8 people Commended by Jesus

• Nathanael: When first meeting him, Jesus called him a "true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false" (John 1:47)
• The Roman Centurion: Jesus marvelled at this Gentile soldier's profound faith and understanding of spiritual authority, stating, "I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!" (Matthew 8:5-13)
• John the Baptist: Jesus publicly defended and honoured John, calling him the greatest among those born of women and describing him as a "lamp that burned and gave light" (Matthew 11:7-11)
• The Syrophoenician Woman: When she persistently begged Jesus to heal her daughter, he commended her persistence and faith, telling her, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted" (Matthew 15:21-28)
• The Poor Widow: Jesus praised a widow who placed two tiny copper coins into the temple treasury. He highlighted her sacrifice, noting she gave "out of her poverty... all that she had" (Mark 12:41-44)
• Mary of Bethany: After she anointed Jesus' feet with expensive perfume, he defended her actions from critics and commended her devotion, declaring that she had chosen "what is better, and it will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:38-42)
• The Anointing Woman: In Luke 7:36-50, a woman washes Jesus' feet with her tears and hair. Jesus commended her great love and faith, saying, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace" (Luke 7:50)
• The Scribe: After a teacher of the law correctly summarised that loving God and one's neighbor is more important than burnt offerings, Jesus told him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God" (Mark 12:28-34)

5 and more nations who practiced circumcision, Jeremiah 9:25, 26

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Levant_800.png

Jeremiah 9:25, 26

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh -

Egypt,

Judah,

Edom,

Ammon,

Moab

and all who live in the wilderness in distant places.

For all these nations are really uncircumcised, and even the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart.”

3 things not to boast in from Jeremiah 9:23, 24

Jeremiah 9:23, 24

This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom

or the strong boast of their strength

or the rich boast of their riches,

but let the one who boasts boast about this:

that they have the understanding to know me,

that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,

justice and righteousness on earth,

for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.

3 animals that will harm Israel according to Jeremiah 5:6

Jeremiah 5:6

Therefore

a lion from the forest will attack them,

a wolf from the desert will ravage them,
a leopard will lie in wait near their towns to tear to pieces any who venture out,

for their rebellion is great and their backslidings many.

28 Types of Babylonian cargo listed in Revelation 18

11 The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore-  12 cargoes of

gold,
silver,
precious stones
and pearls;
fine linen,
purple,
silk
and scarlet cloth;
every sort of citron wood,
and articles of every kind made of ivory,
costly wood,
bronze,
iron
and marble;
13 cargoes of cinnamon
and spice,
of incense,
myrrh
and frankincense,
of wine
and olive oil,
of fine flour
and wheat;
cattle
and sheep;
horses
and carriages;
and human beings sold as slaves.

10 Contrasts between Psalms 105 and 106

Philip  De Vere, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Psalms 105 and 106 are twin historical psalms that tell the same story from two different perspectives. While Psalm 105 focuses on God’s perfect faithfulness, Psalm 106 focuses on humanity’s persistent unfaithfulness.

1. Psalm 105 is a hymn of praise. Its tone is joyful, celebratory and filled with gratitude. Psalm 106 is a prayer of repentance. Its tone is sombre, reflective and confession-driven.
2. Psalm 105 builds confidence. It reminds the reader that God always keeps His unconditional promises. Psalm 106 teaches humility. It reminds the reader that mercy is the only reason the nation survived.
3. Psalm 105 is about God's loyalty. It highlights God's initiative, promises and miracles. Psalm 106 is about Israel's rebellion: It highlights human failure, complaints and spiritual amnesia.
4. Psalm 105 omits all sin. It completely skips over the golden calf, the grumbling and the rebellions. Psalm 106 details every failure. It acts as a national confession, listing specific sins from Egypt to the Exile.
5. Psalm 105 starts with Abraham. It traces the covenant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob before reaching Moses. Psalm 106 starts at the Red Sea: It bypasses the early Patriarchs to jump straight into the Exodus sins.
6. Psalm 105 celebrates the plagues. It portrays the plagues as God's mighty judgments against Egypt. Psalm 106 laments the wilderness:. It portrays the wilderness as a place where Israel constantly tested God's patience.
7. Psalm 105:37–39 says God brought them out laden with silver and gold. He spread a cloud as a covering and a fire to give light at night. Psalm 106:7 says They gave no thought to God's miracles in Egypt. They did not remember His kindness; they rebelled by the Red Sea.
8. Psalm 105:42–44 says God remembered His holy promise to Abraham. He brought His people out with joy. He gave them the lands of the nations. Psalm 106:24, 25 says They despised the pleasant land and did not believe His promise. They grumbled in their tents and refused to obey the Lord.
9. Psalm 105:44, 45 says He gave them the lands of the nations... that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. Praise the Lord! Psalm 106:34–36 says They did not destroy the peoples as the Lord commanded. Instead, they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs, worshipping their idols.
10. Psalm 105 ends with victory. It concludes with the triumphant possession of the Promised Land. Psalm 106 ends in captivity: It concludes with a plea to be gathered and rescued from exile among the nations.

17 Imprecations found in Psalm 108:6-20

1. 6 Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy;
2. let an accuser stand at his right hand.
3. 7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty,
4. and may his prayers condemn him.
5. 8 May his days be few;
6. may another take his place of leadership.
7. 9 May his children be fatherless
8. and his wife a widow.
9. 10 May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes.
10. 11 May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labour.
11. 12 May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children.
12. 13 May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation.
13. 14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD; may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
14. 15 May their sins always remain before the LORD, that he may blot out their name from the earth. (16 For he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and the needy and the brokenhearted.)
15. 17 He loved to pronounce a curse - may it come back on him.
16. He found no pleasure in blessing - may it be far from him.
17. 18 He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil. 19 May it be like a cloak wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him. 20 May this be the LORD's payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me.