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Exodus 6:2–3
[Bible Verses]Exodus 6:2–3 is the passage in which God tells Moses that he is the LORD (YHWH). He says that he appeared to the patriarchs as "God Almighty" but was not known to them by the name LORD. Because the name "LORD" already appears in Genesis, the passage is often cited in discussions of the revelation of God's name and the formation of the Pentateuch.
Romans 13:3–4
[Bible Verses]A passage describing the ruler as "the minister of God," appointed to encourage good and punish evil. It is frequently cited in discussions of the legitimacy and limits of state power, Christian submission, and capital punishment.
1 Samuel 15:23-24
[Bible Verses]In this passage the prophet Samuel tells King Saul, who had disobeyed God's command, that rebellion is comparable to divination and idolatry and that Saul has been rejected from the kingship. Saul then confesses his sin, saying that he feared the people. The passage is frequently cited in discussions of obedience and repentance.
Ezekiel 34:11–16
[Bible Verses]Ezekiel 34:11–16 is a passage in which God promises that he himself will be the shepherd who seeks out, gathers, and cares for his scattered sheep. It is frequently cited in sermons on Jesus as the "good shepherd" and on the responsibilities of pastors.
Job 14:4
[Bible Verses]Job 14:4 is part of Job's appeal to God concerning human frailty, in which he says that a "clean thing" cannot come out of an "unclean." In the Christian tradition, the verse is often cited as a proof text for original sin and the corruption of human nature.
Showbread
[Bible]The showbread consisted of twelve loaves set continually before God on the golden table in the Holy Place of the tabernacle and the temple. The loaves were replaced with fresh ones every Sabbath, and the priests ate the bread that had been removed.
Adonai
[Bible]Adonai is a Hebrew word meaning "my Lord," used in the Old Testament as a title for God. In Judaism, readers did not pronounce the divine name (YHWH) directly but substituted this word in its place.
Abrahamic Covenant
[Bible]The Abrahamic covenant is the covenant in which God promised Abraham and his descendants a great nation, land, and blessing, and declared that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him. It appears in Genesis 12–22.
Baal
[Bible]Baal, a Hebrew word meaning "lord" or "master," is the name of the god whom the Canaanites worshiped as a deity of rain and fertility in the Old Testament. The name appears in Judges, Kings, and the prophetic books as the chief representative of the idolatry into which Israel repeatedly fell.
Seven Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls
[Bible]The seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls are visions in Revelation 6–16 in which God's judgments unfold in three successive series of seven. Interpreters differ on how the three series relate to one another and when they occur.
Covenant of Works
[Doctrine & Theology]The covenant of works is the covenant that God is held to have made with Adam before the Fall, promising life on the condition of perfect obedience and threatening death for disobedience. It is a central concept in Reformed covenant theology.
Burning Bush
[Bible]The burning bush is the event in Exodus 3 in which God appeared to Moses at Mount Horeb in a flame of fire within a bush that was not consumed, called him, and commissioned him to lead Israel out of Egypt.
Tent of Meeting
[Bible]The Tent of Meeting is the tent where God met with Moses and Israel and spoke to them. In the Old Testament the term is used chiefly as another name for the tabernacle.
Noah's Ark
[Bible]Noah's ark is the large vessel that God commanded Noah to build in Genesis 6–9. Noah's family of eight and the animals survived the Flood aboard it. The New Testament takes up the ark as an image of faith, salvation, and baptism.
Corban
[Bible]Corban is a Hebrew word meaning "an offering given to God." In the New Testament it appears in Mark 7:11, in a passage where Jesus criticizes the practice of using a vow to avoid supporting one's parents.
Redemptive-Historical Preaching
[Doctrine & Theology]Redemptive-historical preaching is a method of preaching that reads and proclaims biblical texts within the history of redemption, that is, the history of God's work of saving humanity through Christ.
Anathema
[Bible]Anathema is a Greek word meaning "something dedicated to God" or "something accursed and cut off." In the New Testament it appears mainly in the letters of Paul, where it denotes being handed over to God's judgment.
Magnificat
[Bible]The Magnificat is the song of praise to God that Mary offered after conceiving Jesus, when she visited Elizabeth, as recorded in Luke 1:46-55. It takes its name from the first word of its Latin text, Magnificat.
Anointing Oil
[Bible]The anointing oil is the holy oil that God commanded Moses to make in Exodus 30. It was used to consecrate the tabernacle and its furnishings, as well as Aaron and his sons.
Inheritance
[Bible]Inheritance is a biblical term for a portion given by God or handed down from generation to generation. In the Old Testament it chiefly refers to the land that the tribes and families of Israel received by lot; in the New Testament it refers to the inheritance of salvation that believers will receive.