*MEDITATIONS ON DAILY ⓂANNA*

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12TH, 2025.

*CONFIDENCE IN GOD*

*TEXT:* PSALM 27:1-14.

1.The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.
7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.
9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.
11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.
12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD

*Timeless Truth:*_"Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident"_ Psalm 27:3.

*INTRODUCTION*

Confidence is a feeling of belief in yourself and your abilities. It can also refer to trust in someone or something. One of the things they use to access the performance of someone in an oral examination or interview is the confidence the person exhibits. Confidence and expression of confidence in God is one of the attributes of someone who desires to achieve faith exploits for God and humanity. Confidence in God is more of the presence of faith in God rather than the absence of fear.

*1. Confession of Triumph with Confidence*

a. The mouth is the first outlet of expression of confidence in God. David expressed his confidence in God through a bold confession of his anticipated triumph over every challenge of life. *"The LORD is my light and my salvation"*. This is a personalized confession. When there is no light, darkness fills the place. God was his light means without God, he would be in utter darkness of ignorance, despair and deception. Only God made all the difference in his life. He did not just confess that God gave him salvation, but that God was his salvation. Without God he was totally lost, defeated and in bondage to sin and all other oppressions. With God as His personal light and salvation, He had all he needed in life and eternity. *"Whom shall I fear?"*. He had the experience of confronting, perhaps, the strongest person on the earth then as a young boy, yet he overcame Goliath. He confessed his secret, *"the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"*. His strength was not limited by his tender age and inexperience. He had the strength of God in him.
b. *"When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell"*. Goliath boasted that he would give David's flesh to the fowls of heaven, but he fell because he was dealing with someone who had God as his strength. *"Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident"*. This was a true confession. Several times he had been confronted by more powerful foes but he overcame them all and that boldened his confession that he would never be afraid of the adversaries, but rather he would continue to have confidence in the unfailing God. He who makes God his strength is strong in faith, and he who makes God his salvation is unconquerable and for such, all fears evaporate into the thin air.

*Question*

Do you have confidence in God as your strength and salvation?

*2. Continuous Thirst after Christ*

a. How do you build your confidence in God after salvation from sin? David shows us the secret which is abiding and continuous fellowship with God coupled with unceasing thirst and desire to know more of God. This thirst is not empty. It will be a tonic to seeking God more diligently in prayer and study of the Word of God. David further expressed this grace. *"One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple"*. Purposeful zeal and enthusiasm for God and His deeper experiences will ultimately strengthen the confidence in God. His deeper knowledge will enlighten the soul with light and the soul will be freed from all ungodly fears. *"As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God"* (Psalm 42:1,2). Jesus also reinforced this that *"Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled"*.

b. The consequence of thirst and hunger after God is evident. There will be growing inbuilt confidence that *"in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock"*. When the heart cultivates the habit of seeking the kingdom of God and its righteousness, there are no mountains or storms of the sea that will be able to terrify such a person. Cold, careless and carnal believers are often those that are beset with fears, unbelief and defeats.

*Question*

Do you have a burning ambition and zeal for Christ?

*3. Crying with Total Concentration*

a. Confidence in God does not mean silence in the presence of adversaries and challenges. It cries unto God for divine support and assistance when the going goes tough. *"Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me"*. The prayer with confidence in God is not a prayer of probability, but a prayer of certain answers to prayers.
*"When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek"*. The prayer with confidence in God is not made out of fears and fidgeting, but out of relaxed faith in His unfailing Word.
*"Thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation"*. God is the help of the helpless and the Saviour in the midst of danger, both temporal and eternal.
b. The climax of the prayer unto God is deliverance from the enemies. The word enemy in the text means "watchful foes". That means they are monitoring spirits that dedicate their lives to the downfall of the psalmist as if they don't have other assignments in life. *"Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty"*. These powerful enemies gave David tough times, but God never at any time allowed his enemies to conquer him. No enemy from hell, with all their monitoring gadgets and cruel weapons of wars, will be able to overcome a praying saint who has God as his confidence. Faith in the unwavering goodness of God is an anti-fainting dosage to believers. *"I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living"*. The conclusion of the whole matter is to wait on God by seeking His face and rejoicing in His promises at all times. *"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD"*.

*Question*

How strong is your prayer life?

*Prayer Points*

1.Confess, with faith, your already and ever ready triumph over all your adversaries and challenges .
2.Ask God to give you more hunger and thirst for Him so that your confidence in Him will grow .
3.Ask for the power of prayer that will never give up to all monitoring adversaries .
4.Pray that the Word we read and hear will bear more fruits of confidence in God .

*HYMN* Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:* NUMBERS 14-15.

Give your life to Jesus today and become a heavenly citizen

*Read, meditate, pray, and share with others. God bless you as you do so.*

_Grace to you and peace from God our Father and  the Lord Jesus Christ_

*RHAPSODY OF REALITIES*

*RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE AND ASSURANCE*

TUESDAY, MARCH 11TH .

==========
```For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost``` *(Romans 14:17).*

Pastor Chris Says
════════════
In Romans 14, the Apostle Paul discusses issues of conscience and how Christians should handle differences in personal convictions, particularly concerning dietary practices and observing special days. He emphasized that Christians should not judge or cause others to stumble over matters of food and drink, which are secondary, compared to the more important aspects of the Kingdom of God.

No wonder he concluded in Romans 14:17, _*"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."*_ This is remarkable; it tells us what the Kingdom is about—righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost! This is what your life should be like every day; the effusion andmanifestation of His righteousness, peace and joy.

It reminds of something beautiful that the Bible says in Isaiah 32:17, _*"And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever."*_ This is wonderful! So, first, the work of righteousness is peace; peace in your life, such that no matter what happens, you’re unperturbed, full of confidence, eternal joy, comfort, prosperity and rest.

Also, observe that it doesn’t say that the effect of thisrighteousness from the Kingdom of God is quietness and assurance for just two weeks, no; it’s forever! The 18th verse says, _*"And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places."*_ While this prophecy points to what Israel will fully experience in the millennial reign of Christ, this is a present-hour reality for us in Christ today. We dwell in Christ; that is our peaceable habitation, our sure dwelling and quiet resting place. You have quietness, safety and security forever because of the righteousness of God given to us in Christ Jesus. Hallelujah!

*PRAYER*

_Dear Father, thank you for the gift of righteousness, which brings peace, quietness and assurance forever. I walk in the light as a child of light, lambent and luminous. I dwell in a peaceable habitation, secure, safe and at rest forever. Thank you for the eternal joy I have in the Holy Spirit, in Jesus' Name. Amen._

*FURTHER STUDY*

*||Psalm 85:9-10||* Surely his salvation [is] nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. 10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed [each other].

*||Isaiah 32:16-18 NIV||* The LORD's justice will dwell in the desert, his righteousness live in the fertile field. 17 The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. 18 My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.

*||Romans 5:1||* Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

*IF YOU ARE NOT YET BORN AGAIN, KINDLY SAY THIS PRAYER TO RECEIVE SALVATION NOW!=>* https://bit.ly/salvation-link


*DAILY SCRIPTURE READING*

*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN=>* Mark 14:53-72 & Numbers 29-31

*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN=>* Matthew 22:1-14 & Exodus 20

*Díviɳҽ 卄ealtɧ Cσnfҽssiσɳs - March 10th 2025*

I acknowledge that God’s divine power has given me all that I require for life and godliness. I am not waiting for Him to fulfill His promise of healing to me. Rather, I am living in divine health because He has blessed me with salvation and eternal life.
*I Am Alive Unto God-Victory Is Sure!*
*#I Am More Than A Conqueror!*


*#𝗔𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗡 10𝗧𝗛 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛*

I affirm that the Lord God has bestowed on me favour and honour! My life is filled with the glory of God! His beauty, wisdom, grace, and righteousness are expressed in, and through me. I am a wonder to my world because the Lord has surrounded me with favor like a shield. I can never be disadvantaged; for all things are commanded to work together for my good. I am more than a conqueror, a victor, and a success forever!

Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the World. I am living in the morning of my life! I live a higher life, a life that is beyond this world. I am the blessed of the Lord! I am prosperous and sound, and I lack nothing, for all things are mine! God’s purpose is fulfilled in me, as I walk in His perfect will today and always! I am highly favored of God, and positioned by grace for the supernatural life!

I walk in God’s strength and glory, strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. I’m blessed with His love, with His boldness and victory. I fight the good fight of faith to stay established, confirmed and set on God’s Word! With the Word in my mouth, I prevail over circumstances today, ruling and reigning by the power of the Holy Ghost! I’m reigning in life as a king, exercising dominion over circumstances, taming the forces of nature and charting my course in victory! Everywhere I go, I manifest the glory and righteousness of God. My progress and advancement spread abroad, evident for all to see. Glory to God. Hallelujah!


*#KEEPSAYINGIT 10TH MARCH, 2025*

I am stronger, bigger, healthier, brighter and wiser today, than I was yesterday, for the invigorating power of the Holy Spirit works actively and mightily in and through me daily. It works in me mightily, causing my health to flourish daily. No weapon formed against my body shall prosper, for my body is preserved by the Spirit. I was born for the praise and glory of God; therefore, my life shows forth God’s praise and glory.

I have received abundance of grace, and I reign in life with dominion over sickness and death. I have received eternal life, which makes it impossible for sickness or disease to dominate my body. No infirmity can corrupt or ravage my body. The life of God in me has supplanted the human life. My body and everything connected to me align with God’s provisions.

I affirm that divinity is at work in me. The knowledge of God’s Word in my heart, causes me to walk in faith, dominion, glory and power. Through the revelation knowledge of God’s Word, I live above the deception, trickery, manipulation and lies of the adversary. I function in absolute victory. I eschew and purge from my heart all elements of anger, bitterness, rage, or fury; anger has no place in me.

I’m a victor in Christ Jesus. Fear, doubt, and unbelief have no place in me, for my faith in God and in His eternal Word is the victory that overcomes the world! Divinity is tabernacled in my physical body! I’m a new creation, not subject to the elements of this world. I live a transcendent life! I am surrounded by an innumerable company of angels, therefore, nothing can attack me or come against me successfully.

I think the right thoughts and speak the right words. I am a testimony and the inheritor of the blessings of Abraham. I was born to be triumphant always and in every place. Regardless of the challenges that I may face, I will always win. It makes no difference what happens, where I find myself or who’s against me; I am more than a conqueror!

I can never be disadvantaged, because the Lord God is mighty in me. I’m the expression of the unseen Christ, the brightness of His glory. As He is, so are am I in this world. I experience ever-increasing glory, always full of grace, peace and righteousness. I declare that God has given me riches and wealth, and the wisdom to multiply them in Jesus’ name. Amen.
*𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗔𝗞 𝗜𝗡 𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗨𝗘𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗪*

THE FIRST BEST PLACE TO LEAN THE BIBLE IS THE SCHOOL!!!

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I seller textbook, bibles, and office requirement

NKJV Bible. Isaiah 44:1-28
[1]“Yet hear now, O Jacob My servant, And Israel whom I have chosen.
[2]Thus says the Lord who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you: ‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant; And you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
[3]For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring;
[4]They will spring up among the grass Like willows by the watercourses.’
[5]One will say, ‘I am the Lord’s’; Another will call himself by the name of Jacob; Another will write with his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’ And name himself by the name of Israel. There Is No Other God
[6]“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.
[7]And who can proclaim as I do? Then let him declare it and set it in order for Me, Since I appointed the ancient people. And the things that are coming and shall come, Let them show these to them.
[8]Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one. ’ ” Idolatry Is Foolishness
[9]Those who make an image, all of them are useless, And their precious things shall not profit; They are their own witnesses; They neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed.
[10]Who would form a god or mold an image That profits him nothing?
[11]Surely all his companions would be ashamed; And the workmen, they are mere men. Let them all be gathered together, Let them stand up; Yet they shall fear, They shall be ashamed together.
[12]The blacksmith with the tongs works one in the coals, Fashions it with hammers, And works it with the strength of his arms. Even so, he is hungry, and his strength fails; He drinks no water and is faint.
[13]The craftsman stretches out his rule, He marks one out with chalk; He fashions it with a plane, He marks it out with the compass, And makes it like the figure of a man, According to the beauty of a man, that it may remain in the house.
[14]He cuts down cedars for himself, And takes the cypress and the oak; He secures it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a pine, and the rain nourishes it.
[15]Then it shall be for a man to burn, For he will take some of it and warm himself; Yes, he kindles it and bakes bread; Indeed he makes a god and worships it; He makes it a carved image, and falls down to it.
[16]He burns half of it in the fire; With this half he eats meat; He roasts a roast, and is satisfied. He even warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm, I have seen the fire.”
[17]And the rest of it he makes into a god, His carved image. He falls down before it and worships it, Prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!”
[18]They do not know nor understand; For He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, And their hearts, so that they cannot understand.
[19]And no one considers in his heart, Nor is there knowledge nor understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire, Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals; I have roasted meat and eaten it; And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?”
[20]He feeds on ashes; A deceived heart has turned him aside; And he cannot deliver his soul, Nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?” Israel Is Not Forgotten
[21]“Remember these, O Jacob, And Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me!
[22]I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, And like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”
[23]Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into singing, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, And glorified Himself in Israel. Judah Will Be Restored
[24]Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb: “I am the Lord, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;
[25]Who frustrates the signs of the babblers, And drives diviners mad; Who turns wise men backward, And makes their knowledge foolishness;
[26]Who confirms the word of His servant, And performs the counsel of His messengers; Who says to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be inhabited,’ To the cities of Judah, ‘You shall be built,’ And I will raise up her waste places;
[27]Who says to the deep, ‘Be dry! And I will dry up your rivers’;
[28]Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.” ’

Akpabio warns against uninformed commentaries on Senate affairs

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has cautioned critics against making uninformed comments on the affairs of the Upper Legislative Chamber, urging the public to understand parliamentary rules before engaging in debates. The Senate President issued the warning when he received a delegation from the Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders Forum in Abuja.

His remarks followed the recent suspension of Kogi Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for violating Senate rules, a decision that Akpabio emphasised was unanimously supported by lawmakers. Expressing concern over the growing trend of uninformed commentaries on television and social media, Akpabio said, “People who have no understanding of Senate procedures are the ones running commentaries on matters they know nothing about. You should seek the facts before making public statements. We advise members of the public to stop misquoting the rules of the Senate.”

He also criticised those outside the legislature for attempting to interpret Senate procedures, likening it to a herbalist trying to quote the Bible or someone unfamiliar with Islamic teachings attempting to interpret the Qur’an. Responding to concerns raised by Jonathan Lokpobiri Snr, leader of the delegation, Akpabio highlighted the historic significance of his role as Senate President, noting that the Niger Delta had last held the position 46 years ago. “The Senate President does not represent himself alone; he represents a region that is crucial to the economic survival of this country. So, we will not toy with this position, regardless of any opposition maneuvering,” he said.

He dismissed attempts to undermine his leadership, attributing some criticisms to political mischief from people who, he claimed, lacked knowledge of Senate procedures. The delegation, led by Lokpobiri, also expressed concern over the political crisis in Rivers State, warning that if left unchecked, it could escalate and destabilise the entire Niger Delta region. They also sought Senate intervention on key regional projects, including the Coastal Road project; Maritime University in Oron, which is yet to commence operations as well as extending the Warri-Itakpe rail line to Abuja.

Here's a revised prophetic prayer with attached Bible verses:

Prayer:
Father God, I lift up my people to You. Pour out Your Spirit upon them (Joel 2:28-29). Heal their wounds, mend their relationships, and restore every area of their lives (Psalm 107:20, Isaiah 61:1-3).

Give them wisdom and discernment to navigate life's challenges (Proverbs 3:5-6, James 1:5). Surround them with supportive people and bless them with prosperity and abundance (Psalm 1:3, Deuteronomy 28:1-6).

Use them as vessels for Your glory, shining brightly in a world that needs Your light (Matthew 5:14-16, 2 Corinthians 4:6-7).

In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Declaration:
I declare that my people are blessed, healed, and restored in Jesus' name (1 Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53:5).

When prayer doesn't work, More Prayer will work.

A business man and spiritual leader once said, the trouble with most prayers is that they aren't big enough. To get anywhere with Faith you must learn to pray big prayers. As God always rates the size of your prayers.

If you have a problem or challenge that has been around for years than you can remember, you need continuous-persistent prayers to get rid of it.

In Mathew 9:29, the bible records that it will be for you by how big your faith it. Thereby implying if you have a big problem, you should match that big problem with big prayers.

Ss such There's no room for complaints about why things aren't working!

the framework of ideas and practices
Fertility of agriculture, of edible animals, and of the human population was a paramount factor in the life and religion of the ancient Middle East. The forms that the fertility rites assumed varied from region to region, depending on climate and geography. Rain and dew were all-important in Canaan but of little significance in Egypt. In both areas water was crucial, but the source of the life-giving water was entirely different. The agricultural year varied in the two regions. In Egypt the year was divided into three seasons: inundation, sowing, and harvest. In Canaan there were two seasons: the winter, characterized by rain

The population desired the normal pattern of times and seasons, so that “seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22). But since the seasonal pattern is not dependable, the need for order evoked a system of cycles, notably the sabbatical, or seven-year, cycle. The sabbatical year was the seventh year, and the jubilee year followed seven sabbatical cycles. This was a pervasive system in the ancient Middle East. A Ugaritic liturgical text specially designed for this phenomenon aims at terminating a sabbatical cycle of privation and ushering in one of fertility by celebrating the birth and triumphal entrance of the deities Shahar (“Dawn”) and Shalim (“Dusk”), whose advent brings an abundance of food and wine.

Related Topics: Mesopotamian religion ancient Egyptian religion ancient Iranian religion Syrian and Palestinian religion Anatolian religion
It was only natural that fertility rites should include sexual myths that were acted out dramatically. The Ugaritic text just alluded to describes El, the head of the pantheon, copulating with two human women. This has echoes in Hosea and Ezekiel where God, as in the Canaanite literary tradition, is referred to as having a love affair with two women, symbolizing Judah and Israel. The Hebrews, however, eventually eliminated sex from their official theology as well as from their religious practices. Up to the time of King Josiah’s reform (621 bc) there was a women’s cult of Asherah (under qedeshim auspices [consecrated for fertility practices], according to 2 Kings 23:7) in the Jerusalem Temple, alongside the male cult of Yahweh. Asherah’s devotees considered her the chief wife of Yahweh, even as she was the wife of El, head of the Canaanite pantheon, for in the Bible El is identified with Yahweh. But Josiah eliminated the cult of Asherah, and official Judaism has since then left no place for other gods, which meant the elimination of every goddess. Popular religion, to be sure, persisted in the female fertility principle until the destruction of the Temple in 586 bc. In Judaean excavations Astarte figurines were found in private homes down to that time. Further purification of the Hebrew religion, which was intensified by the catastrophe of 586, put an end to the practice of pagan fertility rites, including the use of goddess figurines. Without goddesses there could be no sexual activity in the pantheon, and thus Judaism has developed without a divine mother figure.

The ancient Middle East made a place for homosexuality and bestiality in its myths and rites. In the Asherah cult the qedeshim priests had a reputation for homosexual practices, even as the qedeshot priestesses for prostitution. Israel eventually banned both the qedeshim and qedeshot, while in Ugarit the qedeshim and kohanim were priestly guilds in equally good standing. Baal is portrayed in Ugaritic mythology as impregnating a heifer to sire the young bull god. The biblical book of Leviticus (18:22–27) bans homosexuality and bestiality expressly because the Canaanite population had been practicing those rites, which the Hebrews rejected as abominations.

Phoenician/Punic sites include an area called the tophet that contains large numbers of infant burials. One explanation of the tophet is that it reflects a major aspect of a fertility cult in which the first-born child belonged to the deity. The deity rewarded the parents who had sacrificed their child with future fertility. In the Hebrew Bible, just as the firstfruits of the harvest belong to God, so do the first-born of the people and their domestic animals (Exodus 13:1, 12–13, 15).

The actual cases in the literature do not always specify infant sacrifice. The Bible describes how King Mesha of Moab sacrificed his crown prince to avert a military disaster (2 Kings 3:27). King Ahaz of Judah sacrificed his son in pagan fashion (2 Kings 16:3). King Manasseh of Judah sacrificed his sons by fire (2 Chronicles 33:6), filling Jerusalem with innocent blood.

The Jewish practice of redeeming a first-born son at the age of one month (Numbers 18:16–17) appears to be a milder substitute for the practice of child sacrifice. Another alternative to sacrificing a child was to dedicate it to the service of God. Hannah, by fulfilling her vow to dedicate her first-born, Samuel, to God’s service (1 Samuel 1:27–28) was rewarded by the birth of five other children whom she and her husband could keep for themselves (1 Samuel 2:20–21).

According to ancient views, the myth came first, and the rite imitated or reenacted it. This sequence, however, is not necessarily the order in which religion develops. Rites can be very tenacious, and when the origin of a rite has been forgotten, a myth has often been invented to explain it.

Types of religious organization and authority
Religion occurs at different levels of society: personal, familial, local, national, and international. At the personal and international extremes there is need for but little organization. And yet in religion, as the people of the ancient Middle East saw it, there was a progression from one stage to the next. In the early myths of Genesis, God and Noah have direct personal relations. This leads to a covenant between God and all who went out of the ark: birds and beasts as well as mankind (Genesis 9:9–10). Through the sons of Noah and their descendants, who form the nations of the world (Genesis 10), there is a theoretical progress to international religion. This scheme of the relations between God and mankind, from the personal to the universal level, mirrors the historical record of religion. Judaism (followed later by Christianity and Islām) traces “the Religion” back to Abraham, who had personal and direct relations with God, as was customary in the ancient Middle Eastern milieu. Abraham’s intimacy with God is similar to the intimacy between Odysseus and the Greek goddess Athena. The next step is a covenant between a particular deity and a particular person, binding the two together in a contractual relationship for all eternity from generation to generation. Such covenants were not rare; the Hittite King Hattusilis III made such a covenant with Ishtar. Abraham’s covenant is unique simply because it was the only one destined to last in history.

The descendants of able men who established a dynasty or tradition would worship the God of their father, or fathers, and adhere to the original covenant. Genesis 31 portrays Jacob and Laban swearing by their respective ancestral gods: Jacob by the god(s) of Abraham and Laban by the god(s) of Nahor. Once a group expanded into a federation of clans or tribes, religious organization became necessary. A central shrine (such as the one at Shiloh in Israel) for amphictyonic (religious confederational) pilgrimage festivals required a professional priesthood and other religious personnel to take care of sacrifices, give oracular guidance, interpret dreams and omens, as well as to provide instruction. In an amphictyony of 12 tribes, each tribe could render federal service for religious and secular purposes, one month each year. A special tribe (such as the Levites in Israel, or the Magians in Iran) could be dedicated full-time to cultic duties.

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Nature: the framework of ideas and practices
Fertility of agriculture, of edible animals, and of the human population was a paramount factor in the life and religion of the ancient Middle East. The forms that the fertility rites assumed varied from region to region, depending on climate and geography. Rain and dew were all-important in Canaan but of little significance in Egypt. In both areas water was crucial, but the source of the life-giving water was entirely different. The agricultural year varied in the two regions. In Egypt the year was divided into three seasons: inundation, sowing, and harvest. In Canaan there were two seasons: the winter, characterized by rainfall, and the summer, characterized by dew. The year was punctuated by different agricultural activities, as is indicated in the Gezer Calendar, in which all 12 months are accounted for as times of profitable agricultural activity, with harvests in the rainless summer as well as in the green winter. Anxiety was caused by the uncertainty of rain in the rainy season and of dew in its season. All of the regions of the ancient Middle East schematized the blessing of good years and the threat of bad years in terms of seven-year cycles. A Mesopotamian text illustrating this is the Gilgamesh epic (8:101–113), in which the slaying of the hero Gilgamesh would initiate seven lean years. At Ugarit the slaying of the hero Aqhat evokes a curse depriving the land of rain and dew for seven (or, climactically, eight) years. The seven lean and seven fat years in the biblical story of Joseph in Egypt reflect the same system. In Egypt, of course, rain and dew are out of the picture; instead, generous Nile risings mean prosperity; inadequate risings in the season of inundation spells misery. A text of the Ptolemaic period (4th–1st century bc), purporting to record events of the Pyramid age, tells of seven lean years in the reign of Djoser (3rd dynasty; i.e., c. 2650–c. 2575 bc). The pharaoh appealed to the gods, who responded by restoring an abundant flow of the Nile.

The population desired the normal pattern of times and seasons, so that “seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22). But since the seasonal pattern is not dependable, the need for order evoked a system of cycles, notably the sabbatical, or seven-year, cycle. The sabbatical year was the seventh year, and the jubilee year followed seven sabbatical cycles. This was a pervasive system in the ancient Middle East. A Ugaritic liturgical text specially designed for this phenomenon aims at terminating a sabbatical cycle of privation and ushering in one of fertility by celebrating the birth and triumphal entrance of the deities Shahar (“Dawn”) and Shalim (“Dusk”), whose advent brings an abundance of food and wine.

Related Topics: Mesopotamian religion ancient Egyptian religion ancient Iranian religion Syrian and Palestinian religion Anatolian religion
It was only natural that fertility rites should include sexual myths that were acted out dramatically. The Ugaritic text just alluded to describes El, the head of the pantheon, copulating with two human women. This has echoes in Hosea and Ezekiel where God, as in the Canaanite literary tradition, is referred to as having a love affair with two women, symbolizing Judah and Israel. The Hebrews, however, eventually eliminated sex from their official theology as well as from their religious practices. Up to the time of King Josiah’s reform (621 bc) there was a women’s cult of Asherah (under qedeshim auspices [consecrated for fertility practices], according to 2 Kings 23:7) in the Jerusalem Temple, alongside the male cult of Yahweh. Asherah’s devotees considered her the chief wife of Yahweh, even as she was the wife of El, head of the Canaanite pantheon, for in the Bible El is identified with Yahweh. But Josiah eliminated the cult of Asherah, and official Judaism has since then left no place for other gods, which meant the elimination of every goddess. Popular religion, to be sure, persisted in the female fertility principle until the destruction of the Temple in 586 bc. In Judaean excavations Astarte figurines were found in private homes down to that time. Further purification of the Hebrew religion, which was intensified by the catastrophe of 586, put an end to the practice of pagan fertility rites, including the use of goddess figurines. Without goddesses there could be no sexual activity in the pantheon, and thus Judaism has developed without a divine mother figure.

The ancient Middle East made a place for homosexuality and bestiality in its myths and rites. In the Asherah cult the qedeshim priests had a reputation for homosexual practices, even as the qedeshot priestesses for prostitution. Israel eventually banned both the qedeshim and qedeshot, while in Ugarit the qedeshim and kohanim were priestly guilds in equally good standing. Baal is portrayed in Ugaritic mythology as impregnating a heifer to sire the young bull god. The biblical book of Leviticus (18:22–27) bans homosexuality and bestiality expressly because the Canaanite population had been practicing those rites, which the Hebrews rejected as abominations.

Phoenician/Punic sites include an area called the tophet that contains large numbers of infant burials. One explanation of the tophet is that it reflects a major aspect of a fertility cult in which the first-born child belonged to the deity. The deity rewarded the parents who had sacrificed their child with future fertility. In the Hebrew Bible, just as the firstfruits of the harvest belong to God, so do the first-born of the people and their domestic animals (Exodus 13:1, 12–13, 15).

The actual cases in the literature do not always specify infant sacrifice. The Bible describes how King Mesha of Moab sacrificed his crown prince to avert a military disaster (2 Kings 3:27). King Ahaz of Judah sacrificed his son in pagan fashion (2 Kings 16:3). King Manasseh of Judah sacrificed his sons by fire (2 Chronicles 33:6), filling Jerusalem with innocent blood.

The Jewish practice of redeeming a first-born son at the age of one month (Numbers 18:16–17) appears to be a milder substitute for the practice of child sacrifice. Another alternative to sacrificing a child was to dedicate it to the service of God. Hannah, by fulfilling her vow to dedicate her first-born, Samuel, to God’s service (1 Samuel 1:27–28) was rewarded by the birth of five other children whom she and her husband could keep for themselves (1 Samuel 2:20–21).

According to ancient views, the myth came first, and the rite imitated or reenacted it. This sequence, however, is not necessarily the order in which religion develops. Rites can be very tenacious, and when the origin of a rite has been forgotten, a myth has often been invented to explain it.

Types of religious organization and authority
Religion occurs at different levels of society: personal, familial, local, national, and international. At the personal and international extremes there is need for but little organization. And yet in religion, as the people of the ancient Middle East saw it, there was a progression from one stage to the next. In the early myths of Genesis, God and Noah have direct personal relations. This leads to a covenant between God and all who went out of the ark: birds and beasts as well as mankind (Genesis 9:9–10). Through the sons of Noah and their descendants, who form the nations of the world (Genesis 10), there is a theoretical progress to international religion. This scheme of the relations between God and mankind, from the personal to the universal level, mirrors the historical record of religion. Judaism (followed later by Christianity and Islām) traces “the Religion” back to Abraham, who had personal and direct relations with God, as was customary in the ancient Middle Eastern milieu. Abraham’s intimacy with God is similar to the intimacy between Odysseus and the Greek goddess Athena. The next step is a covenant between a particular deity and a particular person, binding the two together in a contractual relationship for all eternity from generation to generation. Such covenants were not rare; the Hittite King Hattusilis III made such a covenant with Ishtar. Abraham’s covenant is unique simply because it was the only one destined to last in history.

The descendants of able men who established a dynasty or tradition would worship the God of their father, or fathers, and adhere to the original covenant. Genesis 31 portrays Jacob and Laban swearing by their respective ancestral gods: Jacob by the god(s) of Abraham and Laban by the god(s) of Nahor. Once a group expanded into a federation of clans or tribes, religious organization became necessary. A central shrine (such as the one at Shiloh in Israel) for amphictyonic (religious confederational) pilgrimage festivals required a professional priesthood and other religious personnel to take care of sacrifices, give oracular guidance, interpret dreams and omens, as well as to provide instruction. In an amphictyony of 12 tribes, each tribe could render federal service for religious and secular purposes, one month each year. A special tribe (such as the Levites in Israel, or the Magians in Iran) could be dedicated full-time to cultic duties.

When the enemy tries to put fear in you, remember this bible verse.

Happy Sunday GADA family