The entire Jewish world was made of concentric circles, closing in on God as the center. Outermost was the world, surrounding Israel, which made up the next circle. Within Israel, Jerusalem was the next layer, and the temple was the next. Within the temple, you had the court of the Gentiles, then the court of […]
The entire Jewish world was made of concentric circles, closing in on God as the center. Outermost was the world, surrounding Israel, which made up the next circle. Within Israel, Jerusalem was the next layer, and the temple was the next. Within the temple, you had the court of the Gentiles, then the court of […]
Today’s reading from Jeremiah is the longest warning of the whole book. Turning from the warnings against Israel and Judah, Jeremiah has been warning the surrounding nations – Moab, Ammon and the like – and now turns at last to Babylon itself. As the source of Judah’s punishment, God has used Babylon against Judah, but […]
The original tithe was the amount given by the 11 tribes of Israel to the 12th tribe, Levi, because Levi was given no land. Instead, they were commanded to be the tribe of priests, caring for the tabernacle and then the temple. Land was money, so instead of land, the Levites, who wouldn’t have time […]
Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. Our kids have been pretty frustrated with school. Sadly, while […]