Your Unfinished Song

Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and said, “I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted; the horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea.”  Exodus 15:1  NASB Sang – In 2014 we looked at the odd grammar of this verse.  The rabbis noticed that…

The End Game

“Take full vengeance for the sons of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you will be gathered to your people.”  Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to execute the Lord’s vengeance on Midian.”  Numbers 31:2-3  NASB The sons of Israel – Moses is about to die. …

Conduct Unbecoming

but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,  1 Corinthians 1:23  NASB Stumbling Block – You certainly know that Paul’s choice of the Greek is a bit more outrageous than the typical translation, “stumbling block.”  The Greek is skándalon.  You can immediately see the English derivative, “scandal.”  We choose “stumbling block” because…

Off the Pedestal

Then all of you approached me and said, “Let us send men before us, that they may search out the land for us, and bring back to us word of the way by which we should go up and the cities which we shall enter.”  Deuteronomy 1:22  NASB All of you – Who initiates sending the spies? According to Deuteronomy,…

The Cost of Leadership

And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all this people on me? Numbers 11:11 NASB Burden– For this investigation, we need to read the whole account:  “Now Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, each man at the doorway of his tent; and the anger of…

Third Term Abortion

So Moses said to the Lord, “Why have You been so hard on Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all this people on me?  Was it I who conceived all this people? Was it I who brought them forth, that You should say to me, ‘Carry…

Moses’ Face

It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses’ hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him.  Exodus 34:29 NASB Shone – This painting on a ceiling in…

Justice as Antidote (Rewind)

Who understands the power of Your anger and Your fury, according to the fear that is due You? Psalm 90:11  NASB Power – Read the first verse of this psalm.  No, not the first English verse.  Read the first verse in the Hebrew text.  Let me help you:  tefillah le-Moshe ish ha-Elohim (A prayer of…

Avoid Israel’s Mistakes

For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;  1 Corinthians 10:1-2  NASB Into – If you read these verses in the electronic version of the NASB,…

Some Oxford Insights

Here at Oxford University I visited the New College chapel.  New College was founded about 1350AD.  The original chapel is much younger.  It was demolished by Henry VIII over a fight with the Catholics.  The wall with the saints was rebuilt in 1787. First, a picture of the entire chapel.  Most people find it beautiful…