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RETIREDFAN1

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  1. In the Super Bowl last night, Patrick Mahomes was pressured on 38.1% of dropbacks, the 5th highest pressure rate he's faced in his NFL career. Leading to his 2nd worst performance by EPA in his career (-19.3). Houston Texans' QB CJ Stroud had an AVERAGE pressure rate of 39.4% this season. In the Divisional Round, Stroud battled a 51.4% pressure rate & posted a 287yd 0 turnover performance (+0.7 EPA) down 2 starting receivers against Kansas City. So for anyone that watched what HOF 2x MVP 3x Champion Patrick Mahomes dealt with last night & could not overcome, just know that wasn't even an average game for Year 2 "Sophomore Slump" CJ Stroud. (Per-NextGenStats & nestagraphics)
  2. 2 Samuel 4 English Standard Version Ish-bosheth Murdered 4 When Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, heard that Abner had died at Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed. 2 Now Saul's son had two men who were captains of raiding bands; the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon a man of Benjamin from Beeroth (for Beeroth also is counted part of Benjamin; 3 the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have been sojourners there to this day). 4 Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth. 5 Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out, and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Ish-bosheth as he was taking his noonday rest. 6 And they came into the midst of the house as if to get wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.[a] 7 When they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and put him to death and beheaded him. They took his head and went by the way of the Arabah all night, 8 and brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron. And they said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life. The Lord has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring.” 9 But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity, 10 when one told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. 11 How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?” 12 And David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner at Hebron. Footnotes 2 Samuel 4:6 Septuagint And behold, the doorkeeper of the house had been cleaning wheat, but she grew drowsy and slept. So Rechab and Baanah his brother slipped in
  3. "Sea of Galilee: Blue Miracle" | The Sea of Galilee is a sea of miracles. To Christians, it's where Jesus walked on water in the New Testament. To Jews, it is part of their ancestral homeland and epicenter of the last vestiges of Torah learning that ensured Judaism endured even through the dark days of the Roman Empire. For Israel, the sea (called 'Kinneret' in Hebrew) and its freshwater - an oasis in a land with hardly any drinking water - is one of many miracles that has and continues to help the country thrive. Today, it continues to shine among Israel's greatest treasures, a sapphire in the crown that is Northern Israel. -Sea of Galilee / Kinneret, Israel
  4. That came from a satire site.....
  5. 2 Samuel 3 English Standard Version Abner Joins David 3 There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker. 2 And sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam of Jezreel; 3 and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; 4 and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; 5 and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron. 6 While there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. 7 Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?” 8 Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, “Am I a dog's head of Judah? To this day I keep showing steadfast love to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not given you into the hand of David. And yet you charge me today with a fault concerning a woman. 9 God do so to Abner and more also, if I do not accomplish for David what the Lord has sworn to him, 10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.” 11 And Ish-bosheth could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him. 12 And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf,[a] saying, “To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring over all Israel to you.” 13 And he said, “Good; I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you; that is, you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see my face.” 14 Then David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, for whom I paid the bridal price of a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” 15 And Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel the son of Laish. 16 But her husband went with her, weeping after her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return.” And he returned. 17 And Abner conferred with the elders of Israel, saying, “For some time past you have been seeking David as king over you. 18 Now then bring it about, for the Lord has promised David, saying, ‘By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines, and from the hand of all their enemies.’” 19 Abner also spoke to Benjamin. And then Abner went to tell David at Hebron all that Israel and the whole house of Benjamin thought good to do. 20 When Abner came with twenty men to David at Hebron, David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. 21 And Abner said to David, “I will arise and go and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace. 22 Just then the servants of David arrived with Joab from a raid, bringing much spoil with them. But Abner was not with David at Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23 When Joab and all the army that was with him came, it was told Joab, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has let him go, and he has gone in peace.” 24 Then Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why is it that you have sent him away, so that he is gone? 25 You know that Abner the son of Ner came to deceive you and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you are doing.” Joab Murders Abner 26 When Joab came out from David's presence, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Sirah. But David did not know about it. 27 And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the stomach, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. 28 Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the Lord for the blood of Abner the son of Ner. 29 May it fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father's house, and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge or who is leprous or who holds a spindle or who falls by the sword or who lacks bread!” 30 So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon. David Mourns Abner 31 Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner.” And King David followed the bier. 32 They buried Abner at Hebron. And the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. 33 And the king lamented for Abner, saying, “Should Abner die as a fool dies? 34 Your hands were not bound; your feet were not fettered; as one falls before the wicked you have fallen.” And all the people wept again over him. 35 Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was yet day. But David swore, saying, “God do so to me and more also, if I taste bread or anything else till the sun goes down!” 36 And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as everything that the king did pleased all the people. 37 So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king's will to put to death Abner the son of Ner. 38 And the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? 39 And I was gentle today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are more severe than I. The Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!” Footnotes 2 Samuel 3:12 Or where he was; Septuagint at Hebron
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  7. God’s Power Toward Believers In today’s lesson, we want to explore the power that God has toward those who are faithfully obedient to Him. Paul prayed for the Ephesians that they might increase their understanding. Ephesians 1: 15 - 23 He wanted them to increase their understanding concerning the hope of God’s calling, the riches of the glory of God’s inheritance in the saints, and the exceeding greatness of His power towards those of us who believe. So what kind of power is Paul writing to them about? How is this power manifested toward believers in Christ? Those are the questions we are going to explore in today’s lesson. We begin by looking at the nature of God’s power toward believers. This is the same power that worked in Christ when God raised Him from the dead and exalted Him to sit at His right hand. Ephesians 1: 19 - 20 It is the same power God used when He put all things into subjection to Christ. Ephesians 1: 21 - 23 Think about that for a minute. The same power that gave life to a crucified man and exalted Him to the highest position possible in the universe, the same power that subjected everything in heaven and earth to His authority, is the power that has been manifested toward those of us who are faithfully obedient to His commands. How is that possible? Have we been raised from the dead? Have we been exalted to the right hand of God? Well, as we read further into Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we learn more about God’s power in our conversion. We actually WERE dead in our trespasses and our sin. Ephesians 2: 1 - 3 We were spiritually dead because we lived our lives according to the ways of this world. We were servants of Satan, who works in the sons of disobedience. As such, our lives were ruled by the lust of the flesh. This made us children of wrath, like everyone else who is spiritually dead. However, we were made alive in Christ. Ephesians 2: 4 - 5 So to answer a question we asked earlier, we HAVE been raised from the dead. We were dead in our trespasses, but God made us alive by His grace through Christ. Paul clearly explains where and when this resurrection from spiritual death occurred. Colossians 2: 12 - 13 Titus 3: 3 - 8 In baptism, we who were dead were made alive together with Christ. We have been saved by the grace of God. Romans 6: 1 - 7 When that happened, the second question was answered. We were then exalted to sit with Christ. Ephesians 2: 6 He raised us up together and made us to sit together in the spiritual realm in Christ. We now sit together with Christ, Who is seated at God’s right hand. Think about that. The power that gave Christ life, seated Him at the right hand of God, and exalted Him above all others, is the same power that raised us from spiritual death, gave us new life, and exalted us to be with Christ in the spiritual realm. Nothing less than this could have made us alive after being dead in sin. It took Divine power for Christ to be raised and exalted. It took that same Divine power for us to be given new life. Both of these acts required the creative power of God. Ephesians 2: 10 II Corinthians 5: 17 In every conversion, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is exercised toward one who obeys the gospel of Christ. Romans 1: 16 I Peter 1: 22 - 23 There is more. God’s power is shown in our lifestyle through His Spirit. The Spirit is given to us through His Word. He is our guarantee. Ephesians 1: 13 - 14 II Corinthians 1: 22 II Corinthians 5: 5 The Spirit, Who is given to us through the Word, is Who God uses to strengthen us. When we read and study God’s Word, we are strengthened inside. Ephesians 3: 16 Romans 8: 12 - 13 Romans 15: 13 This enables us to produce the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5: 22 - 23 We are made strong when we put on the armor of God. This makes us able to withstand the wiles of the devil and the spiritual forces of evil. Ephesians 6: 10 - 12 This allows us to stand strong, armed with truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God and prayer. Ephesians 6 13 - 18 Do we appreciate the greatness of God’s power toward those who believe? Do we thank Him for what He did in our conversion? Do we look to Him for what He can do for us in our Christian living? Always remember, the same power that raised and exalted Jesus is exercised toward those who are faithfully obedient children of God.
  8. 2 Samuel 2 English Standard Version David Anointed King of Judah 2 After this David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” And he said, “To Hebron.” 2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 3 And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron. 4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. When they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,” 5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him. 6 Now may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. And I will do good to you because you have done this thing. 7 Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.” Ish-bosheth Made King of Israel 8 But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim, 9 and he made him king over Gilead and the Ashurites and Jezreel and Ephraim and Benjamin and all Israel. 10 Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. 11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. The Battle of Gibeon 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 of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool. 14 And Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.” 15 Then they arose and passed over by number, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. 16 And each caught his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent's side, so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim,[a] which is at Gibeon. 17 And the battle was very fierce that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David. 18 And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle. 19 And Asahel pursued Abner, and as he went, he turned neither to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. 20 Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is it you, Asahel?” And he answered, “It is I.” 21 Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and seize one of the young men and take his spoil.” But Asahel would not turn aside from following him. 22 And Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?” 23 But he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died where he was. And all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still. 24 But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. And as the sun was going down they came to the hill of Ammah, which lies before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon. 25 And the people of Benjamin gathered themselves together behind Abner and became one group and took their stand on the top of a hill. 26 Then Abner called to Joab, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you tell your people to turn from the pursuit of their brothers?” 27 And Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would not have given up the pursuit of their brothers until the morning.” 28 So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men stopped and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight anymore. 29 And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, and marching the whole morning, they came to Mahanaim. 30 Joab returned from the pursuit of Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing from David's servants nineteen men besides Asahel. 31 But the servants of David had struck down of Benjamin 360 of Abner's men. 32 And they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was at Bethlehem. And Joab and his men marched all night, and the day broke upon them at Hebron. Footnotes 2 Samuel 2:16 Helkath-hazzurim means the field of sword-edges
  9. 2 Samuel 1 English Standard Version David Hears of Saul's Death 1 After the death of Saul, when David had returned from striking down the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. 2 And on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul's camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage. 3 David said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” 4 And David said to him, “How did it go? Tell me.” And he answered, “The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.” 5 Then David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” 6 And the young man who told him said, “By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him. 7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 8 And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ 9 And he said to me, ‘Stand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers.’ 10 So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.” 11 Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. 12 And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 13 And David said to the young man who told him, “Where do you come from?” And he answered, “I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite.” 14 David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?” 15 Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him.” And he struck him down so that he died. 16 And David said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord's anointed.’” David's Lament for Saul and Jonathan 17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, 18 and he said it[a] should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar.[b] He said: 19 “Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen! 20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult. 21 “You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor fields of offerings![c] For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil. 22 “From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. 23 “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In life and in death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles; they were stronger than lions. 24 “You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. 25 “How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! “Jonathan lies slain on your high places. 26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me; your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women. 27 “How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!” Footnotes 2 Samuel 1:18 Septuagint; Hebrew the Bow, which may be the name of the lament's tune 2 Samuel 1:18 Or of the upright 2 Samuel 1:21 Septuagint firstfruits so
  10. ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES CONFIRM THE STANDING STONE OF JOSHUA AND THE TEMPLE OF BAAL-BERITH AT SHECHEM After the Exodus at a critical time in Israel's history, Joshua 24 records that Joshua and all the tribes of Israel renewed the covenant with God at Shechem so that they would "serve the Lord God and Him only." According to verses 25-27: "...Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. Then Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. And Joshua said to all the people, 'Behold, this stone shall be a witness to us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord which He spoke to us. It shall therefore be a witness to you, lest you deny your God.' Later, the book of Judges recounts the circumstances at Shechem after Gideon's passing. Upon Gideon's death, the Israelites resumed their idolatrous practices, worshiping the Baals. They appointed Baal-Berith as their god. (Judges 8:33) The Hebrew term Baal-berith is rendered as "Lord of the Covenant" or "Baal of the Covenant". The inhabitants of Shechem had perverted the covenant witness stone erected by Joshua into a false god and built a temple dedicated to Baal-Berith before it. Abimelech, the son of Gideon and his concubine from Shechem, persuaded his maternal clan to aid him in overthrowing his family and proclaiming himself king. The leaders of Shechem provided him with seventy pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-berith, which he used to murder all but one of his seventy brothers. According to Judges 9:6, the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo united to crown Abimelech king by the oak pillar in Shechem. Notably, Joshua had previously erected a large stone under this oak tree in Shechem, as recorded in Joshua 24:26. One hundred years after Joshua's establishment of the standing stone, Abimelech was proclaimed king in front of it. God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and Shechem's leaders, in retribution for Abimelech's murder of Gideon's 70 sons. Consequently, Shechem's leaders betrayed Abimelech. Abimelech later exacted revenge by destroying Shechem, killing its inhabitants, and desecrating the ground with salt. Furthermore, Abimelech set fire to the temple of Baal-Berith, killing 1,000 leaders who sought refuge there. Thus, the curse of Jotham, the sole surviving son of Gideon, was fulfilled in the downfall of Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. In 1903, German archaeologists Hermann Thiersch and G. Holscher discovered the remnants of Shechem, later identified as Tell Balatah, Israel. Archaeological excavations at Shechem uncovered a large fractured standing stone, widely believed by archaeologists to be the stone erected by Joshua, as described in the Bible. According to biblical accounts, Joshua established the standing stone as a testament to the covenant between the Israelites and God. Although broken, the standing stone stands at 6 feet high. Additionally, two temple bases were unearthed, potentially framing the temple entrance. Archaeologists at Shechem also discovered a temple near the standing stone, believed to be the Temple of Baal-Bereth. The Temple of Baal-berith in Shechem measured 70 feet by 86.3 feet (21.2 meters by 26.3 meters). The standing stone in Shechem has been dated to 1200 B.C., corresponding to the era of Joshua. Shechem's other archaeological discoveries are consistent with the Biblical narrative, showing that the site was abandoned after its destruction in the mid-12th century B.C. This finding aligns with the biblical chronology of Abimelech's destruction of Shechem, including its temple and standing stone. While the entire city was not destroyed, the Bible specifically mentions Abimelech burning Shechem's temple, a fact supported by archaeological excavations led by American archaeologist G. Ernest Wright, which uncovered evidence of burning within the temple's inner chamber. The discovery of Joshua's Standing Stone and the temple of Baal-Berith at Shechem serves as a testament to the historical accuracy of the Bible.
  11. ARCHEOLOGIST DISCOVER THE NAME “GOLIATH” INSCRIBED ON POTTERY SHARD, IN GATH!! In 2017, a team of archaeologists excavating the Biblical home of Goliath in Gath discovered a pottery shard featuring an inscription of the Philistine's name, a discovery that they asserted provides historical validation to the biblical narrative of David's battle with the giant. The name Goliath comes from the Hebrew word galyut, which means "exile" or "captivity". Dating back to around 950 B.C., the shard falls within a 70-year time frame of the biblical story of David and Goliath, making it the oldest known Philistine inscription. The discovery was made at Tel es-Safi, an archaeological site in southern Israel, believed to be the site of the ancient Philistine city of Gath. Although the finding does not provide irrefutable proof of Goliath's existence, it does corroborate the biblical account.
  12. 1 Samuel 31 English Standard Version The Death of Saul 31 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. 3 The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. 4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 5 And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. 6 Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together. 7 And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them. 8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. 10 They put his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. 11 But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose and went all night and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. 13 And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days.
  13. The Ice Age Descendants of Shem... Most of us have living memories of our ancestors going back 3-4 generations. For instance, I had the opportunity to know my own great-grandfather for a few years when I was a boy. He was born in the late 1800s. I have living memories of him. However, the only way I could possibly know anything about HIS ancestors who lived in earlier generations comes from genealogical research, family folklore and history books. I know from ancestral records, that my mom's people were mostly west-European (Dutch, English, Flemish), and I know from historical records some of the major events that those ancestors would have witnessed. By these same means we can gain a more accurate dating of all the major events of our entire human history. Jesus Christ was born over 2,000 years ago to a young Jewish girl named Mary who was betrothed to a man named Joseph. Jesus' birth was so significant that we divide our calendars according to the year He was born...the transition from B.C. to A.D. Both of Jesus' parents kept meticulous genealogical records of their own ancestors going back to King David (c. 1000 B.C.), to the patriarch of their faith, Abraham (c. 2OOO B.C.). The geneology of Mary, continues all the way back to Noah and the flood (c. 2344 B.C.), and to the Creation of EVERYTHING including our first ancestors, Adam and Eve..."the mother of all the living". (c. 4000 B.C.). The entirety of B.C. human history from the Creation to the birth of Jesus occured within that 4,000-year span. Mary and Joseph also knew their own family history which was faithfully recorded by the writers of the Old Testament of the Bible. We can trust the Biblical record to be ACCURATE and TRUE. The Bible provides us with the most RELIABLE resource we have to establish the dates of ancient historical events. As an example, consider the "Ice Age". When was it? How long did it endure? When did it come to an end? Mary's patriarchal geneology in Luke 3, together with archaeology, historical records, linguistic analysis, genetic research and science, will lead us toward the answers to those questions... 1. When did the Ice Age begin? Only the events of the year-long global flood as recorded in Genesis 6-9 could provide the conditions necessary for an "Ice Age". (For more information on the science refer to: https://answersingenesis.org/environmental-science/ice-age/). Therefore, the Ice Age was a POST FLOOD event, beginning the year AFTER the flood in c. 2343 B.C. according to genealogical records. Jesus was descended from Noah's son, Shem. Every "Semitic" people group living today can trace their roots back to him. The Ice Age intersects with Shem's geneology as recorded in Genesis 10-11...the period of history between the Flood and the birth of Abraham. "Sons were also born to Shem, whose older brother was Japheth; Shem was the ancestor of all the sons of Eber (from whom the Hebrews derived their name). The sons of Shem: Elam, Ashur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram. The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshek. Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah the father of Eber. Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan. Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. The region where they lived stretched from Mesha toward Sephar, in the eastern hill country. These are the sons of Shem by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations. (Genesis 1:21-31) All of these births, representing 6 generations, occured during the Ice Age. We are also given a clue in this text as to WHEN the Tower of Babel was built. Eber named one of his sons "Division" (Hebrew-"Peleg") - "because in his time the earth was divided." "This is the account of Shem’s family line. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad. And after he became the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters. When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah. And after he became the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters. When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber. And after he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters. When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg. And after he became the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters. (Genesis 11:10-17) As I stated earlier, the Hebrew genealogical records are meticulous. One interesting insight we can gain from the Genesis 11 passage is that all of these named Semites, in the immediate generations after Noah, lived through the ENTIRE Ice Age, from beginning to end, including Shem and his father, Noah. The five generations leading up to the building of Babel, was in the time period from c. 2343 to c. 2245 B.C. (the year Peleg was born.). During these generations, the immediate descendants of Noah migrated from the mountains of Ararat where the Ark landed, down into fertile, southern Mesopotamia ("the plain of Shinar"="Sumer"). That was also 100 years of extreme glaciation around the globe. There was no Persian Gulf in those days (see the map below). The accumulating ice on the continents caused the sea level to drop significantly. 2. So the next question is: Who were the nations, tribes, clans and languages represented by Shem's descendants in the dispersion after Babel? The sons of Shem: * Elam - was the progenitor of the Elamites who were well known in ancient historical accounts. In the Old Elamite period (during the Ice Age), Elam migrated onto the Iranian plateau, centered in Anshan, and in Susa in the Khuzestan lowlands. The glaciation during the Ice Age extended down into some of the passes in the Zagros Mountains and would have impacted their migration from Sumer. * Ashur - was the progenitor of the Assyrians who migrated into northern Mesopotamia and established the city of Ashur on a rise above the banks of the Tigris River. The earliest rulers of Assyria are described as "kings who lived in tents", indicating that they were nomadic tribal chieftains who were the first of Ashur's family to migrate into the region during the Ice Age. Sadly, Asshur was deified by his own people, and worshipped in a temple in the city. The first recognized king of the city-state of Ashur was Puzur-Ashur. His reign began in c. 2025 B.C., just AFTER the Ice Age. * Arphaxad...I believe he was the progenitor of the Akkadian, Chaldean and Hebrew speakers. The most famous of the Ice Age Akkadian kings was "Sargon the Great", who founded the Old Akkadian Empire, which he ruled from his capital, Akkad, and whose empire is thought to have included most of Mesopotamia and parts of Canaanite, Hurrian and Elamite territory. His dynasty endured for only one century, ending with the Gutian invasion just after the Ice Age ended. (The Gutians were a tribe from the Zagros Mountains, that descended from one of Japheth's sons named Madai - the progenitor of the Medes) * Lud - was the progenitor of the Lydians (verified by Herodotus and also mentioned in the Annals of Assurbanipal). During the Ice Age, Lud migrated into Western Anatolia, and established the ancient city of Sardis. Herodotus states in his "Histories" that the Lydians "were the first men whom we know who coined and used gold and silver currency". * Aram - was the progenitor of the Arameans who migrated into the area of modern Syria centered around the city of Damascus, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The sons of Aram: * Uz - He migrated to an area near Damascus later called Trachonitus. Job was from the land of Uz. If he pre-dated Abraham and was descended from Aram, then Job would have been alive during the Ice Age. God did ask this question of Job..."From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens when the waters become hard as stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen?" (Job 38:29-30), indicating that Job was well-aware of ice storms, water hard as a stone, and frozen oceans. * Hul - migrated into Armenia according to Josephus. His people may have intermarried with the people descended from Togarmah, a grandson of Japheth, also associated with the Armenians. * Gether - the progenitor of the Bactrians whose homeland was located in the area south of the Oxus River and north of the mountains of the Hindu Kush in modern Afghanistan. The early Greek historian Ctesias, c. 400 BC alleged that the legendary Assyrian king Ninus had defeated a Bactrian king named Oxyartes in c. 2140 BC. Abraham's grandfather, NAHOR, would have been around 13 years old when that battle was fought. * Meshek - the progenitor of the ancient Characenes. Meshek migrated to an ancient port at the head of the Persian Gulf called Charax Spasinu. He would have migrated into this area AFTER the Ice Age was over. * Into Arabia and India... * Eber's son Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. The region where they lived stretched from Mesha toward Sephar, in the eastern hill country. According to Josephus, one or more of the sons of Joktan migrated to the Kabul river in modern Afghanistan which he referred to as an "Indian river, and in part of Asia adjoining to it." That adjoining country could only be the Indus River Valley. I believe the Harappan people who were the first to build cities in India were Joktan's descendants. We also know that some of Joktan's sons populated the Arabian Peninsula during the Ice Age. "These are the sons of Shem by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations." 3. Final Question: When did the Ice Age End? I believe the answer to that question comes from archaeological evidence uncovered in Ur of the Chaldees, the home of Abraham. In 1922, Sir Charles Leonard Woolley, a British archaeologist, led a joint expedition of the British Museum and the University of Pennsylvania to Ur. After his deep excavations of the Early Dynastic royal tombs at Ur, Wooley had several test shafts sunk into the underlying soil. One of these was an enormous pit, seventy-five feet by sixty feet and sixty-four feet deep. In this main pit, he encountered a deposit of clean, apparently water-laid soil up to eleven feet thick. Later excavations revealed a flood-stratum at Ur, 400 miles long and 100 miles wide, that had completely covered earlier settlements. Woolley incorrectly assumed that this was evidence of Noah's flood and he was one of the first archaeologists to propose that the flood described in the Book of Genesis was local. However, I believe this flood of mud that overwhelmed the first settlement of Ur was a result of the sudden melting of the ice sheets and glaciers at the end of the Ice Age. Sediment-filled melt water would have rushed down the mountain ranges and quickly flooded the world's rivers. This would have been the time when the mean sea level rose very quickly all around the world. Rising oceans would have closed land bridges and filled in former river valleys like the Persian Gulf. When Ur was rebuilt, after the Ice Age flooding, it was organized as an important port city and trade hub in the ancient world. Nahor, his son Terah, and grandson Abraham, all lived in the rebuilt Ur. Therefore, I would place the end of the Ice Age sometime during Nahor's lifetime (c. 2153-2005 B.C.)
  14. He followed the Mosaic Law perfectly.......
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