As was usually the case, when Jesus spoke to the crowds, the religious rulers were right there, listening, critically examining, and scheming how to use His Words against Him. The Pharisees and chief priests may not have understood all that Jesus implied in His parables, but they did get the point that He was often…
Posts Tagged: scripture
Exodus 25-26 – God’s Mercy Seat
In reading detailed descriptions in the Bible, lists of laws, or genealogies, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the text. Often, people attempting to read their entire Bible get bogged down in these portions of Scripture and lose their resolve to remain faithful to God’s Word. What I typically recommend for these passages initially is…
Matthew 19:28 – Ruling & Judging
A time is coming when Jesus will sit on His throne in Jerusalem. The nations of the earth will no longer go their own way to follow any god but Him; the peoples throughout the world will bow down and worship the King of kings. Jesus will rule and reign, and He will bring peace. …
Exodus 12:12 – Judgments Upon the gods
In delivering His children from the fiery furnace of slavery in Egypt, God had very specific objectives to accomplish through the Exodus. The Egyptians served other gods. They did not know or worship Yahweh. The Hebrew people had lived in that environment for 430 years. In their verbal history, they knew of Yahweh, but had…
Matthew 15:8-9 – Wayward Hearts
The milquetoast Jesus, i.e. the timid and feeble Jesus in the minds of many in the church today, is a figment of their imagination. He is a Jesus they have conjured up out of the depths of their sin because they don’t want to hear or know the hard teachings He brought. Better in their…
Genesis 47:20-21 – Serfdom
Lord Acton in the 1800s famously said, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” This has always been true since man first sinned, and always will be true until the Lord eradicates sin upon the earth. In the passage in Genesis 47:13-26 that describes Joseph’s work on behalf of Pharaoh in the midst…