Understanding Eastern manners and customs helps us to visualize what we read and study in God’s Word. When we can picture what we are reading about, we not only gain greater understanding, but we are better able to remember it. An example of this is being able to picture the cubit, a unit of length… Continue Reading
The Book of Proverbs is filled with concise and powerful statements of truth, words which are to rule and govern life. These proverbs handle many practical, ethical, and moral topics. In Proverbs 11 we see one example. Proverbs 11:1: A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight. Because… Continue Reading
At major-league baseball games, it is not unusual to hear the cry of a vendor selling his wares as he moves through the stands. Among the choices are salty peanuts, popcorn, and cold bottled water. The vendor makes the water available to anyone who is thirsty, but of course, a price is involved. To receive… Continue Reading
As we read God’s Word, we sometimes come across a word or phrase that sounds strange in the verse. It doesn’t seem to fit the context at all. So we check our concordances and compare the King James Version to other versions of the Bible. We can also check to see if any manners and… Continue Reading
The Western mind does not always understand the meaning of scriptures where Eastern customs are involved. Therefore, we have to investigate, or search out, the meaning of these customs. Matthew 9:20 is a verse that can be readily understood when the light of Eastern manners and customs is shed upon it. Matthew 9:20: And, behold,… Continue Reading
When we read the Gospels, it is important to remember that the words of Jesus are those of an Eastern man. His words reflect the customs and idioms that would have been readily understood by those he taught. In the Gospel of Matthew, we find a verse that becomes very clear when we “see” it… Continue Reading
Jesus Christ often used objects in nature to teach his followers how to live according to God’s Word. Some familiar examples are the lilies and grass of the field in Matthew 6, which is part of what is often referred to as the Sermon on the Mount. The customs of Jesus’ day shed light on… Continue Reading
When we look at our beds and sleeping quarters today, we may see a bed with box springs and a lovely, soft mattress. But when we turn our thoughts to the time of the Bible, we find that beds and sleeping quarters were generally much more simple and basic. Just as today, these varied according… Continue Reading
When we read God’s Word, we do not often see the words “locks” and “keys” because these terms are mentioned just a few times each. But some people did have locks and keys in Bible times. These locks and keys were generally much larger and simpler than ours are today. Manners and customs can help… Continue Reading
Our ministry’s publications can be very helpful in our study of Eastern manners and customs. For example, page 208 of Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed, by Victor Paul Wierwille, has some interesting details about what the inn of Luke 2:7 may have been like. The footnotes at the bottom of that page also lead us… Continue Reading