Today marks the beginning of Purim (which will begin at sundown ). This is probably one of the most joyous of Jewish holidays. It celebrates the book of Esther, the one who saved all the Jews living in the Persian Empire during her time. You can see why it is such a joyous occasion. If you haven’t read the book of Esther, please do so; it is a good read. It is traditionally thought that the life and story of Esther occurs between the 6th and 7th chapter of Ezra: between the time of Zerubbabel, who led the first return of Jews from Persia to Jerusalem at the degree of King Cyrus, and the return of a second wave of Jews under the leadership of Ezra.

Esther was a Jewess orphaned in early childhood and raised by her uncle Mordecai. Through a series of events, Esther was made part of a beauty pageant, so to speak, and became the one whom King Xerxes chose as his next wife. The villain in the story, Haman, despised the Jews and schemed to have them all destroyed. However, he did not calculate that the Queen herself was a Jew. Although no one, not even the Queen, could enter the presence of the king uninvited, Mordecai stated that Esther being Queen was likely the reason God had allowed her to have this position of authority. With time running out, and not being invited by the King to see her, Esther took her life in her hands and went to the king uninvited.  God was gracious and moved the king to extendd his scepter towards her indicating his acceptance of her presence. Esther invited her king and Haman to a dinner party and they both accepted. That night, she invited them to a second dinner at which time Esther announced the scheme of Haman and the king became angry. As the king left the room in his anger to think, Haman pleaded with Esther for his life; however, when the king returned it appeared to him that Haman was making advances toward Esther. This made him even angrier; so angry that he immediately ordered guards to take Haman away and kill him. Haman was executed on the very gallows which he had earlier prepared for Mordecai.

Previously, Haman had tricked Xerxes to allow him to announce that all Persians could kill Jews on a certain day and be protected from retaliation. Although Xerxes could not rescind his decree, he allowed Mordecai to send out another decree with his signet ring announcing to everyone in his kingdom that the Jews would be allowed to retaliate and defend their lives with the Jews being protected from retaliation for their actions.

Because the actions of Esther and Mordecai saved the lives of many Jews throughout Persia, a joyous festival was held and then commemorated each year thereafter. You can see why it is such a joyous holiday: so many lives were saved because Esther was willing to put her life on the line for her people. It became known as Purim because the word pur means ‘to cast one’s lot’ which Haman had done against the Jews, and God had turned it into a victory.

The book of Esther is unique in other ways as well. God is nowhere mentioned in the book and prayer is not mentioned. Esther asked Mordecai and her people to fast, but prayer is not specifically mentioned. However, I find it hard to believe that fasting would not involve prayer; they are tightly linked. Although God is not mentioned, it is quite clear that God controlled the events and circumstances for Esther’s actions to be fruitful and profitable. It points to God’s divine grace and providence.

Although most Christians do not celebrate Purim, we have a lot to learn from the event. Has God called you to do something that is hard and difficult? If so, He also will see you through it. Esther is a testimony to God’s faithfulness and to our faith in His promises.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

As the New Testament opens, chaos ruled with not just one dominant force in the world, but two: Rome and Parthia. They were considered equal in strength and as much as Rome tried, it never took Parthia. A détente had been established between the two, but this was always tenuous. As stated earlier, the border between the two was the Euphrates River and Syria was the Roman border state to help keep that peace.

It is interesting that these tenuous times was when God decided to fulfill his promise to Adam and Eve (Gn 3:15). There was always potential war between Rome and Parthia. If war had broken out, then Jesus would not have been able to accomplish what he did. Also, there was much tension between Rome and the Jews in Judaea. The prefect in Jerusalem had to be on high alert during Passover, Shavuot (Pentecost) and Sukkot (Tabernacles) as there was a large influx of Jews during these feast times. This was a time when Jewish Zealots would often try to incite the crowds against Rome. Then there was the clash between the Greek/Roman and Jewish cultures which was like mixing oil and water – they did not mix well. The Jewish culture was very conservative, modest and would display no images as that was considered against the Law of Moses (Lv 26:1). However, the Roman and Greek cultures had no issues with public displays of nudity at athletic events and believed their gods wanted public displays of images to show their devotion. Therefore, the Romans had a very tough time keeping peace and order in such an environment.

By New Testament times, there were congregated Jews not only in Judaea but also in Egypt, Syria, Greece, Rome, and other prominent cities throughout the Roman Empire. Their religion was protected by Roman law, but they usually formed tight-knit groups because they did not blend in well with the surrounding cultures. Also, because an orthodox Jew could only travel certain distances on the Sabbath, they had to be close to their synagogue which almost invariably created “Jewish Quarters” in whatever city they lived. Many of the synagogues were treated as colleges so as to get around the Roman law that forbade secret societies. Unless in large cities, many Jews probably did not see Roman soldiers that often, yet the presence of Roman authority was known and ever present. This was especially true at the time of Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot when many Jews and Jewish proselytes would attend in person in Jerusalem for these pilgrimage feasts. Then Rome’s present was quite evident. Rome made it quite clear who was in charge.

Although Herod the Great had his flaws and his agendas, he probably was one of the last rulers who really understood the Jews’ actions and thought process. It became very apparent that his son, Archelaus, did not since the Jews in both Judea and Samaria demanded he be removed from office. The prefects who ruled Judaea were also not often sympathetic to the Jews and considered them irritating. Most of the prefects did not reside in Jerusalem but in Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean coast in northern Samaria which had more of a Roman atmosphere. They would usually come to Jerusalem only during feasts times as they knew they would need an extra vigilant watch for the potential of a Jewish insurrection. There were often anti-Semitic attitudes that prevailed. Some of them were the following:

• Worshipping one God was often held against the Jews. Because the Jews worshipped only one God and not the pantheon of gods as did the Greeks and Romans, they were often considered responsible for any disasters that befell a community. However, at the same time, many Greeks and Romans were fascinated by the radical idea of monotheism which they found philosophically elegant.

• The privacy of the temple was held against the Jews. Because what went on inside the temple in Jerusalem could only be observed by the priests, rumors started that the Jews sacrificed human beings. For example, it was widely believed that when the Roman general Pompey took the city and entered the temple, he liberated a Greek prisoner who was being fattened for the sacrifice.

• Keeping the Sabbath was held against the Jews. Because the Jews maintained that no work was to be done on the Sabbath, Jews were considered to be lazy by many Greeks and Romans. This thought can be found in the Fourteenth satire of the Roman poet Juvenal (c.67-c.145).

• Jewish customs were held against the Jews. The customs, laws and dietary restrictions of the Jews were regarded as strange and often led many Greeks and Romans to make jokes, sometimes good-natured, but usually not.

• Keeping the Law of Moses was held against the Jews. Many considered them to be ignoring the laws of the state in which they resided. Of all accusations against the Jews, this one is the oldest; this is what Haman accused the Jews of in the story of Esther (Es 3:8).

• Jewish society was held against the Jews. Jews were believed to be antisocial. Most Jews lived in close proximity to each other and to their synagogue. However, orthodox Jews could only travel certain distances on the Sabbath and so they had to be sure they were in walking distance to their synagogue. This did not mean they were antisocial, but likely became so when received with anti-Semitic attitudes from the surrounding peoples.

• The practice of circumcision was held against the Jews. It was considered “mutilation of genitals” and barbarous. The Greeks and Romans thought the Jews circumcised their boys to prevent them from assimilating into society. Greek philosophy considered the body the vehicle of the soul and so many Greeks and Romans could not understand this “lack of integrity” of one’s body.

Pontius Pilate was one such prefect who had these views. He was appointed prefect of Judaea about the same time that Tiberius Caesar let Lucius Aelius Sejanus rule as his regent. Sejanus was very anti-Semitic in his policies. Pontius Pilate ruled with the same attitude. No previous prefect had brought images into Jerusalem because of the Jews’ beliefs. However, Pilate brought effigies of Tiberius Caesar on ensigns into the city of Jerusalem under the cover of darkness and created quite an uproar of opposition. Pilate threatened to have all the complainers killed, but rather than back down they bared their throats and stated they would gladly die for the cause. This caused Pilate to rethink the situation and he backed down instead.

On another occasion, Pilate had votive shields bearing the emperor’s image on them attached to his palace in Jerusalem. After much complaining, the Jews finally appealed to Tiberius Caesar in Rome who then requested Pilate to remove them and take them to his palace in Caesarea.

A third occasion was when Pilate used money from the temple to fund the construction of an aqueduct. Many Jews were again outraged about this. However, this time, Pilate had his soldiers dress like, and scatter throughout, the thousands of protestors who had gathered to complain to him. At his signal, the soldiers drew knives and killed as many as they could before the others fled. These may have been the ones killed whose blood Pilate had mingled with the temple sacrifices (Lk 13:1-2) to further infuriate the Jews.

So, this was the world into which Christ came. Seems strange, doesn’t it? But isn’t that when we need him the most? Don’t we need someone in the midst of our confusion, chaos, and turmoil to bring perspective and right thinking? Isn’t that why we still need him today?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Over time the Jewish mindset and word view changed. In our last post, we discussed how there were many different cultures within what the Romans called Syria, their border state between themselves and the Parthian Empire. Rome was used to parceling out areas of one state into another to gain favors, to increase revenue, and to gain tighter power. The areas which the rulers of the Hasmonean Dynasty had gained for Israel were now just areas for Rome to use as favors. What those who Rome allowed to rule these areas didn’t realize were that Jews were different from other cultures. In their mind, a Jew was a Jew. They didn’t try to understand their, to them, nuisance differences. Yet these differences led to many clashes, both within Israel and between Israel and Rome. The Jewish leaders at the time had to work hard to keep Rome from removing their positions and wiping them out of existence. Unfortunately, to do that, many compromises were made. Let’s see how Israel got to this point in the first place.

Rome didn’t occupy Judea until the mid-first century BC – and by invitation. Prior to the Maccabean Revolt, Antiochus Epiphanes deposed the high priest Onias in 174 BC and installed Jason, the brother of Onias, as the high priest which broke the tradition of the first-born becoming the succeeding high priest. Onias fled to Egypt. In 171 BC Menelaus bought the high priesthood from Antiochus and became high priest. Up until this point, all high priests from the time of Solomon were descendants of Zadok’s line (1Ki 2:35). Therefore, the Zadok high priest lineage ceased from 171 BC until 23 BC when Herod the Great appointed Simon son of Boethus (a descendant of Onias V from Zadok’s lineage) as high priest due his love for Simon’s sister Mariamne II. Simon rules as high priest from 23-4 BC. Menelaus was determined to bring Judaism into the modern world and helped Antiochus to Hellenize the Jews: bringing in athletic games (where competitors competed nude) to Jerusalem and established an idol of Zeus in the temple. Conservatives were in an uproar and led to the Maccabean Revolt which we have discussed previously.

The priests started to fall into two camps: (1) those who favored and adopted Greek ways – Hellenizers – who became the Sadducees, although they were not as extreme as the Hellenizers themselves. These were also more of the aristocratic group who usually held the high priesthood; (2) those who wanted to stay loyal to Judaism – called Hassidim, or “Pious ones.” These had strict observance of the law and were called Separatists and later came to be the Pharisees.

Simon Maccabee became high priest in 141 BC when Parthia overcame Seleucid control and gave autonomy back to Judea. Simon was recognized by the priests and elders as high priest, military commander, and ruler of Israel. He began the Hasmonean dynasty but was assassinated in 135 BC. John Hyrcanus became high priest and ruler after his father Simon Maccabee from 135-104 BC. He forced Idumea, or Edom, south of the Dead Sea, to become Jewish proselytes. Herod’s grandparents were of this forced conversion – they outwardly portrayed to be Jewish but did not live that way. John Hyrcanus also destroyed the temple in Mt. Gerizim in Samaria. The Qumran settlement (northwest shore of Dead Sea) began at this time. The Essenes were of the line of Zadok and formed as a group to study scripture because they wanted no part in the secularization of the high priest role by the Hasmoneans.

Aristobulus I (Jewish name Judah and son of Hyrcanus) reigned for one year. He pushed Judah’s borders to include Galilee. He was the first to assume the title of king. His brother, Alexander Jannaeus ruled from 103-76 BC. He brought the Golan Heights (east and northeast of the Sea of Galilee) to be within the Judean borders. He established Gamla which became a town of zealot activity (where five-thousand Jews committed suicide rather than being taken by the Roman army). He hated Pharisees, was immoral, and not well liked. He once had eight-hundred Pharisees crucified at a banquet and he massacred six thousand Jews at a Feast of Tabernacles because they pelted him with citron leaves to show their disfavor of him when he attended the feast.

Salome Alexandra (76-67), the wife of Alexander Jannaeus, was the antithesis of her husband. After his death in 76 BC, education and peace spread – called the Golden Age. She died in 67 BC.

Hyrcanus II was the son of Alexander and Salome and was favored by the Pharisees. Aristobulus II, also the son of Alexander and Salome, was favored by the Sadducees. Civil war broke out between the two sons. They both went to Pompey, a Roman military leader to seek assistance. Pompey favored Hyrcanus II. For a price of giving up the independence of the Judean kingdom to Rome, Pompey helped Hyrcanus II overcome his brother, and Aristobulus II was put into Roman prison. Judea then became a Roman province attached to Syria, and Hyrcanus II became the high priest from 63 to 40 BC.

Antipater, the father of Herod, was governor in Idumea. He supported Hyrcanus II and became procurator In Judea. He made his son Phasael the military head of Judea and made Herod the military governor of Galilee. When Aristobulus II was released from prison, his son Antigonus overthrew Hyrcanus II and cut off Hyrcanus’ ears. Therefore, Hyrcanus II was no longer able to be high priest because the Law forbade a priest with a physical deformity to serve (Lv 21:16-21).

Antigonus had genealogical right to be high priest. He got Parthia to dislodge all power of Hyrcanus II and Herod. Herod fled to Masada and later went to Rome to seek assistance. Parthia ruled Palestine for three years (40 BC to 37 BC). Herod got the Roman senate to make him officially “king of the Jews” and allowed to take the land back by force. With Roman forces, Mark Antony led an invasion to drive the Parthians back east of the Euphrates River. Antigonus was captured, taken to Rome, and executed. Mark Antony tried to drive the Parthians back further and attacked them in Armenia; however, he was severely defeated and barely escaped with his life. Détente lasted between Rome and Parthia from 36 BC to 58 AD.

Herod the Great was the son of a Jewish proselyte and a Gentile mother who was Nabataean. His religion was Jewish, his race was Idumean (Edomite), culturally he was Greek, and politically he was Roman. This is where things stood as the New Testament opened. Although Herod had his faults, many of them, he was probably the last one who understood the Jews. After him, clashes only escalated, and Rome became even more brutal. As you can see, a King of Peace was really needed. Odd how we often reject the very thing we really need. We haven’t really changed as human beings, have we?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

As the New Testament opens, Judaea is pretty much a chaotic place. There are a lot of cultures in a small area. All areas would be considered Gentile except for Judea and Galilee. Yet, there were pockets of Jews in the other geographical areas as well. Let’s examine some of these areas.

Nabataea: Nabataeans were once a nomadic people and later settled in the ancient area of Edom south of the Dead Sea and had close connections with the Edomites (Idumeans). One of their more notable cities was Petra. They had a big influence on the trade routes between Egypt and the Far East. Herod the Great’s mother was Nabataean. As a nomadic people, they had been around for centuries and were sometimes called Arabs. It is possible that the Shulamite woman described by Solomon (SS 1:5-6) may also have been Nabataean. During early New Testament times, they also occupied the area east of the Dead Sea south of Perea. This area was ruled by Aretas IV whose daughter was given to Herod Antipas whom he later divorced and for which John the Baptist reprimanded him (Mk 6:17-29). Later Herod Antipas had John beheaded at Machaerus in Perea (Mk 6:21-27). By the end of his reign, Aretas had influence as far north as Damascus (2Co 11:32), likely because his army attacked and defeated Herod Antipas, who governed Perea east of the Jordan River, because he divorced his daughter.  He also seemed to have disputes with Philip the Tetrarch who governed Ituraea and Trachonitis. Some believe Paul went to Petra after his conversion to Christ (Ga 1:17).

Judaea: This term was used to describe the area that was composed of Idumea, Judea, and Samaria. Herod was originally made governor of Galilee by his father. Herod later married the Hasmonean princess Mariamne, got Rome to name him “King of the Jews,” and found a way to always be in Rome’s favor. This got him control over all of Judaea. Then to endear himself to the Jewish people, he upgraded and beautified their temple and its court. Herod seemed to know how to always play both sides of the street, so to speak. He became known as Herod the Great because of his spectacular building projects: the Jewish temple as well as other buildings in Jerusalem, the building of Caesarea Maritima, Herodium, Masada, Machaerus in Perea, a winter palace in Jericho, and the rebuilding of Sebaste (former Samaria), as well as other projects. By the end of his reign, he governed Idumea, Judea, Samaria, Perea, Galilee, Ituraea and Trachonitis. These territories were divided among his sons after his death in 1 BC. The territories of Idumea, Judea, and Samaria went to his son Archelaus, although the emperor downgraded his position from king to ethnarch. This decision to give these areas to Herod’s sons was so unpopular with the people that the Syrian governor Publius Quinctilius Varus had to bring no less than three legions of Roman soldiers to put down the uprising. There were so many riots and unrest under Archelaus’ rule that Joseph and Mary decided to head back to Galilee rather than to Judea when they left Egypt (Mt 2:22). Complaints of his rule from both Judea and Samaria were so great the Roman emperor exiled him. About this same time the next Syrian governor Publius Sulpicius Quirinius had to intervene and put down a tax revolt that had resulted. The emperor decided to rule these territories via Roman prefects instead of replacing Archelaus’ position. Pontius Pilate served as such starting in 26 AD (Lk 3:1).

Idumea: Once Judah was taken captive by Babylon, many Edomites moved farther north in the more fertile area of the Negev than the rocky and mountainous regions which had previously been their home. This area became known as Idumea. John Hyrcanus of the Hasmonean dynasty forced the Idumeans to be circumcised and follow Jewish customs. Although many did so, they all did not strictly follow them. One of the wealthy, Antipater, who had become governor of Idumea supported one of the later Hasmonean king rivals, Hyrcanus II, and also supported the Roman general Pompey when Rome entered the area. He later was a supporter of Julius Caesar when he came to power which earned him becoming procurator in Judea with the right to levy taxes. He made his two sons Phasael and Herod governors in Jerusalem and Galilee, respectively.

Judea: This was the area of strongest and most consecrated Jewish worship since Jerusalem and the temple were in this territory. However, even that was not without issues. There were now two prominent sects of Jewish leaders: Sadducees and Pharisees. They did not get along very well. The Sadducees were more Hellenized, endeared to Greek influence, and were more supportive of Rome because the position of High Priest had become a politically appointed position rather than a father to son position as by Jewish tradition. Yet in spite of their more liberal lifestyle, they were much more conservative in their view of the Scriptures and did not believe in the Oral Law of Moses but just the Written Law which they interpreted very conservatively. The Pharisees were more conservative in their lifestyle, were more attuned to the people, and believed in both the Written Law and the Oral Law of Moses. Both groups were part of the Sanhedrin which officiated the Law to the general populace and set the spiritual direction for the nation. There was a third faction, the Essenes, who had become disgusted with both groups and formed a group among themselves to study the scriptures at Qumran near the Dead Sea. They kept out of normal day-to-day interactions. Jesus was born in Judea (Mt 2:1), and he spent a great deal of time teaching at the temple (Mt 21:13, 23; Mk 12:35; Lk 19:47, 21:38; Jn 10:25-30), healing (Mt 21:14; Jn 2:23, 5:8-9), as well as being crucified there (Mt 27:35; Mk 15:25; Lk 24:20; Jn 19:18). Judea was ruled first by Archelaus, son of Herod the Great, for a short time and then by prefects.

Samaria: The Samaritans were descendants from the Jewish remnant that had been left in the land of Israel after Assyrian captivity and had intermarried with the local inhabitants who were not of Jewish descent. Since that time, they were never allowed to participate in Jewish culture again (Er 4:2-3). Many followed the style of Jewish worship using the temple at Mt. Gerizim which had been built by Sanballat, a Persian governor several centuries earlier. Although destroyed earlier by the Hasmonean John Hyrcanus, it seems many Samaritans of the New Testament Day still went to the temple ruins to pray, or at least still considered the place holy (Jn 4:20). The Samaritans were despised by most Jews of the day and would even cross over the Jordan River to go north to Galilee and thereby by-pass even traveling through Samaria itself. Jews would rather travel through the land of the Decapolis rather than through Samaria. They were considered by many as worse than Gentiles because they were considered half-breeds. Jesus often went through Samaria during his travels between Jerusalem and Galilee. He healed lepers (Lk 17:11-14), taught people, and many believed on him (Jn 4:4, 39-42).

Decapolis: The Decapolis was an area composed of ten Greek cities that had been established after the time of Alexander the Great’s conquest of the area. The Romans gave them their own political entity. Nine of the cities were east of the Jordan River (Damascus, Canatha, Dion, Raphana, Hippus, Gadara, Pella, Gerasa, and Philadelphia) and one west of the Jordan (Scythopolis). The Decapolis had their own courts, army, and coinage. They were an advanced people, but Hellenized and polytheistic. Jesus did visit many of these cities during his ministry and many asked to be healed (Mt 4:25; Mk 5:20, 7:31).

Perea: Perea was usually described as the “land beyond the Jordan” (Mt 19:1; Jn 1:28, 3:26) and was opposite the Jordan River from Judea and Samaria. There was a large Jewish population that lived there. This area was ruled by Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great. Jesus had many followers from here (Mt 4:25; Mk 3:8), healed many here (Mt 19:1-2), and taught them (Mk 10:1; Jn 10:40-42). John the Baptist baptized here (Jn 1:28) and was beheaded in this region as well (Mk 6:21-27).

Galilee: Galilee was located north of Samaria and south of Phoenicia. The Sea of Galilee was its eastern border with the Jordan River also the eastern border for Upper Galilee and the Decapolis the eastern border for Lower Galilee. This was the second largest area with a Jewish population. This area was also governed by Herod Antipas (Lk 3:1). Jesus grew up in Galilee in Nazareth (Mt 2:23) and stayed in Capernaum on the northwest side of the Sea of Galilee for much of his ministry (Mt 4:13).

Ituraea and Trachonitis: These areas were to the east and north of Galilee, east of the Jordan River and encompassed Bashan, the Golan Heights, and parts of what are today Syria. This area was sometimes broken down further into more discrete areas, including Gaulinitis (Golan Heights) and Batanaea (Bashan). These areas were ruled by Philip the Tetrarch (Lk 3:1), son of Herod the Great and brother of Herod Antipas (same father but different mothers). This area was probably one with the least Jewish residents. However, Jesus did take his disciples to this region at Caesarea Philippi where he began in earnest to teach them about his coming crucifixion (Mt 16:13, 21). Bethsaida, on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee was part of this territory, was the home of Peter, Andrew, and Philip (Jn 1:44), and the place where Jesus taught and did several miracles (Mk 8:22; Lk 9:10-11). He also criticized the city because of their unbelief (Mt 11:21; Lk 10:13).

Syria: This territory was north of Galilee and north of Caesarea Philippi, reaching to the Euphrates River and was the Roman border territory to Parthia. It included the city of Damascus as well as all of Phoenicia. The city of Damascus, although considered one of the cities of the Decapolis, was not physically in the territory of the Decapolis. However, in another sense, Syria during Roman times included all the area in the Middle East under Roman domain and Rome would parcel pieces of Syria up into autonomous areas. Therefore, it seems the Syrian governor, Publius Sulpicius Quirinius, had much power and helped Rome keep the peace in both the Jewish hotbeds of revolt in Judea as well as be the front line of defense at the Parthian border in the north. He had four legions of Roman soldiers at his disposal. This is likely why Syrian forces came to help keep the peace when riots were so bad in Judea when Herod Archelaus reigned. To prevent further revolts, the emperor had Archelaus exiled and established prefects to rule that area. The fame of Jesus Christ and his miracles spread to Syria and many were brought to Jesus for healing (Mt 4:24; Mk 3:8; Lk 6:17-18). Also, Jesus made statements that the Gentiles in Tyre and Sidon, part of Phoenicia Syria at the time, would have already repented if what was observed in Korazin and Bethsaida (i.e., cities with a large Jewish contingent) had been observed (Mt 11:21). Jesus also healed the daughter of a Gentile woman in Sidon because of her faith (Mt 15:21-28).

Now, keep in mind that all these divisions were within an area about the size of New Jersey or the island of Taiwan. Romans, Jews, Samaritans, and other differences in such a small area provided a constant clash of cultures, ideas, and beliefs. In our next post, we’ll discuss more about these differences.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

How did God reach out to Gentiles before New Testament times? First, we need to understand the succession of Gentile powers which occurred millennia before. How did these Gentile powers influence Israel? And how did God use these Gentile powers to his advantage – and to theirs?

Previous posts have discussed how the kingdom of Assyria took the Northern Kingdom of Israel captive in 722 BC, Babylon conquered Assyria in 606 BC, and then took the Southern Kingdom of Judah captive in 586 BC. Yet, there were a series of sieges of Jerusalem before this final destruction. The first siege occurred in 605 BC, just a year after defeating Assyria. Daniel was one of those taken captive during this first siege (Dn 1:1-7). God gives King Nebuchadnezzar a dream about a statue (Dn 2), and he later builds an actual statue of his vision demanding all to worship it (Dn 3:1-6). Daniel’s four friends refused to bow down to the statue and are thrown in a fiery furnace, but no harm comes to them (Dn 3:7-27). Nebuchadnezzar then proclaims no one in his realm should say anything derogatory against the God of Daniel or they would be destroyed (Dn 3:28-29). God used the arrogance of Nebuchadnezzar to display His power and God received glory throughout his entire kingdom. No one knows how many proselytes were achieved because of this, but I’m sure it gave the Jews throughout the kingdom an opportunity to proclaim their God to many Gentiles in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom.

Later, God struck Nebuchadnezzar with boanthropy because of his arrogance (Dn 4:32). This is a mental disease where a person thinks of himself as an ox and where one’s hair lengthens and one’s fingernails become very coarse and thickened. When Nebuchadnezzar’s senses returned to him, he admitted God was the Most High (Dn 4:34, 37). This is the second time, recorded anyway, that God made the citizens of the Babylonian Empire hear about God. The Jews throughout the kingdom could then help their Gentile neighbors understand more about their God.

Next, once the Persian Empire conquered Babylon, Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. This occurred in the first year Cyrus conquered Babylon. This was actually prophesied by Isaiah over one-hundred and fifty years prior to the event (Is 44:24-45:13). Through a series of circumstances, God allowed Daniel to be thrown into a lion’s den because of his worship of God. Yet, God preserved Daniel (Dn 6:22). Cyaxares II (Darius) then gave a proclamation to the entire kingdom that everyone should respect the God of Daniel (Dn 6:26-27). God was now proclaimed to an even larger Gentile audience, as the Persian Empire was much larger than the Babylonian Empire. It stretched from India to the west coast of Turkey.

Then, once King Xerxes I ruled the kingdom, a prominent person within the kingdom, named Haman, was embittered against the Jews and made a plot to achieve their destruction. His deception was found out by a Jew named Mordecai whose niece, named Esther, who had recently been named Queen, told of his plot to Xerxes (Es 4:7-8, 7:3-6, 8:3-4). Xerxes allowed Mordecai and Esther to draft a letter with his seal which was sent to all of the provinces of the Persian Empire. It allowed the Jews to fight back without restraint against any who would attack them as Haman had ordered (Es 8:9-10). If nothing else, this caused many within the empire to at least fear or have a respect for the God of the Jews. I’m sure it made many question who this God the Jews served was and wanted to know more about him.

Many years later, Alexander the Great came on the scene and conquered all the land from Greece all the way to India, including all the land of the Persian Empire. When he approached Jerusalem, Jaddua, the priest in Jerusalem, showed Alexander the prophecy about him in the book of Daniel (Dn 11:1-3). Alexander believed this confirmed a vision he had received earlier. Alexander then allowed Jerusalem to be saved from attack, and the Jews were allowed to abide by their own laws. Many Jews went with him on his campaign. This further allowed many within Alexander the Great’s army, and many throughout the kingdom, to hear about the God of the Jews.

We can know many proselytes were created because in Acts 2 many of all these areas, now part of the Roman and Parthian Empires, were present in Jerusalem for Shavuot (i.e., Pentecost). This again helps us see how God has always been inclusive of everyone. Isn’t our God wonderful!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

We mentioned in our last post that most times God presented a prophecy of hope to the very same nations about which he prophesied a prophecy of doom. When the Old Testament prophets prophesied about future events they were not necessarily concerned about the chronology of those events. Their main message was to help the people understand the seriousness of the coming destruction and captivity God had prophesied and encourage the people to repent.

The prophecy of future prosperity was a message of hope and an answer to the concerns the various prophets had at the time as well as to help the faithful have and maintain their hope. For example, God showed Ezekiel His presence leaving the temple in Jerusalem (Ek 10-11) because He was going to remove His protection and allow the city to be conquered by the Babylonians. Of course, Ezekiel would be concerned and wonder if God’s presence would remain removed forever. So, God revealed to Ezekiel His presence would one day return and He helped Ezekiel to know that by the specifics which were provided (Ek 43:1-12). The point of this vision to Ezekiel was not to put it into a historical timeline; it was to provide the answer to his questions and to provide the hope he needed to hear.

The earth will always have nations, so many of these prophecies in the Old Testament will continue or be realized even in our future. Once Christ returns the second time to earth and sets up His Theocracy, the earth will still be divided into many nations (Rv 20:3). However, nations will no longer serve themselves but serve the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Although Israel has suffered much ridicule and abuse over the centuries, she will then be the one nation which all other nations will revere (Is 60:14-15). Many of the nations mentioned earlier which have received God’s judgment will now seek to come to Jerusalem to worship the Messiah, now their King (Is 11:10-16). Members of these nations will help to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls, but the gates will never need to be shut again (Is 60:3-16).

God’s promises are not bound by time. One day, God will restore the tribes of Jacob and they will be a light to the Gentiles (Is 42:6, 49:6). The mission which God gave the children of Israel at Sinai to be priests to the nations (Ex 19:6) will come to fruition. Israel will be the one to proclaim to all the nations how to worship their God. They will be known as priests and ministers to all the nations (Is 61:3) and those who proclaim the glory of God (Is 66:19). The members of all the nations, as well as the rulers of these nations, will revere every Israelite (Is 62:12). Members of nations will be eager to worship the King and will even carry children of Israelites in their arms and on their shoulders with reverence and joy so they can travel with them to Jerusalem to worship the Lord (Is 49:22-23).

These prophecies still have meaning for us today just as they will for our future. It is a constant reminder to us that God’s word is truth. What God says will come to pass because time is irrelevant to the fulfillment of these prophecies. At the end of God’s longsuffering comes justice (usually interpreted as wrath). Our current age will end with the Tribulation. It’s a matter of when and not if.

We have seen God has a plan for nations. The Bible speaks of those nations in the Middle East because they are the most associated with Israel. Yet, it has always been true that nations who bless Israel are blessed and those who curse Israel are cursed.

We have also seen God has a plan for individuals. An individual‘s response to God trumps God’s plan for a nation. We have seen many examples of this in scripture which have been presented here and in previous posts. God’s words of doom always come with a word of hope. Our hope today is in Jesus Christ who will save us from God’s wrath to come. Aren’t you glad we have a God who plans for us like that?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

While an individual’s response to God is primary, God also has plans for nations. God can bless a nation for its obedience, destroy that nation for disobedience, and can even use that nation for His own purposes whether that nation is obedient to His commands or not.

The nations mentioned in the Bible are mainly around the Middle East because that is where most of the “action” in the Bible is occurring since the main focus is on the nation of Israel, their response to God, and how these other nations respond to both Israel and to God’s plan.

Through Noah, God stated, “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers. He also said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant” (Gn 9:25-27). In a previous post, we stated that the descendants of Ham settled in the Middle East, south into Africa, and then to other parts of the world. The descendants of Shem also settled in the Middle East and further east. The descendants of Japheth settled mostly in Europe. We also saw that many of the Canaanites did become servants of Shem (i.e., the Israelites), and their land will one day be given back to the Israelites (Ek 48). This prophecy through Noah is completed when this occurs and when, in the future, the Israelites are brought back from the four corners of the earth (Is 11:12) back to their homeland (i.e., back from the land of Japheth to dwell back in the home of Shem).

Most of the prophetic books in the Old Testament contain words of destruction for these nations because of their treatment of Israel and for their rejection of God. Yet, many of these countries will have a future and be supportive of both the Messiah and of Israel (Is 49:22-23; 62:12). Here are the countries and what we know them as today.

Amos (Am 2:7-8; 4:1; 6:8), Isaiah (Is 1:3-4), and Micah (Mi 1:6-7) prophesied Assyria would take Israel of their land because of continual disobedience. Zephaniah (Zp 1:4-12; 3:2-4), Joel (Jl 2:1-11), Habakkuk (Hk 1:5-6; 2:2-10), and Jeremiah (Jr 32:1-5) prophesied the same fate awaited Judah if they did not repent.

Although God used the animosity of these nations to carry out his plan, they were still held accountable for their treatment of Israel. Such cases included Edom (Ek 25:12; Am 1:9; Ob 1:4), Moab (Ek 25:6-7; Jr 48:29; Am 2:1; Is 16:6-7), Ammon (Jr 49:2, Ek 25:6-7; Am 1:13), Elam (Ek 25:3; Jr 49:35-37), Assyria (Na 2:1, 6), Damascus (Is 17:1-14; Jr 49:23-27), Philistia (Ek 25:15), Phoenicia (Ek 26:2; Is 23:13-15), Babylon (Is 13:3, 14:11, 15-19; 17; Jr 50:31-32; 51:9-11, 28), Egypt (Ek 32:28; J 46:11-12, 25-26), Ethiopia (Is 18:1-7), and Arabia (Is 21:13-17; Jr 49:20-32-33).

Yet, despite the prophecy of doom, God almost always provided a word of mercy and hope. Despite one’s nationality or the original curse that had been placed upon a person’s descendants, God still provided hope for individuals regardless of ancestry. We’ll explore this prophecy of hope next time.

From this we see how God has a plan for everyone and every nation. We can be a part of his plan and blessing or be a part of his plan and cursing. A nation has a choice. An individual has a choice. God always puts the individual’s response above that of a nation. Isn’t our God wonderful?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

God has a plan for both individuals as well as nations. However, the two are not always tied together. In scripture we can see how individuals can get trapped on both sides of how a nation responds to God. Many times, individuals’ obedience to God will lead to the prosperity of the nation (Pr 11:10). We also see that many times the righteous may undergo consequences of a nation’s judgment (Ec 8:14). Yet God promises to look out for righteous individuals (Ps 1:6, 11:7; Pr 12:7; Is 3:10; Mt 13:43). God always seems to put the actions of individuals above the actions of nations. Let’s examine a few examples.

When Joshua first led the Israelites across the Jordan River into their Promised Land of Canaan, the city of Jericho was the first city they attacked. God stated the city was slated for total annihilation: no individual, livestock, or plunder was to be taken – all was to be dedicated to God (Js 6:18-21). Yet, Rahab and her family were saved because of her actions and belief (Js 6:23, 25). She knew God was above all other gods and would make Israel prosper no matter what (Js 2:10-11). Because of her response to Him, God rewarded her faith (Js 6:25). She became the great, great grandmother of King David (Mt 1:5-6).

Another example was Ruth. Moab was a country between Edom and the tribe of Reuben on the eastern side of the Jordan River. The people of Moab were descendants of Lot, a nephew of Abraham (Gn 19:30-38). When the Israelites were heading to Canaan, the king of Moab refused to let them pass through their land (Jd 11:17). Later, another king of Moab made Israel subject to him, but Israel later made Moab subject to them through the leadership of the judge Ehud (Jd 3:12-30). Moabites and Israelites became enemies (Jd 3:28). Yet, because of Ruth’s devotion to Naomi, her mother-in-law, and her devotion to God (Ru 1:16-17), she, too, was saved and blessed by God (Ru 4:13-22): she became the grandmother to King David (Mt 1:5-6).

A third example was Asenath. She was the daughter of an Egyptian priest of On (also known as Heliopolis). She was given to Joseph as a wife by Pharaoh himself (Gn 41:45). While scripture is silent as to her conversion, it is likely she did because as the book of Exodus opens, Joseph’s descendant are already incorporated into the lives of the other children of Israel. Although Ephraim and Manasseh were half Egyptian, their descendants were considered Israeli by the rest of the Israelites as well as by future Pharaohs. Both Ephraim and Manasseh became two of the larger tribes within the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

A fourth example were the Gibeonites. These were Amorite descendants (Hivites) who God had told Joshua to have annihilated (Js 3:10) as the Israelites took possession of the Promised Land of Canaan (Js 9:24). The Gibeonites pretended to be from a far country, wanted to worship the God of Israel, and asked Joshua to make a covenant with them (Js 9:6-15). While the Gibeonites deceived Joshua and the Israelite leaders into making a covenant with them, Joshua still honored the covenant and made them servants to the Levites (Js 9:23). They and their descendants hewed wood and drew water for service of the tabernacle, and later for the temple (Js 9:27). In order to perform duties of worship, they would have had to become proselytes and their males circumcised (Gn 17:11-14; Ex 12:48-49). God also honored this covenant and King David later had to repay retribution for the Gibeonites who King Saul had put to death (2Sa 21:1). The Gibeonites later became the temple servants (1Ch 9:2) and some even returned to Jerusalem from Babylonian exile with Zerubbabel (Er 2:43) and Ezra (Er 8:20) to continue in this service. They also helped Nehemiah repair the city’s wall (Ne 3:26) and they were incorporated into Jewish society (Ne 11:3). Although those in the beginning may not have been devoted proselytes, God honored future generations that became devoted to Him.

From these examples, we see that while God has plans for nations, an individual’s response to God is primary. This may be a different view than you’ve had of God before, but doesn’t it show how loving God really is to us? Aren’t you glad you serve a God like that?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Although we read about the “wrath of God” in the Bible, a closer look shows it to be the consequence of sin. One of the most brought up scenarios of God being wrathful is his command for Israel to destroy the Amorites and to show no mercy (Dt 7:1-2). Why would God do this? The understanding of this takes us back to Abraham (Gn 15:16) where God stated to him his descendants would be slaves in Egypt for 400 years and then return because “the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” This decision by God did two things: (1) it gave Israel a way to become an unfettered nation, and (2) it gave the Amorites time to respond to God. Yet, the Amorites refused to follow God. Their practices included sensuous and orgiastic fertility cult worship, including male and female shrine prostitutes. Even other nations did not go to such extremes in brutality, lust, and abandon. In addition, they practiced child sacrifice which sometimes included the child being placed in the fire while alive. These types of practices seem incomprehensible to us today.

Yet, annihilation was not the common command given by God. The main emphasis was to have the inhabitants leave the land (Ex 23:27-30). Only if they stayed did destruction follow. Yet, even then, total annihilation only applied to the cities within the land which God had given the Israelites for an inheritance (Dt 20:16-18). During any other engagement, the Israelites were to first make an offering of peace (Dt 20:10). If the people accepted the offer, everyone would become a labor force for Israel. However, if they refused, then all of the men would be killed while the women, children, and livestock would become plunder (Dt 20:11-15).

The command for annihilation was also two-fold. First, the people’s evil had become so widespread it was like a cancer spreading throughout the region to larger and larger areas and they had resisted God’s opportunities to repent, which included the following: God supplied the godly influence of Melchizedek (Gn 14:18-20); God supplied the godly influence of Abraham (Gn 12:6); and God caused the destruction of other Amorites as a wake-up call (Gn 14:1-12). These all seemed to go unheeded. Second, in order for Israel to be a light to the rest of the world, they had to eliminate all elements which were ungodly. Israel was to become the standard for the world. A standard must be flawless, or else it is not a standard. This was the reason Israel was held to a higher standard than other nations. Israel was not to exclude outsiders from their land – after all, three main trade routes connecting three continents went through this area: Way of the Sea (also called Via Maria), Ridge Route, and King’s Highway. All three of these routes would bring Gentiles through Israel so they could be taught the ways of God. However, they would be required to exclude wicked practices. Non-Israelites had to abide by the same laws of the land as did the Israelites (Ex 12:48-49, 20:10; Lv 16:29, 17:12, 15; Nu 15:14, 16). It seems God has always expected mankind to understand and follow what he knows is right (Ro 1:18-20), whether being his “chosen” people or not. Thus, this sin of ignoring one’s conscience is what led to the flood (Gn 6:5). Justice seems to always follow a failed response to the love of God’s longsuffering.

God often put the alien living in the land in the same category as the poor, orphan, and widow. They were to be taken care of in a loving way: allowed to glean the corners of fields and left-overs following olive and grape harvests (Lv 23:22; Dt 24:20-21), treated judiciously (Dt 1:16; 24:17), should not be taken advantage of (Dt 24:14), and part of the third-year tithe would be for the alien (Dt 26:12). This was because God stated He loved the alien (Dt 10:18), and the Israelites were to remember they were once slaves in Egypt (Dt 24:22).

Yet, those Gentiles living in the land had to obey the laws of the land (Ex 12:49; Lv 24:22): allowed to glean the corners of fields and left-overs following olive and grape harvests (Lv 23:22; Dt 24:20-21), had to observe the Sabbath (Ex 20:10), had to not work on the Day of Atonement (Lv 16:29), could not eat blood (Lv 17:10) but had to drain the blood from the animal before preparing and eating (Lv 17:13), had to cleanse themselves when encountering anything dead (Lv 17:15), would be put to death if they offered their children as a sacrifice to any god (Lv 20:2) or if they blasphemed the name of the Lord (Lv 24:16), had to abide by the rules of redemption and of the Jubilee (Lv 25:47-50), and had to abide by the decisions of the judges of the land (Dt 1:16). They were to be taught about God and His Law, just as were the Israelites (Dt 31:12-13). If they decided to become a proselyte, then all the Mosaic laws applied, and all males had to be circumcised before they could celebrate Passover (Ex 12:48).

All of this helps us to see that faith has always been God’s plan, even in the Old Testament (Gn 15:6; Ps 31:1; Ho 6:6; Hk 2:4). Judaism as a whole was not exclusive, but inclusive, of Gentiles. So, our God has always cared for everyone. This helps us see how and why he also cares for us. He cares for you. Don’t you want a God like that?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Sometimes I think, for some reason, the Old Testament has received a bad rap. It seems to have a reputation of demonstrating God’s wrath and exclusion whereas the New Testament has a reputation of demonstrating God’s love and inclusion. However, God has always been inclusive of everyone. His character does not change (Ml 3:6), yet the way he works has. So, let’s see his inclusivity in the Old Testament.

First, we see this in several promises he made to key individuals, as noted by Kaiser (1):

1.      Promise to Eve – God promised to send the One to come: The LORD God said to the serpent, “… I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Gn 3:14a, 15). We later find that this one to come, i.e., Jesus Christ, did indeed come for everyone (Jn 3:16).

2.      Promise to Shem – God promised to be with him: “May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant” (Gn 9:27). Since all the nations of the world came from these three sons of Noah, God is saying that all the earth will be blessed through Shem. Abraham, Israel, and even Christ came through his descendants.

3.      Promise to Abraham – God promised all of the earth would be blessed through him: Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country … and I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all of the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gn 12:1-3). Again, this is somewhat similar to the promise God gave to Shem, but it is now narrowed more specifically for who is responsible. Yet, the blessing is again for the whole world.

4.      Moses’ Encounter with Pharaoh – God would be proclaimed to all the earth: “For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself, and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth … But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth” (Ex 9:14, 16). God used the extraordinary to get everyone’s attention.

5.      Israel a Kingdom of Priests – to the whole world: “… and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex 19:6). Israel’s responsibility was to help the entire world understand who God is and to have a powerful encounter with Him.

6.      David’s Rule – for all humanity: Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord GOD. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord GOD!.” (2Sa 7:18-19). God is saying that David’s future rule will be a blessing to all mankind. In Christ’s future kingdom, there will be many kings. David will be the king of the nation of Israel. And Israel will be leading the world in the worship of God.

7.      Psalms – Often told all the earth to praise God: “Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!” (Ps 67:3); “Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!” (Ps 96:1); “Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!” (Ps 117:1). Inclusion seems very prominent here.

8.      Israel a Spiritual Example – for all humanity: Bring forth justice to all nations (Is 42:1); A light for all nations (Is 42:6); “I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” (Is 49:6). Again, while Israel is the key nation, it is used to lead all the earth in the worship of the Lord.

So, we see that God had great plans for mankind and how we would get to know Him. So, what went wrong? We’ll discuss some of that next time.

(1) Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Mission in the Old Testament: Israel as a Light to the Nations (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), 15-63.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Before we can see how God has worked with and through Gentiles, we should cover how the definitions of Gentiles, Israelis, and Jews have led to some opposing world views. Many have tried to develop an overarching theme of how God is working or has worked throughout history. It’s interesting how viewing the same data can lead to different results.

There may be others, but the two main views have Israel as the key distinguisher. One group feels that Israel is an Old Testament symbol or allegory for the Church (or true believers) and thereby forms a continuous continuity throughout the Bible. Yet, this is dependent upon how one views how God is working. If one only looks at the salvation of mankind as the only Biblical theme, then it is easy to see how a theory of God implementing salvation would be the key. God being all knowing would know mankind would sin, so the Godhead decided even before creation how mankind would be saved. Because mankind would become disobedient, God would institute grace to mankind to save it. Yet is this the real theme, or the only theme? Is mankind the real focus of the Bible? And if there are other themes, how can they be incorporated into such a theme without creating other allegories?

Let’s look at another view. This view sees Israel as a nation whom God would use to reveal Himself to the world. As a nation, they failed in that respect. Yet, that did not thwart God’s plan. God still revealed Himself greater and made a way for the salvation of mankind. Although the two views sound similar, this one puts God as the main focus rather than mankind. It allows other Biblical themes to be incorporated because it is about revealing who God is. The salvation of mankind is only one of the ways God reveals aspects of Himself.

In our last post, we saw how many of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (the ten tribes) escaped Assyrian captivity by fleeing to the area between the Black and Caspian Seas, as well to other parts of the known world at that time. Many, but not all, of the Southern Kingdom of Judah (2 tribes) returned from Babylonian captivity to rebuild Jerusalem and surrounding areas. At the turn of the first century, there were pockets of Israelis and Jews throughout both the Roman and Parthian Empires. Once Parthia fell, many of the Israeli descendants who had been part of the Parthian Empire fled across the Caucasus Mountains into Europe, and some believe eventually into the United States. Those who remained in Armenian territory became known as Khazars. Over time, Edomites were pushed by the Nabateans into prior Israeli territory and became known as Idumea (the Greek name for Edom). These were assimilated into Jewish society by the Hasmonean Dynasty. Later, Rome further invaded and destroyed both Jerusalem and the temple spreading Jews further throughout the known world. Over time, the area was under rule by many different geographic kingdoms. Today, it is now a nation again – ever since 1948.

The first world view we mentioned sees this as inconsequential because God’s plan is not about Israel at all but true believers (mainly Jewish/Israeli in the Old Testament; mainly Gentile in the New Testament). Or some go further to say that Israel dispersed throughout the world is the true elect who have become the Church. Again, this leads to being somewhat exclusionary and doesn’t seem to leave room for other themes of Scripture.

The second world view sees all of this in line with God’s plan of not only salvation for the entire world, but the salvation of Israel as a nation as well. It seems to blend well with such scripture where Paul states God will deal with Israel as a nation again and Israel will be saved (Ro 11:1-36). This view blends well with scripture which states our current salvation is but a deposit, or a guarantee, to the fuller inheritance that will occur when Christ returns to set up his earthly kingdom (Ep 1:13-14). And this view seems to fit nicely with the defined covenants in the Bible (Abrahamic Covenant, Gn 15:7-21; Deuteronomic Covenant, Dt 29:10-13; Davidic Covenant, 2Sa 7:8-16; and the New Covenant, Jr 31:31; 32:39-40; Ek 36:26) which are about promises concerning both land and monarchy. This view doesn’t need to allegorize to make this view fit into a theory of salvation for mankind, as this view is all part of God revealing His entire plan for mankind, for Israel, and for the world. We find Him to be very inclusive.

Now that we see He has a plan for everyone, let’s now begin to see how he has worked with Gentiles.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In the previous post, we talked about the definitions of Israeli, Jew, and Gentile. Once both the nations of Israel and Judah were taken captive, the definitions start to get more complicated. The nation of Israel was taken captive first by Assyria (2Ki 17:1-23) in 722 BC and then Judah by the Babylonians some 136 years later (2Ch 36:15-21) in 586 BC. In both cases, not all people from either nation were taken captive, but a certain number of nationals were left in the land (2Ki 17:24-41; Jr 40:6). Even before Judah was taken captive, it seems that there were still some faithful Israelites who remained and worshipped God. One example of this occurred during the time of King Josiah when Passover was celebrated during the eighteenth year of his reign: it was for all Israel (2Ch 35:3) and Israelites were present (2Ch 35:17). Also, even after Judah was taken into captivity, Jeremiah records that eighty Israelites came to Jerusalem during the time of Gedaliah, the appointed governor of the area, to offer sacrifice (Jr 41:4-5). Since this was during the autumn feasts, it would have been in the seventh month indicating likely the Feast of Tabernacles. This feast was one of the ordained Jewish pilgrim festivals (Ex 23:14-16, 34:23; Dt 16:13-17) and therefore was not a one-time event but a yearly occurrence for these individuals. Even though they still shared a commonality in their worship of God, they still kept their national identification as Israelite and Jew.

It is unclear what happened to these faithful Jews and Israelites. It is known that those who returned from Babylonian captivity with Zerubbabel to rebuild Jerusalem were from Judah, Benjamin and Levi (Er 1:5). Later it is recorded that more Levites came with Ezra (Er 7:7). Perhaps some of these faithful Jews and Israelites were still present at this time as those coming with Zerubbabel received no opposition when they first arrived in Jerusalem (Er 2:68). These faithful Israelites and Jews left in the land likely became incorporated into those classified as Jews from that time forth.

There were some nationals who had been left in the land of Israel and Judah who, over time, intermarried with those brought in from other areas or who lived in the area. These were excluded from helping with the reconstruction and from their temple worship (Er 4:2-3). The main reason was their alliances had led them away from the worship of God. Although they had a form of worship (Er 4:2), God was not the only god they worshipped (2Ki 17:32-34) and, by God’s standards, were not truly worshippers of God Himself (2Ki 17:35-41). These were therefore considered Gentiles even though they had Israeli or Jewish roots.

There were other pockets of Jews or Israelites who also have to be considered: those of the kingdom of Judah who remained in Babylonian territories rather than returning to Jerusalem, those of the kingdom of Israel who were spread to many areas just before and during their Assyrian captivity, those Judeans who settled in Egypt after the assassination of Gedaliah (Jr 43:4-7), and an Israelite community in the land of Ammon during the time of the Restoration. It seems when Tobiah was thrown out of the temple in Jerusalem by Nehemiah (Ne 13:4-9), he went back to Ammon and built a similar temple.

Prior to the Northern Kingdom of Israel being taken into captivity, the threat of captivity by Tiglath-pileser of Assyria and the drought that had occurred earlier during the time of Elijah caused a mass exodus of Israelis to other areas prior to the nation’s final captivity. Many fled to Kirjath-Hadeschath, which later became known as Carthage (in present-day Tunis in North Africa), and others fled over land to Armenia and the land north of the Black Sea. This created several pockets of Israelis throughout the known world. Those who migrated into the areas around Armenia later became the leaders of the kingdom of Parthia which became a nation as powerful as, and a rival of, Rome. The national Jews in the first century knew of these Jews and Israelis who were not part of national Judea, as noted by the Jewish historian, Josephus.

It is likely that none of these groups, except those who may have gone with Tobiah, would have been considered “Gentile” by these Jews who returned to Jerusalem. Even during the time of Christ, these other Jewish settlements were well known to the national Jews. Actually, at that time, Jews resided all over the known world. However, those in the Roman Empire were mainly Jewish while those in the Parthian Empire were both of Jewish and Israeli descent. Even at that time, these would likely not be considered Gentile. It would not be until the defeat of the Parthian Empire and the exodus of these Israeli descendants into Europe that the term Gentile would be applied to anyone outside those of national Judea who did not maintain their national heritage. Those who blended in with these other nations into which they lived seem to slowly lose their identity with those of national Judea and, over time, had no real connection with their original national heritage. It seems the classification for being Jewish decreased over time as the classification for being Gentile increased over time.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

I thought it would be good to start a new series about how the Bible addresses Gentiles. However, before we do, I think we should look at a few definitions.

A simple definition would be, a Gentile is one who is not a Jew. After all, the apostle Paul used this definition when he explained that the gospel is for the whole world: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile (Ro 1:16). He was making a generalized comment as there were pockets of not only Jews, but Israelis throughout both the Roman and Parthian Empires of his day, of which Paul was aware. Yet, to understand all Scripture, I think we need to dig a little deeper.

We probably can’t really make any distinction between Jew, Israeli, or Gentile before the Exodus. Although God did work through specific individuals from the time of Adam to the time of Moses (i.e., the patriarchs), a specific ethnic group was not necessarily singled out before that time. One could say that he did starting with Abraham, but not necessarily exclusively. Remember Job? It is believed he was a contemporary of Abraham. He believed in God, made burnt offerings, and God blessed him. So, it wasn’t really until God called the Children of Israel out of Egypt and made a covenant with them at Mt. Sinai that Israel became a nation before God and were instructed to be a kingdom of priests to the world (Ex 19:5-6). What does that mean? Israel was to be the standard – a holy nation – which served God and pointed other nations to God. Israel would receive God’s blessings (Dt 28) and other nations would see that blessing and be drawn to Him. How? Well, there were at least three trade routes which went through the land of Canaan which became Israel: Way of the Sea (Is 9:1); King’s Highway (Nu 20:17), and the Ridge Route which went through the Galilee region. Israel would have plenty of opportunity to have that influence. We see that both Solomon (2Ch 32-33) and Isaiah (Is 55:6-7) understood this and asked for special provision for the Gentile (the non-Israelite) to worship God.

This really had nothing to do with ethnic purity, but obedience to God. Remember, even some of the sons of Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel by God [Gn 32:28]) were through his two wives’ servants (Bilhah and Zilpah). Servants were usually not of the family, but foreigners. In addition, Judah married Tamar, possibly a Canaanite (Gn 38:1-30), and Joseph married Asenath, an Egyptian (Gn 41:45; 50:22). In addition, Rahab was a Canaanite from Jericho who was spared even though the whole city was designated for destruction because of her belief in Jehovah (Js 6:22-23). She became part of the lineage of Christ (Mt 1:5) and the great-great grandmother of King David. Her son was Boaz. Ruth was a Moabitess. Moab was a country that had not let Israel pass through their land on their way to the Promised Land (Jd 11:17) and had hired Baalam to curse Israel (Nu 22:4-5). Ruth believed in Jehovah, and she became part of the lineage of Christ (Mt 1:5). She married Boaz and became the grandmother of King David (Ru 4:13-17). Both women were integrated into the nation of Israel and their children were deemed Israelites. There were also times in Israel’s history where Gentile women were incorporated into Israel. These were many times as wives (Dt 21:10-14), but not always (Nu 31:18). These captives were expected to be taught to serve Jehovah. So, it seems God was more interested in a devoted people rather than an ethnically pure one.

The term ‘Israelite’ could not occur before the birth of Jacob. Yet, it was not really used until Israel itself was divided and the term Israel was the name for the Northern Kingdom of Israel (composed of ten tribes). In the same way, the term ‘Jew’ could not occur before the birth of Judah. Yet, again, this was not really used until Judah became a nation, the Southern Kingdom of Judah (composed of Judah and Benjamin). The term ‘Jew’ is not used in the Bible until the exiles returned from Babylon to Jerusalem to rebuild it (Er 4:12). Therefore, technically, Jew and Israelite cannot be interchanged.

As we said earlier, the concept of ‘Gentile’ did not strongly come into play until God made his covenant with the children of Israel at Sinai and they became an ordained nation before God.

Next time, we’ll look to see what happened post-exile and how these definitions became a little more complicated.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In the last few posts, we have been discussing God’s fingerprint and how to identify it. We showed that the gluons which hold quarks together seem to be his fingerprint since the characteristics of these subatomic particles display some of the same characteristics as does the triune Godhead itself. Also, this would seem to support what Paul stated: “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together (Cl 1:16-17).”

So, we see how he has showed us through the very essence of nature itself that he was there. And, because all things still hold together, he is showing us that he is still there. We, as humans, need evidence, and he has supplied it. Are you willing to accept it? You accept the “weirdness” of quantum physics, right? If the concept of God is similar, doesn’t that actually prove something rather than make it more difficult to understand? Let’s not let our bias prevent us from seeing the evidence.

We saw that gluons hold not only the quarks together within a neutron or proton, but between them as well. This leads to the creation of the strong nuclear force. It allows protons which should naturally repel each other to actually be held together in a stable environment. But what would happen if the gluons were to fail?

Believe it or not, there is Biblical evidence to support just that! “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them” (Rv 20:11). When our pastor read this verse to us, I thought it quite apropos as I had just talked about God’s fingerprint. What we read here is God removing his fingerprint. And if we take this verse and combine it with what Peter stated: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare” (2Pt 3:10), we get a pretty clear picture of what would happen when gluons fail.

God put his fingerprint into the very essence of matter itself and that is what is holding everything together is a very stable manner. At some point in the future, he is going to say, “it is enough” and remove his fingerprint. The gluons are going to fail, and all matter will fall apart. Everything will fall apart (“will flee”) in a big “whoosh” (more likely a “roar”) and the end will be a chaotic inferno.

Doesn’t this help you to visualize the Bible as being real? See how scientific it can be if we take it at face value? But it goes deeper. God has always brought order out of chaos. Without God there is no order. There is only chaos. Isn’t that true in our own lives as well. When we try things on our own, everything just winds up a mess – very chaotic. Yet, when we allow God to be in control of our lives, the chaos turns back into order. His fingerprint is back in control. Accept him. Accept his fingerprint. He’s at the essence of everything. Let him be at the essence of you as well. It’s a simple conversation. He will put his fingerprint on your life and bring the calm to your chaos.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Last post, we found out that God’s fingerprint is found is the very essence of matter itself. All of matter is composed of atoms. So, let’s go deep and look at the essence of atoms like we did the essence of God.

An atom is further divided into its nucleus, composed of protons and neutrons, and electrons. If we go even deeper, we find that protons and neutrons are composed of even smaller particles called quarks. Now for all you science fiction fans out there, I am not talking about Quark the Ferengi on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. I am talking about, as far as we know, the most basic building blocks of all matter.

There are six types of quarks, yet only two are the building blocks of protons and neutrons. Now you would think that if these were the most basic building blocks of atoms, they would have a profound name. I don’t know what was in the scientist’s brain at the time. Can you imagine going up to him and saying, “I hear you found the most basic building block of all matter, what did name did you give it?” And he simply replies, “Up” and “Down.” Sort of anticlimactic. That’s like going to Baskin Robins which has, or used to have 31 flavors, and asking for vanilla. Anyway, that’s what they named them.

What prevents the nucleus of an atom from exploding apart? After all, if protons are positively charged, wouldn’t they repel each other? Well, a proton is made up of two Up quarks and one Down quark, and a neutron is made up of two Down quarks and one Up quark. There is something else to ponder here. There are gluons which hold the quarks together. Let’s look more at these.

So, the gluons not only hold quarks together within a proton or neutron, but between them as well. This is what keeps the protons from flying apart. This effect of the gluons is called the Strong Force because it keeps the protons and neutrons within the nucleus and makes the nucleus stable. This Strong Force overcomes the repulsion force between the protons.

Now, here is where God’s fingerprint comes into play. These quarks are individual units, but you can never observe them as separate units even though they are. Doesn’t that remind you of the 1st and 2nd Persons of the Godhead? They are individual, but you cannot separate them. Christ stated, “I and the Father are one” (Jn 10:30), and “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father” (Jn 14:9). The effect of the gluons, I think, is a corollary to the Holy Spirit. He is the Strong Force which allows the Justice and Love of God to co-exist without repelling each other. We, too, are like protons. We naturally repel God. Paul tells us in Romans 8:7 -8 that we are naturally hostile toward God and cannot please him. Yet, once we are drawn to God, the Holy Spirit is the force which binds us to him and never lets us go. Christ stated. “…no one will snatch them out of my hand” (Jn 10:29). We are held by the Strong Force.

So, there you have it. This is a picture of God’s fingerprint. It is in the very essence of all matter. If God created all matter, isn’t this where you would expect it to be?

Yet, there is another building block of an atom that reveals more about the Trinity of God. That is the electron. They are typically depicted as travelling around the nucleus as discrete particles. Yet, that is not a true representation of electrons. Science teaches us that electrons are not discrete particles and are not in any one place. One must use a probability function in order to describe an electron, even if an atom has only one electron. It can be anywhere and everywhere, yet the most likely place is a certain distance from the nucleus. You can detect it in any moment in time, but never predict where it will be. Doesn’t this also remind you of the omnipresence of God? He can be anywhere and everywhere yet be right beside you when you call on Him.

Okay, let’s summarize.

• God left his fingerprint upon creation.

• Science points to him – no matter how we try to explain it away.

• We believe in quantum physics and it’s “weird science” as fact, but can’t believe in a holy, unique God?

• God’s justice is revealed from God the Father; God’s love is revealed from God the Son; yet they cannot be viewed separately – just as quarks cannot be viewed separately from each other.

• The Holy Spirit binds the attributes of God the Father and God the Son together to be shared with us.

• Just as gluons create the strong force, the Holy Spirit creates a strong force between the members of the Trinity so they can never be separated.

• Once we are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ep 1:13), this strong force binds us to God so we also cannot be separated from Him.

• If we can believe in how an atom is composed and operates, then we can believe in a Triune God and what He tells us of Himself.

We had stated that science points to the truth (it cannot be equivalent to truth) and that God is truth. God’s word [2nd person of Trinity] became flesh [Jesus Christ] (Jn 1:1). Jesus Christ stated, “I [2nd person of Trinity] and the Father [1st person of Trinity] are one” (Jn 10:30) and “Whoever has seen me [2nd person of Trinity] has seen the Father [1st person of Trinity]” (Jn 14:9).

We can change around the first sentence of the previous paragraph. God is equivalent to Truth and Truth is equivalent to Science. Although Science cannot be equivalent to Truth unless the Truth is known. Since God is Truth, then what ever God reveals will be true Science.

When science reveals truth, it reveals God just as God’s word reveals God. Therefore, true Science will always jive with God’s word. Because, as we have seen Science reveals the fingerprint of God.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

What does God’s fingerprint look like? The names of God help us to understand God’s character, but not God’s basic essence. So, what is God’s basic essence? Hashilush Hakadosh – Holy Trinity

Why is this important? It’s the foundation of who God is. It’s how he is unique. It’s how he is able to do what he does. It’s how he relates to us. This is why Lucifer became Satan, the Adversary, because he claimed to be as God. But God is holy – unique – no one can be like him.

So, there it is, his fingerprint, his uniqueness. Who else can claim to be Three-in-One? One part of holiness is being pure and righteous. Yet, the other meaning is that of uniqueness – being like none other. This certainly puts him into a category all by himself. God, the 1st part of the Trinity, became known as God the Father, the 2nd part of the Trinity became God the Son because he came to earth as a child to identify with mankind and pay the ransom for their sin, and the 3rd part of the Trinity is the Holy Spirit. They each have a job to do yet cannot be fully separated from each other.

So, does the Bible really support such a uniqueness to God? It is not explicitly stated. Why? I think because it is his essence, his fingerprint. You don’t have to state a certain fingerprint is yours, do you? It identifies you as you. You don’t have to claim it, it claims you.

In Genesis 1:1-2, it states that God (i.e., Elohim, a plural noun and a unique form in Hebrew) created (i.e., bara, a singular verb, utilizing the qal stem of Hebrew grammar and this form of the word is used exclusively for the activity of God in which he fashions something new and pristine). Then, in verse 2, the Spirit of God is mentioned. In addition, we find the words “us” and “our” in verse 26. These verses support the idea of God being Trinity.

If this was the only place in scripture which supported this, then we could debate, but there are others. In Exodus, we also find the Trinity of God revealed to Israel. “And the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death’” (Ex 19:10-12). Here we see the justice of God being revealed.

“On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him (Ex 19:16-19). Here, we see the 1st Person of the Trinity being revealed to Israel.

We then find something very unusual. “Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something, like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank” (Ex 24:9-11). Here, we see the love of God being revealed, and we meet the 2nd Person of the Trinity.

In an account in Numbers, we find more. “The LORD said to Moses: ‘Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you. I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone’” (Nu 11:16-17). Here, we see the omnipresence of God is revealed by the 3rd Person of the Trinity.

Then, in the New Testament, we see a culmination of all the components of the Trinity. “At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased’” (Mk 1:9-11). This is 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Person of the Trinity working in concert.

Therefore, God can have pure justice and pure love co-exist together. They could exist no other way. Yet, that doesn’t mean God the Father is all justice and God the Son is all love. They are the same, yet different. The Bible tells us that one day God the Son, who has bestowed upon us the love of God, will one day bestow God’s justice to everyone who has not accepted him as their Savior. For those who have accepted him as their Savior, their ransom has been paid so God’s justice will not impact them.

How do we grasp the concept of Trinity? Why do we try to ignore the concept of Trinity? Why do we try to make it out as something impossible? Is there anything in nature that supports such a concept? The Answer is YES. God’s fingerprint is found is the very essence of matter itself. Isn’t that where you would expect it to be?

We’ll further explore this aspect next time, but don’t wait. God is unique so you can rely upon him. It’s hard to believe someone ordinary can so the impossible, but someone unique, like no other . . . now, that’s a different story. He’s waiting. Just talk to him.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Does God exist? Did He create the universe? Did he create us? Is there evidence of that? Well, today, how can we show that a person has been somewhere? Fingerprints. Does God have a fingerprint?

In some ways, a fingerprint is like graffiti on a wall. It tells us something. The difference is that while this graffiti is bold and lets us know someone was here, it doesn’t tell us who was here. A fingerprint is like the graffiti, but is much more subtle. You have to be looking for it. Yet, it not only tells us someone was there, but exactly who was there because each fingerprint is unique.

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (Ro 1:20 [NIV]). This verse seems to imply what we can see with our naked eye forms God’s fingerprint. Yet, there are some other translations that may be adding a few subtleties. The English Standard Version states, “In the things that have been made.” Several other translations state, “Through the things made.” This would seem to imply this verse is also talking about what we can see and what we can’t see with our naked eye.

Traditionally, the passage in Romans has been agreed to mean parts of creation we can see. For instance, the stars have been given as evidence that God exists and is a Creator. After all, who can deny the beauty of them?

Or, what about the lush valleys with waterfalls, majestic mountains, beautiful fields of flowers, colorful birds, diversity of mankind, tropical shores, diversity of kinds of animals like birds and other land animals, and the miracle of babies. All of these would be consistent with a Creator, right?

Yet, “science” has tried to tell us a different story. I put science in quotes. I’ll come to that reason in a few minutes. Science has taught us that nature itself has put things in its current state, current order, and current diversity. For example, the earth is in one of a million galaxies, and we are only on the fringe of it. Some state that if God created everything and us, then we would be in the center of his creation? Oh, really? First of all, who said creation was about us? We are the by-product of his glorious creation – not the purpose for it. Second, it’s good we are not in the center of our galaxy because in the center of our galaxy is a super black hole. Not any place I would want to be! I’m very content to be in the corner of our galaxy. Maybe we’re there because God knew that was the best place for us to be. Still sounds like we’re still pretty special to Him.

Also, “science” has taught us we don’t need a Creator to be here. All life came from a single cell, and survival of the fittest and evolution has created all our diversity. Again, I’m using quotes here. I won’t go into all the arguments for and against this. Yet, I will state that when the idea of Evolution and Survival of the Fittest was first proposed by Darwin, no one knew the complexity of a cell and all that it did. At that time, it was just thought to be a blob of cytoplasm. I think if Darwin knew then what we know about a single cell today, he would have thought twice about proposing such a theory.

We have assumed that Science and Truth are one and the same. Nothing could be further from reality. Science does not equal truth. Why? Well, what is Science anyway? Science is the discovery of truth. It is only as good as our methods of detection and our hypotheses. Science is ever evolving. Take the example we just mentioned. In Darwin’s day, they thought a cell was a blob of cytoplasm. So, why couldn’t a cell evolve into other creatures? Today, we know how complex cells are. They need proteins to make and shape other proteins. If you need a complex set of proteins to shape other proteins, how do you shape the original set of proteins so they can shape all the others? Science only points to the truth. It is not the arrival of truth. It will eventually get you there, but it cannot be classified as one and the same.

So, where does that leave us? Even if we believe or don’t believe God to have been the Creator of all we know. How can we know he was involved or not. Go back to our first paragraph. How do we know anyone has been somewhere? Fingerprints. What does God’s fingerprints look like?

Now, there is a lot the Bible tells us about God. Here are a number of His names, or rather, characteristics that make Him who He is: El Shaddai (Lord God Almighty), Jehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of hosts), El Elyon (The Most High God), Jehovah Nissi (The Lord My Banner), Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals), Elohim (God), Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord Our Righteousness), Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You), Adoni (Lord, Master), Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide), Yahweh (Lord, Jehovah), Jehovah Shalom (The Lord Is Peace), Jehovah-Raah (The Lord My Shepherd), Jehovah Shammah (The Lord is There), El Olam (The Everlasting God), Qanna (Jealous). Yet, names in themselves are not fingerprints. Now, I suppose one could argue that one being having all these characteristics makes them unique. Yet, a name in and of itself, does not make one unique.

So, what makes God unique? Stay tuned for our next post where we will discuss just that. God bless.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Sunset today started Tu B’Shevat, known as the New Year for Trees. It is a one-day Jewish holiday. It occurs on the 15th of the Jewish month Shevat (11 month). Therefore, the name is literally 15 (Tu) Shevat. When I first read about this holiday, I thought it seemed kind of strange. Why does a tree need a new year? Well, believe it or not, it does have a Biblical reference. Also, it can also teach us a few things.

In Leviticus 19:23-25, it states, “When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden. For three years you are to consider it forbidden; it must not be eaten. In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD. But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. I am the LORD you God.”

God was teaching the Israelites how to depend upon Him for all things. Tithing was a critical part of the life of an Israelite. They were to consider everything as a gift from God and, therefore, since everything belonged to Him, they had to give a portion back to Him to acknowledge from whom they received the blessing. In this case fruit. It was also practical as it allowed the tree to mature and firmly establish itself. Then when it was mature, they were to honor God for this blessing. Marking this date on their calendar was a way to ensure they had waited the correct time before partaking of the tree’s fruit. After their acknowledgement, they could eat the fruit from the tree. Notice that God stated this would ensure they would have a great harvest. Simply put: honor God, great harvest. Have we missed out on something?

Granted, we are not under the same promises as was Israel. However, it is a principle that is still applicable. We are not commanded to tithe today, but most Christians apply this principle to honor the intent of this Old Testament practice. We have boiled everything down to a monetary equivalent and thereby tithe only our money. However, the Israelites did not make it so simplistic. They literally tithed of all their earthly goods to show their honor to God and to be thankful for all God provided for their existence. Therefore, this principle was ever before them. Again, this had a practical significance as all these tithes of individual goods were given to the priests for their livelihood.

I am not advocating that we now give one egg to our pastor out of every dozen we buy, but I think we need to heighten our senses on how we should honor God for our existence. Next time we put our tithe into our church’s offering, let us be reminded of everything that God has given us and give Him the honor He deserves for all the good things He has allowed us to possess, utilize, and enjoy. All praise to our Lord and Savior!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

The term “12 days of Christmas” marks the days between December 25th (Christmas) and January 6th (Epiphany). It is thought to have originated around 1300. However, various traditions have sprung up from the celebration of these days. Each day became known for a specific event in the life of Christ (for example, January 1st was termed the circumcision of Christ because it was the 8th day) and others for specific saints (for example, December 26th was St. Stephen’s Day in representation of the first martyr Stephen [Ac 7:54-60] and is celebrated as Boxing Day in the UK). The term epiphany comes from the Latin root epiphania meaning “to appear” and was applied to Jesus Christ. The Eastern Orthodox would celebrate this “appearing” as the baptism of Jesus whereas the Western Catholic Church celebrates the visitation of the Magi and would read from Isaiah and Matthew (Is 60:1-6; Mt 2:1-12). The night of January 5th became known as Twelfth Night which Shakespeare made popular with his play of the same name. This was the main night that wassail was drunk and plum pudding eaten. In colonial America, a wreath was placed on the front door during the Christmas season and was removed on Twelfth Night. It became the custom to not leave Christmas decorations up past Twelfth Night. However, some countries still leave decorations up until Candlemas (February 2nd, representing the visit of Christ to the temple with twelve years of age).

In Catholic-centric areas, Twelfth Night was also a time of revelry where a “king cake” is eaten and the one getting a piece with a bean and pea become king and queen of the night overseeing the festivities. In the US, this has become morphed into mardi gras in New Orleans and celebration by mummers in parades.

The song Twelve Days of Christmas is noted as a British carol but may have been originally French in origin. Although there are various adaptations, here is the traditional version: The twelfth day of Christmas, | My true love sent to me | Twelve lords a-leaping, | Eleven pipers piping, | Ten ladies dancing, | Nine drummers drumming, | Eight maids a-milking, | Seven swans a-swimming, | Six geese a-laying, | Five gold rings, | Four colly birds, | Three French hens, | Two turtle doves, and | A partridge in a pear tree. There is no way today to know what the meaning of these verses was originally. However, it has become an extremely popular, and fun, Christmas song to sing. Although it seems to have been debunked, it was stated at one time that each verse had a hidden religious meaning and was used as a catechism to help teach their faith. It seems that Catholicism was criminalized in England from around 1558 until 1829. A partridge in a pear tree: Jesus; two turtle doves: The Old and New Testaments; three French hens: The three Biblical magi; four calling birds: The four Gospels; five gold rings: The Torah or Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament; six geese a-laying: The six days of Creation; seven swans a-swimming: Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit; eight maids a-milking: The eight Beatitudes; nine ladies dancing: Nine fruits of the Holy Spirit; ten lords a-leaping: The Ten Commandments; eleven pipers piping: the eleven faithful Apostles; twelve drummers drumming: The twelve points of the Apostles' Creed. However, there is nothing of these decodes that distinguishes Protestant belief from Catholic belief so it would seem no need to make this a secret code. Therefore, all the more reason for this to be a legend. However, it is a simple way for people to better understand, and remember, Biblical truths.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Happy New Year Everyone! There are a couple of holidays to explore this month, but I will wait until we get closer to their actual observance before we talk about them.

Therefore, I thought we would pick up where Christmas left off with Christ's birth. The Bible is mostly silent upon Christ's childhood, but we do have a few clues. I thought we would explore those during this post.

When Jesus was 12 years of age, he accompanied his parents to Jerusalem for the Passover feast (Lk 2:41-42). He would have been nearly 13 since he was likely born in June and the Passover would have been in March or April. Due to the extra commotion of such a feast with the number of people that would attend, and the likelihood that the women and men may have traveled separately, it was not noticed until three days later that Jesus was not with the crowd that left Jerusalem as they headed back home (Lk 2:43-46). They found him still in the temple both answering and asking questions of the Jewish leaders about the scriptures, and the Jewish leaders were astonished with his answers (Lk 2:46-47). Since Jesus was there for three days, it is unlikely he was unescorted. To be in the temple for such a long time would imply someone with temple connections would have been his escort. There are extra Biblical sources that state Joseph of Arimathea was the great uncle of Jesus and, therefore, likely the one serving as his adult escort and mentor.[1] When questioned by his parents, Jesus said he “must be about his Father’s business” (Lk 2:49), implying God wanted him to do what he had been doing for the last three days. At the time, Mary and Joseph did not understand his meaning (Lk 2:50). Jesus, in obedience to his earthly parents, obeyed them and left with them (Lk 2:51). As Jesus grew, he continued to grow in wisdom and in the favor of both God and his fellowman (Lk 2:52).

There is nothing more in scripture about his childhood. However, there are hints that give us some clues. It would seem somewhat odd that if he was so in tune with what God wanted from him at the age of 12 he would be so unnoticed until he was close to 30 years of age. After all, as a devout Jewish man, he would be traveling to Jerusalem each year at Passover and perhaps for the other required feasts as well (Pentecost or Shavuot and Tabernacles or Sukkot; Dt 16:16-17). Also, it would seem odd that the people in his hometown of Nazareth would have had to question who he was when he spoke to them from the scriptures so intelligently (Mt 13:53-54) if he had grown up there and had been a part of their synagogue. He would not have gone unnoticed by the Jewish leaders at the temple or in his hometown. They knew Jesus’ family members quite well (Mt 13:55-58), so why did they not know Jesus that well? The people referred to Jesus as a carpenter’s son but not as a carpenter himself (Mt 13:55). Although, in Mark’s account the people referred to him as a carpenter (Mk 6:3), yet they were questioning their statement and Jesus’ identity. So, the question is where was he for these 18 years?

Collins and others propose that Jesus was with his great uncle Joseph of Arimathea during these 18 years.[2] Both Mark and Luke state this Joseph was a “counselor” (Mk 15:43; Lk 23:50). The Greek word used (bouleutes) could mean either a senator or a member of the Sanhedrin (or perhaps both). The Vulgate translates the term to be decurion, meaning an official, under Roman authority, who was in charge of metal mining; therefore, Joseph was likely a provincial Roman senator in charge of Rome's overseas mining interests.[3] That he was able to approach Pilate himself to obtain the body of Jesus (Mk 15:43-45; Lk 23:52) would indicate he was a very prominent man in the Roman world.[4] Also, since the bodies of criminals were usually disposed of in common pits unless the body was promptly claimed by a relative would indicate Joseph of Arimathea was a relative. Also, as Joseph of Arimathea’s job would need him to travel throughout the Roman world, Jesus being with him would also explain many of the traditions and texts that claim Jesus visited many parts of the world during this period of his life.[5]

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 [1]Steven M. Collins, Parthia: The Forgotten Ancient Superpower and its Role in Biblical History, (Royal Oak, MI: Bible Blessings, 2004), 152.

 [2] Ibid., 158.

 [3] John D. Keyser, “The Noble Joseph of Arimathea,” Keith Hunt, http://www.keithhunt.com/Joseph1.html (accessed 15-Sep-2012).

 [4] Collins, Parthia,. 159-160.

 [5] Ibid., 160-190.

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