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Israel Research Trip, Post #13
Tel Dan No site in Israel combines all the elements that Tel Dan displays: a delightful walk through the forest along the rushing waters of a source for the Jordan River, a high place notorious in the Old Testament, an example of a gateway containing both a judgment seat and massebot, and a Middle…
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Israel Research Trip, Post #12
Hazor Tell el-Qedah (Hazor) is one of the most thoroughly excavated sites in all Israel, joining Megiddo with a similar reputation. The site sits about ten miles north of the Sea of Galilee in a well-watered pass between the Sea of Galilee and the Huleh basin.
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Israel Research Trip, Post #7
Nazareth Most of my posts in this series up to this point have involved sites more related to the Old Testament than to the New Testament. The New Testament alone specifically mentions the town of Nazareth. The town sits about 20 miles east of the Mediterranean Sea and about 15 miles west of the Sea
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Israel Research Trip, Post #2
Tel Arad Arad sits on the southern border of Old Testament Judah along the ancient caravan route to Edom. When Israel first came to Arad, the Canaanites together with the Amalekites withstood their assault and drove the Israelites as far as neighboring Hormah (Numbers 14:44–45; Deuteronomy 1:44).
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Jordan Research Trip, Post #7
Aroer and the Arnon Gorge Most references in the Old Testament to Aroer occur with reference to a fortress on the edge of the Arnon Gorge known also as Wadi Mujib. Such a location fits “crest of a mountain” as the possible meaning of the name Aroer — another possible meaning would be “juniper,” a
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Jordan Research Trip, Post #6
Peor Geographical details in the account regarding Balaam in Numbers 22–24 provide information identifying the area where Israel camped east of the Jordan River before entering Canaan.
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Jordan Research Trip, Post #1
For the first week of December 2019 my travels take me to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan with a group connected with Shepherds Theological Seminary and The West Institute. As we visit various sites of significance for biblical studies, I will post a few pictures and a brief description.
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Lessons on Hope for Suffering Saints
In a fallen world filled with conflict, uncertainty, sorrow, death, and disease God’s people often face suffering. God’s Word in both Old and New Testaments offers hope.
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The Authority of Scripture in the Book of Jeremiah
Introduction Jeremiah “combined the fearlessness of Amos, the loving concern of Hosea, and the stern grandeur of Isaiah.”[1] The Word of God is one of the major themes of the Book of Jeremiah. “‘And those who escape the sword will return out of the land of Egypt to the land of Judah few in number.
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Shalom Living for God’s People
In 2014, as part of my participation in the ministries of Abraham Lincoln Foundation of Albania (ALFA), Robb Provost (ministry director) asked me to prepare and present a study about “shalom living” from the Old Testament.
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Uncommon Wisdom: Old Testament Wisdom Books
Introduction Overall, Old Testament (OT) wisdom books are fairly anthropocentric (man-centered) since they address the issues of everyday living faced by God’s people. That does not mean that they are not also theocentric (God-centered).
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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“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
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“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.
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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?
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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
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Blow the Shophar! It’s a New Year!
Share Are you thinking about making any New Year’s resolutions? You know what folk wisdom says about that: “New Year’s resolutions go in one year and out the other.” We all know that most of the leaves we turn over in January have already started to fall by the end of the month.
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What Books Do You Recommend Most Highly?
Everyone who loves books, selects certain books as their favorites. Through 54 years of Christian faith and over 50 years of ministry and study, I have come to appreciate a large number of authors and titles. A full listing remains outside the purpose of this post.