Tag Archives: feudalism

Don’t Hesitate to Slice

It’s a very old truth, cited in ancient sources: Evil will call your bluff and try to wear down the righteous. Righteous men seek to be merciful, and evil seeks to exploit this. There is a very real difference between … Continue reading

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Law of Moses — 1 Kings 19

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves to think like an ancient Hebrew in order to get a better picture of what the text of the Bible is telling us. For example, it’s not necessary to envision Moses directly on the … Continue reading

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Law of Moses — 1 Kings 11

This is a long chapter, and all of it is required to understand a very broad context. However, the key issue in the narrative is just a short section. Over the previous chapters, we learn that Solomon dramatically changed Israel … Continue reading

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Law of Moses — 2 Kings 2:1-35

David knew his time was gone. He held one last audience with his heir, Solomon. The first word of advice was that Solomon should be a better man. David was subtly confessing that he had allowed too many things to … Continue reading

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Law of Moses — 2 Samuel 21:1-14

The Books of Samuel appear to have been written by Samuel’s School of the Prophets. It is not a dry chronology like the Chronicles, which was likely drawn from the royal archives. But typical of some Hebrew prophets, the writers … Continue reading

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The Logic of Biblical Death Penalties

In the Covenant of Moses, the entire nation is adopted by God into His personal household. As you might expect, He holds certain minimal expectations for those living in His household. In theory, if He were to pass from the … Continue reading

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Law of Moses — 2 Samuel 5

We skip over a lot of twists and turns in the saga of David succeeding Saul as King of Israel. During the transition, David was at pains several times to prove he would not hesitate to execute those whose sins … Continue reading

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Law of Moses — 1 Samuel 7:3-17

Samuel was from the Tribe of Ephraim, and was a major prophet, defacto High Priest (because he grew up in the Tabernacle), and the last judge. Israel was under oppression from a new threat. The Philistines had colonized the southwestern … Continue reading

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No Approval Needed

You need no human’s approval. Given that reality is quite variable, the only hope you have for solid ground on which to stand is your convictions. In theory, you should be able to read your convictions directly. It’s part of … Continue reading

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False Notions of Ownership

We want people to return to Eden. With Creation itself, we all long for a restoration of what we lost. When those of us appointed to eternal life have fully manifested our identity by a shift in orientation away from … Continue reading

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