Thursday, September 28, 2017
Ephesians 6:13-16
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
Greetings Bible Enthusiast!
One reader wrote to comment about the seeming contradiction between Solomon's killing of his father's enemies and the commandment that says "Thou shall not kill." The difficulty here is that the Hebrew word traditionally translated "kill" should be translated "murder."
"Murder" means to take someone's life in hatred for personal reasons, which is different from "killing" as in time of war or punishment for some crime. Many times God instructed the Israelites to kill entire nations, sometimes even including livestock because of their rampant wickedness.
The word in Hebrew clearly means "murder" and not "kill"; there is a different word to describe killing as in time of war. With this understanding, there is no contradiction.
The Bible does not present Solomon's act as something bad but rather as justice done. As a righteous king, Solomon killed his father's enemies who had done evil things and gotten away with them under David's reign.
God Bless You!
Annie
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--TODAY'S NOT SO TRIVIAL TRIVIA QUESTION:
Q. How did King Rehoboam respond to the challenge of Jeroboam, his father's old enemy?
Answer below.
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--TODAY'S BIT OF WISDOM/REFLECTION:
"Some people are making such preparation for rainy days that they aren't enjoying today's sunshine."
- William Feather
--FEATURED FUNNY:
From an actual court manuscript:
Q: "And where was the location of the accident?"
A: "Approximately milepost 499."
Q: "And where is milepost 499?"
A: "Probably between milepost 498 and 500."
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--ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION:
Q. How did King Rehoboam respond to the challenge of Jeroboam, his father's old enemy?
A. Then the king answered the people roughly, and rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying,
"My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!"
1 Kings 12:13-14
King Rehoboam had this beautiful opportunity to do good by lightening the heavy load that Solomon had placed upon the people, but he chose to reject the wise advise of the elders.
This decision triggered a lasting split, dividing the nation of Israel from then on. The people who followed Jeroboam made up the northern kingdom and the people who followed Rehoboam made up the southern kingdom.