ARE THERE FABLES IN THE BIBLE?

 JOTHAM'S FABLE

FABLE BY GIDEON'S YOUNGEST SON

Fables often feature non-human characters, like animals or inanimate objects, that are given human characteristics. These characters are said to think, talk, and act like people.

"One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to an olive tree, ‘Be our king.’

“But the olive tree answered, ‘Should I give up my olive oil? It’s used to honor gods and people alike. Should I give that up just to rule over the trees?’

“Next, the trees said to a fig tree, ‘Come and be our king.’

“But the fig tree replied, ‘Should I give up my fruit? It’s so good and sweet. Should I give that up just to rule over the trees?’

“Then the trees said to a vine, ‘Come and be our king.’

“But the vine answered, ‘Should I give up my wine? It cheers up gods and people alike. Should I give that up just to rule over the trees?’

“Finally, all the trees spoke to a bush that had thorns. They said, ‘Come and be our king.’

“The bush asked the trees, ‘Do you really want to anoint me as king over you? If you do, come and rest in my shade. But if you don’t, I will destroy you! Fire will come out of me and burn up the cedar trees of Lebanon!’

(Judges 9:8-15  NIRV -  New International Readers Version)

Jotham, the only surviving son of Gideon,  who missed the massacre orchestrated by his half-brother, Abimelech. Jotham's fable is a curse against Abimelech and Shechem's leaders, predicting that they will destroy each other.

The fable uses trees to represent people of Sheckem, and the bramble bush to represent Abimelch.  The fable's message is that a bramble bush would not make a good king over the trees.

TRINITY AT CREATION

 FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT

WHO CREATED THE HEAVENS & EARTH?

 "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

Genesis 1:26-27  AKJV  (Authorized King James Version)

SON OF GOD 

"He is the image of the invisible God,

the firstborn over all creation. 

For everything was created by Him,

in heaven and on earth,

the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 

He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together. 

He is also the head of the body, the church;

He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything. 

For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him,"

Colossians 1:15-19  HCSB  (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

FATHER & THE HOLY SPIRIT

 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  And the earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."

Genesis 1:1-2  ASV  (American Standard Version)

Trinity means that there is One God who eternally exists as three distinct persons — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Not three Gods.  And not one, three headed person.

ZACCHAEUS THE TAX MAN

 STORIES FROM THE BIBLE

JESUS SEES ZACCHAEUS IN A TREE

"Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.  A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.  He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd.  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”  

Luke 19:1-9  NIV (New International Version)

FREE DAY AT NATIONAL PARKS ON VETERANS DAY

OWJ HIKING NEWS 

CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK

Everyone can celebrate Veterans Day with Free Entrance day at the National Parks.

Current members of the military can go online at NPS gov and get a MILITARY ANNUAL PASS. VETERANS can get a MILITARY LIFETIME PASS.

PURPOSE OF THE BIBLE

 SCRIPTURE IS GOD BREATHED

66 BOOKS IN THE BIBLE

"Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness,  that each person who belongs to God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."  

2 Timothy 3:16-17  WEB  (World English Bible)

PROVE EVERYTHING WITH THE BIBLE

 
BEREANS FACT CHECKED THINGS 

"That same night the believers sent Paul and Silas to another city named Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. The people in Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica. They were so glad to hear the message Paul told them. They studied the Scriptures every day to make sure that what they heard was really true.  The result was that many of them believed, including many important Greek women and men."  

Acts 17:10-12  ERV  (Easy To Read Version)

Paul the Apostle wrote a letter to the church in Thessalonians instructing them to test all things with God's Word.

"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."  

1 Thessalonians 5:21  KJV  (King James Version)

TRINITY at the JORDAN RIVER?

 JOHN THE BAPTIST & JESUS 

WAS JESUS BAPTIZED TWICE?

"In those days John the Baptist appeared. He was preaching in the Judaean wilderness.

“Repent!” he was saying. “The kingdom of heaven is coming!”

John, you see, is the person spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, when he said,

The voice of someone shouting in the desert:  “Prepare the route that the Lord will take, straighten out his paths!”

John himself had clothing made from camel’s hair, and a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.  Jerusalem, all Judaea, and the whole area around the Jordan, were going off to him.  They were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.  

Matthew 3:1-7 NTFE  (New Testament for Everyone)

“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan, coming to John to be baptized by him.  

But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have the need to be baptized by You, and yet You are coming to me?”  

But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. 

After He was baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and settling on Him,  and behold, a voice from the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3:11-17  NASB  (New American Standard Bible)

Jesus is God the Son, and doesn't need to be born of the Spirit.  Jesus was spirit and the Word, before he became flesh.

Jesus being sinless doesn't need to repent or confess any sins. Jesus was showing others the need to repent, confess sins and to be bapized by John.

TRINITY AT JESUS BAPTISM

Jesus God the Son received the baptism of the Holy Spirit from God the Father and God the Holy Spirit equiping Him for his upcoming ministry; receiving DUNAMIS, like his disciple received in the book of Acts.