Old Testament

The magicians and the plagues

Sat, 21/10/2006 - 22:19 -- James Oakley

I love the fact that the Egyptian magicians think it is clever to copy the first few plagues. (They run out of steam when it gets to the gnats).

The Egyptians "grow weary of drinking water from the Nile" (7:18 - !), because it is turned to blood. So the Egyptians produce... more blood.

Pharaoh is pleading (not very dignified for a king of Egypt, 8:8) with Moses and Aaron to take away the frogs. But that's alright - his magicians can produce... more frogs.

I mean: What use is more blood and more frogs?! The one thing they cannot copy is Yahweh's ability to take away the plagues. Thus it's clear, even from plague 1, that Yahweh is without rival in Egypt.

There are many temporal expressions of God's anger in today's world. The false gods we all serve to varying degree can replicate many of these expressions of anger. But there is no god in the world, except the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who can take away the anger of God.

Blog Category: 
Exodus

Long live King Joash!

Fri, 20/10/2006 - 09:43 -- James Oakley

I like the story of King Joash / Jehoash (1 Kings 11-12).

When he was just born (under a year old, comparing 11:3 and 11:21), the person who thought they ruled Judah (Athaliah) killed all the kings sons. Why such ruthlessness? She wanted to rule, and felt threatened that a new heir to the throne had been born.

Blog Category: 
Kings

Peter Enns on Exodus

Sat, 14/10/2006 - 18:28 -- James Oakley

I’m enjoying Peter Enns, NIV Application Commentary, Exodus more than I expected to. He has clearly spent a lot of time with the Hebrew text of the book, and has a lot of helpful observations to make.

For example, the word for “worship” in 4:23 is of the same root as the word for “work” in 5:9. (‘bd). The conflict between Yahweh and Pharaoh is being seen in yet one more respect – which king will successfully command the work/worship of the Hebrews.

Blog Category: 
Exodus

The Message of the Old Testament

Thu, 21/09/2006 - 15:14 -- James Oakley

I'm finishing off preparations for a training day I'm leading on Saturday, entitled "Preaching Christ from the Old Testament".

The bookstall arrived today. The good John Telford, manager of Wesley Owen on Wigmore Street in London, was tremendously helpful in recommending titles for me and finding ones that our local Christian bookshops said they wouldn't be able to sell. Thank you John, and an excellent parcel of books it is. Shame the Griedanus is temporally unavailable.

Anyway, why did I not know of Mark Dever's The Message of the Old Testament before now? It was only published in May, so fair enough. But Mark sets out, for each Old Testament book, to print a sermon on the entire book. A brave project, but oh so helpful. So thank you Mark Dever too.

Blog Category: 
Old Testament

Living in Sodom, indeed - and Babylon

Tue, 19/09/2006 - 10:38 -- James Oakley

Thanks, again, David for this:

http://davidpfield.blogspot.com/2006/09/living-in-sodom.html

Indeed! And I remain convinced that one of the most important books of Scripture to teach our children is the book of Daniel.

"But you would say that", I hear. Yes - but which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Indeed! And I remain convinced that one of the most important books of Scripture to teach our children is the book of Daniel.

Blog Category: 
Daniel

Joab and Abishai

Mon, 18/09/2006 - 07:44 -- James Oakley

I'm just finishing reading through 2 Samuel. Joab and Abishai, the two (surviving) sons of Zeruiah, remind me of the role that James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, sometimes play in the gospels.

The assassination of Amasa in chapter 21 seems as much to do with Joab's determination to continue in charge of the army as it is about Amasa's slowness to muster Judah. In short, he wants to be David's right-hand man. Compare Mark 10:35-45. Joab's hastiness to slay Absalom is deemed too hasty by David, cf. Luke 9:54-55.

I'm just trying to tap consciously into something I had noticed instinctively. The question is: I'm I noticing something that isn't objectively there? Even if it is a valid observation, so what?

Enough subconscious blogging for one morning! Bye all

Blog Category: 
Samuel

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