<font color='black' size='4' face='Times New Roman, Times, serif'><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">Forwarded: </font><br>
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<font face="arial, helvetica">From: Tom O'Brien <tgobrien@comcast.net></font><br>
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<font face="arial, helvetica">Sent: Mon, Dec 5, 2016 8:30 pm</font><br>
<font face="arial, helvetica">Subject: Scripture in Context 12.18.16</font><br>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica;">Dear Friends, </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial, helvetica">Bel</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">ow in</font><font face="arial, helvetica"> Word is Scripture in Context for December 18, 2016. I hope you and others find it informative and helpful. </font></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica;">This offering and those that go back to July 2016 are posted at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.scriptureincontext.org">www.scriptureincontext.org</a>.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica;">My son has recommended that when I post new offerings on the website that I share this fact on Facebook, so I will in the future – at least for a while to see how people react. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica;">Blessings, </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica;">Tom </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b>TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b>DECEMBER 18, 2016<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b> </b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Isaiah 7:10-16<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><u><o:p> </o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">After Solomon’s death in 930 BCE, the Unified Monarchy split
in two: Israel consisting of the 10 Northern Tribes and Judea consisting of the
Tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Ahaz was of the House of David (v.13) and the
King of Judea around 730 BCE – when the Assyrian Empire was threatening both
Israel and Judea. (Assyria conquered Israel in 722.) <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">In today’s reading, Ahaz is offered a sign by Yahweh to support
what Isaiah is saying on God’s behalf.
The sign is that a young woman (v.14) is with child and will bear a son
whose name will be Immanuel (“God is with us”).
This child will “eat curds and honey” (v.15) – which means in a time of
prosperity and after the siege by the Assyrians ended. Most scholars opine that
the “young woman” was the mother of Hezekiah who was the King of Judea when the
Assyrians ended their siege of Jerusalem around the year 700 BCE. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">In today’s Gospel, the author cites Isaiah 7:14 by saying a
“virgin” shall conceive a son (Matt. 1:23). The reason for the difference
between the two texts is that the author of the Gospel relied on a Greek
translation of the Book Isaiah. In Hebrew, the word used in Isaiah is “<i>almah</i>” which means “young woman.” In the Greek translation of Isaiah, <i>almah</i> was translated as “<i>parthenos</i>” – which means virgin. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Romans 1:1-7<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Paul’s letter to the Romans is his longest, last and most
complex letter. It was written in the late 50s or early 60s (CE). Among other
messages, Paul sought to encourage respectful and supportive relationships
between the Gentile Jesus Followers and the Jewish Jesus Followers in
Rome. (Jesus Followers were not called
“Christians” until the 80’s.) <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">In today’s reading, Paul states that Jesus was “declared” to
be Son of God by his resurrection from the dead (v.4). His reference to
“Gentiles” (v.5) means the Gentile Jesus Followers. Paul then broadens his
address to all the Jesus Follower Community in Rome (v.7). <o:p></o:p></div>
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