Diagram for Exodus 25–40

Here is a diagram that I created a few years ago illustrating Exodus 25–40.

Some Online Greek Resources

Here are a couple of Greek resources that some of you might be interested in.

Logeion is produced by the University of Chicago. Apparently this works for Latin as well.

Master Greek is produced by Paul and Cheryl Hoskins. Paul Hoskins is Associate professor of New Testament at southwestern baptist Theological Seminary. 

Education in Ancient Israel

"In the Bible, education originated with a desire for order and continuity. To combat the powerful and seductive lure of chaos in various forms, societal or persona;, older and more experienced individuals tried their best to prevent the younger generation from falling into the pitfalls confronting them in the nooks and crannies of daily life. Parents personalized this struggle for survival, heightening both the intimacy and passion, Whereas leaders within a community raised voices as a means of protecting the general well-being, mothers and fathers sought to ensure the integrity of the family.

"The aim of this instruction was moral formation, the building of character. Having embodied the teachings themselves, elders praised the virtues of self-control, restraint, eloquence, and honesty. The first of these acknowledged the enormous power of passion, whether expressing itself as fear, anxiety, anger, or lust. The second virtue, restraint, provided a necessary balance in a culture characterized by rhetorical excess. It lifted up modesty and reticence as timely conduct when the crowd was in danger of losing its perspective. The third, eloquence, indicated an awareness of the persuasive capacity of speech for good and evil. The fourth virtue guaranteed integrity, the tongue being used as a power for good in the communication of truth, especially in judicial settings" (James L. Crenshaw, Education in Ancient Israel: Across the Deadening Silence [New York: Doubleday, 1998],1–2).

Assuming Crenshaw is correct, it seems that contemporary views of education are quite a bit different.

Obstacles to Studying the "New Exodus" Theme

Daniel Smith has nice article in the most recent issue of Currents in Biblical Research where he takes a careful look at the use of “new exodus” in New Testament studies. The “new exodus” idea is not “new” but its use always seemed to me a bit faddish. In any case, Smith has a great paragraph that I have reproduced below. I especially love the last sentence.

Several obstacles prevent a tidy presentation of the history of scholarship in this time period. Foremost among them is the commonplace nature of the term ‘new exodus.’ Little creativity is required to conjure up this phrase-especially for scholars familiar with the ‘new creation’ in Paul’s letters (2 Cor. 5.17; Gal.6.15), the ‘new Jerusalem’ in Revelation (3.12; 21.2)’ or the ‘new covenant’ that appears throughout the New Testament writings (Lk. 22.20; 1 Cor. 11.25; 2 Cor. 3.6; Heb. 8.8, 13; 9.15; 12.24). Although some scholars rely on and cite the work of earlier scholars who use the phrase, ‘new exodus’ frequently appears on the scene like a terminological Melchizedek, without father, mother, or footnote.

Daniel Lynwood Smith, “The Uses of ‘New Exodus’ in New Testament Scholarship: Preparing a Way through the Wilderness,” Currents in Biblical Research 14 (2016): 208.

Ascension Day?

According to some reckonings and traditions (see here), May 14 AD33 is the day the Lord Jesus Christ ascended. But whether the date is correct or not, it would be a great time to remember the importance of the Ascension.

Book on the Rise of the Seleucid Empire

I have been reading through John Grainger’s The Rise of the Seleukid Empire (323-223 BC): Seleukos I to Seleukos III. I found the book quite by accident, but it has been an enjoyable read so far. I do wish they had used footnotes rather than endnotes though. Here is a listing of the chapters. 

1 - The Collapse of Alexander's Empire
2 - Ptolemy's Commander
3 - Seleukos and Babylon
4 - Seleukos' First Kingdom
5 - Expedition to the East
6 - The Grand Alliance
7 - New Enmities, New Cities
8 - Antiochos in the East
9 - Seleukos in the West
10 - Antiochos I and the Galatians
11 - The New State
12 - Creeping Imperialism
13 - Antiochos II
14 - War, Collapse, and Fragmentation
15 – Failure

Kickstarting Your Theological Library

Tim Challies has some suggestions here.

New Website on the Archaeology of Jordan

Check it out here.

Dr. William Barrick on the Prophets in the Life of the Believer

William Barrick has an eight part series entitled, “Prophets in the Life of a Believer.” The series was also translated into Russian. You can access the free video here.

Fallen Leaders and the Resources They Leave Behind

Tim Challies has a thoughtful post here on what to do with books and other resources of leaders after they have fallen.

Emanuel Tov Interview

William Ross has an interesting interview here with Emanuel Tov related to Septuagint studies.

Narrative Closing Conventions

Leland Ryken in a recent volume on biblical narratives notes that there are six kinds of closing conventions in narratives.

• A brief recapitulation of the main action
• A summary of the immediate results of the action that has been narrated
• A summary of the long-term effects of the action
• An account of the fortunes that later befall one or more of the characters in the preceding story
• Some echo or reminder of what happened earlier, or the issue that began the plot
• Narrating the physical departure of one or more characters to a new place, thereby drawing a boundary around the preceding action

Leland Ryken, How Bible Stories Work: A Guided Study of Biblical Narrative (Wooster, OH: Weaver, 2015), 89-90.

A Survey of the Eschatological Views of Pastors

You can see a Lifeway Research survey of the eschatological views of pastors here.

Brief Annotated Bibliography for Biblical Theology

David Schrock has a brief annotated bibliography for studying biblical theology here.

HT: Rodrick Sweet

Free Audio Book of the Month: Delighting in God by A. W. Tozer

Christianaudio.com is offering A. W. Tozer's Delighting in God as their free audio download for the month of May. You can access this offer here.

Free Logos Book for May: Why God Won't Go Away

The free Logos Book for May is Why God Won't Go Away by Alister McGrath. You can also purchase Dawkins Delusion authored by McGrath and others for $1.99 and enter to win the ten-volume SPCK Alister McGrath Collection. For all these offers you can go to the Logos' Free Book of Month page here.