It is the holiness of God that defines His character, and all of His other characteristics. This holiness is what sets Him apart from His creation and what makes Him completely unique from anything and everything else. It is this understanding that He is transcendent or set apart from His creation that we must keep in view as we explore all the other attributes that make God who He is; it is literally the starting point for or understanding of His person.  While all of the attributes of God are woven together so that none can be taken without all of them falling apart, it is His holiness that bonds them together. This is the reason that when given that view of angels around the throne in Isaiah 6, they are crying that He is "holy, holy, holy". It is the holiness of God that manifests itself in the actions that He takes in the world such as His mercy, righteousness, and judgment. If the holiness of God is what He is, then we could say that the love of God is who He is. It is

If you have ever read through the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, you have probably found it somewhat depressing. After all, when the author starts out of the gate telling you that everything is meaningless you can’t help but calling the local Party City to order balloons for the pity-party that is getting ready to ensue.   Life Is Meaningless? According to Ecclesiastes everything in life and even human existence itself is “vanity’ . The Hebrew word used here is ‘Hebel’ has  been treated in many of the major translations as vain / vanity and by a few others as meaningless or pointless. The concept of  Hebel  can be explained by the analogy of making it one’s life purpose to building a sandcastle on the beach. That would be pretty dumb, right? But, in a sense, that is exactly what the author and many of us do. Maybe not literally, but we consume our life’s with temporary things that have no eternal significance. While the author explains that there is a time and sea

As we look at Jeremiah as a whole we see a number of different narratives that play out, and a number of different sins that are to be judged, but the over arching theme of the book is a theme of judgement.  If we were to look for somewhere to find this theme in all of its glory, we need look no farther that chapter 7. It is here that we can find every hope that the people of Judah had dashed to pieces like a piece of china on a tile floor. It is chapter 7 that really sets the tone for the entire book when Jeremiah gives not a ‘feel-good’ sermon, but a sermon of coming judgement. One of the main issues that Judah had against them could almost be considered was a problem that would haunt the Pharisees in the gospels. They thought that their religion was enough even without the fruits of religion. It is the same religion that the New Testament writer of James, would call worthless. (James 1:26)   Judah had even got steps beyond this treating the Temple as some type of ‘good luck charm’,

Amos and Micah prophesied in the 8th century BC, and for this reason are considered contemporary prophets though their focuses and locations were separate. Due to being in a similar time period, we can find many parallels in the messages that these men bring, while also seeing a few very evident differences. While Amos can be seen exhibiting a microstructure of sort1, Micah has no real structural theme2. This makes sense when we consider that the bulk, if not all, of Micah’s words were directed to the people of Judah, Amos prophesied oracles to much of the surrounding area.      In viewing the similarities of Amos and Micah, we can first see that they both focus on those that oppress the poor. Both books take focus early in the writings to speak God’s hatred against oppression and those that are doing the oppressing. Micah speaks of those that spend their “down time” laying in their beds, plotting and thinking of ways that they can carry out their oppression. (Micah 2:1-2) Their coveti

Isaiah 12 is a short but fitting conclusion to the section pointing to Israel’s choice between trusting God or trusting Assyria. This chapter comes directly before the second section of the book’s first unit, where we see several judgments towards various nations. 1 Even before the judgements begin to come, we see a promise and anticipation of the song that the remnant will sing with joy over their salvation. (Isaiah 12:4) Even amid coming judgement, Isaiah gives a song of praise, pointing us to a God that will comfort and is worthy of trust. It is interesting to note that the references to ‘that day’ prior to this text are days that bring fear because of not trusting in God (cf. 2:20; 3:18; 4:1; 7:18, 20-21, 23) , but chapter 12 brings us a day of hope. A hope that is found only when the focus has been turned back to Him for help, and not looking for it in other places or other people. This hope is ultimately in the coming Messiah which brings us circling back to the beginning to

The apologetic and rhetorical function of Luke 24 can is summed up by the understanding that, “Luke's use of the Old Testament is best summed up as a prophetic and Christological use—all of the Scriptures point to Jesus and must be fulfilled by him”. [1] This prophetic and Christological explanation of the scripture that this couple of disciples knew was the whole point of Jesus conversation with them on the Road to Emmaus. It is said that beginning with Moses, or the Torah and following the paths through the prophets He interpreted the scriptures to them those things that were about him. (Luke 24:27) Ultimately, we can see this same apologetic theme played out again and again in the book of Acts, Luke sequel to his gospel. Peter walks through the scripture of the Old Testament showing Christ (Acts 2:14-41), Stephen does the same before the Pharisees (Acts 6), and Philip will preach Christ from Isaiah to the Ethiopian Eunuch. These accounts of Jesus throughout the Jewish scri

You better check yo self before you wreck yo self – Ice Cube (1993)   Not that long ago a conversation with a friend that brought these song lyrics up as an explanation for a section of scripture in the book of Psalms.   “Be still and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10   This in one of the very well known (as well as misapplied) sections of scripture. Very often, this verse of scripture is used as a source of encouragement of hope. It is likely that a walk-through Hobby Lobby will spot this phrase or verse somewhere. But unfortunately, it is another verse that have been pulled as Voddie Baucham has said, “kicking and screaming out of its context”. It often tends to find itself shoved onto church signs, bulletins, and social media posts If we are going to take the Word of God as an actual word from God, we must read the bible how it is written. “Be still” is not an encouragement to Christians, it is an intense warning to the nations, to the enemies of God. The context

We all read our Bibles with admiration and respect for it's characters, but if you met a man like Jacob today, odds are you probably would not like him. Jacob was a backstabbing, conniving, opportunist if there ever was one. He was all about Jacob, all of the time. The bad news is that we are all much like Jacob in this way. We tend to be selfish and self-serving every day in every way. The good news is that even though this was the case with Jacob, we can see from the scripture that Jacob is the one that God had chosen to bless.   If we were to start in the Genesis account of Jacob, would find a man that had tricked his brother, and was running away from the family drama that he just had created. On his skedaddle from his brother, Jacob stops to rest, laying his head on a rock near a place that would later be called Bethel.  Now keep in mind, Jacob was not running towards God, or even looking for God, but (SPOILER ALERT) God was looking for Jacob. Jacob saw a vision of

The book of Deuteronomy is well known as the last book of the Pentateuch. The book itself, as stated by Hamilton is, “In relationship to the rest of the Pentateuch, Deuteronomy is considered something of an oddity”. Hamilton, (p. 367) While it may be true, that the position of Deuteronomy in its place with the first books of the Bible may seem odd, we must understand a few key point that the book itself points us towards, in order to understand and believe it’s validity as part of the Pentateuch. Firstly, we can see that the book of Deuteronomy acts as a “doorway” of sorts to the rest of the old testament. While the book is not a narrative as many of the other books in the beginning of the scriptures, it makes the way for us to see the rest of the Old Testament in the correct light. We see that the book takes place during the, “two resting times are the times when God speaks (mostly through his servant Moses) definitively and extensively to his people. It is in these camping, les

How do the elements of the promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 play out in the lives of Joseph and Judah? The promise of being a great nation we can see in the life of Judah. Judah would go on to bear children that would become the largest tribe of Israel. Ultimate this great nation would bring forth the Lion of Judah. God promised to bless Abraham. Joseph was blessed with the ability to interpret dreams as well the knowledge to serve the land of Egypt and ultimately preserve his family. God promised to make his name great. Joseph's name was made great in the land of Egypt when he saved the region from starvation by his interpretation of the dreams of Pharaoh. (Genesis 41:25) God promised Abraham he would be a blessing. Joseph was a blessing in being influential saving Egypt from famine. Judah would be a blessing as the line from which the chosen Seed would come.

How do the elements of the promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 play out in the life of Jacob in Genesis? The promise of being a great nation is seen most clearly in the life of Jacob. He was the father unto those that would quite literally be called the children of Israel. The decedents of his sons would go on to make up the twelve tribes of Israel. God promised to bless Abraham. Even being the second born and not in line for the blessing and birthright of his father, we find Jacob being blessed. (Genesis 27:30) God promised to make his name great. Like his father Abraham, God did make the name of Jacob great. In a similar fashion to his grandfather, Jacob’s name was changed to Israel and would forever be known. God promised Abraham he would be a blessing. Like his father before him, Jacob was a blessing to his family. Jacob blessed his children in instructing them in the ways they should continue. (Genesis 49:1) In an extended way, we see the nations blessed by Jacob throug

How do the elements of the promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 play out in the life of Isaac in Genesis? We can see the element is the promises of Genesis 12:1-3 played out in Isaac's life in continuing to make Abraham a great nation. Isaac was the chosen and promised seed, and thus he was inheriting the land of his father.  He was not just passive in this but took ownership of up-keeping  the land given. Isaac is seen digging again the wells that his father had dug (Gen. 26:18). He not only received the promise but was active in his responsibility of taking care of it. God promised to bless Abraham. Isaac as the promised seed received the blessings that were given to his father, as well as being blessed himself. (Gen. 26:12) God promised to make his name great. Isaac, as the promised seed had the greatness of the name, promised to his father. God promised Abraham he would be a blessing. Isaac was a blessing as a loving husband, he stayed true to his wife Rebecca.

How do the elements of the promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 play out in the life of Abraham in Genesis? We can see the element is the promises of Genesis 12:1-3 played out in Abraham’s life is not only restoring what he lost but bettering it. God promised that he would make Abraham a great nation.  We see this in an obvious way through the promised seed of Issac's, but also in the child Ishmael. Interestingly, by following God Abraham lost the nation that he was a part of, but he gains a great nation that was called his own. God promised to bless Abraham. Even though he left what he knows to follow God, he gained multiples more in his obedience that those could have been his if he had not been obedient, God promised to make his name great. Abraham left Ur as an unknown man named Abram, but God prospered His name among the nations and even gave him a new name. God promised Abraham he would be a blessing. God not only promised Abraham blessing but that he would be a bless

Life in Israel   before the institution of the monarchy  was completely different than anything that the people of Israel had ever experienced before. Up to this point, they had been under the rule of Pharaoh and grown as a nation in that way. Through the direction of God, Moses led them from that bondage and into the wilderness where they would, of their own doing, spend the next forty years. As we come upon the scriptures of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth, we see the way in which the people that God had led out would have to begin to live. “In all of this Israel had the promise that God had already given them everything that they would gain. the fact that the land is something Yahweh is “giving” or “has given” to Israel (vv. 2, 3, 11, 13, 15), or that Moses already gave them (vv. 14, 15)” (Hamilton p. 19).  Hamilton mentions this certainty when he shows that the promises of God, are “ a perfect of certitude, a perfective of confidence, a perfective future—a means of expressing a vivi

While there are many principles that are given to us in the Old Testament, there are a few aspects that we should key in on and apply to the church and to ourselves. We can be tempted to see the Old Testament as something that we read through just to mark it off our yearly Bible reading plan but is there for us as well. Paul explains to the Corinthian church that events of the Old Testament, “were written down for our instruction” (1 st Corinthians 10:11). It wasn’t as if the church at the beginning stages had the entire canon that we enjoy today; their Bible was the Old Testament.  When Jesus rebukes the Pharisees by rebuking them for not reading the scriptures ( Matthew 12:3), He was speaking of the writings of Moses and the prophets. Overall the key aspects that the church of today must see is that it must rely on God in fully trusting His plan. This will result in the response of obedience to the commands of God. In speaking of the trust in the life of Abraham from his Han

The book of Exodus has much to say to us about who God is and how He deals with His people.  There are various example of this that we can find from the life of Moses and how God deals with Him, but some of the greatest themes are seen in how God has dealt with a people that were, in many cases, prone to disobedience and complaints.  Firstly, we can see this taking place in the intervention in Moses’s life and by extension, God is intervening in the lives of the people of His promises. Moses spends years away from Egypt, fleeing not only the Egyptians that he would have been raised around, but away from the people that are his kindred.  Even if we run from the people of God, we can never outrun the plans of God.  God miraculously intervenes in the life of Moses through a burning bush (Exodus 3:2) and uses Moses through similar miraculous means to intervene in the lives of the Israelites. God freed the children of Israel from their bondage in Egypt as He has freed Moses from his bondage