Yahweh the Leveler, Yahweh the Warrior (Davis)

In 2 Samuel 5:17-25 and 1 Chronicles 14:8-17 Scripture gives us the story of David's back to back victories over the Philistines. After David was anointed as king over all of Israel and Judah, the Philistines attacked. Both times David prayed to God for guidance. Both times the Lord gave David a great victory. In…

Paul, Athens, and Isaiah 45

Though Christopher Seitz's work isn't always the easiest reading, it is often worth the effort.  Here's a section on his essay that deals with the biblical phrase found in the Nicene Creed: "Maker of heaven and earth." "To be sure, among the many, many gods Paul was sickened by seeing at Athens, one was likely…

Jesus is a Warrior

 Among my mix of commentaries (liberal to conservative to theological to rhetorical to grammatical) I always appreciate Dale Ralph Davis.  Going through Joshua 10 this week in sermon prep, I found this great quote by Davis.  The textual background is Joshua 10.10-11, where YHWH is the subject of quite a few killer verbs: threw [them] into a panic,…

Childs on Exodus 6

Brevard Childs has a great "theological reflection" on Exodus 6 - the 'sermon' Yahweh gave to doubting and mutinous Moses. Perhaps the greatest theological significance of Ex. 6 in the context of the canon is the tremendous theocentric emphasis of the Biblical author's understanding of the exodus.  Although the shape of a call narrative is…

To the Four Corners of the Earth

Psalm 107 is is a liturgical type psalm according to Westermann and others: there is clearly an introduction, four "stanzas" each with its own thanksgiving chorus, and the entire psalm is closed with all the people voicing praise together for Yahweh's wondrous works (pala) of deliverance.  This is his loyal love (hesed) on display. In…