Today’s Word
Conditionals (1)
If you assent and listen, the land’s bounty you shall eat. But if you refuse and rebel, by the sword you shall be eaten, for the Lord’s mouth has spoken. Isaiah 1:19-20 Robert Alter If – Do you remember the examination of the previous verse? The conjunction ʾim? Remember that the NASB rendered ʾim as…
Judgment Postponed
“Come now, and let us debate your case,” says the Lord, “Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall become as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18 NASB Though – The problem with Hebrew conjunctions is their implicit ambiguity. Unlike Greek (or English), Hebrew conjunctions cover a very…
God’s Subpoena
“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, Isaiah 1:18a NJKV Come now – You probably remember this verse in its King James version suggesting that God wants you to enter into a rational discussion with Him (“reason together”). I’ve often heard this phrase cited in classical apologetics, and, of course, the rest of the…
Wisdom’s Word
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 NASB The Word – Richard Rubenstein’s book, When Jesus Became God, investigates the battle between Arius and Athanasius in the early centuries of the Church. That battle ended with Athanasius as the victor, and established the Latin Roman Church’s…
“And the just shall live by . . .”
Learn to do good, seek justice. Make the oppressed happy, defend the orphan, argue the widow’s case. Isaiah 1:17 Robert Alter Justice – andralamousia. Do you remember that Greek word? It is a summary description of the Flood. And a terrifying prediction of situation. God doesn’t ask for individual purity alone. He is a communal…
Moral Stop Signs
Wash, become pure, remove your evil acts from My eyes. Cease doing evil. Learn to do good . . . Isaiah 1:16-17a Robert Alter Cease – Yesterday we learned that God rejects all religious acts if the underlying principle of compassion for others is missing in society. Oh, perhaps you need to read that sentence…
