Yesterday I blogged about the apocryphal book 1 Esdras. Perhaps I should have noted that this book is the only place in the Bible/Apocrypha that contains the phrase “truth endures,” the title of the new book honoring John MacArthur (1 Esdras 4:38). I guess I’m not the only one reading the Apocrypha! I… Read More »
On my first Isaiah post (is that series dead? I don’t think so), I included a “footnote” at the end of the first paragraph which read: 5 minutes ago I finished reading through 1-2 Chronicles in two sittings. This cleared up a problem I’ve long had: was Josiah’s death at the hands of Neco the… Read More »
First Maccabees was written about 100 B.C., but you can imagine the Prime Minister of Israel today saying the very same thing. Simon is Netanyahu and Athenobius is the United Nations ‘ representative. 1 Maccabees 15:28-36: He sent to him Athenobius, one of his Friends, to confer with him, saying, “You hold control of Joppa… Read More »
I’ve spent the past week reading large portions of the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. This refers to documents written by Jews between 200 BC and 100 AD that were generally ascribed to well-known biblical characters, such as Enoch, Moses, and Job. I’m not going to share my thoughts on that now (or maybe ever), with one… Read More »
Sirach 10:9 (NRSV) “How can dust and ashes be proud? Even in life the human body decays.” Pride can only grow in the soil of forgetfulness; as soon as you remember who you are and what you are made of, pride dies. Sirach 18:33 (NRSV) “Do not become a beggar by feasting with borrowed money,… Read More »
Sirach has some advice on raising children: Sirach 30:1 (NRSV) “He who loves his son will whip him often, so that he may rejoice at the way he turns out.” Sirach 30:9 (NRSV) “Pamper a child, and he will terrorize you; play with him, and he will grieve you.” And here are a couple of… Read More »
This series hasn’t garnered the controversy that my rather subdued but honest comments about Texas have, but perhaps today’s marriage advice will change that. Sirach 25:21 (NRSV) “Do not be ensnared by a woman’s beauty, and do not desire a woman for her possessions.” The things that attract young men are the least important and… Read More »
Remember, the author of Sirach is an old wise guy. His picturesque language concerning the use of the tongue may help you to remember. Sirach 11:7-8 (NRSV) “Do not find fault before you investigate; examine first, and then criticize. 8 Do not answer before you listen, and do not interrupt when another is speaking.” How… Read More »
I told you before that Sirach is good and that you need to read it. Have you yet? I continue to recommend it to you with a few verses about success from a wise man who lived in Israel in 200 BC. Words in italics are mine. Sirach 9:11 (NRSV) “Do not envy the success… Read More »
There may be people out there waiting for me to become a heretic. Or at least to reveal such. Here’s some ammunition. What do you think about the Apocrypha? Should it be part of the Bible? Is it God’s Word? Have you read it? I’ve spent the last week reading through it and have almost… Read More »