In my current Bible reading plan, the Old Testament books of history form one of the longest lists, along with the Old Testament books of prophecy. As a result, it takes me longer to get through these lists than it does the rest.
And, let’s face it, some of the OT history books get pretty repetitive, such as the books of Chronicles.
But the book of Judges is different. This book details some of the earliest history of the nation of Israel after they entered the Promised Land, before God gave the people a king. The leaders that God raised up were, well, judges. And their stories are pretty interesting.
Ehud was one of the earliest judges, who led the Israelites against the Moabites. By some trickery, he gained access to King Eglon, who was very fat, and killed him. The story tells us that Eglon’s fat completely swallowed Ehud’s sword. Leaving the palace, Ehud closed the doors to Eglon’s inner chambers, causing his servants to think he was in the bathroom. They waited to the “point of embarrassment” before realizing that Eglon was dead, but by then, Ehud was long gone.
Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer—Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. – Judges 3:15
The Espro Press – I’m a fan of my Chemex, and the next in line for my coffee brewing method is my Hario V60. But this press looks like it might be worth a shot, especially if it filters out all the gunk that my normal French Press doesn’t.
The Art Of Pickpocketing – This is a pretty cool video explaining how one Vegas performer snags things from his victims on stage. But it also goes to show just how easily a street pickpocket can grab something before you know it.
Dramatic Iceland – One of the places I’ve always wanted to visit is Iceland. This stunning time-lapse video of this winder fairy tale only makes that desire greater. The shots of the landscapes, cityscapes, and Aurora Borealis simply amazing.
Beauty Is For Everyone – Great art is meant to be shared. And the designers of Central Park, in New York City, had that thought when they created a space in the city for people to use, to share, to enjoy. It’s true… Great art is a generosity.
The Importance Of The Genealogies Of The Bible – I’ve loved the genealogies listed in the Bible for a long time. These passages, while seeming pointless, carry a lot of information in their lists. This brief article gives another reason to enjoy them.
A Surrogate Mom’s Courage – This article popped into my email inbox literally as I was writing this post. It’s such a dramatic story, hitting so close to home in our culture today, that I felt it was something worth sharing. While this lady made the wrong choice in becoming a surrogate mother, she did the right thing with the child in the end.
Self-image, the concept we have of ourselves, must begin not by looking in the mirror but by looking into the face of God. – Sam Storms
Paul began chapter two by laying out some of the basics of worship, specifically pertaining to prayer. In this week’s passage, we see that thought continued as he explains just why God wants us to pray. You can see the passage at 1 Timothy 2:3-4:
Paul starts off by stating that this is good. Prayer is good. For all the reasons he laid out in verse 2, prayer is good. And it pleases God.
The phrase “God our Savior” isn’t used by Paul outside the pastoral letters. It’s much more reminiscent of several Old Testament writings, and carries some subtle flavors of Paul’s fluency in the Judaical, Old Testament theology of God.
The next phrase has been a source of controversy for several centuries, at least since the seventeenth century, between Calvinists and Armenians. It’s obvious that God wants all men to be saved, but what does that mean? Does God save all men, or just a select few? Or is that even the issue here?
I think we can get a clear sens of what Paul is trying to communicate by taking a closer look at the word “wants”. God wants all men to be saved. Paul does not state that God wills all men to be saved. The fact that God wishes all men to be saved doesn’t mean that all men will be saved. Man has a choice in the matter, whether or not to follow God. God’s desire in no way obligates him to do something contrary to his nature, by saving those who choose not to place their trust in Christ.
Seeing is not believing. Seeing is seeing. Believing is being confident without seeing.
I don’t think I’ve ever sat down and read a commentary straight through, from cover to cover.
Until now.
My usual mode of operation, when it comes to using biblical commentaries, is to reference the specific sections on the passages I need. And I have several different series of commentaries on my shelves, giving me a lot of reference material for Bible study.
But Galatians For You, by Timothy Keller is different. It’s a commentary. But it’s also a devotional. It’s concise and factual. But it’s also challenging and thought provoking.
I sat down and read the first five chapters in one evening, and finished it the next day. I was simply astonished and the way Keller transformed the book of Galatians in my mind from one of the smaller letters of Paul to a strategic presentation of the Gospel. There are complexities and depths that I’d never experienced in Paul’s six short chapters. And Keller presents them in a fashion that establishes the purpose of Galatians in a simple and engaging way.
Recently, I started a new Bible study habit. I started hand writing my own copy of the Scriptures. One of the first books I copied was Galatians. And I learned more about this letter than I’d ever know before. And now, after reading Galatians For You, Galatians is quickly becoming one of my favorite sections of the New Testament, simply because I understand it so much better then ever before.
Galatians For You is the first book in a new series of Bible study tools from The Good Book Company. And the purpose of this series is three fold:
To READ:Galatians For You will guide you in understanding the letter much better than you ever have before.
To FEED: The books in this series are designed with a devotional intent, helping you deepen your relationship with God as you deepen your understanding of his Word.
To LEAD: With a verse by verse explanation laid out in a simple to read format, this book is an excellent resource and tool that you can use to teach others the truths of God’s Word.
I was very impressed with the simplicity of Galatians For You. I’m pretty excited to see the next books that will be published in this series. I’m excited because they are great tools to use in ministry. But I’m looking forward even more to the challenge of deepening my own personal understanding of God and his Word.
Check out the trailer for Galatians For You by The Good Book Company:
I loved Galatians For You, and am excited to see what’s next in the series. I highly encourage you to check it out. Grab a copy and read it. You may end up like me, unable to put it down. If that’s the case, take the time after you finish it to reread it more slowly. Who know just how much you can learn from such a tool?
Paul wrote a significant portion of the New Testament. Which of his letters do you like the best? Why? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
If highly recommend that you pick up a copy of Galatians For You, by Timothy Keller. You can purchase it at Amazon.com in print or for Kindle. You can also purchase the additional study guide to go along with it.
Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Cross Focused Media as part of their Cross Focused Reviews blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“
Making Art With 60,000 Woven Coffee Stirrers – I drink my coffee black. And yet, a lot of coffee places give me a stirrer with my order (I’m looking at you, Starbucks). So what do you do with those things? This guy came up with a great idea: Art. Check it out.
Time Machine Pugeot – It’s pretty cool when things go full circle. This video from Petrolicious tells the story of a man who, as a child, loved his dad’s car. Now, he has the opportunity to have his own. But there’s more, and it’s pretty sweet.
9 Houses Built Just For Spite – This made me laugh. People will do the strangest things just to prove a point. However, the results are pretty neat to look at.
The Lost Tribes Of The Amazon – Smithsonian.com has an interesting article about some of the indigenous tribes around the Amazon who have had no contact with civilization. The implications for missions are tremendous, once you get around the protection issue. Plus, there’s an interesting allusion to Noah’s flood on the third page.
Chavez’s Last Words And Yours – You may have heard that the president/dictator of Venezuela died earlier this month. One member of his presidential guard was close enough to hear his final words, and they are very telling. Chavez was very fearful and not ready. In light of his socialist beliefs, and his atheism, his final moments, and the ones after, must have been truly terrifying. This article asks a simple question: Are you ready?
Battling Sinful Sarcasm – I’ll be honest; I wasn’t too interested in reading this article. However, it spoke directly to my heart and touched a nerve. I’m fairly sarcastic most of the time, and what is described here isn’t what I wanted to hear. But it was needed. And with the prevalence of sarcasm in our society, you might need to hear it as well.
Isn’t it amazing that almost everyone has an opinion to offer about the Bible, and yet so few have studied it? – R. C. Sproul
In chapter two, Paul begins with a brief exhortation on the necessity of prayer. His use of the word “then” or “therefore” relates this directly back to the previous discussion on false teachers. But his use of the phrase “first of all” conveys the primacy of prayer in a believers life.
He gives us a lot of information in these two verses. Take a look at 1 Timothy 2:1-2:
Prayer is an essential part of the Christian’s life. And Paul stresses that fact with his words to Timothy here. Prayer is to be his focus, and ours. For Timothy, this directive follows the discussion on false teachers. So Timothy knew right away who to be praying for, among others.
The principles found here also provide a sort of manual for worship for the early church. In fact, there are several striking similarities here that can be seen in the writing of other early church fathers, such as Clement and others, indicating that these ideas were very widely used.
First of all, Paul uses four different words for prayer. Three of these are very similar, and the differences are subtle. Paul may not have had in mind these differences; he may have used the repetition as a means of emphasis. Prayer is important!
Let’s take a brief look at Paul’s teaching on prayer.
