When God began to create heaven and earth—the earth being unformed and void, Genesis 1:1-2a Parsha: Bere’shit JPS Tagged Tanakh To create – Biblically-based religions are susceptible to a subtle but dangerous trap. They can easily become religions of the book rather than religions of the God revealed in the book. You and I, being familiar…
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23 ESV Sinned – Adverb: a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb or a word group, expressing a relation of place, time, circumstance, manner, cause, degree, etc., that is, an addition to a verb. Noun: a word (other than a…
“Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.” Exodus 32:10 NASB Let me alone – Did God intend to destroy Israel? Did Moses change God’s mind? These two questions, and the answers you give, really reveal your exegetical…
The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. Genesis 6:6 NASB Was sorry – This verse is a problem for most theologians. It’s not a problem because we can’t understand the words. It’s a problem because theology doesn’t think of God in biblical terms. Theology is the victim…
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7 NASB He cares – Peter writes to those who are anxious, suffering, and confused. They believe. They live according to their beliefs. The Messiah is…
However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you: Deuteronomy 28:15 NIV Curses – I’m writing this in April. You’re reading it in July. Hopefully what I have to say no longer applies,…
Exalted be the living God* and praised,. He exists—unbounded by time is His existence.* He is One—and there is no unity like His Oneness. Morning Blessings, ArtScroll Siddur, p. 15 Unbounded by time – The line above is from the morning service in the Jewish Prayer Book. The asterisks in the sentence indicate that there…
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 1 John 1:1 NIV This we proclaim – If you read this text in the NIV, you would immediately be confronted with a…
You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. Matthew 23:26 NASB Inside – This morning I wanted to write something profound in novel form. As I walked down the hall to my office, it suddenly struck me that there were…
To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen 1 Peter 1:1 NASB Aliens – Are you one of the parepídēmois? Translated as “aliens,” we might be tempted to read this as Grundmann explains it: “Christians are only temporary residents on earth and must not let their lives be shaped by its interests. They…
