#isaiah 40:6

[scripture-pictures]

[walkswithmyfather]

1. “The Lord gives wisdom. Knowledge and understanding come from his mouth.” —Proverbs 2:6 (NIRV)

2. “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” —Isaiah 40:29 (NIV)

3. “This is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.” —Psalm 48:14 (ESV)

4. “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” —Psalm 25:5 (NIV)

5. “I will make you into a great nation. And I will bless you. I will make your name great. You will be a blessing to others.”—Genesis 12:2 (NIRV)

“Dear God, I thank you for the week that is ahead. I know you will be with me every step of the way. Please give me strength, wisdom and guidance. Help me to be a blessing to others as you are to me. Amen!” 🙏

[freebiblestudies]

Lesson 040: Dealing with Disappointment

Genesis 40:23 - Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

Joseph had dealt with so many trials and troubles in his young life.  He was abandoned by his brothers and sold into slavery.  He tried to make the best of his situation and live honorably for God.  Yet he was falsely accused of a crime and thrown into prison.

Despite all this, Joseph was still faithful to God and believed he would be delivered.  Joseph must have been excited to hear the chief butler was restored to his former position.  

Let’s read together Genesis 40:1-13.

The chief butler did not put in a good word to Pharaoh for Joseph.  The chief butler actually forgot about Joseph for two years.  

Joseph must have been very discouraged during that time.  Perhaps he thought God was going to deliver him using the chief butler, but nothing happened for two years.

Let’s read together Proverbs 3:5; Psalm 42:11; and Colossians 3:23-24.

Despite this setback, Joseph still believed in God.  Joseph knew God did not forsake him.  God blessed Joseph when he was in Potiphar’s household.  God even blessed Joseph in prison.

Let’s read together Psalm 27:14 and Galatians 6:9.

Just like Joseph, we need to learn how to wait on the Lord.

[bojackson54]

The Woman Who Believed an Unbelievable Message

Almost every Christmas pageant contains the Angel’s appearance to Mary. Luke’s narrative about Mary’s conversation with Gabriel described her reaction to some pretty unbelievable news. If you think about it, there is much to learn from Mary’s response to God’s messenger. (And BTW, the Greek word for angel is anggelos, or messenger—simply put, a courier who brings a message, or a word from someone…

[touchofgoddotworld]

Whose Report Do You Believe? (270) - November 2 2024

Choose your Podcast App to Play this episode Pastor Catrice speaks on this week’s topic about the heart of the Christian when finding themselves in a Wilderness. Moses sent out scouts to report back what they found in Canaan, the land which God had given His children. However, some of them brought back an evil report because they were afraid of what they saw and didn’t acknowledge the Lord and…

[kmac4him1st]

Firstee Family

  Family Concern Plays Out To: Family Prayer In times such as these Jesus, we do have concerns for our family and we take them to You, Jesus, The Only One Who wears the Victor’s Throne, our Overcomer and our very Present Comfort. Thank You Jesus, we pray for every high thing to come down, every stronghold that affects our family in these dark and lawless times, to be broken by the power of Your…

[saltfield]

Withering

Storied like the very stars,

Distant, memory so fleeting,

Like beauty on a rosy cheek,

No longer worth completing.

.

Rectified like rectal types,

I find them disconcerting,

The stomach turns as if it's worms,

Which soon, in swarming, eating.

.

Inebriate, elucidate,

Sing of ego unrepenting.

Coarse, your tongue against my throat,

The idol skin so unrelenting.

[graceandpeacejoanne]

Isaiah 40: God's Enabling Grace

Knowing earthly glory does not last gives you and me the greater perspective that only eternal things are worth investing our hearts in. So we ask ourselves: What priorities might need to change in order to reflect a more eternal perspective? #Isaiah40

A Flower Quickly Fading Isaiah’s audience at the beginning of this book was the people of Judah, still living in the land. To them went God’s message of warning and call to repentance. Now Isaiah’s listeners were a discouraged people, living in exile, and God spoke to them in consolation, promising to come to them. Prepare the way, Isaiah cried in exuberance, fill all the valleys, flatten all…

[girlbloggercher]

how to read the Bible

this is in order!

1. John

2. Mark

3. Matthew

4. Luke

5. Genesis

6. Exodus

7. Leviticus

8. Numbers

9. Dueteronomy

10. Romans

11. Galatians

12. Colossians

13. Proverbs

14. Ecclesiastes

15. Job

16. 1 Peter

17. 1 Corinthians

18. 2 Corinthians

19. Ephesians

20. Philippians

21. 1 Thessalonians

22. 2 Thessalonians

23. 1 Timothy

24. 2 Timothy

25. James

26. 2 Peter

27. 1 John

28. 2 John

29. 3 John

30. Jude

31. Psalms

32. Joshua

33. Judges

34. 1 Samuel

35. 2 Samuel

36. 1 Kings

37. 2 Kings

38. 1 Chronicles

39. 2 Chronicles

40. Ezra

41. Nehemiah

42. Jeremiah

43. Lamentations

44. Ezekiel

45. Joel

46. Amos

47. Obadiah

48. Nahum

49. Habakkuk

50. Zephaniah

51. Haggai

52. Zechariah

53. Malachi

54. Micah

55. Hosea

56. Luke

57. Esther

58. Jonah

59. Song of Solomon

60. Acts

61. Titus

62. Philemon

63. Hebrew

64. Isaiah

65. Daniel

66. Revelation

[logansgaar]

obviously this isn't something visible without CGI since the actors don't actually age at the same rate as their characters, so we have to use Vampire Logic and the suspension of disbelief when it comes to the super soldiers (and Asgardians for that matter). The characters don't look the same age as their actors anymore, their actors have matured but they're still more or less the same as when we first met them.

I wonder if in-universe that characters who don't have delayed aging ever look at Steve, Bucky, Thor or even Loki and think what the fuck you're a baby

Sam is the best guy to illustrate this point.

Sam was 34 during CATWS, and Steve and Bucky were both around 27-28 physically (accounting for the delayed aging of the serum negating any time Bucky spent out of ice, which I've seen most people estimate as being no more than 2 years in total over the entire 50+ year span, and Bucky was 26 when he got his serum in Oct 1943.)

By the time Endgame rolls around, Steve is meant to be 38 but if I've got the math right with some estimation on how old he looks as Old Man Steve vs how old he actually was by then, it's ~40% slower than baseline humans. So in-universe he only aged about 6 years in the 10 years between meeting Sam and Sam dusting back into existence. Meaning before he dipped and came back as Old Man Steve, Steve looked about 33-34.

As of TFATWS, Sam is still 38, which means by the MCU's present day, which is 2026, Sam is 40-41.

Bucky on the other hand (and please remember I mean Bucky the character here, not Sebastian since that's literally impossible) who by the way was not aging at all for 5 and a half years (the Blip and the 6 month freeze in Wakanda) aged about ~2.5 years the entire time between CATWS and TFATWS, so he only looked about 30 during the show. Even by 2026, he's only looking about 32 at absolute max.

In-Universe, Sam has witnessed two of his friends barely age a DAY in a decade. Like how is that not a massive mind fuck. There must come a day where it just hits Sam all at once that Bucky looks really fucking young, he's in his 40s now, even with the Blip, but Bucky still hasn't physically reached the age Sam was when they met 12 years ago in DC.

Don't even get me started on how Thor must look to Bruce, Tony, Natasha, Jane, Darcy and Clint, since Thor in-universe still only looks 27 aka the age Chris H. was when he was filming Thor in 2011. Super soldiers age slower but Asgardians practically come to a stand still once they hit maturity.

Edit: also to add to this, I'm not sure but it doesn't look as if the serum Isaiah, John Walker and Alexei have slows their aging down at all. It seems to be just something Steve and Bucky's has? (We also know Bucky has a different serum, so his aging might not be the same as Steve's was, in the comics at least I think the Infinity Serum stops his aging completely but don't quote me on that.)

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Pharisees and Sadducees Demand Signs

1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.

2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.

3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

5 And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.

6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.

8 Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?

9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?

12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. — Matthew 16 | King James Version (KJV) The King James Version Bible is in the public domain Cross References: Job 34:11; Psalm 42:2; Psalm 49:8; Psalm 129:2; Proverbs 26:5; isaiah 22:22; Isaiah 57:3; Jeremiah 1:1; Matthew 1:16; Matthew 3:7; Matthew 4:10; Matthew 5:20; Matthew 6:30; Matthew 8:20; Matthew 10:38-39; Matthew 12:40; Matthew 14:17; Matthew 14:20; Matthew 21:25; Mark 8:15; Luke 9:18; Luke 12:54; Luke 12:56; John 1:42; John 12;25; Revelation 3:7

Some Standing Here Will Not Taste Death

Key Events in Matthew 16

1. The Pharisees require a sign. 5. Jesus warns his disciples of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 13. The people's opinion of Jesus, 16. and Peter's confession of him. 21. Jesus foretells his death; 23. reproves Peter for dissuading him from it; 24. and admonishes those who will follow him, to bear the cross.

[prayworkthrivecoach]

Stress and Burnout

Lord, I feel overwhelmed by the pressures of work. I need your peace and rest. Help me to manage stress in healthy ways and to prioritize my well-being. Renew my strength and give me wisdom to make changes that will restore peace and balance to my life. Help me thrive in my work, unto the glory of your name. (Matthew 11:28-30, Isaiah 40:31 and Philippians 4:6-7)

[faith-avenue]

I will stand by you. Joshua 1:9 I will help you through. Hebrews 13:6 When you've done all you can do, and you can't cope. Isaiah 40:29 I will dry your eyes. Revelation 21:4 I will fight your fight. Deuteronomy 3:22

[httpsoftbunni]

Genesis 1 Is an Ancient Israelite Cosmology

Introduction to Genesis 1

In Hebrew, the word for "earth" typically means "land," rather than a globe or sphere floating in space, so when you read Genesis 1, imagine the story communicating about the land the people live on. God names the raqia the shamayim–the Hebrew word for "skies" or "heavens." In the Bible, the raqia is the solid dome above the land that holds back the waters above, and the creation of raqia creates a place where life can flourish. In the biblical view, God graciously sustains the raqia, keeping its floodgates closed so that the Earth will never again be destroyed (Gen. 9:11)

"Earth" in Genesis 1:1-2

In Hebrew, ‘erets doesn’t mean “globe-earth.” This is a modern meaning of the English word “earth” that depends on the concept of the planet as a sphere. This concept was not available to the biblical authors at the time. Photos of the earth are fascinating, but totally irrelevant for understanding what the ancient Hebrew word means in Genesis 1. There are no uses of this word in the Hebrew Bible that describe the land as a sphere. Rather, the word’s meaning describes the land that is below the skies and the clouds.

Psalms 102:19

For [God] looked down from His holy height; from heaven the LORD gazed upon the ‘erets.

Psalms 103:11

For as high as the heavens are above the ‘erets, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear him.

By looking at the biblical usage of this word, we can see that a more appropriate English word for translating ‘erets would be “land.”

"Firmament/Exapnse/Vault/Dome" in Genesis 1:6-8

In Hebrew, raqia refers to a solid blue dome above the land, above which are presumed to be waters. The English word “dome” is an accurate rendering of the word based on its other uses in the biblical text.

The Noun Raqia

Genesis 1:6-8

And God said, “Let there be a raqia in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the water.” God made the raqia and separated the water which were below the raqia from the waters which were above the raqia, and it was so. God called the raqia “heavens.” And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

Genesis 1:20

And God said, “…and let the birds fly over the land against the surface of the raqia…”

Ezekiel 1:22, 26

And there was something like a raqia over the heads of the living creatures, like the appearance of ice, stretched out over their heads above…. And above the raqia that was over their heads something like blue sapphire, the appearance of a throne…

The Verb Raqa

In Hebrew, Raqa means “to hammer out, smooth, spread out.”

Exodus 39:3

And they [the craftsmen] Raqa’d smooth sheets of gold, and they cut them into cords to be woven together with blue and purple and scarlet…

Numbers 16:39

So Eleazer the priest took the bronze censers which the men who were burned had offered and they Raqa’d them out as a plating for the altar…

Isaiah 40:19

As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, a goldsmith Raqa’s it with gold….

Isaiah 42:5

Thus says God the LORD,

Who created the heavens and stretched them out, 

Who raqa’d the land and what springs up from it,

Who gives breath to the people on it

And spirit to those who walk in it…

The Windows of the Raqia’

The raqia’ is a solid blue dome between the land and the cosmic waters, which are released over the land through windows in the raqia’

Genesis 7:11

In the sixth hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the windows of the skies were opened.

Genesis 1 is using ancient physics to give a metaphysical account of the meaning of the universe.

[bojackson54]

Unbelievable! The Woman Who Believed in a Preposterous Message

Almost every Christmas pageant contains the Angel’s appearance to Mary. Luke’s narrative about Mary’s conversation with Gabriel described her reaction to some pretty unbelievable news. If you think about it, there is much to learn from Mary’s response to God’s messenger. (And BTW, the Greek word for angel is anggelos, or messenger—simply put, a courier who brings a message, or a word from someone…

[apilgrimpassingby]

Demons of the Hebrew Bible

Since today is also the day for Lord of Spiritsposting, I've decided to make a post I considered yesterday - the demons of the Hebrew Bible. This will be a long post, so I'm inserting a "Keep Reading".

Azazel: Appears only once in Leviticus 16, as the being in the wilderness to whom the goat with the people's sins laid on it in the Day of Atonement ritual is given (this isn't sacrifice, because the animal isn't killed or offered on an altar, among other things). Becomes a Devil figure in some later Jewish literature like the Book of Enoch, and is associated with deserts, sin and goats - the name literally means "the goat that goes away" (an archaic translation gives us the word "scapegoat"), and the seemingly-random reference to goat demons in Leviticus 17:7 comes just after Azazel's appearance.

Deber: The most prominent of the gang, appearing (usually in conjunction with other figures on this list) in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Amos, Habakkuk and the Pentateuch a total of 49 times, usually unleashed as punishment for some sin by Israel (compare "handing people over to Satan" in St. Paul's letters - 1 Corinthians 5:5, 1 Timothy 1:20). A nocturnal demon of pestilence and destruction associated with the underworld in Canaanite mythology.

Hereb: Rendered as "the sword" in English; the next most prominent one, appearing 29 times and, like Deber, in conjunction with the others. A demon of violence and destruction associated with blood-drinking (Isaiah 34:5, Jeremiah 46:10) and flesh-eating (Deuteronomy 32:42, Jeremiah 12:12) and probably the rider on a red horse from Revelation 6:3-4.

Lilit: Appears just once, Isaiah 34:14, where she's dwelling in some ruins. Usually translated as "screech owl" or "night bird", but some use "Lilith". In Mesopotamian mythology, the lili are a class of nocturnal female demons associated who kill babies and are associated with owls, so the translation as "screech owl" is acceptable. The Songs of the Sage from the Dead Sea Scrolls refer to liliyot (feminine plural) as a class of demons: "And I, the Instructor, proclaim His glorious splendour so as to frighten and to te[rrify] all the spirits of the destroying angels, spirits of the bastards, demons, liliths, howlers...

Livyatan: Usually anglicised as Leviathan, and appears five times: Job 3:8 and chapter 41, Psalms 74:12-14 and 104:26 and Isaiah 27:1. Based on those appearances, he's a multi-headed fire-breathing sea serpent immune to weapons who battles with Yahweh and (of course) always loses. The myth of a god fighting a sea serpent is a staple of world mythology. Likely correlates to the beast from the sea of Revelation 13:1-10, since Leviathan is paired with a beast from the earth (Behemoth; Job 40:15-24) - also compare Revelation 13:4 ("Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”) to Job 41:33-34 ("On earth there is not his like, a creature without fear. He sees everything that is high; he is king over all the sons of pride").

Nephilim: Famously appear in Genesis 6:1-4 as the warriors born of the sons of God and the daughters of men, understood in Second Temple Jewish texts such as the Book of Enoch and the Septuagint to be giants born of fallen angels and human women. They appear by the name Anakim or Rephaim in Genesis 14:5, 15:20, Deuteronomy 1:28, 2:10-11, 2:20-21, 3:11, 3;13, 9:2 and Joshua 11:21-22, 12:4, 13:12, 14:12, 14:15 and 15:8 and war with giants appears in 2 Samuel 21:16-22, 1 Chronicles 20:4-8 and, of course, 1 Samuel 17 (the David and Goliath story).

Qeteb: Appears just 4 times (Deuteronomy 32:24; Psalm 91:6; Isaiah 28:2; Hosea 13:14), together with Deber in the Psalms and Hosea appearances and together with Resheph in Deuteronomy; if there's any lesson from this post so far, it's that plague demons hunt in packs. A diurnal plague demon whose name is rendered in English as "destruction"; nothing more to be said.

Ra'av: The third most prominent one, appearing 35 times; a famine demon whose name is rendered in English as "famine" or "hunger" who is unleashed on Israel as punishment together with (surprise!) Hereb and either Deber or Resheph. Probably the rider on a black horse from Revelation 6:5-6.

Rephaim: The spirits of dead kings who dwell in the underworld not doing much, translated in the ESV as shades and appearing in Isaiah 14:9 and 26:14; the same imagery and concept is being used by Ezekiel 32:20-30.

Resheph: A demon of plague and conquest worshipped as a god in Canaanite and Egyptian culture, depicted as a bearded archer on a white horse. Appears just 6 times in the Hebrew Bible (Deuteronomy 32:24; Habakkuk 3:5 Psalm 78:48; Job 5:7, Song of Songs 8:6); the name is rendered as "plague" or "pestilence" or occasionally "fire" or "sparks" because the name literally means "burning". Probably the rider on a white horse from Revelation 6:2.

Sources and Further Reading

"Before Him Went Pestilence (Hab. 3:5) - Biblical Lexis and Semantic Field of Epidemics" by Jozef Jankovic for The Old Testament Society of South Africa

"A Land of Giants" by Frs. Andrew Stephen Damick and Stephen DeYoung on The Lord of Spirits

"War, Famine, Disease, Death and Hades" by Fr. Stephen DeYoung on The Whole Counsel of God

"Who is Azazel?" by Fr. Stephen DeYoung on The Whole Counsel of God

Who is Lilith - Ancient Development and Origins of the Demon Queen by Dr. Justin Sledge on ESOTERICA

Or in short - stop making it all about Lilith. Use some other Hebrew Bible demons.