Tag: Egypt
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The John 3:16 of the Old Testament
I’ve talked to many Christians who were taught and believed that God’s people Israel in the Old Testament were saved by works, rather than grace. Of course, looking at the prologue to the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 will show that’s simply not true. “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of […]
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Why Is the Story of Herod’s Slaughter in the Bible?
This comes from a segment of a paper I wrote for a New Testament class in seminary. Perhaps Matthew includes the story of Herod because it paves the way for how Jews will respond to Jesus throughout his Gospel. The reason seems more significant, however. In this lesson, we will discern why Matthew included Herod […]
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Happy May Day!
Happy May Day! Do I say that with any particular celebratory delight? Not at all. But it’s still fun because spring is here and that means people are much happier than they were three months ago. According to the most reliable source online, Wikipedia, the earliest May Day celebrations “appeared in pre-Christian times, with the festival […]
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God is Always Behind the Scenes.
As I read Isaiah 45:1-13, there is one, single, consistent, mind-numbing, eternity-changing, thought: God equips, empowers, and energizes even those who do not know him as Lord and Savior in order to accomplish his majestic purposes. I ask, “Why does he do this?” The answer comes in verses 5-6: So that everyone, from east to […]
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Where do you run for safety?
This morning I was reminded of the things I go to for salvation other than God. The list was quite depressing. In the prophet Isaiah’s day, the people of Israel went to a literal savior, whose name was Egypt. Assyria was going to attack and Israel made a political alliance with Egypt — the same […]