We’ve picked up on the themes of creation and de-creation, the defeat of Egypt’s gods, the death of the first-born and where God’s people are in the story of Exodus so far. These themes help us to apply the signs, wonders and plagues to our context. There is of course much to learn along the… Continue reading Applying Exodus 5-13
Posts
The ethics of war – USA/Israel v Iran a case study
Martyn Whittock has written for Evangelicals Now engaging with the question of whether the Iran-USA war is a just war. As he explains: “Christian Just War theory represents one of the most influential ethical traditions for evaluating the moral legitimacy of warfare. Developed within Christian theology but later influencing secular international ethics and law, the… Continue reading The ethics of war – USA/Israel v Iran a case study
Where are God’s people?
The plagues, marking out the land and the people of Egypt for curse rather than blessing is a fulfilment of Genesis 12:1-3. God had promised that those who blessed Abraham and his offspring would be blessed and so it had been the case when Joseph came down to Egypt. He had also warned that those… Continue reading Where are God’s people?
The significance of the Firstborn and Egypt’s plagues
De-creation finishes with the death of the firstborns. Recreation can be seen as the fruit of the true and better firstborn’s coming. It is significant that God chooses to strike down the firstborn sons. Israel is referred to as YHWH’s Son by the prophet Hosea.[1] Pharoah seeks to destroy God’s first-born so God kills the… Continue reading The significance of the Firstborn and Egypt’s plagues
Reflections after a friend’s funeral in Bradford
Yesterday I went up to Bradford for the funeral of Paul, a close friend of our family. Here are some reflections on the way back including.
De-creation and the Egyptian plagues
In Genesis 6-9, we see that God’s judgement on a sinful and wicked world is also an act of de-creation. Where the creation of Genesis 1-2 had seen forming and structure so that light was divided from darkness and sea from land and sky, we see a descent into chaos as the form and structure… Continue reading De-creation and the Egyptian plagues
Defeat and judgement for the Egyptian gods
The plagues unleased against Pharoah and Egypt may also be seen as Yahweh’s triumph over the gods of Egypt. Like most ancient civilisations, Egypt was polytheistic. The plagues can each be seen as portraying a direct confrontation with those gods.[1] Serpents were of course seen as sacred to many cultures and we might trace back… Continue reading Defeat and judgement for the Egyptian gods
Shawn Bolz and the elephant in the room
I’ve mentioned in one previous article the issues around Shawn Bolz and specifically false claims of prophecy when it comes to words of knowledge that were apparently based upon social media data mining. Now, as it happens, I think that there is a potentially charitable view of how someone could get into such a situation. … Continue reading Shawn Bolz and the elephant in the room
Is the Church the Christian Nation (initial response to a debate between Aaron Edwards and Bob of Speaker’s Corner)
I’m currently listening to a podcast presented by Aaron Edwards and “Bob of Speaker’s corner” where they are seeking to set up a debate on Christian Nationalism. The idea is that they are inviting all comers to turn up on their zoom call and debate with them.. It sounds like a rather fraught approach to… Continue reading Is the Church the Christian Nation (initial response to a debate between Aaron Edwards and Bob of Speaker’s Corner)
Kenosis and Kingdom: The problematic theology of Bill Johnson and Bethel
Bill Johnson’s big argument in his book, When Heaven invades Earth, is that we are meant to experience the bit in the Lord’s prayer “Your kingdom come, on earth, as in heaven”, here and now. What does this specifically mean? Well, very early on, in the first chapter, in fact, Johnson tells the story of… Continue reading Kenosis and Kingdom: The problematic theology of Bill Johnson and Bethel
Faithroots 