King Solomon built a structure for God’s presence to occupy in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), but Solomon’s prayer points toward God’s people’s being the dwelling place of God.
Category: Discussions
Why do the prophets, Yeshua the Messiah and His apostles repeatedly refer to Sodom and Gomorrah when talking about judgment and mercy?
There are parallels between the “punch lines” of the parables of the narrow door, narrow gate and 10 virgins. Some think the key to the oil in the 10 virgins parable is the Spirit, and some say it’s the Torah. Rather, it’s knowing God, which involves equal measures of both Torah and God’s Spirit.
From threats of homosexual gang rape of two of God’s messengers to Lot’s offering his two virgin daughters to the mob to Lot’s wife dying from looking back at the destruction of Sodom to Lot’s daughters’ conspiring to get their father so drunk he would get them pregnant, chapter 19 is full of controversy for the modern mind. Actually, there are a lot of parallels between this account and Israel’s miraculous departure from Egypt after Passover.
The lessons of God’s covering His people’s rebellion and moving His dwelling among His people, symbolized in the appointed times of Yom Kippurim and Sukkot, were acted out on a human level during the dedication of the first temple.
This chapter is about justice and judgment, just as the book of Revelation is about justice and judgment. God could have taught this lesson to Abraham privately, yet God wants us to know He knew Abraham well. The LORD knew Abraham would keep God’s ways and would also make sure that his family and household would also keep and follow God’s ways. God knew that those who follow Abraham would follow his example.
Yeshua heals a woman with a back deformity, but the condition may have also been symbolic of the spiritually oppressed. Kingdom parables of the mustard seed and yeast in dough teach that God will build the kingdom from humble, oppressed beginnings to become greater than any superpower.