And at the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon Daniel 4:29 The End – What transpires next has been the subject of endless sermons on pride. Nebuchadnezzar’s ego swells and he proclaims his own might, only to receive that terrible announcement, “This day the kingdom is taken…
Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. Isaiah 53:4 Bore – We love to read Isaiah as if it were written for us, that is, for Christians who believe “Jesus” is the Son of God who came to forgive people…
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being save it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18 Foolishness – I read the footnotes. Footnotes often contain bits of information that are essential for understanding the author’s method and meaning. For example, R. F….
I YHWH and none else, forming light and creating darkness; making peace and creating evil – I YHWH do all these things. Isaiah 45:6-7 Peace – What is an antonym? Answer: the opposite. The antonym of black is white. The antonym of fast is slow. The antonym of leader is follower. But when it comes…
I YHWH and none else, forming light and creating darkness; making peace and creating evil – I YHWH do all these things. Isaiah 45:6-7 (translation: M. Buber) Creating – Where did evil come from? Such a simple question. Such an enormously difficult answer, if there even is an answer. One of the greatest impediments to…
With the kind You show Yourself kind; with the perfect one You show Yourself perfect; with the clean You show Yourself clean; and with the crooked You show Yourself twisted. Psalm 18:25-26 (translation: M. Buber) You Show Yourself – The psalmist knew the secret to seeing the Lord. Behavior determines vision. What I do is…
And the lord of the vineyard said, “What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.” Luke 20:13 (Darby) Respect – A proper translation requires understanding a word within the cultural setting. It isn’t sufficient to simply choose a word that represents the same meaning unless the meaning includes…
There is no soundness in my flesh because of your anger; nor is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. Psalm 38:3 Soundness – Modern life compartmentalizes. A box for work, another for play, one for family, one for social relationships, one for church, one for other things. The name of the…
And the salvation of the righteous is of YHWH; He is their strength in the time of trouble. Psalm 37:39 Of YHWH – Who owns your salvation? Not you! Salvation is me-YHWH. Many English translations render this “from the LORD,” as if the deliverance is ours but HE is the source. But the Hebrew expression…
And the salvation of the righteous is of YHWH; He is their strength in the time of trouble. Psalm 37:39 Salvation – What time is it in your life? Is it a time of trouble? If it is, then the psalmist has a perfect word for you: teshu’ah – deliverance! Let’s slow down for a…
