Category Archives: bible

Psalm 39

Posted on February 28, 2015 by ehurst

Jeduthun was one of three music directors that served during David’s reign. He was also the King’s Seer. The tone of this psalm does not come across well in English. It takes turns of logic and makes subtle connections that … Continue reading →

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Preparatory Notes on Proverbs

Posted on February 22, 2015 by ehurst

Outline: There are three sections. 1. Chapters 1-9: Solomon’s Introduction — He calls for his own younger kin to be wise, and uses the image of wisdom as a good woman who is seldom sought, and has to go forth … Continue reading →

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Psalm 38 (Updated)

Posted on February 21, 2015 by ehurst

This is one of seven Penitential Psalms, and we do not know the context. We can sense that whatever the occasion, it seems not to have struck David’s awareness all at once. Rather, the pressure of conviction grew slowly. The … Continue reading →

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Psalm 37

Posted on February 14, 2015 by ehurst

This is an acrostic psalm loaded with popular proverbs of David’s time. It’s the age old question of why it seems the wicked prosper and the righteous are blown by the winds of blind fortune. On the surface, it appears … Continue reading →

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Psalm 36

Posted on February 7, 2015 by ehurst

Hebrew scholars tell us that this psalm is distinctly in two parts. The first few verses are in very rugged Hebrew that grates on the ears, whereas the rest is quite smooth and sweet. This is how David emphasizes the … Continue reading →

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Psalm 35

Posted on January 31, 2015 by ehurst

This is the first imprecatory psalm we encounter, a form which has no parallel in Western literature. It sounds to us like petty vengeance because we lack the proper moral background in our world. Paul warns us that all Creation … Continue reading →

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StT: Galatians 3:10-12

Posted on January 30, 2015 by ehurst

(A little more from Gospel Red Herring: Spiritualizing the Text.) Galatians 3:10-12 Westerners tend to demand a semantic precision that is often absent in the New Testament. In this context, Paul uses the term “law” (Grk: nomos) in place of … Continue reading →

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StT: Take Two, They’re Small

Posted on January 28, 2015 by ehurst

(Today’s sample is a couple of short items from Gospel Red Herring: Spiritualizing the Text.) Hebrews 7:1-2 If you read this and the following passage literally, you cannot possibly comprehend where the author is going with this concept. While he … Continue reading →

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StT: 1 Corinthians 14:21

Posted on January 27, 2015 by ehurst

(We continue sampling from Gospel Red Herring: Spiritualizing the Text.) 1 Corinthians 14:21 It would be easy to get a rise out of the Neo-Pentecostals and Charismatics on what they consider their turf here. The Corinthians were excessively hedonistic and … Continue reading →

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Psalm 34

Posted on January 24, 2015 by ehurst

It can seem at times that David’s songs are awfully repetitious. Consider that virtually every one of them represents some adventure David went through or something that left a major impression on him. In this case, we are told that … Continue reading →

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