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Introduction to Ruth
Ruth
Author and Title
The book is named for its main character, Ruth, a Moabite widow who married the Bethlehemite Boaz. She became an ancestor of King David (4:17, 22) and thus an ancestor of the Messiah (Matt. 1:1, 5–6). The author of Ruth is never named in the Bible. According to rabbinic tradition (Babylonian Talmud, Baba [...] -
Introduction to Judges
Introduction to Judges (From the ESV study bible introduction)
Author and Title
The name of the book of Judges comes from the title given to the 12 leaders (“judges,” whose temporary leadership was both civil and military) of Israel during the period between Joshua and Samuel. The book is anonymous; nowhere in Scripture is any author indicated. [...] -
Loving God or serving “saviors”
Nothing too profound here. Just a simple observation, yet with potentially profound implications. Throughout the book of Deuteronomy, the people of God are faced with two potential objects of worship – either the true God or false gods. But, the observation is this, worship is either service alone or service with the basis being love. [...]
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Introduction to Joshua
Theme
Joshua recounts part two of God’s grandest work of redemption in the OT period. In part one (the Pentateuch), under the leadership of Moses, the Lord redeemed his people out of bondage in Egypt and formalized his covenantal love for them at Sinai. Now in part two, under the leadership of Joshua, the Lord as [...] -
An Exemplary Example of…
An Exemplary Example of…
The book of Numbers is somewhat painful…in a few ways. I mean no disrespect to the Word of God, but over the last 16 days of reading through the book, I found myself daydreaming, skimming, and doing anything but soaking in the Scripture that calls itself “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for [...] -
Introduction to Deuteronomy
Introduction to Deuteronomy (ESV study bible)
Author and Title
The name “Deuteronomy” derives from the Greek for “second law,” an early mistranslation of “copy of this law” in 17:18. In fact, Deuteronomy emphasizes that its laws are not a new law but rather the preaching of the original law given to Israel at Sinai.
Deuteronomy 31:9 records that [...] -
Introduction to Numbers
Introduction to the book of Numbers
(from the ESV study bible)
Theme
The theme of Numbers is the gradual fulfillment of the promises to Abraham that his descendants would be the people of God and occupy the land of Canaan. The book shows the reality of God’s presence with Israel in the cloud of fire over the [...] -
Leviticus 1-7 – the portrait of Christ
1:9 The offering of the whole sacrifice to God prefigures Christ’s giving of his whole self (Heb. 10:5–10). The whole sacrifice ascends in smoke, prefiguring the ascension of Christ (Heb. 9:24).
2:1 The offering of the fruitfulness of the land prefigures the honor given to God through the fruitfulness of Christ (John 13:31–32; 1 Cor. 15:23).
3:1 [...] -
Leviticus 1-7 – paying with a credit card
Paying with a credit card – Leviticus 1-7
One of the ways to look at the Levitical sacrifices is like buying with credit. The author of Hebrews emphatically says, “for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). If that’s the case, did these sacrifices outlined in Leviticus [...] -
Exodus 34 – The stunning glory of a rock
There is something about kids and rocks. For many years my daughter loved finding rocks. The best were those rocks that weren’t just your ordinary rocks. These were rocks that looked like crystals. Whenever we would visit Nana in Arkansas, my daughter would venture out into the woods behind her house with a Walmart shopping [...]