25 February – 3 March 2018. Exodus 36 (click to read). In Exodus we read how the Israelites aimed to create a wonderful tabernacle, a beautiful place where they could meet together with God. But if they were going to do this, they would need skilled people to help. Bez’alel and Oho’liab were skilful workers. […]
18–24 February 2018. Exodus 26 (click to read). For those of you who have been lucky enough to live in Europe or go on holidays there, you will know how wonderful it is to enjoy their great cathedrals. Every day tourists from all over the world flock to those ancient churches, walking through those historic […]
11–17 February 2018. Exodus 16 (click to read). The Hebrew slaves in Egypt knew what it was like to be oppressed through work. Under the harsh rule of their masters they were abused, forced to work long hours every day, used up, and then thrown aside when they couldn’t work anymore. But through Moses, God […]
4–10 February 2018. Exodus 5–6 (click to read). One of the most common worries that people share with me is their worry about work. That’s not surprising given how stressful the work situation is here in Taiwan. Jobs here aren’t easy to find, and when one does have a job, the work is stressful, long, […]
24–30 April 2016. Deuteronomy 19 (click to read). Deuteronomy 19 talks again about cities of refuge, an idea we saw back in Numbers 35. But unlike in Numbers, this chapter is special because it includes the “lex talionis“, the famous Jewish law of revenge. In verse 21 this law demands “life for life, eye for […]
28 February – 5 March 2016. Exodus 40 (click to read). In the last few chapters of Exodus, the instructions to the Jews on how they should set up their tabernacle are repeated. In these last chapters we also see a lot of detailed instructions for the priests. These detailed instructions continue into the next […]
21–27 February 2016. Exodus 31–32 (click to read). At the start of today’s long passage from Exodus 31–33, we hear about two skillful craftsmen, Bezalel and Oholiab, who are chosen to decorate the tent where the Israelites worship God. Wouldn’t that be great, to be called out by God this way as someone with such […]
14–20 February 2016. Exodus 22 (click to read). The Old Testament law contains 613 commands, but as we see in the gospels (e.g. Matt 22:34–40) Jesus gives us only two: love God completely, and love your neighbour as yourself. In today’s text, we see some concrete examples of that second command. In verses 21–27 we […]
7–13 February 2016. Exodus 12 (click to read). Exodus 12 has all the characteristics of a frightening horror story. It begins with the killing of a lamb, holding it down while it kicks and struggles, drawing a sharp knife across its throat and collecting the blood that spurts out. It talks about smearing that hot […]
27 September – 3 October 2015. Job 21:1–21 (click to read). In chapter 20, Job’s friend Zophar tries a second time to explain why suffering exists. His views are very similar to Job’s other friend, Eliphaz. For Zophar, the law of God is simple: God will always punish the wicked, and he will always reward […]