Abraham
the father of the Jewish nation. See Genesis 12-25. God called Abraham out of his home country and promised to give him the land of Canaan.
God also promised that all the people on earth would be blessed through Abraham.
God's people today can learn from Abraham what true faith is.
Adam
the first man God created. He did not obey God and so brought sin and death into the world.
Jesus is compared to Adam because Jesus is a new beginning for the human race. Jesus brings new life to those who believe in him.
adultery
breaking the marriage promise by having sexual relations with someone other than your spouse.
altar
a place where people would bring gifts to God. Altars were usually flat on top. They were made of dirt, rocks, wood or metal.
amen
means "Yes, this is true!" or "Let it be so!"
anoint
to pour oil on a person's head. It meant that God's Spirit was selecting that person do a special job.
apostles
the special leaders Jesus chose to bring the message about Jesus to the world. First, Jesus chose twelve men. Later, Paul and some others became apostles.
Ark of the Covenant
a special box made of wood and covered with gold. It had two gold angels on top of it. The written copy of the Ten Commandments was kept inside the box. The Ark of the Covenant was a sign to the people of Israel that God was with them.
Asherah
the name of a fertility goddess that the people of Canaan worshiped. Often wooden poles were set up as symbols of Asherah for people to worship at.
atonement
a payment or offering to remove or forgive sins. In the Old Testament, the people of Israel sacrificed animals to show that atonement must be made for the sins of the people.
When Jesus came, he gave his own life to make atonement for the sins of his people.