"Media" used to mean "print media" like books and newspapers, but the world has grown. Today media can also mean radio, television and movies delivered to personal computers, tablets and cell phones. As the world's best selling book of all time the Bible continues to make headlines, both good and bad, across all forms of media. This week in the Bible and Media: Legal restrictions in Israel are keeping one American and all of Israel wondering if the Temple vessels from the Second Temple have been located, and a new account of President Trumps inauguration day creates an interesting mythology.
"Media" used to mean "print media" like books and newspapers, but the world has grown. Today media can also mean radio, television and movies delivered to personal computers, tablets and cell phones. As the world's best selling book of all time the Bible continues to make headlines, both good and bad, across all forms of media. This week in the Bible and Media: Seniors in California win the rite to study the Bible, the leader of the White House Bible study is under fire, and Canada rules that Christian law schools must abandon Biblical values if they want to keep their accreditation.
"Media" used to mean "print media" like books and newspapers, but the world has grown. Today media can also mean radio, television and movies delivered to personal computers, tablets and cell phones. As the world's best selling book of all time the Bible continues to make headlines, both good and bad, across all forms of media. This week in the Bible and Media: Going once,twice... one of the only Bible's to ever travel to space is up for auction, atheists tattle on a man handing out Bible's outside a public school, and a host of new discoveries of old objects.
"Media" used to mean "print media" like books and newspapers, but the world has grown. Today media can also mean radio, television and movies delivered to personal computers, tablets and cell phones. As the world's best selling book of all time the Bible continues to make headlines, both good and bad, across all forms of media. This week in the Bible and Media: A double-secret version of the book of Leviticus apparently supports homosexuality and the LGBTQ agenda, and a Bible, "weaponized" by "twisted" and "monstrous" Christians, is removed from a military display for soldiers missing in action.
The book of Ruth is a charming story just waiting for Disney or Pixar to turn into an animated classic. Tragedy and difficulty leads to a whirlwind romance and a happy ending. Along the way we meet interesting characters and foreign customs and witness acceptance, faithfulness and redemption. The book is enjoyable on this level, but become something more when we look deeper. Boaz's actions to redeem Ruth and her family name symbolize the work of Christ in the church. Jesus takes for himself a Gentile bride as described by Paul in his letter to the Ephesians:
The book of Judges chronicles Israel's history leading into the establishment of God's kingdom, ruled through human leaders. It reveals a disturbing trend in the peoples early days, a trend of forsaking God in favor of compromise with the nations around them. This repetitious rebellion lead them to failures in their relationship with God, failures in military might, and failures to be the separate and holy people God intended. In fact, there is archaeological evidence that reinforces the Bible's account. All of the pottery and other artifacts of this period show no differentiation between Israelite artifacts and those of the nation's around them.
Joshua picks up where Deuteronomy left off, continuing the conquest of the land. Taking the promised land would require work, specifically the Israelites would have to defeat a great many city-states, all of whom were idol worshipers and worse, practicing spiritually immoral crafts and worshiping god's that were likely demonic beings. The evil of these groups required judgment, and the army of Israel was God's sword, sweeping through the land to cleanse it and redeem it. Should the Israelites follow God's commands to the letter, the land would see renewal and become a holy place.
At the start of the book of Deuteronomy we find Israel in Moab, where the Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea. Moses takes time to prepare the people for the road ahead. Rather than speaking sternly and professorially, he speaks straight from the heart. He knows these people have endured God's discipline for 40 years, but now they stand on the cusp of receiving the promise. With Egypt behind them and the Promised Land before them, Moses inspires the people not with a battle cry but a reminder of God's law. Obedience will be the key to their success.
YHWH Rohi means “the Lord my Shepherd” and is pronounced Row-ee. This is the name used for God by David in the 23rd Psalm. It is used again in Psalm 80.1, Isaiah 40.10-11 and Ezekiel 34.11-16. Rohi, or the Greek equivalent (poiman `o kalos) is a name Jesus uses of himself in John chapter 10.11: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” He states this again in verse 14: "I am the good shepherd.” Jesus’ use of this name was another claim to deity, to being the God of David.
El Qanna means “the Lord is jealous” and is pronounced El Kah-nah. This is another name God gives himself, this time in Exodus 34.14 and describes an aspect of God’s love for his people: "For you must not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is El Qanna, is a jealous God." Normally jealousy is a sin when it turns to coveting something we do not have or resentment of another's success. But jealousy can also be constructive, as Paul notes to the church in Corinth: “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy...” (2 Corinthians 11.2).
The Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘Surely you must keep my Sabbaths, for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am YHWH Mekoddishkem [the Lord who sanctifies you]. So you must keep the Sabbath, for it is holy for you. Everyone who defiles it must surely be put to death; indeed, if anyone does any work on it, then that person will be cut off from among his people. Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest.... — Exodus 31.12-15a
We mentioned in this series already that even though YHWH is written in the Bible many times it was only ever spoken by the priests in the Temple. When outside the Temple the priests used the name Adonai. This name for God means “Master” or “Owner” and represents God’s right to rule as he is the creator and owner of every person. This name for God occurs nearly 300 times in the Old Testament. Before the people then, the Priest would read a passage from the Law and replace this personal name YHWH with Adonai.
