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Today’s discussion took in two topics of particular interest: both of them have vexed the Church since that first day.  First, let’s take a look at today’s scripture:
3 His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
4 Thus he has [...]

I’ve had people ask me from time to time, “Why do you suppose God chose Israel?”  It’s an understandable question.  Why did God choose this particular people – descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?  It’s funny, the people of Israel probably asked themselves the same question from time to time.  When we ask the question [...]

I’ve been off for a while.  That is, I haven’t blogged, although I’ve kept up with reading the daily verses.  Part of the reason is that I’ve been leading a group this fall studying N. T. Wright’s Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense.  It’s an excellent little book with some really deep ideas and we [...]

I think that the quarterly lesson series editors want us to take specific historical accounts from the Old Testament and apply them generally – even universally – to our lives.  I agree with this goal, but some days it’s a stretch to do so when the context is really not there.  Today’s lesson scripture offers [...]

David’s prayer in today’s lesson expresses a universal human longing to know God and to sustain that knowledge through worship and devotion:
17 I know, my God, that you search the heart, and take pleasure in uprightness; in the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who [...]

In seeking God’s will we are often at loose ends.  We wonder sometimes as we look out on a world that doesn’t make sense: a world in which terrible things are done and too often in his name.  All we can do is to seek God – in prayer, in fasting, in study – humbly [...]

When Ezekiel wrote these words did he understand their meaning?
11 For thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.
12 ”As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep , so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them [...]

Good class discussion today.  Just when you wonder how the Old Testament is relevant today, we’re reminded that just as Nehemiah’s purpose was to rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem, so it is our mission to build God’s Kingdom – the New Jerusalem:
5 Then I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and [...]

There will come a time of rest, but in this life rest is something that is of short duration at best:
15 When our enemies heard that their plot was known to us, and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his work.
16 From that day on, half of my servants worked [...]

Nehemiah not only asked for permission to go to Jerusalem, he asked the king to give him letters of passage.  This was important in that time – it was almost like having diplomatic immunity.  Having this authority allowed Nehemiah to get past people who didn’t want him there.
6 The king said to me (the queen also [...]