From the classic Michael Spencer post: The Ecclesiastes Attitude * * * The God of the Bible knows what he is doing. His work is, as scripture says, “past finding out.” He asks for no advice. He is not holding question and answer press conferences. He is not writing books of ten easy-to-understand bullet pointedContinue reading “iMonk: All My Wrestling”
Category Archives: The First Testament
The Book of the Early Prophets
The five-fold book of the Torah is followed in the Hebrew Bible by a four-fold “history” of Israel called the Book of the Early Prophets. TORAH PROPHETS Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy EARLY PROPHETS Joshua Judges Samuel Kings LATTER PROPHETS Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Book of the Twelve As you can see, the one differenceContinue reading “The Book of the Early Prophets”
The Past, Present, and Future of God’s People
“…one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” – Deuteronomy 8:3, NRSV “Apart from the liturgy, Deuteronomy is the source of the idea that religious life should be based on a sacred book, and hence of the obligation of all Jews, not only an eliteContinue reading “The Past, Present, and Future of God’s People”
Two Books of the Bible Nobody (really) Likes to Read (Part 2)
“When the Gospels or the Apostle or the Psalms are read, another person joyfully receives them, gladly embraces them….But if the book of Numbers is read to him, and especially those passages we have now in hand, he will judge that there is nothing helpful, nothing as a remedy for his weakness or a benefitContinue reading “Two Books of the Bible Nobody (really) Likes to Read (Part 2)”
Two Books of the Bible Nobody (really) Likes to Read (Part 1)
Meet Leviticus and Numbers, infamous killers of countless New Year’s resolutions to read the Bible through in a year. These two books, the third and fourth portions of the Torah, are sections of the Bible that most people, if they were honest, could do without. Oh sure, there are parts of them that we allContinue reading “Two Books of the Bible Nobody (really) Likes to Read (Part 1)”
Creation, Tabernacle, and New Creation
“At this small, lonely place in the midst of the chaos of the wilderness, a new creation comes into being. In the midst of disorder, there is order. The tabernacle is the world order as God intended writ small in Israel.” – Terence Fretheim, Exodus (Interpretation Commentary) * * * As Walter Brueggemann observes inContinue reading “Creation, Tabernacle, and New Creation”
Genesis for Normal People
Genesis for Normal People: A Guide to the Most Controversial, Misunderstood, and Abused Book of the Bible by Peter Enns and Jared Byas Patheos Press (2012) * * * According to its authors, Genesis for Normal People is designed for “normal people…who are curious about the Bible and want to get a handle on whatContinue reading “Genesis for Normal People”
The First Story of Israel (Gen. 2-3)
* * * Genesis 2 is not another version of the creation of the cosmos. It shifts the focus to the story of Israel. – Peter Enns, Jared Byas, Genesis for Normal People Let me tell you a story. God prepared a good land, a land of abundance and promise. He formed a people andContinue reading “The First Story of Israel (Gen. 2-3)”
Listen Up, People! Our God Reigns! (Gen. 1)
A Reading/Performance of Genesis 1 Listen up, people! Our God reigns! Let me tell you about our God. Way back in the beginning, he made everything that is. That’s right, I said he made everything that is! It was God, the true and living God. Not the pretender “gods” of Babylon or any other nation.Continue reading “Listen Up, People! Our God Reigns! (Gen. 1)”
The Backstories of the First Testament
The Return of the Chaos Monsters and Other Backstories of the Bible by Gregory Mobley Wm. B. Eerdmanns Pub. Co. (2012) * * * One of the liveliest, most intriguing and insightful books you will read on the Hebrew Bible is Gregory Mobley’s The Return of the Chaos Monsters. For some reason, perhaps because ofContinue reading “The Backstories of the First Testament”
The Internet Monk Archives 