Jabez called upon the God of Israel saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain.” 1 Chronicles 4:10 ESV Pain – The key Hebrew word encompassing the verbal…
“Have I sinned? What have I done to You, O Watcher of men? Why have You set me as Your target, so that I am a burden to You? And why do You not pardon my transgression . . .?” Job 7:20-21 ISR What have I done – The tower fell. Eighteen died. Did they…
“The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.” Deuteronomy 32:4 NASB Just – Why are God’s accomplishments blameless? Why are the results of His performance perfect examples of virtue and sacrifice? ki kol-d’ra-kav mishpat (“because all His paths justice”). …
The One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these. Isaiah 45:7 NASB Calamity – If God is sovereign, then why is there evil? How can a good God allow evil in the world? If you’ve never struggled with these questions, perhaps you haven’t read…
Woe to those who say to evil, good; and to good, evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20 (KJV) Evil/Good – What characterizes the ethics of the world more than this? “Evil is good, good is evil.” At some level, most…
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…
For the word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. Deuteronomy 30:14 Do – “Evil is not man’s ultimate problem. Man’s ultimate problem is his relation to God.”[1] We might need to read this line from Heschel a few more times. It underscores the difference…
This was a great evil to Jonah, and he was angry. Jonah 4:1 Evil To – The Hebrew expression, va-yera’ ‘el never occurs anywhere else in the Bible. It suggests an intense emotional reaction. As far as Jonah was concerned, God’s reluctance to exact justice on Nineveh and His merciful forgiveness of the sins of…
“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.” Isaiah 1:16-17 Evil Of Your Deeds – “The mistaken notion that ritual worship could atone for criminality or intentional religious desecration…
