Reflections on 1 Peter 2:4,5

Reflections on 1 Peter 2:4,5

1 Peter 2:4,5: “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God...

David–Upright King or Scoundrel? Part 3

In 2 Samuel 12, God uses Nathan the Prophet to confront David about his sin. Rather than a direct approach, Nathan uses a story of injustice to prime David’s thinking about what is right and wrong. David is infuriated by the injustice he perceives in...

David–Upright King or Scoundrel? Part 2

King David of the Israelites, as you may recall from Part 1, was remembered in first century Jerusalem by God as “David son of Jesse a man after my own heart…” (Acts 13:22). I recounted how David’s heart was open before God in Psalm 109 as he...

King David–Upright King or Scoundrel? Part 1

In the book of Acts, King David of the Israelites is remembered as follows: He [God] testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ This statement in Acts 13:22 called to mind for me two...

What are the benefits of Righteousness?

I was reading Proverbs 10 this morning and came up with the following list: Righteousness: (verse number) Delivers from death (2) Is a crown of blessing (6) Gives integrity, leading to security (9) Brings life as wages earned (16) Brings understanding (23) Stands firm...