…without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Hebrews 11:6 God is pleased when we trust him and believe what he has said. If we want to be close to God we have to acknowledge […]
Is it permitted to make the holy oil and incense in Exodus 30?
The Law of Moses is not in effect any more (Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:14; Heb. 8:13). This means two things in regard to the question above: It is no longer forbidden to make the anointing oil or the incense. But also … It is pointless to make the anointing oil or incense because they are […]
What is the significance of the gruesome event in 2 Sam. 2:12-16?
2Sam. 2:12-17 {12} Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. {13} And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. And they sat down, the one on the one side […]
Was Paul married? If so, what happened to his wife?
The information that we have in the Bible says that Paul wasn’t married when he wrote 1 Corinthians: To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am. [1Cor. 7:8] However, we don’t know with absolute certainty if Paul was married before or after this — […]
What is a cherub?
A cherub is an angelic being. They are sometimes described as the means by which God moves (2Sam. 22:11, cf. 1Chron. 28:18). The plural of ‘cherub’ is ‘cherubim’, as shown by passages like Exodus 25:18-19: And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of […]
Why does the Bible refer to Jesus as the “lily of the valley”?
The only place where “lily of the valley” occurs in the Bible is in Song of Solomon 2:1: I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. Here, Solomon’s lover is using a beautiful flower as a metaphor for herself. Solomon takes up the metaphor in response: As a lily among brambles, so […]
Has anyone since Adam and Eve till today ever seen the face of God?
Before we look at other people seeing the face of God, let us consider what Adam and Eve saw. Genesis 3:8 says that Adam and Eve hid themselves from “the presence of the LORD God” (ESV). This verse also says that God “walked” in the garden. If we take these statements literally then they would […]
Where in the Bible does it say that a father leaves things to his son, and if he does not have a son he leaves things to his brother?
The law of inheritance was part of the Law of Moses and is described in the following passage: And you shall speak to the people of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter. And if he has no daughter, then you shall give […]
Does the Bible talk about collective salvation?
No it doesn’t. The Bible message is about individuals being responsible for their own choice and commitment to follow Christ (Luke 14:25-33; Galatians 2:19-20; Philippians 3:7-9). Even when in Acts large groups of people were saved at the same time, they were all individually baptised (Acts 2:41-42). Salvation is based on an individual’s response from their […]
Where in the Bible does it say that sex within marriage is a gift from God?
It doesn’t say so directly. However, the Bible does say that a man who has found a wife obtains favour from the Lord (Proverbs 18:22) and it also encourages satisfying sexual activity within marriage (Proverbs 5:18-19; Hebrews 13:4) and the producing of children (Malachi 2:15; Psalm 127:3-5). Paul advises against depriving your spouse of sexual […]