A reader enquires as to why in Deuteronomy and in other instances in the Old Testament, particularly, there are a number of different terms used for God’s requirements. These include: statutes, judgments, commandments, testimonies, laws, precepts etc. Why all these different terms?
Back to the…
Statutes and Judgments Read More »
Numbers 11:31-34: A reader enquires: How could God bring judgment on the people for eating the quail that He provided? As always, the context and detail of the record, including the events leading up to it, help us to understand. Let’s review the circumstances.
Towards the Promised Land – Israel leaves Sinai
It was on the first day of the first month of the second year after Israel left Egypt that to the great excitement of men and women of faith, “the tabernacle was reared up” (Exod 40:2,17). It was a singular day, there at Sinai, when divine worship could be formally carried out in the place where Yahweh would dwell among His people as He had declared: “Let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them” (Exod 25:8).
Who Shall Give Us Flesh to Eat? Read More »
A reader, understanding that Psalm 69 is a messianic psalm, has asked for an explanation of this latter part of verse 9. In what way were the people reproaching God and how did these reproaches fall on His Son?
“And David saith…”
The superscription of this psalm declares it to be …
“The Reproaches of Them That Reproached Thee Are Fallen Upon Me” Psalm 69:9 Read More »
Let us consider.
The little maid of Israel, Naaman and the king of Syria
It was the unwavering faith of the household servant of Naaman and his wife, “a little maid”, still with an unbroken connection in her heart to “the land of Israel” (2 Kings 5:2,4), which set in train a process that l…
Naaman – “When my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship…” (2 Kings 5:18) Read More »
John, the forerunner of Jesus
In John chapter one, we are told no less than seven times that John was the witness, that is, the one who bore witness or bore record concerning Jesus (John 1:7 (twice),8,15,19,32,34).
There is no doubt that John’s powerful testimony bore bountiful fruit. Near the…
The Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist, Why Was it Necessary? Read More »
“The Open Christ: An Argument for Openness”
This is the title of Brother Duncan Heaster’s book arguing for an open fellowship. His first sentence declares: “I lay down a challenge in this book: Of a totally open table and a willingness to baptize whosoever will into Christ.”
Alt…
The larger context
This particular prohibition does not stand alone. It is one of a group of like prohibitions recorded in Deuteronomy 23, which, though unpleasant to contemplate, should be considered together. We will consider the exclusions noted in verses 1-8. These are:
A man w…
“No One Born of a Forbidden Union May Enter the Assembly of the LORD” Read More »
We want to consider the points raised in this COD article and compare it against the record of Genesis 2:19-20.
A brief quibble over terminology
We begin by noting that the IEAC Statement dated 4 November 2015 states under the heading “Background” that “We accept the creation r…
Every beast of the field and every fowl of the air… Gen 2:19 Read More »
Exodus 17 – Israel at Rephidim – no water to drink
Paul is alluding to the incident recorded in Exodus 17. Were the record informs us that “all the congregation of the children of Israel…pitched in Rephidim”. This establishes Paul’s point that “all drank”. All of God…
Water from the Rock Read More »
When we read the Epistle of Paul to the Colossians, we are at once impressed by the words of affirmation directed by the Apostle to them. “We heard,” he says, “of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints” (1:4). But as we progress through the epistle we enc…
Is Christ really God, the Creator? Read More »
