Introduction: I suggest that you read the passage twice – firstly ignoring my comments, which are in green, and secondly as if the green words are part of the passage. But don’t forget that the green is not scripture but my thoughts which helped me to understand the flow of the passage better! The Lord,Continue reading “Isaiah 41: 21-29….A Jury scene!”
Category Archives: wisdom
Psalm 88: 8-18….We don’t find all the answers!
8 You have caused my companions to shun me;you have made me a horror to them.I am shut in so that I cannot escape;9 my eye grows dim through sorrow. – Summary: Yesterday I ended up here in the Psalm with these words. ‘- God is Sovereign, but has He caused this enmity between companions?Continue reading “Psalm 88: 8-18….We don’t find all the answers!”
Psalm 83: 1-8….Antisemitism 3,000 years ago!
1 O God, do not keep silence;do not hold your peace or be still, O God!2 For behold, your enemies make an uproar;those who hate you have raised their heads.3 They lay crafty plans against your people;they consult together against your treasured ones.4 They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;let theContinue reading “Psalm 83: 1-8….Antisemitism 3,000 years ago!”
Psalm 82: 1-8….A psalm of Asaph.
Introduction: If I were to translate ‘This food is finger licking good’ into Amharic and being translated back into English would be ‘This food makes me want to eat my fingers’. Often, in Amharic one hears it said, ‘little by little the egg learns to walk’. The first time you hear it you wonder whatContinue reading “Psalm 82: 1-8….A psalm of Asaph.”
Psalm 78: 51-61….Am I/Are you prepared to be enlightened?
Introduction: We are now on our sixth day at looking at Psalm 78. Do you remember what the purpose of Asaph was writing this Psalm? Before spending a long time recounting Israel’s history from Egypt to settlement in Canna, he challenges the people to be earnest in passing on their history to coming generations soContinue reading “Psalm 78: 51-61….Am I/Are you prepared to be enlightened?”
Isaiah 37: 21-29….Why use obscure poetry instead of plain English?
Introduction: I guess it wasn’t in English because there was no such language as English at that time! But why poetry? In this case poetry is leaving people to guess, or more accurately, to ponder and hassle the hidden thoughts which need to be arrived at. Sennacherib, the blood thirsty, tyrannical leader of Assyria wouldContinue reading “Isaiah 37: 21-29….Why use obscure poetry instead of plain English?”
Psalm 72: 11-20….The prayer for Solomon continues.
Introduction: A couple of weeks ago, amid the prayer prayed over Solomon at his induction, because of the Church Calendar and the Ascension of Jesus, I took a break from Psalms. On that occasion I wrote in the introduction “Solomon isn’t one of my favourite Bible heroes. He started well but ended up badly…..On theContinue reading “Psalm 72: 11-20….The prayer for Solomon continues.”
Isaiah 33: 17-14….Does God expect us to use our brains?
Introduction: Thinking in a single plane (eg an x-y graph) and thinking with an added dimension (an x-y-z graph) makes the problem and the answer very different! We tend, as human beings, to easily forget that we live in a ‘space’ which is anything but a flat plane.We can easily remember the ups and downsContinue reading “Isaiah 33: 17-14….Does God expect us to use our brains?”
Isaiah 33: 1-12….Prepare for a reversal!
Introduction: Initially God speaks to Sennacherib the enemy who had conquered and destroyed Israel! (v1): This is followed by. a prayer by the people of Israel, the prayer results presumably because they have realized that they have made wrong decisions in not following Jehovah and so they plead with God for help. (v2): ‘The tumultuousContinue reading “Isaiah 33: 1-12….Prepare for a reversal!”
1 John 4: 1-6….The devil is very good at accents!
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and everyContinue reading “1 John 4: 1-6….The devil is very good at accents!”