In his The Lord Has Saved Me , Michael Barre points to various numerical and other patterns used in the Psalms. Barre’s discussion of the Psalm of Hezekiah (Isaiah 38) gets extremely detailed, but his introduction to the techniques of Hebrew poetry is excellent. For instance: “Several . . . . Continue Reading »
Rich Bledsoe agreed with my analysis of 1-2 Kings and the divided church, and offers these further reflections on Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. The remainder of this post is from Rich. Van Leeuwen in his magisterial CHRISTIANITY IN WORLD HISTORY: The Meeting of the Faiths of East and . . . . Continue Reading »
Yahweh tells Hezekiah through the prophet that he will have a sign. It’s a sign concerning ascent and descent. The word for “ascent” or “stair” ( ma’alah , from ‘alah , “to go up”) occurs four times (!) in the passage (Isaiah 38:8), and Yahweh . . . . Continue Reading »
When told by Isaiah that he will die from his sickness, Hezekiah turns his face to the wall and prays. A wooden rendering of the prayer would be along these lines: “Remember, please, that I have walked before your face in truth and with a heart of completion/peace ( shalem ) and the good in . . . . Continue Reading »
There are several parallels between the story of Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kings 21) and the account of Hezekiah’s sickness and the visit from the Babylonians (2 Kings 20; Isaiah 38-39). First a list of the connections: 1) When Naboth refuses to sell his vineyard, Ahab lays down on his bed . . . . Continue Reading »
There has been a huge response to my post on “Too catholic to be Catholic” earlier this week, and I can’t hope to respond to everything. Given what I’ve seen of some of the responses, though, it will be helpful for me to clarify and elaborate briefly the biblical framework I . . . . Continue Reading »
In a post last week, I criticized some aspects of Nevin’s and Calvin’s sacramental theology. Jonathan Bonomo, author of Incarnation and Sacrament: The Eucharistic Controversy Between Charles Hodge and John Williamson Nevin , responded by arguing that Nevin and Calvin would both agree . . . . Continue Reading »
My friends tell me that my name has been invoked in various web skirmishes concerning Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Protestantism, sometimes by people, including friends, who claim that I nurtured them along in their departure from the Protestant world. My friends also hinted that it would be good . . . . Continue Reading »
INTRODUCTION During the Assyrian crisis (Isaiah 38:6), Hezekiah falls sick. He prays, and Yahweh heals him. At the same time, he shows his treasures to Babylonians, a prelude to Babylon’s later invasion. THE TEXT “In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, . . . . Continue Reading »
Isaiah 37:14-38 is arranged in a simple chiasm: A. Hezekiah prays in the temple, vv 14-20 B. Isaiah prophesies concerning Sennacherib, vv 21-29 C. Isaiah gives a sign concerning Judah, vv 30-32 B’. Isaiah prophesies concerning Sennacherib, vv 33-35 A’. Sennacherib killed in the temple . . . . Continue Reading »
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