and the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their request. Therefore they plundered the Egyptians. Exodus 12:36 NASB Let them have – Imagine you’re an Egyptian. You’ve just had your crops ruined, your water made undrinkable, your livestock destroyed, and your sons killed. And it’s all…
If My people would heed Me, if Israel would go in My ways, in a moment I would humble their enemies and against their foes I would turn My hand. Psalm 81:14-15 (Hebrew Bible) Robert Alter In a moment – God made a promise 3000 years ago. That promise was simple. If Israel keeps His…
A lamp to my feet is Your word and a light to my path. I swore and I will fulfill it—to observe Your just laws. Psalm 119:105-106 Robert Alter Lamp/ light – What is the plain meaning of the text? Isn’t that what we all want to know? Don’t confuse me with theological propositions or…
Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Matthew 6:9 NASB Hallowed – “Thus, to ‘hallow’ here is no longer any single action; it is the transformation of all that is into a new ‘holy’ existence as God wills. It is the course of the world and of each individual life from creation…
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44 NASB No one – Given this statement, it is remarkable that Western Christianity believes in apologetics. Over and over Christian authors and theologians have offered “proofs” for the faith, arguments that…
“For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear about it, and they will surround us and eliminate our name from the earth. And what will You do for Your great name?” Joshua 7:9 NASB What will You do – The people of Ai defeat the Israelites. Many die. Joshua is dumbfounded…
But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 15:24 NASB Lost – There are four senses to the Greek term apóllymi: to destroy or kill, to suffer loss or to lose, to perish, and to be lost. Most of the time the word is used in…
Do your duty to the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, to [a]keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, so that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn, 1 Kings 2:3 NASB What is written – Yesterday, we learned that…
Do your duty to the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, to [a]keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, so that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn, 1 Kings 2:3 NASB What is written – Occasionally you read a…
