Theology Thursday

* Why Did Noah Curse His Grandson Canaan? As described in detail in Bob's article, Why Was Canaan Cursed?, Genesis 9 records that the boy's father, Ham, saw Noah’s nakedness, and as a result, Noah cursed his grandson Canaan. Then Canaan went on to become the patriarch of Israel’s longstanding enemies, the Canaanites. The story seems capricious on the surface, in contrast to so much reasonable history in Genesis. So a closer look is merited. A common biblical figure of speech appears in Canaan’s story, and when Christians reread the story understanding this figure, the message of this account becomes compelling.

Ancient Hebrew commonly speaks of a man’s nakedness to refer to sexual intercourse with the man’s wife. As Moses wrote in Leviticus, “The man who lies with his father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness”(Lev. 20:11; also, 20:20-21; 18:6-15; Ezek. 22:10; etc.) Canaan lived a cursed life, not because his father saw his grandfather naked sometime before Canaan was even born, but because the boy was conceived in incest between Ham and Ham's mother, Noah's wife. Thus the brief story twice reminds its ancient readers that Ham (not Noah) is the father of Canaan. So Noah cursed Canaan not as an evil spell or hex, but as recognition of cause and effect, reaping what is sown, and his tragic circumstance, and as a warning to others against following in Ham’s wicked way. And readers of Genesis find a clear and reasonable origin for the conflict that lasted for centuries between the Jews and the Canaanites.

* A Related Scientific Prediction: On Oct. 8, 2009, Bob Enyart updated his Canaan article with a discovery and a scientific prediction! You might want to check it out!

* As the Apostles were Incarcerated: so too with this study.Bob Enyart recorded the first couple hours of this Bible study from jail. Via collect calls made from a jailhouse payphone, you can get a feel for life as a jailed Christian. This album, considered a classic among those who have long enjoyed Bob's teaching, takes the complexity out of some perplexing New Testament teachings.

* The Anatomy of a Tempation: If you are thrilled with what you learn in this Bible study (as we think you might be), then please consider ordering Bob's James and Jude Bible study!

* The Plot of the Bible: For a third of century, Bob Enyart has studied God's Word praying for the wisdom to share the truth of Scripture with a lost and dying world. Now you can benefit from this very exciting Bible study. The James and Jude study seriously tackles fascinating aspects of their letters. But we also strongly urge you to read The Plot manuscript or listen to the Bible Overview album which will help you to focus first on the amazing plot of the Bible. For the overview of the Bible is the key to its (doctrinal) details.

*  Between His Death and Resurrection, Where Was the Lord? Meet the Apostle Peter in Bob Enyart's important Bible study on First and Second Peter. Today's radio broadcast is a fascinating look at 1 Peter 3:15-22. But consider another question. Have you considered why Peter addresses his letters to no well-known recipients? Rather, similarly to James, John, and Jude, he sends them generically to the circumcision believers scattered abroad. Why? Meanwhile, Peter mentions the Apostle Paul, who addresses his epistles to many well-known leaders and specific regional churches. Pastor Bob Enyart demonstrates that understanding the big picture of the Bible, its plot, helps to see even small books as First Peter and Second Peter in their proper perspectives. Such biblical observations go a long way toward explaining the differences between Peter and Paul. For as Peter himself wrote of, "our beloved brother Paul" who "has written to you as also in all his epistles... in which are some things hard to understand..."

* The Bible Gets Easier to Understand:  Apparent contradictions plague many Bible students. Therefore in his life's work, The Plot, Bob Enyart set out to demonstrate how hundreds of such contradictions disappear when the reader applies the big picture of the Bible to its details. Tunnel vision focuses so narrowly on a problem that the solution often lies just out of view. As the pastor of Denver Bible Church, Bob Enyart teaches Christians how to use the whole counsel of God to understand the plot of the Bible and solve biblical mysteries. As with all of our BEL resources, The Plot comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee! And as we become proficient in the big picture, that is, the overview of the story of the Bible, then countless details, including as one small example, about the cities of refuge, become increasingly clear!

* Cities of Refuge: The Old Testament account of the cities of refuge can be very hard to understand... until you see that the story is about Jesus.

* The Bible Gets Easier to Understand:  Apparent contradictions plague many Bible students. Therefore in his life's work, The Plot, Bob Enyart set out to demonstrate how hundreds of such contradictions disappear when the reader applies the big picture of the Bible to its details. Tunnel vision focuses so narrowly on a problem that the solution often lies just out of view. As the pastor of Denver Bible Church, Bob Enyart teaches Christians how to use the whole counsel of God to understand the plot of the Bible and solve biblical mysteries. As with all of our BEL resources, The Plot comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee! And as we become proficient in the big picture, that is, the overview of the story of the Bible, then countless details, including as one small example, about the cities of refuge, become increasingly clear!

Today's Resource: Get both volumes, I & II, of  Bob Enyart's verse-by-verse study of The Book of Joshua, for a discounted price. And you can enjoy these or any of Bob's studies, made available by book title or by topic, or you can subscribe or donate online or by calling 1-800-8Enyart (303-463-7789).

* The Deity of Christ -- Another Approach: Christ spoke often of the Father. Still, He preached an egocentric message. Jesus said: follow Me · believe in Me · abide in Me · do all for My sake · confess Me · love Me · come to Me · keep My commandments · receive Me · seek Me · I bear witness of Myself · I am the truth · I am the life. Should a created being direct most attention to the Father, or focus upon himself? Bible teachers use a handful of verses to establish Christ's identity. As is his style, Bob Enyart starts with a sweeping overview of the Bible to address the deity of Christ. This study stuns and delights, respectively, those disputing and affirming His divinity.

For centuries, as affirmed at the Council of Nicea, Christians have used a wonderful list of Bible verses to demonstrate from God's Word the deity of Jesus Christ. Here though is another avenue, similar to the "Big Picture View" approach that we use in Bob Enyart's life's work, The Plot: An Overview of the Bible:

Thus Saith the Lord: If we count how many times the Old Testament prophets said, “Thus says the Lord” we find them using that phrase, in the New King James Version of the Bible, about 420 times. The New Testament on the other hand, never once records that phrase. Jesus Christ, with all the red ink devoted to recording His words, never once used that ubiquitous phrase, “Thus saith the Lord.” Rather, Jesus proclaims, “I say to you,” in the Gospels! Not a single “Thus says the Lord,” but rather, “I say to you,” 135 times. The following chart demonstrates biblically that these two phrases, Thus saith the Lord, and I say unto you, indicate the same thing, that God is speaking. For Jesus Christ made it clear that He Himself was at the heart of His teaching. Unlike the righteous priests and kings, prophets and the apostles, the Lord focused His message on Himself:

See more...

* In the 2011 Fall issue of Creation magazine: in the article, Why Bible History Matters, Dr. Jonathan Sarfati makes three observations about how long after their creation on Day 6 until Adam and Eve sinned.

1. Adam and Eve did not conceive any children prior to the Fall
2. Eve would likely have become pregnant during her first menstrual cycle
3. Lucifer also would have rebelled in the short time between Creation and the Fall

Recognizing that Adam and Eve fell prior to conceiving their first child is the primary realization for chronicling the earliest days in human history. These notes present additional biblical and biological observations that may further narrow the timing of the fall of Adam and Lucifer. Scripturally, Dr. Sarfati is on solid ground concluding that Satan fell in that short time period. For as traditionally understood, the passage interpreted as Satan's fall in Ezekiel 28 says about Lucifer that, "You were in Eden, the garden of God." And in Isaiah 14, the parallel passage about the perfect and wise Lucifer, “you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven… I will ascend above the heights of the clouds…"

Lucifer was "fallen from heaven," not geographically, for He was on the earth in the Garden of Eden coveting to rise above the clouds and ascend of his own will into heaven. So he fell not from heaven, but from God's kingdom of heaven, which initially encompassed everything created. For Lucifer was, "perfect… from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you." And prior to his temptation of Eve, he was not cursed to be lower than the animals, and prior to Eve's fall he was not at enmity with Eve nor with her future descendants. For God said, "Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle… And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed."

* Why Did God Reverse the Curse of Babel on Pentecost? Have you considered the connection between Pentecost and Babylon? One of God's purposes in the end times for the great tribulation is that it will see the destruction of the Kingdom of Babylon, which is, Bob teaches, the symbol of man's organized rebellion against God. Babylon's founder, Nimrod was the first to use government power to meet men's needs as a substitute for trust in God. Thus he was the first liberal politician, about whom 2,000 years ago the historian Josephus would write:

He [Nimrod] persuaded them [mankind] not to ascribe [their happiness] to God... He also gradually changed the government into tyranny, seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence upon his power.

At Pentecost, God marked the start of the fall of Babylon. For at the beginning of the Kingdom of Babylon (Gen. 10:8, 10; 11:8-9), the LORD confused the language (Gen. 11:9) so those who had understood each other could not. At Pentecost, the beginning of the undoing of Babylon, God removed that barrier (Acts 2:6-11) so those who had not understood each other could.

With minor correlations, the Bible helps its readers connect Pentecost with Babel. At Babel the wicked were scattered... from there over the face of all the earth (Gen. 11:8-9). At Pentecost devout men from every nation under heaven (Acts 2:5) were gathered and the multitude came together (Acts 2:6). At Pentecost they were all with one accord in one place (Acts 2:1) while at Babel they had one language and one speech (Gen. 11:1). The wicked dwelt there building a city named Babel [confusion] (Gen. 11: 2, 4, 9). At Pentecost devout Jews were dwelling (Acts 2:5) in a city named Jerusalem [peace] (Acts 2:5). Unbelievers were made drunk with the wine (Rev. 17:2) of Babylon's wickedness while at Pentecost unbelievers falsely accused the apostles of being drunk with wine (Acts 2:13).

The text has another lesson. At the Tower of Babel, the Lord punished godless men when He confused the language so that they may not understand one another's speech (Gen. 11:7-9). After living so long under the curse of sin, it actually confused men to have the curse removed, for the multitude... were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language (Acts 2:6). So, the way things ought to be confuses men who have lived so long under sin. To learn more about the substantive meaning in the events of Pentecost, please consider getting Bob Enyart's Plot manuscript or audio studies!

* The Plot: When you realize that the "plot" of the book of Acts helps to illuminate the real meaning in the Ananias and Sapphira story, you'll wonder how much more you can learn if you because proficient in understanding the plot of the entire Bible! Of course, Every story has a plot. And a story's details can be confusing unless you understand its overview. Grasping the big picture will help you reconcile many seemingly contradictory, and controversial Bible passages. Achieve a fuller understanding of God's plan from Genesis to Revelation and equip yourself to share God's Word with friends and family. Consider listening to The Plot series based on Bob's life's work, his book, The Plot.

National Public Radio Program Suing BEL: The NY Post today in its article, Science Radio Showdown, reports that NPR's science program producers have filed a lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court against Bob Enyart's science radio program. Bob asks, "As always, please pray for our outreach as we present to a hurting world the evidence that God created and loves us!"

* Why Did God Reverse the Curse of Babel on Pentecost? Have you considered the connection between Pentecost and Babylon? One of God's purposes in the end times for the great tribulation is that it will see the destruction of the Kingdom of Babylon, which is, Bob teaches, the symbol of man's organized rebellion against God. Babylon's founder, Nimrod was the first to use government power to meet men's needs as a substitute for trust in God. Thus he was the first liberal politician, about whom 2,000 years ago the historian Josephus would write:

He [Nimrod] persuaded them [mankind] not to ascribe [their happiness] to God... He also gradually changed the government into tyranny, seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence upon his power.

At Pentecost, God marked the start of the fall of Babylon. For at the beginning of the Kingdom of Babylon (Gen. 10:8, 10; 11:8-9), the LORD confused the language (Gen. 11:9) so those who had understood each other could not. At Pentecost, the beginning of the undoing of Babylon, God removed that barrier (Acts 2:6-11) so those who had not understood each other could.

With minor correlations, the Bible helps its readers connect Pentecost with Babel. At Babel the wicked were scattered... from there over the face of all the earth (Gen. 11:8-9). At Pentecost devout men from every nation under heaven (Acts 2:5) were gathered and the multitude came together (Acts 2:6). At Pentecost they were all with one accord in one place (Acts 2:1) while at Babel they had one language and one speech (Gen. 11:1). The wicked dwelt there building a city named Babel [confusion] (Gen. 11: 2, 4, 9). At Pentecost devout Jews were dwelling (Acts 2:5) in a city named Jerusalem [peace] (Acts 2:5). Unbelievers were made drunk with the wine (Rev. 17:2) of Babylon's wickedness while at Pentecost unbelievers falsely accused the apostles of being drunk with wine (Acts 2:13).

The text has another lesson. At the Tower of Babel, the Lord punished godless men when He confused the language so that they may not understand one another's speech (Gen. 11:7-9). After living so long under the curse of sin, it actually confused men to have the curse removed, for the multitude... were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language (Acts 2:6). So, the way things ought to be confuses men who have lived so long under sin. To learn more about the substantive meaning in the events of Pentecost, please consider getting Bob Enyart's Plot manuscript or audio studies!

* The Plot: When you realize that the "plot" of the book of Acts helps to illuminate the real meaning in the Ananias and Sapphira story, you'll wonder how much more you can learn if you because proficient in understanding the plot of the entire Bible! Of course, Every story has a plot. And a story's details can be confusing unless you understand its overview. Grasping the big picture will help you reconcile many seemingly contradictory, and controversial Bible passages. Achieve a fuller understanding of God's plan from Genesis to Revelation and equip yourself to share God's Word with friends and family. Consider listening to The Plot series based on Bob's life's work, his book, The Plot.

* Why Were Ananias and Sapphira Killed in the New Testament? A story seemingly out of place, shows the wrath of the God of the Old Testament, but in the New. What is the meaning of the killing of Ananias and Sapphira? Those who assume that its primarily a warning not to lie to God have probably never considered all the substantive reasons why that's not at all the reason that Luke included this account into his story of the advent of the beginning of the Body of Christ. So, tune in to find out the rest of the story. And why you're at it, consider why the Holy Spirit inspired the inclusion into this early church history of three men with the same unusual name, Ananias?

* The Plot: When you realize that the "plot" of the book of Acts helps to illuminate the real meaning in the Ananias and Sapphira story, you'll wonder how much more you can learn if you because proficient in understanding the plot of the entire Bible! Of course, Every story has a plot. And a story's details can be confusing unless you understand its overview. Grasping the big picture will help you reconcile many seemingly contradictory, and controversial Bible passages. Achieve a fuller understanding of God's plan from Genesis to Revelation and equip yourself to share God's Word with friends and family. Consider listening to The Plot series based on Bob's life's work, his book, The Plot.

* Why Jacob's Fraud Paid Off: Crime doesn't pay, except for Isaac's second son. Why? Jacob does all he can to deceive his father and steal his brother's birthright. And rather than getting punished, he is rewarded with the messianic blessing. "The pattern of sibling swaps that pastor Enyart reveals is one of the most important themes of Genesis, though it tends to lie hidden in plain view," says Darrell Birkey, BEL producer and all-around good guy. This startling story is one part of Bob's verse-by-verse Genesis: Abraham & Isaac series. You'll LOVE IT, guaranteed, or your money back! For God pivots the plot of the entire Bible around events in Abraham's life. So in this Bible Study series, Bob Enyart shows that without a clear understanding of Abraham, the believer cannot even "rightly divide the Word of truth" between circumcision and faith, nor works (Gen. 17) and grace (Gen. 15).

* The Plot: Every story has a plot, and a story's details can be confusing unless you understand its overview. Grasping the big picture will help you reconcile many seemingly contradictory, and controversial Bible passages. Achieve a fuller understanding of God's plan from Genesis to Revelation and equip yourself to share God's Word with friends and family. Consider listening to The Plot series based on Bob's life's work, his book, The Plot.