Category

1 Kings 17 + Elijah the Prophet What’s happened since last week? The reign of King David, led to King Solomon, and then to a divided kingdom (Israel/Northern Kingdom, Judah/Southern Kingdom), and to a series of evil kings over the next 100 years. Ahab, King of Israel, was... Read More →

2 Samuel 7 + God Will ‘Build’ A House What’s happened since last week? We learned of Samuel’s birth last time, he’s the “bridge” between the time of the Judges in Israel and the time of the Kings. Now, David (their 2nd king, @ 1000 BC)... Read More →

HANNAH’S STORY AND SONG What’s happened since last week’s reading? We’ve jumped ahead 150 or so years. The Israelites are in the Promised Land. They consist of 12 tribes which don’t always get along. “Judges” have ruled over them with... Read More →

EXODUS 32 – The Day God Changes God’s Mind What happened since last week’s reading? We know the Israelites made the exodus out of Egypt; out of slavery. They are in the wilderness at Mt. Sinai, where Moses is up on the mountain-with God; and where God is giving the Ten... Read More →

EXODUS 12–13 THE PASSOVER What’s happened since last week? We left the story of Joseph and his brothers and families all reunited down in Egypt. Joseph dies at a good old age. The Israelites grow to be a large population. The Book of Exodus begins with this foreboding... Read More →

GENESIS 30–50, THE STORY OF JOSEPH Bible Background: This is the longest story of the patriarchs of the Jewish people. Abraham and Sarah have a son, Isaac; Isaac and Rebecca have twin sons, Jacob and Esau; Jacob has 12 sons (this leads us to the 12 Tribes of Israel) by... Read More →

GENESIS 15 = GOD, THE PROMISE KEEPER Bible Background: The story of Abram and Sarai starts in chapter 12. God-in seeking to bless and work with the whole human race-has zeroed in on a particular family, and promises 1) Many descendants, 2) Land for them, and 3) To bless all the... Read More →

CREATION AND ‘THE FALL’  GENESIS 2–3 Bible Background: It’s important to note that there is not 1, but 2 stories of creation in the opening chapters of Genesis. Chapter 2 is the personal, ‘hands-on’ story of God creating the first humans.... Read More →

LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION/DELIVER US FROM EVIL Digging Deeper: The 6th Petition of the Lord’s Prayer deserves a little clearer translation. The more modern English version of the Lord’s Prayer goes like this: Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.... Read More →

  The Lord’s Prayer Martin Luther’s Small Catechism The Seventh Petition But deliver us from evil.  What does this mean? We ask in this inclusive prayer that our heavenly Father would save us from every evil to body and soul, and at our last hour would mercifully take us from the... Read More →