Have you ever had connections that earned you special treatment? Everyone else was waiting in a long line when your connection got you to the front of the line. Nobody else was able to get tickets to the sold-out event, but your connection got you the best seats in the house. There were 50 applicants for the position, but your connection ensured your CV was given special consideration.
When my uncle was in the Air Force, he knew a colonel who went to his church. One day the colonel at base saw my uncle in the enlisted cafeteria and came over and invited him to join him in the officers' mess. He even carried my uncle's tray through the line! The other teams thought, “Wow! This guy must have something to do with the 'old man'!” He was connected! As they say, “It isn'tWasYou know; It isWHOYou know, that counts!”
When you need connections, the best connection of all is with God. If you can get through to God to get special attention from Him, it goes straight up! You could call him The Ultimate Connection.
But you might be thinking, “Does God have favorites? I thought that he received everyone equally. Can we really have connections with God?” The answer is, God may not have favorites, but He does have familiar ones. Some people have connections to God in ways that others do not. When they pray, God listens. I want us to see how we can join them.
In at least two scriptures, God acknowledges that certain men had a special influence on him. In Jeremiah 15:1 God tells the prophet that even if Moses and Samuel stood before him, his heart would not be with that people, so great is their sin. The implication is that these two men usually had a particular influence, although in this case even they wouldn't pull through. But since we have already studied Moses I would like us to look at another text, Ezekiel 14:14, where God tells Ezekiel that even if Noah, Daniel and Job prayed for this people, He would not grant deliverance except only these men. Noah, Daniel, and Job clearly had connections with God.
Chronologically, these events occurred about five or six years before Jeremiah's prayer (32:16-25, which we studied earlier) during the siege of Jerusalem. A number of Judeans, including Ezekiel, had been captured after Babylon, but Jerusalem had not yet been destroyed. Nebuchadnezzar put Zedekiah over Judah. For a time he tormented himself under Babylonian rule, but then he foolishly ignored Jeremiah's prophetic warnings and rebelled, resulting in the destruction of the city and temple by Nebuchadnezzar.
But five or six years before that final destruction, some Israelite elders living in Babylon came to Ezekiel to inquire if the Lord would spare their homeland. The Lord revealed to Ezekiel that these men, who were outwardly godly, had inwardly set up idols in their hearts (14:3). After Ezekiel admonished them to put off their internal idols, Ezekiel gave them this word from the Lord that Israel's sin was too great for deliverance. Even if these three godly men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, prayed, it would be in vain.
Some scholars doubt that this Daniel is Ezekiel's contemporary because the spelling of his name differs slightly from that in the book of Daniel. They posit that this is a Daniel not mentioned in the Bible, but mentioned in an ancient Canaanite epic poem (whose name is also spelled slightly differently), who was known primarily as a fertility giver but also as a righteous man (John Taylor ,Ezekiel, Tyndale OT CommentaryIVP], p. 129). I find that incredible! The Jews in exile would not have upheld such a pagan mythical figure as a man of influence over God. Although a young man, Daniel had already distinguished himself as a man of prayer by interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The biblical Daniel is clearly meant, even if the spelling varies slightly (see Ralph Alexander,Bibelkommentar des Expositors[Zondervan], 6:808).
Why he is listed in the middle of two men who lived over 1,500 years ago we cannot be sure. All three men were known for their righteousness, which is why God chose them for special mention. Some suggest that the order reflects an increasingly strict application of the principle: Noah delivered his own family from God's judgment; Daniel betrayed his three friends; but Job lost even his children at his trial (Patrick Fairbairn,An exhibitionIfrom Ezekiel[Sovereign Grace Publishers], p. 75). But in any case, God mentions four times that these three could only deliver themselves in the present situation (14:14, 16, 18, 20). Twice God says that the cause of their deliverance would be their righteousness (14:14, 20). It was clearly their righteousness that provided these men with connections to God.
To pray effectively we must be righteous people.
"Righteous" is a rare word in American Christianity today. It may sound a bit strange to your ears. There are dozens of best-selling Christian books on finding fulfillment in personal life and marriage, but very few teach you how to be righteous. If you were invited to lunch with a man known for his righteousness, would you even want to go? Do you want to be known as a righteous man or woman? But it is the righteous person who has connections with God. James 5:16 tells us that "the effective prayer of a righteous man can do much." Let's look at what it means to be righteous so that we can pray effectively.
1. Righteous people have appropriated the righteousness that comes by faith.
The Bible uses the word "righteous" in two ways. It is used by the faith-righteousness that is namedimputedRighteousness (Rom. 3:21-4:25). This kind of righteousness is contrary to our good works. Paul says: "By the works of the law ['good works'] no flesh is justified ['justified'] in his sight" (Rom. 3:20). A few verses later he repeats, "For we affirm that man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law" (Romans 3:28). Our works cannot justify us because God is perfectly holy. A single sin is enough to separate us forever from God in His holiness. All the good works in the world cannot cover our sin.
Jesus Christ, who is God in human flesh, is the only one who ever lived a sinless life. His death on the cross satisfied God's righteousness as payment for our sins. When a person believes God in relation to the work of Christ to die for his sins, God attributes the righteousness of Jesus Christ to that person. He considers that person judicially just as righteous as Christ. This is imputed justice. We know that Noah was justified by faith because Hebrews 11:7 says his obedience in building the ark shows that he was "an heir of the righteousness that is of faith." In other words, through Noah's faith, God counted him righteous. This belief was manifested in his obedience in building the ark.
It is important that you personally understand and embrace this truth, or you will become hopelessly frustrated in your efforts to be a righteous person. There is a prayer that every unrighteous person, no matter how great their sin, can pray and know that God will answer, "God, be merciful to me a sinner" (see Luke 18:9-14). The moment a person by faith grasps God in this way, God imputes to that person on the basis of grace, apart from good works, the righteousness of Christ. Until we appropriate this righteousness by faith, we have no basis for approaching God and expecting to be heard. Everything else I'm going to say assumes that you have that righteousness through faith in Christ.
2. Righteous people walk with God.
That isThe second way the word righteousness is used in the Bible refers to right conductwhich proceeds from justification (“declared righteous”) by faith. It means "conformity to a standard" and indicates the conduct of those who live by God's revealed standards of right and wrong. When Genesis 6:9 says that "Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his day," that refers to his behavior. Because Noah had found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Gen. 6:8) through faith (Hebrews 11:7), he had a righteous standing before God, which was now revealed in his righteous conduct. Genesis 6:9 adds that Noah walked with God. This applies to all who have been declared righteous by faith: they walk with God. That means at least five things, as you can see in the lives of these three men:
(1) Walking with God means believing in God.
By that I mean not only saving faith, but also a life of constant trust in God. Faith is believing God concerning the unseen, even when the things we see seem to contradict what God said (see Hebrews 11:7). God warned Noah of the coming flood judgment. Probably it had never rained on the earth up to this point, since the earth was watered by a mist that rose from the ground (Genesis 2:6). Surely there had never been anything like a flood that destroyed everything. Noah had to take God's word by faith and act on it, contrary to what he saw with his eyes. He built his whole life around this Word of God barring tangible evidence that it was going to happen.
Daniel displayed the same practical faith in God throughout his long life. When Nebuchadnezzar wanted to kill him and his friends because nobody could interpret his untold dream, Daniel waited for God for this information. Later, when he was thrown into the lions' den because he would not stop praying, he trusted God to protect him.
The same was true of Job. With his children slain, his wealth gone, his body racked with pain, and his friends accusing him of a secret sin, Job affirmed: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at last he will stand on earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, I will see God from my flesh” (Job. 19:25-26).
That's what the Christian life is all about - relying on God's Word for the future rewards of Heaven and the judgment of Hell. We have moved away from that. We emphasize the present benefits of being a Christian. Christianity is marketed as a product that can do everything from losing weight to being a successful salesman. But righteous people live daily by turning their backs on the glittering visible things of this world and trusting in the invisible promises of God.
(2) Walking with God means obedience to God.
Noah obeyed God and no doubt built the ark in the face of intense ridicule. He obeyed by boarding the ark before there was any sign of a flood. Twice we are told that Noah did all that the Lord commanded him (Genesis 6:22; 7:5). Daniel obeyed God and asked pardon from eating the king's contaminated food. He later obeyed God by continuing his daily prayers in disobedience to the king's edict. Job submitted to God even though he didn't understand why he was suffering.
And each of these men obeyed God in the long run in the face of opposition and adversity. They had what Eugene Peterson calls "a long obedience in the same direction." It probably took Noah 120 years to build the ark (Genesis 6:3). For 120 years he was the laughing stock of the area. It must have been a favorite pastime to go over and watch old Noah work on his ark. There it was, a 450 foot long, 75 foot wide, 45 foot high ship, sitting high and dry in Noah's backyard! Can you imagine the kind of jokes Noah and his family endured? “He says that God will flood the whole earth because of our sin! Ha! What a nut!”
Daniel and Job also obeyed God in the long run against opposition and adversity. Daniel was in his eighties when he was thrown into the lions' den. Some may have thought, "What a reward for living faithfully to God!" But Daniel submitted to God's sovereign control of the situation. Job did not understand why God was treating him this way, and he admitted his intense frustration, but he never defied God or said, "If you are going to treat me this way, see if I still follow you!"
I am afraid that many will obey God as long as it gets them what they want out of life, but if they face extended trials, forget it. When you peel everything away, it is really Self, not God, that you are serving. But righteous people walk with God, which means long-term obedience, despite odds or trials.
(3) Walking with God means integrity with God.
Both Noah and Job were called “blameless” (Genesis 6:9; Job 1:1, 8; 2:3), meaning “to be perfect or whole, to be whole.” Although the word is not used, the description of Daniel by his enemies describes this quality: They could find no charge against him (Dan. 6:4-5). When used for language (Amos 5:10) it refers to what is fully consistent with truth and fact (Brown, Driver, & Briggs,Hebrew and English Lexicon of Old TeSSo[Oxford], p. 1071). Just because these men were blameless doesn't mean they were sinless perfect. Rather, it means that they were not hypocritical; They have not presented themselves well in front of others, but are secretly living in sin. Unlike the elders who came after Ezekiel, they did not openly profess to follow God, but hid idolatry in their hearts.
How do you get that kind of integrity? In a word, by being honest with God and with others. You must walk openly before God at the heart level, not hiding sin or thinking that there is a part of your life that He doesn't see. He even sees our thoughts and motives (Hebrews 4:12-13). In this way you live each day knowing that God sees your life and that one day you will give an account to Him (1 Thess. 2:5, 10). They judge every wrong thought and immediately confess it to Him.
You must also value honesty in your relationships with others. If you're fumbling with the truth (a nice way of saying you're lying), you must do it right by confessing to the Lord and to the one you lied to. God is the God of truth; His people must work to be honest with himself and others.
(4) Walking with God means standing alone with God.
All three of these men lived in particularly ungodly times. In the days of Noah, ungodliness was so widespread that God felt sorry for making man and decided to judge the whole earth with the deluge. At the time of Job (probably around 2000 BC), as far as we know, there was no unified people of God. God may have called Abraham at about the same time, but there were few who called on His name. Daniel and his three friends seem to be the only ones who stood up for the Lord in Nebuchadnezzar's court in Babylon. All of these men were under intense pressure to compromise, but they stood apart from the world and alone with God.
Walking with God means you will encounter situations where you have to face the crowd alone. Of course you are never alone because God is with you. But you may be the only student in a classroom, the only one at a social gathering, or the only one at work who says, "No, I won't do that because I'm a Christian!"
(5) Walking with God means fellowship with God.
It is said that Noah walked with God. Although not stated, it is certain that Job and Daniel also walked with God. The word "go". implies community. As I said, you are not alone when you must stand alone because you enjoy fellowship with God.
Marla and I like to hike together. This time of walking and talking, enjoying the scenery, the trees, the birds and the animals builds closeness in a relationship. You share with one another what is the essence of fellowship. The Christian life is not just obedience to God's commandments; it is also communion with Him throughout life.
Thus righteous people have appropriated the righteousness that comes by faith. As a result, they walk with God, which means trusting him, obeying him, being honest with him, standing alone with him, and having fellowship with him.
3. Righteous people stand up for others.
It is interesting that although the Bible often says that God spoke to Noah, there is no record of Noah praying to God. But we can be sure he did! Job undoubtedly interceded for his children and he prayed for his three "friends" (Job 1:5; 42:8-10). There are many instances when Daniel prayed for himself and others (Dan. 2:18; 6:10-11; 9:3; 10:2-3, 12). You can see it in many other godly people in Scripture - they have interceded with God for others.
Who knows what the world owes to righteous people who pray? We won't know until we get to heaven. God will play the video of our life and we will be surprised when we see it: “Look at that, back when I was saved from sin, my godly mother prayed for me! Back then I was protected from an accident, a godly friend lifted me up to the throne of mercy! Back when I was so discouraged, I was kept from quitting because a godly church member was praying!” Most of us owe our conversion, humanly speaking, to a righteous person who prayed for us into God's kingdom. Righteous people pray for others. But,
4. There are times when even the prayers of the righteous will not prevail.
That is the context of Ezekiel 14. The city of Jerusalem had not yet been destroyed, but it was inevitable now because God decided that it was to be judged as a testament to His separation from the sin of His people. God had graciously warned them time and again for centuries. But eventually they had crossed the line. Now not even the prayers of righteous Noah, Daniel, or Job could prevail.
We make a grave mistake if we believe that God's patience knows no bounds. His grace is great. His patience reaches far beyond human patience could ever go. But there is a limit. There is a national limit when God sovereignly says, "That is enough!" He told Abraham that his descendants would be enslaved in another land for 400 years and then would return to the land of Canaan. Then God added, "The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet finished" (Genesis 15:16). God was patient with the immoral Canaanites for over 400 years, but then He said, "That is enough!" and commanded Israel to destroy them in judgment. Nations like ours that turn away from the knowledge of God bank on His grace.
Also, there is a limit to God's personal patience. If we have not responded to His grace, we face death at that frontier that can strike at any moment. But it can also happen when someone repeatedly hardens their heart against God. He crosses a line where he is so confirmed in sin that even the prayers of the righteous for his salvation will not prevail. We never know exactly when that limit will be crossed. We know that God is both just and merciful. But the fact that the lineage exists should make us tremble at the thought of continuing our sinful ways. "Seek the Lord while he may be found" (Isa. 55:6)!
Diploma
The president of a large city bank was spotted in front of the ATM one day, carrying out a transaction quite slowly. After a short wait, he was heard saying, "Come on - it isMich!” The president of a bank does not give you any special connections to the ATM! But being a righteous person gives you connections to God. When we are righteous people— declared righteous by faith in Christ and lived righteously by walking with him—then we can stand up for a lost and hurting world, knowing that our prayers will make a difference.
Discussion Questions
- If God answers the prayers of the righteous, how can it be in accord with grace?
- Is God's refusal to answer prayers because of a person's (or nation's) sin a rare thing or is it common?
- Is it enough to ask God once, or do we have to keep praying until He answers prayer?
- How do we know if we should commit to praying for someone? Should we ever stop praying for someone's salvation?
Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2002, all rights reserved.
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation
FAQs
What three men are mentioned in Ezekiel 14? ›
Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.
What does the Bible say about connecting with God? ›The Bible says: "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). You can have an intimate relationship with God now, and be sure you will live with Him in heaven forever.
Who were the men that stood for God? ›Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Their Story: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, along with Daniel, were brave young men who stayed faithful to God no matter what the consequences while they were in exile in Babylon.
Who are the men of God in the Bible? ›Man of God is a biblical title of respect applied to prophets and beloved religious leaders. The term appears 78 times in 72 verses of the Bible, in application to up to 13 individuals: Moses (Deuteronomy 33:1; Joshua 14:6; Psalm 90:1; Ezra 3:2; 1 Chronicles 23:14; 2 Chronicles 30:16).
What is Ezekiel 14 saying? ›The word of the LORD came again to me, saying: “Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it.
What were three wise men's faith? ›The magi were a Median Kurdish priestly caste or tribe who rose to prominence in ancient Persia (today's Iran). Their religion, Zoroastri-anism, originated around the Sixth Century BC after the Median Zoroaster (the name itself possibly means "dawn star").
What are 3 ways to stay connected to God? ›How do you stay connected to God? The short answer to how to stay connected to God is that we need to read his Word, spend regular time in prayer, and worship regularly with a community of Believers in Christ. These things are vital to maintaining our relationship with him.
How do we have a connection with God? ›- Talk to Him through Daily Prayer. The greatest way to create and maintain a relationship with anyone, including God, is through communication, and we use prayer to communicate with God. ...
- Read the Scriptures. Quality conversations are not one-sided. ...
- Serve Others.
- Something is better than nothing. ...
- Start with a Psalm or a Gospel. ...
- Listen to the Bible. ...
- Ask a few questions. ...
- Pray what you read.
First, Enoch's walk with God was visible. Enoch lived a life that demonstrated the faith that was in his heart. His life of faith was a consistent, constant and complete walk with God. The Bible says that he walked with God for 300 years!
Who was the first man called by God? ›
ADAM (1) ADAM1 was the first man. There are two stories of his creation. The first tells that God created man in his image, male and female together (Genesis 1: 27), and Adam is not named in this version.
What does the Bible say about the role of men? ›There are no more important roles for a man than the roles of husband and father. As men seek to righteously fulfill these roles, they become more like their Father in Heaven. Ask a student to read Ephesians 5:25 aloud.
How does God define a man? ›Gen. 1:27, Acts 17:25,28. Man is a person and is therefore capable of making moral choices. Man is made in the image of God.
What are the characteristics of men of God? ›Paul gives six virtues that men of God should pursue: righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness.
Why is God called a man? ›However, Classical western philosophy states that God should be referred to (in most contexts) as masculine by analogy; the reason being God's relationship with the world as begetter of the world and revelation (i.e. analogous to an active instead of receptive role in sexual intercourse).
What does the story of Ezekiel teach us? ›Ezekiel is faithful, and God recognizes that in him, trusting him to carry out his message to Israel. Through Ezekiel, we learn that the spiritual is just as important as the physical. God's power and plan for his people surpasses the physical limitations of our life on Earth, and he will make things new once again.
What was God's message to Ezekiel? ›The restoration would be an act of divine grace, for the sake of God's name. Ezekiel's prophecies conclude with a vision of a restored Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple's form of worship would be reestablished in Israel, and each of the ancient tribes would receive appropriate allotments of land.
What can we learn from Genesis 14? ›- Being a peacemaker may require us to place others' interests above our own.
- Resisting evil influences, regardless of how small, helps us stay true to God and free from sin.
- The Melchizedek Priesthood gives men the authority to act in God's name.
Their gifts had special symbolic meanings as well: gold signified Jesus' status as "King of the Jews;" frankincense represented the infant's divinity and identity as the Son of God; and myrrh touched upon Jesus' mortality.
What is the example of wise men? ›Solution : Neanderthal man can be considered as the first example of wise-man.
Did the wise men believe in God? ›
When the wise men arrived in Bethlehem, they “fell down, and worshipped him.” They did not hear Him teach or see Him heal. There was nothing to suggest His divinity, and yet those men fell down and worshipped Jesus. That is faith, real faith. And God has honored their faith by recording it forever in His Word.
How do I stay spiritually connected to God? ›Dwell in the presence of the divine: Your path may be to pray, meditate, read spiritual material, take a long walk through nature—or all of the above—but an optimum practice includes both morning and evening sessions of at least 20 minutes each.
How do you stay connected to God in difficult times? ›- Maintain your faith at all times. I really don't separate good times or hard times from my faith. ...
- Find practices that bring you peace. ...
- Lay your struggles before God. ...
- Rely on your support systems. ...
- Find the good.
We cannot hope to appease God by working our way into righteousness, nor sacrificing others for our own sin. Instead, Micah listed out the three principles of what God asks of His people: to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with Him.
Why is it important to have a connection with God? ›It is essential that we prioritize God in our relationships, no matter the connection. He should be the most important person in our lives and His word can help guide us on how to love and respect others. Through deepening our relationship with Him, we can better care about those around us.
Who Walked Alone with God? ›One of Scripture's most famous “walkers” was Enoch. Two times in Genesis, Enoch is described as one who walked with God. The Hebrew word translated “walk” is a word that indicates Enoch walked back and forth with God.
What does it mean to walk closely with God? ›When we walk with God, it may not make things easy but it makes them possible. Walking with him gives us assurance of his presence and power in our lives. Our God is powerful and with him all things are possible. We can endure trials and heartache. Because of Christ's resurrection power in us, we can overcome.
Who was the first person who fell on his face before God? ›| Adam | |
|---|---|
| Died | c. 930 AM |
| Venerated in | Christianity (Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox Churches) Islam Druze Baháʼí Faith Mandaeism |
| Feast | 24 December |
| Patronage | Gardeners and tailors |
Sixty-nine times in the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus calls himself (the) "Son of man", a Greek expression which in its Aramaic (and Hebrew) background could be an oblique way of indicating the speaker's own self (e.g., Matt 8:20), or else simply mean "someone" or "a human being" (as in Ps 8:4, where it is a poetic variant ...
What is the first name of God? ›Yahweh, name for the God of the Israelites, representing the biblical pronunciation of “YHWH,” the Hebrew name revealed to Moses in the book of Exodus. The name YHWH, consisting of the sequence of consonants Yod, Heh, Waw, and Heh, is known as the tetragrammaton.
Was man in the beginning with God? ›
It declared that as Christ “was in the begining with the father,” so “man was also in the begining with God.” It dismissed the long-held belief in creation out of nothing: “Inteligence or the Light of truth was not created or made neither indeed can be.”
What are the five duties of man? ›- Genesis. 2:24 – To Be a Husband.
- Genesis 2:15 – To be supportive.
- Ephesians 5:23-24 – To Be the Head over His Wife.
- Ephesians 5:25 – To Serve Sacrificially.
- 1 Timothy 5:8 – To Provide.
Men are seen as suited for leadership roles such as bosses, political figures, and community and religious leaders. In personal relationships, holding influence over women and other men is seen as a sign of masculinity.
What duty does God require of man? ›“He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
What is the true meaning of man? ›a(1) : an individual human. especially : an adult male human. (2) : a man belonging to a particular category (as by birth, residence, membership, or occupation)
Does the Bible describe God as a man? ›He is neither man nor woman: He is God." The CCC discusses the traditional imagery and language of God as Father. It notes, however, that God is not limited to this role alone—maternal imagery are also used in the Bible.
What makes a man a man? ›Traditionally and stereotypically, things like power, strength, and lack of emotion are what makes a man a man. Although these things are not innately masculine, they have defined masculinity for what seems like forever. Just because a man can throw a punch or chug a beer doesn't mean he is a true man.
What are the 5 characteristics of God? ›- God's Holiness is Providential. First, God is holy in His omniscience, or providential knowledge. ...
- God's Holiness is Present. ...
- God's Holiness is Powerful. ...
- God's Holiness is Infinite. ...
- God's Holiness is Incomparable.
In Western (Christian) thought, God is traditionally described as a being that possesses at least three necessary properties: omniscience (all-knowing), omnipotence (all-powerful), and omnibenevolence (supremely good).
What are the four main characteristics of God? ›- Omnipotence.
- Omnipresence.
- Omnibenevolence.
- Omniscience.
Who is God's wife in the Bible? ›
God had a wife, Asherah, whom the Book of Kings suggests was worshiped alongside Yahweh in his temple in Israel, according to an Oxford scholar.
What religion believes in God's wife? ›A programme on BBC2 has made news for presenting scholar Francesca Stavrakopoulou's theory that "God had a wife". The reactions from the religious and academic world were varied, but for Mormons, it can best be summed up as, "Yeah. We know."
Is God a person or a thing? ›The most striking difference between Christian and Muslim theologies is that while, for Christians, God is a person, Muslims worship an impersonal deity. Despite the importance of this difference for a host of theological issues, it is a difference which has gone largely unnoticed by Christians and Muslims alike.
Who were Davids 3 Mighty men? ›The Three are named Ishbaal the Tahkemonite ("thou will make me wise"), Eleazar ("God has helped") son of Dodo ("his beloved") the Ahohite ("brother of rest"), and Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. The Three are also mentioned in the Book of Chronicles.
Who are the three men in the Bible? ›Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Hebrew names Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah) are figures from the biblical Book of Daniel, primarily chapter 3. In the narrative, the three Hebrew men are thrown into a fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylon for refusing to bow to the king's image.
Who were the three men in the fiery furnace? ›When the three Hebrew children—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—were thrown into a fiery furnace because of their faithfulness to God, King Nebuchadnezzar, came to witness their execution—but he was stunned to see not three but four men in the fire…and he recognized that the fourth man in the fire was none other than ...
Who were the men in the field that the Angels appeared to? ›There were shepherds taking care of their flocks at night. An angel appeared to them and told them not to be afraid as he brought good news, “This very day in David's town your saviour was born – Christ the Lord!” They would find the baby wrapped in cloth, lying in a manger.
Who is a mighty man? ›Mighty Man refers to any one of several fictional, super-powered individuals in literature: Mighty Man (Image Comics), a super-powered, recurring superhero in Erik Larsen's Savage Dragon comic series. Mighty Man (television), a diminutive, crime-fighter character on Mighty Man and Yukk (1980 to 1981)
Who was the first mighty man in the Bible? ›Nimrod is described in Genesis 10:8–12 as “the first on earth to be a mighty man.
What kind of men came to David? ›20 When David went to Ziklag, these were the men of Manasseh who defected to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu and Zillethai, leaders of units of a thousand in Manasseh. 21 They helped David against raiding bands, for all of them were brave warriors, and they were commanders in his army.
Who are the men of faith? ›
Abraham is thus set before us as the man of faith. He is the type ofaU those who, having heard the call of God, turn their back on all lesser claims and commit themselves in trust and obedience to Him.
Who are the three persons in one God? ›A Trinity doctrine is commonly expressed as the statement that the one God exists as or in three equally divine “Persons”, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
How many husbands can a woman have in the Bible? ›John Gill comments on 1 Corinthians 7 and states that polygamy is unlawful; and that one man is to have but one wife, and to keep to her; and that one woman is to have but one husband, and to keep to him and the wife only has a power over the husband's body, a right to it, and may claim the use of it: this power over ...
What is the message of the fiery furnace? ›Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego went into a fiery furnace rather than deny their Lord. Their story can help to show where the courage of faith comes from. Human societies vary widely in the things they value and the behaviors they honor, but they are all alike in one respect. They all admire courage.
What is the significance of the fiery furnace? ›What happened because the Lord met them in the fiery furnace? They were free in the fire. The Lord used the fire to loosen these men from the ropes that held them. The fire has the power to set you and me free from the things that bind us and hinder our walk with the Lord.
What is the moral lesson of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? ›Lessons from Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Regardless of the outcome, they were committed to their faith, even when faced with a painful death. Because of their faith, God delivered them from the evil – and in doing so, brought the mighty king of Babylon to recognize his Lordship over heaven and earth.
Jacob, son of Isaac and brother of Esau, wrestled with an angel all through one night on the bank of the Jabbok.
Who is the man in the book of Ezekiel? ›The prophet Ezekiel is the author of the book of Ezekiel. Writing from a first-person perspective, Ezekiel recorded the visions and revelations he received from the Lord. Ezekiel was a priest who was among the Jewish captives carried away to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar in approximately 597 B.C. (see Ezekiel 1:3).
How many wise men were there? ›The biblical Magi (/ˈmeɪdʒaɪ/ or /ˈmædʒaɪ/; singular: magus)—also referred to as the (Three) Wise Men, (Three) Kings, and the (Three) Magi—were distinguished foreigners in the Gospel of Matthew and Christian tradition. They are said to have visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.