Category: NT
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Father to Son
It is significant that the book of Proverbs is addressed from father to son. Teaching should take place within an existing relationship of trust and love, and that relationship must be cultivated if teaching is going to be effective. An estranged son will not be receptive to the wisdom his father offers. But this is […]
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Dry Bones
Ezekiel was a priest and a prophet of God during the Babylonian exile, when Judah was cast out of the land and Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. In chapter six, Ezekiel was told to prophecy to Israel, “Thus says the Lord Yahweh to the mountains and the hills, to the ravines and […]
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Babel and Pentecost
Genesis 11:1 says, “Now the whole earth had one lip and the same words.” This “lip” refers to a common confession, a common religious belief. They built a city around their common culture and language, and they built a tower as a shrine with its head in the heavens for their common credo, “I believe […]
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Messianic King
Psalm 110 celebrates God’s gift of a messianic king over the people and the restoration from judgment*. It echoes themes from earlier in the Psalter. This king to whom Yahweh says, “sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool,” is the same one who received the commendation, “You are my Son; […]
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Suitable Helper
The solitude of man is the first thing God evaluates and declares not good. But, as with all His judgments, it is not merely a proclamation; He works in His judgment to bring a change. God divided the man to bring him a helper, to form culture and community. In one sense, there was not […]
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And to Your Offspring
Genesis 12 records the call of Abram and the beginning of his establishment as the father of many nations. God promises, “to your offspring I will give this land,” and later says, “I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be […]
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Seeing God
John 8 is a major discourse between Jesus and the Jewish leaders. Verse 19 – “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also” – could be taken as the theme verse not only here, but probably for the whole book. In chapter 1, John says, “No […]
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Kingdom Church
Deuteronomy 5 is a restatement of the Ten Words, or Ten Commandments, given to the people of Israel as they were preparing to enter the promised land. Chapters 6-26 are an expansion and commentary on each of the Ten Words. Chapter 7 is part of the section dealing with the first Word, “I am Yahweh […]
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Kingdom of Priests
In Exodus 19, the people of Israel have been brought to Sinai, the mountain of God. They have already been rescued from the death and slavery of Egypt. Now, after they have seen the great salvation of God in the overthrow of their enemies, they are being prepared to receive the law. God tells them […]
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The Implanted Word
Jesus points to the shema‘, the Hear, O Israel, as the greatest commandment, “You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” And the second is like it, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” All the rest of the Law and Prophets is an expansion […]