William D. Barrick Follower of Christ-Scholar in Old Testament and Hebrew

Writing

2017

92 pieces. To find something by what it is about, use the books of the Bible.

  1. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, December 31

    What do you read as you enter into a New Year? What about reading a book about radical change? Michael J. Oard and John K. Reed give us How Noah’s Flood Shaped Our Earth, a new publication of Creation Book Publishers in 2017.

  2. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, December 24

    Josh McDowell has joined with his son Sean to revise, update, and republish this classic. No better volume fits the Christmas season better when it comes to being a gift to someone still unfamiliar with who the Jesus of Christmas really is or to someone who already loves the Savior deeply.

  3. Have a Christ-Filled Christmas!

    Another digital greeting card by Smilebox

  4. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, December 17

    No wonder that Zondervan chose to reprint Gleason L. Archer’s Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties yet again–under the title, New International Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties.

  5. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, December 10

    No One Like Him: The Doctrine of God admirably fulfills its role as one of the volumes in the Foundations of Evangelical Theology series. John S. Feinberg fills the book with theological details about the theology of God the Father.

  6. My Recent Blogs External to DrBarrick.org

    Over the past month I have produced some blog posts for ParkingSpace23’s blog and The Master’s Academy International (TMAI).

  7. Peace-Loving Believers in an Age of Violence, Part 3 (Final)

    Three fairly significant biblical examples appear to support a believer’s participation in the military: [1] Jesus’s approval of a king who waged war against wicked people (Matthew 21:33–41). In Luke 3:14 John did not command them to resign from military service, but to be conten

  8. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, November 12

    Phil Parshall’s The Cross and the Crescent: Understanding the Muslim Heart and Mind was published fifteen years ago, but I find it still speaks with contemporary clarity.

  9. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, November 5

    OK, I admit it — I have favorite authors and theologians. When it comes to the New Testament and the doctrines of grace, Schreiner never disappoints. Thomas Schreiner’s Faith Alone: The Doctrine of Justification lives up to my lofty expectations.

  10. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, October 29

    History informs the wise. Those who do not consider history’s lessons are doomed to repeat those same mistakes and failures. In the Christian church we often feel like we are the first to face certain theological issues having a significant bearing upon how we live for Christ in today’s world.

  11. Peace-Loving Believers in an Age of Violence, Part 2

    Just war advocates normally base their stance upon passages revealing the divine origin and approval of government and its functions. Romans 13:1–7 forms the anchoring text for developing their view of governmental authority in the lives of Christians. The apostle Paul represents

  12. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, October 15

    9Marks produces a lot of good books for pastors and church leaders. Jeramie Rinne’s Church Elders: How to Shepherd God’s People Like Jesus stands out as one of the best. Our board of church elders chose this book to read individually and discuss as a group chapter by chapter.

  13. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, October 8

    If you plan to make a visit to the British Museum in London, having a guide like Through the British Museum with the Bible by Brian Edwards and Clive Anderson helps to direct your experience.

  14. Peace-Loving Believers in an Age of Violence, Part 1

    Scripture disallows seeking peace at any price. Some apologists argue that even believers must draw the line somewhere to stand up to the forces of evil. Wherever one stands, Christians need to be pro-active. As Friesen, Langan, and Stassen observe in their introduction to Just P

  15. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, October 1

    Dr. Eugene Merrill’s A Commentary on 1 & 2 Chronicles is one volume in the Kregel Exegetical Library series. As he explains in his “Preface,” the Chronicler sets forth the history of his people as the last, if not one of the last, writers of the Old Testament.

  16. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, September 24

    Photo Companion to the Bible: The Gospels Photo Companion to the Bible: The Gospels (DVD from BiblePlaces.com) offers its users more than 10,000 PowerPoint slides illustrating the four Gospels verse by verse. The photographs represent some of the collections of Dr. Todd Bolen, Dr.

  17. Practical Pauline Missions: Athens

    Brethren, we are not apostles, but their example instructs us. We cannot be exactly like the apostle Paul, but we can learn basic principles and practices from the biblical record of Paul’s missionary service. We can even develop a biblical evangelistic or missions methodology ba

  18. My Recommendations: Books of the Week, September 17 — Drs. Thomas & Toussaint

    On September 5 Dr. Stanley D. Toussaint entered glory and the following day Dr. Robert L. Thomas went to heaven as well. Interestingly, both men were born in 1928 (Dr. Toussaint in Minnesota and Dr. Thomas in Georgia).

  19. Two Fallen Towers and Two Fallen Giants

    For me September 11, 2001 dawned as any other day for making the commute in to the seminary and my first class of the day. As usual, I awakened early and prepared myself for a day of teaching. However, I broke my routine in a major way—I turned on the TV to check the news. In New

  20. My Recommendations: Books of the Week, September 10

    I’ve taken the unusual step of recommending two books on the same topic this week. Too often, commentaries on Genesis 1-3 and Psalm 104 (just to cite two examples) conclude that “cosmic-conflict mythological language” permeates the biblical account (Longman, Psalms, TOTC, 360, about Psalm 104:5-9).

  21. The Self-Existence of God: What does it mean? Why does it matter?

    When someone uses words like “the self-existence of” anything, it sounds like something philosophical and esoteric.

  22. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, September 3

    How can someone break away from tradition and family pressures to seek the truth about life and God? Nabeel Qureshi lets us look into his life, his home, his Islamic religion, and his heart as he struggles his search for truth.

  23. Hebrew Whiteboard Update, Psalm 104:1-12

    Completing the first third of Psalm 104, our analysis takes another distinct turn in its point of reference: the topic becomes the ongoing natural order of the earth as determined by its Creator.

  24. Messianic Hope and the Gentiles–Thinking Through Romans 15:8-13

    Romans 15:8-13 provides us with the apostle Paul’s theology of Messianic hope as founded upon the scriptures of the Hebrew Bible. In this significant text he builds upon the revelation of hope about which he speaks in Romans 15:4.

  25. Messianic Hope and the Gentiles

    Even before the creation of the world (1 Peter 1:17–21), God appointed Christ and His perfect sacrifice as the basis for showing mercy to the Gentiles. Through Christ they could experience hope in spite of being strangers to Israel and not being recipients of God’s covenants with

  26. Home with the Lord: Dr. James A. Barrick (1948-2017)

    My post on ParkingSpace23’s blog this week expounds 2 Timothy 4:6-8 in regard to my brother Jim’s sudden and unexpected death on August 11. On August 15 I conducted his memorial and graveside services in Cody, WY. Jim had pastored First Baptist Church there for the past 28 years.

  27. When God Takes a Faithful Servant Suddenly and Unexpectedly

    Pastor Jim Barrick (Feb. 9, 1948 – Aug. 11, 2017) As my wife and I were boarding our flight from Gatwick Airport in London my cell phone buzzed. It was not a good time to answer it and I knew if it were important, the call would be repeated when we landed in California. Sure enou

  28. Blessing–Even in Affliction

    Sometimes our lives seem as fragile as a bluebell clinging to its perch on an ancient chapel’s stone wall. The prophet Jeremiah caught the deep emotional pain disobedient Jerusalem must endure as the Lord brings upon her the covenant curses as discipline.

  29. Hebrew Whiteboard Update: Psalm 104:5-8

    Continuing with our analysis of Psalm 104, we soon discover that the exegetical evidence favors a change of topic at verse 6. The transition commences with mere implications–a delicate poetic transference that gradually prods the reader into a different direction.

  30. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, July 23

    In yet another superb ebook, Michael Vlach tackles the issues involved in determining how the New Testament writers use the Old Testament. How Does the New Testament Use the Old Testament?: A Survey of the Major Views examines seven major viewpoints.

  31. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, July 16

    William Watson finds philo-Semitism, premillennialism, and even pretribulationism to be more prevalent before the nineteenth century than most theologians and church historians try to make us believe.

  32. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, July 9

    No greater subject for our contemplation exists aside from Jesus Christ Himself. We all need to spend significant time meditating on our Savior’s work and His role in our world, our life, and our future.

  33. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, July 2

    Academics have dominated the realm of Christian theology (both systematic and biblical) for several centuries. This source for the Church’s theology has led to a degree of stagnation as well as a lack of true spiritual passion in the queen of sciences–resulting in theologically anemic churches.

  34. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, June 26

    Pastoral leadership in corporate worship requires both passion and wisdom. John Newton was just such a pastor. He not only pastored his church through his sermons and letters, he also wrote worship-filled hymns.

  35. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, June 19

    Seven weeks ago I recommended the Grand Canyon companion to this guide book in the True North Series.

  36. Hebrew Whiteboard Update: Psalm 104:1-4

    Psalm 104 provides a break from the early psalms (Psalms 1-6) and from the Psalms of Ascents (Psalms 120-122). This psalm presents the poetic description of Creation as compared to the narrative of Genesis 1:1-2:3.

  37. Identifying the imperatives in Biblical Narratives

    Narratives occupy a large portion of the Bible, whether its pages record the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph or the wanderings of Israel in the wilderness, or the events surrounding the judges and kings of Israel, or the stories of Ruth or Esther.

  38. Identifying the Imperatives in Biblical Narratives

    Narratives occupy a large portion of the Bible, whether its pages record the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph or the wanderings of Israel in the wilderness, or the events surrounding the judges and kings of Israel, or the stories of Ruth or Esther.

  39. Implications or Applications?: Preaching Biblical Narratives

    Some preachers produce abundant applications (or, implications?) for their congregations from biblical narratives, whether they are Old Testament historical narratives like Judges 4 or New Testament Gospel narratives like Mark 3. Other preachers insist they should offer only theo

  40. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, June 12

    Reading the Old Testament sometimes can seem like ploughing through long pages filled with words without fully understanding their importance. Don’t miss the overall meaning, beauty, and power of over two-thirds of your Bible.

  41. Pentecost Meditation: The Significance of Christ’s Ascensions

    Bible readers often pick up on the apparent fact that Jesus ascended more than one time into heaven following His resurrection. Indeed, there appear to be three different ascensions, each accomplishing different purposes.

  42. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, June 5

    Wyclif’s legendary status as “the Morning Star of the Reformation” fails to survive Gillian Evans’ vigorous professorial investigation. Her portrait of Wyclif in John Wyclif: Myth and Reality reveals a complex and conflicted man — an irascible academic as well as a contrite cleric.

  43. How much seminary training does a missionary need?

    A sense of urgency characterizes nearly everyone who believes that God has led them to become missionaries for the gospel of Jesus Christ. As a result, many consider going to the mission field with either minimum training or with no formal training at all. Why go through years of seminary training?

  44. Hebrew Whiteboard Update: Psalm 6 Complete

    Psalm 6:9-11 (Hebrew verse numbering) closes this psalm emphatically and dramatically. David’s depression has turned to triumphant confidence. His uncontrollable weeping and consuming fear finally disappear in his concentration upon Yahweh, his God.

  45. “Song of the Bow”: A Biblical Meditation for Memorial Day

    Each Memorial Day our nation takes time to formally recognize the ultimate sacrifice of our servicemen and servicewomen who died in battle. In 1868, a few years after the Civil War, General John A. Logan called for a nationwide day to remember fallen soldiers of that conflict. He

  46. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, May 29

    Dr. Eugene Merrill’s Everlasting Dominion: A Theology of the Old Testament presents the most dependable and readable theology of the Old Testament available today. The stance that Dr. Merrill takes consistently espouses a conservative, evangelical viewpoint.

  47. “Song of the Bow”: A Biblical Meditation for Memorial Day

    Memorial Day marks the national commemoration of those American warriors who gave their lives for our nation on the field of battle. We take the time to honor their memory, to decorate their graves, and to remember their sacrifice.

  48. Hebrew Whiteboard Update: Psalm 6:7-8

    Psalm 6:7-8 (Hebrew verse numbering) describe David’s personal situation in vivid metaphors. As a result of his sin and his illness he has grown exhausted, reduced to weeping, and obviously severely depressed.

  49. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, May 22

    What do Charles Spurgeon, George Müller, and Hudson Taylor have in common? Let’s count the ways: (1) All were fervent evangelical Christians? (2) All served Christ with all that they had. (3) All left behind a tremendous legacy of faithfulness and godliness. (4) All were based in England.

  50. How much seminary training does a missionary need?

    An old pastors’ adage says, “Those who can’t, go; those who can’t go, teach”—the shortened aphorism for “Those who can’t preach , go to the mission field ; those who can’t go to the mission field , teach.” Whoever created this useless and unbiblical proverb deserves appointment a

  51. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, May 15

    Christ Alone: The Uniqueness of the Gospel and Its Impact on the World (Xulon Press, 2017) collects seventeen essays together in one volume.

  52. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, May 8

    Instead of a book this week, I am recommending a DVD of one of the best documentaries I have ever seen on the historicity of the early chapters of the Book of Genesis: “Is Genesis History?” Del Tackett (who directs The Truth Project ministry) was on one of our first rafting trips into the Grand…

  53. What will happen on September 23, 2017?

    Dawn breaks on Saturday, September 23, 2017 . . . then what? Some people will spend the entire day looking upward, awaiting the return of Jesus Christ. Why?

  54. Hebrew Whiteboard Update: Psalm 6:5-6

    Urgent. Impassioned. God-centered. David’s prayer in Psalm 6:5-6 (Hebrew verse numbering) displays all three of these characteristics. In addition, he uses the literary skills God gifted him with in order to emphasize these three.

  55. Why is Bible translation an important missions ministry?

    Churches and individuals too often neglect Bible translation as a missions ministry. After all, that’s something for the experts and for organizations like Wycliffe Bible Translators to handle, right?

  56. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, May 1

    For the past ten years I have had the great privilege and joy to take rafting trips through the Grand Canyon teaching from Genesis 1-11 about Creation and the Flood. Tom Vail, the founder of Canyon Ministries and a co-author of this book, has been one of my mentors in the canyon and has become a

  57. Why is Bible translation an important missions ministry?

    Share The Word of God must be at the core of all missions strategy. Without the Word of God, no ministry can be satisfactorily performed— the Word provides the authority for ministry, the instruction for ministry, the power of ministry, and the message of ministry. To all of this

  58. Hebrew Whiteboard Update: Psalm 6:1-4

    Psalms 3-7 all begin with God. David faces tremendous difficulties, some of them due to his own sin. Such disastrous experiences and perilous times make it nearly impossible to bear up under the weight pressing down upon him and the stress draining him. So what does he do?–he kneels, and prays.

  59. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, April 24

    What Happened in the Garden: The Reality and the Ramifications of the Creation and Fall of Man, edited by Abner Chou (Kregel Academic, 2016) offers a collection of essays by Dr. John MacArthur and the faculty of The Master’s University.

  60. Hebrew Whiteboard

    Structural or logical line diagramming serves as one of the chief means by which the exegete can identify verse structure in the Hebrew Bible.

  61. Hebrew Whiteboard Update: Psalm 5 Complete

    The final two verses of Psalm 5 (vv. 12-13, Hebrew verse numbering) close out the psalm on a very high note. It expresses a climactic crescendo of rejoicing, a six-fold emphasis centering upon Yahweh Himself, and a series of parallels with the first stanza of the psalm (vv.

  62. Christ’s Resurrection and Missions

    Resurrection Sunday has just passed and we have, hopefully, spent a significant amount of time contemplating the importance of our Savior’s resurrection from the dead.

  63. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, April 17

    The ministry of Bible translation has occupied a good portion of my own life and ministry. My shelf is filled with books about Bible translation and Bible versions, as well as Bibles in many languages.

  64. The Resurrection of Christ and Missions

    Share From the start of our Christian faith, we all have received the testimony of Matthew’s Gospel regarding the resurrected Lord’s appearance to His disciples in Galilee where they met with Him on the mountain to which He had instructed them to go (Matthew 28:16). At that time

  65. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, April 10

    Have you been looking for a replacement for the magisterial Greatness of the Kingdom published years ago by Alva J. McClain? Look no farther. Dr.

  66. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, April 3

    Elliott Johnson and I first crossed paths in 1998 on a tour of Israel with Master’s Seminary and Dallas Seminary students. We had a great time together and found that we were kindred spirits theologically, hermeneutically, and academically.

  67. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, March 27

    When Greg Harris first shared his project with me, I was immediately captivated by his passion for formalizing and publishing what he has taught consistently from his church pulpit and his seminary classroom lectern. The Bible Expositor’s Handbook: Old Testament commences his two-part publication.

  68. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, March 20

    One Perfect Life: The Complete Story of the Lord Jesus by John MacArthur offers a very readable harmony of the Gospels printed as one, united, running account.

  69. Memories of Mom

    Three years ago today, my mother left Colorado for the last time–all the way to heaven itself. At the age of 90 she still looked as she does in this wonderful picture of her that I took just about nine months earlier. That smile and the twinkle in her eyes stay with me even today. Mothers are one of

  70. Reformation Conference, Wittenberg, 2017

    Join me at the Reformation Conference in Wittenberg, Germany — May 17-21. Yes, that is my name at the very end of the last column, arranged alphabetically by given name rather than by surname.

  71. Hebrew Whiteboard Update

    With this post we complete the analysis of Psalm 4. David penned this psalm from the depths of his own stressful experience facing people who opposed him. No one knows the exact circumstances.

  72. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, March 13

    The wisdom literature of the Old Testament includes Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and some of the Psalter’s psalms. Dr. Daniel Estes’ Handbook on the Wisdom Books and Psalms stands at the head of the list of books written as introductions or handbooks for the Wisdom Books.

  73. A Dispensational Discourse: Interview

    Coming March 11. Over the past year I have written a number of blog posts for Dispensational Publishing House. Recently, Paul Scharf interviewed me by phone for this biographical post.

  74. Hebrew Whiteboard Update

    Psalm 4:8-9 (Hebrew verse numbering for the English vv. 7-8) bring us to the end of the body of this Davidic psalm. These two verses display a good deal of emphasis by means of literary devices, grammatical structure, and vocabulary.

  75. Biblical Genealogies: Begetting a Devotional Reading

    What do you do when you come to the book of 1 Chronicles in your Bible reading? Skip?–Jump over genealogies without reading. Skim?–Read the inserted headings, but not the text. Scavenge?–Read only the narrative inserts, like the one about Jabez. Squirm?–Read with distinct discomfort.

  76. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, March 6

    Satellite Bible Atlas: Historical Geography of the Bible provides a very handy guide for any Bible land tour of Israel. Bill Schlegel lives in Israel and has led tours for several decades. The atlas combines modern satellite imagery with a conservative handling of the biblical text.

  77. Just Published: Right Thinking in a Church Gone Astray

    Right Thinking in a Church Gone Astray: Finding Our Way Back to Biblical Truth, ed. Nathan Busenitz (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2017) was unveiled at this year’s Shepherds’ Conference hosted by Grace Community Church and The Master’s Seminary.

  78. Biblical Genealogies: Begetting a Devotional Reading

    You’ve heard it and maybe even said it yourself, “When I get to a genealogy in my Bible reading, I just skip it.” Genealogies (lists of names telling who is related to whom) can be boring and intimidating—especially if you have to read all those hard-to-pronounce names aloud for

  79. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, February 27

    Dr. Eugene Merrill’s Everlasting Dominion: A Theology of the Old Testament presents the most dependable and readable theology of the Old Testament available today. The stance that Dr. Merrill takes consistently espouses a conservative, evangelical viewpoint.

  80. Creation Summit, The Master’s University

    The Master’s University hosted the Creation Summit 2017 on February 24-25. Dr. Abner Chou opened the summit with his TMU Chapel message on Friday, February 24. On Saturday, February 25, Dr. Todd Wood, myself, and Dr. John MacArthur spoke in the day’s three sessions.

  81. Hebrew Whiteboard Update

    Now we come to Psalm 4:6-7 (Hebrew verse numbering) as we continue to analyze this psalm. After one imperative in verse 4 and four imperatives in verse 5, verse 6 adds two more, for a total of seven.

  82. New Book Endorsement

    “For nearly a century, only a handful of scholars have published manuals for the exegesis of the Hebrew Bible.

  83. My Recommendations: Book of the Week, February 20

    Are you looking for the best reference work for obtaining book-by-book, chapter-by-chapter Bible background information for history, geography, archaeology, and culture? I highly recommend Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (5-volume set) for the Old Testament edited by John H.

  84. Kindle Edition of Searching for Adam Now Available

    Searching for Adam, ed. by Terry Mortenson (Master Books, 2016) now available on Kindle (save an additional 60% off the price–and no shipping–instant acquisition–click on the book’s image at the left).

  85. Hebrew Whiteboard Update

    Psalm 4:5 brings us to the second occurrence of “Selah” in this psalm and it gives the verse added emphasis. The verse also leads us to study the Septuagint (LXX) translation, since Paul cited the first half of the verse from the LXX in Ephesians 4:26.

  86. True Spirituality, Dealing with Addiction, and Self-Help Manuals

    Counseling individuals with various types of addictions presents an ongoing challenge. How can you best help them to help themselves? How can you encourage them? What resources do you recommend?

  87. True Spirituality, Dealing with Addiction, and Self-Help Manuals

    Dealing with addictions can push a Christian to the limits of patience, trust, and exhaustion. The addiction might involve drugs, alcohol, tobacco, food, sex, pornography, power, popularity, wealth, social media, technology, or recreation—and many more. Recovering addicts soon fi

  88. Biblical Doctrine Volume Now Available

    My contributor’s copy of Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Survey of Bible Truth, edited by John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue has finally arrived! The hefty volume (1023 pages) fills 2-1/4 inches of horizontal shelf space.

  89. Hi-def Leadership in a Hi-def World

    The attributes of godly leaders occupies a good deal of Scripture. Sometimes we find it necessary to synthesize the biblical teachings on leadership in order to sharpen our understanding of its seriousness and its challenges.

  90. Hi-def Leadership in a Hi-def World: Attributes of Godly Leaders

    High-definition (or, Hi-def , or HD ) refers to increased visual resolution as compared to the commonly used standard of resolution. This involves twice as many scan lines per frame, a proportionally sharper image, and a wide-screen format. In other words, this technology produce

  91. Hebrew Whiteboard Update

    Continuing with Psalm 4:3-4 the text moves from the psalm heading (v. 1) and David’s prayer (v. 2) to his address to his enemies. Verse 3 concludes with the first occurrence of “Selah” in this psalm, giving the verse an added layer of emphasis.

  92. Hebrew Whiteboard Update

    As we enter the New Year (2017), we turn to another psalm from the biblical Psalter. Interpreters and expositors often refer to Psalm 4 as an evening prayer following Psalm 3 as a morning prayer.