Category

Exodus 20 = God Gives the Ten Commandments Bible Background: The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for 400 years. God brought them out of Egypt, and on their way to their own land, they need to learn how to live as God’s people. Think of the Commandments not mainly as a... Read More →

Exodus 14 = Crossing the Sea Bible Background: After an epic show of force between Yahweh and Pharaoh (the 10 plagues), Pharaoh finally does send the Israelites out of Egypt, only to change his mind and send his army to bring his slave laborers back. The crossing of the Red or... Read More →

Exodus 5:1–6:13 The Israelites Oppressed Bible Background: Exodus tells of the people of Israel: once settled and prosperous in Egypt, now seen by the new king as a threat, and so oppressing them is his answer. As slave labor they are treated badly; their newborn boys are... Read More →

Genesis 25–27=The Blessing Passes on to Jacob Bible Background: We’ve heard God’s promise of blessing to Abraham and Sarah and to their descendants forever. Isaac marries Rebekah. After years of infertility, she gets pregnant with twins-and almost wishes she... Read More →

DIGGING DEEPER INTO THE STORY OF ISAAC’S BIRTH Bible Background: God has promised to Abraham and Sarah that they will be ancestors of a great nation; and that through them-all the families of the earth will be blessed. There’s just this one little problem: no... Read More →

Genesis 12 = Call of Abram and Sarai Bible Background: This is where the stories of God and God’s world move from “pre-history” to identifiable people, places, and dates. God’s dealing with humankind now focuses on one older, childless couple, to whom God... Read More →

GENESIS 6–9 NOAH AND THE FLOOD Bible Background: This is the first big story in the Bible after Adam & Eve and Cain & Abel. It’s one of those “pre-history” stories, where writers are looking back and trying to explain how we got where we are, and... Read More →

Genesis 1=The First Story of Creation Bible Background: The 1st story of the Bible is fittingly, the 1st creation story! Genesis 2 offers another account, which is quite different! That tells us the writers/editors of Genesis weren’t trying to solve all the mysteries of... Read More →

Luke 12:13f The Rich Fool Bible Background: More often than the other Gospels, Luke writes about money and the gap between rich and poor. Rich people do not come off very well in Luke, with the exception of Zacchaeus who pledges to give half of his wealth to the poor. In... Read More →

Mark 10:17-31 “The Rich Man and Jesus” Bible Background: It’s important to know that Mark 10 shows Jesus on the way to the cross. He has spoken seriously about what it means to follow him. This story is about a good man, who seeks to follow Jesus, but is held... Read More →