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Why the Intertestamental Period Matters
The book of Malachi was written approximately 400 B.C. The next biblical events that are addressed are those 400 years later, around the birth of Jesus. The time between is known as the intertestamental period. Some have called this intertestamental period “400 not-so-silent years.” Since many Christians often have no idea what happened in this time period, I will provide a brief snapshot of what happened during the intertestamental period and why it matters. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem in 587 BC, and the Jews were scattered in exile throughout the kingdom of Babylon (and some in Egypt). In 539 BC, Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylon. Under Cyrus the Jews were allowed to return to their homes and they rebuilt the city of Jerusalem and the Temple. World dominion stayed in Persian hands until Darius III (336-331 BC). Beginning in 334 BC, 20 yr old Alexander the Great launched an offensive…
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Egypt, the Hyksos, and the People of Israel
Many people have not heard of the Hyksos before. The Hyksos are not mentioned in Scripture, but there are many times in Scripture where knowing the historical background helps one understand what is going on in the text. Such is certainly the case in Exodus 1, where we are told rather abruptly that a Pharaoh arose over Egypt that “did not know Joseph” (Exod 1:8). Although it is possible that this could actually be a reference to a Pharaoh not having any historical knowledge of how the Israelites came to be in Egypt, that seems highly unlikely. Rather, the concept of “knowing” in the Hebrew Bible often will carry with it a relationship component (cf. Gen 4:1; 18:19). If such is the case here, then the point is that a Pharaoh arose over Egypt who did not wish to be friendly to the Israelites as the Egyptians had in the…
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What Color was Joseph’s “Coat of Many Colors”?
I still remember learning the story of Joseph and his brothers in Sunday School growing up. I remember watching the story played out on a flannelgraph where the main character, Joseph, was displayed in his brightly colored “rainbow” coat. I also remember going to a local theater to watch the musical, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat.” These were landmark times in my life. But, were these teachings mistaken? It is no surprise that most people think Joseph was the object of jealousy of his brothers because of his coat of many colors. Consider the following translations of Gen 37:3. ESV Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. NASB Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old…
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Where was the Altar of Incense Located?
In Hebrews 9:3-4 we are told that the Holy of Holies (aka Most Holy Place) contained the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant. This Holy of Holies was entered only once a year on the Day of Atonement by the High Priest (Heb 9:7; cf. Lev 16). However, we see from other Scriptures that the altar of incense was used much more frequently than once a year (cf. Lev 4:7; Exod 30:7-8). In fact, in God’s instructions for the altar of incense, Israel was instructed to put the altar of incense outside of the Holy of Holies, separated from the Holy of Holies by a curtain (cf. Exod 30:6; 40:5). How are we to understand these apparent contradictions about the placement of the altar of incense? Although there are a variety of ways people have dealt with this issue, I believe the best solution is to…
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Ahithophel and Dealing With Bitterness
Ahithophel is one of those lesser-known characters in Scripture. But he is an excellent example of how bitterness can corrupt the soul. Bitterness is an issue we all need to deal with. This post on Ahithophel and bitterness was originally posted by Dr. Varner on his now-delinquent blog many years ago. He gave permission to repost it, and I always appreciate the way Dr. Varner spells things out. I hope you do too. The Tragedy of Ahithophel Following David’s awful sin of adultery with Bathsheba and the ensuing arranged murder of her husband, Uriah, he was confronted by Nathan the prophet. Among the consequences of his sins were that from his own household enemies would arise against him (2 Sam 12:10-11). Three of his sons – Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah – each caused serious problems for him and his successor, Solomon (2 Sam 13; 14-17; 2 Kings 1-2). There was…
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Following the Principle of the Law
We have looked previously at the clear testimony of Scripture that the believer’s relationship to the Mosaic Law has drastically changed. In fact, because the Mosaic Law was tied to the Mosaic Covenant, when the Mosaic Covenant passed away, the believer was no longer under the Law (cf. Gal 5:18). But, yet we see Paul and the other Apostles constantly being influenced by and appealing to the Law. How can this be? It stands to reason that although the Law is no longer binding, this does not mean there is no more usefulness to the Mosaic Law. In fact, I would argue that the Mosaic Law retains its didactic purpose and helps instruct mankind how to live in light of the creation principles. In other words, the Law stops functioning as a law code, but it retains its pedagogical function, giving the Christian insight into the character of the…
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Does the Old Testament Law Apply Today?
How does a Christian apply the Old Testament Law today? This is a bit of a complicated question. Given the fact that the Law reflects creation principles, we should not be surprised that it remains relevant. Indeed, Scripture unequivocally teaches the positive role of the Mosaic Law in the life of the Christian. “Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law” (Rom 3:31) “the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good” (Rom 7:12) On the other hand, there are also clear Scripture passages which indicate the believer’s relationship to the Mosaic Law has drastically changed. “Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17) “You are not under the law but under grace” (Rom 6:14) “Christ is the end of the law” (Rom 10:4) “But if you are…
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Who is the Queen of Heaven in Jeremiah?
Those who are willing to read through the lengthy prophet Jeremiah will come across a phrase which is not mentioned elsewhere—the queen of heaven (cf. Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17-19, 25). Although the Queen of Heaven is mentioned in Catholic writings, it is used there as a reference to Mary, mother of Jesus. Catholics do not wish to equate their usage of “Queen of Heaven” with the book of Jeremiah. However, one cannot miss the subtle irony that the phrase queen of heaven in Jeremiah is a clear reference to idolatry, which is the very same charge leveled against Catholicism and their veneration of Mary. However, our interest in the queen of heaven is not related to Catholicism. Rather, we want to explore the usage in Scripture. Yet, there is not much known about the queen of heaven from Scripture. Since Jeremiah is the only biblical record of the existence of this…
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The Law as a Reflection of Creation Principles
In a previous post I discussed the purpose of the Law. One of the purposes of the Law was to reflect God’s creation to a watching world. In other words, Israel was given laws that, when obeyed, showed the world what the creation ideal looked like. The connection of creation to the Law is worth examining in greater detail. The easiest way to see this connection is to examine some of the Ten Commandments (the heart of Israel’s Law code) and note their connections to creation principles. First Commandment: No Other Gods (Exod 20:3; cf. Deut 5:7) Although some of the following commandments have explicit ties to the creation narrative, the link between the first commandment and creation is implicit in its theology. The demand for exclusive worship is inherently tied to the belief that God is the Creator. Since God is the only Creator, He demands exclusive and unrivaled…
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The Purpose of the Old Testament Law
In a prior post, I mentioned that the Law needs to be read in its narrative context. In addition to being sensitive to the narrative context, we also need to evaluate the purpose of the Old Testament Law as it is portrayed in the Old Testament itself. This is an important first step in helping understand the differences that we see between the Old and New Testaments. The Law was never a means of salvation First, we need to adimently reaffirm that the Law is not portrayed as a standard for salvation. It is common for people to accuse dispensationalists of believing the Law was the means of salvation for Israel. I have spoken against this on multiple occasions, but if you are looking for an in depth treatment on the subject, John Feinberg wrote an excellent article on salvation in the Old Testament. Additionally, as I argued previously, the…