Jeremy Thompson

Category: Old Testament Study

  • Audio – Chris Brady on David

    Chris Brady has posted audio for a sermon he recently gave on King David.  He is associate professor of ancient Hebrew and Jewish literature and dean of the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State University.  He says David “is one of my favorite biblical figures, but not always for the reasons people expect.”  The sermon…

  • Psalm 114 – The Jordan Runs Away

    The primary Old Testament lectionary reading today comes from Joshua 3 and involves the Israelites passing through the Jordan on dry ground.  I have already commented briefly on that text HERE.  In that reading the waters are “cut off” and “stand still.”  But, Psalm 114 presents the more poetic perspective, which I like better.  It…

  • Moses is Dead … So, Now What?

    Today’s lectionary reading moves from the end of Deuteronomy to the third chapter of Joshua.  The reading begins with verse 7 which, reads, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they will know that I will be with you as I was with Moses” (NRSV).  Of…

  • James McGrath on Elisha and the Two Bears

    If you are familiar with some of the more bizarre stories of the Old Testament, this one is probably near the top of the list.  A number of youths ridicule the prophet Elisha, he curses them, and two bears come out of the woods to maul the boys.  Four bloggers have recently interacted with this…

  • 7 Verses on the Love of God in the Old Testament

    God sometimes gets a bad rap for his actions in the Old Testament. If you want to see this in practice, just go on over to Yahoo! Answers and search “Old Testament.” You can bet that many of the results will be questions like “Why is God so great and wonderful in the New Testament…

  • More Henotheism in the Old Testament

    I have previously posted on henotheism in the Old Testament and explained what this is. Today’s Psalm contains another statement that reflects henotheism. It reads as follows: “For you, LORD, are most high over all the earth; You are very highly exalted over all gods” (emphasis added). Here again the existence of other deities is…