Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, . . . Matthew 2:17-18a NASB Jeremiah – Anyone who bothers to check the reference provided by Matthew will quickly conclude that Jeremiah’s statement has nothing to do with the death of children in Bethlehem. …
Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Acts 17:11 NIV Examined the Scriptures – There’s a funny contradiction buried in this verse. The Bereans were orthodox. Jewish orthodox. They…
And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 NASB Seek/search – “The modern scholar thinks that he must find religious answers to his critical questions by means of peshat exegesis. In contrast, the sages believed that answers to critical questions should be proposed by means of derash. Like…
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV Woman’s Day Leave you nor forsake you – Feeling discouraged today? Some persistent problems? Some new stress? The usual ups and downs of life? I…
Be to me a rock of dwelling to which I may continually come; You have given the commandment to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress. Psalm 71:3 NASB The commandment – What do you think the poet means when he says that God has given the commandment to save him? Do you think he…
And he said to the sons of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’” Joshua 4:21 NASB In time to come – By now you certainly realize that theological paradigms determine textual exegesis. What I believe about the text determines what I read in the text. …
“I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant;” Ezekiel 20:37 NASB Rod – One of the tenets of conservative Christianity is that the Bible must be interpreted by the Bible. What it means is this: if I accept the claim that God is the real…
Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. Exodus 24:9-10 NASB Saw – There’s just one little problem. “‘But,’ he said, ‘you cannot see my face,…
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; Genesis 16:1 NIV Hagar – Who was Hagar? The question seems innocent enough until you consider Abraham’s relationship (or relations) with her. That leads to the propensity to enhance her status and character in order to squelch what might be…
And the people will be oppressed, each one by another, and each one by his neighbor; the youth will storm against the elder and the inferior against the honorable. Isaiah 3:5 NASB Oppressed – Contemporary believers often turn to Isaiah 2:4 as a description of peace in Millennial Kingdom. “And He will judge between the nations, and…
