Isaiah 25 Isaiah seems to be really excited in this passage. He is focused on praising God for judging his enemies and for saving his people. He is excited about the future – the feast that God will prepare for them – the tears which will be wiped away… He is excited that the time […]
Joel 2 begins with the description of Jesus’ return. When he came the first time, he came as a baby lying in a manger. His coming was meek and mild. There were no blasts of trumpets or raging armies. However, when he comes again, he will come as King of kings and Lord of lords […]
In this chapter, a God-fearing shepherd boy stands up to a pagan giant. This story is so familiar to many of us, it is easy to read through and not catch some of the small details of the narrative. As I was reading through this passage today, I tried to read it as though I […]
Americans, or maybe I should just say humans, are complainers. It doesn’t matter how much we have, or how good things are for us, we always seem to find something to complain about. I was on a cruise this summer and heard people complaining about the food. What? We were on a cruise – an-all-you-can […]
In Exodus 32 while Moses is on the mountain receiving the Law, the people grow impatient and begin to complain and ask Aaron to make them a god. Aaron gives in and takes their gold and makes a golden calf and says this is your god. The Lord burns in anger against the Israelites and […]
As I read through Exodus 8, I noticed the reaction of Pharaoh to what the Lord was doing in Egypt. Every time there was a plague–frogs, gnats, or otherwise–Pharaoh would plead to Moses to ask God to make it end and he would let the Israelites go to worship God. Moses would then go before […]
The transformation within Judah’s heart is what strikes me in chapter 44. The brothers try to leave Egypt to take grain back to their father, but Joseph sets up a scenario where they would be caught stealing. The deal that is made–whoever is caught with the cup becomes Joseph’s servant. However, when Benjamin is found out […]
Jacob, in this passage, reveals so much about himself and all of us. The passage begins with Rachel being angry about the fact that she has no children. In Jacob’s reply, we see his theology is correct–God is God over the womb. Jacob has no control, nor does Rachel. However, in his actions, he denies […]
In Genesis 29 Jacob makes it to Haran and finds Rachel, his uncle Laban’s daughter. He asks for Rachel’s hand in marriage and agrees to work 7 years for the privilege to marry her. He works 7 years and Laban deceives him and gives him Leah instead. He then agrees to work another 7 years […]
In Genesis 28 Isaac gives Jacob specific instructions not to take a wife from the Canaanites. He obeys his father and goes to his mother’s family to find a wife. Esau, however, spitefully takes a wife from Ishmael’s family, along with the other wives he already had. On his way to Haran, Jacob has a […]