Immanuel – God With Us Section 2a: We move from the year that king Uzziah died in 740BC to the beginning of the reign of Ahaz 736BC. Jerusalem is being threatened by a coalition from both Syria and Israel, but Isaiah is able to give Ahaz a message of hope and encouragement. Would Ahaz trust…
Tag: Jerusalem
Isaiah 1
Section 1a: The Prophet Isaiah prophesied in Jerusalem (740s BC – 690s BC) to the southern nation of Judah concurrently to Hosea (who was in Samaria prophesying to the northern nation of Israel). A major focus of his message is the holiness of the LORD. Note: The picture shows an Aramaic epitaph from the first…
Safa and Marwa
I’m sure all Muslims know about Safa and Marwa, for these are the two mountains which pilgrims to Mecca traverse between seven times in what is called Sa’ee (سَعِي), but the truth is far more significant. The Islamic Tradition We read of this traditional Islamic ritual in the Qur’an, though it is quite vague, and…
Songs of Degrees – Psalm 122
Unity & Prosperity in God’s Presence ‘I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.’ (v1) Ascending to the third step we find the psalmist looking forward with hope (this will generally be characteristic of every third step through these Songs of Degrees). His hope is that…
Songs of Degrees – Historical Introduction
Following the Hallel psalms (113-118) and the great exposition on the practical blessings of the Word of God (119), we now come to a group of 15 psalms, all entitled ‘Song of Degrees’, or in some translations ‘Song of Ascents’. We have no clear understanding as to the specific historical context that gave rise to…
Forward in Hope 