In these last chapters of the Book of Isaiah, I believe that the prophet is seeing beyond the Babylonian exile and is given a vision of not only a restored Israel but a world that has been put right with its Maker. For example in Isaiah 65:17-25, we are given a vision not only of […]
Living the Kingdom on Earth
In this section of Isaiah we have several servant songs (Isaiah 42, 49, 50 and Is. 52:13 -Is 53:12). The nation Israel was called to be the servant of LORD (Isaiah 44:1,2). In the servant songs of Isaiah, however, the focus seems to be on an individual. The Christian Church has tended to interpret these […]
In our reading today, God’s people are facing a major threat to their very survival. The mighty Assyrian army appears right on the doorstep of Jerusalem, demanding the surrender of King Hezekiah and the kingdom of Judah. It is interesting to note that the army commander appears at the very spot on the road to […]
In Isaiah 13-23, the LORD turns his attention to the nations that surround Judah and Israel. The only exception is Isaiah 22 where the LORD again prophesies against the inhabitants of Jerusalem. In these chapters, the LORD addresses these nations with prophecies of judgment. Many of these prophetic oracles seem to address the immediate situations […]
In today’s blog we begin covering the great Book of Isaiah. No Old Testament book is quoted more in the New Testament than Isaiah. It is written over an approximately 40-year period (740 – 700 BC). Isaiah lived and prophesied in the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Many commentators believe he had a close connection to […]
In today’s blog, we will be covering our reading in the Book of Ecclesiastes. This Book is probably written by King Solomon near the end of his life. Our title, Ecclesiastes, comes from the Latin form of the Greek word for a preacher, or teacher, that appears in Ecc. 1:1. The Book begins and ends […]
In our last post, we made mention of how many proverbs give us guidance in being good stewards in the areas of material possessions, sexuality, work and friendship. Another area that is often covered by Proverbs is the tongue. For example, in Proverbs 21:23 we read these words: “He who guards his mouth and his […]
The Book of Proverbs is a great book of wisdom for everyday living. Most of the Book is written by David’s son Solomon who succeeded him as king. When Solomon acceded to the throne of Israel, the LORD appeared to him and spoke these words: “Ask for whatever you want me to give you” (1Kings […]
Reading through the Psalms gives us a clear and wonderful portrait of the LORD, the God of the Judeo-Christian faith. It is a breath of fresh air. There is a great gulf that exists between Yahweh, the God of Abraham, and the various deities of Greek, Roman and Egyptian mythology. These latter deities are often […]
A major portion of our reading today covers the Psalms of ascent which start at Psalm 120 and go to Psalm 134. These 15 Psalms are believed to have been sung by Jewish pilgrims as they traveled to Jerusalem for the three major Festivals of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. Each of these Festivals were times […]