Hell on Earth

Let the waters’ current not sweep me away and let not the deep swallow me and let the Pit not close its mouth on me. Psalm 69:16 [Hebrew Bible]  Robert Alter The Pit – Think of Beersheba.  The well of seven.  bĕʾēr, the Hebrew word for well or pit, is used in Genesis 16:14 in…

Everyman’s Song

Hear this, all peoples; Listen, all inhabitants of the world,  Psalm 49:1 (English) NASB All inhabitants – The Bible might have been written for God’s chosen people, Israel, but, fortunately, it also contains crucial lessons for everyone else.  We don’t have to be Jewish to learn what God wants us to know.  We just have to…

Dead Men Talking

For the music director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.Psalm 49:1 (no number in English) NASB Korah – It is a dark day for the tribes.  Korah challenges Moses.  “You have gone far enough! For all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves…

Who Died?

A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. For the choir director; according to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.  Psalm 88:1 (Hebrew text – NASB) Sons of Korah – Our story begins with the rebellion of Korah against Moses’ authority.  The event is recorded in Numbers 16 and again in Numbers 26. But there…

A Riddle

No man can by any means redeem his brother or give to God a ransom for him— Psalm 49:7 NASB Redeem – Context, context, context. Without the context, this verse seems to oppose the very idea that Yeshua acts as a substitute sacrifice for sinners. Of course, the idea of substitutionary atonement is a Reformation…

Necessary Controversy

They assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is in their midst; so why do exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?”  Numbers 16:3  NASB Against – The story of Korah and his…