Joshua was an astute leader of men. Those sent out to survey the land of Canaan in Joshua 18:4-10 didn't know which tribe would get which territory, so they had an incentive to be as fair as possible in drawing out borders.
Shabbat Time for South-East England = 20;01 on Friday April 28 to 21;18 on Saturday April 29.
SERIES N --- THE EXILE --- LESSON 10
HEZEKIAH REBELS
HEZEKIAH AND SENNACHERIB
From 2 Kings 18:1-16; 2 Chronicles 32:1-7
King Hezekiah did much to please Adonai, as his ancestor David had done. He destroyed the high places, broke down the pillars and idols. He even destroyed the bronze serpent which Moses had made, for the people had been burning incense to it. Hezekiah called it Nehushtan, which means [A Piece of Bronze.] Hezekiah trusted in Adonai more than any of the kings before or after him. He kept the Commandments which Adonai had given Moses, so Adonai helped him in everything he did. Furthermore, Hezekiah refused to serve the heathen king of Assyria or to pay tribute to him. On the contrary, he conquered the Philistines as far as Gaza and its surrounding territory, taking cities as small as a watchtower and as large as a fortified city. During the fourth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, which was also the seventh year of King Hoshea’s reign in Israel, King Shalmaneser of Assyria invaded Israel and besieged Samaria, its capital city. Three years later the Assyrians captured Samaria and forced the people of Israel to move to distant lands. Some they took to Halath and others they settled along the Habor River in Gozan. Still others were placed in the cities of the Medes. This happened because the people had stubbornly refused to listen to Adonai and had turned away from His Covenant, all that Moses Adonai’s servant had commanded. They neither listened to the Law of Moses nor practiced it. A few of the people were left in the land of Israel and we have already learned something about them. Ten more years passed before King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah and captured its fortified cities. Hezekiah sent a peace message to King Sennacherib, who at the time was at Lachish, not far from Jerusalem. [I have been wrong not to pay you tribute,] he said. [Tell me how much you want in order to leave us alone.] In reply Sennacherib demanded six hundred thousand dollars in silver and nine hundred thousand dollars in gold. Hezekiah gathered all the silver stored in the temple and in the palace treasuries. In order to gather the amount of gold Sennacherib demanded, he had to strip the gold from the temple doors and doorposts. Even though Hezekiah sent Sennacherib all this gold and silver, the report soon came back that the Assyrian king was going to attack Jerusalem anyway. King Hezekiah assembled his high officials and they decided to cut off the water supply in the springs just outside the city. A large work crew cut off both the springs and the brook running through the fields. [Why should we provide water for the king of Assyria when he comes?] they asked. The wall of Jerusalem was repaired and towers were erected on it. The king also built a second wall outside, rebuilt the fortress of Millo in the City of David section of Jerusalem and made many weapons and shields. King Hezekiah appointed officers over the fighting men and called for an assembly of the troops in the open place near the city gate. [Be strong and courageous,] he told his people. [Do not fear the king of Assyria with his great army, for Adonai our YHVH is with us to help us and to fight our battles.] The people were encouraged when they heard what their king said.
COMMENTARY
SENNACHERIB: KING OF ASSYRIA
Sennacherib was king of Assyria from 705 B.C. until his death twenty-four years later. During his rule, calm marked the Empire’s borders to the east, north and in Syria, but serious revolts broke out in Babylonia and Palestine. When Merodach-baladan, a deposed king of Babylon, stirred up trouble in Ammon, Moab, Edom, Palestine, Tyre and Egypt, Sennacherib broke up their alliance. The defeated kings, including Hezekiah of Judah, paid heavy tribute. When attempts to suppress revolts in Elam and Babylonia failed, Sennacherib invaded Babylon and destroyed the city’s temples, palaces and walls and massacred the people. But his successors rebuilt Babylon, helping to restore the very people that would eventually conquer Assyria. Sennacherib’s rule saw the maturing of Assyrian culture. Unlike his father Sargon II, he spent less time in battle and more on building new temples, public buildings and waterworks. He bestowed a great deal of attention on Nineveh, his capital city. Sennacherib strengthened Nineveh’s walls and gates to a height of one hundred feet, adding ramparts and a deep moat to the east. The northern palace was restored and enlarged and the southern one converted into a military arsenal. A vast park of herbs and fruit trees beside the palace was irrigated with water from mountain streams, diverted by the largest, most complex aqueduct in that part of the ancient world. When Sennacherib chose his youngest son, Esarhaddon, as crown prince, the jealous brothers murdered their father. Esarhaddon was forced to conquer in battle the throne he had inherited by law.
This coming week, April 30-May 6 (9-15 Iyar), the Bible reading plan covers Emor (Say).
30 Apr Leviticus 21:1-15 Job 20:20-21:34 Acts 14:11-28 Proverbs 22:24-29
01 May Leviticus 21:16-22:16 Job 22:1-23:17 Acts 15:1-21 Psalm 84:1-12
02 May Leviticus 22:17-33 Job 24:1-26:14 Acts 15:22-41 Psalm 85:1-13
03 May Leviticus 23:1-22 Job 27:1-28:28 Acts 16:1-24 Proverbs 23:1-11
04 May Leviticus 23:23-32 Job 29:1-30:23 Acts 16:25-17:9 Proverbs 23:12-18
05 May Leviticus 23:33-44 Job 30:24-31:40 Acts 17:10-34 Proverbs 23:19-25
06 May Leviticus 24:1-23 Ezekiel 44:15-31 Acts 18:1-23 Proverbs 23:26-30
The complete annual Bible reading plan for 2022-23 (Hebrew year 5783) is available at this link:
https://thebarkingfox.com/2023..../04/28/weekly-bible-
This coming week, April 30-May 6 (9-15 Iyar), the Bible reading plan covers Emor (Say).
30 Apr Leviticus 21:1-15 Job 20:20-21:34 Acts 14:11-28 Proverbs 22:24-29
01 May Leviticus 21:16-22:16 Job 22:1-23:17 Acts 15:1-21 Psalm 84:1-12
02 May Leviticus 22:17-33 Job 24:1-26:14 Acts 15:22-41 Psalm 85:1-13
03 May Leviticus 23:1-22 Job 27:1-28:28 Acts 16:1-24 Proverbs 23:1-11
04 May Leviticus 23:23-32 Job 29:1-30:23 Acts 16:25-17:9 Proverbs 23:12-18
05 May Leviticus 23:33-44 Job 30:24-31:40 Acts 17:10-34 Proverbs 23:19-25
06 May Leviticus 24:1-23 Ezekiel 44:15-31 Acts 18:1-23 Proverbs 23:26-30
The complete annual Bible reading plan for 2022-23 (Hebrew year 5783) is available at this link:
https://thebarkingfox.com/2023..../04/28/weekly-bible-
You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard.
Leviticus 19:27
This verse isn't about routine haircuts or long curlicues. It's about pagan religious practices involving cutting or arranging the hair for religious purposes. The tonsure practiced by many Catholic monks is explicitly forbidden by God.
A man's beard is like a mane. It marks him as a man and the glory of God. Rejecting the form in which we were created seems to me like a rejection of God's plan and authority in our lives. I don't think this verse prohibits trimming the beard for aesthetic or hygienic reasons, nor is it meant to shame men who don't have a lot of facial hair. It's only about religious practices.
You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the LORD.
Leviticus 19:32
God designed hair in part to advertise status. Gray hair is a sign of someone who deserves respect. Hair on the chin is a sign of strength. Long hair is a sign of submission.
Let’s start the prep for Shabbat this evening. Happy Prep Day!
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