I have felt called to speak since I was in college, almost 20 years now. I have never had a platform to speak from. Even if we hadn’t moved around too much for me to develop a ministry position that would grow out of the local church into regional retreats and national conventions, I haven’t …
The scapegoat. You’ve heard of it. The person designated to take the blame for a particular failure or offense, usually with the implication that others who are at the very least equally responsible are getting off without being held accountable. Well, this is where that concept comes from. Here you have the literal scapegoat. The …
Here’s the thing about the law: It’s both protection and education. It is full of images and reminders as well as practical and moral protections. It demonstrates the impossibility of anyone remaining pure and holy, that we all need atonement. It’s a constant reminder of our need for cleansing, for substitutes to pay our debts …
What caught my attention reading these chapters was the preparation of artisans to construct and decorate the Tabernacle. When God asks you to do something, it very well may be too big for you. Maybe you just need to trust him to supply the skill or guidance, but maybe he’s preparing a team for you. …
Oh, the beginning of the lovely law passages that will continue through Leviticus and Deuteronomy. They’re thick. They’re heavy. They’re boring. By and large, they’re difficult. You know what I take away from this passage? What jumps out at me the most? The emphasis on justice and protecting the vulnerable. Justice is about righting the …
One of the problems we have, so very often, is understanding God’s timing. Or why he sometimes says yes and often says no. But here’s the thing: I have a handful of broken pieces with pretty sharp edges. I really want God to fix the thing that broke (if not stop it from breaking in …
All of that. All ten plagues. Passover and the death of the firstborn. And they still grumble pretty much immediately. “Did you bring us out here to die?” “We never asked for this.” For crying out loud. I do not understand. I don’t think I ever will. I mean, I’ve seen enough in my life …
The problem of Pharaoh. What do we do with the idea that God wouldn’t let Pharaoh give in and do the right thing? The general consensus is to focus on the order of events. In the first five plagues, either no agent is expressed or Pharaoh himself hardened his own heart, which he also does …
I love the midwives. Ordered to kill some babies? Yeah, that’s not happening. Those women totally just give birth in the fields! I mean, sure, I’d rather anger the king than God, but these women spent their lives bringing children into the world. I like to think the question of who is more powerful didn’t …
Well, that’s Genesis. Anyone understand the why Israel ‘blessed’ his sons the way he did? Was it just cultural practice for them to bless their children as they faced death? Is the accuracy of his prophecy particularly relevant? I found a wonderful article that goes through the blessing and explains both what Jacob is referring …