who executes judgment for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. Psalm 146:7 Executes – Do we really believe God takes care of things for the oppressed? If we knew the Hebrew verb here (‘asah) is a verb that usually means a deliberate action with distinct purpose, would that change our expectations about God’s…
From August 18 to 21 I will be teaching a graduate seminar on Old Testament roots of Biblical Theology. This seminar for credit is for ten select PhD candidates. We will begin at noon on Tuesday and conclude at noon on Thursday. The seminar will be at the Fairfield Inn in Clermont, FL. If you…
How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God. Psalm 146:5 Is In – It’s certainly commonplace for us to say we hope in the Lord, but we might be surprised to find the Jewish prayer book doesn’t render the thought this way. The same…
“Indeed, I gave them no-good decrees, and laws that did not offer them life.” Ezekiel 20:25 No-Good Decrees – Brevard Childs, professor of Biblical theology at Harvard, says that this verse is an example of “the clearest sign of the brokenness of the Old Testament covenant . . . once given as a source of…
But I do not allow a woman to teach, nor to exercise authority over a man, but to be in silence. 1 Timothy 2:12 Exercise Authority – You have got to be kidding me! That is probably the immediate contemporary reaction to the face-value interpretation of Paul’s remark. If what Paul says is really the…
I’m not about to enter into the creation debate. Personally, I believe it takes considerably more “faith” to posit a random, chaotic origin than it does to believe in a personal God who spoke everything into being. We could debate the issue but unless you are prepared to argue for the verifiability of inferential empiricism…
To know wisdom and instruction; to understand words of insight; to accept instruction in prudent behavior, to do what is right, and just, and fair Proverbs 1:2-3 To Know – What does it mean “to know wisdom?” Well, if you’re Greek, it means you apprehend information associated with a subject. In this case, the subject…
But answering He said, “It has been written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4 Alone – God delivers! But what He delivers is not just bread. Therefore, we must be careful not to insult the Great Provider by focusing our attention…
“When did we see you hungering . . ?” Matthew 25:37 Hungering – Ah, but Jesus didn’t say we saw Him starving. You see, the word here is peinao, not limos. The Greek word peinao means to be in need of regular nourishment while limos means to fatally lack sustenance. The application difference is important….
Someone showed up today in the garden. Never seen here before. He brought a friend, also first-timer
