My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Psalm 22:1 (English) Forsaken – If you want to understand the depth of David’s cry, you must know something about the verb he chooses. ‘Azav has a special history; a history that colors this opening line in lampblack. The first time we see ‘azav in Scripture…
For the choir director, upon the hind of the morning. A psalm of David. Psalm 22:1 (Hebrew text) The Hind of the Morning – If you thought the contemporary passion for praise and worship songs started in this generation, then you haven’t read the Psalms. In fact, Moses started the whole genre with his song…
O afflicted one, storm-tossed one, and not comforted, behold; I will . . . Isaiah 54:11 Not Comforted – There was a time when God was not comforted. You can read about it in Isaiah 22:4. The Hebrew words lo nuchama (not comforted) describe God’s refusal to accept the bad news of the destruction of…
O afflicted one, storm-tossed one, and not comforted, behold; I will . . . Isaiah 54:11 Storm-tossed One – Circumstances aren’t the only source of trauma in this world. The Bible recognizes that a lot of life’s pain comes from another kind of storm; the kind that we experience in the angry wind of human…
O afflicted one, storm-tossed one, and not comforted, behold; I will . . . Isaiah 54:11 Afflicted One – The life of a believer is not peaches and cream. (But you already knew that, didn’t you?) In fact, believers have a deeper, more disturbing experience of affliction than those who do not follow the way…
I have blotted out your transgressions like a thick cloud Isaiah 44:22 Thick Cloud – Have you ever been in a fog so thick you couldn’t see the front of your car when you tried to drive? It’s a very scary feeling. At any moment, something might suddenly appear and you will helplessly run into…
“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me.” Isaiah 43:10 I am He – So, you’re a witness. A witness to…
“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me.” Isaiah 43:10 Know, Believe, Understand – Consider this part of the verse very…
“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me.” Isaiah 43:10 Witnesses – When Jesus gave us the Great Commission, He did…
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:68 Eternal Life – Jesus asked the question, “Will you also go away?” It was a critical moment in the ministry. Many followers were leaving. The pathway Jesus proclaimed was just too harsh, too disturbing, too demanding. Jesus asked the twelve. …
