We’re in a section of Deuteronomy that’s largely concerned with governing. That being so, we hear about: In all this, it’s not hard to see a focus on those who were to lead Israel and the legal processes and standards they were to implement. Brueggemann reminds us that Israel is being given “a pattern ofContinue reading “Community, Justice, & Truth-Telling”
Author Archives: A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green
Jesus and Bumper Sticker Theology
I have no wish to be offensive or insensitive in what follows, but there is also no need to equivocate or be anything less than straightforward in regard to Jesus’ teaching about sexuality. Listen to what He said in Mark 10:6-8: “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reasonContinue reading “Jesus and Bumper Sticker Theology”
The Kingdom of More
Deuteronomy 17:16-17 says this about Israel’s king: The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate largeContinue reading “The Kingdom of More”
How to be a King
It was always the plan of God for Israel to have a king. Deuteronomy 17:14-20 is one of the passages that tells us this, but there are more. As part of the blessing God speaks to Jacob in Genesis 35, He tells him that “kings will be among your descendants” (v. 11). Then there’s talk of theContinue reading “How to be a King”
In The Beginning . . .
The importance of going back to the beginning. Suppose some people are having a disagreement. Something isn’t right and they are having trouble working it out. They come to you for some help. What are you going to do (after you say a quick prayer)? You’re going to find out how and when their difficultiesContinue reading “In The Beginning . . .”
Tender Hearts and Open Hands
The Golden Gate Bridge stretches almost a mile across the San Francisco Bay, with its total length being about 8,500 feet. It is 220 feet tall at its highest point and was completed in 1937 at a cost of 35 million dollars. Building bridges was a dangerous business in the early part of the twentiethContinue reading “Tender Hearts and Open Hands”
Lord of the Manger
While we were enjoying Christmas with our loved ones on December 25th of 2021, the James Webb telescope was being launched into space. It is effectively a second-generation space telescope (it was initially referred to as the Next Generation Telescope) and “replaces” the Hubble telescope which was launched in 1990. Unlike the Hubble which orbits theContinue reading “Lord of the Manger”
Childish or Child-like?
There’s an intriguing picture in Psalm 131. It is offered to further develop and reveal the pilgrims’ perspective as they neared Jerusalem. After confessing they had steered clear of presumptuous matters (“things too wonderful for me”), we are told, “I am like a weaned child with its mother.” Not simply a child—but a weaned child.Continue reading “Childish or Child-like?”
Facing the Anakites
In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses is preparing a new generation of, Israelites to enter the land of Canaan. The previous generation died in the wilderness due to their unbelief and Moses wants the generation he’s addressing to do better. I think Daniel Block’s contention that we should listen to Moses here in a pastoralContinue reading “Facing the Anakites”
Thinking About The Atonement (1)
The challenge of communication is not simply knowing what someone said—it’s understanding what they meant by their words. That’s why we tend to listen more carefully or speak more precisely with people we don’t know well. We want to make sure we hear their words or they hear ours in the proper context. With those we know well,Continue reading “Thinking About The Atonement (1)”
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 