Tag: Prophecy

Digging in Deeper: 1 Kings 17:7

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“And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Do you remember this story?  Kings and Chronicles tend for me to be four books with lots of exciting stories to read, but not very much that sticks.  First Kings gets started with the transition of power from David to Solomon and all the court intrigue that surrounded that.  Then we get to the almost tabernacle-like detail of the building of the Temple and Solomon’s exceedingly long prayer of dedication.  Then his son, Rehoboam, blows it and sparks a civil war that leaves the nation permanently divided.  After that, it’s pretty much a list of various kings and how they blew it and the names, faces, and events all run together.  Second Kings is even muddier. Read the rest…

Morning Musing: Ezekiel 33:7

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“So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel.  Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

This is the second time now Ezekiel has been given this message.  The first was in the context of a series of warnings to the people of Israel.  This time it comes on the heels of a series of warning to the nations.  He was called to warn the people about God’s impending judgment.  If the people didn’t listen, they were going to be judged and the fault would be entirely their own.  If they listened, they would be saved and Ezekiel was to thank.  If, however, he didn’t warn and they received the judgment coming, their doom would rest on his head since he didn’t warn them as he was told.  This is powerful stuff.  What does it mean for us? Read the rest…

Morning Musings: Ezekiel 1:1-3

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“In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.  On the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin), the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the Chebar canal, and the hand of the Lord was upon him there.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Ezekiel is a wild book.  Of all of the prophets, much of his work has always been some of the hardest to understand for me.  With that in mind, these first three verses are really important.  You see, as wild as some of Ezekiel’s visions were (and as you read the rest of this chapter, they start out pretty wild), they really happened to him.  They may have stretched the limits of what he was able to mentally process, much less try and explain to someone else, but there was a clear and firm historical context to them. Read the rest…

Digging in Deeper: 1 Corinthians 14:1-3

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“Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.  For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.  On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Here in this letter Paul raises the issue of the spiritual gifts of prophecy and speaking in tongues.  The latter has apparently always been the more popular and interesting of the two.  Still, there is a fair bit of ambiguity regarding what exactly these two gifts entail.   Read the rest…