“It is all one; therefore I say, ‘He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.’” Job 9:22 NASB Guiltless– You and I will be rewarded. We are followers of the King. We believe. Therefore, He will protect us. Right? All those terrible consequences that are destined to befall the wicked will not scratch us. We will emerge whole, perfected, saved. Right? …
I will soon be back in lion country. Maybe I can meet up with this big boy again. Just thought I would share a view with you today. We have been straining our minds. Time for a little visual relief. Enjoy Shabbat tomorrow.
You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Psalm 139:5 NASB Behind and before– Do you want to be free? Free to determine your own way? Free from the expectations of others? Free to explore who you really are? Free to choose God? Then get ready to be constrained! Human freedom is not the clear path…
I was mute and silent, I refrained even from good, and my sorrow grew worse. My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned; Psalm 39:2-3a NASB Refrained– A short while ago we examined these verses. We concluded that David’s experience of deliberate silence caused emotional and physical separation from others and from himself. Based on the…
He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” Genesis 3:10 NASB Was afraid– The story is familiar, perhaps too familiar. As a result of its familiarity in translation we rarely see the incredibly profound nuances in this story. We are deprived…
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Genesis 1:1-2 NASB Deep– Before anything else, let’s translate these verses without the theological influence of Western science. When we do, something incredibly important emerges….
When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. Genesis 25:27 NASB Was– Hebrew often communicates deep meaning through what is absent from the text. Such is the case with this verse. In the English translation, the copula is added in the…
Now it came about, when Isaac was old and his eyes were too dim to see, that he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” Genesis 27:1 NASB Too dim to see – The Akedah is the turning point of the entire story of the…
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Psalm 37:7b NASB Prospers– Sometimes we read something that perfectly captures our anxiety about the world. Sometimes it was written long ago but turns out to be just as true today. Sometimes it’s worth reading again and…
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8 NASB Dwell– Paul is quite interested in what really matters. He uses the Greek verb logízomai to emphasize reasoned deliberation…
