The OT refers to sacrifices that gave off a "sweet aroma" to the Lord—especially the fat portions of the animals that were burned (3:16). In the NT, we find the sacrifice of Christ referred to as an "offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma"...

A survey of the Bible reveals many scriptures that speak of believers' obligations toward the needy, including homeless people, widows, orphans, the sick, the underfed, and the illiterate. The Torah in the OT, for example, has passages such...

In Matthew 5:43, 44, Jesus cited this verse, but He seems to have omitted one phrase and added a second clause: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies."

His wording may have...

The Bible has seven feasts of Yahweh, seven sayings from the cross, and seven secrets in the kingdom parables (Matthew 13). Why is this number important? Seven is the biblical number of completeness (taken from the seven days of Gen. 1:1—2:3). It is the...

The Passover Seder is still observed by Jewish people each spring across the globe, although not all celebrate it in the same way. But the basic patterns are deeply ingrained in the Jewish community; this is a rich part of their heritage. The word Seder means "[done]...

In this passage, the number seven is associated with years rather than days: "Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit; but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the...

The most famous bell in America—a central artifact from the American Revolution—is the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The bell was delivered by an English foundry in 1752 and is most famous for cracking and being repaired several times....

Christians maintain their communion with God on the basis of two dynamics—one settled and one ongoing. The settled reality is the one-time death of Christ that atoned for all sins past, present, and future. The ongoing reality is the daily confession of...

Israel began as a theocracy without a human king. One ramification of this was that the two defining parts of any nation—land and people—belonged to God. The people were His and the land of Canaan was His. Therefore, no Israelite could...