Today’s Old Testament lectionary reading provides one of my favorite parallels between the Old Testament and other writings from the Ancient Near East. I am not sure why this one stands out to me in particular when there are a lot of other interesting parallels out there. I think that maybe it has to do…

The lectionary reading for today comes from Exodus 1. In this passage, a “new pharaoh” reigns over Egypt who does not know Joseph. To say that there has been a significant amount of debate over the years about who this pharaoh was and about the historicity of the Exodus would be perhaps the understatement of…

Today’s lectionary reading from the Old Testament is Amos 7.12-15. It is one of the more revealing passages in the book bearing his name because it shows several obstacles to the people listening to his message. I will look briefly at three: Amos was from the Southern Kingdom of Judah preaching to the Northern Kingdom…

A little over a week ago I blogged that I had downloaded The Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs with one of my June Audible.com credits. And, I have to say that it is one of the best books that I have read recently. It is an honest attempt by a person who…

Today’s responsorial Psalm is Psalm 33 of which only parts are given in the readings. As I read the Psalm, as well as the reading from Genesis 42-43 this morning, I could not help but feel an inner tension. The common element in both the Genesis reading and Psalm 33 is famine. In Genesis 42-43,…

Today’s lectionary reading is one of the most enigmatic in the entire Hebrew Bible. It is the story in which the patriarch’s name is changed from Jacob to Israel. There are all sorts of questions that remain after reading the passage. Who is the man with whom Jacob wrestles? How should the name Israel be…

If you read lectionary readings for today, you may have recognized Psalm 91, which has inspired a significant amount of music over the years. So, I have embedded a YouTube video with some accompanying music if you would like to listen to it today. Honestly, I am not much on the video, but the song…

Today’s lectionary reading from the Old Testament comes from Ezekiel 2. In it we find the most common title applied to Ezekiel by the Lord. This title is “Son of Man,” which is a complex phrase in the Old Testament especially when one takes into consideration the usage in Daniel 7.13. However, the usage in…

I have recently decided to make comments on some weekly lectionary readings in my blog posts, though I will continue to post on other matters as well. Today’s responsorial Psalm is Psalm 135, which gives a good illustration of the presence of henotheism in the Bible. Henotheism is a big word, but it basically means…

The responsorial psalm in today’s lectionary readings was Psalm 117. This is the shortest chapter in the entire Bible, whether for you that is the Hebrew Bible or the Old and New Testaments. However, though it is the shortest chapter, it contains a profound statement of universalism. The text reads: 1 Praise the Lord, all…