LIGHT OF MENORAH

Ferret's Back - On No!! - Now What?? (10 minute video)

Five Small Stones Episode 13 - Josh. 24:1 Geography and the Bible - Joshua & Israel

 

In this episode we continue to study Biblical geography. We continue to focus on the ancient city of Shechem - located below and between Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal in central Israel. God uses this location to SHOW us, with our own eyes, the continued amazing progress of His redemption plan. The Lord gives Abraham four promises in Haran before Abraham leaves with Sarah for Canaan. Consider ...

 

Now the LORD said to Abram (in Haran), "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you (promise of a PLACE); And I will make you a great nation (promise of descendants or PEOPLE), And I will bless you, And make your name great (promise of being well known forever or a promise of POSITION); And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed (promise of a PURPOSE to his life)." So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. The LORD appeared to Abram and said (God's promise of a PLACE is given at Shechem), "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. (Gen 12:1-7)

Their first stop was Shechem. One couple with the promises of God. Who is next? It was Jacob and his family.  We saw that in previous episodes.  Jacob was told by the Lord that Jacob had the same promises that the Lord gave to his grand father, Abraham.  Jacob returns from Haran and his first stop is Shechem.  We see that the Lord is giving Abraham descendants and the land.  Jacob arrives in Shechem and purchases land and may have dug a well.  But, just like Abraham Jacob builds an altar to the Lord just like his grandpa.  Things are repeated.  This is the hand of God.  So, does God continue to show us His redemption plan at Shechem? You better believe it.  God is so amazing.

 

Episode 11 and 12 and 13 deal with the topic of Biblical geography with a focus on the ancient city of Shechem.  So, make sure you have viewed 11 & 12 to make sense of the material in this lesson.  At the website you can do a search using the phrase "five small stones" to get all 13 episodes of this video Bible study series.  

 

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

 

 

Five Small Stones - Episode 12 - Abraham and Jacob in Shechem Gen. 12:6, 33:18

Understanding Biblical geography is critical.  To fully appreciate episode 12 please make sure you watch episode 11; it is the first lesson in this series, "Five Small Stones" focusing on geography.  Here's the link to episode 11 - 

https://youtu.be/-CbyhtEABng

In many cases knowing the geography related to a specific event only adds to our understanding of the scripture.  It'll enhance our understanding.  This is clearly seen as we continue to study the ancient city of Shechem in the central mountains of Israel.  

Shechem was an ancient biblical city in Israel. Today, the area of Shechem is known as Tell Balata, an archaeological site near Nablus in the West Bank. The town was located between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim in central Israel, just southeast of Samaria. The name Shechem means “shoulder” in Hebrew, which is appropriate considering its location as a pass between two mountains. (From GotQuestions.org) 

See the map below for its location.

God uses this city and this location.  It is totally amazing how it relates to the redemption plan of the Lord that begins with Abraham.  He stops at this ancient city when he first enters Canaan after the Lord tells him to leave his family, his home, and go to the land the Lord will show him.  Abraham obeyed and he comes to Shechem.  

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

Five Small Stones Episode 11 - Gen. 12:1 Geography and the Bible - Shechem

Light of Menorah teaches the Bible in its historical context.  The emphasis is on the archaeology, history, geography, customs, culture, and even the languages of  the ancient Middle East.  In episode 11 we start a new study and ask how does knowing the geography of Israel or the Sinai peninsula or ancient Turkey (Asia Minor) affect our understanding of God's word.  Christians in the USA in the 21st century are so cutoff from this knowledge, it is, for the most part, abandoned as a focus in understanding and teaching the Bible.  What we will see is that Bible geography is so critical to our understanding the word of the Lord; geography and the geographical setting of many of the events in the Bible will enhance and expand understanding in amazing ways.

In this episode we go to the ancient city of Shechem.  Here we find that Abraham stops here - seems to be his first stop after entering Canaan after God promised Abraham in four promises.  God promised him he'd be given land, have many descendants, will be very well known across the ages, and his seed (his descendants) will be a blessing to all the nations.  God does this in Haran before Abraham and Sarah leave for the land the God will show him.  Their first stop is Shechem.  Consider ...

Now the LORD said to Abram (in Haran), "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you (promise of a PLACE); And I will make you a great nation (promise of descendants or PEOPLE), And I will bless you, And make your name great (promise of being well known forever or a promise of POSITION); And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed (promise of a PURPOSE to his life)." So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. The LORD appeared to Abram and said (God's promise of a PLACE is given at Shechem), "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. (Gen 12:1-7)

 

At Shechem we "see" God support the promise of land to Abraham.  Here God says this land, Canaan, will be given to Abraham and his descendants.  So, what about the other promises? Will God do this at another location?  NOPE.  It is amazing what we are about to see in the next episodes.  

Here's a great detailed article on the ancient city of Shechem and its biblical importance.  

Link - https://bible.org/article/geographical-historical-spiritual-significance-shechem

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

 

 

Five Small Stones Episode 10 - Genesis to Revelation - Rev. 22:13

Five Small Stones Episode 9 - ”IT IS FINISHED” - Rom. 10:4

Episode 9 in the video series, "Five Small Stones," is now ready.  Again, we are studying the question of how does the Bible help us understand that Jesus is the FIRST and that Jesus is the LAST.  In this lesson we probably have heard some say that Jesus did away with the law or the Torah.  (Note: in many English translations one reads the word LAW.  This refers to the TORAH, the 1st five books of the Bible.  TORAH does not mean law but instruction.) That is interesting since Paul teaches us that Jesus "completed" the Torah and that the TORAH helps us to come to Jesus.  This is found in his letters and the only Bible they had when he wrote his epistles was the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament where the first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures, the TORAH, was the foundational books of the Bible in Jesus' day and Paul's.  But, more than what Paul wrote and taught us, Jesus said He came to fulfill the TORAH.  In Greek this means that He would live out the TORAH as an example to all of us.  So, Jesus did not come to do away with the law, the TORAH, He came to "finish it."  This is so evident if you study the text of His word in its historical context.  This is so awesome.

Here's the link to video #9 in the series, "Five Small Stones," - https://youtu.be/-FSJ0GytjSo

Who is this guy, Rev. Ferret?  What's his background?  Why should we take time to listen to him?  Here's a link to check out his background - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

Five Small Stones Episode 8 - The Last Adam - 1 Cor. 15:45

Five Small Stones Episode 7 - The Last Redeemer - Psm. 118:22-24

Five Small Stones Episode 6 - First Fruits 1 Cor. 15:20-23

Five Small Stones Episode 4 - Beginning & End Rev. 22:13