What is a difficult verse for you to fully understand?

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Hevosmies said:
I've never understood Hosea!

The entire story is completely against God's own commandments, to get a harlot for a wife, yet God commands that particular thing from Hosea.

That has always thrown me off, i've read commentaries on it and some like John Gill suggest its merely an allegory, but i dont know, the language seems too literal and precise to be taken as an allegory.
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i have not read Gill, but i believe Hosea literally did these things after being literally commanded to - and they were for a sign to Israel, and for us to read of, too, being an allegory of God 'marrying' the 'harlot' Israel

it's not actually forbidden in the law to marry a prostitute, AFAIK...?
 
For this cause a woman ought to have power on her head because of the angels.

Still dont really understand this one. Why??? What cause...why because of the angels...?? What power.
1 corinthians 11:10
 
crossnote said:
I knew they were Cherubims/Seraphims of some sort with their wings and all ministering near the Throne, but it was the imagery of wheels within wheels etc. that was throwing me for a loop. :)
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I believe what was being played out before Ezekiel was what was to come about 500 years in his future.

The four living creature's has been well known as the 4 Gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The witness of Christ Jesus being revealed.

The eyes in the wheels the Holy Spirit, in other scripture..... going to and fro through out the Earth. Revealing God the Father on His throne, in Christ Jesus! So the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are manifest in this vision.

The wheel within the wheel is a portal from heaven to earth and back to heaven. The wheel being lifted up after them, to close the way behind them. Opposed to the tower of Babel when they tried to build a portal back into heaven.

Anyhow, this is what I believe the wheel within the wheel to be, like you after many years of pondering the matter. TKS🤗
 
posthuman said:
i have not read Gill, but i believe Hosea literally did these things after being literally commanded to - and they were for a sign to Israel, and for us to read of, too, being an allegory of God 'marrying' the 'harlot' Israel

it's not actually forbidden in the law to marry a prostitute, AFAIK...?
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Well my marriage opportunities just opened up significantly. :D

I retract my statement earlier. I was deceived by a translation. I tried to look for it in the english translation and FOUND no such thing. Let this be a lesson to all: CHECK multiple translations when in doubt. My apologies.
 
posthuman said:
it's not actually forbidden in the law to marry a prostitute, AFAIK...?
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It is for priests, and all Christians are within a Royal Priesthood.

They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God. (Lev 21:7)
 
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Nehemiah6 said:
It is for priests, and all Christians are within a Royal Priesthood.

They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God. (Lev 21:7)
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Well there goes my marriage plans. *sigh*........

I already had the right one in mind. Oy vey!

But seriously Nehemiah: What is your take on the Hosea incident then? Why did God ask him to do it?
 
thank you, Nehemiah, that's very interesting. I read, and i see it's specifically a regulation for the sons of Aaron who were to be priests.

are we Levite priests, tho?

Hosea wasn't.
 
Hevosmies said:
But seriously Nehemiah: What is your take on the Hosea incident then? Why did God ask him to do it?
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God used His prophets and their lives to graphically illustrate His relations with Israel. You could almost call it parabolic. And that is what we see in Hosea.

Sometimes the prophets had to do some very degrading things to show Israel how they had sinned against God. See Isaiah and Jeremiah. We know from the histories of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel that the Jews had gone into serious idolatry. And idolatry was spiritual whoredom -- "for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD" (1:2)

So the prophet -- through his own marriage and children -- would illustrate to Israel how God had (1) firstly judged Israel for their idolatry and (2) then redeemed Israel in spite of their idolatry. So this was an illustration of the holiness and severity of God as well as His mercy.

The names of Hosea's wife and children signify what God was saying to Israel.

Gomer (from gamar) = to come to an end = Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land

Jezreel = God sows or God will sow = and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

Loruhamah = withour compassion = for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.

Loammi = for ye are not my people

So Hosea was telling Israel that God would reject Israel and bring severe judgment upon them. At the same time He was telling them that eventually He would redeem a believing remnant, and bring their whoredoms to an end. See Ezekiel.
 
MessageOfTheCross said:
“JESUS’ TRUE FAMILY - Matthew 12

46 While He (Christ) yet talked to the people (concerns the terrible Word He has just delivered concerning Israel’s present and future state), behold, His mother and His brethren stood without, desiring to speak with Him (Jesus was probably in a particular house, with it being filled with people, with no more room for others to come in, hence His family not able to get to Him; their desire to speak with Him was not in a positive sense).

47 Then one said unto Him, Behold, Your mother and Your brethren stand without, desiring to speak with You (they had things to say to Him, but they little desired to hear what He had to say to them; thankfully, that would change after His Death and Resurrection).

48 But He answered and said unto him who told Him, Who is My mother? and who are My brethren? (This totally refutes the claims later made by the Catholic Church.)

“49 And He stretched forth His Hand toward His Disciples (refers to the original Twelve, but is not limited to them, as it refers to any and all who follow Him, as the next Passage proclaims), and said, Behold My mother and My brethren!

50 For whosoever (increases the dimensions of His family to include all who follow Him) shall do the will of My Father which is in Heaven (proclaims the qualifications for being a part of the Family of God), the same is My brother, and sister, and mother (places no significance on physical birth, but everything on spiritual birth).”

JSM
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Why did Jesus places no significance on physical birth, but everything on spiritual birth of His mother and brothers (Matthew 12:46-50)?

However in Luke 1:26-38 the scripture says, "Mary was highly favored, blessed are you among women, for you have found favor with God."

Now in John 19:25-29, the scripture says, "When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home."

Question? Was Mary not saved until Jesus recognize her as mother at the Cross?

Repost - “JESUS’ TRUE FAMILY - Matthew 12

46 While He (Christ) yet talked to the people (concerns the terrible Word He has just delivered concerning Israel’s present and future state), behold, His mother and His brethren stood without, desiring to speak with Him (Jesus was probably in a particular house, with it being filled with people, with no more room for others to come in, hence His family not able to get to Him; their desire to speak with Him was not in a positive sense).

47 Then one said unto Him, Behold, Your mother and Your brethren stand without, desiring to speak with You (they had things to say to Him, but they little desired to hear what He had to say to them; thankfully, that would change after His Death and Resurrection).

48 But He answered and said unto him who told Him, Who is My mother? and who are My brethren? (This totally refutes the claims later made by the Catholic Church.)

“49 And He stretched forth His Hand toward His Disciples (refers to the original Twelve, but is not limited to them, as it refers to any and all who follow Him, as the next Passage proclaims), and said, Behold My mother and My brethren!

50 For whosoever (increases the dimensions of His family to include all who follow Him) shall do the will of My Father which is in Heaven (proclaims the qualifications for being a part of the Family of God), the same is My brother, and sister, and mother (places no significance on physical birth, but everything on spiritual birth).”

Also, what is the will of the Father which is in Heaven?
 
Nehemiah6 said:
God used His prophets and their lives to graphically illustrate His relations with Israel. You could almost call it parabolic. And that is what we see in Hosea.

Sometimes the prophets had to do some very degrading things to show Israel how they had sinned against God. See Isaiah and Jeremiah. We know from the histories of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel that the Jews had gone into serious idolatry. And idolatry was spiritual whoredom -- "for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD" (1:2)

So the prophet -- through his own marriage and children -- would illustrate to Israel how God had (1) firstly judged Israel for their idolatry and (2) then redeemed Israel in spite of their idolatry. So this was an illustration of the holiness and severity of God as well as His mercy.

The names of Hosea's wife and children signify what God was saying to Israel.

Gomer (from gamar) = to come to an end = Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land

Jezreel = God sows or God will sow = and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

Loruhamah = withour compassion = for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.

Loammi = for ye are not my people

So Hosea was telling Israel that God would reject Israel and bring severe judgment upon them. At the same time He was telling them that eventually He would redeem a believing remnant, and bring their whoredoms to an end. See Ezekiel.
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Wow and to think that most pastors families name their children way out biblical names. As an example for the rest of us.

I've heard of lots of christian families, having great numbers of children all beginning with the letter J.

I have a friend who called her boys Israel and Joseph.
Another called her sons Benjamin and Nathan
And I know countless Johns.
 
another thing i find difficult is Leviticus 12:1-8

a woman who gives birth to a son is unclean for 7 days, and must wait 33 days being purified from her bleeding.
a woman who gives birth to a daughter is unclean for 14 days, and waits 66 days of purification for her bleeding.

 
also in general, throughout the law, various animals are required for various sacrifices - bulls, goats, lambs, doves..
for any specific sacrifice, why a goat and not a bull or a lamb? ((etc))
why 2 and not 1, etc. ?

usually people make a great hand-waving and say, these sacrifices all point to Christ - but the sacrifices are all very specific in number and type of animals -- simply saying that they 'represent the sacrifice of the Son' does not explain the particulars in any way at all -- if this is the explanation, then why wouldn't i expect every sin or guilt offering to consist of precisely one spotless lamb?
i mean, well duh, of course it points to Christ. but how? that's an unsatisfactory 'explanation' that doesn't actually explain at all.

what does each animal represent and each number? is there something fundamental i can understand, so that for example if i begin to read Leviticus 12 about the purification for childbirth, i would know immediately 'ah she must offer a lamb and a dove' before i even get to verse 6? what is the reasoning i should comprehend so that before i even get to verse 8 it would be obvious to me that if she can't afford a lamb then either two doves or two pigeons can be readily substituted?
 
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