Bible reading notes
The shaping of character (Exod 2:15-22)
Exod 2:15-22 It always amazes me how patiently God shapes our lives for His service. We might feel that we have missed the boat and it is too late to start anything new, but the Lord’s perspective is different. Jesus…
A pull of loyalties (Exod 2:11-14)
Exod 2:11-14 Moses grew up with a dual identity as both Egyptian and Hebrew, prince and slave. We are not told of the turmoil this might have meant, but it is likely he would have felt the pull of loyalties.…
Nothing is too difficult for Him (Exod 2:1-10)
Exod 2:1-10 Many of us are familiar with the song whose refrain is ‘Nothing is too difficult for Thee’, but probably few know that the words come from Jer 32:17. It is not a triumphant response to God’s rescue, as…
A child of two worlds (Exod 2:1-10)
Exod 2:1-10 As a little girl I lived in India for three and a half years and was exposed to a very different world than Hungary (then a Communist country), where I spent the rest of my childhood. My family…
The hidden hand of God (Exod 1:15-22)
Exod 1:15-22 On the surface, things continue to go from bad to worse for Israel. Pharaoh’s tactic for suppressing any rebellion against him is both psychological and physical. Hard labour is meant to crush God’s people to the point where…
A promise-keeping God (Exod 1:1-14)
Exod 1:1-14 There are times in our lives when we wonder if God’s promises to us will ever be fulfilled. We cling to those words that we feel God had spoken to us, but when we are repeatedly disappointed, we…
Looking forward (Psalm 37)
Ps 37:1-40 Some missionary friends who had applied for permanent residency in the country they were serving in, found themselves expelled instead with a month’s notice to clear out. The experience was traumatic. They started there as a young married…
Looking back on the year (Psalm 105)
Ps 105:1-45 The end of a year is often a time of stocktaking, of looking back. What was the year like for you? Much the same as the year before? Lots of change and transition? And where was God in…
‘His own arm brought salvation’ (Isa 59:16; Matthew 1-2)
Having explored different aspects of Matthew’s Gospel on Jesus’s birth, I now draw together his portrayal of the events into an overall picture. A friend of mine once told me how saddened she was that she messed up God’s plans…
A salvation broader than we know (Matt 1:21)
Matt 1:18-25 Matthew’s Gospel focuses from the very beginning on Jesus’s mission to save from sin. But what does this expression mean? Obviously, atonement for sin and forgiveness are central to it. As an OT scholar, however, I cannot help…