Study Notes...

Scriptures
Genesis 30
Psalms 16
Proverbs 16
Matthew 21

Scriptures
Genesis 28, 29
Psalms 15
Proverbs 15
Matthew 19, 20


Notes on Genesis

Paddan Aram is believe by scholars to be the Haran -whether the region of Haran or the Haran itself.

Notes on Psalms

"Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who will live in your holy hill?"

Not those who sacrificed pure animal meat or whitest bird but those who ethically behave. "Moral righteousness" is what God expects not attendance in church or working in the nursery though they are part of a Christian life, they are not as vital as living a righteous life.

Scriptures
Genesis 27
Psalms 14
Proverbs 14
Matthew 18

Notes on Proverbs

The scriptures encourage us to help the poor, widow, and orphan. Poverty can be a result of laziness, which the Bible regard it with contempt, but some states of poverty could be the result of injustice, which we are encourage to help.

A word of caution (based on experience): Help them but do not hang out with them.

Scriptures  
Genesis 25, 26
Psalms 13
Proverbs 13
Matthew 16, 17

Notes on Genesis

There is a parallel tale in the Neo-Hittite about the two sons, "The Tale of Appu's Two Sons," which tells about Appu who was wealthy but childless until the gods gave him a son. He named him Wron because he believed that the gods had wronged him from withholding him the son until his old age. They gave him another son whom he named Right because this time they had acted fairly to him.
Wrong and Right grew to adulthood. When wrong tried to hoodwink Right from his portion of their inheritance, the gods summoned them and judged them both. Of course, Wrong was punished from doing wrong while Right was rewarded.

What is amazing about the God of Abraham was that He had chosen Jacob, the younger brother based not on merit but mainly of His own plan. In the end, Jacob turned his life around and became the person what God wanted him to be. He did tasted his own medicine when Laban deceitfully switch Rachel with Leah that he had to work another seven years to get to marry Rachel whom he loved.

Notes on Matthew

God's shekinah glory means "His visible presence."

About 200 B.C., the city named Panion was named after the god Pan, correlated to fields and herds. In 23 B.C., Augustus gave the area to Herod I to rule for Rome. Phillip took over the region after the death of his father and built an administrative structure as the capitol and changed the name of Panion to Caesarea Phillipi in honor of Caesar and himself. Jesus and his disciples perambulate this area during his ministry.

The Capernaum synagogue that Jesus taught was discovered in 1968. In 1981 the floor was discovered together with the pottery of the first century A.D.

Scriptures
Genesis 21, 22
Psalms 11
Proverbs 11
Matthew 14

Scriptures:

Genesis 17, 18
Psalms 9
Proverbs 9
Matthew 12



PARALLELS BETWEEN THE LAW AND WISDOM

Scriptures:
Genesis 15, 16
Psalms 8
Proverbs 8
Matthew 11

Notes on Genesis

Dead Sea is the lowest body of water on earth, approximately 1,300 feet below sea level.

Genesis 10:21 - Abram was the first to be mentioned in the Scriptures as a Hebrew. In other writings, Habiru or Apiru were assumed to mean "Hebrew" (property-less, independent, and immigrant). In Amarna Tablets (Egypt), they are mentioned unfavorably.

In ancient times, "rainsing one's hand&334; was a practice of taking an oath.

Notes on Proverbs

Linen was used only by wealthy people.

Notes on Matthew

"Agora" was a Hebrew word for market, which was a place for civic center - people congregated for recreation.

Tyre and Sidon were cities of the Phoenician coast, now known as Lebanon.

In Judaism, "yolk" was a metaphorical for the law.

Scriptures:
Genesis 13, 14
Psalms 7
Proverbs 7
Matthew 10

Notes of Genesis

Serug (Great grandfather of Abram) - Corresponds to Sargi, a place in Assyrian inscriptions (ca. 600 B.C)

Nahor (Grandfather of Abram) - Mari texts and Cappadocian referred to it as Til Nakhiri meaning, "Mound of Nahor" at the Balikh River Valley (ca. 1800-1900 B.C.)

Terah (Father of Abram) - The Assyrian Texts mentioned Til Turahi meaning, "Mound of Terah," north of Haran in Balikh River (ca. 800 B.C.)

Abram - The father of the Hebrew nation.


(Source: Archeological Study Bible, footnotes)

Cities of the Plain:
Sodom
Gomorrah
Zoar (The city where Lot escaped to, located at the southeastern shore of the Dead Sea, south of the Zared River, near the modern Safi.)
Admah
Zeboiin

Eight miles north of Safi is a dig site of Numeira, which is believed to be the Gomorrah since the consonants of the Arabic name Numeira is the same as the Hebrew name Gomorrah.

Ten miles north of Numeira is a dig site of Bab edh-Dhra believe to be the Biblical Sodom.

Scriptures:
Genesis 11, 12
Psalms 6
Proverbs 6
Matthew 9

Notes on Genesis

What kind of a husband who impels his wife to marrying someone to save his own life?

What do you think Sarai felt when Abraham told her that she had to pretend to be his sister and marry the Pharaoh?


Notes on Matthew

Levi was a tax collector who collected tolls from merchants who used the Roman roads and taxes on the Galilean fishermen. He was naturally hated by the Jews and even considered a traitor. Levi had probably met Jesus a few times and maybe he had also decided to follow the Messiah before the incident of Matthew 9:9 occurred. He changed his name to Matthew, which meant "gift of Yahweh. " after he had followed Jesus.

In Judaism, a woman who had her monthly period was considered ritually unclean. She had to wait until it stopped and had to wash (bathe) herself to be clean again. The husband was not allowed to have sexual relations with her until she had gone through the ritual of cleaning.

A woman who had hemorrhaging problem for twelve years became persona non grata in her community. By healing her, Jesus had set her free from the state of being an outcast and had given her self-confidence again.

Scriptures:
Genesis 9, 10
Psalms 5
Proverbs 5
Matthew 7, 8

Notes on Genesis

It is only in the Biblical account that the story of the flood mentioned the rainbow. To Noah, God said, "I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth" (Genesis 9:13, NIV).

After the Flood, Noah lived three hundred fifty more years. Adding the three digits of his age would give us a total of eight, which in Gematria means +new birth" or "new beginnings. Noah was the "Adam" after the Flood. He and his sons started a new generation. When he died, he was nine hundred fifty years old, which gives us a total of fourteen when all the digits are added. Fourteen means "deliverance" or "salvation. " And if you add the digit of the number fourteen gives you a total of five, which means "grace. " God told Noah that He would not annihilate the human race by flooding the whole earth. Since, man's nature had not changed God decided to save them from their evil nature through Christ Jesus, His only begotten Son.

The list of Noah's descendant were incomplete but they add up to seventy, which means "totality" and "completion." The list is considered representative not detailed biological descent.

"Eber" is speculated as the origin of the word, "Hebrew. "

Notes on Matthew

In Rabbinic Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confusianism and Greek and Roman moral teachings, the so-called "Golden Rule" was written in a negative form. Jesus was the only one who stated it in a positive form (see Matthew 7:12).

The sand in the Sea of Galilee turned hard rock during summer but a wise constructor would dig under the surface down to the bedrock, which is approximately ten feet deep, when erecting a foundation of a house. The winter rains could be so dreadful in that area.

In the ancient world, any affliction on the skin aside from the life-threatening Hansen's disease, were regarded as leprosy.

The storm that was mentioned in Matthew 8:23-27 on the Sea of Galilee must have been vicious to bring about fear to the experienced fisherman.

Notes on Proverbs

"Drink water from your own cistern running water from your own well," means to enjoy physical pleasure only with his wife.

Fasting in Ancient Near East was part of their culture. The Israelites for instance in the Old Testament observed fasting. It was usually the avoidance of food for certain number of days, accompanied with penitence or humble devotion to God. The Scriptures sited occasions when the whole nation of Israel or the kingdom of Judah were encouraged to fast as an indication of their remorse of their sins and wholehearted devotion to God. Usually the individuals who were in grief go through fasting while they garbed themselves with sack cloth and poured ashes on their heads. The different length of time in fasting varies from several hours to forty days as Jesus did after he was baptized in the Jordan River. It was during his fasting in the desert that he was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1-11). The first response that he said to the devil when he was told to change the stones into bread was an attestation that we are not to be addicted to foods. The foods that God provided are for our body's nourishment not an object of our obsession or used to placate our emotions. "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'" (Matthew 4:4, NIV).

In Zechariah 8:19, the fasting was to commemorate the destruction of the Temple. It became a tradition to the Jewish people to read the Lamentations during the fasting, on the ninth of Ab (fifth month), which is the period of July and August in our present calendar.

In the New Testament, fasting was a common occurrence e.g., the Pharisees fasted twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays, "I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get" (Luke 18:12, NIV). In the early church, the movement of asceticism came about, abstinence from all forms of indulgence for religious reasons. Jesus warned that fasting should not be used to empress others. "A true fasting is an indication of the heart's inclination toward God" (Archeological Bible, p. 1569, "Fasting in the Bible and the Ancient Near East").

The Jewish was not the only nation that practiced fasting. Other pagan religions observed fasting, too, e.g., the Pythagoreans fasted meats. They were known as vegetarians. Other cults in Greece not only fasted from foods but also from sexual activities as part of their preparations before they presented themselves to their gods.

It should be encouraged today, not only to the Christians, but also to all since most us incorporate rich foods in our daily diet. We need to purge ourselves from the toxin that we take in from the foods that may taste delicious but not necessarily nutritious or good to our body. Those who have ailments should consult their doctors before deciding to fast.

Fasting should not be necessarily abstinence from food but also abstinence from the things that you have been indulging yourself in e.g., watching tv every night, going online every time you have an opportunity, or playing video games every free time. This kind of fasting is applicable to youth and kids, too. Fasting from junk food is also appropriate for them to do.

Scriptures:
Genesis 7, 8
Psalms 4
Proverbs 4
Matthew 6

Notes On Genesis

Six hundred in Gematria means "warfare." But if you add the three digits, you will only have six as the total value, which stands for " Weakness of man and manifestation of sins." Either way, it is about man's destruction. This is the age when Noah and his family entered the ark. It took a year and eleven days when the water receded. Noah was six hundred one when the flood was over. When these digits are added you would have a sum of seven, which means "completion and resurrection."

Mount Ararat is believed to be around the area of Syria, region of Urartu.

The Babylonian version of the story of the flood, known as the Epic of Gilgamesh, was found in the library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal in the 7th century.

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the highest of all the gods, Enlil, we irritated by the cacophony of noise the men made. He planned to destroy them by sending a worldwide flood. When Enkil, the water god, knew about this, he told Utnapishtum, the Babylonian Noah about the plan that Enlil concocted. He told Utnapishtum to build an enormous boat and take a pair of each kind of animals. When the flood came, Utnapishtum and his wife we tossed about with the animas aboard. When the boat finally settled at the top of the mountain, he sent a dove, a swallow and a raven to check for dry land. The raven didn't return, which gave an indication that it was able to rest somewhere. When Utnapishtum and his wife came out of the boat, they offered a lavish sacrifice to the gods and I return the gods gave them eternal life for safeguarding the human race.

There were also the Akkadian and Sumerian versions of the flood story.

The differences between the Biblical account and the Mesopotamian versions are that God was not irritated at men but was grieved because of their sinful ways, "His heart was filled with pain" (Gen. 6:5-7). And also, God's plan was not thwarted by another god. He also, planned to preserve the human race and the animals. Lastly, He did not give Noah and his family immortality.

The other versions exhibited the reality of the flood story and it confirms that the Biblical account was not a myth.

Notes on Matthew 5

The word "Beatitude" is not found in the Bible. It either means "the joys of heaven" or "a declaration of blessedness." Beatitude occurs frequently in the Old Testament e.g., Palms 32:1-2, 41:1, 65:4.

The "heart" in the ancient world typically represents the whole being including the will and emotions.

In verse 13, most of the salt the Israelites used came from the Dead Sea, which also carried dross and dirt that caused the salt to lose its saltiness.

In verse 17, "Iota" is the smallest letting the Greek alphabet. The Hebrew'smallest letter is "yodh."

"Not the least stroke of a pen" means "horn." This is used to embellish or extend some letters in the Hebrew alphabet like the descender (bottom part) of the letter j.

In verse 22, Raca ins Aramaic means "empty." To call someone race means "empty-headed."

In verse 39, Slapping someone is more of an act of insult than an act of violence.

In verse 40, a tunic is an undergarment while a cloak is a loose outer garment used to wrap around when sleeping. In the Old Testament, it was illegal for someone to pledge or to use his cloak as collateral.

In verse 46, Tax collectors were known as publicans. They were hated by Jewish populace because of their unreasonable demand of payment during the Roman era.

Notes of Matthew 6

There were two kinds of alms: "alms of the dish" - food and money received daily for distribution. And "alms of the chest" - money received on Sabbath for widows, orphans, strangers and the poor.

I Jerusalem, beggars stayed at the gate called Beautiful to ask for alms. Some of them abused the charity of the compassionate people by making panhandling their profession. At the other hand, almsgiving was also perverted by those who "too their own horns" when they give to the needy.

A devout Jew prays morning, afternoon and night publicly.

Notes on Psalms 4

This was a passionate expression of grief and sorrow due to natural catastrophe such as drought. Some Jews turned to the other gods because they lost faith of God's ability to control nature.

Scriptures:
Genesis 5, 6
Psalms 3
Proverbs 3
Matthew 5

Notes on Genesis:

There was such a moral regress of man?s condition during Lamech?s time. The years of his age mentioned in the Scriptures would give us a hint. For instance, when he had Noah, he was 182 years old. In Gemetria, 182 is added together having a total of eleven, which stands for disorder and chaos. When he reached the age of 595, he had other children. Though their was apostasy, he had great faith that God would lat His impending judgment come soon. When Lamech died, he was 777 years old. Twenty-one is the sum of three sevens when added, which stands for the "exceedingly sinful of sin."


Enoch and Noah walked "with" God but Abraham walked "before" God. I don't know the significance of the latter. But it is said that walking with God is an antiquity of the first Paradise when people walked and talked with God (Archeological Study Bible).

Scriptures:
Genesis 3, 4
Psalms 2
Proverbs 2
Matthew 3, 4

Notes on Genesis 3:

The serpent had played a prominent role in the drama of the human race. For instance, in Egypt, the "Myth of Osiris," the son Ra (or Re) had to contend against the demon serpent, Apophis. Since then, any nemesis of the pharaohs were liken to Apophis. In Sumeria, the serpent robbed Gilgamesh in the "Epic of Gilgamesh" of the plant of rejuvenation, which would have made him immortal. In Ugarit, Baal with his companion Anat, defeated the seven-headed "twisting serpent," Lotan (the word Lotan is related to "Leviathan" in Psalms 74:14).
The many legends that introduced the serpent as the nemesis of man proved that the chapter three of the book of Genesis was a fact that had been passed on from Adam to his descendants. As the account was told from generation to generation, parts of the narrative had been changed to the point that it was beyond recognition.

Adam, in Hebrew, is both a personal name and a general noun that stands for "mankind" or "humankind".

Notes on Genesis 4:

What was the reason behind the narration of Cain?s descendants?

What does it mean when the Scripture said, "At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord?" Was not Adam and Eve had relationship with God even when they were cast out of Eden? Did they not teach their descendants of their relationship with God?

Scriptures:
Genesis 1, 2
Psalms 1
Proverbs 1
Matthew 1, 2

Notes on Genesis:

"Eden" is a Sumerian and Semitic word in the ancient world. The Sumerians implies Eden as "steppe" or "open field" while the Semitic stands for "luxury" or "delight." The precise location of Eden or Paradise is unknown though God gives us clue in the Scriptures -- the four rivers. Tigris and Euphrates that are mentioned in the Scriptures are believed to be the present rivers in Iraq. The locations of the two other rivers are unknown. The name Gihon in Hebrew means "to gush" and the Pishon means "to spring up."

There are few theories where the location of Eden was but each theory encounters problem, it would not wholly coincide with the Biblical account. This is just one of the mysteries that God hasn't revealed to us. It isn't the time yet.

Genesis 2:18 stated that God did not find it good that man is alone. Man should never be alone, he should marry for his own sake. On the other hand, God never said that a woman should marry and that it isn't good that she is alone. In the Roman Catholic, being single is one of the seven sacred sacraments -- single blessedness. Being a single woman should not make you feel that you have to get married. If you want to stay single then your life should be dedicated to serving the Lord. For Jesus is your groom and you are His bride. Singleness is a blessing to woman.
But a woman who wants to get married and is still single at the moment should know that God would answer her prayer when the time comes. "Be still and know."

Notes on Proverbs:

Proverbs is an instructive or didactic writings. It is a straightforward instruction, exhorting the reader for right behavior. It concerns about personal morality (character), work ethics, career choices and peer respect. The target audience of this book is a young person (notice the address to "my son").

Central Theme: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

Purpose: Is to expound what it means to wholly surrender your life to God's will and to witness His Will being accomplished in the world.

Knowledge in Hebrew transliteration is "doh-ath," meaning understanding, discernment, and wisdom.

"The fear of the Lord" means in reverence, submission and obedience to God.

The Hebrew transliteration for the word wisdom is "khok-maw," a feminine noun. Noticed that in the Book of Proverbs wisdom is personified as a righteous woman.

Wisdom and Folly are both feminine nouns (each personified as a woman).

Notes on Psalms:

The Hebrew Bible has another name for Psalms - Tehillim, meaning "praises." The word psalm originated from Septuagint, Greek word "psalmoi." which means the twanging of harp strings. "Psalterion," which means psaltery is a collection of harp songs. This is the English word "psalter" came from.

Notes on Matthew 1

The fact that they don't coincide, scholars have been debating Matthew's and Luke's genealogy accounts. Some scholars believed that Matthew provides the legal line of descent" that validates Jesus' assertion to David's throne while Luke's shows Jesus' "biological line" as a descendant to king David. Others believed that Matthew's genealogy presents the biological list of the ancestry of Joseph while Luke's is from Mary's.

Notes on Matthew 2:

The story of the Magi, three wise men, or three kings is celebrated in England (and also in Philippines) every January 6. In England, it became a tradition for the nobility to offer gold, myrrh, and frankincense. These were considered very expensive during the time of Jesus. It was traditionally believed that these sustained Joseph and Mary when they escaped to Egypt from Herod the Great.

Epiphany is a Greek word for "manifestation." It is traditionally believed that Jesus manifested himself to the three Magi, who were the first Gentiles who believed in His kingship.