Surprise of the Day

Where did Capernaum, the town of Jesus’s headquarters, get its name?

Nahum

Fact  of the Day

Nothing is known of the life of Prophet Nahum.  But Capernaum in the province of Galilee means “the city of Nahum”.  Was it named after him?

Oops of the Day

Bethlehem was just a “little town”, just as the Christmas carol says.

Micah 5:2 – Ezra 2:21  –  Matthew 2:6 – II Chronicles 11:5-10

Fact  of the Day

No!  The prophet Micah said the Bethlehem was a small clan within the Tribe of Judah.  When the Israelites returned from Babylonian captivity, there were only 123 men from Bethlehem compared to nearly 3000 from other towns.  The apostle Matthew said Bethlehem was not even close to being the least among the leaders of Judah.  Bethlehem was a fortified, walled city and had been since the time of Solomon’s son, King Rehoboam.  

Oops of the Day

Bethlehem was just a “little town”, just as the Christmas carol says.

Micah 5:2 – Ezra 2:21  –  Matthew 2:6 – II Chronicles 11:5-10

Fact  of the Day

No!  The prophet Micah said the Bethlehem was a small clan within the Tribe of Judah.  When the Israelites returned from Babylonian captivity, there were only 123 men from Bethlehem compared to nearly 3000 from other towns.  The apostle Matthew said Bethlehem was not even close to being the least among the leaders of Judah.  Bethlehem was a fortified, walled city and had been since the time of Solomon’s son, King Rehoboam.  

Surprise of the Day

Since Assyria had such a bad reputation for torturing to death enemy soldiers, how could Jonah convince even the king at Nineveh to repent?  

Jonah 3

Fact  of the Day

The new king of Assyria was Ashurdan II who ascended the throne at age 14 about the time Jonah arrived.  It was a time of new beginnings starting with Nineveh, Assyria’s capital city.

Surprise of the Day

The entire book of prophet Obadiah is against the pagan descendants of Abraham through his grandson, ESAU, twin of Jacob.

Obadiah:1:1  –  Obadiah 1:6  –  Obadiah 1:8  –  Obadiah 1:9 –  Obadiah 1:9  –  Obadiah  1:12  –  Obadiah 1:17  –  Obadiah 1:18-20

Fact  of the Day

Abraham had two grandsons through his son, Isaac – TWINS ESAU & JACOB/ISRAEL.

Esau’s descendants settled in today’s Jordan, at that time called Edom.  Verse 3 talks about their cliff-dwellings at Petra in today’s southern Jordan

By the way, Edom means red.  The rock at Petra is red, the same color as Esau’s red hair.

Surprise of the Day

God has always expected pagan nations to follow him

Amos 1:3, 6, 9 & 11  –  Amos 2:1

Fact  of the Day

God has always expected pagan nations to follow him, including the Syrians (1:3) the Philistines of Gaza (1:6), the Lebanese (1: 9) the Arabians, (v1:11 ) the Jordanians (1: 13 and 2:1).

• During the 2000 years the Jews were in their Promised Land, nearly all of the surrounding nations were descendants of Abraham (Genesis).  The rest were descendants of Noah through a different branch.
• Pagans automatically know God exists and what good is (Romans 1)

Surprise of the Day

Joel 2 & 3 quoted by Peter in Acts 2 foretells  Jesus’ birth, Jesus’ death, and the Day of Pentecost when the church/kingdom of God was finally established

Joel 2:28  =  Joel 2:30-31  –  Joel 3:1,2,14 

Facts of the Day

JOEL 2:28 – EVENTS SURROUNDING THE BIRTH OF JESUS FORETOLD:

• Sons and daughters will prophecy = Simeon and Anna prophesied (Luke 2:35-38
• Old men will dream dreams = Wisemen in Bethlehem warned not to return to Herod  (Matthew 2:10-120
• Young men will see visions = Angel told Joseph Mary pregnant miraculously, Angels told shepherds out in field that the Christ, the king, had just been born. (Matthewe 1:18-20; Luke 2:8-14)

JOEL 2:30-31 – EVENTS SURROUNDING THE DEATH OF JESUS FORETOLD:

• Blood = Jesus on the cross (Mark 15:25)
• Fire & Smoke = Jesus’ presence in pillar of fire & smoke to lead Jews to Promised Land now leading way to heaven (Exodus 13:21-22; I Corinthians 10:1-3)
• Sun turned dark = 3 hours of darkness at Jesus’ crucifixion (Mark 15:33)

JOEL 3:1, 2, 14 – EVENTS SURROUDING DAY OF PENTECOST & BIRTH OF CHURCH FORETOLD:

• Restore God’s people to him = Expectation of Apostles (Acts 1:6)
• Fire = Gift of languages to Apostles (Acts 2:1-4)
• All nations =  Heard first gospel sermon (Acts 2:5)
• Valley of decision = After sermon (Acts 2:37-41)

Surprise of the Day

The book of Hosea is the complete opposite of the Song of Solomon.

Hosea  –  Song of Solomon  –  Ephesians 5:22 to end  –  Revelation 21:2  –  Revelation 22:17 & 20

Fact of the Day

• The Song of Solomon is about a bride and groom and their unquenchable love for each other, always longing to be together. IT IS ALSO ABOUT JESUS and the sacrificial time and attention he gives HIS BRIDE, THE CHURCH to rescue us.
• The book of Hosea is about the prophet who rescues and marries a prostitute and her ingratitude by always running back to former lovers.  IT IS ALSO ABOUT ADULTEROUS CHRISTIANS and the selfish time and attention they give their former LOVES – their worldly interests – instead of their husband, their Savior.
• In both instances, they help us today understand how we fill our God’s heart with joy and grief.

Oops & Surprise of the Day

If a person has been righteous for 50 years but slips the year before they die, God will let them into heaven anyway

Ezekiel 28:24-29

Fact of the Day

No! On the Day of Judgment, a formerly righteous man who becomes bad at the end of his life will be condemned. 

But a formerly bad man who becomes righteous at the end of his life will be saved.

Oops of the Day

The Jews were slaves only in Egypt, Babylon, and Assyria.

Judges 3:8-4  –  Judges 4:2-3  –  Judges 6:1  –  Judges 10:8  –  Judges 13:1

Fact of the Day

No!  After they moved into their promised land as led by Joshua, the Jews started worshiping the gods of the pagans still living in Canaan or in nearby kingdoms, and ended up serving each of their pagan kings a total of 59 years.