Lamedh

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

Forever, O Lord, Your word stands firm in the heavens.  Psalm 119:89  Chabad לְעוֹלָ֥ם יְהֹוָ֑ה דְּ֜בָֽרְךָ֗ נִצָּ֥ב בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם לְדֹ֣ר וָ֖דֹר אֱמֽוּנָתֶ֑ךָ כּוֹנַ֥נְתָּ אֶ֜֗רֶץ וַֽתַּֽעֲמֹֽד לְמִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ עָֽמְד֣וּ הַיּ֑וֹם כִּ֖י הַכֹּ֣ל עֲבָדֶֽיךָ לוּלֵ֣י תוֹרָֽתְךָ֣ שַֽׁעֲשֻׁעָ֑י אָ֖ז אָבַ֣דְתִּי בְעָנְיִֽי לְעוֹלָם לֹא־אֶשְׁכַּ֣ח פִּקּוּדֶ֑יךָ כִּי־בָ֜֗ם חִיִּיתָֽנִי לְֽךָ־אֲ֖נִי הוֹשִׁיעֵ֑נִי כִּ֖י פִקּוּדֶ֣יךָ דָרָֽשְׁתִּי לִ֚י קִוּ֣וּ רְשָׁעִ֣ים לְאַבְּדֵ֑נִי עֵֽ֜דֹתֶ֗יךָ אֶתְבּוֹנָֽן לְכָל תִּ֖כְלָה רָאִ֣יתִי…

Anxiety (2)

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, . .”  Matthew 6:25 ESV Anxious – Heidegger calls anxiety the manifestation of “homelessness.”  Anxiety is being afraid of things that are not real, things that might happen.  When I am afraid of what might happen, I feel a kind of persistent, “things are not right”…

God Guesswork

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.”  Genesis 1:26  NASB God said – “How can…

Reading the Signs?

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch of David sprout; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. Jeremiah 33:15  NASB In those days – We’ll take a break from Luzzatto and Mesillat Yesharim for a moment.  This message came to me by email.  I want to comment on…

Liberation

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter, the one that remains faithful. Isaiah 26:2  NASB Remains faithful – What is the character of a people (a nation) that remains faithful?  Isaiah’s word choice here (employing the verb šāmar and the derived adjective from ʾāman) tells us that this people, this gôy (nation), is a people…

Kierkegaard to the Rescue

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

My tongue also will tell of Your righteousness all day long; for they are put to shame, for they are humiliated who seek my harm.  Psalm 71:24  NASB Put to same/ humiliated – Ah, we’re back at the beginning, a great place to end.  What is the result of being “redeemed,” that is, becoming a soldier in…

Days of Future Past

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

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. …

Round Pegs, Square Holes

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

“Who knows, God may turn and relent, and turn from His burning anger so that we will not perish.”  Jonah 3:9  NASB Who knows? – Nineveh is a problem.  Not because it was an evil city that needed to be eradicated.  Not because Jonah resisted announcing God’s intention.  No, Nineveh is a problem because of…

Why Bother?

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

This will be written for the generation to come, that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord:  Psalm 102:18  NASB To come – The psalms were written thousands of years ago.  They reflect a political kingdom culture, a Semitic people, a nomadic cult; in a word, a world totally unlike ours.  Yet we read them today…

An Applied Promise

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

You made men ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water, Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance.  Psalm 66:12  NASB Place of abundance – What do you really want out of life?  Peace?  Prosperity?  Security?  Companionship?  Love? What will you really get?  Oh, that one’s easy.  Death.  All the rest is sort of up…