I’m not going to lie and say that using drugs isn’t fun, because it is, but it’s foolish fun and the end results are always the same, horrible. It’s a waste of money, you could give it to the poor.
Queen Tiye was born in c. 1398 BC as the daughter of a wealthy landowner, Yuya and noblewoman, Thuya. She is known, for sure, to at least have one brother Anen. It is believed by many that she had another brother by the name of Ay.
She would go on to be the mother of King Akhenaten, which means she was the beloved grandmother of the famous Tutankhamun, more commonly known as King Tut. Exact specifics of her life, like many during this time, are not known.
Egyptologists have hypothesised that her father was a foreigner due to their discoveries of his mummy and the fact that his name was spelt in many different forms. Historians have also attributed her unconventional religious views, as well as strong political views, to her father’s foreign origin.
Tiye, whose name was also spelt Taia, Tiy and Tiyi, would go on to become the wife of Amenhotep III – the ninth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty. They married by the second year of his reign when she was around the age of 11 or 12. They were known to have at least seven to nine children: Sitamun, Isis, Henuttaneb, Nebetah, Crown Prince Thutmose, Akhenaten, Smenkhkare, “The Younger Lady” (the mummy has been discovered but so far no name) and Baketaten. How many of these survived their childhoods is not clear.
Queen Tiye was so well liked in foreign courts that she was able to be very persuasive and was well respected. Many were willing to deal with issues directly through her. As a result of this, she was the first Egyptian queen to have her name recorded in ancient records. She was known to also be a prominent figure in the reign of her son.
Amenhotep III adored Tiye and devoted numerous shrines across Egypt to her. Additionally, he had a temple dedicated to her, as well as artificial lake built for her. The temple was constructed in Nubia (current day northern Sudan) in the Sedeinga pyramids where she was worshipped as the goddess Hathor-Tefnut.
This was all done prior to Tiye’s death, as she is believed to have outlived her husband by close to 12 years. She died, around the age of 50, during her son’s reign in 1338 BC in what many believe was during an epidemic. Her death marked the beginning of the end of her son’s reign as he began to lose power.
Initially, she was buried in Akhenaten’s royal tomb at Amarna. Her remains were discovered in 1898. Her remains, unwrapped and severely damaged, were found alongside that of a young woman and a young boy. Egyptologists named her “The Elder Lady” while giving the younger woman the name of “The Younger Lady.” They later agreed that “The Elder Lady” (with supposedly long beautiful hair) was, in fact, Queen Tiye. DNA analysis formally confirmed it in 2010.
Queen Tiye’s mummy now is in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt.
Of course, when you are on drugs, whether it’s pot, meth, cocaine, pain killers, or whatever, the mind does funny things and when the devil comes knocking we open it and he freely shares his evil ideas.
Not only is it a waste of money, but when we are in a different state of mind only trouble follows. The worst part is not only does it violate Your law of obeying man’s law, but it takes us away from You.
“Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear” (Isa 59:1-2).
* * * * *
1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And your labor for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
“Everlasting covenant” – David had been promised an unending dynasty, one that would culminate in the Messiah. The Messiah will bring the blessings of the covenant to the whole nation. Christ’s resurrection was further proof of God’s faithfulness to David (see Acts 13:34, which quotes from this verse.
4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.
6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Drugs
The Bible does not directly say that we are not to use drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroine, LSD, meth, etcetera. But we must remember that the Bible was written in Hebrew and Greek, and the words used do speak against drug usage and pornography…
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness (πορνεία porneia ‘harlotry/pornography’),
Idolatry, witchcraft (sorcery from the Greek φαρμακία pharmakia ‘enchantment with drugs’), hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strfe, seditions, heresies.
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the wich I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal 5:19-21).
“…for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries (φαρμακεία pharmakeia – enchangment or magic with drugs) were all nations deceived” (Rev 18:23).
Amenhotep III ruled the Egyptian Empire during the peak of its international power and prosperity. It was a time of peace when art and Egyptian culture flourished.
Growing Up
Amenhotep III was the son of Pharaoh Thutmose IV and the great-grandson of the legendary Pharaoh Thutmose III. He grew up in the royal palace as the crown prince of Egypt. He would have been educated on the workings of the Egyptian government as well as the religious responsibilities of the pharaoh.
Becoming Pharaoh
When Amenhotep was around twelve years old his father died and Amenhotep was crowned pharaoh. He likely had an adult regent who ruled for him for the first few years as he grew older and learned how to lead.
Ruling Egypt
Amenhotep took over Egypt at a time when the country was very rich and powerful. He was a very capable politician. He maintained his power over Egypt by reducing the power of the priests of Amun and elevating the sun god Ra. He also made strong alliances with foreign powers by marrying the daughters of foreign kings from Babylon and Syria.
Family
Just a few years after becoming pharaoh, Amenhotep married his wife Tiye. Tiye became his queen and “Great Royal Wife.” They had several children together including two sons. Amenhotep’s first son, Crown Prince Thutmose, died at a fairly young age. This made his second son Amenhotep IV first in line for the crown. Amenhotep IV would later change his name to Akhenaten when he became pharaoh.
In order to strengthen alliances with foreign nations, Amenhotep married several princesses from bordering kingdoms. Despite having so many wives, it seems that Amenhotep had strong feelings for his first wife Queen Tiye. He built a lake in her honor in her home town and also had a mortuary temple built for her.
Monument Building
During his time as pharaoh, Amenhotop III built many monuments to himself and the gods. Perhaps his most famous construction was the Temple of Luxor in Thebes. This temple became one of the grandest and most famous temples in Egypt. Amenhotep also built hundreds of statues of himself including the Colossi of Memnon. These two giant statues tower around 60 feet tall and show a giant Amenhotep in a sitting position.
Death
Amenhotep III died around the year 1353 BC. He was buried in the Valley of Kings in a tomb along with his wife Tiye. His son, Amenhotep IV, became pharaoh upon his death. His son would change his name to Akhenaten and make huge changes to the Egyptian religion.
To begin with, Christians are under a universal mandate to respect and obey the laws of the land:
“I counsel thee to keep the king’s commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.
Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatever pleaseth him” (Ecc 8:2-3).
“Submit yourselves to ever ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well” (1 Pet 13-14).
The only time we can obey man’s laws is if they go against God’s laws:
“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
There are no other exceptions to this rule. Contrary to popular belief, simply disagreeing with a law does not constitute a license for breaking that law or getting a wild idea that God told you to do it.
I don’t know about other countries, but I know that the United States has some really stupid laws, but God says to obey them anyway, even if you can get away from breaking them. The cops may not know what you did, but God does:
“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” (Heb 4:13).
“The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men” (Ps 33:13).
“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there shall thy hand lad me, and they right hand shall hold me.
I if I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
Yeah, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are bot alike to thee” (Ps 139:7-12).
I’m not saying that smoking pot is bad, I had never liked it, cocaine was my preference, but it’s illegal in most states. Therefore, if you smoke pot where it is not legal then you have sinned against God because He said to obey the laws.
“Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof” (Rom 13:13-14).
I think all drugs should be legal, just like alcohol. Drinking is not a sin, but getting drunk is:
“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph 5:18).
In my opinion, even though I no longer use drugs, I think all drugs should be legal, just like alcohol. If you need to smoke pot then go to a state where it’s legal that way you are not defying God.
In summary:
“And whatever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord, and not unto men” (Col 3:23).
Most, if not all of the pharaohs were evil people, like the one Moses has to deal with (Ex 5-12). Didn’t they have eunuchs too?