Author: Michael

In John 1:19-51, we start by considering the overall structure of day before moving on to the four days of witness described in this introduction to the narrative.

In John 1:1-18, we follow the chiastic structure of John’s prologue to consider the major themes that will play out in his gospel, regarding the nature of Jesus, the nature of faith, and the nature of discipleship.

We will have a one week pause to get the last Interpreting the Pentateuch resource files posted. Next week we start Interpreting John!

In the twenty-ninth lesson of the Pentateuch series, we complete our series, considering three aspects of deuteronomic law code with an emphasis on the laws for leadership found at the center of the book, the laws of king, priest, and prophet.

In the twenty-eighth lesson of the Pentateuch series, we examine the relationship between covenant obedience, covenant blessing, and covenant curse in the theological exhortation chapters of Deuteronomy 27-30, with a focus on the call to listen, love, and live.

In the twenty-seventh lesson of the Pentateuch series, we continue to follow Jesus’ lead in the Sermon on the Mount as a guide for understanding the Ten Commandments as a moral paradigm for the whole law. Our focus in this lesson is on the first half of the Ten Commandments with a focus on loving God.

In the twenty-sixth lesson of the Pentateuch series, we follow Jesus’ lead in the Sermon on the Mount as a guide for understanding the Ten Commandments as a moral paradigm for the whole law. Our focus in this lesson is on the second half of the Ten Commandments.

In the twenty-fifth lesson of the Pentateuch series, we consider the chiastic structure of the first theological exhortation section of Deuteronomy, chapters 4-11, and also consider the themes of exclusive faithfulness, self-awareness, and right motives in relation to the overarching theme of covenant obedience.

In the twenty-fourth lesson of the Pentateuch series, we get a handle on the overall structure of Deuteronomy by considering how style, form, and structure are developed through the three literary devices of discourse by Moses, suzerain-vassal treaty, and chiastic parallelism.

We are taking a one-month break at observetheword for vacation and teaching. We will be back later in August to finish the Pentateuch series with the book of Deuteronomy. Next up after that, we will take on the Gospel of John. Thank you for observing the Word with us!

In the twenty-third lesson of the Pentateuch series, we pause between the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy to consider the issue of biblical parallels with Ancient Near Eastern texts, such as the flood story from the Gilgamesh Epic and the creation narrative from Enuma Elish. How do we explain parallel accounts of events, ideas, and rituals that occur outside the Bible?

In the twenty-second lesson of the Pentateuch series, we make the transition from the Grumbling Generation to the Second Generation with a concentrated look at the intriguing story of Balaam Blessing Israel, better known as Balaam and the donkey.

In the twenty-first lesson of the Pentateuch series, we consider the second set of four incidents of grumbling during the Israelite’s 40 years of wandering with a focus on Moses striking the rock and why God responded with such harsh punishment.

In the nineteenth lesson of the Pentateuch series, we overview the book of Numbers and consider several legal passages in the Torah that seem to degrade women, beginning with the adultery test in Numbers 5.

In the nineteenth lesson of the Pentateuch series, we overview the book of Numbers and consider several legal passages in the Torah that seem to degrade women, beginning with the adultery test in Numbers 5.