Not done yet…2 Kings 25

I just finished reading through the history of Israel from creation to exile in the year-long Bible reading plan I’m doing.  My heart warms every time I read the last few sentences of this massive historical train of books that begins in Genesis and ends in 2 Kings. OT Scholars have often called this the [...]

“the still, small voice”

We talked about Elijah this last week with our students.  Elijah had quite a resume: stopped rain for 3 1/2 years, confronted a wicked king at risk of his own life, moved in with a family and they didn’t grocery shop for 3/12 years, raised that family’s son to life from the dead, challenged 450 [...]

Ancient Chinese Food Mentioned in Old Testament!

Found in Psalm 106:14, I never knew that the Israelites were lovers of delicious fried Chinese dumplings until now.  Here is the proof, provided by the translators of the ESV: “But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert;” Did you see it?  Look again: “But [...]

Purity is Backwards. (Joseph)

Joseph was in a line of several men* who slept with their slaves.  In a great reversal, Joseph became a slave who didn’t sleep with his mistress. *Abraham with Hagar, Jacob with Bilhah and Zilpah.

Reading through the Bible? Encouragement from Bonhoeffer

I’ve been trying to read through the whole Bible this year, just about to finish Deuteronomy in my OT reading.  I’ve talked to many people who gave up trying to read the Bible after hitting the middle of Exodus (some multiple times).  I highly sympathize with them.  But I was encouraged by a quotation from [...]

God is not the creator?

Interesting article in the UK’s Telegraph today… I have never come across any other works by Prof. Van Wolde in my OT excursions, but this is just an obviously flawed argument from the get-go. Within the article itself… “She said technically “bara” does mean “create” but added: “Something was wrong with the verb.”” So the [...]