Oops of the Day

The Jews gave ten percent of their income as a tithe to the temple every year

Deuteronomy 14:22-28;   Deuteronomy 26:12;  Leviticus 1-5;   Leviticus 27:2;  Numbers 21:2; I Samul 1:11;  II Samuel 15:7-8;  Psalm 22:11,  Psalm 25;   Pslam 66:13; Psalm 76:11;  Psalm 116:8,14,18-19;   Job 22:27;   Jonah 1:7-9

Fact Of the Day

No!   It was much more. A good Jew gave about 1/3 of his income, not just 1/10th…the Jews had to give an extra tithe every three years for their welfare program. (2) They had to pay for their vows, which in many cases were really special prayer requests. (3) They had to buy animals for sacrifices for intentional sins, unintentional sins and sins requiring restitution. (4) If they wanted to thank God for anything, they had to buy grain for a sacrifice (Leviticus 1-5). If they didn’t have to buy the animals or grain, they had to take them out of their own supply, thus depleting their own “pay check.” (5) And every time one of their flocks or herds had a first-born, they had to sacrifice it ~ another depleting of the “pay check.”

Oops of the Day

God was mean to tell the Jews to take over someone else’s land.

Deuteronomy 12:29-31;  Genesis 15:13-16;   Deuteronomy 12:29-31;  II Kings 17:16-18, 29-30;  II Kings 21:3-11

Fact Of the Day

No!  The Amorites were the great great grandchildren of righteous Noah.  Abraham was promised their land, but not until the sins of the Amorites peaked about 500 years after the promise.  God is the God of Second Chances and he gave the Amorites chance after chance to repent; but they were having too much fun with their gods and goddesses.  The Amorites were practicing human sacrifice to the fire god Moloch.  They also practiced legalized male and female prostitution to the pornographic goddess Astarte.  But God warned the Jews.  “If you begin worshiping these same gods, I am going to send another nation to take this land from you.  Despite the warning, eventually the Jews became just as sinful as the Amorites and worshipped their terrible, terrible gods. So armies from northern Iraq (Assyria) took the northern part of Canaan/Palestine from them and armies from southern Iraq (Babylon) took the southern part of Canaan/Palestine from them.

Oops of the Day

Eye for Eye” in the Bible gives everyone permission to do to our enemy what he did to us

Leviticus 24:11,20,23; Exodus 21:23-24; Deuteronomy 19:18-21

Fact Of the Day

No!  Only judges could decide whether to use this law.  In Leviticus 24:11,20 ,23, it says God told Moses, who was the only judge at that time, to make the decision.  In Exodus 21:23-24, it says it must be the decision of a judge.   And in Deuteronomy  19:18-21 it says it must be the decision of a judge.  In other words, it is not a decision to be made by just anyone; it must be the decision of a judge

*Of course, Jesus changed all that in Matthew 5:30 and said, “If your enemy slaps you, offer your other cheek to him.”  In other words, no more retaliation; instead, forgiveness and loving your enemies (Matthew 5:44).

Oops of the Day

The Law of Moses had only the famous Ten Commandments

The entire book of Leviticus, 3rd book of the Bible

Fact Of the Day

No!  Try wading through the book of Leviticus written for the tribe of Levi from which came their priests who made sure the Law of Moses was kept.  Leviticus has 27 long chapters of intricate instructions.  It included three kinds of laws:  Moral, Ceremonial, Judicial (civil).  There are people today to want to dip back into the Law of Moses to do things they would love to have an excuse to do.  Incense in worship is part of the Law of Moses.  Candles in worship is part of the Law of Moses.  A separate priesthood is part of the Law of Moses.  Etc.  But, the Bible also says that if you keep part of the Law of Moses, you are obligated to keep all of it.  And that includes stoning for adultery, stoning for working on Saturday, and stabbing animals to death for sacrifices to God. Wow!  

Surprise of the Day

The Egyptians Enslaved the Jews

But before that,  Jewish Joseph enslaved the Egyptians

Exodus 1:6-11 and Genesis 46:34

Fact Of the Day

When the Egyptians enslaved the Jews, it was PAYBACK TIME.  When Jewish Joseph controlled Egypt’s food during a 7-year famine. the Egyptians ran out of money.  So they gave all their land to Joseph who passed it on to Pharaoh.  But the famine kept going.  The Egyptians did not have anything left of value, so sold themselves into slavery to Joseph who passed them on to Pharaoh.  So a couple of hundred year later after Joseph died, the Egyptians “turned the tables” on the Jews and enslaved the Jews.

Surprises of the Day

Abraham’s age when…

Isaac’s age when…

Jacob’s age when…

Genesis 25:26 & 21:5  –  Genesis 35:28 & 47:7

Facts Of the Day

Abraham’s grandsons, Jacob & Esau, were 15 years old when Abraham died.  (Abraham was 100 when Isaaac was born.  Isaac was 60 when Jacob & Esau were born.  Abraham died at age 175.)

Jacob took his family to live in Egypt ten years after his father, Isaac, died.  (Isaac was 60 years old when Jacob was born.  Isaac died at age 180 when Jacob was 120.  Jacob was 130 when he took his family to live in Egypt.)

Oops of the Day

Noah and his family were in the ark 40 days and 40 nights.

Genesis 7:6, 11, 24 and Genesis 8:13

Fact Of the Day

No. It rained 40 days and 40 nights.  But the springs under the ocean kept coming up and the water kept going up for 5 months.  Then they had to wait for the water to go back down.  Noah entered the ark when he was 600 years old, and stepped off the ark when he was 601 years old.  Noah and his family were in the ark a full year.

Surprise of the Day

When Abraham prepared to kill his son as a burned sacrifice to God, he believed God would bring his son back to life immediately afterward. 

Genesis 22; Hebrews 11:17-19

Fact Of the Day

What faith!  He really believed he could kill his son and the son would come back to life!  Abraham told his servants to wait for them while they finished  going up to Mount Moriah, adding, “WE will return”.  In the Hebrews it says the same thing: Abraham knew, if he killed his son, God would bring him back to life.  He KNEW it!