Bible reading notes
A prayer answered, a vow fulfilled (1 Sam 1:9-28)
1 Sam 1:9-28 As we consider power and powerlessness in Hannah’s story, we may wonder about the difference between appropriate persistence or the kind of grasping that God condemns. After all, did not God close Hannah’s womb (1 Sam 1:5-6)?…
Hannah prays for a son (1 Sam 1:1-11)
1 Sam 1:1-11 While COVID is raging around the world, so many of us feel powerless to shake the fears, the health concerns, the blues that come from being limited in our social interactions. We may also be powerless to…
Enduring hope (Psalm 31)
Ps 31:1-24 It is a well-known fact that overcoming difficulties that are major but short-term are psychologically easier than dealing with lesser but ongoing challenges that weaken one’s resistance over time. COVID, of course, is on everyone’s minds these days…
You shall not covet (Exod 20:17)
Exod 20:17 There is a certain progression in these last five commandments we covered going from actions (murder, adultery, stealing) to words (false witness) and then inward desires, the latter in turn giving rise to actions and words prohibited before.[1]…
You shall not bear false witness (Exod 20:16)
Exod 20:16 This commandment is primarily concerned with false testimony in court and therefore with justice through telling the truth. The law elsewhere expands on this and warns against lying to one another and slandering a neighbour (Lev 19:11, 16).…
You shall not steal (Exod 20:15)
Exod 20:15 Stealing in the ancient Near East was a capital offence, but in Israel it only required restitution (reimbursement and additional compensation – Exod 22:1, 7, 9), hence it was of a different order from murder or adultery. On…
You shall not commit adultery (Exod 20:14)
Exod 20:14 The prohibition about adultery is the command that has lost the most weight in Western societies. Not only does marital unfaithfulness loom large on our TV screens but sexual promiscuity has become so commonplace that no one raises…
You shall not murder (Exod 20:13)
Exod 20:13 Perhaps the most fundamental command in any society is the prohibition of murder. In keeping with the rest of the Ten Commandments that focuses on larger principles, the word here, which is not the usual one for murder,…
Honouring parents (Exod 20:12)
Exod 20:12 Given the prominence of discussions relating to child abuse in our world, the command to honour parents may have become more controversial than it needs to be. Obviously, such a command should never be used to enforce obedience…
Sabbath rest II – cultivating restfulness (Matt 11:28-30)
Matt 11:28-30 In my last post, I reflected on the background to the Sabbath command within the OT, today I consider what we do with such a command. Should Christians keep a rest-day? Should it be on Saturday or Sunday?…