The Theologian's Table

This is a paper I wrote for my Old Testament course I attend. I thought it might be interesting to some people who are curious to see what students in seminary work on. GLORY GOES TO THE WILLING: A READING OF THE PROPHET DEBORAH Introduction When God recruited Moses to free the Israelites from bondage, Moses hesitated and then struck a bargain with God where Aaron would speak on his brother’s behalf (Ex 4:10-17). Later in the book, the characteristic of this interaction repeats itself when the Israelites, the nation who would be a light to the rest of the world, struck a deal with Moses where he would speak to them on God’s behalf (Ex 20:19). In both cases, the parties whom God recruited showed hesitation and insecurities in their own skills, and both showed a lack of understanding of God’s empowerment. Therefore, it can be argued that both Moses and the Israelites missed out on a deeper relationship with Yahweh than had they agreed with Him from the start. The book of...

Seventh Plague of Egypt - John Martin My family and I have been watching a wonderful series on YouTube called The Bible Project. So far, we have made it through all the videos covering the first five books of the Bible that are commonly referred to as the Torah, or the Pentateuch. Anyway, the videos reminded me of a paper I wrote about the book of Exodus  and the significance of the plagues for not only Israel, but also Egypt. I thought I'd share that excerpt with you here, I hope you find the information as cool as I do. An Understanding of Yahweh Through the Plagues The first characteristic regarding God that the plagues reveal has more to do with the Pharaoh and the effects of his sins. In this light, the plagues are a result of Pharaoh’s policies that seek to purge Egypt of the Israelites. [1] The commands of Pharaoh have upset the integrity of God’s creation and have cosmic implications in that violating the moral order has an adverse on the natural order. [2] Th...

People in the ministry are always in someway under the microscope. I often have loved ones coming to me and saying, "Should you be saying things like this, or that?" and "Should a pastor be into those types of things considering this, or that?" I understand their concerns, however, I have always tried to be unflinchingly honest with both where I am and where I've been, especially in regards to my Christian faith. I don't want people thinking they have to sort out any baloney in what I say, or that the past of those who serve in the ministry are squeaky clean. With that said, the chapter in my life right now seems to be about reflection and revelation. In a previous post I had mentioned that for a time in my early twenties I had walked a way from God. During that time I had a brief flirtation with Scientology, in fact it was right around the time Tom Cruise was being criticized for what he said about Psychology and medication for psychological conditions....

I am one of those Christians that Atheists and Agnostics make fun of. I am Christian in large part because I was raised in the church. Mostly, I've never questioned the existence of God because I'd seen Him at work too much to deny Him. What my critics might not understand is that just because I grew up in the church doesn't mean that I was always Johnny Do-Good Christian, as I'm sure my early college friends can attest to. And, there is a different kind of denial, which is just walking away from God. In my late teens and early twenties, that is how I denied God's existence, by walking away. I remember a time where I lived on an Native American reservation. I visited some people that lived in a run-down house with no windows. Meaning, there were places for the windows to go, but there were no panes of glass, just empty frames letting in the elements. In many ways that house mirrored my life back then. It was in disrepair, incomplete, and vulnerable. As I r...

What a year 2016 was. I think, as far as the American public is concerned, it was one of the most difficult periods we've seen in quite a while. When people weren't busy becoming divided over such a controversial election season, we were waylaid by the many deaths of prominent and highly influential celebrities. It is this area in which I'd like to focus my attention on, death. Princess Leia and Kathy - Artist, Rick L. At the time of this writing, Carrie Fisher's death was perhaps the most shocking, which was then followed by the death of her mother (only a day later!). Celebrities like Bowie, Prince, and Fisher are given the status of icons or even idols. People view them in a somewhat supernatural way simply because of what their music and acting has done for each human who is influenced by them. When one of these idols dies a couple things happen. One is that we remember that they were human and not some god who could stave off death with their talents. Another...

Turner Field,  Atlanta I'm not a hardcore sports fan. In fact, I'm close to not being a sports fan at all, much like one of my favorite theologians, Roger Olson, who does not understand some of the character traits sports fans have. I do, however have a soft spot for Baseball. This soft spot was instilled by people like my maternal Grandfather who was a ride or die Red Sox fan. I must admit, I have a profound loyalty to that particular team. With that said, I have found that I have also been drawn to the professional teams in the areas I've lived in. For example, I've been to quite a few Minnesota Twins games, and now that I live close to Atlanta I have been to a few Braves games as well. While the game itself is fun to watch and it is easy to feed off of the energy of the crowd during a good play, what I enjoy most is the ambiance of where most stadiums are located, and that is often in the heart of the city. From places like Fenway Park and even Target Field it...

Jonah, the prophet of God who didn't want to do God's work. Not because it was necessarily hard, but because he knew what God was like. Jonah knew what would happen if the people of Nineveh repented and that's he what was running from. There is a good possibility in life where you might enter into a situation like Jonah's. God will examine your life and challenge the secret hate held in your heart. The thing of it is, is that  sometimes this hate can be directed at a problem that God thinks needs to be addressed where more than one person can be affected. Maybe it's a relationship, maybe it's a work issue, or maybe it's a case like Jonah's where God has called you to minister to a large group of people you do not care for and place a lot of blame at their feet. As the book of Jonah shows, however, God is a provocateur, He is insistent that the people who make themselves available to Him carry out His will. After trying to run from God, being thro...