Today begins the season of Advent, a four week celebration of the first coming of the Messiah. Christ-followers across the world celebrate with one eye on the past arrival of Jesus and the other on his second coming. In a way it is the Christian version of the Jewish holiday Sukkot, or Feast of Tabernacles, which depicts the time when God will dwell with Men once more. These are days of anticipation.
Jeremiah served as a prophet for 40 years, warning the people of Israel about the coming judgment. He did his very best to guide the people toward repentance and acceptance of their discipline, but the people would not listen. Then the Babylonians came, and they brought fire, death and destruction with them. The author of Lamentations had a front row seat to the carnage — not only that which Nebuchadnezzar brought once he breached Jerusalem, but the misery and even cannibalism the citizens of that great city participated in during the previous months of siege. The events on both sides were heartbreaking.
Turmoil had swept across the land like a powerful winter storm. The divided kingdom was functioning, but barely, and all of Israel's existence was on the verge of collapse. King Josiah, though a good king in God's estimation, made the mistake of not preparing the people like Jeremiah was attempting to do. Once Jehoiakim took to the throne in 609 B.C. he immediately set out on the path of the bad kings. He formed an alliance with Egypt and ignored paying the nations "duty" to Babylon, something that would lead to the destruction of the nation and the temple.
Israel, 740 BC — King Uzziah is dead, long live king Jotham. As the prophet began his new carrier the kingdom was divided, but both Judah and Israel existed. To say the times were troubled would be an understatement, with Assyria on the rise and Israel's military might being taxed and depleted by border skirmishes, if the nation didn't turn things around the land would be taken from them. It was a busy time in history, but especially for Isaiah, who not only began a new career but was involved in burying his cousin, King Uzziah, as well.
A single truth can have multiple applications. For example, when attempting to compute the area of a circle we use a limited value for pi (3.16...). While pi has only been a recognized value for the last 250 years, it appears the ancient Egyptians knew of it and used its value to help build the Great Pyramid at Giza whose vertical height has the same relationship to the perimeter of its base as a circle has to its circumference. The same is true of Biblical truths, and the one I'm thinking about directly applies to today's name of God study.
When we think of the creation event, we think of the big acts of creation like the stars, planets and animals. Rarely do we consider the miraculous of the minute, things like molecules and atoms and gravity, all working perfectly and in order with constancy and consistency. Like gravity's constant pull there is another reality that works just as powerfully, a force not of nature but of super-nature: God's glory. It is for this reason that the seraphim sing in Isaiah 6, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."
The Church of England recently decided to stop using masculine names and pronouns to refer to God, feeling that it alienates women worshipers. Never mind that God always refers to himself as a he, as father, and as son. God never refers to himself as she, mother or daughter. He does liken his protective nature to a hen with her chicks or a mother bear over her cubs, but this is not the same as declaring himself as a female. I suppose what is next is removal of the military names of God, like the one we examine today, El Gibbor.
The mass of people were gathered at the base of Mount Sinai, Moses was addressing them. The prophet knew the people well. They were stiff-necked and needed many reminders. So he began, saying that God chose them not because of their numbers (they were small), not because of their greatness (they were weak), but because he was fulfilling a promise he made to their ancestors. "So realize that the Lord your God is the true God, El Emunah (the faithful God) who keeps covenant faithfully with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations..." (Deuteronomy 7.9)
"Media" used to mean "print media" like books and newspapers, but the world has grown. Today media can also mean radio, television and movies delivered to personal computers, tablets and cell phones. As the world's best selling book of all time the Bible continues to make headlines, both good and bad, across all forms of media. Christians from Finland are arrested for evangelizing Muslims in Malaysia, a Muslim rapist is acquitted by the French court due to differing "cultural norms", The Freedom From Religion Foundation mock the birth of Jesus, and a small stone teaches Bible scholars a big lesson.
"Media" used to mean "print media" like books and newspapers, but the world has grown. Today media can also mean radio, television and movies delivered to personal computers, tablets and cell phones. As the world's best selling book of all time the Bible continues to make headlines, both good and bad, across all forms of media. Colorado University in Colorado Springs discriminates against Christian campus group Ratio Christi, a male Australian senator surprisingly identifies as a woman for the most surprising of reasons, and a pastor/humanitarian serving the less fortunate receives a 7 year prison sentence.
"Media" used to mean "print media" like books and newspapers, but the world has grown. Today media can also mean radio, television and movies delivered to personal computers, tablets and cell phones. As the world's best selling book of all time the Bible continues to make headlines, both good and bad, across all forms of media. Pakistani Asia Bibi whose life is in eminent danger is denied religious refuge status by the United Kingdom, Big Bang star Mayim Bialik criticizes the Bible's parenting advice, and Black Panther star Letitia Write reveals how her Christian Faith shapes her acting career.
"Media" used to mean "print media" like books and newspapers, but the world has grown. Today media can also mean radio, television and movies delivered to personal computers, tablets and cell phones. As the world's best selling book of all time the Bible continues to make headlines, both good and bad, across all forms of media. Sarah Silverman blasphemes Jesus in latest skit, Michael Buble thanks God for his son's remission of cancer, a woman calls the cops against her parents who asked her to church, and two US states pass pro-life Constitutional amendments to outlaw abortion.
