...................................................................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, November 11, 2023

So Sorry

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife. For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger. And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus. When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities. And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.-Matthew 14:1-14***Over 1,900 years before Herod Antipas the tetrarch began ruling Galilee for the Roman Empire, Galilee was part of Canaan, land inhabited by idol worshipers and their kings. After Abraham (Abram the Hebrew), Sarah (Sarai) and their nephew Lot arrived in Canaan, the Lord God promised to give   Canaan to Abraham's descendants and Abraham. Decades after Abraham and Sarah's only child Isaac was born, the Lord God promised to give Canaan to Isaac and Isaac's descendants. Fraternal twin sons Esau (Edom) and Jacob (Israel) were born to 60-year-old Isaac and his wife Rebekah. Decades after Esau and Jacob were born, the Lord God promised to give Canaan to Jacob and Jacob's descendants. When Jacob was 130 years old, he moved with his family from Canaan to Egypt, the country wherein Joseph, the 1st son born to Jacob and his 2nd wife Rachel, was second-in-command. 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, their descendants the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt. Miriam and her younger brothers Aaron and Moses were Israelites from the tribe of Levi, descended from Jacob and his 1st wife Leah, and Jacob and Leah's 3rd born son Levi. When Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83, they led the Israelites away from Egypt, across the divinely parted Red Sea, and into the desert wilderness of Shur, according to the commands of the Lord God. 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 priest died. 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' 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, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants. Galilee was located in the portion of the Promised Land allotted to the tribe of Naphtali, the descendants of Jacob and maidservant Bilhah, and Jacob and Bilhah's 2nd born son Naphtali. Over 300 years after 110-year-old Joshua died and was buried in his tribe's portion of the Promised Land, Saul, from the tribe of Jacob and Rachel's 2nd and last son Benjamin, became the 1st king to rule over the Israelites. Davidfrom the tribe of Jacob and Leah's 4th born son Judah, was the 2nd king to rule over all of the Israelites. Solomon, the 2nd child born to David and Bathsheba, was the 3rd king to reign. 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, including those in Galilee, to Assyria. 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 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, the angel Gabriel appeared to elderly Zechariah (Zacharias) the priest and told Zechariah that a son would be born to Zechariah and his elderly wife Elizabeth (Elisabeth). The angel told Zechariah to name the son John. During the 6th month that John the Baptist was in Elizabeth's womb, the Lord God sent the angel Gabriel to speak to Elizabeth's relative Mary, a virgin pledged to wed Joseph, a craftsman. The angel Gabriel told Mary that Mary would conceive a son, and told Mary to name the son Jesus, and Gabriel explained the divine conception that would occur. After Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit in Mary's womb when Mary was a virgin, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and explained the divine conception to Joseph and told Joseph to name the son Jesus. Approximately 30 years after John the Baptist was born into the tribe of Levi, and Jesus the Christ was born into the tribe of Judah, the tribe of Judah's kings, John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. Jesus having prayed, the heavens tearing open, the Holy Spirit descended as a dove and lit upon Jesus. The Lord God in heaven audibly acknowledged his Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert wilderness. Jesus fasted 40 days and nights and was tempted. Afterwards, Jesus was tended to by angels, and Jesus went to the area near John the Baptist, and John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus to be the Lamb of God taking away the sin of the world, and testified that Jesus is the Son of God. In Galilee, Jesus told specific Israelite men to follow him, and Jesus began to preach, teach and perform miracles among the Israelites, the treasured and chosen people of the Lord God. When John the Baptist was in prison and heard about the works of Jesus the Christ, he sent 2 of his disciples to Jesus. When Herod Antipas the tetrarch heard about the works of Jesus, Herod Antipas was perplexed.-Genesis 11:26-50:26, Exodus, Numbers 13:1-14:45, Deuteronomy 31:1-34:12, Joshua, Judges 1:1-2:23, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles 1:1-34, 2:1-7, 3:1-24, 6:1-81, 8:1-40, 9:35-29:30, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts 1:1-26

Reference Information:
tetrarch = tetraarches = tetrarxes = ruler over 1/4 of a province

Reference Scriptures:
And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.-Luke 13:22-24...The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.-Luke 13:31

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