As we enter into a new section of Israelite history in our journey through the Bible, I thought it might be helpful to have provide a map and a timeline of the Divided Kingdom. Next week I will provide several timelines connected to the prophets of Israel.
The stated intent of the book of Proverbs is to provide wisdom and insight to the reader. How does Proverbs specifically, and the Wisdom literature of Israel more generally, help the reader approach life more wisely? What are the key components of wisdom, and how can we avoid the pitfalls of being “simpleminded”?
(Preaching through Proverbs. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on May 11, 2025.)
Solomon presided over the absolute height of the kingdom of Israel, because God granted his request for wisdom in addition to giving him wealth and power. But Solomon’s great wisdom did not prevent him from falling into the same kinds of temptations that face every human. How did a man whose reign started off so well fall into such problems, and how does our own struggle mirror his?
(Preaching on the history of early Israel. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on May 11, 2025.)
One of the main themes in the Psalms is righteousness: God’s attitude toward the righteous and unrighteous, contrasts between the behavior of the righteous and the wicked, and warnings and promises for certain kinds of actions and attitudes. What do the Psalmists consider to be “righteousness,” and why is it so important?
(Preaching on the wisdom of Israel. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on May 4, 2025.)
Songs have a complex relationship with culture; music is both shaped by, and also shapes, the culture in which it is written, and serves as a vehicle for transmitting the norms, values, and ideals of a culture to the next generation. Viewed in this light, it is no wonder that we are instructed to teach and admonish one another with “Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” What can we learn from the Psalms of Israel, and how does teaching with the Psalms shape the people that are immersed in them?
(Preaching on the wisdom of Israel. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on May 4, 2025.)
The latter part of David’s life is marked by civil war, conflict, strife, and a lot of pain, stemming from David’s poor choices and God’s discipline. But in the midst of all his sorrow, we also see God’s grace and mercy toward David. How do the kindness and severity of God weave together at the end of David’s life, and how should we be thinking about these traits of God in our own lives?
(Preaching through the history of early Israel. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on April 27, 2025.)
2 Samuel 11-16 are the low points of David’s life: sinning with Bathsheba followed by several devastating consequences and the fallout of family discord and civil war. But out of this terrible time comes one of the most powerful Psalms. What can we learn from Psalm 51 and how can we read it prophetically as something we too can pray to God in the depths of our sin and consequence?
(Preaching through the history of early Israel. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on April 20, 2025.)
I post this every year around Easter as people are thinking about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, with minor revisions and updates (this year some more-than-minor revisions). I hope this is helpful to you in some small way as you more deeply consider the resurrection of our Lord.
The book of Psalms has a complicated relationship with foretelling. Some parts of it clearly tell the future in the vein of one of the prophets like Isaiah or Jeremiah, but a lot of the prophecy in the book is more subtle. The Psalms are full of “dual prophetic fulfillment” – prophecy that meant one thing for the original writers and readers, and something else for readers aware of Jesus, the covenant king. How can we come to grips with the dual nature of Psalms, and how can we learn to read the Psalms prophetically in the way that Jesus, his apostles, and early church did?
(Preaching on the wisdom literature. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on April 13, 2025.)
2 Samuel 7 is one of the key chapters of the Bible, akin to Abraham’s call in Genesis 12 or the beginning of the gospels. The promise made to David is a recurring theme throughout the rest of the story of Israel. Why is this chapter so pivotal, and how does it connect to the rest of the Bible story?
(Preaching through the story of early Israel. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on April 13, 2025.)
Watts in the Word 