Bible Dictionary and Concordance


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Sabbath / SabaothSeventh day, the day of rest; a day of religious observance (Friday evening to Saturday evening) when Jews abstain from working. DTP The Christian church observes a day of rest on Sunday, the first day of the week. The Scriptures command us to work six days and rest on the seventh. In most societies Sunday is not really a day to rest and reflect on God and to be with His people; rather, it's a day of spending time on what we desire to do. (See Matt 12:1-12.)
sabbatical yearThis was a year that was set aside for the land to rest. This was to take place every seventh year, and was a requirement to be done under the Law of Moses.
sackclothA coarse fabric usually made from goat's hair. During Bible times, often with religious symbolism, people put on sackcloth and then sprinkled their heads with ashes as a sign of penitence or mourning. It was a sign of humility and deep repentance before man and, most of all, before God.
sacramentA religious ceremony that was command by God for his people to do, regarded as an outward sign of inward events. The most common sacraments are baptism, communion and anointing people with oil. The term "sacrament" is used mainly by the Catholic Church which believes they signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. DTP The disciple of Christ is to take part in these observances with the purpose of drawing closer to God and as a testimony to the outside world of one's faith in Christ.
sacredSomething connected to God or dedicated for a religious purpose. Something set aside, dedicated as holy before God, to be used as part of worship. In the tabernacle and in temple, various items were dedicated to God and were to remain sacred. Both people and certain items were to remain clean and not get polluted. DTP As disciples, we are not to be polluted by the things or cares of this world. The Bible, the communion set, the cross, the church and, in times past, the pastors of the churches were considered to be sacred or holy before the Lord.
sacrificeThe practice or act of killing an animal on an altar as an act of dedication to a deity or as an act of atonement, using a substitute for oneself or a group of people; it can also mean the surrendering of a possession as an offering, or giving up something for a period of time with the hope of drawing closer to the heart of God. DTP The disciple is to come before the Lord and sacrifice, or give up, his will for God's will. Christ sacrificed Himself for us; He became our sacrificial Lamb and now we are to give ourselves to Him in faith and service. Discipleship is a life of sacrifice to the Lord.
SadduceesOne of three main Jewish organized religious groups that existed during the time of Christ. Sadducees did not believe in heaven or in eternal life or in the resurrection of the dead. On this point, they were in great conflict with the Pharisees. Both groups were very dedicated to oral traditions and to the written law.
saintsA person who is acknowledged as holy or virtuous; a person who lives a righteous life before God; DTP Disciples of Christ (believers) in Christ Jesus as their Lord and Saviour are termed "saints" in Scripture.
saltA seasoning or a preservative for meat or various kinds of food, a purifying agent for cleaning and killing bacteria, a substance that can enhance the taste of food. DTP The disciple of Christ is to be like salt here on earth, causing people to taste and see that the Lord is good; the disciple needs to be careful that he doesn't lose his "saltiness".
salutationA gesture or utterance greeting someone's arrival or departure. DTP A kind word of greeting should be practiced by all disciples of Christ Jesus.
salvation Deliverance from sin and its consequences, to be rescued, to escape. DTP Christ came to deliver us from the eternal death penalty of sin and to set us free as a new creation in Him a brand new life! It's as if we were drowning in sin, and Christ rescued us. Christ's purpose in coming to this earth was to pay the price for our sins and to give salvation to all who would believe on Him as Lord and Saviour.
SamaritanAn ancient people group of mixed Jewish and Gentile ancestry that still exists today in Israel and surrounding areas. According to 2 Kings 17: 24-41 the people of Israel were removed by the king of the Assyrians to the towns of the Medes. The king then brought people from there to place in Samaria (the capital city of the northern Kingdom of Israel). Because God sent lions among them to kill them, the king of the Assyrians sent one of the priests from Bethel to teach the new settlers about God's ordinances. The eventual result was that the new settlers worshipped both the God of the land and their own gods from the countries from which they came. They had a mixture of beliefs, ranging from belief in the books of Moses together with idolatry. They were often looked down upon by the Jews especially in the time of Christ. Today this term has come to mean, "a charitable and helpful person" because of Jesus' parable concerning the "Good Samaritan".
SAMUEL, book of FirstFound in the Hebrew Scriptures, it is believed to have been written around 930 BC. The first book deals with Samuel as a young boy entering training for the priesthood and then becoming a major prophet to the people of Israel. The first book deal with the life of King Saul through the reign of King David.
SAMUEL, book of SecondFound in the Hebrew Scriptures, it is believed to have been written around 930 BC. This second book deals mainly with the life and reign of King David and the challenges Israel faced in becoming a nation.
sanctificationA process of purifying, to be made clean, consecration, to be made holy. DTP Consecration is an act of God's grace on one's life through the power of the Holy Spirit. Salvation is what brings us into a personal relationship with Christ while sanctification is the process of changing us into His character and image.
sanctifiedCleaned, purified, perfected. DTP Sanctification is a process that begins with a personal relationship with Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit, at the time of salvation, begins a work of making one new; we have died to sin and the world and are now being prepared for our presentation in heaven as the bride of Christ, holy before the Father.
sanctifyTo clean, purify, to perfect, consecrate, hallow, separate. DTP Sanctification is a process that begins with a personal relationship with Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit, at the time of salvation, begins a work of making one new; we have died to sin and the world and are now being prepared for our presentation in heaven as the bride of Christ, holy before the Father.
sanctuaryA place of refuge and safety. An inner holy place, where one can come into the presence of God for communion and fellowship, a place to worship and praise God. DTP As often as possible the disciple needs to enter the Holy presence of God.
SanhedrinThe supreme council and tribunal of the Jews following the exile. Existing during the time of Christ it was composed of 71 members, headed by the high priest. Jesus was found guilty before this Jewish court of law. The Sanhedrin group was abolished after the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
SatanThe chief adversary of God, also known as the "evil one" or the "devil". Some other names are liar, tempter, deceiver, god of this world and prince of darkness. He is one who is out to destroy and kill, to bind and control all who will submit to his ways. He comes to man in many forms but his purpose is to deceive. DTP In resisting Satan and his ways, disciples must study the Word of God and pray that the Holy Spirit will give them strength, wisdom and understanding. Paul tells us that we are in a spiritual battle and we must put on the full armour of God.
satisfy / satisfiedTo be content, at peace within oneself, please, gratified, fulfilled. DTP A problem for the disciples is that he may always want more. "Enough is never enough." He can feel driven to have more. We need to remember that Christ came to fulfil and satisfy all our needs, but He does not fulfil all our wants.
save Keep safe or rescue from harm or danger. To redeem or deliver. The idea is that someone must intervene to deliver from danger or loss. DTP Because we are born into sin and condemned to death and a hopeless eternity, Christ came to bring us salvation. Sin has bound us and is destroying us from the inside out. There was no way of escape; our righteousness was, and is, as filthy rags. Christ was sent by the Father to make a way for us to be rescued, to bring deliverance and salvation to all who would invite Him to be Lord and Saviour of their lives. As disciples of Christ we become His ambassadors, going out to the world to offer a message of hope and salvation. The Good News is one of deliverance and hope from a life of sin and death.(See the words deliver, salvation and redeemer.)
SaviourSomeone who rescues or delivers from harm or loss. DTP Jesus was sent by the heavenly Father to a sinful and lost world to make a way of deliverance and redemption for all who would receive Him. His death on the cross and His resurrection three days later made Him our sacrificial lamb, making it possible for us to be clothed in His righteousness. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; there is no other way by which people can be saved (John 14:6). To those who personally receive Him into their hearts, He becomes their Saviour.
savourTo taste with enjoyment, to have a specific taste, smell or quality. DTP We are to be a sweet savor to others so that they may taste and see that the Lord is good. Our lives are to be an example of God's presence, causing people to want to know Him and take Him as their personal Saviour.
scapegoatA goat sent into the wilderness after the Jewish chief priest had symbolically laid the sins of the people upon it. In effect, the blame was placed on the goat; the faults of others were "placed" on the animal. DTP This was a picture of what Christ would do for us; even though He was innocent, He took upon Himself our sins.