Dan to Sinai

By | December 26, 2009
2 Comments

Tomorrow I fly to Israel to teach a three-week seminary program.  I’ve prepared a couple of posts that will go up later this week, but I don’t expect to have much time to post much else of substance while I’m traveling.

If you forget and check in here and see nothing new, perhaps that will prompt you to pray for me.  I’ve been fighting something with cold-like symptoms for the last three weeks, and generally feel crummy every day.  Many cold-type symptoms don’t go well with long days of teaching outdoors.

I’d also appreciate your prayers for my rusty brain.  I’ve been living in a different universe for the last several years and I’m just not sure how much of the stratigraphy of Hazor I can recall.  A friend on the phone today mentioned “Emmaus,” and I thought, “oh, yeah, there’s a problem with Emmaus.”  It’s been a while.  You might admonish me to prepare, but alas, most of the time for that has passed.  But you can pray that I will not be too harried in the evenings and will have time to review and recover.

You can also pray for our family.  There are challenges that exist even when I am around, but some of those are increased when I am away.  In case you don’t remember, our children’s names are Luke, Mark, Bethany, and Katie. I posted a recent photo a few days ago.

Todah rabah.

091225318tb

Christmas morning in Plano, Texas

Weather

By | December 24, 2009
3 Comments

It’s snowing and I’m grilling.  Does that lower anyone’s estimate of me?

Yesterday, when we planned this, it was 80.

Kids, jp111609207 Our children, November 2009

December 23

By | December 23, 2009
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The website of Jerusalem Assembly is significantly improved since I last visited.  Among other things, it now includes a video of the new ministry center (yes, they finally bought a building!) and videos of Bookman’s course on the Passion Week.

I think I need to read The Natural Superiority of Mules in order to understand the Bible better.

I don’t think I like first names that end in –er.  But the worst must be Carter.

What would our society be like if TV was turned off for two years?

Mint has a very interesting graphic about charitable giving.

Weak or Weary?

By | December 22, 2009
1 Comment

Isaiah 40:30-31 (NIV) “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who _______________ will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

If you can’t fill in the blank, look it up.  In either case, think about the missing phrase.  What does it mean?  How do you do that today?

December 17

By | December 17, 2009
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Tim Tam Slam – if you don’t know what this is, you ought to give it a try.  It is especially fun in a family setting.  Buy some Tim Tams and bring them to the party this Christmas.

Proofreading is important.  I saw a brand new book today in an expensive set that I’ve mentioned a couple of times recently on my other blog and this is what is said on the cover: “1 & 2 Kinds, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther.”  (Photo here).

Another embarrassing book cover typo I heard about recently: Sheffield released a book about a “Hebrew Profit.”

The Big Picture has the best photos of the year.  Some are amazing, some disturbing. Each one tells a story.

I’m off for Florida for the weekend where I will be a groomsman in a wedding.  This is the first wedding I’ve been in since my own.  There’s a haunting irony in the fact that it’s the wedding of one of the guys from Square B.

Kingdom of Priests for Logos – $20

By | December 16, 2009
2 Comments

Today only Merrill’s 2nd edition of Kingdom of Priests is available for Logos at “half price.”  I put that in quotation marks because it is based on the retail price ($40), and you can buy the paperback version every day at Amazon for $26. 

This brings to mind yet again my frustration at having to purchase books twice if I want a copy on my computer.  Christian publishers will never be this non-greedy innovative, but perhaps competition in the broader world of book publishing will one day lead to a system where those who buy books can get the electronic version for a small additional fee.

BTW, the primary difference between the first edition (1987) and the second is the first chapter which addresses more recent attacks on the Bible’s historicity.

Milestone #2

By | December 15, 2009
5 Comments

For those of you keeping score at home, this morning I completed another phase in my PhD program.  I will never again sit in a classroom as a student.  Until, of course, I do.  But assuming that I pass all of the present courses, I am not required to enroll in any more seminars for this program.

I think of my program as having five phases:

#1: Finish ThM (one class); completed Dec 2007

#2: Complete 27 hours of coursework; 2 years; completed this morning

#3: Write analyses of 66 biblical books; goal: Dec 2010

#4: Take 6 written and 1 oral comprehensive exam; goal: Feb 2011

#5: Write dissertation; goal: May 2012

I leave for Israel after Christmas and until then, I hope to work on digging out of the hole that has developed in the last months and years.  When I return from Israel, I plan to hit the ground running in writing my analyses.  I’ve completed (or nearly completed) some already: Genesis, Samuel, Chronicles, Isaiah, and Joel in the OT.  In the NT, I’ve finished Matthew and Galatians.  I’ve mapped out all of 2010 with approximately one book a week. Psalms will get two weeks, and some shorter prophets and epistles will be doubled up. I will begin Exodus on January 15.  My plan is to work through the OT in revelational sequence (chronologically, not canonically). 

In my thinking, the core of my program are the analyses (aka “arguments”) and the exams.  These are what attracted me to the program.  I am excited that these then are the next two on the list.  The dissertation I expect to be the most challenging and least enjoyable portion.  It also is the one that may be most difficult to complete according to my timeframe.

Another way to look at this is that I’ve been in the program for 2.5 years and I hope to finish in 2.5 more years.  It took less time to earn a bachelors and a masters, get married, and start teaching.  I guess things slow down as you get older.

I Have Soared into the Heavens

By | December 12, 2009
2 Comments

For the last twelve weeks, I have taught through Isaiah 1-12 in Sunday School.  It has been wonderful.  Tomorrow I will summarize this section, and next week I will explain how Matthew understood Isaiah’s prophecies in 1-12 to be fulfilled in Jesus.  I’ve discussed some of this previously on this blog, though my present study has been much more extensive than anything I had done when I wrote the (never completed) series earlier this year.

As I’ve hinted before, I’ve had to restrain myself from turning this into “Isaiah’s Thoughts” or at least “Todd’s Thoughts about Isaiah.”  I will continue to try to maintain some variety here, and much of my minings will go elsewhere.  Of course, there’s never enough time in 40 minutes of teaching a week, and so I look forward to the day when I am less restricted.  Tonight I had the chance to “bubble over” with a couple of friends who skipped a sock exchange for the opportunity.  It only (1) encourages me in my upcoming year to “figure the Bible out” and (2) motivates me for the time when I will come off the bench.

One of my favorite commentaries on Isaiah is one that all “smart people” would frown on.  Though it’s relatively brief and has few footnotes, The Message of Isaiah by Barry Webb is a great book because Webb understands Isaiah.   If you ‘re trying to “get into” Isaiah, I’d recommend reading Isaiah and Webb (each more than once).  I’d like to say more about how to study Isaiah or any book (later this week?).

I re-read Webb’s preface tonight and thought that his report of his encounter with Isaiah might encourage you to seriously consider studying the Gospel of the Old Testament.

Writing this book has been a flight I will never forget. I have soared into the heavens and seen the glory of God, and with new eyes I have seen this world and my own place in it. The view has been breathtaking. I am not less mortal or sinful than I was before. My awareness of these things has been sharpened, not diminished; but I am surer now than ever before that they are no obstacles to my communion with God or to the full realization of what he has purposed for me. I have heard the seraphim cry, ‘The whole earth is full of his glory ‘, and it is. I live in expectation of the day when he will take his power and reign, and know with absolute certainty that because of one who was pierced for my transgressions, the new heavens and new earth will be my home for ever (Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah, 12).

December 11

By | December 11, 2009
2 Comments

Challies gives his top 9 books of 2009.  Though I haven’t read any of the books, my guess is that I would tend to agree with his choices.  (Can I say that?)

Andreas Kostenberger suggests his top 10 theological books of the year.  This afternoon I bought his A Theology of John’s Gospel and Letters for half price.

When I read Al Mohler’s review of the Kindle, I think…this guy has too much money.

This morning I wrote a post on my other blog that is more typical of what I would post here.  If you don’t normally read there, you might want to read that one (on the star of Bethlehem).

If you know Country Music, you ‘ll probably like this spoof.

And thinking of country music reminds me of two of our friends from Spring 07 who are driving out from California just to see us this weekend.  We know who loves us…

December 8

By | December 8, 2009
9 Comments

Here’s a question on last week’s math homework for our 2nd-grader: Mrs. Leary has chickens and dogs in her backyard.  She counts 15 heads and 42 feet.  How many dogs does Mrs. Leary have? How long would it take you to figure that out?

Here’s the Book of Philippians in a new way.  This group has recorded Paul’s 13 Letters in rap.

The Bible vs. Joseph Smith – it’s not out yet, but this teaser has me very interested.

Are you savvy in how you use your credit card?  I wouldn’t recommend everything mentioned in this WSJ article, but there may be some things you haven’t considered.