A King Who Knew Not Joseph

Posted on 16 April, 2012 by Jon Gleason

The Bible in the British Museum

© The Trustees of the British Museum

This Egyptian stone lion bears the throne name of Khyan, who ruled from about 1610-1580 B.C.  It is only about 20 inches long, but as far as I know it is the largest item in the Museum from the XVth dynasty of Egyptian Pharaohs — the Hyksos rulers.

The Hyksos were foreigners.  Some of our knowledge of the Hyksos comes from Manetho, an Egyptian priest in the 3rd century B.C. who wrote a history of Egypt.  He suggested that the Hyksos came to power after a military invasion, but no one knows for certain.

Some Bible scholars think that Joseph’s Pharaoh was one of the Hyksos rulers, but the Biblical evidence fits better with the view that a Hyksos Pharaoh was the “king who knew not Joseph” (Exodus 1:8).

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To Kill or be Killed

Posted on 13 April, 2012 by Jon Gleason

Brothers and sisters, to quote my good friend John Owen, Be killing sin or it will be killing you.

Pastor Larry Rogier wrote When Sermon Prep and YouTube Collide (this DOESN’T mean he gets his sermons off YouTube :)) a couple of weeks ago.  It’s well worth the read, and drew the following comment from one pastor:

Best article you’ve ever written.

I’ve never read all of Larry’s articles so I won’t say “best” :), but it is a short and valuable reminder of “how easy it is to put on a good show, to look right, dress right, sing right, speak right, be passionate and energetic, and not be living the crucified life.” 

Sin is deadly, and we need to be constantly killing it.

Colossians 3:5-9

5 Mortify (put to death) therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

 

 

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A Proverb for Today — Proverbs 11:4

Posted on 12 April, 2012 by Jon Gleason

“Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death” (Proverbs 11:4).

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The Big-Ears Pharaoh

Posted on 10 April, 2012 by Jon Gleason

The Bible in the British Museum

© The Trustees of the British Museum

This is Senusret III, also known as Sesostris III.  This statue is in Room 4 in the British Museum.

All our sculptures of Sesostris III have two distinctive features.  The first is the expression on his face, which different people have described as “care-worn,” “somber,” or “grave” — no one knows why.

The second?  His statues have massive ears (click through on the picture to see better).  Other Twelfth Dynasty Pharaohs have big-eared statues, so he isn’t unique, but Sesostris III seems to set the standard.  Again, no one knows why — but there may be a story here, if he is the Pharaoh of Joseph’s time.

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Awake, My Heart, With Gladness

Posted on 8 April, 2012 by Jon Gleason

Awake, My Heart, With Gladness

Awake, my heart, with gladness,
See what today is done;
Now, after gloom and sadness,
Comes forth the glorious Sun.
My Saviour there was laid
Where our bed must be made
When to the realms of light
Our spirit wings its flight.

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Wounded for our Transgressions

Posted on 7 April, 2012 by Jon Gleason

Isaiah 53:4-6

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

(post by Michael Gleason)

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“Perspective … Pray for this Family”

Posted on 6 April, 2012 by Jon Gleason

A co-worker has a precious little one who is very ill with RSV in hospital.  He is updating prayer requests on his blog and wrote this yesterday (emphasis added):

As I am sitting here with Brynna feeling sorry for her and us sometimes as I hear over the loud speaker the following: “Pediatric Code Blue at the helipad” .. it repeats three times. We have only experienced this once .. the day Brynna was born she coded in the delivery room. My heart flipped upside down when I heard the Neonatologist say, “start chest compressions”. Somewhere there is a parent whose heart is flipping upside down right now.

Shortly after the announcement, I hear the door to our hall fling open and a herd of people rolling a stretcher come flashing by, a very small child on it in dire distress the doctor is bagging the child; respiratory failure for certain, who know what else. On Sunday I was so fearful that this would also be our outcome. I am thankful that it wasn’t. This puts all things in perspective. Whatever your struggle today, whatever annoyance you have had, whatever sleep I may not have gotten, whatever thing you aren’t doing that you would really like to do, can’t compare to the day the mother of this child is having.

I hope you’ll pray for Matt’s family and little Brynna as well as the family he mentioned.

I am so thankful our Saviour conquered sin and death.  One day there will be no more sorrow.

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