Law of the Land

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. Psalm 19:9 (Hebrew World translation) Judgments – It is simply impossible for us to understand all of the decisions God makes.  At some level, continued exploration and pleading demands for God to justify Himself border…

Mrs. Malaprop

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. Psalm 19:9 (Hebrew World translation) Clean – The comic figure, Mrs. Malaprop, from the play, The Rivals, has become a shorthand expression for the misuse of words.  “She might reprehend the true meaning of what…

The Face of the Moon

The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. Psalm 19:8  (Hebrew World translation) Pure – The Hebrew adjective bar is rare indeed.  Occurring only in poetic works, it is found in only seven verses in Scripture.  Most of these are in Psalms where…

Integrity of the Text

The last days have begun.  God, through his Son, has fully revealed his nature, and his purpose which stretches back through the prophets to creation. Hebrews 1:1-2 (Ellingworth translation) Have begun – Read almost any standard translation of this verse.  None of them will be like Ellingworth’s translation.  The crucial differences are the rearrangement of…

Cancer in the Body

watching diligently that not any lack from the grace of God, that no root of bitterness growing up may disturb you, and through this many be defiled; Hebrews 12:15 (translation J. Green) Defiled – Does it seem like sometimes it’s just too much to continue on this path?  Are you wearing down in your quest…

Don’t Fence Me In

“Is it permissible to heal on the Sabbath?” Matthew 12:10 (NASB) Permissible – The Sabbath is a day of rest, an honoring of God’s creative effort and a fulfillment of His ordinance for our own good.  But every Jew knew that the commandment concerning the Sabbath was part of a hierarchy of commandments, some of…