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Good vs. Bad Kings
Some kings : did what was right in the eyes/sight of YHWH
Some kings : did evil in the eyes/sight of the YHWH
RIGHT : YASAR H3477 – yāšār, meaning straight, straightforward, just, upright, fitting, proper, correct, pleasing
EVIL : RA H7451 – raʿ, meaning bad, disagreeable, malignant, unpleasant, hurtful
EYES : AYIN H5869 – ʿayin, sight, thoughts, before
Non-canonical books
The controversy over non-canonical books is a debate that centers on what criteria should be used to determine which writings are divinely inspired and therefore part of the canon. The Apocrypha is a collection of Old Testament books not included in the Hebrew Bible, but accepted by the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Churches as deuterocanonical (meaning of secondary canon). These books include Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Baruch, Letter of Jeremiah, Prayer of Azariah, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, 1 and 2 Maccabees, 1 Esdras, 2 Esdras, and the Additions to Esther. However protestant reformers, like Martin Luther, argued against the Apocrypha.
So when it comes to “canonical bibles”, the most common are the Jewish Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) with 24 books, the Protestant canon with 66 books, the Roman Catholic canon with 73 books, and the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox canons with 76 or 79 books.
Here is a list of non-canonical books that are referenced in the Bible:
Referenced in the Hebrew Bible
Acts of Solomon
Acts of Uzziah
Acts of the Kings of Israel
Annals of King David
Book of Gad the Seer
Book of Jasher
Book of Jehu
Book of Nathan the Prophet
Book of Shemaiah the Prophet
Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel
Book of the Wars of the Lord
Chronicles of the Kings of Israel
Chronicles of the Kings of Judah
Laments for Josiah
Prophecy of Ahijah
Sayings of the Seers
Story of the Book of Kings
Story of the Prophet Iddo
Referenced in the Deuterocanon
Aesop’s fable of the Two Pots
Five books by Jason of Cyrene
Story of Ahikar
Referenced in the New Testament
Assumption of Moses
Book of Enoch
Epistle to the Laodiceans
Life of Adam and Eve
Martyrdom of Isaiah
Provision
1 Kings 17:8-10 Then the word of YHWH came to him, saying, “Arise, .. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”
The first time we see YHWH’s great provision, is after the Israelites left Egypt. YHWH provided manna (a miraculous bread) and quail for them to eat in the desert. This was a daily sustenance for 40 years, demonstrating YHWH’s care for their physical needs.
Elijah are provided by the birds, and then later with the widow is the next example of YHWH’s miraculously provision of oil and flour, ensuring their survival for a period of time. Elijah is taken care of again by the angels in 1 Kings 19:5-6 “Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. “
Later in 2 Kings 4 we will see where Elisha tells another widow to fill as many containers possible with olive oil, and then sell the oil to help her pay for her debts.
Imagine when Yeshua repeats this miracle (in Matthew and Mark) and feeds a crowd of four to five thousand men (besides women and children) with seven loaves of bread and a few fish – that should have made it clear which God they were dealing with. An Elohim that cares, the ancient Elohim called YHWH.
The Hebrew word for provide or sustain is KUL H3557 – kûl, meaning to support, maintain, contain, endure, measure. The first time this word is used, is by Joseph to his brothers during the famine in Genesis 45:11, where he realizes YHWH have placed him in that position to maintain, abide, support, provide and endure the drought. Gen 45:11 “And H3557 there will I nourish H3557 thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.”
Malachi 3:2 “But who may abide H3557 the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire”
Yeshua said in John 6:35, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
Resurrections
1 Kings 17:21-22 “And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to YHWH and said, “O YHWH my Elohim, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.” Then YHWH heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.”
The word revived is HAYA H2421 – ḥāyâ, meaning to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health. The root word for “haya” (הָיָה) translates to “was,” “were,” or “to be” depending on the context, and it can also mean “happen,” “occur,” or “become”. It is the most common verb for “to be” in the Old Testament, but it’s often used in a dynamic sense, indicating an action, even command or behavior that defines the subject.
In the context of “I AM,” “haya” is used to express the idea of YHWH’s eternal existence and his ability to be whatever is needed at any given time.
The phrase “Let there be light” (v’haya ha’or) uses “haya” in a way that emphasizes the idea of something coming into being or becoming a reality. The root word “hayah” also means “to be” or “to exist,” and it’s used throughout Genesis 1 to describe the creation of the world, with YHWH commanding things to “be” or “become”.
In the old testament, there are two more examples of lives being resurrected. Shunamite’s Son: Elisha raised the son of the Shunamite woman (2 Kings 4:18-37), and Man thrown into Elisha’s grave: A man’s body touched Elisha’s bones and came back to life (2 Kings 13:20-21).
In the new testament however, there are many resurrections:
- Yeshua Himself: The most significant resurrection, demonstrating YHWH’s power and confirming Yeshua’ divinity (Matthew 27:50-53, 28:1-10).
- Jairus’ Daughter: Yeshua raised her after she had passed away (Mark 5:41).
- Son of the widow of Nain: Yeshua raised him from the dead (Luke 7:11-17).
- Lazarus: Yeshua raised Lazarus from the dead four days after his death (John 11:17-44).
- Tabitha (Dorcas): Peter raised her (Acts 9:36-42).
- Numerous individuals after Yeshua’s resurrection: Matthew 27:50-53 mentions many saints rising from the dead after Yeshua’ death.
In Matthew 22:23-33, the Sadducees question Yeshua about the resurrection, specifically the law of when a woman remarries to continue her generation. But Yeshua’s answer stunned them, in saying that YHWH is Elohim of the living, not the dead, and that their focus is on the wrong place.
