Colossians 1:15, ‘…πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως…’ (the Firstborn of all Creation). I won’t get into this one too much now for the sake of time….suffice it to say that, though the Son of God is eternal and uncreated, the incarnate Son, Jesus Christ, is not eternal since His humanity is created. So, according to His humanity, […]
Numbers 6:24-26, YHWH bless you and keep you; YHWH make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; YHWH lift up His face upon you and give you peace. In this blessing, for God’s face to shine upon His people is presented as the supreme blessing they can receive. However, in Ex.
Matthew 1:25+21, ‘And he called his name Jesus…for He will save His people from their sins.’ Matthew 2:2, ‘Where is he who has been born King of the Jews?” Matthew 27:37, ‘This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.’ The Magi’s question is never answered in the immediate context. Yes, they find Jesus and worship
Matthew 1:25,21; 2:2; 27:37 Read More »
Leviticus 17:11, ‘For the soul of the flesh is in its blood, and I, I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement concerning your souls, for its blood, by the soul [LXX: ‘in place of the soul’], will make atonement.’ By weaving the intangible soul-life of flesh into inseparable union with
John 8:28, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I Am, and that I do nothing from myself, but [that I] speak just as the Father has taught me.’ The revelation that Jesus is I Am comes precisely in that He does nothing on His own authority, but
Psalm 119:130, ‘The unfolding of your word gives light, it imparts understanding to the simple.’ Psalm 119:135, ‘Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes.’ The unfolding of YHWH’s word gives light; the opening up of His words imparts a radiance perceptible to mind and heart, a light that imparts understanding
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Ezekiel 16:6,8, “When I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’”…When I passed by you again…I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you and entered into covenant with you, declares YHWH
Ezekiel 3:12, ‘Blessed be the glory of YHWH from His place!’ These are the words declared by the four Cherubim who stand by the glittering wheels of the divine throne. Now, what does it mean to declare the glory of YHWH blessed from its place? The ‘from’ is expressed by the Greek εκ, and
Exodus 17:7, ‘…they tested YHWH by saying, ‘is YHWH among us (ἐν ἡμῖν) or not?’’ This is the final verse in the account of Moses striking the rock so that water might be given to the people in the wilderness. Just as a little background: The people are grumbling and demanding water, so Moses cries
Habakkuk 2:14, ‘…the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the glory of YHWH as the waters cover the sea’. Habakkuk does not say that the earth ‘may’ be, or ‘could’ be filled with the knowledge of the glory of YHWH, he—and so the Spirit of God through him—says that it *shall be.* Whatever
Exodus 3:2, ‘And the angel of YHWH appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush.’ The Hebrew word used for ‘bush’ here (סְנֶה) derives from a root that means ‘to prick’, and so it is thought to indicate some sort of thorn bush. It would seem, then, that
Genesis 11:4, “…let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” Here are the roots of Babylon—the “world-spirit” that will oppose YHWH and His people until the end of history. Notice what is at the heart of the spirit of Babel: a desire to put
Isaiah 50:4-6, “YHWH God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary…He awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught…and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward. I gave my back to those who strike,
Psalm 22:23-24, ‘…stand in awe of Him…FOR He has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and He has not hidden His face from him, but has heard when he cried to Him.’ Verse 24 (starting with “For He…”) gives the reason that YHWH is to be praised, glorified, and stood in awe
Isaiah 57:15, “For thus says the One who is high and lifted up… ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.’” The Hebrew translated “contrite” is דכא,
Isaiah 52:15, “Kings shall shut their mouths because of him, for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.” Isaiah anticipates a day when the kings of the nations will come to understand something that had previously been unknown to them and that—upon understanding it—they
Isaiah 50:10-11, “Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of YHWH and rely on his God. Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who equip yourselves with burning torches! Walk by the light of your fire, and by the torches you have kindled!” Are we in darkness?
Isaiah 6:6, “…one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.” Isaiah sees the Lord “high and lifted up” on the throne of His glory (6:1), and at this sight he—rightly—assumes that his life is forfeit…he is a sinful man
Job 28:12, “But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?” The first 11 verses of chapter 28 employ the imagery of a mine with deep shafts and searching tunnels as an example of humanity’s ability to find the “thing that is hidden” and bring it “out to the light.”
Revelation 4:5, “And from the throne came flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven Spirits of God.” Much to say here…perhaps I’ll eventually have a whole dissertation in which to say it. Let me just touch on some
