And said ?Eliyyahu the Settler from the Settlers of Gil?ad to Achav, ?Life of Yahweh, Elohim of Yisrael Which I stand before Him If (surely not) there will be these years dew or rain Except to my mouth, my word.?E And it was the word of Yahweh to him, saying, ?Go from this. And turn you eastward And hide by the Wadi Keriyt Which is on the face of the Yarden. And it will be from the wadi you will... Read more
Some notes on the death and resurrection of the widow’s son in 1 Kings 17. 1) This is not the first time we’ve seen a sick son in Kings. In chapter 14, Jeroboam sends his wife to a prophet to request a prognosis for Abijah. Here, there is no husband, but the mother approaches the prophet regarding a son who has become sick and is dying. The connection is strengthened by the fact that the boy is said to have... Read more
Elijah listened to the word of Yahweh and obeyed, and the ravens provided him with food. The widow of Zarephath gives water to Elijah, and also follows the word of Yahweh that comes through Elijah, and the very same thing happens to her: She receives a miraculous provision of food. Give a cup of water to a prophet, and you receive a prophet’s reward. Read more
Elijah is leading a counter-temple movement in 1 Kings 17-18. Israel’s worship has become so corrupt that a new temple is needed. Elijah is setting up the new temple; in fact, he is the new temple, a human, mobile, tabernacular alternative to Dan and Bethel. Consider: Ravens bring Elijah (sacrificial) bread and flesh “morning and evening” (1 Kings 17:6), and the preparations that the widow makes for him are reminiscent of the preparations of Abram when Yahweh visits his tent... Read more
Some notes for a Bible Study on Proverbs 1, heavily dependent on Bruce Waltke’s recent fine commentary (NICOT). INTRODUCTION This passage is part of the opening preamble and prologue of Proverbs (Waltke?s terms). It divides neatly into two sections: The first, verses 1-7, describe the purpose of the Proverbs as a whole, and function as an introduction to the entire book; verses 8-19 are an opening ?lecture?Efrom a father to his son. THE PURPOSE OF PROVERBS The purpose of Proverbs... Read more
INTRODUCTION When Israel is pursuing Canaanite worship and culture with full force, Yahweh acts. Elijah, a new Moses, bursts into Israel?s history and single-handedly leads the people to renew the covenant they had made at Sinai (1 Kings 17-19). Then Elisha, a new Joshua, leads a reconquest of the land and ministers to a remnant known as ?sons of the prophets?E(2 Kings 1-5). In Israel?s darkest time, Yahweh lights a lamp. THE TEXT ?And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants... Read more
Notes on Titus Andronicus , drawn from various sources, mainly Robert Miola, ?Titus Andronicus: Rome and the Family,?Ein Titus Andronicus: Critical Essays . 1) Titus Andronicus is sometimes seen as an anomaly among Shakespeare?s Roman plays in that it is set in Rome but shows little interest in Rome itself. But this is hardly a fair assessment of the play. The city of Rome itself plays a significant role in the atmosphere and setting. Within the opening lines, the Capitol,... Read more
Now Elah was in Tirzah drinking himself drunk. We noted in the sermon this morning that the kings of Israel get worse and worse as time goes by. Jeroboam is the worst king, until Omri. Omri is the worst king ever, until Ahab his son. Jeroboam?s son Nadab is an idolater, but at least he fights with his troops at Gibbethon; at least he looks a bit like a king. Elah, son of Baasha, sends his troops off to fight... Read more
The author of Kings tells us that Ahab considered it a ?trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.?ENo wonder. Israel has been worshiping golden calves at Dan and Bethel for generations. It?s become customary, traditional. No one is shocked by it anymore. Worship at golden calves has become so engrained that it would be shocking to stop. Golden calves are for kids; breaking the second commandment has become pass?E Ahab wants to... Read more
INTRODUCTION The liturgy is a journey. We begin by gathering from our homes to one place, where we can worship God together. The minister invites us to enter the Lord?s house by faith, to ascend the heavenly Zion to worship Him. Recognizing that we are unfit to enter, we confess our sins and receive the Lord?s assurance of pardon. We arise and ascend by praise and prayer into the presence of God. As at Sinai, the mountaintop is a place... Read more
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