God’s World and Word Part 1: Psalm 19

God’s World and Word Part 1

Psalm 19

 

Purpose: In this Psalm we shall see two truths in response to God revealing Himself in both His World and His Word.

• Appreciate God’s revelation in the world (v.1-6)
• Appreciate God’s revelation in the Word (v.7-9)

 

Introductory matters

• Hebrew verse 1 of Psalm 19 indicates that this is written by David: “For the choir director. A Psalm of David.”
• According to William Barrick Psalm 19 clearly divides into two halves:[1]
  • The name of God changes: El (once) in verses 1-6, Yahweh (Jehovah; 7 times) in verses 7-14.
  • The content changes: the World Book in verses 1-6, the Word Book in verses 7-13.
  • The length of lines changes: longer lines in verses 1-6, shorter lines in verses 7- 14.
  • The application or illustration changes: the sun in verses 4-6, the servant in verses 11-14.
• Also Psalm 18 and Psalm 19 connects with related terms and phrases:[2]
  • Compare 18:30 (“The word of the LORD is tried”) with 19:7-9.
  • “Blameless”/“Perfect” (18:23, 25, 30; 19:7, 13).
  • “Rock” and “Deliverer”/“Redeemer” (18:1-2; 19:14).
• Next week we will look at application from God’s revelation in the world and Word (v.10-14)

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Review: Exegetical Gems from Biblical Hebrew

 

H.H. Hardy II. Exegetical Gems from Biblical Hebrew. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, July 16th 2019. 224 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

The publisher have said of this book that it is “perfect for students looking to apply their Hebrew and for past students who wish to review the essentials of Hebrew grammar.”   But before you dismiss that this book is something you can overlook because you don’t know Biblical Hebrew consider the possibility that this makes a great gift (Birthday, graduation, Christmas, etc) for someone you know in seminary, ministry and those who teach God’s Word and want to learn Hebrew or do use Hebrew regularly for teaching and preaching!

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Bible Contradiction? Is it OK to marry a Moabite?

For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Is it OK to marry a Moabite?

Here are the two answers which the skeptic believes indicate a Bible contradiction (along with the wording by the skeptics of  additional thoughts):

Yes

“13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the Lord [a]enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a [b]redeemer today, and may his name [c]become famous in Israel. 15 May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you [d]and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child [e]and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. 17 The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.” (Ruth 4:13-17)

No

“Now when these things had been completed, the princes approached me, saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, according to their abominations, those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Amorites. 2 For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has intermingled with the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the princes and the rulers have been foremost in this unfaithfulness.” 3 When I heard about this matter, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled some of the hair from my head and my beard, and sat down appalled.” (Ezra 9:1-3)

SAB gave this commentary: “Ezra was so upset when he heard that the Isralites were marrying Moabites (among others) that he rent his garment and mantle, plucked out the hair of his head and beard, and sat down astonished.”

“In those days I also saw that the Jews had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab. 24 As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and none of them was able to speak the language of Judah, but [b]the language of his own people. 25 So I contended with them and cursed them and struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. 26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin regarding these things? Yet among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless the foreign women caused even him to sin. 27 Do we then hear about you that you have committed all this great evil by acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?” (Nehemiah 13:23-27)

SAB gave this commentary: “Nehemiah was also upset by Israelites marrying wives from Moab; so upset, in fact, that he cursed all of them, smote some of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear not to give their daughters to Moabite sons, or take Moabite daughters for themselves or their sons.”

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

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Guest Post: Stop Judging Me!

Note: This is a guest post since presently I am overseas.  This is by Daniel M. Klem.  His blog be found here.  This is part of a series he’s doing for his blog!

I have a short series! I am taking you through some of the sayings of Jesus that can be … confusing … difficult … misapplied … whatever!

What does this mean? I will look at passages that I have personally heard misapplied, misunderstood, or simply confusion expressed over what Jesus meant.

Now, what is our passage today?

Judge not …

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.”
Matthew 7:1-6, ESV

Perhaps you have heard (or even said yourself) “The Bible says don’t judge!” It is often also said with something along the lines of “Stop judging me” or them.

Obviously, if we tell someone that what they are doing is wrong or may not be good, we are judging that person and condemning them.

But are we judging people?

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Christians: When was the last time you had a bath?

What’s the longest you went without a bath?  Or better yet, how do you enjoy being around someone who haven’t taken a bath?

What’s amazing is how many Christians don’t take a shower or a bath spiritually speaking.

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Bible Contradiction? Was Mahli the son of Levi?

For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Was Mahli the son of Levi?

Here are the two answers which the skeptic believes indicate a Bible contradiction (along with the wording by the skeptics of  additional thoughts):

Yes, Mahli was Levi’s son.

“According to the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of insight of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, and his sons and brothers, 18 men” (Ezra 8:18)

No.

Mahli was not the son of Levi.

“The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari..” (Genesis 46:11, 1 Chronicles 6:1, 6:16)

“David divided them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.” (1 Chronicles 23:6)

“These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon and Kohath and Merari; and the length of Levi’s life was one hundred and thirty-seven years.” (Exodus 6:16)

He was the son of Merari.

“The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: of Ard, the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.” (Numbers 3:20)

“The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: of Ard, the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.” (1 Chronicles 6:19, 23:21)

“The sons of Merari, Mahli and Mushi; the sons of Jaaziah, Beno.” (1 Chronicles 24:26)

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

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Bible Contradiction? Is it good to be happy?

For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Is it good to be happy?

Here are the two answers which the skeptic believes indicate a Bible contradiction:

Yes

“A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22)

“So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be merry, and this will stand by him in his toils throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 8:15)

No

“Sorrow is better than laughter, For when a face is sad a heart may be happy. 4 The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.” (Ecclesiastes 7:3-4)

“Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.” (Luke 6:25)

 

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:

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