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…
Now flee from youthful lusts, and pursue after righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22 Flee – In most poverty-stricken areas of the world, “numbers” is a game of irrational hope. The only ones who profit from this form of gambling are the…
Now flee from youthful lusts, and pursue after righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22 Youthful Lusts – A look at the Greek text provides a better picture of Paul’s warning. First, the Greek text says, “And the youthful lusts.” The inclusion of…
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God? Psalm 42:2 Thirsts – It’s dry today. The heat of the noonday sun bakes the earth that made me. The ‘adamah that bore me is cracked, parched and turning to dust. I hear David’s lament deep within my…
Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10 Joy – The rare word hedvah is found in…
Let them be as chaff before the wind; and let the angel of the Lord chase them. Psalm 35:5 Angel Of The Lord – There are about 100 occurrences of the noun combination malak YHWH, malak elohim or some similar construction. This being is not like other angels. He is not simply a messenger. He…
In the beginning was the Word, . . . John 1:1 Word – Almost all Christians are familiar with the Greek term logos. Its significance in Christian theology is beyond dispute. Most theologians recognize that the meaning of logos in the New Testament is not the same as the classical Greek use of logos. The…
I, I myself, am YHWH; and beside Me there is no savior. Isaiah 43:11 Savior – Go read Isaiah 42:1. What is the purpose of the Servant? To bring justice to the nations – mishpat. What is this? Mishpat is the word for a judicial decision, a legally binding determination. But it is more than…
