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Did the Old Testament Saints Believe in a Canon of Scripture?
From our perspective we sometimes take for granted that we have an authoritative canon—a collection of inspired Scripture from God. But it is worth thinking through how the Old Testament saints viewed the collection of authoritative writings. Did Old Testament believers recognize a specialized, authoritative collection of writings? Looking at the Old Testament evidence, it seems that the Jewish people recognized certain writings as authoritative from God, while at the same time acknowledging a different quality of other writings. The Law of Moses: A Special Collection with Special Rules We see early evidence of Scripture being regarded as authoritative in the book of Deuteronomy. For example, Moses instructed all the people to gather every seven years to hear “this law” (Deut 31:9-11). Further, Moses instructed the Levites to store the book of the law along with the ark of the covenant (Deut 31:24-26). Additionally, Israel was instructed that nothing could…
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Were Levites Allowed to Own Land? A Look at Acts 4:36-37
Levites weren’t supposed to own land—or so the common understanding goes. Yet in Acts 4:36-37, we read about Barnabas, a Levite, who sells a field and generously donates the proceeds to the Apostles. Was Barnabas acting in disobedience to his heritage? Or is this a possible contradiction in the details of Scripture? The answer is that the Levites’ relationship with land ownership is a bit more complex than we might initially expect. The Levites and Land Ownership It is a well-known fact that, as a tribe, the Levites were not given their own land allotment among their fellow tribes. While Joshua delegated specific tribal allotments to the eleven tribes of Israel (cf. Josh 12–22), the tribe of Levi did not receive any specific land allotment. The Levites were not left completely homeless, however, for they were given cities to dwell in among their brothers (cf. Josh 14:4). They would at…
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The Premillennial Prophecy of Hosea
One of the most compelling aspects of premillennialism is its ability to weave together the prophecies of the Old Testament and the teachings of the New Testament into a unified, consistent narrative of the future. Far from being a patchwork of disconnected predictions, the Bible’s message offers a clear and cohesive vision of what lies ahead. While major prophets like Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah often take center stage in this discussion, the prophet Hosea offers a profound yet underappreciated glimpse into Israel’s future—a future marked by exile, repentance, and ultimate restoration. Hosea’s message may be lesser-known, but it holds vital insights into God’s plan for His people in the latter days. The Context of Hosea 3 Hosea 3 starts with a command to Hosea: “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress” (v. 1). Although some scholars think this refers to a different…
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Why the Levite Cut Up His Concubine in Judges 19
Having recently taught Judges 19 (the story about the Levite and his concubine) to a group of women who were keen to study their Bibles, I was asked afterward why the Levite would cut up his concubine. Further, what was the reason the Levite sent the pieces of the concubine to the other tribes? These are good questions, and after having done a little more research on the issue I wanted to provide some of my thoughts. First, it is evident that the story of the Levite and his concubine in Judges 19 is one of the most gruesome and tragic chapters in all of Scripture! The details of the story are intentionally crafted to chronicle the Canaanization of Israel for the reader. After reading the chapter, one cannot help but be struck by the wickedness of the people of Israel. They are not just wicked, but they have…
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Where Did the Hebrew Language Come From?
The Hebrew language is beloved by many Christians because it is the original language of the Old Testament. Thus, the Hebrew language makes up the majority of God’s revelation! Some people think Hebrew is a divine language. Others think Hebrew contains specialized codes from God. However, the history of the Hebrew language shows that it is not some mystical language with special codes. It is a real language that has had real development over time. Abraham and the Origin of the Hebrew Language Although some would argue Adam and Eve spoke Hebrew, that is unlikely. The first time we see the word “Hebrew” used is in reference to Abram in Genesis 14:13. Abram (later Abraham) was a sojourner from Ur of the Chaldees (Gen 11:31). Ur was a bustling Sumerian city-state, and during Abram’s time there he would have grown up fluent in Sumerian and Akkadian. Akkadian is the oldest…
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Does the Bible Teach us to Wrestle with God?
In the early morning hours by the Jabbok River, Jacob wrestled with a divine being in a struggle that has intrigued theologians for centuries. An article by Desiring God suggests this encounter serves as a model for believers to wrestle with God in their own lives. But is this interpretation faithful to the text, or does it overlook deeper truths about divine encounters and transformation? I have written before about the bad habit of reading Bible stories inappropriately, but this is a good example of how not to read a Bible story. Like many well-intentioned Bible readers, the author assumes that the actions of the characters in the story are to be emulated and the events of the story should form our expectations of how God operates with us. For example, the author from the above-mentioned article notes the following: God will meet you in your anguish, fear, and uncertainty.…
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Feeling Guilty and Being Guilty Are Different
According to the Bible, guilt is objective. Just because you feel guilty does not mean you have actually experienced guilt. On the other hand, just because you don’t feel guilty does not mean you have no guilt! Guilt is not an emotion, it is an objective status. You have probably heard people say things like, “Don’t you feel guilty?” Or, “I don’t feel guilty about that.” What they are actually talking about is what the Bible describes as the conscience. The conscience and guilt are related, but they are two separate concepts. The conscience is supposed to tell you when you have guilt, but sometimes feeling guilty can be confused with actual guilt. This is why it is important for the Bible to form our definitions. The Essence of Guilt According to the Bible The main word used to describe guilt in the Old Testament is asham (אשׁם). Within the…
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The King of Israel Among the Kings of the Nations
Sometimes students of Scripture are surprised to find out that it was always God’s plan for Israel to have a king. God had promised Abraham that “kings shall come from you” (Gen 17:6). God gave a similar promise to Jacob (Gen 35:11). In fact, by the time the Pentateuch wraps up, we are expecting a powerful king of Israel who will come from Judah (cf. Gen 49:10; Num 24:17). It should not really be that surprising that Israel would have a king. A king ruling over a kingdom was the default governmental system for the ancient Near East (ANE) nations. But, what is very surprising is the kind of king that Israel was expected to have. The king of Israel was to be of a very different sort than the surrounding nations. The king of Egypt, for example, was thought to be the earthly embodiment of the god Horus. The…
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Hosea’s Kindergarten Disaster and the Bloodshed of Jezreel
The names of the children of the prophet Hosea surely raised eyebrows in the Hebrew kindergartens of ancient Israel. God told Hosea to name the first child Jezreel, which means “May God sow” or “God will scatter.” The name could either be a blessing or a curse depending on how one looked at it. Furthermore, the Jezreel valley was notoriously known as a location of much fighting and bloodshed (1 Samuel 29:1-2 Samuel 2:8, 1 Kings 21:1, 2 Kings 9:24ff). One child with a strange symbolic name was not enough. Hosea’s second child was given the name Lo-Ruhamah, meaning “Not loved” or “Unloved.” Can you imagine the awkwardness during roll call when that name came up? “Is ‘unloved’ here?” For Hosea’s third child, God told Hosea name him Lo-Ammi, which means “Not my people.” Each of these names were rather shocking to the Israelites. Most importantly, they were symbolic names…
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Understanding Corporate Solidarity Through Genesis 3:15
The concept of corporate solidarity, deeply ingrained in the biblical world, might be challenging for those accustomed to an individualized, democratic culture. However, grasping this concept is essential for a deeper understanding of various scriptural elements, such as the notion of being “in Christ” and the instances where groups are punished for the sins of an individual. At the heart of corporate solidarity is the idea that a single individual can represent a group or a body of people, similar to how a patriarch represents a clan, a father represents his family, and a king represents his nation. Corporate Solidarity Illustrated in Genesis 3:15 A classic illustration of corporate solidarity is found in Genesis 3:15, a verse crucial not only for its theological implications but also as a foundational text for understanding the entire narrative arc of the Bible. Known among evangelicals as the Protoevangelium, which means the first gospel,…