Watts in the Word

Where the first half of Isaiah is mostly judgment punctuated by promises of restoration, the second half is primarily hopeful promises with occasional reminders of judgment. What kind of hope does Isaiah offer to Israel, and how does he expect the hope to be accomplished for God’s people? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching through the … Continue reading Hope in Isaiah

The first half of Isaiah primarily consists of God’s judgment on Israel and the nations. Why did Isaiah prophesy so much judgment, and how might we be in danger of the same denunciations today? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching through the prophets. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on June 22, … Continue reading Judgment in Isaiah

It is easy to put the prophets of Israel on a pedestal and think they were so much higher or better than we are, but the prophets were just regular people. The stories of Elijah and Habakkuk highlight this truth well; how did they struggle with the frailty and weakness of humanity, how did God … Continue reading Wrestling with God

The “Prophets” is the largest section of the English Old Testament, and there are a lot of prophets whose work is primarily found in the narrative sections of the Bible. The prophets clearly played a vital role in God’s connection with Israel. What was their job, how should we think about them, and how does … Continue reading Overview of the Prophets

We begin our foray into the era of Israel’s divided kingdom with an overview of the entire period, from the division after Solomon’s death to the eventual exile of Judah. What patterns repeated themselves throughout this part of Israel’s history, and what should modern readers glean from this section of the Bible? Click Here to … Continue reading Overview of the Divided Kin...

We end our journey through the wisdom literature of Israel with Ecclesiastes, one of the strangest books in the Bible. The book is an exploration of some of life’s deepest questions: what is the point of it all? Did anything I do matter? Does anything have meaning and value? What can we learn from the … Continue reading The Search for Meaning

The Song of Solomon (or “Song of Songs” in many translations) is I suspect among the least-taught books in the Bible. Sex makes many people feel awkward or uncomfortable. But should it? What is a book like Song of Solomon meant to teach the reader? Why is it in the Bible? How should we approach … Continue reading Awakened Love

The Proverbs of Israel are wide-ranging in their subject matter, but there are several frequent themes. If we want to live purposeful, meaningful, righteous lives, what kind of rules might we glean from this ancient wisdom? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching through the wisdom literature of Israel. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church … Continue reading Rules for the Good Life

The stated intent of the book of Proverbs is to provide wisdom and insight to the reader. How does Proverbs specifically, and the Wisdom literature of Israel more generally, help the reader approach life more wisely? What are the key components of wisdom, and how can we avoid the pitfalls of being “simpleminded”? Click Here … Continue reading The Beginning of Wisdom

Solomon presided over the absolute height of the kingdom of Israel, because God granted his request for wisdom in addition to giving him wealth and power. But Solomon’s great wisdom did not prevent him from falling into the same kinds of temptations that face every human. How did a man whose reign started off so … Continue reading The Wisest Fool Who Ever Lived

One of the main themes in the Psalms is righteousness: God’s attitude toward the righteous and unrighteous, contrasts between the behavior of the righteous and the wicked, and warnings and promises for certain kinds of actions and attitudes. What do the Psalmists consider to be “righteousness,” and why is it so important? Click Here to … Continue reading Righteousness in Ps...

Songs have a complex relationship with culture; music is both shaped by, and also shapes, the culture in which it is written, and serves as a vehicle for transmitting the norms, values, and ideals of a culture to the next generation. Viewed in this light, it is no wonder that we are instructed to teach … Continue reading Teaching With Psalms

The latter part of David’s life is marked by civil war, conflict, strife, and a lot of pain, stemming from David’s poor choices and God’s discipline. But in the midst of all his sorrow, we also see God’s grace and mercy toward David. How do the kindness and severity of God weave together at the … Continue reading The Kindness and Severity of God

2 Samuel 11-16 are the low points of David’s life: sinning with Bathsheba followed by several devastating consequences and the fallout of family discord and civil war. But out of this terrible time comes one of the most powerful Psalms. What can we learn from Psalm 51 and how can we read it prophetically as … Continue reading A Clean Heart

The book of Psalms has a complicated relationship with foretelling. Some parts of it clearly tell the future in the vein of one of the prophets like Isaiah or Jeremiah, but a lot of the prophecy in the book is more subtle. The Psalms are full of “dual prophetic fulfillment” – prophecy that meant one … Continue reading Reading the Psalms Prophetically

2 Samuel 7 is one of the key chapters of the Bible, akin to Abraham’s call in Genesis 12 or the beginning of the gospels. The promise made to David is a recurring theme throughout the rest of the story of Israel. Why is this chapter so pivotal, and how does it connect to the … Continue reading The Kingdom Covenant

The book of Psalms spans a thousand years of Israelite history, and is the greatest collection of songs and prayers to Yahweh ever assembled. How was this collection assembled, why was it structured the way it was, and how can we begin to use this incredible resource in our own lives? Click Here to Listen. … Continue reading Overview of the Psalms

After Saul’s rebellion and rejection, God told Samuel he would choose a new king after his own heart. What did God mean by this, what made David such a person, and how can we emulate the heart of David? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on this history of early Israel. This sermon was preached at … Continue reading A Man After God’s Own Heart

Israel’s first king arrived at the tail end of a sequence of bad leadership in Israel. But while things started out well for Saul, they quickly devolved into similar patterns of failed rule. What can we learn from the first king’s successes and failures, and how much should we relate to his struggles? Click Here … Continue reading The First King

The period of the judges lasted for more than three centuries between Joshua’s death and the anointing of Saul as the first king. During this time, the pattern of human rebellion and God’s redemption was solidified in Israel, and stands as an example to Christians today. What can we learn about the cycle of rebellion … Continue reading Rebellion and Redemption

There is a mysterious recurring figure in the Old Testament: “The Angel of Yahweh” appears at several critical points in the narrative to guide, support, and direct the people of Israel. What is so special about the angel, and what distinguishes him from other angels in the Bible? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching through the … Continue reading The Angel of Yahweh

The story of Joshua is full of war, conflict, and strife. As Israel was about to cross the Jordan and enter the promised land, Joshua was repeatedly told to “be strong and courageous.” What reasons did God give him to be so, and how does Joshua’s need for strength and courage mirror our own? Click … Continue reading Be Strong and Courageous

(Note: you can find links for the maps mentioned in this sermon below.) As we transition from the Pentateuch to the so-called books of history in the Old Testament, Israel is transitioning from their wilderness wanderings into the promised land. How did they enter, how did their early encounters with the inhabitants go, and how … Continue reading Entering Canaan

Jesus, immediately after claiming that he came not to abolish, but fulfill the law of Moses, proceeded to make what seems to be pretty major alterations to the law in Matthew 5-6. What did he mean by claiming to “fulfill” the law, and how should we understand his teaching about the things that were told … Continue reading You Have Heard that it was Said

Deuteronomy, in addition to being a summary and recap of the law given through Moses, serves as Moses’s farewell address to Israel. At the end of his life, Moses was predominantly concerned with how Israel would keep God’s covenant after he was gone. Deuteronomy contains his admonition and encouragement for Israel to keep the covenant. … Continue reading Keeping Covenant With God