I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. Psalm 119:99 NASB More insight – Do you remember Goldberg’s remark, “In the well-known verse Prov 4:7, ‘understanding’ is not a higher stage than ‘wisdom,’ but a poetic synonym used for emphasis.”[1] We’ll want to keep this in mind as we examine…
Because of Your indignation and Your wrath; for You have lifted me up and thrown me away. Psalm 102:10 NASB Indignation – I’m guessing that if I asked you for a definition of indignation, you’d stumble a bit. It’s not a commonly used word. We have some inkling of its meaning, but not precisely. If we…
Because of Your indignation and Your wrath; for You have lifted me up and thrown me away. Psalm 102:10 NASB Because – Who’s fault is all this? Who’s to blame for the tragedy of human living? When Heschel remarks “history is a nightmare,” we know precisely what he means. Humanity has produced escalating moral entropy since…
So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years. Genesis 29:30 ESV More than– Why does Jacob love Rachel more than Leah? Leah is devoted to Jacob. Leah gives Jacob many sons so obviously he didn’t maintain sexual distance from her. Leah pleads for his…
“Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may smile again before I depart and am no more.” Psalm 39:13 NASB Away from– The end of David’s autobiographical, public revelation is just as counter-intuitive as the beginning. Having reached the point of a desperate cry for mercy, and an identification with YHVH estranged from creation, we expect David to…
“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.” Exodus 20:4 NASB Earth – The Hebrew word mitahat combines the preposition min with the adverb tahat. This combination produces the pictograph “Water/Massive/Chaos + Seal/Sign/Covenant + Fence/Separate/Surround…
Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. Psalm 130:1-2 NASB Depths – The psalm of the good shepherd assures us that we can walk in the valley of the depths and not fear evil attacks. But…
But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; Isaiah 53:5 NASB For – “Don’t get me started.” Someone should have restrained me when I began to investigate the idea of sacrifice in the Hebrew text. Not only have I discovered that there is a connection between blood sacrifice and…
“Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen better than the fat of rams.” 1 Samuel 15:22 Is Better Than – Saul loved being king. He loved to be the man in charge. He loved to make the decisions. That love of power and prestige ruined him. He forgot that the king is…
