The term “priest” is one of those Biblical words that seem pretty far from our working mental or verbal vocabulary. After all, when’s the last time anyone had to kill a sheep and carry it to an altar? Yet this is the second blog in a row with a priest at its center, with one […]
Because Madelon spent the last month in New Zealand and Australia providing Bible workshops in eight cities (see posting under ‘Events’), she is delighted to invite guest writer, Dr. Susan Humble, to once again grace readers with her inspired Scriptural insights. Dr. Humble’s thoughts about how to unpack a text will hopefully prompt you and other […]
A favorite definition of leadership (after I worked in the field many years) is ‘one who follows in advance of others, the leadership of God.’ While Moses, Elijah, Paul and others embody this definition, lesser-known figures like Ezra merit a closer look. Described as ‘a priest and teacher of the law of the God of […]
A king needs a kingdom. Every child reading fairy tales understands this. The ancient Hebrews grasped it as well. Examining their history–as it unfolds from the Patriarchs, through the Exodus, the settlement of Canaan, the period of the Judges and finally the creation of a monarchy– is a study in kings, prophets and forms of […]
Rebekah’s reputation as a trickster who got her youngest son (Jacob) to pose as the older (Esau) in order to steal his birthright, deserves to be considered in new light. What if she did the Bible’s biggest bait-and-switch because she was following the Lord’s directive? Recall that we left Rebekah (in the last blog) when […]
A deeper study of the Psalms is helping me understand why this ancient poetry has continued to be treasured and how they apply to the most challenging contemporary struggles. This came to thought when the Charlie Hebdo killings occurred and the West responded with increasing concern about the jihadist form of Islam. Could the Psalms […]
