Tag Archives: judgment

From Gilgal to Bokim: a squandered opportunity to walk by faith

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Judges 2 opens with a statement that the angel of the Lord went from Gilgal to Bokim. Throughout the book of Joshua, Gilgal served as Israel’s headquarters, the location of the tent of meeting. Think of it! God had to follow his people to a place of woe because they no longer followed him.

The story of Judges represents a recurring theme of the apparent victory of sin and rebellion that made it necessary for Jesus to come and die.

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The parable of the wise and foolish virgins: a warning

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During Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem, the disciples pointed out the splendor of the temple and he replied that a time would come when one stone would not be left on top of another. Chapters 24 and 25 of Matthew are known as the Olivet discourse, where Jesus described both the destruction of Jerusalem and his second coming. Then he told them four parables, including the parable of the wise and foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1-13).

In the first three, the people in it know something will happen but do not know when: the return of the king, the coming of the bridegroom, and the return of the property owner.… Read the rest

The riddle of Ezekiel 17: ancient history, nowadays, and the future

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God commanded Ezekiel to pose a riddle and speak a parable to his people, which comprises Ezekiel 17. At the time, it was a commentary on current events. For us, it’s ancient history. Many people these days have trouble grasping why ancient history matters today. In fact, the difference between Ezekiel’s time and ours is no more than window dressing. Today’s societies all exhibit the same sins as his.

The parable concerns two eagles and a vine, which all behave like humans in both their glory and shame. We don’t have to guess what it means for ancient Israel. The chapter explains the allegory in detail.… Read the rest

Small parables of the kingdom of heaven with large meaning

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The kingdom of heaven is a major theme of Matthew’s gospel, including most of the parables in Matthew 13. The chapter begins with the parable of the sower (or the four soils) and its explanation. All the other parables in the chapter compare the kingdom of heaven to something or someone. Four other chapters include parables that illustrate what the kingdom of heaven is like.

This post will examine the short parables at the end of Matthew 13. He spoke these parables to the disciples alone, not to a crowd.

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The return of Jesus Christ and the fiery end of the world

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Christians have been awaiting the return of Jesus Christ since the very beginning of the church. In fact, as early as Amos (almost 800 years before Christ), people were looking forward to the Day of the Lord. And beginning with Amos, the prophets and apostles have warned us it won’t be a pleasant time.

The coming wrath of God is not a pleasant thought. Many Christians recoil because they can’t reconcile it with his love. But we must remember that every syllable of the Bible perfectly describes God’s love. Even the parts we don’t like. With that in mind, let’s take a careful look at 2 Peter 3.… Read the rest

Is Revelation scary? A calm look at a disturbing book

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Someone in my Sunday school class suggested studying the book of Revelation. Someone else immediately vetoed the idea. She didn’t want to spend much time being scared.

Lots of people apparently think Revelation is scary and that therefore they shouldn’t read it. Actually, it’s the only book in the Bible that promises a special blessing for anyone who does read it (Revelation 1:3). In fact, the only people who ought to be afraid of it are the scoffers who won’t bother to look at it.

When the book of Revelation is explained, we can face it calmly and hopefully

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What does it mean that Jesus will winnow and burn chaff?

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John the Baptist burst on the scene with such power that people wondered if he could be the Messiah. He identified Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah.

In explaining what the Messiah would do, he didn’t refer to anything Jesus did in his earthly ministry. He pointed to Jesus’ post-resurrection work and used an agricultural image to do so. The message was plain to those who heard John, but it’s obscure to us today.

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When it feels like God doesn’t listen to prayer

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Do you ever feel like you pray and pray and God doesn’t listen? It may or may not be true.

Once when I was feeling really down and rudderless, I opened my Bible at random and found Isaiah 1. It contains this passage:

 

11The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?” says the Lord.
I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?

… Read the rest

Why is Rahab the harlot in the Bible? An unlikely heroine

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Rahab the harlot, or prostitute, dominates Joshua 2. Such a woman would hardly seem worth mentioning. Indeed, the whole story hardly seems necessary to the overall plot of the book.

Jump directly from the end of chapter 1 to the beginning of chapter 3. Then continue reading the rest of the book, skipping some verses in chapter 6. Doesn’t the narrative make perfect sense without Rahab?

If she doesn’t matter to the narrative of Joshua, she matters a great deal in the narrative of grace.  For one thing, the outcome of her story fulfills the blessing of Abraham that in him all nations would be blessed.… Read the rest

Noah’s faith in a time of crisis

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The story of Noah in the Bible marks a turning point. From creation to Noah, the Bible mostly records only genealogical data: a man’s name, the name of his son, and how long he lived. Some men rate a brief description. Noah’s faith gets three chapters in Genesis. Isaiah and Ezekiel both mention him.

In the New Testament, Jesus mentions Noah a couple of times. He appears in the faith hall of fame in Hebrews 11, where it says that by faith, Noah condemned the world. Peter calls him a “preacher of righteousness.”

Most of us know something of the story of Noah and the ark, but how much attention do we pay to Noah himself?… Read the rest