Introduction: We come now to a psalm of imprecation. They do not represent the entire psalter, but they are a significant part of it. Of particular note would Psalms 7, 69, and 109. What are we to do with them? Well, among other things, sing them. Our aversion to the psalms of imprecation has more …
Failure of Faith and Nerve
This portion of Deuteronomy has great importance for the writers of later portions of Scripture. The theme of this passage is a constant—as long as we must exercise faith in God in a world where His adversaries must be attacked. “And when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness, …
Start With Prayer
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 95 “Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established” (Prov. 16:3). It is important for us to dedicate our business to God. Unless the Lord builds the house, the one who builds it labors in vain. …
I AM and the Resurrection
Just a few exegetical sketches on a couple of oddities I found. This is how the incident at the burning bush is described. “And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall …
No Such Thing As Nor Partaking
Most of our difficulties with understanding the Supper of the Lord stem from philosophical assumptions that we all carry about with us. One of the principal culprits has been the division of the world we inhabit into two parts—the spiritual and mental, the material and physical. But the world is not to be divided up …
Colliding Cultural Disciplines
We are not just entertained by our amusements, we are shaped by them. If those entertainments are worldly, the world behind them is working energetically to press us into its mold, and to make us conform to its wisdom. At the same time, the worship of God is shaping us, and is recreating us so …
Luther the Shrewd
One of the books I read Sunday mornings before worship is Luther’s Table Talk. I love that man. He frequently cracks me up, as he did this morning with his comments about pastoral hubris. “We want to set things straight and make everything right. To this God says, ‘Well, then, go ahead! Be clever and …
Active Obedience As Thematic Structuring Device
And with a sexy title like that, if you can avoid being dragged in then you are beyond all hope. I know that I have been referring to Peter Leithart a bit lately, but that is just the way it goes. This last Wednesday, Peter presented an unpublished paper to the NSA faculty forum. The …
Like A Weaned Child
Minister: Lift up your hearts! Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord! Oh Lord, my heart is not haughty. My eyes are not arched and lofty. Neither do I meddle with high doctrine, Truths too great to hold in my hands. Not for me . . . I have settled down, after the sobbing, …
Real Fellowship
We sometimes like our fellowship in small doses. We love being around other Christians if we can only arrange to have them available on tap. Turn it on when we want, and turn it off when we want. This is why weekend retreats are sometimes attractive. We get a good dose of other people, but …