Pastor’s Blog

TODAY’S READING FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT- ECCLESIASTES 7:1-9:18 The major part of the Book of Ecclesiastes records the speech of the Qoholeth. (As we have learned, this Hebrew word can be translated as Reporter, Teacher, Preacher or Speaker.)  His speech begins in...

TODAY’S READING FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT- ECCLESIASTES 4:1-6:12. The Teacher (Reporter, Quester, Speaker) is giving his perspective on society (3:18-4:3). He observes injustice (3:16-17), oppression (4:1), depression (4:2-3), competition (4:4-7) and work addiction...

TODAY’S READING FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT- ECCLESIASTES 1:1-3:22 Today we start reading the Book of Ecclesiastes.  Ecclesiastes 1:1 1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Ecclesiastes 1:12 12 I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in...

TODAY’S READING FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT- JOB 34:1- 36:33 Elihu, is the last person to speak in the earthly debate among Job and his friends. In Job Chapters 32-37 Elihu gives four separate speeches before God interrupts and silences all with the final word. In his...

STARVE YOUR APPETITE FOR PRETTY POISON; BEHOLD THE GLORY OF GOD IN CHRIST  JOB 31:1-33 In Job's self-defense against his accusers, he claims to have made a covenant with his eyes. The eye allows images to soak into our souls. What we focus on is absorbed and recorded...

Job is now in his third round of facing the critiques of his friends. He has already heard two rounds of the pious but false interpretations from his friends, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. Eliphaz made the charge in Chapter 22 that Job’s suffering was the result of his...

TODAY’S READING FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT- JOB 20:1-22:30. This is Zophar’s second response to Job. Still Zophar imagines that there must be some unconfessed sin in Job’s life that has provoked God to allow his misfortune. Zophar has no idea what God is doing in Job’s...

TODAY’S READING FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT- JOB 16:1-19:29  ‘Round Two’ of the debate between Job and his friends, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar has begun. Job’s friends were more helpful when they were silent in shock and sympathy, and sat by him for seven days and nights....

TODAY’S READING FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT- JOB 12:1-15:35 Job’s three friends, Eliphaz (Job 4:1-5:27), Bildad (Job 8:1-22), and Zophar (Job 11:1-20) have had their say. Job completes the first round of debate by continuing to defend his own integrity and God’s integrity...

TODAY’S READING FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT- JOB 8:1- 11:20 Bildad the Shuhite attempts to counsel his friend Job. His words are not very comforting. He accuses Job of being full of hot air! Another negative equivalent would be to say that Job’s defense proved he was a...