books, penned by 40 different authors over thousands of years, and yet it is an integrated message system, given to us through supernatural means by way of the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through God’s people. The Author has authenticated His message and demonstrated His mastery of time and space by writing out history for us in before it happens. It is in its total one book, devoted to one topic, that topic being of course Jesus Christ. It is ONE Book, and it is all about Him.

Jesus acknowledges this very idea while admonishing the Pharisees saying,

“You search the scriptures, for in them you think you have
eternal life, and these are they which speak of me.”

Again in Psalms and reiterated in Hebrews, the Holy Spirit through David speaks of Christ when he says,

“Lo I come, in the volume of the book it is written of me.”

This concept is also presented to us in Luke 24:27, when Christ is conversing with the two believers on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection. The Holy Spirit tells us that

“beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded
unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”

So we know from Christ’s own words that ALL scriptures refer to Him. I will suggest to you that every book, every story, every word, every letter, every number, every place name, every detail mentioned and in some truly fascinating ways every detailed which is not mentioned, point to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is, without fail, on every page in scripture and it is our utmost privilege to know Him.

I would also like to remind you that Paul says in 2nd Timothy 3:16,

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”

What Paul is saying is that there are no wasted words. The Holy Spirit is both efficient and effective. If a word or detail is there, it is there by His design and points to something deeper.

Another verse worth remembering is Proverbs 25:2 which tells us that

“It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of Kings to search out a matter”

In other words, our Father through the Holy Spirit conceals treasures within the scriptures and it is our duty and privilege to search them out. This blog will be dedicated to revealing some of those treasures and it is my prayer that at some point someone will find its contents useful and above all else I hope that through the contents of these posts our Everlasting Father, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ WILL BE GLORIFIED!!! So, here goes nothing!