“but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 9:24 NASB Boast – Go ahead! Brag a little! Let the works of your hands and the thoughts…
“Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.” Genesis 16:5 NIV You are responsible – “It’s not my fault.” Oh, how we love…
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Proverbs 10:11 NASB Violence – The world with God’s present sovereignty is a very violent place. Imagine what it would be like without His sovereignty! If the world as we know it is under the final sovereignty…
But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:9 NIV Where – What if we combine Rabbi David Forhman’s insight about the Hebrew word ‘ayyeh and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks insight about the relationship between geography and sin? Sacks comments that sin is often being in the wrong place at the wrong…
He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out. Proverbs 10:9 NASB Integrity – Are you considered a person of integrity? Ah, before you answer, you might want to know what tamam means. Most of us think of integrity as a synonym for honesty and by that…
Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Matthew 13:7 NIV Thorns – The parable of the sower (actually, the soils) is an allegory. How do we know it is an allegory? Because the author tells us it is! We do not have to guess at the meanings of the terms….
Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool, and so is wisdom to a man of understanding. Proverbs 10:23 NASB Sport – What makes you laugh? Seriously now (pun intended), what do you laugh about? According to Solomon, the fool laughs at doing wickedness. The NASB attempts to capture the idiom with the translation “sport,”…
Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at His word: “Your brothers who hate you, who exclude you for My name’s sake, . . . Isaiah 66:5 NASB Tremble – Not very often, but when it happens—watch out! That’s my advice about hareid, the Hebrew word translated “tremble.” It’s only used five times,…
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 Clean – If you invite the King of the Universe to take up residence with you, what condition would you like your house to look like? Dishes piled up from last night’s party? Grass not mowed? Closets with…
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Romans 8:1-2 NASB No condemnation – Paul is pretty intense. He opens the sentence with ouden. It means, “not…
