Happy Holiday Season!


Below are two links from the His Word podcasts.  Each is a compilation of several podcasts I did back in 2022, concerning the birth of Jesus Christ.

Compilation: The Birth Of Jesus Christ

This is a compilation of four previously posted His Word podcasts. This special podcast (15:40) includes,
“Those Shepherds” (get some insight into shepherds in Bible times. Why were they in the fields? The exciting trip to the manger to see the newborn babe);

”Swaddling Clothes” (What were swaddling clothes? What’s the significance? How long was a newborn wrapped in swaddling clothes?);

“Mary Had A Baby Boy,” (In Bible times there were 5 parts to a marriage. What was espousal? What the angel told Mary. The birth of Jesus Christ. This podcast still is the most downloaded His Word podcast); and,

“The Song O Holy Night.” (The history of this song is absolutely amazing!)

Compilation: The Magi Going To Bethlehem

This podcast (22:59) is a compilation of six previously posted His Word podcasts concerning “The Magi,” the wise men from the East who travelled to see the new king.
Who were they?
What did they observe in the sky?
Why did they first go to Jerusalem instead of Bethlehem?
When did they see the savior of the world?

Wishing you and your family a very
Blessed Holiday Season!

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[The Bible is an “Eastern” book. It was written many years ago in the “East” which today we refer to as “The Middle East.”  As such, there are many customs and idioms that are not familiar to the “Western” mind.

In understanding the Scriptures it is important for us to understand the culture, but it doesn’t mean that we should necessarily follow that culture. Rather, it is in the understanding of the Eastern culture that we gain light and understanding about many things in the Bible.]

In the book of I Samuel, we read about a lady who was barren; her name was Hannah.  In her culture, having a child was considered a blessing from God.  Giving birth to a boy was the greatest blessing, as they continued to look for and expect the Messiah.  Not bearing a child was not only heartbreaking to a woman, but many thought of it as a disgrace; as it indicated a lack of blessing from God.

Hannah prayed.  She promised God that if He would bless her with a boy, she would give that child to the Temple for God’s service.  That meant that the child would grow up and spend his life in the Temple in service to God.

If you have read the record then you know that God indeed blessed Hannah with a boy, whose name was Samuel.  She honored her vow and brought him to the Temple after he was weaned.  But God multiplied His blessings in answering the prayer of Hannah, by giving her five more children in addition to Samuel!

How Young Was Samuel?

There has been some misunderstanding as to how old Samuel was when Hannah brought him to the Temple.  In reading the record, we gather that his mother brought him to the Temple after he was weaned. That is true, but there are two meanings for weaning.

The first meaning is the time a baby finishes drinking his mother’s breast milk.  Today, that meaning is the most common understanding of weaning. But in Bible culture there was another meaning.

A child was considered weaned when he not only stopped drinking his mother’s milk, but after his mother taught him the milk of the Word of God.  The mother would spend much time teaching her child the basics about God. Isn’t that beautiful?  She would feed her child both physical food and spiritual food.

Weaning from the breast milk varied and it was generally around eight months to a year.  Weaning from the milk of the Word lasted until around five or six years old.  Scientists have discovered the incredible development of a child in ages 2 to 5.  It is a very important time in a child’s life.  No wonder they put forth the effort to instill the basic understanding of God in their children.

So, they brought Samuel, a little boy around 6 years old, to the Temple.  He lived and slept very close to Eli, the high priest and judge of Israel.  He grew and walked with God and became one of the greatest prophets of all time.

I Peter 2:2
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

I Corinthians 2:2
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able [to bear it], neither yet now are ye able.

I Samuel 2:2 and 21
And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home.

And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD

I Samuel 1
1:1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:

1:2 And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

1:3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.

1:4 And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:

1:5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb.

1:6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.

1:7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.

1:8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?

1:9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.

1:10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.

1:11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

1:12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth.

1:13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.

1:14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.

1:15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.

1:16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.

1:17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

1:18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.

1:19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.

1:20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.

1:21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.

1:22 But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever.

1:23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the LORD establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.

1:24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young.

1:25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.

1:26 And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.

1:27 For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him:

1:28 Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.

Mike Verdicchio
2012

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Resources
There are a number of books that you can read to get insight on customs, manners, idioms and meanings from the Eastern culture in which the Bible was written.  The best I know of were written by Bishop K. C. Pillai.  I have had the pleasure of listening to many recorded teaching by him.

He wrote three books, and they are hard to find, and are usually over priced.  But, if you want to you can check this link to see what Amazon has to offer. Light Through an Eastern Window

Another great resource that I have used for years is a book called, “Manners and Customs of the Bible,” by James Freeman. Mine was printed in 1972 and I know they have newer additions. For the newest edition, just click the link and it will take you to Amazon. The New Manners and Customs of the Bible (Pure Gold Classics)

More Eastern Eye Articles

Growing up I can remember on a number occasions my dad saying, “No one gives you something for nothing.”  He understood that even if someone “gave” you something, someone paid the price for it somewhere along the line.

In Isaiah there is a verse that talks about buying water, milk, and wine without money.  Understanding the Eastern culture gives great insight not only into this verse, but also what the verse implies.

It Is A Figure Of Speech

Buying without money and without price is an Eastern figure of speech.  It pertains to a merchant in the marketplace who sells his goods.  Those merchants would call out the price of their goods.  Shoppers would then stop and pay the price for the things they wished to purchase.

There are places like that today in some parts of the world. A few years ago, Kathy and I experienced The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, which is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with over 1,200 shops.  I can tell you they are not shy about calling out to you!

But there were occasions in the Bible times when the merchant would cry out, “Come and buy without money and without price.” When people heard a merchant crying out, “Come and buy without money and without price,” they knew it meant someone was grateful to God for reaching a milestone in their life.

Showing Gratitude To God

When someone in that culture reached a birthday, they celebrated it by doing something nice for other people.  They did this to show God their gratitude for being alive, for living another year.  Since you cannot see God, bestowing kindness or gifts to others was considered giving a gift to God.

It is really the opposite of our culture.  Today when someone reaches a milestone, say an anniversary or a birthday, they expect to receive gifts in honor of the event.  But the Eastern culture of the Bible was much different.  They celebrated by doing something good for others.

The Price Was Paid

One of the ways someone would do this was to go to a merchant in the marketplace.  He would then pay the merchant for all of his water, or wine, or milk. Once he made his purchase, the merchant in turn began to cry out, “Come and buy without money and without price,”

Those that hear the merchant crying out, and especially those who are needy, can come and “buy without money.”  It is free to them, but the price has been paid.  The benefactor would stay at the merchant stand as people came to “buy without money,” so that they could express their thanks to the one who paid the price.

A Deeper Meaning

In the days of Isaiah, everyone understood this Eastern figure of speech.  But it goes much deeper than selling water, wine, or milk.  Isaiah prophesied much about the coming redeemer.

Mankind could never pay the price necessary for redemption.  So, God gave His Son as payment for all of mankind.  The price was paid and all legal claims were satisfied.

Because of the completed work of Jesus Christ we can have salvation at no cost to us.  That’s why the Bible says that we are saved by grace.  Eternal life is a free gift to us.

My dad was right; someone always pays the price.  And just as those who “bought milk without price” expressed their thanks to the benefactor who paid the price for them, we too can express our thanks to God Who paid the price for us.

Isaiah 55:1:
Ho, every one that thirsts, come you to the waters, and he that has no money; come you, buy, and eat; yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Feel free to leave a comment, even if it’s a fishing story of your own. I have a few of those and maybe you do too.  We’d love to hear what you have to say.

For more “Eastern Eye” articles, Click Here, or click The Eastern Eye tab above.

Mike Verdicchio
_____________

There are a number of books that you can read to get insight on customs, manners, idioms and meanings from the Eastern culture in which the Bible was written.  The best I know of were written by by Bishop K. C. Pillai.  I have had the pleasure of listening to recorded teaching by him.

He wrote three books, and they are hard to find, and are usually over priced.  But, if you want to you can check this link to see what Amazon has to offer. Light Through an Eastern Window

Another great resource that I have used for years is a book called, “Manners and Customs of the Bible,” by James Freeman. Mine was printed in 1972 and I know they have newer additions. For the newest edition, just click the link and it will take you to Amazon. The New Manners and Customs of the Bible (Pure Gold Classics)

The event referred to as “The Last Supper,” took place shortly before Jesus Christ was arrested.  There were many significant things that happened that evening.  In a previous post I talked about Jesus washing their feet.

Another item of great significance which is often overlooked is Jesus giving Judas “the sop.”

A Traitor Among Them!

By the time of the meal, Judas had already arranged to betray Jesus Christ for thirty pieces of silver.  It was a very dastardly act to say the least.  But also by the time of the meal, Jesus already knew who the traitor was.

Mark 14:18-20:
And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me.

And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and another said, Is it I?

And he answered and said unto them, It is one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish.

Matthew 26:25
Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.

So at this point, Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray him and Judas knew that Jesus knew he was the traitor.  And yet, Jesus gave Judas “the sop.”  Understanding the biblical custom of giving someone, “the sop,” I don’t think I could have ever given it to Judas.

The Seating Arrangement

The two most honored seats at a meal were those to the right and left of the host or the master.  That means that the disciple whom Jesus loved, who rested his head on Jesus’ bosom, an act of deep concern, love, and intimate friendship, was sitting in a position of honor at that meal.

Likewise, for Jesus to be able to give Judas the sop, he too was sitting very close to Jesus,  possibly in the other honored position.

The Sop

The word “sop” simply means a small portion, a morsel, or a fragment.  That is still common today whether in a serving bowl or on your plate, although we don’t really use the word “sop.”  We use words like, “a little dab,” a little piece,” “a small bite,” etc.  So, “sop” is just a word for a small piece of food.

In Bible times there would have been a common dish at the meal.  Their bread was flat, thin and round.  It was very common to dip a piece of bread into the common dish and wrap the bread around a small piece of food, a sop.  Perhaps this was a forerunner of fajitas, I don’t know!

But when the host would dip his piece of bread into the dish, and then give the sop to someone, that was very, very significant. The host or master of the house would give the sop to the person to whom he wanted to show his greatest love and esteem.

He did that by dipping into the common dish and then placing the sop in the person’s mouth.  In doing that, he would show to all those present, and to the person receiving the sop, the love and honor he had for him.

Incredible Love

Jesus knew that Judas was about to betray him.  Yet, there he sat, quite possibly in a position of honor at the meal, and Jesus gave him the sop.  By extending so much honor and love to Judas, Jesus gave him a chance to change his plans.

But God gives all us free will to choose.  Even an act of love and honor directly and personally from the Lord Jesus Christ himself does not guarantee that someone will do what is right.

John 13:21 – 30
When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.

Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.

Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.

Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake.

He then lying on Jesus’ breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it?

Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.

And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.

Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.

For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.

He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.

I think that was a remarkable and extraordinary example of love by Jesus Christ?  What do you think?  Any comments?

Mike Verdicchio

————–

For other posts just click “The Eastern Eye” tab above.

There are a number of books that you can read to get insight on customs, manners, idioms and meanings from the eastern culture in which the Bible was written.  The best I know of were written by by Bishop K. C. Pillai.  I have had the pleasure of listening to recorded teaching by him.

He wrote three books, and they are hard to find, and are usually over priced.  But, if you want to you can check this link to see what Amazon has to offer. Light Through an Eastern Window

Another great resource that I have used for years is a book called, “Manners and Customs of the Bible,” by James Freeman. Mine was printed in 1972 and I know they have newer additions. For the newest edition, just click the link and it will take you to Amazon. The New Manners and Customs of the Bible (Pure Gold Classics)

I am a Christian minister, author, and, former broadcaster.

I help people gain more confidence in God so they can live a dynamic and fulfilled life God designed  for all of us to have!

In my nearly 40 years as an ordained minister I’ve been able to help many people by giving practical understanding they can apply in their own lives to get results.

My Content – Practical Christian Living!

I provide is simple, practical, and, relatable information on Trusting and believing God, Prayer, Personal Relationship with God, and, the Love of God. Again, from the perspective of practical Christian living.

A Little Bit About Me

I’m married with two grown children, and so far, two grandchildren! My wife Kathy and I live in Glendale, Arizona; we’ll celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary in May of 2021.

On this site you will find a number of items I have voiced and/or produced , which you can see in the section called, Mike’s Stuff.

I teach a weekly Bible fellowship here in Glendale Arizona. I also teach regularly at the Phoenix Rescue Mission, Desert Winds Retirement Center, and am invited to other areas to minister and teach at Camps and special events.

I spent nearly 30 on the radio in nearly a dozen cities.  I’ve been the voice for numerous audio and video productions for over 40 years, both Christian and secular, including my powerful audio CD, Healing Words, the audio for the series, Stories for Joshua, and, the audio for my book, Healing from God is Available.

I’m also the author of the book, What Does It Mean?  along with a number of e-books and dozens of published articles.

My first internet adventure was a great learning experience – Christian Inspirational Gifts. I soon discovered I had a lot to learn about the internet, and that site did not last very long.

I proceeded to write, voice and produce a daily membership site called, Inspirational Pep Talks, which later transformed into 5 volumes of Mike’s Pep Talks on CD.

I then produced, Enriching Your Life Now, a membership site with tons of content. Following that project, I launched into the blog world with Confidence And Joy!

You can find out a whole lot more by reading, This Is My Story.

My Contact Information

You can contact me via e-mail or, follow me on Twitter or Facebook.

I have been asked many times if there is a place here on Confidence And Joy to give, or donate,  not just to this site, but to other endeavors I am involved with. For a long time I did not, but I finally added something; the information is below, following the pictures.

(ConfidenceAndJoy.com is produced by, Michael A. Verdicchio. Neither is  affiliated with any group or denomination.)

Phoenix Rescue Mission 2017

Winter Advance 2014

Mike and Kathy at a Family Camp, 2003

Mike and his son, Mike at Game 2 of the World Series, 2001

Mike and Kathy in Verona, Italy, 2006

Mike and Kathy in Venice, Italy, 2008

Son, Mike, and new daughter-in-law, Jacey, October 2008

Mike and Kathy with daughter Paula and granddaughter Ava

Mike teaching at The phoenix Rescue Mission 2015

Performing a wedding in Pensacola, Florida 2015

Yes, Poppa loves Ava!

I love California sunsets!  Pacific Beach, Thanksgiving, 2013

Mike with Greg Schulte, Arizona Diamondbacks radio announcer, 2008

Mike thanks the Vets on his radio show on Veterans’ Day 2006

Mike interviewing actress, Connie Stevens, celebrity Grand Marshall for the 2008 Phoenix Veteran’s Day Parade.  Click the player below to hear this 6 minute interview.

With Arizona Governor, Jan Brewer, July 3, 2010

God bless the USA!  And to all our troops, Thank You For Serving!

Having been asked many times if there is a place here on this blog to give, or donate,  not just to this site, but to other endeavors I am involved with,  I finally added something below.  Credit cards are accepted through Paypal. Please select the option “sending to a friend.”  Thanks, your gift is appreciated.