The Covenant Code, also known as the Book of the Covenant, is a collection of laws and legal precedents found in Exodus 20:22-23:33. These laws were given by God to Moses for the Israelites after their deliverance from Egypt and contain both religious and secular statutes meant to govern their new society. Let’s take a closer look at this important section of Scripture. Background The Covenant Code gets its name from the covenant that God made with Israel at Mount Sinai. This covenant bonded God and Israel together in a special relationship, with God promising to be Israel’s God and…
Author: Richard Curi
Feeling disappointment with God is a common human experience. Even faithful followers of God have felt let down or frustrated at times. The Bible shows that disappointment with God has existed for centuries. However, the Bible also offers perspective on how to process these feelings in a constructive way. There are several examples in the Bible of people who were disappointed with God or angry at Him for not meeting their expectations. For instance, in Numbers 11, the Israelites complained about their hardships in the wilderness and expressed longing for their old life in Egypt. The prophet Habakkuk questioned why…
Imprecatory prayer is a form of prayer found in the Bible where the speaker calls down judgment, calamity, or curses upon one’s enemies or the enemies of God. Some examples of imprecatory prayers in the Bible include Psalms 35, 55, 59, 69, 79, 109, 137 and 139. The word “imprecate” means to “invoke evil upon or curse.” Imprecatory prayers invoke judgment, calamity, or curses against one’s enemies. King David, the authors of various Psalms, and even God Himself in the Old Testament directed imprecations toward their enemies. Imprecatory prayers exhibit an appeal to the justice of God in an attempt…
The concept of the “divine right of kings” comes from the biblical idea that governmental authority derives from God. Here is a 9000 word overview of what the Bible teaches about this topic: In the Old Testament, we see that God directly chose and appointed kings to rule over Israel. Saul, David, and Solomon all became kings because of God’s sovereign choice (1 Samuel 10:1; 16:1-13; 1 Kings 1:28-40). God even made a covenant with David promising that his throne would endure forever through his descendants (2 Samuel 7:12-16). So in the Old Testament, it was clear that kings derived…
The Bible speaks extensively about the end times and the rise of a one-world religion led by the Antichrist. This one-world religion will emerge after the Rapture of the Church and during a time known as the Tribulation (Matthew 24:21). Here is an overview from Scripture of what the end times one-world religion will look like: Apostasy The end times will be characterized by widespread apostasy, or falling away from the faith. Scripture says many will abandon sound doctrine and the true faith, and fall prey to deceiving spirits (1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Timothy 4:3-4). There will be a growing…
Nontheism refers to any worldview or belief system that does not posit belief in a deity or deities. While atheism entails a rejection or lack of belief in gods, nontheism is a broader term that covers a range of perspectives. Some key things to understand about nontheism: 1. Nontheism encompasses a spectrum of views On one end of the spectrum are strong or explicit forms of atheism that definitively deny the existence of any god or gods. This would include philosophical naturalism and secular humanism. On the other end are more agnostic or apathetic positions that simply lack belief in…
Who was Moses in the Bible? Moses was one of the most important figures in the Old Testament. He was used by God to deliver the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and into the Promised Land. Here is an overview of Moses’ life and ministry according to the Bible: Early Life Moses was born to Amram and Jochebed of the tribe of Levi when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt (Exodus 2:1-10). Pharaoh had ordered that all Israelite baby boys be killed, but Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born. When they could no longer…
The concept of foreordination, or predestination, is found throughout the Bible and is an important doctrine in understanding God’s sovereignty and plans. At its core, foreordination refers to God deciding or establishing beforehand what will come to pass. Events and people’s lives are not random occurrences but rather fit into God’s overarching will and purposes. Several key biblical passages point to God’s foreordination of many things: Acts 4:28 refers to God’s foreknowledge in foreordaining the crucifixion of Jesus: “to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.” Romans 8:29-30 speaks of God foreknowing, predestining, calling, justifying,…
In the Bible, the color scarlet and the image of a scarlet thread have great symbolic meaning. Scarlet often represents sin, sacrifice, and redemption. A scarlet thread is used in a few key Biblical narratives to foreshadow God’s plan of salvation that would come through the sacrifice of Christ. Let’s explore some of the key passages that mention a scarlet thread and what they teach us. Rahab’s Scarlet Cord One of the most well-known references to a scarlet thread is found in Joshua 2, in the story of Rahab the prostitute. When Joshua sent two spies into the city of…
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With approximately 2 million members, it is the second-largest Lutheran body in the U.S. after the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The LCMS was organized in 1847 by German immigrants fleeing the forced Prussian Union between Lutherans and Reformed church members in Germany. The LCMS espouses a conservative, orthodox interpretation of the Bible. It holds to the key Lutheran doctrines such as justification by faith alone, baptismal regeneration, and the real presence of Christ’s body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. Unlike ELCA Lutherans, LCMS…