Introduction: Most cheerfulness in the world is superficial and shallow. Much deep thinking is melancholy. This great Hebrew philosopher calls us to joy—but joy which thinks deeply. Our word profound comes from the Latin profundus, which means deep, and so we are invited to profound joy, not joy that skims along the surface of things. …
Surveying the Text: Proverbs
Introduction: The book of Proverbs contains more teaching about women than any other book of Scripture. The structure of the book means that it is all about women, and many of the individual proverbs which seem unrelated are actually not at all unrelated. Woman is the glory of man, the capstone of man. She is …
Surveying the Text: Psalms
Introduction: It would be difficult to overstate the impact and influence of the Book of Psalms on the history of Israel, and on the subsequent history of the Christian church. As Luther once said, the Psalms are a “Bible in miniature,” and the way the Psalms are given to us, they are as constructive as …
Surveying the Text: Job
Introduction: This book is widely regarded as a masterpiece of human literature, even by non-believers, and yet this high regard is not always accompanied by a high level of understanding. This is a very great book, and like many great things, our natural tendency is to get it down to a more understandable level, where …
Surveying the Text: Acts
Introduction: After the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, this book, the book of Acts, represents the pivot of God. In this book, we move from the world of the Jewish nation to the world of the Gentile church. We move from a largely agrarian world to an urban world. We move from God’s work …
Surveying the Text: Ruth
Introduction: The book of Ruth seems like a quaint little story, off by the side of the road, but it is actually a crucial part of the story of the coming Messiah. The fact that these events were recorded long before the arrival of David shows the sense of expectancy that attends this story. The …
Surveying the Text: Judges
Introduction: The book of Joshua is linear. God supplied a faithful leader to Israel, and he took them into the land, conquering it, and they all moved from left to right. The book of Judges is quite different—it is a book of cycles, a book of ups and downs. It is a book that contains …
Surveying the Text: Joshua
Introduction: The book of Joshua is a book filled with strenuous warfare, and yet the Bible clearly teaches us that it is a book that points toward rest. How is this possible? How does this work? The Text: “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. By faith …
Surveying the Text: John
Introduction: The apostle John was overwhelmed by the vastness of Jesus Christ. This fourth gospel is a cosmic gospel, but with profound ramifications for us here on earth. It is cosmic, but it is in no way removed from us. No, the ultimate and divine Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). The …
Surveying the Text: Luke
Introduction: If Mark is the shortest and punchiest of the gospels, Luke is the most detailed and meticulous. Luke claims to have done very careful research (Luke 1:1-4), and everything about this book bears that claim out. The Text: “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and …