...................................................................LET US LEARN TOGETHER WHAT IS GOOD. Job 34:4b(NIV)................................................................Some people see the Bible as a long and boring book filled with incidents and events from the lives of ancient people who probably never existed. The biblical stories are seen as fables. Notably, Romans 15:4 reveals: For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.(KJV) In this blog, many of the situations and conversations found in the divinely inspired Scriptures of the Holy Bible have been placed in categories that correspond to expressive sayings and phrases. Reference information, background information and links connecting the people and places are given to help you find a place to begin reading the Bible for yourself.

Saturday, August 20, 2022

More Than

Psalm 87

His foundation is in the holy mountains. The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there. And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her. The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah. As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee.-Psalm 87:1-7/the complete psalm***Throughout the divinely inspired Scriptures of the Holy Bible, the City of David and Jerusalem are sometimes identified as Zion. Rahab was the woman who helped the Israelite spies in Jericho, and Egypt is widely regarded to have been identified as Rahab. Philistia was the homeland of the Philistines. The Philistines and Phoenicians descended from Ham, and Ham was born to Noah the ark builder, and Tyre (Tyrus) was a major seaport city of the Phoenicians. Ethiopia, the ancient kingdom, was sometimes identified as Cush. Moreover, Ham's son was named Cush.  Noah's son Shem was the great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather of Terah. Abraham (Abram the Hebrew) and Sarah (Sarai) were born to Terah. Isaac was born to 100-year-old Abraham and 90-year-old Sarah. When Isaac was 40 years old, he was married to Rebekah, Abraham and Sarah's grandniece. Fraternal twin sons Esau (Edom) and Jacob (Israel) were born to 60-year-old Isaac and Rebekah. In the divinely inspired Scriptures of the Holy Bible, Israel is sometimes identified as Jacob, and the Israelites are sometimes identified as Jacob. In Padan Aram, Haran, Jacob was married to Leah and Rachel, the daughters of Rebekah's brother Laban the Syrian (Aramean). Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and daughter Dinah were born to Jacob and Leah. Dan and Naphtali were born to Jacob and Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant. Gad and Asher were born to Jacob and Zilpah, Leah's maidservant. Joseph and Benjamin were born to Jacob and Rachel. Joseph was 30 years old when Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, proclaimed him second-in-command. When Jacob was 130 years old, he moved with his family from Canaan to Egypt. In Egypt, Jacob proclaimed Manasseh and Ephraim, the sons born to Joseph and his wife Asenath, to be his own sons. Sometime after 147-year-old Jacob died in Egypt and Jacob's family buried his body in Canaan, and 110-year-old Joseph and his siblings were dead, the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt. Miriam and her younger brothers Aaron and Moses were born into the tribe of Levi. When Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83, the Lord God sent them to speak to the Israelite elders and Pharaoh. After the Lord God brought the 10th and final plague upon Pharaoh and Egypt, Moses and Aaron led the Israelites, and those with them, away from Egypt, across the divinely parted Red Sea, and into the desert wilderness of Shur. During the 40-year journey to Canaan, the Promised Land, Miriam the prophetess died and was buried in Kadesh, in the desert wilderness of Zin. Upon Mount Hor, 123-year-old Aaron the high priest died. Shortly thereafter, Moses spoke his last words to the Israelites and told them that they must only bring their offerings, sacrifices, tithes, and vows to the place in the Promised Land that the Lord God shall choose. When Moses went upon Mount Nebo, the Lord God showed Moses the Promised Land, and 120-year-old Moses the prophet died and was divinely buried. Joshua, Moses' aide and successor from the tribe of Ephraim, led the Israelites across the divinely parted Jordan River and onto the land that the Lord God promised to give to Abraham, and Isaac, and to Jacob, and their descendants. The City of David and Jerusalem were in the portion of the Promised Land that Joshua and the Israelite leaders with him allotted to the tribe of Judah. Over 400 years after 110-year-old Joshua died and was buried in his tribe's portion of the Promised Land, Solomon, the 2nd child born to King David and Bathsheba, became the 3rd king to rule over all of the Israelites. After Solomon built the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, and all of the sacred items were properly placed inside the temple, and Solomon prayed to the Lord God, the Lord God told Solomon that the temple was the place chosen as a house of sacrifice. Rehoboam, the son born to Solomon and Naamah, was the 4th king to rule over all of the Israelites. After Rehoboam gave a specific answer, the Israelites split into 2 kingdoms, according to the will of the Lord God, due to the idolatry and other wickedness of Solomon. Judah was the nation in the south, Jerusalem was the royal city and Rehoboam was the 1st king to reign. Israel was the northern nation, Samaria was the final royal city and Jeroboam, the son born to Nebat and Zeruah, was the 1st king to reign. King Pekah was the 18th king to rule over all of the Israelites in the northern nation of Israel. During Pekah's 20-year reign, the Assyrians invaded the kingdom and King Tiglath-pileser, ruler of Assyria, began taking Israelites captive. During the 9th year of the reign of King Hoshea, the 19th king to rule the northern nation, the Assyrians conquered Samaria, according to the will of the Lord God, due to the idolatry and other wickedness of the Israelites. Less than 125 years after Samaria was conquered, Rehoboam's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson Jehoiakim (Eliakim) became the 17th king to rule Judah. During Jehoiakim's 11-year reign, the Babylonians (Chaldeans) invaded Judah and Jerusalem and King Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of Babylon, began looting the temple of the Lord. Jehoiachin (Jeconiah/Coniah), the son born to Jehoiakim and Nehushta, was the 18th king to rule Judah. During Jehoiachin's 3-month reign, the Babylonians took more prominent Israelites, including Jehoiachin, his wives and mother, to Babylon. During the 11th year of the reign of Jehoiakim's brother King Zedekiah (Mattaniah), the 19th king to rule Judah, the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem, according to the will of the Lord God, due to the idolatry and other wickedness of the Israelites. Over 500 years after Israelites began returning to Judah and Jerusalem, Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, was born. Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, a virgin, and Jesus was born into the tribe of Judah, the tribe of David and his descendants, all of Judah's kings, to Mary and her husband Joseph when Mary was a virgin.-Genesis, Exodus, Numbers 20:1-29, 27:12-23, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges 1:1-2:23, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles 1:1-34, 2:1-17, 3:1-24, 6:1-81, 7:20-29, 10:1-29:30, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts 1:1-26

Reference Information:
count = yispor = saphar/sepher = record

Ethiopia = kus = Kuwsh = Cush/Chush = a son or descendant of Ham, land in the southern Nile Valley

write up = biktowb = kathab = registers

Zion = siyown = Tsiyyon/tsiyyah/tsiyuwn = Jerusalem, a mountain in Jerusalem

Reference Scriptures:
Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.-1 Kings 8:1

Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.-2 Chronicles 5:2

He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.-Psalm 78:70-71

For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.-Psalm 132:13

Blessed be the LORD out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.-Psalm 135:21

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