Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Romans 6:3 NASB Baptized– For a moment, put away your familiar associations with the joy of baptism. Set aside the usual celebration when someone expresses faith through immersion ritual. Ask yourself, “Isn’t it odd…
Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.” Matthew 26:38 NASB Watch– We know the story all too well. Yeshua makes a request that the disciples are unable to handle. In spite of Yeshua’s obvious need for emotional support, the disciples all fall asleep. …
“Now I am sending Huram-abi, a skilled man, endowed with understanding, the son of a Danite woman and a Tyrian father, who knows how to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone and wood, and in purple, violet, linen and crimson fabrics, and who knows how to make all kinds of engravings and to execute any design which may be assigned to…
“Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding.” Jeremiah 3:15 NASB Shepherds– Please don’t consider me a teacher. I’m not up to the task. I’m just an investigator, someone who explores the connections between culture and Scripture. I just am curious about things and I see all sorts of relationships…
“Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my doorposts. For he who finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord.” Proverbs 8:34-35 NASB Finds me– In the famous eighth chapter of Proverbs, Wisdom speaks. Actually, Woman Wisdom speaks. The gender is specific and important. According to Woman Wisdom, YHVH created all that…
Hear, my son, your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching; indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head and ornaments about your neck. Proverbs 1:8-9 NASB Hear– “Over time, early and necessary (and sometimes life-saving) defensive maneuvers and coping strategies evolve into ‘patterns’ of thinking, feeling, and behaving. These patterns come to operate like ‘organizing…
Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it. Psalm 37:5 NASB He will do it– It wasn’t supposed to be like this. All this study. All this investigation, debate, dialogue. All this struggle to align with the perspective of the author and audience when reading God’s word. We weren’t supposed to…
“Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. Joshua 24:14 NASB Sincerity – Are you sincere? Ah, your answer could depend on your heritage. The meaning of “sincere” seems to vary even in contemporary cultures. Trilling notes: “In…
Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have done as you told me. Genesis 27:19a NASB I am – Some time ago (September 28, 2018) I wrote about the shift in the idea of “individual.” I noted that ancient, non-industrial cultures exhibit group consciousness rather than discrete, individual consciousness. I cited works by Gabor…
Behold, I am with you Genesis 28:15a NASB I – hinneh ʾānōkî (“Behold, I”) says YHVH to Jacob in the famous dream of Genesis 28. Here the text uses ʾānōkî rather than the shorter form, ʾānî. But since ʾānōkî and ʾānî are both translated “I,” we would have a hard time distinguishing the two. Sometimes they are used interchangeably. But sometimes they…
