But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
2 Kings 5:11 (KJV)
I thought – YHVH doesn’t always act in ways we think He should. There is a valuable lesson here. We can so easily place ourselves in the shoes of Naaman, because often enough, God doesn’t live according to our expectations. Continue reading “But I Thought Differently”
Notwithstanding the LORD turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal.
2 Kings 23:26 (KJV)
Kindled – The preceding verse speaks about Josiah’s devotion to YHVH with all his heart. It likens Josiah to no other king. Josiah is praised for keeping the law and for his love for YHVH… but there is still kindled anger. Continue reading “Kindled Anger”
Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him. At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.
2 Kings 16:5-6 (KJV)
Jews – Yes, they are the people that reside in Israel and practice Judaism. We see them wearing tzitzit, black coats over white shirts, long curls around their ears, and kippahs on their heads. We also know that Jews live pretty much all around the world, and many don’t keep this dress code or practice Judaism in this strict form. Many look just like you or me. While this does give some context, it really doesn’t explain who they are Biblically. Continue reading “Who are the Jews?”