Understandest Thou What Thou Readest?: (Acts 8:30, 31)

By Ernestine Simpson Mitchell

UNDERSTANDEST THOU WHAT THOU READEST?

I began this book with three interesting yet somewhat complexing stories, which I entitled "THE NAHS HAVE IT." No, this is not a typo nor have I lost my mind. I did it this way because I wanted to humorously emphasize the word NO.

Following the "NAHS" section are eight questions being answered scripture-wise. This section is simply entitled "Q&A."

The next section deals with some of God's promises based on His conditions. There are twenty-one of these in total. This takes us to a section dealing with fifteen FEARLESS WOMEN. I found their stories remarkably interesting and helpful to me as a Christian woman. I hope you will be as inspired by these stories as I was.

And last but certainly not the least is the dissection of, in my words, according to scriptures of 1 Corinthians 13, THE LOVE CHAPTER.

FAITH

HOPE

CHARITY

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098094690

Book preview

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Understandest Thou What Thou Readest?

(Acts 8:30, 31)

Ernestine Simpson Mitchell

ISBN 978-1-0980-9468-3 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-0980-9469-0 (digital)

Copyright © 2021 by Ernestine Simpson Mitchell

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Isaiah 65:20 (New Jerusalem/Heaven)

Peter the Rock

John the Beloved

Abraham’s Bosom (Luke 16:22–23)

Arabs/Jews (Genesis 1)

Ask/Receive (Mark 11:24)

David: A Man after God’s Own Heart (Acts 13:22)

David Takes a Census (2 Samuel 24:1 and 1 Chronicles 21:1)

Judas (John 13:21)

Moses/Zipporah (Exodus 4:24–26)

The Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17)

Promises/Conditions

Fearless Women of the Bible

1 Corinthians 13

This book is dedicated to my late grandmother and mother; my late husband, father of my children; my current husband, stepfather of my children; my three biological children—Vicky Lynn Simpson, Lewis T. Simpson Jr. (Karen), and Linda Adele Reynolds (Bill)—my spiritual daughter, Melvina Mency; my nine grandchildren, and my four great-grandchildren

WHAT A BLESSING! THANK YOU, JESUS.

Preface

After the Lord blessed me to write and have my first book published, I had no plans of writing a second one.

However, as I continued to read the Bible through, as I do each year, and continued to come across things that either confused or perplexed and interested me, along with having more time on my hands than I knew what to do with because of the coronavirus pandemic and the stay-at-home order, I had the opportunity to write this book.

As in my first book, this one deals with attempts to clear up misnomers to achieve a better understanding of some of the hard-to-understand Bible passages using the Bible and only the Bible to do so and applying Isaiah 28:10 every step of the way: For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.

I have also included in this book some important Bible facts and stories, hopefully, that will not only interest you but will inspire you as well.

Every time I read the Bible through—searching the scriptures for better understanding of God’s Word—I get a better understanding of God, and as a result, my walk with Him is strengthened.

It is my prayer that by sharing my findings, others will be strengthened in their walk with God as well.

The NAHS

Have It

Isaiah 65:20

(New Jerusalem/Heaven)

Is Isaiah 65:20 saying that people will die in the New Jerusalem/heaven?

NAH

In this story, clearly Isaiah 65:17 is principally about the final kingdom—heaven—yet Isaiah 65:21 is obviously about the restored Judah after the Babylonian exile. The long life in the kingdom such as in Isaiah 65:20 is clear about Judah being restored to the promised land, not about heaven. To put it simply, many are confusing the word JERUSALEM with the words NEW JERUSALEM (heaven).

I have included the entire chapter of Isaiah 65, so we can compare this chapter verse to verse with explanations of the verses italicized underneath each section.

Isaiah 65

VERSES 1–7

¹ I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.

² I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;

³ A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick;

⁴ Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;

⁵ Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.

⁶ Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom.

⁷ Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the

Lord

, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom.

(God is expressing His anger with His people. Notice verse 6, Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom.)

VERSES 8–10

⁸ Thus saith the

Lord

, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all.

⁹ And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.

¹⁰ And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me.

(v. 8) Here God speaks of a remnant. Note also 1 Kings 19:18: Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which has not kissed him.

VERSES 11–15

¹¹ But ye are they that forsake the

Lord

, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number.

¹² Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.

¹³ Therefore thus saith the Lord

God

, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed:

¹⁴ Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.

¹⁵ And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord

God

shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name…

(Note: In Isaiah 3:8, God warns His people of their future failures.)

Jerusalem staggers, Judah is failing; their words and deeds are against the LORD, defying his glorious presence.

VERSE 16

¹⁶ That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.

(God is just talking to the people regarding forgiveness.)

VERSE 17

¹⁷ For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

(Reveals the future to them). This time, He is talking about the new Jerusalem/heaven.

VERSES 18–19

¹⁸ But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.

¹⁹ And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.

(Here, again, He is talking about the earthly (restored) Jerusalem, (not