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isaiah’s servant(s)
God has many in the OT whom he calls his servants. Examples include, Abraham (Gen 26:24), Moses (Ex 14:31), David (2 Sam 7:5) and Job (Jn 1:8). He refers to the prophets as ‘my servant the prophets‘ (2 Kings 17:13). In the first half of Isaiah (1-39), the title ‘servant‘ is used of Isaiah (20:3)…
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the israel of god… gal 6:16
a benediction Gal 6:15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. Paul’s letter to the Galatian churches (modern day Turkey) contains a benediction that has been the subject…
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isaiah 40… comfort, comfort, my people
Intro Isaiah was a prophet primarily to Judah and Jerusalem in the 8th and probably early 7th century B.C. His message divides into two halves joined by a largely narratival bridge (Chs 36-39). The first half (1-35) focuses on Judah before her exile to Babylon. Here, although there are bright moments, with lavish future blessing…
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dealing with depression
I struggle with clinical depression. I call it clinical because it is much more than having little bouts of feeling down. It involves a number of physiological symptoms. Above all, it skews my thinking. I find this distressing. I tend when the physical symptoms are bad (Heavy foggy head, mentally tired and resulting anxiety related…
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isaiah 36-39
It seems to be common to see Isaiah Chs. 36-39 (Cf. 2 Kings 18-20) as a bridge between the two halves of the book. These chapters are largely narrative with three main episodes all involving Hezekiah. Episode 1 The first two chapters, 36 and 37, record God’s miraculous rescue of Jerusalem from the Assyrians. The…
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hosanna
Hosanna, Hosanna Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest! Lord we lift up Your name with hearts full of praise Be exalted oh Lord my God! Hosanna in the highest! (Glory to the King of Kings!) Perhaps like me you’ve sung this rousing song of praise fairly often. Let me ask you…
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the ‘already not yet’ of the kingdom
When God created the heavens and earth he created a kingdom. It was God’s kingdom created by him for the blessing of humanity made in his image to represent him and rule creation on his behalf under his authority for his glory (Gen 1:26-28). Creation was a kingdom with God’s subjects, in God’s place, under…
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the pre-trib rapture and 1 thess 4:13-5:11
1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11 is an important text in the debate over the rapture (is the Church ‘raptured’ to heaven some seven years before the Second Coming). It is the only text where the Greek verb equivalent to ‘raptured’ is found. 4: 13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who…
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the shoot from Jesse’s stump… the nations judged… and converted… isaiah chs 11- 25
I have been reading Isaiah. It’s sheer length and the vista it covers make it a difficult book to grasp. Having said that the big issues of the book are clear. Human rebellion, leads to two responses from a Holy God – judgement where there is no repentance and salvation where there is a heart…
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human arrogance and its end
Isaiah 9:8 The Lord has sent a word against Jacob,and it will fall on Israel;9 and all the people will know,Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria,who say in pride and in arrogance of heart:10 “The bricks have fallen,but we will build with dressed stones;the sycamores have been cut down,but we will put cedars in their…
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what is the gospel?
What is the gospel? Perhaps one of the best known (at least it once was) and most succinct summaries is a verse from the fourth gospel, the gospel of John; John chapter 3 and verse 16. It says this. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in…
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psalm 87… born in zion
psalm 87 1 On the holy mount stands the city he founded; 2 the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. 3 Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God. Selah 4 Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon; behold, Philistia and Tyre,…
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zion, city of our god (2)
By the end of the OT, Jerusalem was not the city the prophets anticipated. To place the prophetic hope in a wider frame, the promised Kingdom had not arrived. It lay somewhere in the future. And so the people of God died in faith, like Abraham looking for a country and city yet to come.…
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zion, city of our god (1)
It is sometimes said that the Bible is ‘A Tale of Two Cities’. In a sense this is true. Two cities feature in the Bible story. However, really it is the story of one city for it is the story of God. He is the leading character… and his love is Zion or Jerusalem –…
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preparing for persecution
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matt 5:11,12) Blessed are the persecuted… these are not words we…
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john 17… jesus’ prayer for his church (3)
(ESV) 20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have…
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john 17… jesus prays for his own (2)
Jesus prayer in John 17 follows on immediately from his teaching (ch13-16). It seems as if the disciples were allowed to eavesdrop. It often picks up on themes developed in Ch 13-17. The section now (vv 6-26) is intercessory and gives us insight into Christ’s present intercession for his people today. It is his advocacy…
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john 17… father glorify me (1)
John 17 is sometimes referred to as Jesus’ high priestly prayer because the greater part of the prayer (vv6-26) is his intercession on behalf of the church. He does not intercede for the world but for his own, those the Father had given him out of the world, those both he and his Father love…
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not many wise… powerful… noble
Christians are God’s chosen ones. They are the objects of his special choosing love. It is a love that predates creation (Eph 1). It is an everlasting love (Jer 31:3). God cannot remember a time when he didn’t love us and God has a perfect memory. We may ask why God loves us and the…
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matthew’s genealogy
Matthew’s gospel begins with a genealogy. Not the way, you may think, to attract readers. However, genealogies were important in the ancient world, as, indeed, they are in the modern world. They establish credentials. Matthew’s genealogy is a dynastic genealogy and critical to Christianity because it establishes Jesus historical and legal right as a Davidic…
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israel and the church
N.B. If this topic interests you I strongly recommend checking out many of the references which open up the topic more comprehensively and give avenues to explore. The underlying hermeneutical (interpretive) principle is that we must ask how the NT understands OT prophecies and make this our interpretive grid. the kingdom divide In Classic Dispensationalism…
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the lord our righteousness
The 20th and last king of Judah before the Babylonian exile was Zedekiah. He was a puppet King to Nebuchadnezzar. However, against Jeremiah’s warnings, he decided to rebel against Nebuchadnezzar and brought upon Judah and Jerusalem horrific misery and 70 years of Babylonian exile. His focus was his own interests not those of the people.…
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jesus and the spirit
There are deep mysteries to the union of deity and humanity in the person of Jesus. However, what is revealed is for us to grasp and believe. What is clear is that as a man Jesus lived by faith entirely depending on the Holy Spirit for all he did. Hebrews reminds us that he is…
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psalm 98… joy to the world
Psalm 98 (which echoes Ps 96) is part of a series of Psalms (Ps 93-100) that celebrate the reign of God (Ps 93:1). In them, the Lord is king (98:6) and reigns, not simply in the general sense he has always reigned, but in a specific sense; God’s anticipated kingdom has arrived. The Lord has…
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psalm 102
Psalm 102 In Luke’s gospel we read, ‘And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.’(Lk 24:24). The key to…
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psalm 93… the Lord reigns
1 The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. 2 Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting. 3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted…
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raised on the third day according to the scriptures
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15 ‘ 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures’ It’s interesting to note that…
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psalm 131… a childlike trust
Psalm 131 1 O LORD, my heart is not lifted up;my eyes are not raised too high;I do not occupy myself with thingstoo great and too marvelous for me.2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,like a weaned child with its mother;like a weaned child is my soul within me.3 O Israel, hope in…
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great is your faithfulness
Lamentations 3:21- 26 21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in…
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responding to trials… Coronavirus
Coping with our thoughts can be difficult in trying times. There are fears and concerns that can cross our minds that it is right to banish as unbelief. Our Heavenly Father knows our every need and we can trust him to meet it. However, when God brings us into trials, we should ask what he…
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psalm 45… the king in his beauty
Psalm 45 This Psalm is a song in praise of the King on his wedding day. As a youngster, I was acquainted with this psalm, not so much the psalm itself, as a popular hymn of the day that was based on the psalm. The words of the song always evoked within me without me…
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psalm 91… encouragement to trust in difficult times
This Psalm is one that Christians often turn to in times of distress. It is a great source of blessing and strength to lean heavily upon God and his Word in times of trouble. As his people we lean on him at all times but in times of trouble trust digs deeper and looks to…
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psalm 139 the god who searches
Psalm 139 Systematic Theology is a discipline of Christian theology. It assumes, rightly, that the Bible is a unity and on the basis of this ‘formulates an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the doctrines of the Christian faith’. When discussing the doctrine of God it traditionally refers to his ‘communicable and incommunicable’ attributes.…
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psalm 90
psalm 90 A prayer of Moses the man of God. 1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. 2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 3 You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.” 4 A thousand years in…
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psalm 110
Psalm 110 A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” 2 The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! 3 Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power,…
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the last enemy
It was the wise woman of Tekoa who said, ‘ Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die’. The NT expresses this more prosaically when it says, ‘it is appointed to man… to die’. Of course, these statements reveal no extraordinary insight. We all know, quite apart from biblical…
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John (2)… in Him was life
Life and light vv4,5 Life and light are fairly universal religious symbols. John tells us life and light come through the Word. The first words God spoke in Gen 1 were, ‘light, let there be’. He goes on to speak living creation into existence, including man. But John’s interests in life and light reach…
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John 1… the Word (1)
Someone has said of John’s Gospel that it is, ‘Safe for a child to paddle in but deep enough for an elephant to swim in.’ In the introduction vv1-18 we have all the big themes that John will expand and develop throughout his gospel. One writer says that after having read the prologue (vv1-18)…
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psalm 2
Psalm 2 1 Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, 3 “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.” 4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the…
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psalm 22 (2)
spiritual distress Without doubt the fundamental agony of the psalm is spiritual (though we must avoid making physical, mental and spiritual discrete categories; his spiritual anguish is clearly mental and has physical effects as his heart melts like wax). His distress flows above all from divine abandonment. The difference between David and Jesus is that…
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psalm 22 (1)
Psalm 22 This is a psalm of David. The Zondervan Study Bible comments in its notes, ‘The first part focuses on David as an individual experiencing unmatched suffering in his person. In the second part, David returns to his accustomed role as king, thanking God before the people and extending his vision to the nations.’…
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psalm 21
1 The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give! 2 You have granted him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. 3 You came to greet him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head. 4…
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eu referendum for what it’s worth
For a clear expression of the issues regarding the coming British referendum I cannot do better than refer you to the following post by Free Church Moderator David Robertson. I agree fully with his conclusions. https://theweeflea.com/2016/04/26/european-referendum-the-tipping-point/ I should add for my European friends that although I wish Britain to be out of the EU that…
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Jesus… the son of man (4)
All truth is moral. That is, all truth has implications for living. We speak of abstract truth but there really is no such thing if we take this to mean some truth is divorced from real life. Every ‘truth’ is a part of reality that impacts to a greater or lesser extent on the rest…
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corinth… a distant mirror (1)
The Corinthian church lived in a culture not unlike ours. Corinth was a city renowned for its excess and promiscuity. Even today ‘a Corinthian’ denotes someone given to luxury and dissolute living. Like the church in any culture, the Corinthian church was not immune to the influence of its surrounding culture. In fact, many of…
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the watchmaker argument for a creator
Is the watchmaker argument for the existence of God childish? Should Christians abandon it? Or is it biblical? For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. Hebs 3:4 and The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the…
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jesus… the son of man (3)
We have been reflecting on the important role Daniel 7’s vision of someone ‘like a son of man’ has in explicating the messianic mission of Jesus. It is the designation most used by Jesus to define himself and we have observed how he clearly uses the designation as a messianic title. At first glance it…
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giving
The treasurer stood up and spoke on behalf of the church elders, ‘I have good news and bad news. The good news is we have enough money to build the extension. The bad news is, it is in your pockets’.
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jesus… the son of man (2)
We noted that the title ‘the Son of Man’ was Jesus’ favourite self-designation. The expression ‘son of man’ was not unfamiliar it would seem in C1 Palestine. It simply meant ‘human’ with the stress being on the weakness and humility of such a position. In the words of Psalm 8, addressing God the psalmist asks,…
Cave Adullam
Exploring the Bible
Cave Adullam 