Tag: prophecy
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Studying Nahum 1 1-3, 6-8, 12-13, 15
Dire days of destruction are coming – or rather, have come, if we decide to take that approach to the first chapter of Nahum, which we are studying for Sunday, December 26. That is: the dire predictions of the prophet of the destruction of the Assyrian city of Nineveh have already come to pass. The…
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Reflecting on Isaiah 9 2-7
What is our response to this beautiful prophetic poetry? This compact, evocative expression of realized eschatology – the already of the prophetic future – and this heart-rending depiction of the good life intended for humanity? [Not to lead the witness at all here …] Do we long for its realization? Notice the gap between consummation…
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Studying Isaiah 9 2-7
We are studying Isaiah 9:2-7 for Sunday, December 19 – a beautiful expression of the anticipation of future redemption, and the text for one of the more famous choruses from Handel’s Messiah. [Some questions on the text are here.] Here are my notes on this text: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: The book of Isaiah is a…
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Studying Deuteronomy 18 15-22
We are studying a particularly historically contentious text, from the standpoint of the history of interpretation, for Sunday, March 7: Deuteronomy 18:15-22, which includes the promise of a “prophet like Moses” and a test for authenticating non-false prophets. We’ll need some extra sensitivity to “contexts of interpretation” for this one, I expect. [Some questions on…
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Reflecting on Luke 2 36-38 / Acts 2 16-21 / Acts 21 8-9
We are studying three short New Testament texts that specifically mention women’s prophetic gifts – Luke 2:36-38, Acts 2:16-21, and Acts 21:8-9 – for Sunday, January 30. [A few notes on these texts are here.] Here are some questions we might want to reflect on, or discuss: All of these texts mention prophecy; Anna is…
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Studying Jeremiah 21 8-14
We are studying Jeremiah 21:8-14 for Sunday, May 17 [Syttende Mai, Norwegian National Day, btw!] It is a deep, dark prophetic pronouncement on the consequences of chronic injustice. [Here are some questions on the text.] Here [at last] are some notes on this text: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: Jeremiah is a long book. It announces at…
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Reflecting on Zephaniah 3 14-20
We are studying Zephaniah 3:14-20 for Sunday, May 3. This is the final, glowing promise of restoration that follows Zephaniah’s devastating opening prophecy. [Some notes on the text are here.] Here are some questions that we might want to reflect on: We know the prophet Zephaniah was originally writing for people in the late 600s…
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Studying Zephaniah 3 14-20
We are studying Zephaniah 3:14-20 for Sunday, May 3. This is the sudden, happy good news that comes abruptly at the end of a prophecy that up to this point has focused on complete and total dire destruction. [Here are some questions on the text.] Here are my notes on this text: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT:…
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Reflecting on Isaiah 61 8 – 62 4
We are studying Isaiah 61:8-62:4 for Sunday, April 26. The text contains exuberant promises about the future of a Zion/Jerusalem restored to justice, righteousness, and divine favor. [Here are my notes on the text.] Here are some questions we might want to consider as we think about the text: Our reading begins with a clear…
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Reflecting on Micah 3 & 6
We are studying portions of the book of Micah, Micah 3:1-2, 9-12, and 6:6-8, for Sunday, March 22. We haven’t quite worked out how we will share our thoughts about the text with one another this week, but we are working on that. In the meantime, some notes on the text are here, and here…
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Contemporary Revelation?
Here’s some interpretation: Robinson Meyer’s commentary on the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2019 report. Some Christians seem to think that the only revelation, or genuine prophecy, is in the Bible. Most Christians, I’m guessing, think of “the prophets” according to Sunday school illustrations. They are wearing “Bible times” clothes, and talking in ancient…
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How Can We Possibly Read Isaiah?
Modern historical critical scholarship reads Isaiah 9:1 as an explicit reference to Israelite provinces annexed by Assyria in 732 BCE, and Isaiah 9:2-7 as a “royal song of thanksgiving” that gives hope to those who wait for YHWH “to act to restore righteous Davidic rule in Israel” (NOAB, note on Isaiah 9:2-7); the “child” “born…
Matters of Interpretation 