Searching the Scriptures with Watchman Alexander

We begin this episode with a discussion about COVID-19 and the passing of Brother Rob Skiba. After that, we discuss the division of the nations and their allotment under the seventy sons of God. 

Questions answered during this episode:

Why was the infamous Tower of Babel such a problem in God's eyes? There's more to the story than we were taught in Sunday school.

This is the second half of episode 46

Sidon, firstborn son of Canaan and founder of the Sidonians, played a huge role in the history of civilization, but most people couldn't say what it was. Today, we begin to explore the impact of Sidon (the giant?) on the story of the Bible.

Schedules got crazy, and Terry and I weren't able to sync up to record a new episode, but I didn't want to leave you hanging for too long, so here's my offering: a recording of my inaugural sermon for the Disciples of Yeshua Congregation. (I fill the roles of overseer and lead teacher for DOYC, a new home fellowship based in Central Texas.)

During this sermon, you'll learn about the four Hebrew words that describe classifications of people: natives (Strong's H249), strangers (H2114), immigrants (H1616), and foreigners (H5237). Most English translations fail to make clear distinctions between strangers, immigrants, and foreigners, but it's important that we understand the distinctions as a Hebrew would, because God's laws and expectations differ between each of these groups.

From the Dead Sea Scrolls we learn that Canaan, father of the Canaanites, stole part of the territory that belonged to Shem. Thus, the stage was set for God, using descendants of Shem, to forcibly remove the squatters from the Promised Land of Middle Earth.

What exactly was Ham's sin, and what about it is instructive to us, today?

After Noah and his sons departed the ark, God Most High established a covenant with them, and with all their descendants. That covenant involved two dietary commands:

The first part is easy enough to understand, but the second part generates confusion. What is the meaning of the Hebrew word remeś? Does it encompass fish and fowl? Does it exclude or include unclean animals? These questions lead us into an analysis of Acts chapters 10 and 15.

As we continue studying through Genesis and Daniel, we find ourselves emphasizing the fact that we don't have the mystery all figured out. We're gathering clues to help us understand end-times prophecies, but we haven't even assembled all the clues yet, much less connected them perfectly to construct an airtight narrative.