Tag: old testament

Posted in christian life, eli, holy, prophet, samuel

Samuel retires as Judge of Israel: The lessons for us today

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

SYNOPSIS: Samuel’s speech upon the occasion of his retirement is beautiful, and beyond that, also holds lessons for us New Testament believers.

Gerbrand van den Eeckhout, Hannah presenting her son Samuel to the priest Eli. Source public domain

Samuel had been a faithful man of God since his mother Hannah had presented him to Eli in the temple when Samuel was three years old. You might remember Hannah’s prayer. The LORD had closed her womb, and desperately Hannah wanted a child. She prayed in the temple, promising to deliver a child that the LORD gives her, back to Him for His glorious service. The LORD was pleased with this. He opened Hannah’s womb, and the child born was Samuel.

Samuel served for many years as Priest, Prophet and Judge.

The day came when Samuel was going to retire as their Judge. The People had clamored for a King instead, and God acceded to this. So Samuel gathered the People, and spoke to them in farewell.

And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have obeyed your voice in all that you have said to me and have made a king over you. And now, behold, the king walks before you, and I am old and gray; and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day. Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you.” They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.” And he said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.” (1 Samuel 12:1-5)

I find this profoundly beautiful.

When the LORD called little Samuel into service, you’ll remember the scene. Sadly, old Priest Eli was dim of eyesight, and as we’ll see, dim of hearing also. The visions to Israel were rare in those days. The LORD called to Samuel.

Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. (1 Samuel 3:4-5)

Three times the LORD called and three times Samuel answered “Here I am!” It took three times for Eli to figure out that it was God who was calling Samuel. Samuel opened his service to the LORD with those powerful three words, ‘Here I am’. As a parallel, when the LORD called Isaiah, Isaiah also responded with, “Here I am!” (Isaiah 6:8).

Samuel ended his service as their Judge with the same phrase he began service, “Here I am.” We know that when we are before the people of the Lord, we are before the Lord. (Acts 5:4, Acts 9:4).

Before Samuel spoke last words to prompt them to remember the LORD and all He had done for them, Samuel did something first. He checked his relationship with the People. He asked them if there was any blight in his behavior to cause a stumbling, to cause an offense, to have come between them and him. He would make amends. The People answered, “No”. Samuel had not defrauded, had not oppressed, had not cheated, had not bribed.

Samuel went on with his message, bringing all the Lord had done to the Israelites’ mind. Samuel closed with this-

“Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.” (1 Samuel 12:24-25).

It is such a parallel to us today. Now, the Old Covenant and the New Covenant distinguishes us from the OT Israelites and the NT Christians. Further, there are not Priests, Kings, Judges, or Prophets of Israel anymore. However, the principles are the same. For example,

1. Samuel was a faithful servant of the LORD all his days. He was attuned to God’s will, he was diligent to follow His voice, and he was faithful to God’s people. Eli’s spiritual hearing had grown so dim, he failed to hear God calling to Samuel. Yet Samuel was attuned all his days. Are we attuned to the Lord? Are we available to perform service to Him? Do we diligently and actively comply when we do hear His voice (through the scriptures)?

2. Samuel lived a holy life before His people. We are called to do the same.

Source: Elegant Finishes by Gina

Living holy and blameless before the Lord means living holy and blameless lives before His people, too. I’d said a moment ago, ‘We know that when we are before the people of the Lord, we are before the Lord.’ (Acts 5:4, Acts 9:4). I’d used those two verses from Acts to show the truth of my axiom. When Ananias and Sapphira lied about the portion of money they had pledged to the church, they were not lying to Peter. They were lying to the Holy Spirit (who is IN Peter). When Saul/Paul was persecuting Christians, he was not just persecuting some people who happened to be living in the Middle East, he was persecuting the Messiah’s people. Our union with Jesus is so close it’s why Jesus said, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?”

3. Samuel’s call to charge him so he could make amends, before he got to the business of reminding them of what God had done, is similar to today’s New Testament charge to cleanse ourselves before we approach the Lord’s Table for communion. We are not only charged to cleanse ourselves before the Lord but to clear things with any of the brethren. If there are any outstanding sins, we must rectify them first.

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. (1 Corinthians 11:27-29)

It is a call to be reverent, holy, and mindful of all Who God is and what He has done. Attempting to be reverent about what Jesus has done for us through a filter of unconfessed sin or through the muck of grudges and bitterness against one in the Body, is not behaving in worthy manner. If we have a grudge against one person then we have a grudge against Jesus. Samuel cleared the decks first. We must do the same.

Old Testament or New Testament, we are called to live holy lives.

but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16, cf Leviticus 11:44, Leviticus 19:2)

Samuel’s call to the people to charge him with any wrong he had performed so as to make amends was not only holy but humble. In that way, it was a beautiful moment.

God, grant me the humility and ability to live a holy life as Samuel did and as You call us to do.

Posted in theology

Oh, those Old Testament names and measurements!

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

It’s high summer here in the US, and where I live (in the South). It gets very hot in July. We are predicted to have a “heat dome” next week for the 4th of July, which won’t be fun for the poor marching bands participating in the parades. I am looking forward to the festivities that are planned for our country’s 250th birthday! It’s hard to think of how fast June flew by!

Continue reading “Oh, those Old Testament names and measurements!” →
Posted in theology

What Does “Throwing a Sandal” Mean in the Bible?

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

In my daily Bible reading, I came across a phrase with which I was not familiar:

“Moab is My washbowl; I will throw My sandal over Edom; Shout loud, Philistia, because of Me!” (Psalm 60:8)

Why is throwing your shoe over a country or region an insult or a statement of dominance, as it appears to be in the verse?

You have heard scripture interprets scripture. In this case we can refer to Ruth 4:7 for an explanation of the shoe handling:

Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the way of confirmation in Israel.

I looked it up some more. This is where commentaries come in handy.

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible says the same as the Ruth 4:7 verse above, and goes on with a bit more context-

He here expresses the utmost confidence that he would succeed in this, notwithstanding the adverse events which had occurred. It is supposed that there is allusion in the expression “I will cast out my shoe,” to the custom, when transferring a possession, of throwing down a shoe on the ground as a symbol of occupancy. Compare Ruth 4:7. In the middle ages this was expressed by throwing down a glove; in the time of Columbus, by solemnly taking possession and setting up a cross; in other times, by erecting a standard, or by building a fort. 

You may have heard that ‘throwing down a glove” (gauntlet) in the Middle Ages meant the fight was on. History.com and Merriam-Webster Dictionary explain,

The term “gauntlet” comes from the French word gantelet, referring to the heavy, armored gloves worn by knights, according to History.com. Meaning: It was a literal, public act of defiance that, if accepted (by “taking up the gauntlet”), required personal combat to resolve a dispute

Apparently in Bible times, throwing the shoe was the signal that one side was prepared to fight for victory, in other words, ‘I’m coming for you! – and I will win!”

It’s helpful to pursue some of these long-ago idiomatic phrases that help us understand the verse more deeply.

Posted in theology

The Covenant Seasoned with Salt

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

In 2 Peter 3:15-16, Peter wrote that there are some things Paul wrote that are hard to understand. The unstable distort those things. Perhaps the Holy Spirit did that on purpose so that it would weed out who truly sought understanding and who likes to find a chink and crowbar it further apart in order to insert their own wrong interpretation (so as to lead followers astray). This is my speculation. After all, He sends false teachers in order to test us (2 John 9-11, Deuteronomy 13:3, etc.).

But the Holy Spirit’s inspiration of God’s word through the minds and personalities of the Bible writers is remarkable for so many reasons, but for my purposes today, for its honesty.

There are hard things to understand in the Bible. The following phrase is one of them: “covenant of salt”. It is mentioned a few times in the Old Testament.

GotQuestions has some ideas, also giving a historical context as to the importance of salt. Phrases we use even today harken back to the days when salt was a precious commodity. For example, GotQuestions wrote-

There is more to salt than meets the taste buds. Salt has been used in many cultures as a valuable commodity. The word salary comes from an ancient word meaning “salt-money,” referring to a Roman soldier’s allowance for the purchase of salt. Someone who earns his pay is still said to be “worth his salt.” 

EPrata photo

Salt was used in that culture as part of a legally binding contract. That notion was carried forward into the Old Testament Law. King Abijah mentioned it in 2 Chronicles 13:5,

Do you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?

The Israelites were commanded to use salt as part of the grain offering and reminded not to forget that part of the offering, ever-

Every grain offering of yours, moreover, you shall season with salt, so that the salt of the covenant of your God will not be lacking from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt. (Leviticus 2:13).

Matthew Henry on Leviticus 2:13, “Salt is required in all their offerings, v. 13. The altar was the table of the Lord; and therefore, salt being always set on our tables, God would have it always used at his. It is called the salt of the covenant, because, as men confirmed their covenants with each other by eating and drinking together, at all which collations salt was used, so God, by accepting his people’s gifts and feasting them upon his sacrifices, supping with them and they with him (Rev. 3:20), did confirm his covenant with them.”

Among the ancients salt was a symbol of friendship. The salt for the sacrifice was not brought by the offerers, but was provided at the public charge, as the wood was, Ezra 7:20–22. And there was a chamber in the court of the temple called the chamber of salt, in which they laid it up. Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? God would hereby intimate to them that their sacrifices in themselves were unsavoury.

The saints, who are living sacrifices to God, must have salt in themselves, for every sacrifice must be salted with salt (Mk. 9:49, 50), and our speech must be always with grace (Col. 4:6), so must all our religious performances be seasoned with that salt. Christianity is the salt of the earth.

Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 153). Hendrickson.

Again the salt covenant is mentioned in Numbers-

Numbers 18:19, “All the offerings of the holy gifts, which the sons of Israel offer to the LORD, I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a permanent allotment. It is a permanent covenant of salt before the LORD to you and your descendants with you.“

JFB commentary on Numbers 18:19, “it is a covenant of salt—that is, a perpetual ordinance. This figurative form of expression was evidently founded on the conservative property of salt, which keeps meat from corruption; and hence it became an emblem of inviolability and permanence. It is a common phrase among Oriental people, who consider the eating of salt a pledge of fidelity, binding them in a covenant of friendship. Hence the partaking of the altar meats, which were appropriated to the priests on condition of their services and of which salt formed a necessary accompaniment, was naturally called “a covenant of salt” (Lev 2:13).

Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, pp. 108–109). Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Here are a few resources on the fascinating topic of salt in the Bible!

TableTalk: Salt

There is a book of the history of salt by Mark Kurlansky. I thought was pretty interesting: Salt: A World History.

Finally, Mark 9:50 says,

“Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Posted in theology

Reading Leviticus and Remembering the Cross: From Unending Sacrifices to the Perfect Sacrifice

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Like many others, I read the Bible in a year through an annual Bible Reading Plan. I am currently using the John MacArthur Daily Bible. And like many others, I find Leviticus hard to get through. I become confused with all the sacrifices. I think about the burdensome level of the priestly work, the relentlessness of the People needing to know and perform the offerings…it’s a bit much. I needed to sort through these once and for all.

A friend sent me a link to a sermon she had heard at Grace Community Church in the Sundays in July series held there. It’s by Abner Chou and he preaches a survey of the difficult books of the Old Testament, including Leviticus. I found this very helpful. I’ll link to it here, it is called “The Road Less Traveled“. I summarize part of it below. These are near quotes but not total quotes.

From Abner Chou: ‘There are 5 major sacrifices presented in the book of Leviticus and 3 of them are not for sin. That means only 2 are for sin. What are the other 3 for? They are for worship. These 5 sacrifices then mix and match in different combinations for the purpose of theology. So if you understand the underlying theology of these 5 you’ve got the theology behind all of them’.

Mainly, Leviticus is about God’s holiness.

  1. Burnt offering. The whole offering is burned, representing our desire to wholly offer ourselves to God. It represents Dedication.
  2. Grain offering. Grain was commonly cultivated and represents how God took care of them and provided, so it is for thanks. It represents Thanksgiving.
  3. Peace offering. (Fellowship offering). Thanking God that we have a relationship with Him. This sacrifice represents Fellowship.
  4. Sin offering, it’s about Sin.
  5. Guilt offering. Different from sin offering because it includes times when restitution has to be made. It involves times when repentance deals with how you sinned against God or your neighbor in a way that has injured them, and part of repentance is making that right in an economic fashion. (In Isaiah 53:10 we read Jesus offered himself as a guilt offering, and this is because He dealt with sin AND its consequences on the cross).

“While other Old Testament sacrifices focused on specific aspects of redemption—the burnt offering on self-surrender, the sin offering on guilt removal—the guilt offering uniquely emphasized restitution and the restoration of what sin had damaged,” says Don K. Campbell, “Sacrifice,” in The Theological Wordbook, ed. Charles R. Swindoll and Roy B. Zuck (Nashville, TN: Word Publishing, Inc., 2000), 311–312.

Back to Chou from his sermon: ‘The sacrifices show “the way we become holy must be holy”. We can’t just do the sacrifices any which way we want; we can’t go about salvation any which way I want, it has to be done God’s way and it has to satisfy HIM. And He has a standard. The example is Nadab and Abihu killed for offering strange fire. What is strange fire? It’s fire that deviates in any fashion from what God prescribes. They were supposed to mix the incense and ingredients in a certain way through certain steps. Any one that is off or different makes it strange. If you don’t offer the right sacrifice, you become the sacrifice.”‘

I also used my Logos Software to look up the offerings. Here is a short summary and the addresses for each of the 5 main offerings mentioned above:

Burnt: Lev. 9:2. Its purpose was to make an atonement for sin, Lev. 1:4; 7. Ordinances concerning, Ex. 29:15–18; Lev. 1; 5:7–10; 6:9–13; 17:8, 9; 23:18, 26–37; Num. 15:24, 25; 19:9; 28:26–31; 29. Accompanied by other offerings, Num. 15:3–16. Skins of, belonged to priests, Lev. 7:8. Offered daily, morning and evening, Gen. 15:17; Ex. 29:38–42; Lev. 6:20; Num. 28; 29:6; 1 Chr. 16:40; 2 Chr. 2:4; 13:11; Ezra 3:3; Ezek. 46:13–15. Music with, Num. 10:10.

Grain: The grain offering in ancient Israel functioned primarily as an act of worship and dedication rather than atonement. Unlike sacrifices that addressed sin, the grain offering’s purpose centered on worship, allowing Israelites to express their relationship with God through voluntary giving.

Peace: Laws concerning, Ex. 29:19–22, 31; Lev. 7:11–15, 18; 9:3, 4, 15–21; 23:19; Num. 6:14; 10:10.

Sin: Ordinances concerning, Ex. 29:10–14 with Heb. 13:11–13; Lev. 4; 5; 6:1–7, 26–30; 9:1–21; 12:6–8; 14:19, 22, 31; 15:30; 23:19; Num. 6:10, 11, 14, 16; 8:8, 12; 15:27; 28:15, 22–24, 30; 29:5, 6, 11, 16–38. Temporary, Dan. 11:31; Heb. 9, 10.

Trespass: (AKA in certain translations the Guilt Offering). Ordinances concerning, Lev. 5; 6:1–7; 7:1–7; 14:10–22; 15:15, 29, 30; 19:21, 22; Num. 6:12; Ezra 10:19. To be eaten by the priests, Lev. 7:6, 7; 14:13; Num. 18:9, 10. Offered by idolaters, 1 Sam. 6:3, 8, 17, 18. See SIN OFFERING, above.

Here are other offerings mentioned in Leviticus-

Vow: Lev. 7:16, 17; 22:17–25; Deut. 23:21–23.

Wave: Placed in the hand of the priest and waved before the Lord. Ordinances concerning, Ex. 29:22, 26–28; Lev. 7:29–34; 8:25–29; 9:19–21; 10:14, 15; 23:10, 11, 17–20; Num. 5:25; 6:19, 20. Belonged to the priests, Ex. 29:26–28; Lev. 7:31, 34; 8:29; 9:21; 23:20; Num. 18:11, 18. To be eaten, Lev. 10:14, 15; Num. 18:11, 18, 19, 31.

Wood: Fuel for the temple, Neh. 10:34; 13:31.

Thank: Ordinances concerning, Lev. 7:11–15; 22:29; Deut. 12:11, 12.

Drink: Libations of wine offered with the sacrifices, Gen. 35:14; Ex. 29:40, 41; 30:9; Lev. 23:13, 18; Num. 6:17; 15:24; 28:5–15, 24–31; 29:6–11, 18–40; 2 Kin. 16:13; 1 Chr. 29:21; 2 Chr. 29:35; Ezra 7:17.

Free Will: Must be perfect, Lev. 22:17–25. To be eaten by priests, Lev. 7:11–18. With meal and drink offerings, Num. 15:1–16. Obligatory when signified in a vow, Deut. 16:10; 23:23.

Heave: Given to the priests’ families as part of their emoluments, Lev. 10:14; Num. 5:9; 18:10–19, 24. Consecrated by being elevated by the priest, Ex. 29:27. Consisted of the right thigh or hind quarter, Ex. 29:27, 28; Lev. 7:12–14, 32, 34; 10:15; spoils, including captives and other articles of war, Num. 31:29, 41. When offered, Lev. 7:12–14; Num. 6:20; 15:19–21. In certain instances this offering was brought to the tabernacle, or temple, Deut. 12:6, 11, 17, 18. To be offered on taking possession of the land of Canaan, Num. 15:18–21.

Meal (or Meat): Ordinances concerning, Ex. 29:40, 41; 30:9; 40:29; Lev. 2; 5:11, 12; 6:14–23; 7:9–13, 37; 9:17; 23:13, 16, 17; Num. 4:16; 5:15, 18, 25, 26; 8:8; 15:1–16, 24; 18:9; 28:5, 9, 12, 13, 20, 21, 26–31; 29:3, 4, 14. To be eaten in the holy place, Lev. 10:13; Num. 18:9, 10. Offered with the sacrifices, Num. 15:3–16. Not mixed with leaven, Lev. 2:4, 11; 6:14–18; 10:12, 13; Num. 6:15, 17. Storerooms for, in the temple reconstructed by Ezra, Neh. 12:44; 13:5, 6; provided for in the vision of Ezekiel, Ezek. 42:13.

Special Sacrifices: In consecration of the altar, see ALTAR; of priests, see PRIESTS; of the temple, see TEMPLE, DEDICATION OF; for leprosy, see LEPROSY; for defilement, see DEFILEMENT.

Animal Sacrifices: A type of Christ, Psa. 40:6–8, with Heb. 10:1–14; Isa. 53:11, 12, with Lev. 16:21; John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7; 2 Cor. 5:21; Eph. 5:2; Heb. 9:19–28; 10:1, 11, 12; 13:11–13; Rev. 5:6.

Jesus warned that any sacrifice whether Old Testament or New testament is worthless if unaccompanied by repentance. Rote offerings without the heart involved are rejected:

Unavailing When not Accompanied by Piety: 1 Sam. 15:22; Psa. 40:6; Psa. 50:8–14; Psa. 51:16, 17; Prov. 21:3, 27; Isa. 1:11–14; Isa. 40:16; Isa. 66:3; Jer. 6:20; Jer. 7:21–23; Jer. 14:12; Hos. 6:6; Hos. 8:13; Amos 5:21–24; Mic. 6:6–8; Mark 12:33

Swanson, J., & Nave, O. (1994). New Nave’s Topical Bible. Logos Research Systems.

My overwhelming thoughts as I read through Leviticus are several: Blood-blood-blood. It definitely makes us remember the verse in Hebrews 9:22, “And almost all things are cleansed with blood, according to the Law, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

Holy-holy-holy- as we read through this book we should have a solid understanding about how holy God is- and how UNholy we are.

It makes me think of how burdensome it was to attempt to atone for sins through endless sacrifices, which of course makes us value and understand the necessity of Jesus to make a once-for-all sacrifice (of Himself!) for our sins AND to declare us righteous through His imputed righteousness. If you watch a lot of cops videos or court TV we understand the recidivism rate is high. We may be declared innocent, or not guilty in court, but then how many people turn right around and go sin/break the law again?

As Chou mentioned there was a once-a-year reset on the Day of Atonement, but if you sinned the next day, what then?

Leviticus makes me grateful. The Lord saw fit to knit me in my mother’s womb in 1960 AD and not 960 BC when I would be under the Law in Solomon’s time.

As HA Ironside wrote in his 1929 book “Lectures on the Levitical Offerings, “He had been so continually misrepresented by the first man to whom He had committed lordship over the earth, and by all his descendants, that it was necessary that some man should be found who would live in this scene wholly to His glory. God’s character must be vindicated; and the Lord Jesus Christ, the Second Man, the Lord from heaven, was the only one who could do that.“

Praise God he sent His Son to atone for us and impute His righteousness unto us! Jesus FULLY glorified God. Our blessing is that if we repent and submit to Him, we will be saved.

Posted in christmas, judgment, wrath

The Gospel’s Bookends: Wrath and Love

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

SYNOPSIS

I reflect on God’s love with His righteous wrath, using Daniel’s compassion toward Nebuchadnezzar. The essay argues that the Gospel begins with wrath against sin and ends with redeeming love, urging believers to love enemies while warning that repentance is essential for salvation.

Continue reading “The Gospel’s Bookends: Wrath and Love” →
Posted in theology

The Hypocrisy of Hollow Obedience

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

SYNOPSIS

In Jeremiah 34, King Zedekiah and the Israelites promise to free their servants, hoping to gain God’s favor during Babylon’s siege. Once danger lifts, they break their vow, re-enslaving them. This hypocrisy exposes false repentance. God condemns such deceit, reminding believers that vows to Him must be sincere and kept.

Continue reading “The Hypocrisy of Hollow Obedience” →
Posted in theology

Little Known Bible Characters #9: Gehazi- The Man Who Should Be Better

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

SYNOPSIS

The post explores Gehazi, a lesser-known biblical figure and servant to Prophet Elisha, highlighting his tragic downfall due to greed and dishonesty. Despite witnessing God’s miracles, Gehazi’s actions led to his leprosy and a curse upon his descendants, illustrating the dangers of moral failings and the desire for earthly treasures.

Continue reading “Little Known Bible Characters #9: Gehazi- The Man Who Should Be Better” →
Posted in theology

The Man of God didn’t check with God!

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

SYNOPSIS

In 1 Kings 13, a ‘Man of God’ is sent to rebuke King Jeroboam but later falls prey to an old prophet’s deception, leading to his demise. The narrative emphasizes the importance of discernment for believers, urging them to verify teachings against scripture, as false prophets can mislead even the faithful.

Continue reading “The Man of God didn’t check with God!” →