Old Testament

Psalm 86 – What does it mean to be godly?

I love insightful and concise formulations of theological truth. Psalm 86:2 is such a formulation. The psalmist prays: “Preserve my soul, for I am a godly man; O you my God, save your servant who trusts in you.” Two observations: First, the most startling element in this verse is the self-designation of the author as [...]


Psalm 73 – Nearness is our good

What an honest Psalm. The psalmist confesses that he almost came close to stumbling. He was filled with envy, consternation, and even anger as the saw the prosperity of the wicked and their easy life. (Ps. 73:3-4) He writes: They are not in trouble like other men, nor are they plagued like mankind. Therefore pride [...]


Psalm 37 – Doing Justice

As I see it, the best apologetic for seeking justice in our world as Christians comes from verses like Psalm 37:27-28. “Depart from evil and do good So you will abide forever. For the Lord loves justice And does not forsake his godly ones; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the Wicked will [...]


Psalm 33 – Hope

What does it mean to hope in God? This might seem like a simple question, but I think it is deceptively so. What does hoping in God look like in the modern west? What are some good examples? I am not going to pretend to know all the answers, but I think Psalm 33 offers [...]


Psalm 10-14 – Justice and Judgment

For a number of psalms (10-14), the psalmist laments the wickedness in the world. For instance, the unrighteous do not acknowledge God (10:4), plot against the powerless (10:3), are filled with pride (10:6), lurk for prey (10:8-11), speak falsehood (12:2), and flatter with a double heart (12:3). Does not this sound like much of our [...]


Psalm 1 – Counsel

Psalm 1 is simple yet profound. Meditation in the counsel of God and a life conformed to it will bring blessing. A life that deviates from it and pursues after wickedness will find ultimate failure. The principles are simple. Herein also lies our problem. A realistic assessment of our churches will show that a majority [...]


2 Chronicles 34:14-21 – Rediscover of the Book of the Law

Seventy-five years is a long time. There are not too many people alive today who even were around in 1936. A distant age, to be sure. The cost of a new house in 1936 was 3,925 dollars. I’ll take two dozen, please. The cost of a gallon of gas was 10 cents, and the average [...]


2 Chronicles 7:13-16 – Temple, Sacrifice, Prayer, and Christ

Will God listen to and answer Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple? The reader is not left guessing. Not only does the glory of God descend on the temple, a positive sign, but God also appears to Solomon in a dream and states, “I have hear your prayers and have chosen this place [...]


2 Chronicles 6 – Dedication of Temple, Solomon’s Prayer

That the temple is an important place is undeniable in 2 Chronicles 6. We see in Solomon’s dedication prayer that the temple is a place of fellowship and forgiveness. It is a place of fellowship, because God’s presence is there. We see this most powerfully in chapter 7 when the Shekinah glory of God descends. [...]


1 Chronicles 21 – What we can learn from David’s Numerical Error

That David sinned against God by counting his men is clear. 1 Chronicles 21:1 states, “Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel.” The reason for this is not hard to understand within the context. God has always delivered David and Israel because he was with them. What mattered was not [...]


1 Chronicles 17 – Theology of Prayer

Let me be somewhat simplistic by stating: some passages of scripture are descriptive, that is, they state what has happened in narrative form. Other passages are prescriptive, that is, they state to readers what they ought to do and think. They exhort and give counsel. This differentiation is important, because we as readers would not [...]


1 Chronicles 9:1 – Exile

Exile due to unfaithfulness is the summary of 1 Chronicles 9:1. If we look at the contextual logic of this passage, it makes a lot of sense. One of the points that the biblical authors up to this point have been emphasizing is that God is holy. He is a consuming fire. This is who [...]


For the Sake of David – a Reflection of 1 and 2 Kings

The words, “for the sake of” are central to the books of 1 and 2 Kings (post-David). One of the chief reasons why God does not consume the Israelites or the tribe of Judah is for the sake of his promises made to David. Or we can say for the sake of David, God is [...]


2 Kings 5 – Naaman’s Leprosy – what we can learn

Naaman, a great general, with obvious military prowess is the commander of the armies of Aram. However, he has leprosy. He hears through his wife’s servant that there is a man of God in Samaria who could heal him of his disease. He has nothing to lose and so he gives him a try. He [...]


2 Kings 4 – Resurrection

2 Kings 4 is one of the saddest passages for me to read. Every time I read it, the words grab a hold of me. The exclamations in verse 19 never fail to make their point: “My head, My head, he said to his father.” I can imagine the scene. An extremely loved boy, who [...]