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Biblical Theology

Biblical Bestiary and Covenant Creatures, Part 3: Reunion of Man and Beast in Christ

Abbreviated Introduction to the Series Scripture is absolutely dripping with animal metaphors. Animal traits, characteristics, and appearances are attributed to God, Man, Angels, Nations, Armies. Since animals are the lowest creature in the three-tiered hierarchy, they are useful to metaphorically focus on a single aspect of God (bold like a…

by Jonathan WhiteOctober 27, 2025
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Matthew

Authority that Heals: Unpacking Matthew 4:18 – 10:4

Many years ago, while perusing Janice Anderson’s revised doctoral dissertation, Matthew’s Narrative Web: Over, and Over, and Over again , I was impressed by her attention to literary structures of repetition within and across Matthew’s Gospel. 1 Her research, in part, nudged me closer toward my present conviction that Matthew…

by Jonathan SedlakOctober 21, 2025
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Biblical Theology

Biblical Bestiary and Covenant Creatures, Part 2: The Animalistic Dehumanization of Sin

Abbreviated Introduction to the Series Scripture is absolutely dripping with animal metaphors. Animal traits, characteristics, and appearances are attributed to God, Man, Angels, Nations, Armies. Since animals are the lowest creature in the three-tiered hierarchy, they are useful to metaphorically focus on a single aspect of God (bold like a…

by Jonathan WhiteOctober 20, 2025
screen-shot-2025-10-14-at-7-34-36-am
Song of Songs

Like a Lily Among Thorns: Hailing the Suffering Christ in Canticles

“Like a lily among the thorns, so is my love among the maidens… My beloved is mine and I am his; he pastures among the lilies.” Song 2:2, 16 In chapter two of the Song of Solomon, the Beloved compares his Love to a lily among thorns. The language of…

by Mark BriansOctober 14, 2025
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Biblical Theology

Biblical Bestiary and Covenant Creatures, Part 1: The Shared Spirit of Men and Beasts

Introduction From the very beginning, angels and animals have played mediating roles between God and Man. Just as the World was made three-tiered (Heaven, Earth, Deep), so the creatures were made (Angels, Men, Animals). Before Christ came to build the permanent bridge across the chasm between God and Man, various…

by Jonathan WhiteOctober 13, 2025
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Matthew

Parables of Land and Sea in Matthew 13

Matthew 13, the third major discourse of the apostle’s gospel, is comprised almost entirely of parables. While it may seem that all the parables serve the same purpose in fulfilling the prophet Isaiah (Matthew 13:14), the parables found in verses 44–52, at the very least, function outside that purpose. This…

by David TownsendOctober 9, 2025
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Solomon as Creator

1 Kings 7:46-47 inform us that the casting for the bronze furnishings and tools of the temple worship was done in the “plain of the Jordan between Succoth and Zarethan.” There are a few noteworthy details in these verses: 1) In verse 46 Solomon suddenly takes over as the craftsman…

September 22, 2004

Sermon Outline, September 26

Waterworks, 1 Kings 7:23-51 INTRODUCTION In the tabernacle courtyard, there was a laver that contained water for washing. We are not told its dimensions, and no particular emphasis is put on it (Exodus 30:17-21; cf. 38:8). Water is much more abundant in the temple. Not only is there a very…

September 22, 2004

Eucharistic Meditation, September 19

Song of Songs 7:10-13 Six times in the Song of Songs, Solomon refers to pomegranates in describing his beloved. ?Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranate behind your veil,?Ehe says, and ?your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates with choice fruits.?E When he searches out his beloved, he…

September 19, 2004

Exhortation, September 19

The sermon text this morning includes a brief biography of the craftsman Hiram, son of an Israelite woman and a Tyrean man, whom Solomon brings to Jerusalem to cast bronze furnishings for the temple. The writer of Kings says that he is filled ?with wisdom and discernment and knowledge,?Erepeating several…

September 19, 2004

Solomon’s House

Walsh suggests a chiastic outline for 1 Kings 7:1-12: A. Solomon builds the house B. House of the forest of Lebanon (rows and beams of cedar) C. Portico of pillars D. Portico of judgment C. House for Solomon and Pharaoh?s daughter B. Stone work (rows and beams) A. Back to…

September 18, 2004

Solomon’s House

Walsh suggests a chiastic outline for 1 Kings 7:1-12: A. Solomon builds the house B. House of the forest of Lebanon (rows and beams of cedar) C. Portico of pillars D. Portico of judgment C. House for Solomon and Pharaoh?s daughter B. Stone work (rows and beams) A. Back to…

September 18, 2004

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