Biblical Oils (Part 1)

How many of you use essential oils?  In case you are unaware, essential oils are growing in popularity. And while some are discovering them for the first time, they are not new. There are several references to oils being used in the Bible, mainly for food, offering and anointing. But there are other references that may go undetected, for instance Psalms 133 and Numbers 16.

For many years I wondered what happened to the Biblical oils used for incense and anointing. Why did people stop using them? I often questioned if there was anything worthy in the knowledge of using oils or did it become archaic and obsolete as medicine fine tuned itself. As far as I was concerned oils weren't around anymore. In fact, when my brother started to use an oil called Thieves I was impressed that he had researched oils enough to have found this information. Turns out, I just didn't know where to look.

As I began to read and hear about oils a part of me still felt it was a bunch of fru-fru archaic stuff, even if it was brought back into usage by physicians during WWI. Recently, my brother showed me two other easily overlooked passages in the Bible. Ezekiel 47 talks about the wonderful water flowing from the temple, nourishing the land and eventually producing fruit trees. At the tail end of the chapter is the description stating the leaves are to be used for healing. Helloooo...oils! And when the tribulation is done and over with (Revelation 22), there will be a healing brought to the nations, believe it or not, through the leaves of the tree of life.

So what have I done with this knowledge of oils? I've begun using them for freshening a room and for a variety of ailments from bug bites to muscle tension to nasal congestion.

Now, before I go any further I do want to say that visiting a physician to find out what's ailing you is most important. Self diagnosing can be a dangerous thing to do. I also found a couple of resources that indicate that some oils may worsen a condition rather than help it. The same thing happens with homeopathic medication. You could be doubling up a dosage if you take something without first consulting your doctor.

Do these oils work? When used properly and if your body accepts it the right way, yes. For example, recently I burned myself with overly hot water at a restaurant. One of the workers brought me a packet of burn ointment they use in the kitchen. Guess what the active ingredient was? An essential oil. Within minutes the burn was gone.

Another thing I've learned is that the oils are not cheap. Nor were they cheap in the days of the Bible. Some of the oils come only from one place or one type of vegetation on the earth. They are made from the leaves, roots, and flowers of all kinds of trees, shrubs and bushes. And it takes lots of that ingredient to make a liter of oil. Which is why in Biblical days the oils were treasured and of equal value with gold when given as a gift.

Over the next few weeks I'd like to fill you in on some of these Biblical treasures. We'll start with Frankincense and Myrrh that the wise men brought to the baby Jesus. There was a reason beyond displaying wealth that these expensive oils were given to Jesus as a gift.

Passion vs Passionate

What do you think of when you hear passion or passionate? Do you first think of a love scene in a movie? Maybe you think of someone who's so crazy about their work or hobby that when the subject is brought up that's all they talk about.

When I was a preteen my dad was stationed in Germany and we went to see the famous production called the Passion Play. It happens every ten years for a set season in the town of Oberammergau, a beautiful town in the Bavarian Alps. The play is based on the life and death of Jesus and takes two days to watch. It was all in German, but I could figure out what was happening by watching. It's quite something. The whole town shuts down to perform the play.

Now that's being passionate about a play. Why do they put so much effort into a story that most churches tell in an hour program once a year? I'll tell you why.

In the 1600's when whole villages were dying off due to an epidemic of the plague, the village people got together and prayed for God's protection. They promised God if He would spare them they would present the story of Jesus in their village every ten years. The village was spared. And, except for a few wars they have kept to this time frame and continue the tradition of the Passion Play.

I never questioned why it was called the Passion Play, but thought it odd. What is passion? Why name a story about Jesus Passion?  It's a strange word actually. Merriam-Webster's definitions for passion include strong feelings that might lead in a dangerous direction, a strong romantic feeling, the sufferings of Jesus, emotional reactions and just plain suffering. Some of these are older definitions but are still listed.

I like what Jewish Jewels said in their newsletter for November. The love God has for us is so great that it is a passion. He is passionate about having us with Him for eternity. Jesus has so much love for us that He suffered for us - first he put himself under the law by being born to a woman, then ended his hard work on earth by being put through an unjust trial, then humiliated by having his clothes stripped off, then publicly beaten during his humiliation, then killed in the most horrible public way.

Are you passionate enough about anyone that you would do these things? Especially, when at anytime in that process you can stop what was being done to you? It's like a grown man allowing his toddler children to beat him up when at anytime he could swing his arm and knock all of them down then place them in time out or send them to their rooms. You get the idea.

I for one am glad that Jesus had that much love and desire for man that he came to live among us. As we near the celebration of his birth let's all remember just how much he endured for us because of his passion for us.

Hebrews?

Have you ever wondered where the name Hebrew came from? When did the Israelites start being known as Hebrews? And why? Recently these question came to my mind.

Strong's Concordance defines Hebrew as being related to Eber, who was a descendant of Noah's son Shem and an ancestor of Abram. That's an interesting connection, but why not say "the Shemite" if you're going to refer to a relative. The NKJV Concordance simply called it a term used in referring to Jews.

The Chronological Study Bible and The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible along with an article in the Biblical Location of the Lost Ten Tribes gave me a better explanation of the term.

The first one to be called a Hebrew is Abraham, while he is still known as Abram. We see this reference in Genesis 14. Prior to this Abraham is just Abram, the man God called to leave the home he knew, taking his family and way of life to the mysterious land God promised him. So what happened to change how Abram was known?

Well, during that time there were a group of wanderers that were called Habiru, also known as Hapiru and Apiru. (Just a side note: the root word here comes from a word meaning to cross over.) These people left their homelands, for whatever reason, and wandered about other lands, finding no place to rest and settle. Some of these groups were large and fought as an army. And, as is with all groups, some of these people caused trouble wherever they went.

Let's do a quick review of Abraham's story and see if he falls under the definition of Habiru.

Abram and Lot left their homeland to travel to this promised location. They never settled anywhere because they went where the grass was green and their flocks could feed. But after leaving Egypt Abram decides they need to part company in order to keep the peace between their workers. So Lot chooses the land where the grass is green enough that it resembles the Garden of Eden and Egypt, and Abram goes into Canaan. So now there's two related groups with very large flocks roaming the countryside in two directions.

And when Lot is captured, an escapee goes to the other wandering relative, Abram, to bring his army of 318 men to rescue the captives. And he does. Unfortunately for Lot, he is returned home to the land of Sodom and Gomorrah.

I don't know about you, but the definition of Habiru sure seems to fit Abraham. I can see where people would have looked at him as being a Habiru. And it's so similar in spelling to Hebrew, they look like they might have been pronounced similarly. Although, the article linked above states the words are pronounced differently. In spite of this, it totally makes sense to me.

Of course, the reference stuck. Descendants of Abraham still call themselves Hebrews. And, Israel calls their language Hebrew.

But I have one more tidbit of information. Hebrew isn't the only descriptive word given to the Israelites. According to the referenced site mentioned above, many Hebrews, or Israelites, migrated to the north into Europe. The Romans saw these people as uncivilized and called them Barbari or Iberi. From those names came the term barbarian. Who knew? All this time I thought barbarians were a rough, unkempt, murderous people. Actually, the definitions found in dictionary.com include uncivilized and savage. But it also includes philistine, and someone living outside the Roman Empire or a Christian country.

Isn't word history interesting? This has given me a greater understanding of how others viewed the father of many nations when he first came on the scene. And, it fills in the gaps, so to speak.

What's the Therefore There For?

Have you ever looked at 2 Thessalonians 1:11? Paul is writing to the Thessalonians and tells them, "Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power,..." (2 Thessalonians 1:11)(NKJV)
 
A friend asked me to prepare a devotional thought on this verse and I have to admit at first it left me a little perplexed as to its meaning. But then I remembered a lesson I received many years ago. . .when you see "therefore" go back and see what it's there for. So I did. I read the whole chapter. Turns out, it's a wonderful blessing written by Paul.

In essence he's saying, "You're doing a great job and we're bragging on you. Don't worry about what you're going through because those who are trying their best to put you down and tear up your families, homes and businesses are going to find themselves in the middle of destruction and far from anything God has to offer. Also, because you've been doing a good job up to now we're praying that God keeps giving you the power and faith to complete all your desires to do this good work. In this way you can glorify Jesus and He can glorify you."

With this message in mind, I come away with a couple of thoughts. One, God gives me the strength to continue striving to be His example before others no matter what life throws my way. And for the record, one thing I've learned is that what one person sees as a huge persecution is nothing  to someone else. It's all in what we can individually handle. God knows this. He knows us better than we know ourselves. In fact, He's there through each little or big struggle helping us to succeed.

And, secondly, that old adage of troubles showing where you truly stand with God is reflected in this scripture. Troubles and frustrations, which I'd rather not have, aren't there to add stress to my life. They are opportunities to show love to my fellow believers; to show tolerance, love and guidance to those who have yet to find Jesus; to bring glory to God because no matter the outcome He walks through those troubling times with me.

All I can say is, "Ouch." I don't always remember this. Unfortunately, I know I don't pass the test every time. And when I compare my dealings to the persecutions believers on the other side of the world deal with, I feel as small as a mouse. But then I remember, God knows this. And He's there for each of us in each struggle we face cheering us on to be a shining light to those who live in our circle of life and thus bringing glory to Jesus.

Trick or Treat or Witch's Night

Count me odd but honestly, I really don't like Halloween. As a child I took little pleasure in dressing up to walk door-to-door amongst scary costumes only to receive candy I detested. Although, I must say, sometimes I could trade off those undesirables and still end up with more candy than my parents usually had around the house.

And while candy is currently the main focus of this holiday, it did have questionable beginnings. The History Channel gives an excellent explanation of this celebration. I learned a great deal by reading their article.

One thing I already knew was that not every country celebrates this particular holiday. But, as I learned while living in Germany as an adult, there is another yet similar celebration. It's called Hexennacht or Walpurgisnacht, translated Witch's Night, and happens in the spring on the last day of April. Of course it's practiced in other European countries, but since my experience comes from Germany I'll stick with what I know of the celebrations.

What I do remember is that it was compared to our Halloween celebration with two differences. No candy was involved. And, it was only tricks and pranks that occurred that night. As part of the tradition the children or youth of a village play tricks on others in the town. If you left anything outside overnight, it was fair game. It could end up in the town square, or up in your neighbor's tree, or anywhere the teens found humorous. And, don't bother calling the police the next morning because you were warned of the possibility of damage. Most of the pranks we experienced were on the humorous side.

Thinking back to my childhood, I remember being told in school that when the trick-or-treating practice began in this country, the tricking was a reality. Now, as I recall, the trickery was not malice in any way. Interestingly enough, I did not find that bit of information at any of the sites I researched. But it's got me thinking.

I feel this holiday has played the biggest trick on all of us. While we have wonderfully cute costumes nowadays, long gone are sheets pulled over heads to mimic and scare away ghosts, the evil factor still remains. We decorate with the goal of scaring people with fearsome skulls, gruesome cuts, and weapons of bloody destruction. So where's the trick in it all? It takes our focus off the real treat in life.

You see, there is an ultimate treat we might forget to focus on right now. No candy, no sugary substance, no colorful drink can compare to the treat that Jesus has given each of us. He suffered the horrors embraced in this season so that he could be an incredible life-giving treat which takes us away from the fears and dreads this season embraces.

Sea Peoples

It's been a while since I looked at the book A Visual Guide to Bible Events, and this time I read about Samson and the Philistines. The chapter actually answered some questions I have had for a couple of years while doing research for a book.

In that time, I watched a program (which I can't remember the name of) that spoke about people hiding in caves to get away from the "sea people". The producers of the program didn't know who these people were. Only that they were greatly feared because of their ruthlessness. It was the first time I had heard the term sea people. And since I didn't use the internet to try to find the answer, it's been a puzzle for me. That is until I read the chapter mentioned above.

So, here's a quick synopsis of the chapter's short summary. The Canaanite people had strategically placed towns along the Mediterranean coastline. About the same time as the Israelites return comes a strong, highly militarized people with advanced weaponry attacking from the sea. The Canaanite cities are destroyed and the new people erect cities of their own. These people were called the Philistines by the Hebrews. But to the Egyptians, according to Mazar in Archaelogy of the Land of the Bible, they were also known as the "Sea Peoples". Bingo. Question answered.

And as far as Samson is concerned, his actions angered the Philistines over and over again. See Judges 13-16. Personally, I would have loved to have seen the fox episode. Can you picture foxes tied together by their tails? Now try to picture a lit torch tied between their tails. I can see them jumping and trying to pull away from each other. Then Samson sets the foxes free to run in the fertile fields of the Sorek Valley. And how many foxes did he tie up? Three hundred! Good-bye crops.

Samson wasn't a perfect man, but you have to admire the strength and ability to do such a feat. Most people remember him more for his encounter and demise through Delilah. But, ultimately his greatest victory came at his death when he pulled an entire building down on all the leaders of the Philistine people.

Did this stop the Philistines? No. When Saul and David come into the picture of Israel's history, the Philistines are still hanging around. Remember Goliath? Now you understand why the Israelites were very hesitant about engaging in fighting these feared people. Albeit they forgot they had God on their side.

The Philistines, or sea people, were a tough group to get rid of. And while they lived in varying stages of peace with the Israelites, they continually fought over control of the Sorek Valley. I'm not sure what happened to the Philistines in the end. Perhaps it was the Babylonians or Assyrians who finally destroyed their power. But by the time of the New Testament the fierce Philistines were replaced by the even tougher and more organized Romans.

Living the Unbelievable

When I started this blog I chose it's title because writing a blog post is something I would not ever considered doing based on my personality. It was a new requirement in my life pulling me out of the box I lived in and onto a dedicated path of writing. You must know that writing or spending time with technology are not natural callings for me. But when God calls you to write a book, you take the steps necessary to do it.

I must admit that writing has become more natural for me. I live, sleep, eat and drink post ideas as well as book ideas. I've been published in two books and written one of my own and am almost finished with the second book in the series. Who would have thought?

As I think on these things I realize I am living the unbelievable. But the unbelievable is not happening just in my life, it's all around me. We live in a time of unbelievable things happening. Just look at the news.

It has been a long time since we've heard of a disease attacking children to the point of paralysis and near death. Science has managed to stop most of the childhood diseases of the past; i.e. measles, mumps, chicken pox, polio, etc. This cold virus gone mad is their newest challenge.

But it doesn't stop there. The virus Chikungunya attacks all ages, as does the Ebola virus. While the concentration of these diseases is outside the U.S., it is still out there threatening to enter our borders. If you concentrate on all three of these it can be overwhelming.

The unbelievable situation of these diseases threatening to attack the unsuspecting is joined by the groups that hate everyone that is not a part of their group. "Wars and rumors of wars" keep coming to my mind. One country is attacking Israel in an attempt to conquer it. While another has a civil war threatening to go global. What I find more incredible is that they get their new recruits via the internet. News shows air snippets of these recruiting efforts coming from locations one would think didn't have internet connections. But somehow they do. Inconceivable.

I'm sure there's more I could describe that would point out that we all are living in an unbelievable time. And, as I've said before, I'm glad to know that God is in control of the bigger picture. In His book of Revelation, He tells us how crazy and unbelievable things will get as this world nears its end. None of this surprises Him. I just need to remind myself to look to Him when yet another thing occurs confirming how unbelievable life is right now.