“Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish.” Jonah 3:9 NASB Who knows – Does God change His mind? The king of Nineveh certainly hoped so. So should we. What hope can we have if the will of God is inflexibly fixed from eternity past?…
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Revelation 22:13 NASB End – telos, the Greek word translated “end,” is a particularly knotty problem. Why? Because after Aquinas we have been theologically convinced that telos is directly connected to gnosis, that God knows the end because…
Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future. Proverbs 31:25 NASB Smiles at the future – The valiant woman (not “virtuous” or “excellent,” although these characteristics are included) is rare and precious. A man who finds one is blessed indeed for she is a hidden gem in a world of diversions….
Declare the things that are going to come afterward, that we may know that you are gods; Indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together. Isaiah 41:23 NASB Going to come afterward – God challenges pretenders to His throne. “Tell us what is going to come afterward.” If…
“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Job 19:25 NASB At the last – When H. W. Wolff suggested that ‘aharit, the Hebrew word for “after part” or “back part” or “behind,” is like the view of a man in a row…
But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62 NASB Looking back – What do you think Yeshua is saying when He gives this warning? Most of us read the verse as if it were Greek. Therefore, we…
You shall not make for yourself an image Deuteronomy 5:8 NASB Image – What is an idol? We certainly recognize the idols of ancient religions. The Hebrew word here (pesel from pasal, meaning “to cut or hew”) makes it clear that the initial emphasis of the commandment deals with all those sacred objects men make in the pursuit of…
Till I came to the sanctuaries of God, understood what would be their end. Psalm 73:17 (Robert Alter translation) End – The amazingly insightful Hebrew word aharit commonly refers to what comes after, later or behind. We have noted Wolff’s description of the “backwards” nature of its temporal connection. We think of the future “ahead”…
And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations; knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint . . . Romans 5:3-5 NASB Hope – Is your idea of hope based in Greek thought or Hebrew patterns? How would you know the…
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” Matthew 24:36 NASB No one knows – oudeis oiden – not a single being has complete knowledge of. Except the Father. No one at all understands fully, intuitively when that day and hour…
