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Today’s OT and Wisdom segments both speak to justice again and, unlike most days where the focus question is about something we bump into in the text, today’s a bigger picture view, because it’s important to remember. When does Jesus deliver justice? We’ll tackle that very briefly at the end of today.
As we kick off Isaiah today (and spend a good bit of time there in the coming days), we’re going to hear plenty more oracles of judgment. Indeed, the OT in general has plenty of war and ugliness and, yes, prophets calling the people out. The NT, of course, is really clear about the gravity and consequence of sin, but if you or someone you know has wondered if the God of the OT is just a mean old dude, you’re not alone. Today’s focus question — Is the God of the OT mean? — is another where we’ll help you answer that question for yourself and others.
You know that the Bible has many different literary genres — historical narrative and biography and poetry and so on. What it also contains that is less obvious is music. And we might remember that it does when we think about Psalms, but it’s not terribly obvious that we recognize it when we read something like the book of Amos. And that sets up today’s focus question, “What is a doxology?”
I heard a financial teacher once say this. “Think about the words ‘real estate.’ Did you know that the word ‘real’ comes from the same place as the word ‘royal’ — and if you don’t think you belong to the king, just try not paying your taxes!”
Now I wouldn’t bet my life on that word study, but it’s a good reminder…and the source of today’s focus question…Whose real estate do you manage?
