Obeying the Law
Eight days after the birth of Jesus, at the time of circumcision, Joseph and Mary implicitly obeyed the angel and called the baby ‘Jesus’. Then followed the days of purification – despite the fact that the holy thing which was born of her was the Son of God, Mary still had to …
The prophet Isaiah describes the one who would be God’s special servant (42:1–4). He would be the Messiah of Israel; the perfect servant who would bring God’s salvation to the Gentiles, as well as to Israel.
Isaiah’s word picture
We are told that “a bruised reed shall he not break”. Wh…
“A bruised reed shall he not break” Read More »
In the middle of a faithful man’s silent prayer, a young woman approached a well. She was God’s answer to the prayer.
The chosen bride
Our first encounter with Rebekah shows her as a beautiful, happy young girl, intent on her everyday task of watering the cattle. That she was kind is clear in …
What a sad background is recorded for the teenage Miriam! Living in Egypt “the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.” While this may have been a good thing, the growing number of Israelites frigh…
As we read and consider the awful suffering of our Lord on the cross it is, to a degree, alleviated for us because we know that his resurrection with full joy and release from pain and suffering is to follow in the next chapter. However for the disciples and most of the followers of Christ this wond…
To reveal the glory of God
It was always the intention of the Elohim to create male and female, to show forth the glory of God upon the earth together. The proposal, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Gen 1:26; 5:1,2) is shown by the context to include woman and the Apostle P…
At the heart of the great Persian Empire was the royal palace of Shushan, an aweinspiring structure situated at the base of the Zagros Mountains. In stark contrast to the arid, treeless plateau around it, the palace was a delightful paradise reminiscent of the garden of Eden, set with exotic palms, …
Search For a New Queen Read More »
Luke writes concerning God’s thoughts and values in contrast to man’s, “that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God” (16:15); and God instructs us in Isaiah, “ my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways … For as the heavens are higher …
Through God’s Eyes – Luke 16:15 Read More »
It is impossible to stay neutral to the character of Deborah. Some have seen her as a formidable war engine, riding Joan of Arc style into battle. Others have portrayed her as a matriarchal prophetess, sitting sagely under her palm tree. Still others use her as a precedent for promoting women as spi…
Deborah – the Self-styled ‘Mother in Israel’ Read More »
“Many Samaritans from that town believed on him because of the woman’s testimony” RSV
In John 4 we have the record of a Samaritan woman and her interaction with the Lord. She remains unnamed. Her identity is unimportant because she can be any one of us. There are areas of our lives that need …
Becoming a Well of Water – The Woman of Samaria Read More »
