Siloam: Eighteen Dead Men

Sometimes the Bible introduces us to a historical event in one verse, only for all memory of that event to vanish forever by the next verse. The event in Siloam that Jesus mentions in the fourth verse of Luke 13 did happen, but any remembrance of it disappears from Scripture by verse five. We are left to contemplate the meaning without further context or explanation. This reminds us that events mentioned in the Bible are part of the daily drama of real human lives, just as our lives unfold daily.

Consider the eighteen men who lost their lives in this event. These eighteen men had an occupation that involved constructing a tower in Siloam. These eighteen men had families. These eighteen men had a place to live and friends with which to spend time. They went to bed the night before, knowing they would go to work the next day. Imagine them waking up that morning and having breakfast before heading to the job site. But they never made it back home at the end of the day. They now had grieving family and friends dealing with a sudden calamity. Things that happen in the Bible affect real human beings.

To understand what these men were building and why, let us first consider the historical importance of Siloam, the southeast corner of Jerusalem. 

Samaritans

The following article is part of the "Biblical Obscurities" blog series by Mike Velthouse, author of Journey...

The House of Annas

We must understand that Annas and Caiaphas were not simply innocent bystanders in Jesus' death, forced to be involved in the situation only because of their offices. They were willing plotters and participants. They were not awakened out of sleep during the night of Jesus' illegal trial, quickly putting on some clothes and freshening up, so they could ask Jesus a couple of questions to make everything seem legitimate. They were lying in wait for him. This was finally the moment for which they had been waiting! In cold blood, they were responsible for murdering our Lord Jesus Christ.

Gehenna

Sometimes the Bible takes us to scary places. Think of the cottage of the witch of Endor, which King Saul visited at night, hoping she would bring back the spirit of the dead Samuel (1 Samuel 28). Or remember the cemetery in the land of the Gadarenes, where a demon-possessed man lived at night among the tombs, crying and cutting himself with stones, before Jesus healed him (Mark 5). We are going to visit another such scary place today...In the New Testament, Gehenna is synonymous with hell (also called Sheol). Jesus employed this word (“hell”) eleven times as the name for the place of ultimate and eternal fiery destruction and separation for those outside of the Kingdom of Christ.

Maschil

Some of the most interesting parts of the psalms are the subtitles found under specific chapter headings throughout this book of the Bible. We can learn much about a psalm from what we see in these brief statements. Sometimes they share with us the historical setting behind the writing. For example, Psalm 3 says it's "a Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom, his son." Psalm 57's subtitle tells us that it was written by David "when he fled from Saul in the cave." Other times, these subtitles let us know what kind of psalm it is. There are psalms of praise. There are psalms as prayers. There are psalms as songs. There are psalms of degrees, which show that a psalm was sung by the people as their families or groups of families walked up the elevation to the tabernacle at Mount Zion, where they gathered for worship. Significantly, thirteen psalms have a very mysterious word as their subtitle. Maschil.

Chorazin

The following article is part of the "Biblical Obscurities" blog series by Mike Velthouse, author of Journey...

Book Review - Two Books, One Message

I have just finished two recent books published by the RFPA, and I thought to give you my reactions to them. The books both have a similar message and that is to spread the gospel to peoples of different races and cultures than our own. Even though they have a similar message, they are very different in the manner in which the message is written. One of the books is an expository nonfiction work, and the other is a realistic fiction book.

Petra: Carved in Stone

The following article is part of the "Biblical Obscurities" blog series by Mike Velthouse, author of Journey...

Book Review - "Harm’s Spiritual Struggle Embodies the Christian Life"

This Civil War novel is an excellent book for both young people and adults to read. Its Christian perspective from a first-person point-of-view reminds us again how the Christian life is not always easy. Spiritual dangers attack the elect on every side, no matter what time period they live in. Yet God continually gives us strength by His Holy Spirit to persevere until the end. 

Candace, Queen of Ethiopia

There are not many records about Candace Amantitere, but we can learn a lot about her rule in Meroe by what the Bible tells us about the Ethiopian eunuch himself (probably her Minister of Finance: “he had the charge of all her treasure,” Acts 8:27). Let’s think about what the eunuch had just been doing when he appears on the scene in Acts. He had completed a 1500-mile journey north, in a chariot, to Jerusalem, to observe a Jewish holiday at the temple. Now, why would he have done that?

Book Review - "Salvation in the Preaching of the Word"

I think that reading this book is a great reminder and in-depth proof of what our doctrine of salvation is and why it is true based on Scripture. To know our doctrine of salvation is not only important for our daily Christian life, but knowing about the false interpretation of "whosoever will may come" that is easily found in the world opens us up to opportunities to witness to those around us about the truth of salvation and encourage them to come to the pure preaching of the gospel!

Assyria (3): Nineveh

Located on the east bank of the Tigris River in northern Iraq, Mosul has a population of about 1.8 million. But what connects Mosul to us as we study biblical history is what’s located on the other side of the Tigris River. In the middle of the urban sprawl of Mosul, west of the Tigris, and underneath dusty roads and forgotten fields, lie the ruins of that great city, Nineveh.

Assyria (2): The Kings

Today, we will zoom our lens in quite a bit closer and concentrate on the third stage of Assyria's history, known as the Neo-Assyrian Empire. This period begins in 912 B.C. and ends with the empire's demise in 609 B.C. We know the most about this era because this period coincides with the history of Judah and Israel given in the books of Kings and Chronicles. Let’s look at the Assyrian kings who played a prominent role in this Bible history.

Assyria (1): History

If given a list of ancient world empires, you probably know enough information about some of them to impress your friends. You most likely have some knowledge of Babylon or Rome. Maybe even Persia or Greece. But what about the world power that existed before the ones just mentioned, which, at its height around 650 B.C., was the largest empire the world had ever seen? What do you know about Assyria?

Book Review - "One Continuous and Unified Story"

"Born For Our Salvation" is a detailed look at the birth and early years of Jesus Christ and what it means to us as Christians. Rev. McGeown explores the emotions and reactions of key figures such as Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the wise men. He shows how each responded to the unique challenges God placed in their lives. He even gives insight as to why King Herod acted as he did. Rev. McGeown debunks many of the "nativity" scenes and offers more biblically accurate descriptions drawn from the gospel accounts in Luke and Matthew and organizing the events in a clear chronological order. Throughout the book Rev. McGeown emphasizes the central message of Christ's birth: He came into the world to save His people from their sins, and His suffering began from the moment of his birth and continued all the way to the cross.

Joppa

Israel has about 125 miles of coastline along the Mediterranean Sea. However, ancient Israel did not view this stretch of land in the same way the modern beach-goer does. Back then, the Mediterranean Sea meant chaos, rocky shores, and angry waves. It was a place where rumors of scary weather events came to life, and a place from which an enemy might attack. It’s no wonder that in Revelation 21, as John introduces us to the new heavens and new earth, the first example he uses to describe this magnificent future isn’t an end to the persecuting and oppressive Roman government of the day, a vanishing of sickness and disease, or even the abolishment of death. Instead, he makes this astounding statement: “And there was no more sea.”

Patmos: John’s Exile

Because of the emperor’s decree, Christians in Ephesus faced a life-or-death decision: remain faithful to God or worship the emperor at his temple. Because many Christians would not bow down to the emperor, the apostle John, being the Bishop of Ephesus at this time, received the most blame. Accusing John of political defiance and subversiveness, Domitian punished him with banishment to the island of Patmos in 95 A.D. 

Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:13-20)

Sometimes the location of an event in the Bible is as important as the occurrence itself. There is no more outstanding example of this than the city of Caesarea Philippi, considered the Roman empire's epicenter for worshipping pagan gods. Here, the scene is set for Peter’s great confession of who Christ is. Jesus and his disciples had just traveled 30 miles north, a two-day journey from the Sea of Galilee to Caesarea Philippi. Jesus led them here for an important reason. Before heading south on the final trip to Jerusalem, Jesus had one last test for the disciples.

Joanna: A Life of Service

Who is your favorite female character in the Bible? How many of you would choose someone who was only mentioned a couple of times in the Bible by name, but who dedicated her time to serving her Lord? Let's meet Joanna, one such woman who offers a great example of a life of service.

Book Review - "The Gospel Can Change Your Life"

Kashvi meets the Christian owners of the orphanage and begins to have a relationship with the one true God. The contrast between the "religion" of her childhood and the true godly faith of her new life at Karunai House really shows how the gospel can change your life.