I have begun to make another pass through the entire ISV New Testament in preparation for the publication of the entire Bible next year. I welcome your comments and suggestions. One passage that will require a great deal of thought is Heb. 13:17. How should it be rendered? In other words, do elders rule? The Greek here is most revealing. Any thoughts?

Dave Black Online
Contact Dave
isv.org

Today’s theme is Tulips. Click on a picture for a larger one. See below for details on usage.

I will be posting an image with text added to it soon.

These images may be used for the web for non-profit use. If you use an image directly to sell a product, it would be nice to be compensated in a small way. If so, contact me using the address listed in the sidebar to the right. If you have banner ads on your blog or affiliate programs, that doesn’t matter. If in doubt, don’t worry about it.

Also see Scripture in Pictures for a lot more free pictures.

Amos 4:13
For the LORD is the one who shaped the mountains, (NLT)

Could it be that God created the mountains right from the beginning? And trees with rings that we use to age them, and layers of rock and soil, and coral reefs? And animals with characteristics built-in so they can survive and thrive in their environment in a general sense. Adam and Eve as people like we are with food and animals that reproduce their own kind? Getting light from the stars to the earth at the time of creation? Is it not possible? Is that so far fetched for the Sovereign Lord who did all of the mighty deeds written down as history?

When this scenario is talked about, many people say that if that is so, God tricked us. I don’t get that at all. If that’s tricking us what about Job? That was the ultimate trickery.

BTW, NLT and NET use shaped or formed–past tense and most of the rest use ‘forms’. I’m reading the NLT at this time and didn’t pick a translation just to suit my argument which is that I don’t understand how some Christians believe the theory of evolutionism is iron clad and there can’t be other possibilities with a miracle working God.

I’m writing about evolution a little too much. Part of it is because in reading the OT I keep coming across things that make me think about it but also because I just haven’t taken the time to write much lately.

Amos 5:8
It is the LORD who created the stars, the Pleiades and Orion. He turns darkness into morning and day into night. He draws up water from the oceans and pours it down as rain on the land. The LORD is his name!

I made up a word in case you’re wondering and the subject line is sarcastic.

Finally some Christians are lashing out about the recent slew of posts and articles by Christians about how legitimate macro evolution is and how those who don’t believe this are just not very smart and are making Christians look like a cult. A cult? How can that be when only about 50% of anybody believes in evolution? And Christianity is rather cultish. There is only one way to God, Jesus, or the highway to hell (John 14:6). Is that not cultish? How about a blood sacrifice needed for the forgiveness of sins? That’s just absurd (to a non-religious person). Evolution is nothing compared to that.

Scientists are baffled! by Dan Phillips

Evolution Is False Religion by John MacArthur

I know these two are everybody’s favorites.

Seriously, I don’t think everyone who is a Christian who really believes in macro evolution isn’t a Christian. There is room for debate and I’m no expert. What bothers me is when people make ridiculous statements and/or believe evolution because they don’t believe all of what the Bible says. There is also room for the genre of Genesis and other related Scripture as poetry or allegory although I strongly disagree. Some of my best blogging friends believe Genesis 1 is poetry or allegory and they are very thoughtful committed believers. The important thing is the extent of the sovereignty of God (or having a ‘high view’ of it which I know may sound arrogant) and I will always uphold that no matter what.

I don’t like to rant on this blog very often but just felt like it here. I like to keep things positive and just post about what I’m learning. But I can be a hothead so I let it out now and then at the risk of having to take what I dish out.

I love the book of Colossians and there are and will be quite a few more commentaries coming out on this. Someday after I’ve done some other things like looking further into the OT and reading more of Calvin I’d like to study Colossians as in-depth as I can.

If you’re interested and haven’t seen it, here is a review by Review by David Schrock at The Gospel Coalition Reviews of a commentary/exposition of Colossians and Philemon by Michael F. Bird

I’m still a little dizzy about the back surgery thing and haven’t been posting as much lately.

I had an MRI this week. I’m claustrophobic in tight spaces. I have a routine where I back into the room and never look at the machine. Then when I’m in it I keep my eyes closed and either pray or go over memorized Scripture (one of the many, many uses for this). When there was a long scan and the guy wasn’t talking (!) I meditated on Psalm 23. I put myself in the scene as a sheep with Jesus guiding me/us. I thought about going from the green pastures to beside the quiet waters and then I saw He is with us in the dark valley. I’ve never really thought about the sheep being in the dark valley with Him and for some reason that made a difference. I usually disconnect the sheep at that point.

Then I went through Psalm 20, Psalm 19:7-14 and the Beatitudes. I got stuck on something and started getting pretty anxious but got that straightened out.

I don’t know why I don’t spend more time meditating on Scripture. I guess that’s why I like reading about it, because in a way it’s like having someone else do it for you. But we need it to be personal with us and the Holy Spirit.

Then I got the news from the surgeon. He said that my lower back has degenerated in the last year and a half since I had my ‘minor’ surgery. He can see what’s pressing on the nerves and why I now have pain on both sides where I previously had it on one. He said I really need a double fusion from L4 to S1. Nothing else has helped and this is the only chance to partially “fix” it. I’m very upset about this. The recovery process is so much longer than the one I went through last year. My wife will have to do even more for me. What if it doesn’t work? Will it aggravate my chronic fatigue and mental health stuff? There’s a decent chance it will help but I don’t seem to think about that very much.

It’s so hard to totally give it up and abandon myself. I’m completely ‘with the program’ and then I slip and get anxious, then get with it again…

If you could pray even just once I’d appreciate it. I still have a lot of questions for the doctor, thinking about getting a second/third opinion, when to have it done etc.

How great it is to be one of God’s children through this. People go through much more major things than this and it’s just meaningless.

I need to practice meditating on Scripture as another weapon in the arsenal to be prepared for troubles.

To Joshua:
Joshua 1:8-9
Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command– be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Psalm 119:27
Help me understand the meaning of your commandments, and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds.

I’m in a dark mood. I saw a silly, trite poem and put a different, half joking ending on it:

To be a star, you must shine your own light, follow your own path, and don’t worry about the darkness, for that is when the most unimaginably bad things could happen to you at any time. Remember, things can always get worse.

Where will you get help? Thank God his children can take refuge in him.

I’ve been posting about Genesis, evolution, Adam and Eve being real, individual people, etc. lately. Some say that people like me think that’s the only important part of the Bible. (Nobody has accused me personally of this.) I’ve only posted on it a few times in the last few months. Others are more adamant about it.

While I don’t use it as a litmus test–I respect those who see Genesis 1 as some sort of poetry or allegory with much thought and respect and are true brothers and sisters, then there are those who just plain don’t believe what the Bible says.

If God just created some stuff with a bang and then let things evolve from there, that doesn’t give me much hope. All the other parts of the Bible that speak of creation as literal and Adam and Eve as individuals (like Jesus) are suspect. Psalm 139:13ff doesn’t really mean much. God may not have really known how I’d turn out. He’ll just deal with things the best he can and make them good afterward (mangling Romans 8:28).

I praise God for creating people, animals and plants that reproduce their own kind. I praise God for knowing exactly how I would turn out and the problems I would face. I praise God for also holding human beings responsible for their actions so that evil will be punished in the end and God will be glorified and suffering people will be repaid so many times over it can’t be counted (Romans 8:18).

That’s my ramble for the night. Hopefully I won’t be too embarrassed when I read it later in the week.

Ecclesiastes 7:14
Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.

Here is a blog called ἐξήγησις (ntexegesis.blogspot.com) written by Professor Ardel Caneday that goes through issues of exegesis in the Greek New Testament.

HT: Douglas Mangum

Knowledge of the sciences is so much smoke apart from the heavenly science of Christ.

–John Calvin, via Puritan Quotes on Twitter

Colossians 3:1-3 NLT
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.

From the book Ryken’s Bible Handbook:

DID YOU KNOW?
The judges did not “judge.” They were charismatic military leaders whose chief function was to deliver the nation from its enemies. Various translations and commentators render the Hebrew word sophet as “heroes,” “leaders,” “chieftains,” “deliverers,” and “warrior rulers.”

…

Because some of the judges overlapped, no exact chronology is possible, but the period of the judges spanned approximately three hundred years.

I want to write a thank you post to Evangelical Press. I heard about the book How to Enjoy Your Bible and requested a review copy. I hadn’t dealt with them so I didn’t know how it would go. They were glad to send me a copy and I wrote a review here.

Then a few weeks later I got a box with a bunch of books from them. I felt like a kid on his birthday. I received Happiness of Heaven by Roberts, Heading for Heaven by Ryle (I’m a fan of his and haven’t even read any of his books yet), True Love by Renihan, Fire From Heaven by Cook, Seven Steps to Glory by Allred and Haggai Zechariah Malachi by Duguid.

I know I’m not obligated to review these since I didn’t request them but I will end up reviewing at least one or two of them. I’m especially glad to have the commentary on the last three books of the Bible since my OT material is so sparse. When I’m done reading through the OT I plan on reading that book and reviewing it (unless I’m having back surgery or something awful). I’m sure at some point I’ll read the Ryle book too.

Then they sent me another box a few weeks later. This had Dealing with Dawkins by Blanchard, Every Word Counts (there’s that scary inerrant theme again) by Barnes, and Anne Bradstreet, Pilgrim and Poet by Faith Cook which my wife has already read.

I didn’t realize they have books tailored to my preferences even if I might not read every single one of them.

So I want to say thank you to them for being so kind to me and let you know about the review or two this summer (which you will have totally forgotten about by then).

Book reviews will be sparse for quite a while, not that you’re waiting for them from me with bated breath. Whatever that means. I’m sure it’s better than baited breath.

The next review will be Ryken’s Bible Handbook from Tyndale which I was very happy to receive even though I had another book waiting for review. (Thanks Laura) I’m reading this along with the Old Testament. This means I won’t be reviewing it until the summer. I normally review books within 6-8 weeks after requesting them and I always review books requested, otherwise I would consider it stealing. I will skim the NT portion and then write a review. I hope they don’t mind me waiting that long. I’ve found the book extremely helpful and interesting.

Another post on books and reviews coming up.

Proverbs 16:4
The LORD has made everything for his own purposes,
even the wicked for a day of disaster.

The blog posts have been sparse lately. My interest in photography, which I used to do as a job, has been renewed and I’ve been spending some time with that and getting a photo blog going called Picture Zealot.

In that vein I have some of photos for you. Although it may be a bit trite for me, I hope pictures of heart shaped flowers may be useful for someone in a post or article. Click on one to see a bigger one.

These images are under the Free Photo category.

These images may be used for the web for non-profit use. If you use an image directly to sell a product, it would be nice to be compensated in a small way. If so, contact me using the address listed in the sidebar to the right. If you have banner ads on your blog or affiliate programs, that doesn’t matter. If in doubt, don’t worry about it.

Also see Scripture in Pictures for a lot more free pictures.

Proverbs 8:27-31
I [wisdom] was there when He established the heavens,
when He laid out the horizon on the surface of the ocean,
28 when He placed the skies above,
when the fountains of the ocean gushed forth,
29 when He set a limit for the sea
so that the waters would not violate His command,
when He laid out the foundations of the earth.
30 I was a skilled craftsman always rejoicing before Him.
31 I was rejoicing in His inhabited world,
delighting in the human race.

Here is a blog I found by Eric Carpenter recommended by David Black Online. I like his style. Here are some posts on evolution.

For some reason I had about $11 of eBay bucks that had to be used today. I’ve got enough books for a while but couldn’t think of anything else I needed. So I looked through my Amazon wish list and found The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter which has been mentioned a lot on blogs and is highly praised. The cost with shipping was $14.89 and I only had to pay $2.60. Did I do good? What do you think of this book?