Tag Archives: Old Testament

The Compromise of Jeroboam

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Jeroboam was the new king of the ten northern tribes that had split from the two southern tribes. Because of Rehoboam’s fool-hearty decision to oppress his people, the ten tribes crowned Jeroboam as their new king. From the beginning, this king compromised the commandments of God and plunged his nation into disobedience and spiritual apostasy. I. The Decree by the Unnamed Prophet Jeroboam wasted no time in violating the commandments of God. According to 1 Kings 12:25–33, the new king initiated four significant changes in the worship of God.

Theology and Thermodynamics: The Synergism

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Science and Religion The relationship today between science and religion is, to say the least, strained. This has not always been so. Many of the early scientists were devout Christians.1 Their work was fundamental to the development of modern science. Their influence and the rise of Christianity liberated science from the superstitions and polytheism that for centuries viewed the material world as being filled with various spirits and gods.2 Under the Christian worldview true science emerged as the material world was shown to be a proper object of study.

Babel, Part 2

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Concluding the topic introduced in September’s issue, Dr. Whitcomb discusses God’s purpose for the division at Babel and His plan for its reversal. Peleg, which means “division,” was the name which this particular descendant of Noah and Shem acquired by virtue of his presence at the scene of God’s judgment of the Tower of Babel (Gen. 10:25). Surely, loving parents would not have named their son “Peleg” at the time of his birth, anymore than Nabal (= “fool”), the husband of Abigail, would have received such a name at his birth (cf.

Babel, Part 1

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God’s judgment of the Tower of Babel was one of the greatest catastrophes in the history of the world. In one moment, a massive, highly complex building project, involving the entire human race, came to an end. Thousands of workers, linguistically unified and Satanically inspired, suddenly found themselves incapable of communicating with each other. Overwhelmed by fear and frustration, each worker took his family and moved away from the others. Mankind has never recovered. But what really happened, and why? For centuries, Bible students have wondered about the following three statements: • “Come, let us build for ourselves .

The Gift of Teaching and Local Church Ministry

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New Testament References: The gift of teaching is one of the continuing spiritual gifts given to the church. Three New Testament books specifically mention this gift. • 1 Romans 12:7—”He that teacheth, [let him teach].” • 1 Corinthians 12:28—””And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers.” • Ephesians 4:11—””And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.” Some people link the latter two gifts and understand them to be the gift of pastor-teacher.

The Coming Kingdom of Christ Our Lord

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When the Lord Jesus Christ commanded His disciples to pray, “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:19), they understood basically what kind of a Kingdom he was referring to. It was not the Church, for that body of believers, composed of Jews and Gentiles together without distinction, was explained for the first time through Paul and the other apostles after the Day of Pentecost (e.g., Ephesians 3:1–10). Instead, it was the Kingdom prophesied throughout the centuries of Old Testament history.

The Authorship of Proverbs 30

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Problematic, difficult, and puzzling are three words sometimes used to describe Proverbs chapter 30. In fact, the problems of the first verse are so great that some Bible commentators say they are unsolvable. McKane (644) highlights the difficulties when he says, “In such a verse, where there is hardly a glimmer of light, one feels powerless to make even the first move towards its elucidation.” Let us wrestle with this verse and seek to find some answers. One of the main problems which demands our attention is the problem of authorship.

Jacob’s Labor Contracts

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After fleeing from Esau, Jacob arrived in Haran. Immediately he met Rachel. The meeting was love at first sight. Rachel was “beautiful and well favored” (29:17). Jacob evidently was strong and muscular, for while the shepherds of three flocks (29:2) could not roll the rock from the well’s opening, Jacob, upon seeing Rachel, “went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth” (29:10). Jacob spent a month in Laban’s home. No doubt, during this month, he spent much time with Rachel and fell more in love with her.

Transform the Bones of the Word into Meat

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As the Ethiopian Eunuch was returning home from Jerusalem, he was pondering the predictions of Isaiah 53. His two questions to Philip reflect common difficulties in gaining insight into confusing portions of Scripture: (1) How can I (understand what I read) except some man should guide me? (2) Of whom speaks the prophet this? Of himself, or of some other man? God sent Philip to the spiritually hungering eunuch so that he might come to know and trust Jesus Christ as his Savior.

Dispensational Theology

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Introduction Faith Baptist Theological Seminary is dispensational in its theology. Many people do not know what dispensationalism really is or how it affects the beliefs we hold. The purpose of this article is to explain dispensationalism by looking at some of our major beliefs. The Bible We believe that the Bible is God’s Word. All of its 66 books are inspired, and everything the Bible teaches is completely true. At the same time we recognize that the message found in the Bible is more greatly developed in the New Testament.