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Biblical Studies

Music and Hermeneutics

From time to time, when I’ve lectured on how to read the Bible, I’ve used art-music as one example thereof. When we listen to a simple folk song, we hear the same melody over and over again, but this is not how composers write "high" music. Let me amplify. A…

by James B. JordanNovember 28, 1996
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Biblical Horizons

Of Preaching and Newspapers

Sermons are rarely more tiresome than when they strive for relevance. Drawing from the latest headlines transforms the preacher into a one-man MacLaughlin Group, a Crossfire without the cross though perhaps with some of the fire, and leave the congregation thinking, "If I wanted Meet the Press, I could have…

by Peter LeithartNovember 27, 1996
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Beer

Concerning Wine and Beer

Part One: The Old Testament “Drink is in itself a good creature of God, and to be received with thankfulness, but the abuse of drink is from Satan, the wine is from God, but the drunkard is from the Devil” Increase Mather in Wo to Drunkards (1673). 1. The “wine”…

by Jeff MeyersNovember 5, 1996
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Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:28-30

28. These are the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away into exile: in the 7th year 3023 Jews. 29. In the 18th year of Nebuchadnezzar 832 persons from Jerusalem. 30. In the 23rd year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile 745 Jewish people; there were 4600…

by James B. JordanOctober 28, 1996
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Revelation

Concerning the Nations

Revelation 21:24 says, concerning the light shining from the New Jerusalem, "and the nations will walk by her light, and the kings of the land will bring their glory into her." Similarly, Revelation 22:2 says, concerning the Tree of Life, that "the leaves of the tree were for the healing…

by James B. JordanOctober 28, 1996
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Jeremiah

Countdown to Exile II: Rebellion Against God’s Order

Jeremiah and the Beginning of Jehoiakim’s Reign Now comes Jeremiah, at the beginning of Jehoiakim’s reign, with similar words (Jeremiah 26). Harken to God’s law, he said, or else God will destroy the Temple the same way He sent the Philistines to tear down the Tabernacle at Shiloh (Jeremiah 26:6;…

by James B. JordanOctober 28, 1996

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Some Notes on 1 Kings 20

1) Ben-Hadad comes to Ahab with a ?thus saith Ben-Hadad,?Eand Ahab responds more readily to his claim than he has to the claims of any ?thus saith Yahweh.?EAfter consulting with the elders, however, he is told not to ?hear?E(Heb. shema ) the demands of Ben-Hadad. This gives us some slight…

March 2, 2005

Translation, 1 Kings 20

Now Son-of-Hadad, king of ?Aram gathered all his strength Now thirty and two kings with him, and horse and chariotry And he ascended and tied up around Shomron and fought against her. And he send angel-messengers to ?Achav king of Yisrael at the city. And he said to him, ?Thus…

March 2, 2005

Sermon Outline, March 6

INTRODUCTION The final three chapters of 1 Kings tell a series of stories about Ahab. We see Ahab sinning in relationship to the Gentiles (1 Kings 20), in relation to a fellow Israelite (1 Kings 21), and finally in relation to the prophet of Yahweh (1 Kings 22). Ahab?s three…

March 2, 2005

Elijah in Romans

1 KINGS 19 AND ROMANS 11 I want to examine, in an exploratory fashion, a Pauline passages that has links to 1 Kings 19. 1 Kings 19 is quoted in Romans 11:2-4, where Paul writes, ?God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what…

February 27, 2005

Eucharistic Meditation, February 27

?Elisha returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to the people and they ate.?E The redemption of Israel is not going to take place in any ordinary fashion. It will not…

February 27, 2005

Exhortation, February 27

In our service, passing the peace has a threefold significance. From one perspective, it is a response to the sermon. The sermon announces the reconciliation of all things in Christ Jesus, and passing the peace symbolizes the reconciliation we have with one another now that the dividing wall has been…

February 27, 2005

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