2023-12-23 13:11
After the death of Saul, the leaders of the northern tribes came to David at Hebron. The leaders of Judah recognized that Yahweh had chosen David to be the leader of the tribe of Judah, &ldq&hell…Read More
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>bloggers Beware: “the Ftc To Go After Blogger F Blog
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>According to an article written by Caroline McCarthy, a CNET News staff writer, the Federal Trade Commission is planning to go after bloggers who receive freebies or payments for their posts.The following is an excerpt from McCarthy’s article:The Federal Trade Commission is planning to crack down on bloggers who review or promote products while earning…
2023-10-31 11:00
Chapter 2 of Lamentations changes the tone with which the narrator introduced the plight of Daughter Zion in chapter 1. Chapter 1 personified Jerusalem as a woman, Daughter Zion (Lamentation… Read More
2023-10-23 11:00
The Book of Lamentations reflects the experience of an individual who had seen and experienced the violence and the brutality that occurred in Jerusalem during its conquest by the Babylonian… Read More
2023-10-16 11:00
The fall of Jerusalem, the destruction of the temple, and the deportation of the people of Judah to their exile in Babylon did not come suddenly, without a warning. Prophets like Jeremiah, E… Read More
2023-10-09 11:00
The Book of Lamentations contains five poems detailing the suffering of the people of Judah during the destruction of Jerusalem and the fall of the southern kingdom during the Babylonian inv… Read More
2023-10-02 11:00
Today I begin a series of seven studies on the Book of Lamentations. The Book of Lamentations is a collection of poems composed to express the suffering and the pain of the people who endure… Read More
2023-07-24 11:00
I will be away on vacation during the month of August 2023. I will be back on Friday, September 1, 2023. Enjoy your Summer. Claude Mariottini Emeritus Professor of Old Testament Northern Bap… Read More
2023-07-17 11:00
After David became king of the united monarchy, one of his first acts as king was to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. According to the Book of Chronicles, David gathered his offic… Read More
2023-07-10 11:00
Absalom’s revolt against David is a story of a son rebelling against his father. Absalom’s rebellion took place when David failed to act against Amnon for raping Tamar. Absalom a… Read More
2023-07-05 11:00
Yesterday, my wife and I went to see the newest Indiana Jones movie, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” Movie critics have… Read More
2023-07-03 11:00
David had a large family. David had eight wives, many concubines, nineteen sons, and at least one daughter. Before he became the king of a united monarchy, David had three wives: David&rsquo&hell…Read More
2023-06-29 10:48
This text portrays the gravity of Job’s illness and the extent of his suffering. The disease with which Job was afflicted had destroyed his flesh so that almost nothing was left: &ldqu&hell…Read More
2023-06-26 11:00
David’s affair with Bathsheba is a story of temptation and sin. The affair occurred because David was in the wrong place at the right time. According to the writer of 2 Samuel, “… Read More
2023-06-19 11:00
The end of Saul’s reign came after a tragic battle against the Philistines on Mount Gilboa (1 Samuel 31:1–13). Saul was wounded in the battle and fearing humiliation at the hands… Read More
2023-06-12 11:00
The rise of David to become the king of Israel coincided with God’s rejection of Saul because of his failure to obey the voice of God. When Yahweh commanded Saul to fight against the A… Read More
2023-06-05 11:00
Habakkuk’s prayer (Habakkuk 3:1–19) comes after his dialogue with God in which the prophet expressed his concern about the evil and the violence occurring in Judah. His prayer re… Read More
2023-06-01 11:00
Israel’s history is filled with the stories of individuals whose lives have inspired people for millennia. Among these heroes of old, King David is probably the one person most people… Read More
2023-05-30 11:00
When Habakkuk was confronted with violence and injustice in Judah, he prayed to God to act and stop the moral corruption that was affecting the lives of many people and destroying the nation… Read More
2023-05-19 11:00
The background of Joel’s prophecy was an invasion of locusts which devastated the land. In addition to the devastation caused by the locust, the nation also faced a severe drought that… Read More
2023-05-15 11:00
In his initial dialogue with God, Habakkuk expressed his concerns to God. The prophet was disturbed by the violence and injustice in Judean society. His agony was intensified by what he perc… Read More
2023-05-14 11:00
Today is Mother’s Day. As we celebrate the lives and legacies of the women who gave us birth, I want to introduce a woman who gave birth to a son who was destined not to be her son. Th… Read More
2023-05-08 11:00
The book of the prophet Habakkuk is a small book. It contains only three chapters. However, the book of Habakkuk is different from the books classified as the Minor Prophets because of the w… Read More
2023-05-01 11:00
The book of Habakkuk presents the thinking of a man who was responding to the impact of the international crisis on the people of Judah. The prophet openly challenged the concept of divine j… Read More
2023-04-26 11:00
After Moses had lived many years in Midian, where he worked as a shepherd for Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses came to Mount Horeb where he had an encounter that changed his life. On Hore… Read More
2023-04-24 11:00
As representatives of God before the people, the lives of the prophets of the Old Testament reflect the character of God as they proclaim their message. When Ezekiel spoke God’s words… Read More
2023-04-21 13:00
“When the LORD saw that Moses had come over to see it, God called to him from the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ Moses answered, ‘Here I am!’” (Exodus 3:4). God&rs&hell…Read More
2023-04-19 11:00
The Book of Exodus is the second book of the Pentateuch, the five books which are attributed to Moses. The Book of Exodus deals with the deliverance of Israel from their servitude in Egypt b… Read More
2023-04-17 11:00
Troubling Aspects About the Death of Ezekiel’s Wife The most troubling aspects of the story of the death of Ezekiel’s wife is the fact that God took her life “at a stoke.&r&hell…Read More
2023-04-09 11:00
Yahweh told Ezekiel, “I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke” (Ezekiel 24:16). Did God kill Ezekiel’s wife? Some people who believe that the… Read More
2023-04-05 11:00
The review of Job and the Problem of Suffering was written by Dale Hansen. Dale is the author of When Life Gets Shaky: Parkinson’s and Life’s Trials. In his book, D… Read More
2023-04-04 11:30
My passion for the Old Testament began early in my Christian life. When I was asked to teach a Sunday School class for young people, I realized that neither I nor my students knew much about… Read More
2023-04-03 11:00
The Message to Israel The message God was communicating to Israel through the death of Ezekiel’s wife was that the sudden death of Ezekiel’s wife and his inability to mourn for h… Read More
2023-03-27 11:00
The Announcement One of the extraordinary things that God asked Ezekiel to do was not to mourn after his wife died. Yahweh told Ezekiel, “Son of man, with one blow I am about to take a… Read More
2023-03-24 11:00
Isaiah is one the most influential prophets in the Old Testament. During Isaiah’s many years of prophetic ministry, Judah went from crisis to crisis. During the crisis posed by the Syr… Read More
2023-03-21 11:00
The review of Job and the Problem of Suffering was written by Deborah L. Haist, a new subscriber to my blog. Deborah is active in her church and loves to study the Bible. I inv… Read More
2023-03-20 11:00
Many people who read the Bible have questions about the death of Ezekiel’s wife. The primary issue in the minds of many people is God’s role in the death of the prophet’s w… Read More
2023-03-17 11:00
My new book, Isaiah: The Prophet of Hope has been published and the book is now available on Amazon. Below is a brief excerpt from the book: Isaiah was a remarkable prophet. He was able to i… Read More
2023-03-06 12:00
“[Moses] killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand” (Exodus 2:12). Moses’ crime was a serious crime. Moses had killed an official representative of the Egyptian court in… Read More
2023-02-23 12:00
The combined image of the “vine and fig tree” appears several times in the Old Testament. The following are some the passages where vine and fig tree appear together: “Duri… Read More
2023-02-22 12:00
The book of Jonah is based on the life of a nationalistic prophet who lived during the days when Jeroboam II was the king of Israel (2 Kings 14:25). Most people who read the book of Jonah em… Read More
2023-02-20 12:00
After the people of Israel left Egypt, they traveled through the wilderness of Sin and journeyed by stages, going from place to place as the LORD commanded (Exodus 17:1). The wilderness of S… Read More
2023-02-16 12:00
The migration of the patriarchs from their place of origin into the land of Canaan is emphasized several times in the Old Testament as an integral ingredient of biblical history. In fact, th… Read More
2023-02-13 12:00
A few days ago, a reader asked me to explain Isaiah 52:4 in relation to Exodus 1:8. The issue in question is the oppression of Israel by both Egypt and Assyria. The reader writes that after… Read More
2023-02-11 12:00
The post below is an excerpt from my book Job and the Problem of Suffering. The greatest satisfaction Job derived from his ordeal and subsequent encounter with God was the knowledge that God… Read More
2023-02-10 12:00
“You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). The second commandment declares that in Israel no other god should be worshiped in addition to Yahweh. While the intent of… Read More
2023-02-06 12:00
The post below is an excerpt from my book Job and the Problem of Suffering. In the Epilogue of the book, after God’s revelation to Job, Job was forced to reconsider his entire situatio… Read More
2023-02-02 12:00
Junia was the name of a Christian in Rome, a person whose name is mentioned in the letter to the Romans in connection with Andronicus, as being Paul’s relatives, who were in prison wit… Read More
2023-02-01 12:00
In a previous post, “King Saul: Little in His Own Eyes,” I wrote that Saul, the first king of Israel, had an inferiority complex. This conclusion was based on Samuel’s word… Read More
2023-01-30 12:00
My new book, Job and the Problem of Suffering, will be published soon. The book is based on a series of studies I taught at “The Growing in Grace” class at The Compass Church in… Read More
2023-01-26 12:00
According to the book of Deuteronomy, after Moses declared the law to Israel and after he had finished the composition of the song to be presented to Israel (Deuteronomy 32), the song in whi… Read More
2023-01-23 12:00
One difficult issue in Bible translation today is the use of gender inclusive language. The debate is focused on whether the use of inclusive language changes the meaning of the text and mis… Read More
2023-01-20 12:00
There are two women named Abigail in the Old Testament. The first Abigail was the wife of Nabal whom David married after Nabal, a man from the house of Caleb, died (1 Samuel 25:3). Nabal is… Read More
2023-01-19 12:00
One of the greatest books of the Old Testament is the book of “Palms.” The book of “Palms” is that Old Testament book that “recorded how ancient Isr… Read More
2023-01-18 12:00
The book of Haggai contains four messages which were proclaimed in the second year of Darius I, king of Persia. These messages were preached to the people who had returned from their exile i… Read More
2023-01-16 12:00
The prophet Haggai had a vital role to play among the people who had settled in Jerusalem after their return from their exile in Babylon. The purpose of this post is to provide an historical… Read More
2023-01-13 12:00
Recently, Professor Gershon Galil announced that he made “the most important archaeological discovery in Israel of all time.” He has discovered and deciphered “five new mon… Read More
2023-01-12 13:10
Recently, Professor Gershon Galil announced that he made “the most important archaeological discovery in Israel of all time.” He has discovered and deciphered “five new mon… Read More
2023-01-12 12:00
The call to pastoral work is a call to lead the church to accomplish its work. Called people enter the ministry because they have sensed the hand of God in their lives and because… Read More
2023-01-11 12:00
Read Part 1: Water Systems in the Ancient Near East – Part 1 Water in Canaan In Canaan, most towns were built on hills, a… Read More
2023-01-09 12:00
At the time when Canaan was experiencing famine, Isaac came to Gerar to live in the city instead of going to Egypt as his father Abraham had done (Gen. 26:1-34). Famine occurred in Canaan du… Read More
2023-01-06 12:00
The book of Psalms has played an important role in the spiritual development of an untold number of people throughout the centuries. Devout people who set a regular time aside for… Read More
2023-01-04 12:15
David was the second and the greatest king of Israel. David was the youngest son of Jesse, a man who lived in Bethlehem. The name of David’s mother is never mentioned in the Old Testam… Read More
2023-01-02 12:00
The book of Judges details the apostasy of Israel after the death of Joshua and the people who entered the land of Canaan with him: “Moreover, that whole generation was gathered to the… Read More
2023-01-01 12:00
The writer of Ecclesiastes wrote: “There is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). To some ex… Read More
2022-12-30 12:00
“Now I can see” (John 9:25). On November 21, 2022, I had eye surgery. The need for surgery was because a lens placed on my eyes at the time of cataract surgery fell out of place… Read More
2022-12-29 12:00
This is the second part on my study of Jehu, king of Israel. This study is divided into two parts. Part one, “Jehu, King of Israel – Part 1,” was an overview of the politic… Read More
2022-12-28 12:00
Today, I begin a study of Jehu, king of Israel. This study will be divided into two parts. Part one will study the political and religious crises that prompted the prophetic community of the… Read More
2022-12-27 12:00
In my study of the Deuteronomic concern for the status of women in Israelite society, I will discuss a few of the laws enacted in the book of Deuteronomy that seek to improve the legal right… Read More
2022-12-26 12:00
On Monday, January 2nd, 2006, The Daily Press, a morning newspaper in Ashland, Wisconsin, published an article, “The true meaning of the ’12 Days of Christmas’: ‘Eter… Read More
2022-12-25 12:00
One of the favorite Christmas hymns is O Little Town of Bethlehem. It was written by Phillips Brooks in 1867. Brooks wrote this beloved hymn as a way to remember his ce… Read More
2022-12-24 12:00
In the study of the Messiahship of Jesus, several questions arise: Did Jesus know that he was the Messiah? If he did, when did he, in his lifetime, realize that he was the Messiah? Did Jesus… Read More
2022-12-23 12:00
The Hebrew word messiah (מָשִׁיַח) means “anointed one.” The word is derived from the verb מָשַׁח which me… Read More
2022-12-22 12:00
According to the narratives of the biblical text, David, the second king of Israel, was one of the greatest kings Israel ever had. A leader, both in battle and in politics, a good administra… Read More
2022-12-21 12:00
In two previous posts I discussed how to use the Old Testament in preaching. My first post dealt with the importance of preaching from the Old Testament. In my second post I discussed how to… Read More
2022-12-20 12:00
This study of Micah 5:2-4 is a continuation of a series of studies on preaching from the Old Testament. These studies are derived from… Read More
2022-12-19 12:00
This study of Isaiah 9:1-7 is a continuation of a series of studies on preaching from the Old Testament. These studies are derived from a series of Advent sermons preached at Trinity Baptist… Read More
2022-12-18 12:00
In understanding Old Testament passages related to the birth and ministry of Jesus Christ, it is important to grasp two very important factors. First, each passage must be understood in its… Read More
2022-12-17 12:00
During the week of Christmas, I will publish a series of posts dealing with the Messianic hope of the Old Testament. Each post will deal with various aspects of the concept of the Messiah an… Read More
2022-12-16 12:00
John Bright, in his book The Kingdom of God: The Biblical Concept and Its Meaning for the Church, traces the theme of the Kingdom of God in the Old Testament and how it finds fulfillment in… Read More
2022-12-15 12:00
This post is a continuation of a study on the land of Canaan in patriarchal times. To read Part 1 of this post, click here. Canaanite Temples One of the most important features of a Canaanit… Read More
2022-12-14 12:00
The book of Genesis says that after Abraham left the land of his ancestors and came to the place God promised to him as an inheritance, “the Canaanites were in the land” (Genesis… Read More
2022-12-13 12:00
Nebuchadnezzar II, the Neo-Babylonian Empire’s second king, was the most famous king of the Chaldeans, a people whom Jeremiah called “an ancient nation” (Jer. 5:15). As kin… Read More
2022-12-12 12:00
In an excellent article, “When YHWH Tests People: General Considerations and Particular Observations Regarding the Books of Chronicles and Job,” published in The Philip R. Davies… Read More
2022-12-09 12:00
The Old Testament has thirty-nine books. However, several books and other documents are mentioned in the Old Testament which are not part of the canon. Nothing is known about these books. Th… Read More
2022-12-08 12:00
Amos was the earliest prophet whose words are preserved in the form of a book. He prophesied in the Northern Kingdom of Israel somewhere between the years 760-750 B.C. Amos’ preaching… Read More
2022-12-07 12:00
To read The God Who Suffers – Part 1 of this post click here. To read The God Who Suffers – Part 2 of this post click here. All these references (the ones mentioned at the end of… Read More
2022-12-06 12:00
In my previous post on The God Who Suffers – Part 1, I wrote that the God of the Old Testament is a God who chooses to identify himself with his people in their suffering. The view tha… Read More
2022-12-05 12:00
Few people today truly know the God of the Old Testament. Most Christians focus their study of Scriptures almost exclusively on the New Testament. For many, the God of the Old Testament is a… Read More
2022-12-02 12:00
Was Zadok a Jebusite? Since it was difficult to respond to his question in a simple sentence, I decided to write this post giving the reasons I believe Zadok was a Jebusite and not an Israel… Read More
2022-12-01 12:00
Hans Walter Wolff is one of my favorite writers. In preparation for writing his commentaries on the Minor Prophets, Wolff preached a series of sermons on several of those propheti… Read More
2022-11-30 12:00
This post is a continuation from Why Am I a Christian? – Part 1. To read Part 1, click here. The fourth reason I am a Christian is because I know whom I have believed, not w… Read More
2022-11-29 12:00
Over the years I have met many people who called themselves ex-Christians, people who for one reason or another gave up their faith and stropped believing in God. What are the reasons people… Read More
2022-11-28 12:00
“But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Nathalie, but in the latter time he will make… Read More
2022-11-25 12:00
We live in a great country, a country where almost any person can grow up to become the president, a country that still attracts thousands of new people every year, a country that provides a… Read More
2022-11-24 12:00
When one reads the book of Psalms and what Israel declared about what God had done for them, one realizes that the people of Israel were a grateful people and that they offered thanksgiving… Read More
2022-11-23 12:00
Several years ago, The Observer of London reported that a bottle-nosed whale was seen swimming up the River Thames to the delight of onlookers. The whale swam past Big Ben and Par… Read More
2022-11-22 12:00
“Can you have a call to the ministry, if nobody else hears it?” How should the church deal with those people who feel the voice of God calling them to the ministry? In decid… Read More
2022-11-21 12:00
In his article, “The Changing Face of Old Testament Studies,” (Christian Century 109 [October 21, 1992, pp. 932-35]), Christopher Seitz spoke of the problem professors face when… Read More
2022-11-20 08:20
In this post I will describe the horrors experienced by the covenant community in the aftermath of the siege of Jerusalem. The despair of the people and the intense agony that followed the d… Read More
2022-11-18 12:00
I will have eye surgery this coming Monday, November 21. I will have a cornea transplant in order to remove a lens which is embedded on the cornea. I will stop blogging from November 21 unti… Read More
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