There are some pretty horrible things in these prophecies. It's all pretty extreme. Jealousy. Fury. And in the middle, God says that the people will despise their gold and silver because it cannot deliver them. They can't buy their way out of judgment. More, the gods they formed out of gold and silver cannot deliver … Continue reading Ezekiel 5-8
Category: Through the Bible
A ‘through the Bible in a year’ plan done in two: read one day, reflect the next.
Ezekiel 1-4
Several different things today. First, his vision is so bizarre, so, well, disturbing. I don't think that's actually what anything looks like. I doubt if anyone else were to see the exact same creatures, the exact same revelation, it would look exactly the same. I think it's just to make it very clear how very … Continue reading Ezekiel 1-4
Lamentations 4-5
Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored!... ... unless you have utterly rejected us, and you remain exceedingly angry with us. There is something so very human in these last verses. Here's everything we've suffered. It's been so long. We understand why it's all happened, why it's like this, but maybe … Continue reading Lamentations 4-5
Lamentations 3
Even in pain and desolation, there is hope in the Lord. Isn't that beautiful? We are allowed to feel our grief, but even in our grief we should remember our hope. One can remember hope without denying pain. Hope does not eliminate pain or grief or suffering, hope looks to an end, a resolution, a … Continue reading Lamentations 3
Lamentations 1-2
So, to begin with, I'm just going to drop a link to The Bible Project video for Lamentations. I've talked about The Bible Project before, but it's been a while. The app with the reading plan I'm following is their ReadScripture app, and it includes the appropriate videos at the beginning of each book. It's … Continue reading Lamentations 1-2
Jeremiah 51-52
So Babylon faces judgment for sins against Judah. On the surface, this doesn't seem entirely right, does it? God uses Babylon to punish Judah, and then he turns around and punishes Babylon for how they treated Judah. Except, God doesn't make Babylon do anything. I think a far better way to say it would be: … Continue reading Jeremiah 51-52
Jeremiah 49-50
There was one line that caught my attention in the middle of these prophecies of judgment. "If those who did not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, will you go unpunished?" God never said that only bad people will suffer, that suffering is earned, deserved, somehow, that pain is judgment. Sometimes it is, … Continue reading Jeremiah 49-50
Jeremiah 45-48
I find it interesting that prophecies about Israel's judgment always seem to be accompanied by prophecies of judgment on the very nations being used to punish Israel. (Now, I have not checked whether it is literally every prophecy of judgment. I mean that as I read this passage, that is the over-all impression I am … Continue reading Jeremiah 45-48
Jeremiah 40-44
So this is how I read this story: People did the thing. God said: because you did the thing, bad things are now going to happen. People stop doing the thing too late (my kids do this by the way: 'but I stopped!') Bad things happen just like God said they would, because people did … Continue reading Jeremiah 40-44
Jeremiah 37-39
It's got to be difficult to be the puppet king the conquerors put on the throne. I mean, that seems like it would be fairly stressful, fairly precarious. Lean too far toward the people, and the conquering power will remove you. Lean too far toward the conquerors, and the people will reject. I don't know … Continue reading Jeremiah 37-39
Pieces of the Mosaic 