IN AWE OF WINTER - (Print)

The first official day of Winter isn't until December 22, however in cities and towns across the nation temperatures have already begun to drop. Here in North Idaho, a blanket of freshly fallen snow covers Koinonia House. Like the staff here at K-House, many of you will have the opportunity to enjoy the poetry and beauty of the ice and snow of this special season.

Have you ever noticed that ice floats? Why?

Virtually every material substance contracts when it cools. As it gets warmer, the molecules increase their vibrational energy and require more room: the substance therefore expands as it warms. And, conversely, it contracts as it cools. Materials decrease in volume as they get colder. Water is the astonishing exception. It expands when it freezes into a solid. Why does water violate this general rule? Why does water expand when freezing?

The water molecule is a (not-so-simple) combination of two atoms of hydrogen bonded to one of oxygen. Yet this particular combination possesses an amazing array of unique characteristics that distinguish it from any other material known!

The Freezing Process

Although almost all materials decrease in volume as they get colder, water has an astonishing characteristic. As it drops toward its freezing point of 0^oC (32^o F), its volume also reduces until it reaches 4^oC, after which it actually increases. In a pond or lake, for example, this "inverse convection" has the salutary effect of bringing oxygen dissolved at the surface down to the lower depths for use by fish and other organisms. This process continues until the entire area has reached 4^oC. As the water cools below this temperature, it dramatically increases in volume, making it lighter than the water below. This ultimately causes the top layer to freeze, which then actually acts as an insulation layer against the very low temperature of the air above. If water did not have this strange property, the entire pond or lake would freeze solid and fish and other living creatures would be killed.

This expansion can have disastrous effects on uninsulated water pipes in winter. However, this expansion effect has essential functions in nature. The rain or dew penetrates the soil, and when it freezes, the soil is shattered into small particles, breaking up the hard earth into suitable conditions in which seeds can germinate.

Why This Exceptional Behavior?

This strange behavior derives from the unusual bonding relationship between the two hydrogen atoms and the one oxygen atom that make up a molecule of water, H₂O. The oxygen atom strongly attracts the single electrons of the two hydrogen atoms, leaving the two positively charged hydrogen nuclei rather free to attract other negative atoms. This attracts the oxygen molecules in other water molecules to form rather large, but loosely coupled, frameworks.

These atoms are not in a straight line, however, and the hydrogen atoms are bent toward each other, forming an unsymmetrical three-dimensional structure. The angle formed between the two hydrogen and the central oxygen atom is 104.5^o, almost precisely that of a hexagonal tetrahedron shape (109.5^o), so it can take up this shape (slightly warped three-dimensionally) with little stress on the bonds. Opposite the hydrogen atoms, the clouds of resulting negative electrification attract the hydrogen nucleus of an adjacent water molecule to form what is called a hydrogen bond - the key to water's peculiar behavior.

These tenacious hydrogen bond frameworks give water many astonishing characteristics, including anomalously high values for viscosity, surface tension, and the temperature and heats of melting and boiling. This results in its ubiquitous role as a solvent, its remarkable thermal properties, its surface tension and capillary action, and virtually innumerable chemical properties that are essential for life.

One would expect that these unique properties would make it a very rare molecule, produced only with great difficulty under laboratory conditions. The reality is, of course, quite the opposite: it is the most prevalent material on the planet, covering three-fourths of its surface, diffused extensively in the atmosphere, and - to the surprise of geologists - also found at astonishing depths in the earth. That such a unique substance should be in such abundance is in contradiction to any expectation of random chance alone.

Snow

Water vapor is a clear gas, which, as it cools under normal conditions, condenses and forms into water droplets. At high altitudes, water vapor can cool to below freezing, but in the absence of an impurity such as dust, around which it can collect, it will remain in this state.

When ice crystals form, the molecules of water arrange themselves in a specific pattern that is determined by the tetrahedral shape of the molecule in the frozen state described above. As further molecules join those already frozen, they give up their high latent heat of freezing, and melt the adjacent molecules, which reform to a shape dependent upon the local conditions of air temperature, wind currents, humidity, etc. Each snowflake pattern is unique to itself, but is always based upon the hexagonal bonding pattern of the ice crystals familiar to us all.

Snow also has a constructive role in the ecological cycle. It filters dust out of the air, absorbs nitrogen which then enters the soil, and acts as an insulating blanket to the plants and roots in the ground. The difference in temperature between the air and the ground covered by two feet of snow can be as much as 40^oC.

When snow melts, it requires considerable heat to effect this, and therefore melts slowly, lowering the rate of melt water and reducing the flooding that could occur if the latent heat of freezing were lower.

In addition to all these unique properties, snow also has the added ability of reflecting all the colors of the spectrum to yield pure white. Is no wonder that we often find ourselves in awe of the sheer beauty of a layer of freshly fallen snow. May the tell-tale signs of winter throughout the coming months serve to remind you of the wonderful works of our Lord.

Related Links:

THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS - (Print)

The much-anticipated Annapolis Peace Conference began today at the US Naval Academy in Maryland. It is the first such conference to take place in seven years, since the Bush administration took office. The Annapolis conference is meant to be a starting point for future negotiations. In his opening remarks, President Bush read a "joint statement" which expressed the desire of both sides to put an end to the bloodshed. Both sides have also pledged to continue peace negotiations in accordance with the Road Map Peace Plan with the goal of reaching an agreement by the end of 2008.

The Israeli-Palestinian "joint statement" has already been meet with a great deal of skepticism and criticism. Many experts doubt this latest effort will succeed where others have failed so many times before. The reason is that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not as straightforward as some may think. There are no easy answers or simple explanations. The deeper you dig, the more complicated it becomes.

The most difficult part of the peace process is not the establishment of a Palestinian state, but the terms on which it is established. Palestinians have demanded the complete withdrawal of Israel from all the occupied areas back to the 1967 border, the dismantling of all Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza that are home to more than 250,000 Jews, a Palestinian capitol in east Jerusalem, the right of return for all Palestinian refugees to Israel, the removal of Israeli roadblocks, the release of some 8,000 Palestinians being detained in Israeli jails and military prisons, and the dismantling of the controversial barrier wall.

The right of return for the refugees is a particular source of friction between the Palestinians and Israelis. The Palestinians argue that according to a 1948 UN General Assembly resolution, they have a right to live in what is now Israel. Those who left during the 1948-49 war and their descendants now number roughly 4 million, and Israel argues that it can in no way accept such a potentially huge influx of Palestinians. Israel says the refugees belong in the Palestinian territories, not in the state of Israel. The controversy has caused a multitude of problems. Rather than being integrated into the general populations of the countries where they fled, the majority of refugees have remained in refugee camps under deplorable conditions. The Arab states do not want the refugees and, with the exception of Jordan, they are unwilling to give them citizenship. If the refugees were allowed to return to Israel, the Palestinian population would quickly outnumber the Jewish population. Former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser - a key player in the Six Day War who openly advocated the destruction of Israel - told an interviewer on September 1, 1961: "If the refugees return to Israel, Israel will cease to exist."

Even if the Palestinians are successful in obtaining their own state there are no guarantees that the violence will end. A poll conducted by Public Opinion Research of Israel and the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion reported that over 60 percent of Palestinians believe that Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad should continue their armed struggle against Israel even if Israel leaves all of the West Bank and Gaza, including East Jerusalem and a Palestinian state is created.

For most Westerners it is difficult to understand why the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has continued for so long or why it has resulted in so much violence. The fundamental problem is that the Palestinian leadership has ardently resisted making any concessions toward Israel and have maintained an all-or-nothing approach to peace negotiations. Too few Palestinians truly desire peace. Palestinian children are consistently taught in school to hate Israel. Most Arab nations have yet to officially recognize the right of Israel to exist, and many Muslim groups, like Hamas and Hezbollah, will not allow peace unless it comes in the form of Israel's destruction.

Related Links:

THE MOST QUOTED BOOK - (Print)

Whose sermons are quoted most in the Bible? The answer may surprise you. Just as the New Testament epistles are our primary interpretive commentary on the historical narratives (the Gospels and Acts), the most venerated portion of the Old Testament - the Torah - has, within it, its primary commentary in the form of three sermons by its principal author, Moses.

Moses was eminently qualified to speak for God. He was more than Israel's human Lawgiver: he was the founder of Israel's religion; he was the mediator of the covenant at Sinai; he was Israel's first prophet. (Though God called Abraham a prophet, Israel did not then exist as a nation.) Through Moses, God set such a high standard for the people that all subsequent prophets lived under his shadow, never attaining to it, until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Not surprisingly, the New Testament authors mentioned Moses more frequently than any other Old Testament person. His concluding remarks after a 120-year lifetime have been handed down to us as the Book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy is essentially a series of sermons by the greatest Old Testament prophet. Jesus Himself quoted more from Deuteronomy than from any other portion of the Old Testament. (In a sense, Deuteronomy is the "Book of Romans" of the Old Testament.)

The Hebrew title of the book is 'elleh haddebarim ("these are the words") in keeping with the Hebrew custom of often titling a work by its first word(s). The English title Deuteronomy stems from the Septuagint's mistranslation of Deuteronomy 17:18, "this repetition of the Law." The Septuagint translated those words deuteronomion (deutero means "two" or "second," and nomion is "law"; lit., "second Law"), which were rendered Deuteronomium in the Vulgate, Jerome's fourth-century Latin translation of the Bible.

Moses' words were addressed to all Israel, an expression used at least 12 times in the book. Its frequent occurrence emphasizes the unity of Israel which was brought about by God's mighty deliverance of the nation from Egypt, and by her acceptance of His covenant at Sinai. They were uniquely God's people, the only nation on earth that had as its "Constitution" the Word of God.

Sometimes very crucial progress occurs at an excruciatingly slow pace. From Horeb to Kadesh Barnea was only about 200 miles. The Israelites turned an 11-day journey - from Horeb (another word for Mount Sinai) to Kadesh Barnea, the first site for entering into the Promised Land from the south - into a 40-year wandering in the wilderness before they came to their second potential site for entering the land. It took only three days to get Israel out of Egypt; but it took 40 years to get "Egypt" out of Israel! As Stephen pointed out centuries later, the Israelites had always been slow to believe God.

Moses' review of the Law includes many crucial issues such as the legitimacy of war, the role of capital punishment, divorce, as well as the proper forms of worship, keeping the Sabbath, etc. But the surprise for many are the prophetic aspects of this foundational book: the future history of Israel-including an astonishing prediction of the Holocaust, etc. However, all Scriptures are Christ centered, so perhaps most challenging for the dedicated students are the "types" and "macrocodes" throughout the book. We find them in the roles of the goel, the Kinsman-Redeemer, the cities of refuge, the levirate marriage, and the many calendar issues.

God has not changed since then. Man has not changed since then. And God's primary message through His servant Moses was Love. Not a list of do's and don'ts, not legalism, but relationship. And, of course, the ultimate consummation of all these things was, and is, fulfilled in our Kinsman-Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. God always rewards the diligent student, and a careful review of this foundational book is guaranteed to be life-changing! See our Expositional Commentary on Deuteronomy for an in-depth study!

Related Links:

UPCOMING EVENTS - (Print)

Berean Bible Study Tour - Israel 2008 - Mark Your Calendar!

Have you always dreamed of visiting the Holy Land? Would you like to walk where Jesus walked? Don't put it off any longer! Come and join us on a journey that will bring the Biblical narrative to life. Walk the streets of Jerusalem, sail on the sea of Galilee, and visit the empty tomb - see the Scriptures from a whole new perspective!

Join Chuck and Nancy Missler in the Holy Land for the Berean Bible Study Tour. Our next trip to Israel is scheduled for March 25th to April 4th of 2008, with an optional Petra extension from April 4th to April 6th.  Visit our website for more information about the trip. If you're interested in joining us or if you have any questions please contact Sharon Stolebarger at sharon@khouse.org

Related Links:

Iran Unveils New Missile - November 27, 2007
Iran said Tuesday it has manufactured a new missile with a range of 1,200 miles capable of reaching Israel and US bases in the Middle East. Experts also believe Iran is developing the Shahab-4 missile, thought to have a range between 1,200 and 1,900 miles, that would enable it to hit much of Europe. FOX News

Home Prices Tumbled in 3rd Quarter - November 27, 2007
US home prices fell 4.5 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, the sharpest drop since Standard & Poor's began its nationwide housing index in 1987 and another sign that the housing slump is far from over. MSNBC

Chinese Printer to Celebrate 50 Millionth Bible - November 27, 2007
Next month, a celebration will be held in Nanjing, China, to celebrate the printing of the Amity Printing Company's 50 millionth Bible. Just over 40 years ago, during the Cultural Revolution, the Bible was banned and all copies were confiscated. But today there are more Bibles than any other book in China — it is now unofficially the best-selling book there. China is believed to have one of the fastest growing Christian populations in the world. CP

Annapolis Summit Aims for Peace in 2008 - November 27, 2007
The Israeli and Palestinian leaders committed themselves Tuesday to negotiate a peace treaty by the end of 2008, setting themselves a deadline for ending a conflict that has endured for six decades. The agreement merely creates a framework for talks, and does not address the fundamental issues between Israel and a future Palestine - such as Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the final borders of a Palestinian state, the status of Jerusalem, and the fate of Palestinian refugees. IHT

Ian Wilmut Abandons Cloning - November 20, 2007
In a shocking announcement, the scientist who created Dolly the sheep, a breakthrough that provoked headlines around the world a decade ago, is to abandon the cloning technique he pioneered to create her in order to pursue adult stem cell research. Telegraph

Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
Hebrews 3:12 KJV

We solicit your prayers and support of this ministry. God Bless.

This eNews is a reader supported ministry. If you would like to help support this effort, you can make your contribution here.

If you received this email from a friend, you can get a FREE subscription by signing up at the K-House website.

Note to readers using AOL 9.0: Images and links will show up and work if you click "Add Address" and select "Save" when the dialog box pops up. Once this is done, the newsletter will be available to you each week with workable links and graphics without clicking "Enable links and images."

You received this email by request from Koinonia House.

Web site: http://www.khouse.org/
Online Store: http://store.khouse.org/
Email: http://www.khouse.org/email/eNews_Subscription/
Manage Your Subscription: http://www.khouse.org/email_list_manager/