Lamentations 3:33, “He does not afflict from His heart or grieve the children of man.” /// Lamentations is not only one of the most concentrated expressions of agony in the entire Bible, it is also a intricately and densely woven piece of poetry. Jeremiah pours his grief over the destruction of Jerusalem into a strict […]
1 John 4:10, “In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” What is LOVE according to 1 John 4:10? It is that in God which moves Him to send His Son—and moves the Son to harmoniously respond
Psalm 139:10, ‘…even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.’ Verses 7-10 of Psalm 139 form something of a meditation on the inescapable presence of YHWH. David poetically maps out the heights (‘If I ascend to heaven’), the depths (‘If I make my bed in Sheol’), and the width
John 17:19, “For their sake I consecrate myself that they may be sanctified in the truth.” Short Thoughts: The Son set Himself apart as a whole burnt offering through the Spirit to the Father (Heb.9:14), that we too might belong wholly and only to God in Him. Long Thoughts: I’m not sure
Exodus 33:20, ‘…you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.’ Isaiah 50:6, ‘I hide not my face from disgrace and spitting.’ No human being can see the face of God and live. This is the reason that YHWH hides Moses in the cleft of the rock on Sinai when He
Exodus 33:20; Isaiah 50:6 Read More »
Isaiah 1:9, ‘If YHWH of Hosts had not left to us a survivor (or, in the Greek OT, ‘seed’), we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah.’ Ultimately, the judgment humanity has to face is not an attack of Assyrians or an exile to Babylon (the judgments Israel faced when Isaiah wrote the
This second image exposits the seed that fell ‘on rocky ground.’ The ‘seed’ that Jesus tells us is the ‘word of the Kingdom’ (13:18), is ultimately the crucified and risen Jesus Christ Himself. The essence of the ‘Good News’ that Jesus proclaimed (and which His disciples continue to proclaim) is not some*thing*, but some*one*, namely
The Parable of the Soils 2/4 (Matthew 13:1-8; 18-23) Read More »
Obadiah 16-17, ‘…all the nations shall drink continually; they shall drink and swallow, and shall be as though they had never been. But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape, and it shall be holy…’ It seems like a strange metaphor to modern ears, but Scripture occasionally presents God’s judgment as a strong
Luke 9:31, [Moses and Elijah] ‘were speaking about His exodus (ἔξοδος) which He was about to achieve in Jerusalem.’ Notice that it is AS Jesus speaks with Moses and Elijah that His death (which in 9:22 is presented as something that happens TO Him) is spoken of as the Exodus that He will ACHIEVE. There
Psalm 127:1, ‘Unless YHWH builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.’ And what is the ‘house’ that YHWH builds? Ultimately, it is the House of the Crucified and Risen Jesus Christ. Christ Himself is The House built by the Lord on the cross and from the tomb, raised up from the ashes
Exodus 3:2, ‘And the angel of YHWH appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush.’ The Hebrew word used for ‘bush’ here (סְנֶה) derives from a root that means ‘to prick’, and so it is thought to indicate some sort of thorn bush. It would seem, then, that
Matt. 26:30, “When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” The “hymn” that Jesus and His disciples sang here was likely the “Hallel,” which encompasses Psalm 113-118. These Psalms are rich and multifaceted, but a common theme shared by them all is YHWH’s deliverance of His people—especially His
Psalm 36:7-8, “How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.” In this passage, the steadfast love of the Lord (which is essential to
Revelation 4:5, “And from the throne came flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven Spirits of God.” Much to say here…perhaps I’ll eventually have a whole dissertation in which to say it. Let me just touch on some
Matthew 10:28-30, “But fear rather the one who is able even soul and body to destroy in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore, do not fear,
Luke 12:4-7 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. but I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” Imagine that you
The War of Love against the enemies of the Beloved ends in peace when the Beloved stands in place of the enemies so that the enemies might become beloved ones. Christ is crushed for us, slain for us, damned for us, and joins His people in the indignity of death…. But then—beyond all hope—the Crucified
The Gospel – VI – Resurrection Read More »
Having bent our souls toward “Not-God” rather than God, we spiral into self destruction, running after everything we think will satisfy—except the One for whom we were made; and in this pursuit we devour each other, our world, and ourselves. But, even when our pursuit of “Not-God” doesn’t seem to cause harm (say, a peaceful
The Gospel – IV – Wrath Read More »
Psalm 63:7, “…for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.” A song we would not have sung if the storm had not driven us to seek refuge under the wings of steadfast love and faithfulness, pierced on Calvary.
1 Thessalonians 1:10, “…Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.” The One who will pour out eschatological wrath (Rev.6:16-17) delivers His people from that wrath (1 Thess. 1:10) precisely by bearing that wrath in their place (Rom.3:25). In this is Love (1 John 4:10). Just a short thought for today. This
1 Thessalonians 1:10 Read More »
