Alyssa Roat Contributing Writer 2021 7 Apr
King Saul was the first king of Israel in the Bible. When the Israelites demanded a king, God instructed the prophet Samuel to anoint Saul. However, Saul disobeyed God and proved unfit to be king.
Saul’s story is one of great drama, especially his relationship with one of the most well-known figures in the Bible, David. Though Saul’s story doesn’t end well for him, we can learn from his triumphs and failures.
Who Was King Saul in the Bible?
Saul was not born to royal parents. He was from the tribe of Benjamin, and in his own words,
Visions of divine retribution, with metaphors and word pictures for God’s judgment in Amos 7:1–Amos 9:10
Promises of restoration and Israel’s blessed future in Amos 9:11-15
The structure is broken down further in this entry in Bible Study Tools.
There are two main themes in Amos. The first theme is that of true worship. In this time of prosperity, some did give lip service to God, but He was displeased. In Amos 5:21-24, God declares,
“I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs!
Alyssa Roat Contributing Writer 2021 14 Jan
Many centuries ago, a man named Arius stirred major controversy in the church with his claim: Jesus Christ was created and finite, not of equal divinity with the Father. This became known as the heresy of Arianism.
However, repudiation and rejection of his claim did not come easily. Even today, we may find ourselves falling into Arianism.
What Is Arianism?
The fundamental issue at stake in Arianism is whether or not Jesus the Son and God the Father are coeternal and equal in deity.
Traditional Arianism holds that Jesus was created by God as the first act of creation. A letter from the late fourth century Arian bishop of Milan, Auxentius, states, “One true God… alone unbegotten, without beginning, without end, eternal, exalted, sublime, excellent, most high creator, epitome of all excellence. who, being alone… did create and beget, make and est
22 Dec
Christmas time brings performances of Handel’s Messiah with the classic song “Unto Us a Child Is Born.” You might catch strains of other familiar songs like “Joy to the World” with verses about the same phrase. But what does “unto us a child is born” mean?
The phrase comes from Isaiah 9:6: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
This verse, penned hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth, points to Christ as our Lord and Savior. On Christmas, the day we celebrate the birth of Christ, we sing about this prophecy and celebrate the child that was born.
Alyssa Roat Contributing Writer 2020 17 Dec
Uriah the Hittite was one of King David’s mighty men. The Bible depicts him as a fierce warrior and an upstanding man. However, Uriah faced an untimely end when the king lusted after Uriah’s wife.
Though Uriah was eclipsed by King David and by his wife, Bathsheba, we still can learn much from this upstanding foreigner who served his king faithfully even unto death.
Who Was Uriah the Hittite?
Uriah is first mentioned in 2 Samuel 11:3 when King David inquires after Uriah’s wife. However, there is more to Uriah than just an unfortunate husband.