You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. Amos 3:2 Therefore – When will we finally forsake the populist idea that God saves us in order to make our lives prosperous? How foolish can we be? In a world that hates God,…
Well, after 16 days at sea, Rosanne and I arrived in Sydney this morning. Now to catch up on 500 emails. I will have email sporadically over the next few days before we get to Adelaide to visit readers there. Thanks for your patience. Skip
But the righteous shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4 But – Once more the vocabulary is simply an appended vav. The word for the righteous (tsadik) becomes ve-tsadik (the vav is appended). Context determines the translation and “but” seems appropriate because the text is about a contrast. However, that isn’t quite enough for us…
“I, YHWH, search the heart, I try the kidneys, and give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” Yirmeyahu 17:10 (ISR) According To – The Hebrew here is not difficult, at least not on the surface. It is simply the letter bet attached to the nouns for “ways” and…
“For which is easier, to say ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or to say ‘Rise, and walk?’” Matthew 9:5 To Say – Which is easier: to forgive or to heal? As loyal followers, we might claim that forgiving is harder. After all, ultimately only God can forgive. Miraculous healings might be difficult, but they pale in…
“Take courage, My son, your sins are forgiven.” Matthew 9:2 Are Forgiven – Are the gospel stories so familiar that you no longer pay attention to the small details? It is unfortunately true for many Christians. We learned the stories in Sunday school. We have the images locked away in our minds. As a result,…
O YHWH, You have deceived me and I was deceived; You have overcome me and prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me. Jeremiah 20:7 Overcome – Jeremiah employs extraordinary imagery in his description of God’s claim on his life. This is the man who pleaded with God not to choose…
They have grown fat and sleek. They know no bounds in deeds of wickedness; they judge not with justice the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; they do not defend the rights of the poor. Jeremiah 5:27-28 Do Not Defend – Is Jeremiah speaking about us? Have we grown fat and sleek at…
He has declared to you, O man, what is good. Micah 6:8 Declared – Context, context, context. Far too often we lift a verse from its culture and history when we apply it to extraneous theological topics. In this case, while it is certainly true that God does determine what is good, Micah is not…
