Hear, Israel, YHWH is our God, YHWH is one. Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear – The Hebrew verb shama means both “to hear” and “to obey, respond.” Moses does not call the people to listen to his words. He calls the people to do what the words say. In Hebrew, I do not hear unless I respond. …
The heavens declare the glory of the Lord Psalm 19:1 Declare – “Prior to faith are premises or prerequisites of faith, such as a sense of wonder, radical amazement, reverence, a sense of the mystery of all being.”[1] David must have read Abraham Heschel. Or maybe it was the other way around. David says, “The…
Consider my affliction and my travail; and forgive all my sins. Psalm 25:18 Consider – David isn’t like me. At least he’s not like me in his wholehearted cry to the Lord. We may share other things. His faults maybe my faults, but God Himself recognized that David continued in faithful direction even if he…
Nor is it with you only that I make this sworn covenant, but with him who is not here with us this day as well as with him who stands here with us this day before the Lord our God Deuteronomy 29:14-15 Is Not Here – Who isn’t there? Moses delivers an everlasting covenant commitment…
fixing our eyes on Yeshua the author and finisher of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 Joy – This is behavior directed by delayed gratification. Oh, how difficult this is! Especially…
“And now I have told you before it occurs that when it shall occur, you may believe.” John 14:29 Told – Adjust the audio. Pay close attention to what is said. It doesn’t matter how things appear. What matters is who said what is heard. In this case, Yeshua offers verbal confirmation of an as-yet…
“Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” Mark 15:32 See – Where do you suppose that cultural aphorism (“seeing is believing”) came from? I’m guessing that you never thought about it. In popular Christian circles “seeing is believing” is often opposed to…
The land mourns and pines away, Lebanon is shamed and withers; Sharon is like a desert plain, And Bashan and Carmel lose their foliage. Isaiah 33:9 Pines Away – The essence of sin is chaos and destruction. Sin is not simply the violation of moral requirements. Sin destroys order in the world. That means sin…
They feared YHWH and served their own gods according to the custom of the nations from among who they had been carried away into exile. To this day they do according to the earlier customs: they do not fear YHWH, . . . 2 Kings 17:33-34 Feared – This just doesn’t make any sense. Verse…
So one of the priests whom they had carried away into exile from Samaria came and lived at Bethel, and taught them how they should fear YHWH. 2 Kings 17:28 Taught – Lions were eating people. Not a very pleasant thought. But in Near Eastern thinking, this isn’t about lions. It’s about offense. The question…
