Lutheran Spokesman

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

“Heavens” What comes to mind when you hear the word heaven? Are there thoughts of glory, of joy, of intimate fellowship with Jesus? Indeed, we should have such thoughts, because we are told that God “sits in the heavens” (Psalm 2:4) and that the heavens have received Jesus (Acts 3:21) Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

“Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.” (Psalm 90:1) Moses likely wrote Psalm 90 near the end of his life. As an old man, Moses did what old men do: he reflected. He reflected on his own life. He reflected on the sad history of the Israelites. Ultimately, he reflected Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

Big events have big results. Generally, the bigger the event, the wider its consequences. The bombing of Dresden destroyed that city, impacted Germany, and perhaps intimidated the Soviet Union. But the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima changed our world. So also the Genesis Flood had world-wide Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT (Read Psalm 27) In this psalm King David expresses an awareness of the reality that all believers face in this world: we have enemies who are determined to harm us. They’ll destroy us if they can. Ephesians 6 describes them as principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness of this age. Our soul is the ultimate Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

“‘Come, now, and let us reason together,’ says the Lord, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.’” (Isaiah 1:18) What if someone came to your house and said, “Thus says the Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

“So Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, ‘I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.’ And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would not eat food.” (1 Kings Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

“Bam! Let’s kick it up a notch!” So Emeril Lagasse would fairly shout, to the hearty roar of the audience on his TV cooking show. And then the famous chef would add some more spice, hot sauce, or some other ingredient to his culinary creation. Bam! Another dish fit for a king. The Book of Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

Perhaps more than any other Old Testament Scripture, the New Testament writers quote Psalm 110. Jesus Himself quotes it in Matthew 22:44, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’” He quotes it to oblige the Pharisees to reexamine their Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

(Read Psalm 1) If you are on the right path, God’s path, happiness will come. It cannot be otherwise. The Hebrew word for “blessed” in Psalm 1 also means happy, whole, and full. Wherever it is used in the Old Testament, it always appears in the plural; literally, HAPPINESS-ES. When Read More

The inspired psalmist wrote that “the heavens declare the glory of God.” (Psalm 19:1) From Genesis 1 we know that God created two great heavenly lights, as well as other lights to “be for signs and seasons, for days and years.” (Genesis 1:14) Good reason then for us to consider the moons, even as the psalmist did so consider them (Psalm Read More