Author: Norm

SCRIPTURE: Numbers 21:1-9 OBSERVATION: A violent time: Israel cruelly attacked, Arad and his people totally destroyed, poisonous snakes killing some Israelites, and God seems to be actively mixed up in it. How can God tolerate, endorse so much violence and suffering? We tend to ignore our own responsibility, wasn’t Arad’s defeat in response to his nations…

SCRIPTURE: Judges 5:1-31 OBSERVATION: This song celebrates Israel’s victory over their cruel (and mighty) oppressors. God receives the credit, He supported His people with a thunderstorm (heavens poured, mountains quaked, vv.4-5). Life in Israel went from bad to worse when they turned to foreign gods, only improved when Deborah and other willing leaders led the way…

SCRIPTURE: Judges 4:1-24 OBSERVATION: When it says that they did “evil in the eyes of the Lord”, we need to see this as extreme evil (immorality, child sacrifice, crime, violence and injustice), this was the normal pattern of life in that day, and God was calling them to a higher morality. Israel was often tempted to…

SCRIPTURE: 2 Chronicles 36:11-23 OBSERVATION: This passage shows the outcome of rejecting God. God patiently calls people again and again, sending a variety of messengers, but ultimately He will give them over to their sinful choices and allow them to really experience what life is like without Him. Zedekiah is a king in the line of David,…

SCRIPTURE: Luke 2:41-52 OBSERVATION: The Passover was a yearly feast commemorating the rescue of Israel as slaves from Egypt (Exodus 12:1-16). Jesus was raised “under law” (Galatians 4:4-5), that is, the Law of Moses, to observe its laws and traditions, but in time He would introduce the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 8:6-13), a covenant based on forgiveness through the…

SCRIPTURE: John 2:12-25 OBSERVATION: Jesus reserves His harshest response for the religious leaders. How does this picture of Jesus fit with ”Jesus meek and mild”? Does Jesus’ use of violence here justify our use of violence if the cause is just? Jesus does not speak clearly (re. destroying the temple), as if He is intentionally provoking…

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 69:19-36 OBSERVATION: David was guilty of some serious sin (v.5) but when he looked for mercy, his family and friends (v.8) were harsh and judgmental. He looked for sympathy but received none (v.20). He is angry at them for not being merciful and prays that God would treat them as they treated him (vv.22-28)….

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 69:1-18 OBSERVATION: It seems that David is guilty of shameful sin (v.5) and he is now experiencing the humiliation and despair that go with that. He is personally, emotionally, spiritually drowning, and his enemies are delighting in his shame, forcing him to endure even more shame than he deserves (v.4). He is concerned that…

SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 OBSERVATION: Paul is being honest when he admits that the Christian message sounds foolish to most people – a crucified God-in-flesh? He argues that God’s “folly” is actually true wisdom, deeper wisdom, so deep that those who consider themselves wise can’t see or understand it. If God were capable of a stupid thought,…