...................................................................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. Romans 15:4 (KJV) reveals: For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 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.

Monday, October 21, 2024

All Gone

King Hezekiah and his fellow Israelites in Judah after

Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities. And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites after their courses, every man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the tents of the LORD. He appointed also the king's portion of his substance for the burnt offerings, to wit, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in the law of the LORD. Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the Lord.-2 Chronicles 31:1-4***Abraham (Abram the Hebrew), Nahor (Nachor), Haran, and Sarah (Sarai) were born to Terah. Ishmael was born to 86-year-old Abraham and Hagar, Sarah's maidservant. When Abraham was 99 years old, the Lord God gave him the covenant of circumcision, and Abraham circumcised 13-year-old Ishmael, and Abraham and the males throughout Abraham's household and property were immediately circumcised. Isaac was born to 100-year-old Abraham and 90-year-old Sarah. On the 8th day after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised Isaac. When Isaac was 40 years old, he was married to Rebekah, Nahor's granddaughter. Fraternal twin sons Esau (Edom) and Jacob (Israel) were born to 60-year-old Isaac and Rebekah. Esau was Isaac's favorite, and Jacob was Rebekah's favorite. 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 Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant. Gad and Asher were born to Jacob and Zilpah, Leah's maidservant. Joseph was the 1st son born to Jacob and Rachel, and Rachel and Joseph were Jacob's favorites. During Jacob's 20th year in Haran, he began journeying home to Canaan with his family, servants, animals, and possessions. Near Bethlehem, Benjamin was born to Jacob and Rachel, and Rachel died. Joseph was 17 years old when his brothers sold him to merchants traveling to Egypt and led Jacob to believe that Joseph was killed by a wild beast, and Joseph was 30 years old when Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, proclaimed him second-in-command. Jacob was 130 years old when 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, and the tribe of Joseph became the tribe of Manasseh and the tribe of Ephraim. 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 born into the tribe of Levi to Amram and Jochebed. Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 when the Lord God sent them to speak to the Israelite elders and Pharaoh. The elders believed the words of the Lord God spoken by Aaron. Pharaoh did not believe, and he made work for the Israelites more difficult. Before the Lord God brought the 10th and final plague upon Pharaoh and Egypt, the Lord God told Moses about the death that was going to occur among all firstborn Egpytians and firstborn among the animals the Egyptians owned, and the Lord God gave Moses and Aaron commands for the Israelites so that the Lord God would pass over the Israelites, and the Lord God gave Moses and Aaron commands about the yearly observance of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. After the Lord God brought the 10th and final plague upon Pharaoh and Egypt, Pharaoh told Moses and Aaron to get the Israelites and their animals and go worship the Lord God. Moreover, Pharaoh told Moses and Aaron to bless him. Before Moses and Aaron led the Israelites, and those with them, away from Egypt, across the divinely parted Red Sea, into the desert wilderness of Shur, and the desert wilderness of Sin, the Israelites asked for and were given an abundance of valuable goods, fulfilling the words that the Lord God spoke to Abraham. In the desert wilderness of Sinai, in the region of Mount Sinai, the Israelites heard the voice of the Lord God proclaim the Ten Commandments to them, and the Lord God began giving Moses judgments, statutes and laws for the Israelites, and the Lord God made a covenant with the Israelites, and the Israelites said they would obey the words of the Lord God. When Moses was upon Mount Sinai 40 days and nights with the Lord God, the Lord God gave Moses commands about the offering willing Israelites were to bring, and the Lord God described to Moses and showed Moses the likeness of the tabernacle, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the altar of burnt offering, and the other sacred items the Israelites were commanded to make, and the Lord God told Moses that only Aaron, and Aaron's sons and the sons born to their descendants were to serve the Lord God as priests.  Meanwhile, the Israelites thought they were abandoned and told Aaron to make gods to lead them. Aaron told the Israelites to bring him their gold earrings, and Aaron made a golden calf that the Israelites sacrificed to and worshiped. Before Moses returned to the Israelites, the Lord God spoke to him about the Sabaath day, and Sabbath days laws and punishments, and the Lord God gave Moses 2 stone tablets whereupon were written, with the finger of God, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord God told Moses about the golden calf. When Moses saw the golden calf and the actions of the Israelites, he threw down the 2 stone tablets and burned and ground the golden calf, and questioned Aaron, and asked the congregation a question. The Levites, the Israelites in the tribe of Levi, gathered alongside Moses and killed approximately 3,000 of their idol worshiping brethren, according to the command that the Lord God gave Moses. Before the Israelites were led away from the Sinai region, the Lord God spoke to Moses about the Levites, and the Lord God described the duties that the Levites were to perform at the tabernacle as the only assistants to the priests. 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. The Israelites in the tribe of Reuben and the tribe of Gad asked to be given some of the land that the Israelites recently conquered. Moses spoke to the Reubenites and Gadites, and after they agreed to the terms presented, Moses gave the Reubenites, Gadites and 1/2 the tribe of Manasseh the land requested. Shortly thereafter, the Lord God gave Moses commands to proclaim to the Israelites about the high places of the idol worshiping inhabitants in Canaan. 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. 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 Benjamin, became the 1st king to reign. David, from the tribe of Judah, was the 2nd king to rule over all of the Israelites. Solomon, a son born to David and Bathsheba, was the 3rd king. In the 4th year of his 40-year reign, Solomon began building the temple of the Lord, and in the 11th year, workers finished building the temple in Jerusalem. 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 and consisted of the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin. Jerusalem was the royal city and Rehoboam was the 1st king to reign. In the 4th year of Rehoboam's 40-year reign, the Israelites throughout Judah began building and establishing high places and worshiping idols. Israel was the northern nation and consisted of the other Israelite tribes, including the tribe of Reuben, and the tribe of Gad, and 1/2 the tribe of Manasseh on the other side of the Jordan River. Samaria was the final royal city and Jeroboam, the son born to Nebat and Zeruah, was the 1st king to reign. Jeroboam established idolatry throughout the kingdom, and put a golden calf in Dan, in the northern region, and a golden calf in Bethel, in the southern region. The tribe of Ephraim was a large and prominent tribe in the northern nation of Israel, and the divinely inspired Scriptures of the Holy Bible reveal that the northern nation of Israel was often identified as Ephraim. 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 captives, including the Reubenites, Gadites, and 1/2 the tribe of Manasseh. other Israelites, to Assyria. King Hoshea was the 19th king to rule over all of the Israelites in the northern nation of Israel. Rehoboam's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson Hezekiah was the 12th king to rule Judah. During the 9th year of Hoshea's regin, which was the 6th year of Hezekiah's 29-year reign in Judah, the Assyrians conquered Samaria, according to the will of the Lord God, due to the idolatry and other wickedness of the Israelites. In Judah, Hezekiah removed idols, idolatry and the high places. Manasseh, the son born to Hezekiah and Hephzibah, was the 13th king to rule Judah. During the beginning of his 55-year reign, Manasseh rebuilt the high places and reestablished idolatry throughout Judah and Jerusalem. Manasseh became known as the king whose wickedness exceeded the wickedness of the previous idol worshiping inhabitants throughout Canaan. The Assyrians invaded Jerusalem during Manasseh's reign and took Manasseh captive, according to the will of the Lord God. In Babylon, a kingdom that was under Assyrian control, Manasseh humbled himself before the Lord God, and prayed to the Lord God, and the Lord God brought Manasseh back to Jerusalem. Afterwards, Manasseh took the idols out of the temple of the Lord, and repaired the altar of burnt offering, and offered sacrifices to the Lord God. The high places remained, and the Israelites in Judah started using the high places to sacrifice to the Lord God. Manasseh's grandson Josiah was the 15th king to rule Judah. During the 18th year of Josiah's 31-year reign, a discovery was made in the temple of the Lord, and afterwards the high places were pulled down, the idols were destroyed, and the false priests were killed, according to Josiah's command. Jehoahaz,  a son born to Josiah and Hamutal, was the 16th king to rule Judah. Jehoiakim (Eliakim), the son born to Josiah and Zebudah, was the 17th king. During Jehoiakim's 11-year reign, the Babylonians (Chaldeans) invaded Judah and Jerusalem and King Nebuchadnezzar,  ruler of Babylon, began looting the temple. Jehoiachin (Jeconiah/Coniah), the son born to Jehoiakim and Nehushta, was the 18th king. During Jehoiachin's 3-month reign, the Babylonians took more prominent Israelites, including Jehoiachin, his wives and mother, to Babylon. Josiah and Hamutal's son Zedekiah (Mattaniah) was the 19th king to rule Judah. During the 11th year of Zedekiah's reign, 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 in Bethlehem into the tribe of Judah, the tribe of Judah's kings, to Mary and her husband Joseph when Mary was a virgin.-Genesis, Exodus, Numbers 13:1-14:45, 20:1-19, 26:1-36:13, Deuteronomy 31:34:12, Joshua 1:1-4:24, 23:1-24:33, Judges 1:1-2:23, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra 1:1-11, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts 1:1-26

Reference Information
courses = mahleqowt/machaloqeth = chalaq = divisions

encouraged = yehezqu = chazaq = grow strong, strengthen, devoted

portion = menat = menath = manah = allotment

substance = rekusow/rekush/rakash = possessions, property, goods

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