Biblical Customs & Manners - CTI Yr. 2

Covenant Treasure Institute CUSTOMS & MANNERS SERIES Foreword Knowledge of the customs and lifestyles prevalent in the time periods during which the Bible was written is of invaluable benefit to the serious Bible scholar. This study is a vast reservoir of wisdom in discerning and rightly dividing the word of God. In our time allotted, we can merely scratch the surface, as it were, in this elemental study. We do, however, believe that simply by learning some of the basic facts concerning the everyday life and social culture of the day, you will be greatly enlightened and spiritually enriched in your understanding of certain scriptures. It is our prayer that this study, however brief, will serve to whet your spiritual appetite, so that you, as a student, will continue to delve into this area of study long after you have graduated. This is a lifelong process that will make the study of the Bible alive and exciting. Consequently it will splash your ministry with color and definition, as you speak from a sense of having been there in your spiritual vision and imagination. In His love, Patricia T. Smith, President Covenant Treasure Institute Covenant Treasure Institute CUSTOMS & MANNERS SERIES TEACHER EDITION INDEX Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lesson 1, Everyday Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test Review Lesson 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lesson 2, Meals, Family & Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test Review Lesson 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lesson 3, Agriculture & Shepherding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test Review Lesson 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lesson 4, Travel & Hospitality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test Review Lesson 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 10 Page 11 Page 19 Page 21 Page 27 Page 28 Page 33 Material herein may not be copied or duplicated in any way without permission from Covenant Treasure Ministries, P O Box 667, Elgin, Texas 78621 Covenant Treasure Institute CUSTOMS & MANNERS SERIES LESSON 1, ATTIRE & ACTIVITIES By Patricia Smith TEACHER’S NOTE: The writings of the Hebrew Old Testament are thought to span a time period of some 4,000 years. The New Testament begins with the birth of Jesus which, until now, has been an additional period of some 2,000 years of human civilization. Needless to say, although human nature has remained the same from Adam & Eve in the garden until now, cultures, customs and lifestyles have changed considerably. Therefore, it is only an intelligent thing for a serious student of the Bible to study the lifestyles, manners and customs of the people about whom the Bible is written. Many of the illustrations, metaphors, and even some instructions, are no longer applicable to us today. Because of this, some modern-day scholars would have us ignore or even eliminate some portions of the Bible. Do not be mistaken. Underlying every illustration, every metaphor and every instruction is a divine principle which HAS NOT AND NEVER WILL CHANGE. We must ask Holy Spirit to show us these principles and teach us accordingly. We are never to assume that because the custom has changed, God has changed with it! God never changes, but because human lifestyles do, we must “rightly divide the Word” and read it not as strictly “letter” but look for the underlying truth that is hidden, only to be revealed by Holy Spirit. For example, in the days of Jesus and the apostles, the only women whose hair was “shorn” or cut, were women who had been captured in battle from other nations. Upon capture, they were sexually abused, and then shaved completely bald as a further advertisement of their humiliation, and a “slap in the face” to their husbands and fathers who were their protectors. They then became the slaves of their captors, and were continually “shorn” to show their degraded state. Consequently, Paul speaks of a woman having her hair cut or shorn as a “shame” or “disgrace”. (1 Cor. 11:6) Quite obviously, this is not the case with us, as we have “no such custom” (1 Cor. 11:16) however let us look at the principle that is underneath this statement. We are taught that now, as Christians, we are in a spiritual warfare. Not a war against “flesh & blood”, but against “principalities, powers, the rulers of darkness, spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Read Eph. 6:12-18) If we, therefore, being aligned on God’s side of this warfare, (having already been assured of victory through Jesus Christ), give the outward appearance of being satan’s captive, that is indeed a shame and a disgrace to us and a deliberate insult to our “husband” Christ Jesus. This would include anything remotely associated with satan, for instance the wearing of demonic symbolism in jewelry or tattooing, totally immodest clothing (or lack thereof)…you get the picture. Anything that makes an outward statement that says, “satan has taken me captive and that’s why I appear this way.” So we see, it is an important part of biblical studies to be able to discern the real issues and the spiritual truth of the Bible without being so narrow or closed-minded that we cling to the “letter” of the word without discerning the “spirit” of it. This was the mindset that characterized the Pharisees of Jesus’ day and caused a “religious” spirit to blind them to the real truth of His Word. Studying biblical history of the cultures and lifestyles of the times in which it was written can greatly assist us from falling into this trap, putting ourselves and others into bondages that we never meant to be in. A study of ancient cultures can also help us ascertain great spiritual truths from certain passages that would otherwise remain hidden to us. For instance, when Isaiah spoke of the coming Messiah (Isa. 9:6, 7), he says, “for unto us a child is born, unto us a child is given, and the government shall be UPON HIS SHOULDER.” What does this mean to us in our culture today, except we understand that He is a ruler, the King of Kings? There is a greater nuance here than we would perceive at first glance. In the Hebrew culture, at the wedding ceremony, the bride is first presented to her husband in her wedding attire which included the wearing of a thin veil over the normal head covering. At one point during the ceremony of covenant, this veil was removed and laid upon the shoulder of the bridegroom with the declaration: “the government is upon your shoulder,” meaning that now, this woman was under the official care, keeping, leadership and rule of this man, as her husband. What a picture for us, as the bride of Christ, now under his official care, keeping, leadership and rule. For us, “the veil” has been taken away and laid on His shoulder! So it is our prayer that as we study the customs and cultures of the day, we will have a deeper revelation of Him and His wonderful Word…rightly dividing the word of truth! For our study, we will divide the content of this first lesson of every day life into two parts, Attire and Activities: EVERYDAY LIFE ATTIRE A loincloth was the only item of underwear worn by males, whereas women wore a light linen long undergarment. Over both the male and female undergarments was a tunic, considered the basic essential piece of clothing. The material of the tunic, which had a V-neck and slits on either side for the arms, was either wool, linen or cotton, depending on the social status of its owner. A man’s tunic was knee-length, while the women’s tunic went to the ankle. There was a horizontal seam at the waist, as it was cut and sown in two pieces. The fact that Jesus’ tunic had “no seam” indicated that it was one of the latest fashion, since looms that would serve to weave a piece of cloth this long were only introduced in his day. How interesting, to think of Jesus as wearing a fashionable garment! (John 19:23) TEACHER’S NOTE: Allow a brief discussion of how this might apply today. When a tunic was made of goat’s hair or “sack” cloth, it was very uncomfortable and usually only worn during times of extreme grief or repentance and fasting. The tunic was held to the body at the waist by a leather or heavy cloth “girdle.” To facilitate working or even walking or especially running, the wearer often “girded up his or her loins”. This was a term that meant tucking the hem of the tunic into the belt or girdle to get it out of the way. This puts new light on Peter’s words in 1Pet. 1:13, where we are advised to “gird up the loins” of our minds. TEACHER’S NOTE: At this point you might explain this as having reference to facilitating our walk with Christ and our work in Him. We must get our minds set straight and ready for action, with our thoughts girded up, so as not to interfere with our activity or work in Him. How could a muddled mind, full of thoughts that we could “trip over” keep us from our work in Him? Joseph’s “coat of many colours” was a tunic of many pieces. Probably, the additional pieces were long sleeves that were of different colors. It was not expected that people who wore tunics like this would be doing any significant work, as the sleeves would get in the way. This seems to indicate that Joseph was not expected to do the type of work his brothers had to do and so would add to the perceived insult to the older siblings. The “cloak” usually belonged to people of at least moderate means or the wealthy. It was worn during cold weather over the tunic. Poorer people made their cloaks by wrapping thick wool material around their bodies, with seams at the shoulder and slits for the armholes. Sometimes this offered their only protection from the weather, and for this reason the law of God commanded that if it was taken as collateral for a loan it had to be returned before nightfall (Ex. 22:26-27) In a court of law, a person’s tunic could be taken away as payment for a loan, but not his cloak. This is why Jesus said that if a man were to sue you at law and take away your coat, you should give him your “cloak also.” Wealthier people made cloaks of luxury materials like silk and considered it a “must” for appearing in public. The Pharisees wore blue fringe on the hems of their cloaks so that it would appear they were keeping the law recorded in Numbers 15:38-39. Jesus condemned them for this flaunting of their “righteousness.” (Matthew 23:5) TEACHER’S NOTE: Have students look up the two scripture above and read them aloud. Ask them to explain what Jesus meant concerning the righteousness of the Pharisees. Concerning head coverings, women only appeared in public with their heads covered and heavily veiled. Only captive slaves or prostitutes did otherwise. The prostitutes used their faces and hair uncovered as an attraction to the opposite sex. This explains Paul’s words to the church at Corinth, when he says that when women prayed or prophesied, they should have their heads covered. (1 Cor. 11:5) Men wore skull caps with material folded as a band and tucked up under the cap to give the appearance of a turban. Footwear was the same for both men and women. Sandals appeared to have been the fashion of the day, using a piece of cowhide for the sole and leather thongs that went between the big toe and the first toe and then wrapped around the foot and tied around the ankle. Richer people had slippers. Most people had only the clothes on their backs. This makes the words of John the Baptist when he talks about giving away your coat (if you had two), rather startling. One’s set of clothing was so vital that even under the strict Sabbatical law of the Pharisees; people were allowed to rescue their clothing from a burning house on the Sabbath day. Imagine how serious a sign of repentance or grief it was to “rend your garments!!” Priests wore a linen garment over their tunic, which is what is called in the Old Testament, an “ephod.” The High Priest’s tunic was blue and his ephod heavily embroidered with a special jeweled place for carrying the Urim and Thummin (the two lots from which they ascertained the will of God.) HOUSING Psalm 16:6 records the words of David who said that “the lines had fallen in very pleasant places” for him. When Joshua divided the land among the Israelites after the conquest of Canaan, the method used to determine who got what piece of land was the casting of lots. They considered that the “lots” were in God’s control, so therefore when they cast this two-sided disc (much like you would toss a coin heads or tails to decide a matter) they believed that the outcome told the will of God. (Proverbs 16:33 says: “the lot is cast in to the lap, but its every decision is of the Lord”. David’s statement indicated that, in his case, the “lines” or boundaries indicated by the casting of the lots had been a very good inheritance. An inheritance, once designated, was marked by a heap of stones, which was never to be removed, because it would be considered changing what God had declared. (Deut.19:14) TEACHER’S NOTE: Have students look up this scripture and read it aloud. It was further considered a great dishonor to the Lord to sell one’s inheritance. This is undoubtedly why Naboth refused to sell his vineyard when approached by King Ahab. (1 Kings 21:3) When people, of necessity, had to sell their land in order to live, such a sale was legal, but only considered in effect until the Jubilee year which came every fifty years. (Leviticus 25:10) If a family member could come up with the money to buy it back prior to the Jubilee, the current landowner was compelled by law to sell it back to the one who redeemed it. TEACHER’S NOTE: Have students look up this scripture and read about the Jubilee Year. What do they think this was symbolic of? The entire concept of “homeland” has occasioned the grave misunderstanding which has divided the Middle East to this day. The Arab peoples are historically nomads. To them, “homeland” means a land without boundaries that could be traversed freely as often and as far as they cared to wander. To the Jew, according to God’s promise when they left Egypt, “homeland” means a place where every man has his own property and his own home, and is considered a possession with boundaries. The center of the Israeli culture is found in the inheritance of home and property passed on to future generations, with a double portion for the firstborn son. When the British left Palestine and declared in a legal document that it was to be a “homeland” for the Jews, this understandably created two different mind-sets among Arabs and Jews as to the meaning of the document. TEACHER’S NOTE: Open a BRIEF class discussion on how this may have been a contributing factor to the major unrest in the Middle East. Can, or will this problem be solved prior to the coming of the Lord? In ancient biblical times, people were nomadic and lived in tents. Others lived in caves, and later when the descendants of Abraham moved into Canaan, they built houses usually of limestone, rather square with flat roofs and external staircases that led to the roof. Remember Peter, praying on the rooftop and having his vision of the unclean creatures cleansed, when the men from Cornelius came seeking him? These rooftops were used as places for coolness and quiet and often for worship. Oftentimes on hot summer nights, people would sleep on their roof as it was made of earth and consequently cool at night. In the cities, houses would be built joined side by side and one could travel over the rooftops, a concept Jesus alluded to when he spoke of fleeing on the rooftops (Matthew 24:17.) Homes were lighted by oil lamps and many accounts in both testaments use this as a symbol of spiritual “light.” TEACHER’S NOTE: Can students come up with some examples of this? The oil lamp was usually an open saucer-like affair which contained olive oil. A place in the saucer was elongated with a place for a wick made of flax. As it was easy to spill, later versions were covered with two holes in the cover, one to pour in the oil and one for the wick. Light was extremely important and considered an absolute necessity. If a home was without light at night, its occupants were considered to be in extreme poverty. When the house was lit at night, it indicated to all that there were people inside sleeping. For anyone to be put outside at night, and consequently to be without a light, was considered a dreadful disaster. (Job 18:6) If God lit one’s lamp, it was considered the supreme blessing. (Psalm 18:28) When Isaiah prophesied about the Messiah to come, he made the statement which was quoted by Matthew in the New Testament concerning Jesus: “…a bruised reed shall He not break and smoking flax shall He not quench…” (Isa. 42:3, Matt. 12:20). TEACHER’S NOTE: Ask the class what they think this might mean about Jesus? To this writer, it is a source of great comfort, that when my “light” is threatening to be extinguished because my “wick” is about to expire, He will not snuff me out, but gently blow on the smoking embers until it flames again! Can anyone give a personal testimony of this? Heating of homes was also by fire, kindled by natural substances like manure, sticks, dry grass, thorn bushes and sometimes charcoal. (John 21:9) The fire was usually in a depression of the earthen floor in the middle of the home. Wealthier people had chimneys, but in most cases, people just had to deal with the smoke inside. Water, of course, had to be carried from community wells, which made everyone dream of a day when they could hew out their own cisterns (a hole in a large rock, with plastered sides, where water could be stored and drawn out at will). TEACHER’S NOTE: Have students look up Jeremiah 2:13 and discuss the two evils the Lord says His people have committed. They have first “forsaken” Him, the “fountain of living waters, and second, they have hewn out “broken cisterns” for themselves that “hold no water.” What is He actually saying? What is the difference between water coming from a fountain and water stored in something like a cistern? How does this apply in the Bible’s symbolism of water as God’s Word and water as God’s Spirit? Does this relate to Christians today? How so? Furnishings were simple, and for common people usually meant a bed a table and chairs. Dining tables, cushioned beds, stools and chairs with backs were limited to the very wealthy. ACTIVITIES Sleeping/Rising: Very early rising (before dawn) seems to have been the norm in Bible days. No doubt this was because they needed to make the most of the daylight hours for work and perhaps because of the extreme summer heat, it would allow them time to get their work done prior to the heat of the late afternoons. Abraham “rose early” to obey God’s command of sacrifice (Gen.22:3) Moses got up early to meet God on Mt. Sinai (Ex.34:4) Job worshipped “early in the morning” (Job 1:5) Jesus prayed “before sunrise” (Mark 1:35) “Sleeping in” did not appear to be an option, primarily because everyone slept on a raised platform in their very small homes, so that if one person got up it would disturb all the others. This makes plain the story Jesus told of the man whose friend came at midnight, knocking and asking for bread. No wonder he was hesitant to get up, even though the man was his friend. (Luke 11:7) Eating: People ate only two meals a day, breakfast and the evening meal. Breakfast was the first activity of the day and was usually very informal, consisting of a pita-like sandwich filled with goat’s cheese, olives or dried fruit. The men ate as they left for their work in the fields or whatever occupation they were in. Daily Chores: After the men left, the women, girls and boys too young to work with their fathers began the chores at home. The younger boys minded any animals the family owned, as for instance, David, who kept the sheep. (1 Sam. 16:11) The older daughters made trips to the community well to draw water for the day, and also to the market place to purchase food. This was the reason Abraham’s servant, Eliezer, stopped at the “well” when looking for the woman who was to be Isaac’s wife. He knew that the older unmarried girls were the ones who came there to draw the family’s water supply and he could get a good look at most of the young women in the community that way. Girls carried the water in large earthenware jars on their shoulders or hips. (Gen. 24:15) A daily trip to the market was a necessity as there was no way in the hot climate of the region to keep perishable food any longer than a day. This is why the “Lord’s Prayer” included “Give us THIS DAY, our daily bread.” TEACHER’S NOTE: Contrary to popular belief, Jesus was not the author of this prayer. This was an ancient Jewish prayer that He simply expounded on and repeated to the disciples as to the general way they were to pray. To the Jew, the “daily bread” was the central theme of that prayer, as everything revolved around it. When they prayed “lead us not into temptation,” it was a reminder of the first time after they left Egypt when God led them into the wilderness where they had no bread, and was the occasion of their first murmuring against Him. So to them, the prayer meant, “Lord, don’t lead me into some dry place where there is no bread, and I will not be tempted to murmur against you! Give me today, my bread, and I will “hallow your name.” If I have my bread, it will be much easier for me to forgive my neighbors. To the Christian, Jesus IS that bread of life, the manna. So in this light, we are really praying, “Lord, don’t lead me into a dry place where I cannot sense your Presence…give me my daily portion of Jesus (your Word) and I will have no cause for evil complaining and an unthankful heart!” The mother and any other older women in the home stayed home and went about “milling” grain, from which the daily bread was prepared and then baked on large inverted clay dishes over the fire in the depressed floor area in the center of the home. The “mill” was comprised of two round stones, one on top the other, with handles affixed to grind the barley or wheat grain into coarse flour. Although the task could be done by one, it was much easier for two, and was what Jesus had reference to when He spoke of the end-time and said “two women” would be “grinding at the mill.” (Matt. 24:41) The older women also swept the earthen floors and were responsible to wash all the clothes, mind the children, and prepare the evening meal. Much time was spent making the family clothing, first by spinning and then sewing. They also made rugs and cloths for the home and some women made surplus of these items to sell at market. See the description of the “virtuous” woman in Proverbs 31. Bathing was done by all members of the family by means of water poured into an earthenware bowl with a ridge for the feet. A full bath necessitated a trip to the river or other large body of water. Even Pharaoh’s daughter bathed in the Nile River, while Bathsheba bathed on top of her roof, probably with water from a large receptacle. (In Jesus day, the rich could afford to go to the public baths built by the Romans.) TEST REVIEW Customs & Manners Series, Lesson 1, Attire & Activities In Biblical times, the tunic was considered the basic essential garment for both men and women. According to John 19:23, Jesus wire a garment or tunic that had no seam. This was the latest fashion of His day. What did the term “girding up the loins” mean? tucking the hem of the tunic into a leather belt at the waist. In a court of law, a person’s tunic could be taken away as payment for a loan, but not his cloak. In Paul’s day, only prostitutes left their faces and hair uncovered. Both men and women wore sandals as footwear. The long linen garment the priests wore over their tunics was called the ephod. What method did Joshua use to determine the distribution of land to the Israelites in Canaan? casting lots. The Jubilee year came once every 50 years. At that time, people who had been forced to sell their land, received it back. In cities, houses were built joined side by side, so that one could travel over the rooftops. Homes were lighted by oil lamps. Water had to be drawn and carried from community wells. Common people usually furnished their homes with only a bed. a table and chairs. In Bible days, people rose very early in the morning. People usually ate only two meals a day, breakfast and the evening meal. Who was responsible to draw water from the community well for the family? The oldest daughter or daughters. A trip to the market had to be made daily. The older women of the house had to mill or grind wheat or barley grain, to make bread. To take a full bath, one had to make a trip to the river. Covenant Treasure Institute CUSTOMS & MANNERS SERIES LESSON 2, MEALS, FAMILY & EDUCATION By Patricia Smith In the previous lesson, the two meals of the day were discussed, those being breakfast and the evening meal. Meals for common people consisted mostly of bread, cheese, vegetables, olives and fruit. Meat was not normally on the table of poorer folk, although those who lived by the sea often ate fish. The staple of life was considered bread, insomuch that it came to be called the “bread of life,” and if one was going to eat a meal, he said he was going to “eat” or “break” bread. (Bread was always broken and never cut with a knife). It is of note that Jesus told Satan at the end of His temptation, “It is written…man shall not live by bread alone, BUT BY EVERY WORD that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Luke 4:4) the Amplified version says, “but by every word and expression of God.” According to John, Chapter 1, Jesus was THE WORD OF GOD, who was in the beginning with God, and who WAS God. Hebrews 1:3 says that He (Jesus) is the “express image of the invisible God.” The Amplified version says: “He is the sole expression of the glory of God.” So, the message is clear; we are to LIVE BY Jesus Christ. He is our spiritual BREAD that gives and sustains our lives. Is it any mystery then, why Jesus said “I am the bread of life…if any man eats of this Bread, he will have eternal life….and the Bread that I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh (body) John 6:51. This proved to be confusing to His listeners, who could not imagine “eating” or living by Christ. But at the last Passover supper, He made it very plain to His disciples when He took bread, and blessed it and broke it and said, “take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you.” So every time we take the bread of communion, what we are saying is this: We must live by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Jesus IS every Word (and expression) that ever proceeded from God to us. The Bible is only some of the “words” of the WORD, yet every word in the Bible is contained in Christ. When we read any scripture, any promise, any judgment, any commandment, we can say that this is God’s written word to us. Since it is contained in Christ’s body, and since Christ gave us the communion bread as a natural token of a spiritual reality, then we are literally “eating the Word” or eating His flesh. In this way, we are, as Simon Peter put it, “made partakers of the divine nature.” We eat His Word, His promises, His commandments, His judgments. Then, that Word which is alive, is now IN us, working itself out. We partake of the blood for the remission of our sins, which delivers us from the judgment that would otherwise be wrought in us by that selfsame word. TEACHER’S NOTE: Open a class discussion by asking students to name some of the promises contained in God’s Word. Illustrate with a piece of communion bread, as you hold it up, that THIS (the bread) is that promise MADE FLESH, and when we take it, we are “eating the promise, ingesting it into ourselves!” For example, if we are sick, we find the promise that says and “by His stripes, ye WERE healed.” (1 Pet. 2:24) (and many others) but this piece of communion bread represents that word (1 Pet. 2:24) made flesh, and we eat the promise. Because it is alive and powerful, it begins to work healing in us, but only if we partake in the faith that it will. Explain that there is nothing magical about the bread itself, and we are not to worship or give credit to the symbol of the bread. We understand that Jesus was kind enough to give us something natural to illustrate something far more wonderful in the spirit. So as we ingest this literal bread into our bodies, by faith, we take hold of the fact that every promise and every word of God is going INTO OUR SPIRITUAL MAN, and there it will work to bring to pass whatever promise we have need of. The Israelites took the bread of that first Passover in expectation that SOMETHING was going to happen! It was not just a ritual or ceremony. They KNEW that when they kept God’s command to eat the lamb and to eat the unleavened bread, that they were GOING SOMEWHERE. Where? From bondage to liberty, from Egypt to Canaan, from sickness and weakness to health and strength, from slavery and poverty to freedom and prosperity. AND THAT WAS ONLY THE PICTURE OF THE “BETTER” COVENANT WE NOW ENJOY! God help us to partake of communion with a greater and better expectation! We should walk up to take it (or however it is done in your church), and EXPECT to walk back out of bondage, forgiven, free from sickness and disease, prosperous and powerfully obtaining the territory God has laid out for us to conquer! You may want to have the communion elements available and take communion as a class, in faith, believing for miracles! As you do, explain that when you, by faith, partake of EVERY WORD, you are also partaking of those words that bring conviction and judgment, and they too will begin to work in you. Therefore, the taking of the wine is of the utmost importance, because as the bread of the word begins to work, the blood of the wine (by faith) washes away the sin and leaves only a righteous, cleansed saint to appropriate the promises! The object here, is to have the students come away with a new and valid concept of communion, that they would no longer think of it as a ritual that everyone is afraid of, but look forward to it as a time of forgiveness and miracles! Failure to understand this concept results in the church being weak, powerless and sickly, with people dying untimely deaths. (1 Cor.11:29,30) simply because they don’t know the true benefits (not discerning) and not understanding the value of His Blood to cleanse our sins. Bread in Bible times was made from the crushed grains of barley or wheat. Beans and lentils seemed to have been the most commonly eaten vegetables, which may explain why the Israelites complained over leaving the fruit and vegetables they were familiar with in Egypt (onions, garlic, cucumbers and melons). Milk of goats, sheep and cattle was also a basic food. Woman made yogurt and butter from it and also cheese. Only the wealthier people had a steady diet of meat, which tells us something of the wealth of Solomon, whose daily food provision for his household and servants included ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture fed cattle, a hundred sheep and goats, not to mention, deer, gazelles, roebucks and choice fowl. (1 King 4:23) Common people usually only had meat on their tables when they had guests, at which time they would sometimes kill the only animal they had, so much did they honor their company. As previously mentioned, those who lived by the seaside were privileged to enjoy fish. Olives were and still are extensively grown for the olive itself and more importantly for the oil it produces. Figs and fresh grapes as well as raisins were eaten and pomegranates seemed to be a popular food. In Israel, a bush which produces “carob” beans, is also called a “locust” bush. Perhaps this is what John the Baptist’s diet consisted of, rather than insects. Almonds and pistachio nuts were readily available as well as dates. Sugar is not mentioned in the Bible, but honey was easily obtainable and used extensively as a sweetening agent. Salt was the primary seasoning as it was found plentifully in the area surrounding the Dead Sea. Some of it was harvested for cooking and its healing properties, but some of it had lost its saltiness. It was not thrown away, but was used to spread on the floor of marble courtyards to prevent slipperiness during the winter season. Thus, you can understand Jesus’ words about “salt” that had “lost its savor.” It was fit only to be “trodden on of men”. (Matthew 5:13) Handwashing before meals was traditional, and in homes with servants, it was the job of the servant to pour water over the hands of the householders before meals, as people ate with their hands. (This is still a common practice in India and parts of Asia). Thus it is said that Elisha “poured water” over the hands of Elijah. (2 Ki.3:11) Obviously, hands were also washed at the end of the meal. The dinner table itself, as spoken of in Old Testament times was simply a rug spread on the earth floor, where the family sat cross-legged around the dinner pot, scooping out the contents with a piece of bread. (Ps. 23:5) In the nomadic culture of Old Testament times, it was traditional to honor guests with a meal. Invited guests were the recipients of much honor and custom. One such custom was the pouring of wine into the guest’s cup. As long as the meal went on and the conversation was good, the host kept filling and refilling his guest’s wine cup. This was an indication that he desired the guest to stay longer. As the evening grew late, if the host was ready for the guest to leave, he simply stopped filling the wine cup which was a polite way of saying that the evening had ended. On the other hand, if the host desired the further company of the guest (as was sometimes true in a romantic case), in the late hours, he would refill the guest’s cup and keep pouring until the cup “ran over” and down the sides of the cup. This was an invitation for the guest to remain the night and until further notice. So were the words of David in the 23rd Psalm, when he said, “my cup runneth over.” God had invited him to stay endlessly! What a picture of Christ and His church! Due to the fact that water was often polluted in cisterns and other sources, wine was the staple drink. This was probably the reason Paul admonished Timothy to take “a little wine for your stomach’s sake.” (2 Tim. 5:23) THE FAMILY Family was of the utmost importance in biblical times. They were comprised of what we would now call “extended families.” Aunts, uncles, cousins and servants all lived together under the leadership and protection of the father, who became the grandfather, great-grandfather, etc. and ruled his little kingdom until his death. Absolute obedience was the norm from his wife, children, grandchildren and servants. Under the law, rebellion to this authority was punishable by death (Deut. 21:l8-21) Polygamy seemed to be acceptable, although it was always the firstborn son of the FIRST wife that received the blessing and inheritance of the firstborn. This is why Joseph became Jacob’s heir, even though he was certainly not the oldest of his brethren. This was the reason for his coat of many colors that occasioned such jealousy among his brothers. The head of a group of families was and is still called a sheikh. Abraham was such a sheikh, and ruled over such a large group of families that he could muster 318 armed servants as those born in his household. (Gen. 14:14) Upon the death of the leader, leadership passed to the firstborn son (of the first wife). Motherhood and servanthood seemed to be the role of the woman, and it was of vital importance to a woman to be able to bear children, especially sons. TEACHER’S NOTE: Have the students look up Genesis 30:1, and read Rachel’s words, 1 Samuel 1:1), Hannah’s words and Luke 1:25, Elizabeth’s words. In New Testament times, wives were still admonished to submit to their husbands, but with a new twist. Now men were to love their wives as Christ Himself loves the church, His body, thus putting themselves into a type of submission and servanthood. In New Testament times, it was possible that saints who had received the gospel had more than one wife. For this reason, Paul states that a leader of the church should be the “husband of one wife” (1 Tim. 3:2) as this was to be the norm for Christians from that point on. Slavery was customary, and while admonitions to slaves seem to have lost their meaning in our culture, still there is an underlying principle. Those who work for others as employees should take these admonitions to heart, as people who labor for the good of another. In Bible times, slaves were considered a part of the family and were loved and cared for and at times given positions of great responsibility. Consider Eleazer who was sent by Abraham to seek a wife for Isaac! Large families were considered the blessing of the Lord (Ps. 127) (Deut. 28:4) (Ps. 128:3), but especially sons, since men stayed with their families thus increasing their size and wealth, while girls were only valuable for their work and the dowry they might bring. Babies were, of course, born at home, and wrapped in bandages (swaddling clothes) with the idea that if wrapped tightly, their bones would grow straight and strong. Boy babies were circumcised according to the law on the eighth day. It is of interest that the medical community has now discovered that a baby boy’s blood clots better on the 8th day of his life than at any other time. Usually giving the baby boy his name took place at the rite of circumcision. Names were far more significant then than they are in our culture and were intended to shape the child into what the parents desired for him or thought of him. They felt that one’s name was to make a statement of who you were. Young men and women did not decide who they would marry, as this was done by way of arrangement of parents. This practice is still kept in some Eastern and Asian nations. The betrothal was considered as binding as the marriage and could only be broken by legal transaction for extreme reasons such as adultery. Thus Joseph’s prerogative to “put” Mary “away” privately, as she was found pregnant. (Matthew 1:18-20) Engagements usually lasted a year or so and the groom prepared a home during this time for his bride. Meanwhile the bride and her family would prepare the wedding garments (sometimes even for the invited guests) and arrange the festivities. The wedding itself was quite a function, lasting up to a week. (Judges 14:12) Feasting, dancing and drinking was the norm. Based on the known size of waterpots in that day, Jesus provided approximately 120 gallons of wine to the guests who had already depleted the original supply! (John 2:6-10) The bride was dressed up and accessorized like royalty. She was bathed in spices, and her hair was braided with as many precious and semi-precious jewels as her family could muster, including borrowing from the neighbors! (Ps. 45:14-15) (Isaiah 61:10) (Eze. 16:11-12) Her friends helped her dress and accompanied her as her companions. The groom was also dressed in splendor and jewelry (Isa. 61:10) and was usually accompanied by only one friend (John 3:29), called “the friend of the bridegroom” or as we would say, the “best man.” Dressing up for the wedding was considered unforgettable. (Jer. 2:32) The ceremony included a blessing of the bride (Genesis 24:60), the traditional blessing as first given to Rebecca when she left her home to marry Isaac. “Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands, may your offspring possess the gates of their enemies.” At some point during the party, the groom would leave his home to get his bride and bring her back to the home he had prepared for her. When he arrived, the blessings were pronounced and her veil was removed and placed across his shoulder, with the words “the government shall be upon his shoulder.” The wedding party would then depart for the groom’s and his new bride’s home, and since it was at night when this occurred, people carried oil lamps. This is where the parable Jesus spoke about the ten virgins or companions of the bride becomes understandable. In His story, the groom ran late, so their oil was getting low, and only those who had foresight enough to keep their lamps full were able to see to get to their destination. (Matt. 25:1-13) Divorce was allowed, but depending on which rabbi one spoke to, the rules regarding it varied. TEACHER’S NOTE: Open a class discussion, if time permits, on the similarities in the biblical wedding and the words of Jesus and the New Testament writers about Christ as the bridegroom and the church as His bride. When will this wedding take place? Where? Has it already begun? (No right or wrong answers here, but valuable discussion) DEATH & BURIAL In ancient times, the Egyptians were famous for their embalming techniques of bodies and sending along all sorts of riches and items for the person’s use in their journey to the next world. God’s people in Old Testament times and in Jesus’ day seemed to understand that they would be gathered to “Sheol” (Hebrew) “Hades” (Greek)(the abode of the dead, translated “hell” “grave” and “pit” in the KJV). Jesus taught that in Sheol (Hades) people were conscious without their fleshly bodies, yet in a sort of spiritually tangible state (see parable of the rich man and Lazarus, where the rich man spoke of having a “tongue” and Lazarus a “finger.” (Luke 16:19-31) He said that there was a “great gulf fixed” between the righteous dead and the unrighteous. It was here that the saints of old waited and here that Jesus came to claim His own, even providing a “firstfruits” of the resurrection by raising the physical bodies of some of the old patriarchs. (Matt 27:52, 53) The Jews of Jesus’ day knew there would be a bodily resurrection at the end-time, as evidenced by Martha’s words to Jesus at the occasion of Lazarus’ demise. (John 11:24) They all had occasion to read and hear the rabbis speak of Daniel’s prophecy when he said that at the end-time, many that sleep in the dust of the earth would awake for their everlasting judgment. (Daniel 12:2) Immediately when a person died a great wailing began which indicated to the neighborhood that the death had occurred. Family and friends gathered, and sometimes even professional mourners were hired to increase the fervency of the lamentation made for the dead person. Garments were rent and people beat their breasts to add to the display of grief. The body was washed, wrapped loosely in linen and carried on a stretcher to the burial site, usually a cave, or one carved out for that purpose. Only the wealthy covered the body with a paste of spices and then wrapped the body like a cocoon. The paste then hardened and formed a type of mummified preservative for the body. The head was covered also and the wrappings held in place by one under the chin. This seems to have been the type of burial that the rich man Joseph of Arimetheus, and Nicodemus the ruler of the synagogue, gave Jesus. This was why John and Peter were so astonished and therefore, “saw and believed” when they came to the tomb after the resurrection. The grave clothes or the cocoon, was intact, as though it still contained a body, yet empty! The headpiece had been removed, (all in one piece) and placed at the other end of the tomb. If, as some would have us believe, Jesus body had been stolen, they would have had to take the body IN THE COCOON, or cut it apart to get the body out! The headpiece by itself, intact, was proof positive. (John 20) Perhaps when they first looked in the tomb, they saw the cocoon and John, being first, thought the body was still in it, but upon entering in they saw the headpiece gone and realized HE HAD RISEN!!!! Hallelujah! EDUCATION Abraham was called out of “Ur of the Chaldees” or Babylon. As evidenced by modern day archeology, this was a highly advanced civilization, complete with schools of training for religious, commercial and governmental work. They studied mathematics, language, geography, botany and art. Soft clay tablets were used and writing was done by a wedge shaped piece of metal. Someone titled a school “father” and his assistant ran the school. Occasionally, there were additional teachers who specialized in certain subjects. Schools were paid for by parents. Perhaps Abraham himself attended such a school when a boy. In New Testament tines, Jewish boys went to school in their local synagogues, being taught by rabbis (teachers). In the morning first thing, he heard the story of how Moses received the law, then went to the teacher’s home for breakfast where he received cakes with the letters of the law written on them. Back in school, he received a slate with scriptures written on it. The slate was smeared with honey and he was told to trace his letters through the honey with his pen (a reed). Of course, he would stop to lick the end of this pen, and in this way, the rabbis felt he would realize that the Word of God was to be literally absorbed into him and become a part of his person (eaten). This is evidently what David referred to in Psalm 19:9-10. TEACHER’S NOTE: Have students look this up and discuss this in light of the New Testament adjunct to eat Jesus’ flesh and drink His blood. Moses was brought up by Pharaoah’s daughter in Pharaoah’s palace, and the scripture says he was “instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.” (Acts 7:22) This would include arithmetic, geometry, poetry, music, astronomy and many other subjects. Medicine and religion was also taught. He would have studied under the teacher of the king’s children in the royal court, and learned how to write with ink on papyrus. He learned hieroglyphics as well as the Canaanite script. So it would appear that Moses had quite a college education, and well he would need it, as it was he, who later, under the inspiration and even Presence of God, authored the first five books of the Bible, (the revered Hebrew Torah) and some of the Psalms. God knew what lay ahead for Moses, and geared his childhood accordingly. What a lesson to us, as we contemplate, that everything previous to this time in our lives had prepared us for what we are doing today. Girls were taught exclusively by their mothers to do domestic chores, and it was only the boys who were educated in a trade. In addition to schooling at the temple in religious matters and reading, they were taught a trade from the age of 3 by their fathers. One of the ancient rabbis said: “He who does not teach his son a useful trade is bringing him up to be a thief.” This explains why Jesus was a carpenter. For girls, the only acceptable training other than what their mothers gave them was for midwifery (Ex. 1:15-21) or singing. (Ecc. 2:8) In early times, such as the time of Samuel the prophet, boys like Samuel were brought up and educated by prophets in religious schools. Samuel attended one of these schools at Ramah (1 Sam. 19:18-21) and theological schools developed from this. (2 Ki. 2:5-7) Isa. 8:16). This is the origin of the practice of calling a priest “father” as the leader of the school exercised the role of the father in teaching children. Most of Israel’s men could read and write because of the attention paid by families to their education and the privilege afforded by the rabbis. Egyptian, Assyrian and Babylonian empires helped develop education as we know it today. Under the Greek culture, education became paramount. Schools were called “gymnasiums” and the first one set up in Jerusalem was in 175 BC. Many wealthy Jews began sending their sons to get this Greek education which included basic skills of reading, writing and counting, music, poetry, dance, musical instruments and physical education (wrestling, boxing, running, javelin, discus, etc.) At the age of 16, literature, philosophy and politics was added to his curriculum. Sometimes specialized teachers who taught in the gymnasiums would set up their own schools in Athens and people went to study exclusively from them. These schools were governed under the auspices of the Areopagus, a committee on education. Because Paul, who was highly educated himself, set up his own school in Athens, he had to give an account of himself to the Areopagus. (Acts 17:16-34) When he was in Ephesus, he used the lecturing hall of one Tyrannus, a teacher of the day. (Acts 19:9-10) Because of the Greek influence on young men, certain of the Jewish believers (Pharisees, or Hasidim) began to demand that Jewish boys receive their education only from the temple or what was called “The House of the Book.” This would have been where Jesus was found by his family, conversing with the rabbis. Jesus would have attended one of these Houses of the Book at his local synagogue when he was about six. He would have been taught reading, writing and memorizing of scripture. The only textbook he would have had would have been the Tanach, the Old Testament scriptures. He was taught the traditional law from the age of 10 to 15, and Jewish law beyond that time. Privileged boys would go on to Jerusalem to one of the law schools where they were taught “at the feet” of some distinguished and great teacher. This is what Paul meant when he said he had sat “at the feet” of Gamaliel, one of the foremost recognized teachers of the day. In AD 65, such schooling was made compulsory for all boys six and above. The early Christian community was too poor to provide schools for its children.  TEST REVIEW Customs & Manners Series, Lesson 2, Meals, Family, Education The staple of life in ancient times was bread and was called the bread of life. Jesus told Satan that man must not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out from the mouth of God. Jesus IS every word or expression of God that has come to us. All the words of the Bible are contained in Christ’s body. Jesus gave us a natural token to illustrate “eating the Word.” That token is the bread of communion. The “locusts” which John the Baptist ate were probably carobs. True or false: Bread, beans & lentils, milk products, olives and grapes were the typical food of common people and meat was enjoyed only by the wealthier class. True. Salt was the main spice used for cooking and honey was used for sweetener. The head of a group of families was, as still is in eastern countries, called a sheikh True or false: The oldest father (grandfather or great-grandfather) was always the leader of his family. True. The primary role of women in ancient times was to serve, and to bear children, especially sons. True or false: In Bible days, names were not considered important. False Marriages were arranged by parents. True or false: A betrothal was not considered binding until the actual marriage ceremony. False. Give an example of parallel between the ancient wedding custom and the coming of Christ. (Grade on understanding of concept and use of words) God’s people in Old Testament times understood that after death their souls would go to a place called in Hebrew Sheol, or in the Greek, Hades. They also understood that there would be a resurrection at the “last day.” True or false: There was a great gulf fixed in Sheol separating the righteous dead from the unrighteous. True. After his death on the cross, by the spirit, Jesus went into Sheol, hades or hell, and delivered the righteous, and ascended on high, “leading captivity captive.” According to Matthew, after Jesus resurrection, many of the Old Testament saints arose and were seen in Jerusalem. In your own words, explain why Peter and John were so astonished at what they saw at the tomb of Jesus, which caused them to “see and believe.”(grade on concept, depth of research and use of words) God called Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees, or Babylon. True or false: Egypt, Assyria and Babylon were all world powers and were highly civilized with educational priorities, however the Greek culture made education paramount. True Only Jewish boys received education, as girls were only allowed to be trained for becoming wives and mothers or at the most, midwifery or singing. Jesus probably attended a House of the Books, at the nearest synagogue, from the time he was six. Temple teaching was strictly religious. Boys were taught a trade by their fathers. Early Christians were considered too poor to send their children to schools. Covenant Treasure Institute CUSTOMS & MANNERS SERIES LESSON 3, AGRICULTURE & SHEPHERDING By Patricia Smith When the Israelites finally ceased wandering in the wilderness and entered Canaan, they took up agriculture as a means of living. Having no system of irrigation, they were completely dependent on rain as a means of growing their crops. Moses warned them that their security was going to depend on God, who provides rainfall. (Deut. 11:10-15) Further peril to crops were the hot scorching winds, and the locusts. TEACHER’S NOTE: Open a class discussion, stating that while this may apply to very few of us today, what is the underlying principle here that we can learn from in our day to day lives? Stress dependence on God as our Source. The Canaanites knew they needed rain, but thought their livelihood depended on the rain itself and what they could do to stave off the locusts. Finally realizing their ineffectiveness, they concluded that there must be a “higher power” in charge that they could appeal to, so invented Baal, the storm (or rain) God. Do we invent “gods” besides Jehovah-Jireh to meet our needs? When entering Canaan, Joshua distributed, by the casting of lots, the land to each tribe or family. Later, when they insisted on having a king, this changed. Land was seized and accumulated by the “nobles” of the kingdom, using the original farmers as tenants or stewards over the vineyards, olive groves, granaries and cattle raising. (1 Sam. 8:14) Much later, after the captivity in Babylon and their return to the land, Nehemiah forced a return of the land to its original owners. (Nehemiah 5) This lasted until the conquest by Greece and Rome, who once again seized land that belonged to Israel. In recent archeological discovery, a schoolboy’s tablet was discovered that listed what has come to known as the “Gezer Calendar” or the agricultural calendar of ancient Israel. It is as follows: GEZER CALENDAR Olive Harvest September/October Planting Grain November/December Late planting January/February Hoeing flax March Barley Harvest April Harvest & Festivity May Vine tending June/July Summer fruit August (Planting in January & February was that of millet, peas, lentils, melons and cucumbers) Ideal rainfall came in October and November, and then hopefully the “latter” rains would come in the winter months. TEACHER’S NOTE: Much is said in the Old Testament concerning the “former” and “latter” rain. If the natural is a picture of that which is spiritual, what spiritual connotation does this have for us? What is the “latter rain” the Christian community talks about? If the “former” rain was necessary for optimal planting conditions, when did this occur in the spirit? If the “latter” rain brings growth and ultimate harvest, has this occurred in the spirit? Is it occurring now? What is the seed? What is the harvest? Who are the laborers? Ploughing was done by means of a wooden plow attached to an ox, a team of oxen or even a donkey, wearing a “yoke.” Yokes were fashioned by carpenters in a sort of “one size fits all” fashion. The farmer would put the yoke on his plow animal and after working a day, he would observe the animals hide to see if that particular yoke had any ill-fitting places that may have rubbed raw spots. If so, he matched the spot on the yoke with the injured hide of the animal and marked it where it did not fit that particular beast. Then he took it back to the carpenter, who smoothed it out, making it a yoke that fit that animal exclusively and was “easy” and “light” for him to bear as he worked. Does this remind you of Jesus words “come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28, 29) Jesus, being a carpenter by trade, and having grown up in a carpenter’s shop with his stepfather Joseph, knew all about yoke-making. The inference here is that we are all individuals and God knows that full well. He tailor-makes our yoke to fit us as individuals and only us! We all serve Him, and “plow” in the Kingdom as He gives us direction, but we will not pull easily under another’s “yoke.” Pulling under the yoke of religious bondage and traditions will put hurting places upon us, until finally we will cease to try to pull the plow! Trying to pull under someone else’s yoke (seeking the ministry that belongs to someone else) will result in disaster! TEACHER’S NOTE: Ask the class for illustrations of people trying to toil under a yoke that does not fit. Then ask them to consider what “yoke” they have, as appointed them by Jesus. WHAT IS YOUR YOKE? If your “yoke” is not EASY and your burden is not LIGHT, perhaps you have a store bought yoke, or worse yet, someone else’s! At the harvest of grain, workers cut the stems of the plants with hoes at ground level. Then the standing grain was cut with a sickle. It was then tied into bundles and loaded onto an animal for transport to the threshing floor. This “floor” was any hard surface made of smooth rock or compacted earth. Threshing is the process by which the seed grain is removed from the stalks. Small amounts were done by beating with a stick. Large amounts of grain had to be spread over the threshing floor and oxen would be yoked together and attached to a pole in the center of the floor by leather straps. They would then be “goaded” or pricked with a stick to make them go, thus crushing and separating the grain from the dried stalks and chaff. While the ox threshed the grain, the commandment was that they should not “be muzzled.” This would enable them from time to time to stop and eat, as they needed to fuel their bodies for this work. This was the analogy the Apostle Paul used when he spoke of ministers of the gospel, and their congregations or hearers. (1 Cor. 9:7-9; 1 Tim. 5:18) The lesson here is that people who preach, teach and otherwise edify the body, should not be “starved” by the body. That is, they should be fed, or given financial means to support themselves and their families. Paul’s words were that if they “preached the gospel” they should “live OF the gospel.” TEACHER’S NOTE: You might give emphasis to this as it applies to us. The financial well-being of the leadership of the church is a direct reflection of their congregation’s care of them. Do students contribute to this through tithing and giving? Do they ever privately give extra love offerings to pastors and teachers? What happens when this adjunct is not followed and pastors must work full time outside their church to support their families? Is the church all it is meant to be? Are the people cared for if the shepherd is not allowed to “eat of his flock?” You can relate instances where this practice has been abused, as in recent televangelist scandals. But does this negate the effectiveness of the appropriate obedience to God’s word? Winnowing was the process that followed the trampling by the oxen. In this process the grain was picked up by shovel or pitchfork and tossed into the air. The wind would carry away the stalk and chaff, leaving the solid grain to fall to the ground where it was then put into sieves and sifted thoroughly. At this point any invaders (tares) that have grown with the wheat will be culled. A plant called “darnel” was a weed that grew among wheat and what Jesus referred to as “tares”. It is the perfect counterfeit of wheat, as it looks exactly like it in the growing process. Then, when it ripens it turns black rather than the golden color of wheat. If it is not culled from the sieve and is allowed to go into the bins with the wheat it will cause dizziness and sickness when eaten. TEACHER’S NOTE: Here you might recall Jesus parable of the wheat and the tares and ask for an explanation of it. The chaff which was removed during the threshing and winnowing process was not an evil thing. It was a hard shell-like growth that surrounded each grain of wheat that protected it as it grew to maturity. However, when the maturing process was complete, there was no longer need for that chaff, so it had to go! John the Baptist said that Jesus would separate the wheat from the chaff and the chaff would be burned in unquenchable fire. (Matthew 3:12) TEACHER’S NOTE: Ask students to correlate this process to their lives. What are the “necessary” things that we think we must have during our growth process? What are some things that need to go as we mature? Use the Apostle Paul as an example. In order to fulfill his destiny, it was necessary for him to have the education he had. It was necessary that he have the testimony he did concerning his knowledge of the law. It was necessary that he should have grown up in a home of some privilege affording him this education. It was necessary that he should have come to be of some importance in governmental affairs. But what did he say? Those things he now counted as so much “dung.” At his maturing, he no longer needed his social status; he no longer had to depend upon his education, his religion….etc. What about each student? Ask them to reflect on this after today. Ask them to seek God as to things that they may be depending on from the past that may have been needful then, but what about now? Is it slowing their growth? What is the “fire” that will burn away our chaff? Are we baptized in the Holy Ghost and “fire” for this reason? Vineyards were also a coveted means of living, as the grapes were used as raw fruit, and the juice of it fermented for wine. Each householder desired to have “his own vine.” The juice of the grape was also boiled down until it became a sweet syrup which was sometimes referred to as “honey.” Wine was made by allowing the grapes stand in vessels for about a week, causing them to ferment. A sediment known as “lees” gathered in the bottom of the vessel. Then the vessels were tipped very carefully, so as not to allow any of the “lees” to be poured into the wine jars. (Jeremiah 48:11) The wine jars themselves were sealed with clay with a small hole in the top to allow gases to escape during the remainder of the fermentation process. After the process was complete, a piece of wet clay sealed the hole and the owners name was stamped as a seal upon that vessel. It was a common practice to carry wine in goatskin containers (wineskins). However, if people attempted to put the “new wine” into a skin like this, there was the problem of the incomplete fermentation. The gases which escaped when it was put in the normal “jar” with the hole at the top, found no place for escape and thus expanded the aged goatskin and caused it to burst and leak out all the wine. This is the point of Jesus illustration in Matthew 9:17. The “wine” spoken of as “fermented” or “strong” drink in the Old Testament (Lev. 10:9, Isa. 56:12) was made of fermented grain and so, a crude sort of beer. Wine was also used as a disinfectant used to clean wounds before pouring on olive oil. (Luke 10:34) Has Jesus poured in oil and wine in your life? Wine was also mixed with myrrh or gall and used as a pain reliever. This is what the soldiers offered Jesus at the cross. Wine is spoken of in the Bible as both good and evil, depending on its use by the partaker.(Gen. 27:28; Judges 9:13)Certain ministries were prohibited from drinking wine (Numbers 6:3; Luke 1:15; Lev. 10:5-9) Wine could be used for good (Genesis 14:18; Psalm 104:15; Ecc. 10:19) or for evil (Gen. 9:21, Isa. 5:11; Isa. 28:7) Excessive use (drunkenness) and the behaviors associated with it are strictly spoken about in the New Testament (Romans 13:13; 1 Cor. 11:21; 1 Tim. 3:8; Titus 2:3) TEACHER’S NOTE: This teaching is not to be construed as an apologetic for or against the drinking of wine. That question must be answered within the individual’s heart and conscience according to the word of God. Cultural differences vary, as do Christian opinion in other countries, and the subject can be very controversial. Make sure that students understand the sin of drunkenness and the ability and inability of different people to partake of anything alcoholic. Stress that we should never judge another by his faith or lack thereof in questionable areas like this. However, the best rule of thumb for yourself is, if there is any doubt, DON’T! Also, the law of love may require you to put aside certain things that may not be sin to you, yet would wound the conscience of another. Paul said that before he ran the risk of wounding a weaker brother, he would rather “eat no meat or drink no wine” as long as the world stood! Olives, which were discussed as a staple in Israel in the past lesson, were taken ripe from the tree by beating and shaking the limbs into a cloth spread on the ground around the tree for this purpose. They were then put in an olive press and crushed to produce the pure oil. The word for “olive press” is “Gethsemane.” How interesting that the garden in which Jesus endured his crushing and final submission for our salvation was named “olive press.” It helps to explain the tremendous agony He suffered there, as olive presses were cylindrical stone vats with a huge boulder attached to a handle that was turned by a person from the outside that served to bruise, crush and reduce to pulp the olive itself, so that the oil would run out of a drain at the bottom. SHEPHERDING When Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees, if he had another occupation, he traded it in for being a Bedouin or wandering nomad with herds and flocks, thus the Jews always begin their statement of belief with “My father was a wandering Aramean.” (Deut. 26:1-5) For centuries the Jews were true to their ancestry and very familiar with raising sheep, goats and cattle and lived a nomadic life, wandering from one pasture to the next, using portable tents as their housing. Sheep were considered an important commodity as they used their wool for clothing, their flesh for meat and their horns for containers and shofars (trumpet made of horn). They also provided milk for families, as did goats. The word “sheep” in the Hebrew is often used as the same word for “goat.” The flocks traveled together, although usually one goat was kept close to the family for it’s milk that they used for cheese, yogurt and butter. Goat’s hair was used for the hangings in the Tabernacle (Ex 16:7, 35: 23-26) and the skin itself was an excellent source of leather. When soaked in fat, it was sown up into a “goatskin” or “wineskin” or container for water. When people began to settle into Canaan and made towns and cities, they could no longer take their flocks to pasture so they would hire one shepherd for the flocks of the entire community. In springtime after the winter rains, there was usually plenty of grassy pasture close to the town, however when summer came, the grass dried up and the shepherd would then leave the village with the flock to find a place with running water that would be a source of green grass. (Ps. 23) If drought came and there was no water anywhere, then the flock had to be watered by hand from wells or cisterns. Gen. (29:10) tells of Jacob’s encounter at the well, lifting the cover for Rachel to water her father’s flock. Sheep were always in danger, both from wild animals and their own stupidity. In the Jordan river gorge, lions and bears commonly attacked sheep and their only defense was their shepherd. Amos tells of one such good shepherd who actually tried to retrieve a sheep out of a lion’s mouth. (Amos 3:12) Jesus said that the “good shepherd” would lay down his life for the sheep, but hirelings would just run away when the dangers came. Shepherds knew that if there was any loss of life among the animals, they were liable and responsible to their owners and would have to make restitution themselves. Shepherds carried a sling with two pouches, one in which they kept their food, and the other a stone or stones for hurling at their enemies. The leather straps of the sling were about 2 ft. long so that when hurled above the shepherd’s head and then released, the stone came out with tremendous force. He also used this tactic to stop any straying sheep, but landing a stone right at his front feet as he wandered. They also carried a club that Psa. 23 calls a “rod,’ which in actuality was a heavy sort of weapon. If any animal was sick, the shepherd would anoint any wounds it had with olive oil and not make it walk, but would carry it on his shoulders (Luke 15:5). If it was lost, the shepherd would go in search of it. (Ps. 119:176) (Isa. 53:6) (Luke 15:3-6) The shepherd’s “staff” (Ps.23) was about 6 feet long and usually had a crook on the end. It was used as a support for the shepherd and was useful for controlling the flock. When they came in for the evening into a cave or “sheepfold” the shepherd would stand in the door and count them in under the staff. This makes plain what Ezekiel meant when he spoke the word of the Lord and said that only those loyal to Him would “pass under My rod.” (Ezek. 20:37-38) The staff was also used to mark the sheep for the tithe. The shepherd would dip the end of the staff into dye and as the sheep were being counted “under the rod,” every tenth one was marked as belonging to God. (Lev. 27:31-33) During times when the shepherd and the flock were near the village they called home, they would be herded back into the village at night into a crude sheepfold constructed for this purpose. These sheepfolds were low buildings with a drystone wall enclosure. This is what Jesus referred to when he spoke of thieves and robbers coming into the sheepfold another way, over the wall. The practice of these thieves and vandals were to kill as many of the sheep as they could before someone found them out and throw them over the wall to waiting accomplices. Each sheep was named, and knew his or her name. The shepherd named them after the characteristics they displayed the most. For instance, “Stubborn One” “Silly One” “Strong One” “Pretty One” “Loving One”. If we are His Sheep and He has promised to give us a new name (much as he did Simon, whom he called Peter (meaning “rock” or James & John whom he named the “Sons of Thunder”) What do you suppose He has named you? The interesting thing was that in the morning, the shepherd would stand outside the sheepfold and begin to call these sheep one by one, and one by one they would respond when they heard his voice calling their name. (John 10) TEACHER’S NOTE: Open a discussion as to the similarities of Jesus as a spiritual shepherd and the natural shepherds. Suggest that when workshops are done on this series, they might consider doing a report on one or many of these similarities. TEST REVIEW Customs & Manners Series, Lesson 3, Agriculture & Shepherding The Israelites had to depend on God for rain to water their crops. What is the “Gezer” Calendar? an agricultural calendar of ancient Israel. What was meant by “former” rain and “latter” rain? “Former” rain was that which came in the fall and prepared the soil for planting. The “latter” rain came later in the winter months to water the plants as they grew. In your own words, describe what you believe Jesus meant when He said, “take MY yoke upon you” TEACHER: grade on understanding of concept, depth of research and use of words to express thought. Why did Paul use the analogy of “not muzzling” an ox when he spoke of people in ministry? oxen were used to thresh grain and the commandment meant that they should be able to eat of the grain they were threshing as they went. Why was it important to see to it that “tares” did not find it’s way unnoticed into the grain used for flour and eating? They were poisonous plants that made people ill if eaten. True or false: Chaff is always a bad thing, that’s why it has to be burned up. False. Wine was not only used for drink, but also for disinfectant for wounds. It was also mixed with myrrh and gall to serve as a pain reliever or medicine. The Aramaic word for “olive press” is Gethsemane. Shepherds would find lost and straying sheep and bring them home again. True or false: Good shepherds would put their own lives in danger to protect their sheep. True. Sheep were herded into sheepfolds at night and were in danger of thieves and robbers. A sheep’s only defense was his or her shepherd. Every tenth sheep was marked by the rod for what purpose? The tithe. Each sheep was given a name by his/her shepherd and each one knew its own name as well as the voice of the shepherd. In your own words, write a paragraph describing how Jesus has been a Good Shepherd to you. Teachers: Grade on understanding, sincerity, research and use of words to express testimony. Covenant Treasure Institute CUSTOMS & MANNERS SERIES LESSON 4, TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY By Patricia Smith In our day and time, much travel is done simply for pleasure, to “go on vacation” to “see the sights.” In Bible days, this was not a practice. Traveling was only done as a necessity of business or urgent family matters. This was mainly because it was difficult and very dangerous. Oftentimes people would set their household affairs in order as though they were preparing to die, if they were going on a trip. TEACHER’S NOTE: Have students look up Paul’s dissertation concerning the perils of his travels. (2 Cor 11: 26-27) Allow a brief discussion. Are we on a journey through this life? Are there perils? What is our destination? How can we make it safely? Stress our total dependence on Jesus as our Savior and Shepherd-Protector. For this reason, people usually traveled in groups or caravans. Remember the account of Jesus when he was twelve, going to Jerusalem with a rather large group or company? Travel by sea was fraught with extreme danger. Boats or ships had no compasses until about the time of Jesus, and no method of charting the waters. Ancient Egyptians crafted vessels to navigate the Nile River. Some of them were made of papyrus, and it is factual that one such delicately made vessel actually entered the Mediterranean Sea and crossed the Atlantic, but their use of boats was primarily for river craft and not for merchant purposes. Jews were not good sailors, since their access to the seas was very limited. In Solomon’s days, the Phoenicians did help them, but when they went alone, their fleet was destroyed in port during a storm. (1 King 22:48) Although the Greeks and Romans did much toward perfecting ships, still they were not the ideal way to travel. Their fleets were used for carrying merchandise or supplies and although they accepted passengers, there were no accommodations on board for an extended stay, and they would have to bring their own food and hope that land would be reached by nightfall each night so they could go ashore for a bed! Paul was transported along with other prisoners on a boat laden with grain from Alexandria, going to Rome. (Acts 27:6) Such ships as these, carrying grain, were about two hundred feet long and had a displacement of twelve hundred tons, which may have explained in the natural why the ship lasted so long in the tempest. The naval ships of the Roman fleet were much lighter and propelled by rowers and could not survive many storms at sea. Travel by land was every bit as dangerous as sea travel, not to mention uncomfortable. The roads were rough and sometimes not clearly defined enough that they could be seen! (Psalm 107:-4-7) tells of a group that lost its’ way, prayed for help and were led by Him to a city. The Romans improved upon road building, until finally it was said of them, “all roads lead to Rome.” They were straight and level and consisted of four layers, sand, stone and rock in concrete, then crushed stone in concrete and finally a paved surface. 50,000 miles of roadways were actually built throughout the Roman Empire. The Roman roads were marked with “milestones” or what we would call “mile markers.” Roman law stated that any soldier could conscript any civilian along the way and make him carry his pack for one such mile, no matter how heavy it was, or what the person was doing when he accosted him for this task. This explains why Jesus said, “if a man compels you to walk a mile, walk two.” Put yourself in the place of a Jew, whose homeland has been conquered and dominated by a hated government that exacted unfair taxes from them and controlled them. They fairly hated the Romans. Imagine a Roman soldier coming by with a very heavy backpack, and perhaps other items. You were busy about your own affair, minding your own business, when he commands you to stop what you are doing, or the direction you are going, and tells you that now you must carry this burden for an entire mile, while he walks along unconcerned and unburdened. TEACHER’S NOTE: Open class discussion on this subject. How would YOU feel? How would you react to Jesus’ statement that if this happened to you, you should cheerfully walk TWO miles! Suppose one particularly hateful soldier passed your home on a regular basis, and did this to you quite regularly just to agitate you? How would you react towards him? How does this apply to us? What is the principle here? What is the purpose here? Do you suppose that a cheerful attitude on the part of the person impressed into service would have been a shock to most Romans? What would this say? Have you experienced instances, perhaps in the workplace, or (perish the thought) even in a church setting when someone continually imposed on you just because they could? What was your reaction? How should we react to those who despitefully use us? In Jesus day, accommodations for eating and sleeping while “on the road” were a crude sort of affair, with a place to house animals. They did provide free accommodations, food, feed for their animals, while other services were expected to be paid for, primarily prostitution. Perhaps this was the reason that when Jesus sent out his disciples, he told them to enter into homes that were hospitable in the towns they were in. (Matt. 10:11) It might also explain why hospitality was stressed so much in the early church by the apostles. (Romans 12:13) (1 Tim. 5:2) (1 Pet. 4:9) Donkeys were the primary mode of most people for land travel. Camels were also in use, usually by traders, as they were much more expensive and harder to feed than donkeys. Horses of the Bible were the ancestors of the Arabian breed today. They were used mostly for war by cavalry units, and also in great demand for the pulling of chariots. Chariots were considered an excellent mode of travel for armies, and under Solomon, the Israelites developed a branch of charioteers. However, the latent danger here was that people would trust more in the chariots than they did in God for their victories. (Isa. 31:1)It was finally considered quite a status symbol to own and horse and a chariot. Have times changed much? HOSPITALITY Possibly because of the very dangers of nomadic life, hospitality became a vital part of the life of the Israelites. Nomadic people are very conscious of the perils of the desert and that providing food and drink is perhaps a matter of life and death. Even enemies were not to be allowed to starve. Paul taught us, “if your enemy hungers, feed him.” (Ro. 12:20) When a person came into another’s tent, he was considered safe under the protection of the head of the family. When David wrote “Thou prepared a table for me in the midst of mine enemies” (Ps. 23), he was referring to this kind of hospitality. Because God had been the protector and shelter of the Israelites, they were to share this with others. Therefore they were not to eat alone (Job 31:17) and to refuse to feed the poor and needy was disobedience to God. (Isa. 58:7) The Jews believed, because of Abraham’s experience in being hospitable to angels, that God often sent angels disguised as strangers to you, just to see how you would react. Thus the apostle’s word to us in Heb. 13:2. TEACHER’S NOTE: Open a brief discussion on this subject. Has anyone ever thought they might have seen an angel? Do you think this still happens today? Are there actually angels all around us? What is their purpose? Hospitality is such an important subject in the Bible that the ultimate blessing of God spoken of by Zephaniah the prophet, was a great banquet held by God Himself! (Zeph.1:7) Even Jesus describes our homecoming as a “king preparing a wedding banquet for his son,” (Matt. 22:2-14) In New Testament times, refusing hospitality meant rejection (Matt. 10:14) and it was considered essential for Christians to open their homes in hospitable fashion. (Gal. 6:10, 1 Pet. 4:9) The Greek word translated “hospitality” in your Bible means more than just providing food and shelter. It is “philosenia” and means “love for others.” One of the stipulations of the “acceptable fast” in Isa. 58 is that we should bring the poor that are cast out into our homes. In the early church, one of the requirements of being a minister or leader in the church was to be hospitable. (1 Tim. 3:2, Titus 1:8) TEACHER’S NOTE: Has this changed with the times? What do you think has contributed to the diminishing of hospitality in the church? Is this an issue that we, as Christians should address in ourselves? Is your home an open place? How often do you invite others for a meal or even buy a meal out for someone? Is your home the kind of place people want to be? Why? What purpose does hospitality serve in the kingdom? Then, as now, eating and feasting was the ultimate pleasure and act of friendship. All important occasions were celebrated with feasting. TEACHER’S NOTE: Have we changed in this respect? Not hardly. Every holiday we celebrate is associated with food of a particular type. On Valentine’s day we eat chocolates, at Easter we eat eggs (and chocolate), on Memorial Day weekend we barbecue brisket, on the 4th of July we go on picnics with food of every description (witness the FWC 4th of July celebration), on Labor Day, we’re at the BBQ pit again, at Thanksgiving we eat turkey and…and….and…..and… Then there’s Christmas. What DON’T we eat at the Christmas season? At weddings? We eat cake. At funerals? The first thing we do is bring food, and the last thing we do after the burial is return for yet another meal. Birthdays? We eat cake again! Why do you think this is? Is there a spiritual parallel for this? What is spiritual food? Is the spiritual man as hungry as the physical man? How do we feed him? Is it true, we “are what we eat”? What do we feed our spirits? Does God desire us to eat with Him? You might here bring out the importance of communion in our lives. In Bible times people were expected to get up in the middle of the night to feed visitors. (Luke 11:8) Even at the expense of waking the neighbors to borrow bread! Meals were looked upon a seal to covenants, and to eat a meal with someone signified you were at peace with him (Gen. 26:28-30) Eating a meal with someone you had past differences with was considered a peace making affair and reconciliation. This may be the reason that the first thing Jesus did after he appeared to his disciples after His resurrection was to eat with them. It told them they were forgiven and reconciled. (Luke 24:30, 24:41-43; John 21:9) All the feasts of Israel were exactly that…feasts. After a sacrifice had been made, the family sat down to eat of it from the altar. They felt they were literally having a meal with God, and He was at peace with them. (Deut. 12:5-7) When an invited guest came for a meal, he was greeted by a servant who removed his sandals and washed his feet, grimy with dirt from the dusty roads. This job was usually retained by the lowest servant in the household. One can only imagine Peter and John preparing for the Passover for the rest who were coming along later with Jesus Himself. All things were made ready, but WHO would wash feet? Certainly not Simon Peter, after all, Jesus had said that he was a Rock and his statements carried such weight that upon them Jesus would build His church! How could anyone of his reputation wash feet? Certainly not John, because, after all, he was the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” The one who “leaned upon his breast”. Wash feet? I think NOT!!! Soon the rest arrived and no one would take responsibility to wash anyone else’s feet. Each one was far too important, I am sure to tend to this lowly job. But then, we see Jesus Himself, wrapping a towel around his waist, drawing a basin of water and coming in, kneeling down in front of each one, washing his feet. Then He said that if He had done this to them, they should at the very least do this for each other. TEACHER’S NOTE: Ask students how they perceive this made the disciples feel? Can anyone recall Peter’s response? And Jesus reply? Has anyone in the class ever been in or seen a footwashing service? What was their experience? What purpose does this serve? Does this carry a deeper message than just the washing of physical feet? What is the message? You might suggest that when workshop reports are made, a team might actually decide to do this by way of a report. After the bathing of the visitor’s feet, a drink of cool water was given them, as a token or pledge of friendship. No wonder the Samaritan woman at the well found it so incomprehensible that Jesus would ask her for a drink! Jews and Samaritans were avowed enemies. A drink of water was a friendship pledge! He was actually asking her to “be His friend.” So there was more implied to Jesus’ words when He said that if anyone gives a cup of cool water in His name they would not lose their reward. We are to be as Jesus was, “the friend of sinners.” Next, the guest’s head was anointed with oil and fragrant spices, a custom David mentioned in Psalm 23. Then the meal would begin. In Jesus time, eating was done reclining, or lying down on one’s side. The meal began with wine, usually laced with honey and the main dinner followed. The old adage, “fingers were invented before forks” seemed to prove true, as food was eaten with hands. Only soups were eaten with a ladle. This practice is still observed in many Eastern and Asian countries. After dinner came deserts of pastry or fruit. During the course of the meal, one guest was singled out and especially honored as the favored guest. This was signified by the host dipping bread in the food in spoon-like fashion and putting it to the mouth of the chosen guest. This was called “the morsel” and was what Jesus was doing when he dipped his bread in the “sop” and extended it to Judas. It was His last appeal of love. (John 13:26) During the meal, wealthier people provided entertainment such as the reading of poetry or prose, or more commonly, dancers and music. It has been suggested that this is probably how the woman of the streets who came into Simon’s house where Jesus was eating gained access. She may have been invited to dance. After the dinner and entertainment had ended, then the evening had just begun, as the host and guest or guests settled in for a long evening of conversation. It was considered the ultimate insult to leave early, as though the hospitality had not been good enough to warrant a lengthy stay! During this time, local gossip was the most popular form of diversion, which may have been the reason there are so many admonitions in the Bible against it! TEACHER’S NOTE: Ask students for their definition of gossip. Why is it harmful? Why is it sinful? Ask them to look up scriptures concerning gossip and “speaking vanities.” Then have them read them aloud in class. Explain that a mark of real spiritual maturity is the curbing of our conversation. When we fellowship, what should our conversations be? Suggest that one team may want to do a workshop on the custom of the dinner meal as this would be an excellent topic to relate to the spiritual man’s relationship with God. Stress to students that we have only skimmed the surface of the lifestyles of our biblical counterparts, and that many good books are available at Christian bookstores, full of many more eye-opening practices that open the scriptures to us. Encourage them to get one and read it. TEST REVIEW Customs & Manners Series, Lesson 4, Travel & Hospitality True or false: People in biblical times traveled a lot because there was not much else to do by way of diversion. False Why was it common practice for people to travel in companies known as caravans? Because of the dangers along the way. In Jesus’ day, the Roman merchant ships were sometimes used as a means of passage. However, there were no accommodations for overnight stays, and people had to bring their own food. The first people to provide paved roads were the Romans. The Roman empire boasted how many miles of paved roadway? 50,000. Each Roman road was marked with milestones. Roman law provided soldiers with the authority to compel anyone to carry their burdens, for one mile. Jesus said that if a man compelled you to walk one mile, you should walk two. True or false: The “inns” of Jesus day were very safe and desirable places to stay overnight. False. It came to be considered a status symbol if you owned a horse and a chariot. Jews and the early church were taught to feed even their enemies if they were hungry. The early church was taught that by being hospitable, you might even entertain angels and be unaware of it. The Greek word “philosenia” translated “hospitality” in our Bibles means love for others. What was considered as the ultimate act of friendship? eating or feasting together. When visitors arrived at your home, they were greeted by a servant whose first job was to wash your feet. The second thing that happened upon your arrival was that you were offered a drink of cool water. The act of giving water to a person was a pledge of friendship. True or false: Silverware was very elaborate in Jesus day. False The “sop” Jesus gave to Judas was called the morsel, and was only given to the most honored guest. During the feast itself (or the meal) there was always entertainment provided of some sort. This could have been the reading of poetry, prose, but most of the time was dancing. True or false: Meals in the homes of others were usually of short duration, as people had to get up very early for work. False One of the major diversions in passing the time after the dinner was in the form of local gossip. True or false: The words for “gossip” in the Bible can simply mean relating true accounts in others lives and sometimes can be beneficial because in the hearing of it, perhaps you could be of assistance. False. 4