When we left the Israelites, God was in the middle of doing something miraculous for them. The chapter breaks in your Bible are not part of the original text; they were a help added later for reference, just like page numbers. But it’s helpful to treat this part of the story separately because even though it’s a continuation of the same miracle, the emphasis is on something completely different: remembering. I confess my performance in Hebrew was not my best, but I do remember a few things from class, and one of them was the importance of memory and remembering in the Old Testament and for the Jewish people. Over…

Once upon a time, “miraculous” meant just that. Today we more often use it as a synonym for improbable or amazing, if we use it at all. During the Enlightenment in Europe, elites came to think that the physical world was governed by laws that could not be broken—even by God. God was supremely rational, only acting in ways that we would deem rational, ways that fit what nature told us about reality. After philosopher David Hume expressed his skepticism of miracles, we in the West began to think of them differently. Something might be improbable or amazing, but nothing truly miraculous could ever happen. This poses a problem for…

I’ve always been proud of my name, and every kid knows the story about the battle of Jericho. I’ve known most of these stories from a young age. And somehow, by God’s grace, the fact that the story prominently features a prostitute didn’t sink in until I was much, much older. But as we continue surveying Joshua, we meet her right away. Her name is Rahab, and she is not only the main character in chapter 2, she’s the hero. Joshua sends spies to scout out the land and gain intel, and she takes them in, hides them, and covers for them. What’s more, she feeds them information: her people…

A Brief Intro to a New Series I’ve been thinking lately about getting back to a Bible study. I discovered as a Sunday School teacher (and again teaching electives at another church) that even though I am interested in other fields, the Bible is the best bridge with fellow believers. If something in history, philosophy, or theology is relevant, it will be most apparent when it comes up in conversation about the Word. I plan to continue my previous writing plans as able, but they were taking a lot of time and I needed something more manageable for an everyday commitment. More importantly, I want to make sure whatever time…