What are we to do with texts like 1 Samuel 15:3: Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys. How are we to understand them? A few things seem clear. The first isContinue reading “What About The Amalekites? (1)”
Category Archives: Opening the Bible
A Healthy Sense Of The Holy (2)
There is more to Leviticus 10 than the death of Nadab and Abihu! We’re told more so we can place the event in context. It is to our detriment when we ignore this. After Nadab and Abihu’s relatives were summoned to carry their bodies away, Moses tells Aaron and his remaining sons that they are notContinue reading “A Healthy Sense Of The Holy (2)”
A Healthy Sense Of The Holy (1)
The death of Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10 is often ripped from its context and treated as a “shock story.” (I’m sorry to say I know this from personal experience). Along with other incidents (Uzzah touching the ark, Saul offering the sacrifice, and to a lesser extent, Moses striking the rock), it has been usedContinue reading “A Healthy Sense Of The Holy (1)”
Adam And The Hallelujah Chorus
After God created Adam, He said this: “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis 2:18). If we were reading Genesis for the first time, we’d be struck by the fact that the phrase not good is used in connection with the creation. Throughout the firstContinue reading “Adam And The Hallelujah Chorus”
A Rebel And The Prince Of Peace
Rome didn’t crucify thieves. Crucifixion was reserved for crimes against the state. It was their way of saying, Mess with us and this is what will happen. From the state’s point of view (not necessarily Pilate’s), Jesus was crucified because He was perceived to be an enemy of Rome. He was a king, and as such, potentially a threat to themContinue reading “A Rebel And The Prince Of Peace”
A Devotion Worth Imitating
Lizzie Griffiths is 25, a teacher, and lives in England. She has a pet—it’s a bearded lizard. Not long after she got “George,” he developed a bump on his face. She took him to the vet and had it removed. It returned and she repeated the process. It came back a third time and she learned it was cancer andContinue reading “A Devotion Worth Imitating”
Noise Reduction
A Quiet Place is a 2018 horror movie about a family trying to survive in a post apocalyptic world where there are blind monsters with hypersensitive hearing. Any kind of noise can get you in trouble. In the movie (and it’s recently released sequel), too much noise can get you killed because it alerts theContinue reading “Noise Reduction”
Waiting Or Walking?
I read a short story about a man in the basement of a building over one-hundred stories high. He was standing in front of a bank of elevators. The lights on them were flashing as they charted the floors the elevators were traveling to. And though they made frequent stops on the ground floor aboveContinue reading “Waiting Or Walking?”
Splinters
Splinters are no fun. We probably all have some early memories of having them removed. It was uncomfortable, painful—perhaps even traumatic if we were young enough. Of course, as we got older, splinters were still no fun, but the drama dialed back as we were able to put them into perspective and see them forContinue reading “Splinters”
Some Background For Romans 9-11
Chapters 9-11 are a speed bump in the book of Romans. They make us slow down and thoughtfully consider the text. These chapters are also very important to the overall theme of the letter as they develop from yet another angle the righteousness of God. The righteousness of God in Romans is not primarily aboutContinue reading “Some Background For Romans 9-11”
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 