Category Archives: Jewish History/Culture

Set like flint … or maybe diamond

Set like flint … or maybe diamond
Because the Lord God helps me, I will not be disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I will not be put to shame. Isaiah 50:7 Flint is a such a hard mineral that it is often used to sharpen other tools. Isaiah uses this hardness as an example…
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How long, O Lord

How long, O Lord
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?    How long will you hide your face from me?How long must I take counsel in my soul    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Psalm 13: 1-2 David cries out to God four times in this Psalm with the same phrase, “ad…
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Perfect Peace

Perfect Peace
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3 The world has so much chaos that peace is a much sought state. It is found only in God. In a few Biblical passages, like this one, we see the phrase “perfect peace.” The Hebrew is actually…
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Taking the Long Way

Taking the Long Way
When I am headed toward a destination, I want to take the quickest, most efficient route. The same is true when I plan out personal goals and my spiritual formation. God, however, usually has a different map. We get hints of why that might be from the experience of the Israelites after they left Egypt.…
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