Run, or reconcile?
Jacob has a history of running instead of sorting things out. Remember how he ran from Esau? Well, it’s happening again. It tends to do that when you don’t resolve things. Continue reading “When running is bad for your health (Genesis 31)”
Despite Jacob’s failures, YHWH establishes the foundation of his kingdom.
In the third generation, the promises God gave to Abraham hang on a knife-edge. Jacob is the sole person who can advance the vision of descendants in the land (YHWH’s nation), but he has splintered the family and abandoned the land. The whole kingdom project dangles like a thread. Continue reading “Jacob in exile: hope in difficult times (Genesis 29–30)”
What turns someone around? A revelation of who God is.
Jacob’s alone. In the dark. Fleeing with nothing. With no one. His greed destroyed his family. He hopes Esau doesn’t find him.
None of this changes the sovereign’s plans. The God who promised land and descendants and blessing to his father and grandfather reveals himself to Jacob. Yes, Jacob goes into exile for his sins, but he does not go alone: Continue reading “Jacob’s new direction (Genesis 28:18-22)”
How does the Bibleview reading app decide which two chapters to provide each day? Here’s the inside story.
Update 2021-02-07: Removed old links.
Have you read through the whole Bible? How do you decide which bits to read? Need a bit of help with some of the Old Testament?
Haydn Nelson (senior pastor of Riverview Church) wanted to provide a way to help people read Scripture well in today’s busy world. The result was an app for iOS or Android, or from a website if you prefer. Continue reading “How Bibleview works”
Jacob dreamed of a ladder linking God’s two realms. We’d probably call it a portal. What is the connection between heaven and earth?
Jacob is fleeing for his life. He’s leaving the land God promised to Abraham. He has no reason to come back. His father is dying. He’ll never see his mother again. For his own safety, he hopes he never sees his brother either. Continue reading “Jacob’s dream: a portal between heaven and earth (Genesis 28:10-17)”
You’re invited to a free course at Riverview Church in Perth, over the next six weeks.
What do you feel when you hear gospel?
Good news, or guilt-news?
For the next six Mondays, come and bathe in the good news of who Jesus is, what he’s done for his world, and how it changes everything. We’ll talk about how we share his good news with people. In fact, we’ll talk about how to be good news people.
You know what? It’s really hard not to share genuinely good news. Continue reading “Good News for God’s World (course)”
How can God’s rescue plan work when the problems that shattered humanity in the beginning threaten to destroy Abraham’s family?
You’ve advertised for help with a bakery in a country town. Two people apply. The first asks prying questions about your business model, disquieting questions that leave you feeling you can’t trust him. The other doesn’t bother showing up for the interview. You have to call him and remind him. So, who do you hire? The one you can’t trust? Or the one who couldn’t care less?
Continue reading “Abraham’s family disintegrates (Genesis 27)”
Jewish scholar Jacob Neusner died yesterday. His writings gave many of us a better understanding of Judaism.
According to The New York Times and The Times of Israel, Jacob Neusner died yesterday. He was a Jewish scholar who “transformed the study of American Judaism, becoming one of the most influential 20th-century scholars of the religion.” Continue reading “Jacob Neusner (1932–2016)”
The Isaac narrative is all about the way Abraham’s descendants must follow in his footsteps.
Since Abraham laid the foundation of the nation that would restore the blessing of divine reign to the earth, what Abraham’s descendants must do is to follow in his footsteps. The Genesis narrator makes this point in the way he recounts Isaac’s life. Continue reading “Isaac: the next kingdom representative (Genesis 26)”
Like to see the places where the Bible’s stories took place? Join me for a tour of Israel.
Update 2016-10-11: Okay, we had lots of interest for the information night. Applications close 25 November 2016, or sooner if we have 40 applicants. Contact me if you need a copy of the info booklet.
Riverview Church is planning its first trip to Israel 11–27 May next year, and I will have the pleasure of joining you and explaining the significance of the places we’ll visit. The information night is this Monday (10 Oct), 6pm, in the newly opened Riverview Church building (Burswood, Western Australia).
What do the New Testament writers mean when they call Jesus “Christ”?
More than 500 times, the New Testament writers refer to Jesus as the Christ. It’s a title meaning the Anointed, and there’s a whole backstory behind that word. Continue reading “Jesus, the Christ”
The core of the OT narrative is the story of God’s reign.
There’s a plotline that integrates all the little narratives of the Bible into a purposeful story. With all the twists and turns of a suspense thriller, the Bible’s narrative has a single focus: the unfolding story of the kingdom of God.
Over the last five months we’ve traced the meta-narrative of the kingdom through the first half of Genesis. In the previous two years, I’ve personally pursued that journey through the rest of Genesis and Exodus. The integrated picture of God’s kingship and kingdom is absolutely stunning. Want a taste? Continue reading “The kingdom in the Old Testament”
Each month, Logos gives away a free book, and makes another available for US$2. Continue reading “Commentaries to enhance your Bible study”
How do you understand the gospel? Having a personal Saviour, or being the kingdom of God?
If the kingdom is so central to the Biblical narrative, why do we miss it?
In the last few hundred years, we’ve developed a culture where the spiritual is separate from the natural, where faith is separate from science, where the church is separate from state. I grew up in this world. When I was a child, an elder of our church taught me not to worry about people’s physical needs. “Leave it to the Salvos and the do-gooders to feed their bodies now,” he said. “What really matters is to save their souls so they go to heaven when they die.”
Missed a few posts in the last five months? Here’s a summary of the kingdom theme in Genesis 1–25 so you can catch up.
The phrase “kingdom of God” is quite rare in the Bible Jesus used (Old Testament), so why did he think it was the main message? Most people today don’t understand the kingdom to be the main message, probably because we don’t really understand what it means. But what if Jesus was right? Shouldn’t it be the primary goal for us as well? Why did he want his followers to seek first the kingdom of God? Continue reading “The kingdom theme: piecing it together”
Abraham lived his entire life for the kingdom of God.
Update 2020-06-09: Podcast added: Abraham and the obstacles to God’s kingdom.
Abraham is the most significant human so far. The narrator devoted more space to Abraham than to Adam, Cain, Lamech, Seth, Enoch, Noah, and Shem combined. Why was Abraham so important? His significance was his contribution to the kingdom of God. Continue reading “Abraham’s life: a summary (Genesis 12–25)”
How has the life of Abraham (Genesis 12–25) contributed to the narrative of the kingdom of God?
One hundred years Abraham has lived in Canaan. And what a life it’s been! Just as God promised, he became the father of many nations. Continue reading “What did Abraham achieve? (Genesis 25)”
How can we talk about the kingdom of God when everything has gone wrong?
God reigns? What does that mean? Does it mean I’m a conqueror who can defeat any enemy and no evil can touch me?
This morning I woke to news that cut deep into my being. Someone I’d met briefly, a servant of King Jesus from our own city here in Perth, had died. Geoff Freind from Morley Salvation Army had gone to Malawi to proclaim “Good News!” He was attacked on the streets, and died in hospital. His wife and four sons are trying to come to terms with the tragedy. Continue reading “How can you say God reigns?”
How would the story of Genesis 24 have felt from Rebekah’s point of view?
Rebekah is caught up in a romantic mystery beyond her wildest dreams. She’s a beautiful girl who has kept herself pure. A wealthy traveller has turned up in her corner of the world. After showing him hospitality, she learns he’s not really a stranger but the servant of a long-lost relative. Apparently Abraham has been very successful, and is seeking a suitable bride for his son who will inherit his good fortune. The guest showers her with expensive jewellery and dresses suitable for a princess. It’s all very sudden and unexpected, but it might be the opportunity of a lifetime. Continue reading “Rebekah’s romance (Genesis 24:22-67)”
In seeking a bride for Isaac, why did Abraham’s servant set this particular test?
The marriage of Isaac and Rebekah must be important: Genesis 24 is the longest chapter in Genesis. The narrator repeats details multiple times. It’s a royal wedding, and we’re introduced to the princess of the kingdom, or at least of the nation that will represent YHWH’s kingdom. Continue reading “A test for the bride (Genesis 24:13-21)”
Seeking the kingdom 