Michael Fox writes that “The equality of the lovers and the equality of their love, rather than the Song’s earthly sensuality, are what makes their union an inappropriate analogy for the bond between God and Israel.” That would be persuasive, but for the massive reality of the . . . . Continue Reading »
In his Romance, She Wrote: A Hermeneutical Essay on Song of Songs , Andre LaCocque suggests that the reference to the “mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense” in Song of Songs 4:6 are another references to the “feminine figure, especially as the maiden’s breasts have . . . . Continue Reading »
Israel’s sins are like scarlet, but they shall be like wool, Isaiah says. Scarlet? What’s wrong with scarlet? Why not “black”? Though scarlet is a color in the tabernacle curtains (the word is used 25+ times in Exodus), Isaiah seems to be referring to the . . . . Continue Reading »
Following up on the last post: Perhaps we are to see Judas throwing the money to the priests as a kind of day of atonement. He “throws” ( hripto ) Jesus’ innocent blood, turned to cash, into the temple, then leaves the temple (like a scapegoat) and kills himself. The . . . . Continue Reading »
Jesus’ blood is the blood of the covenant, poured out for forgiveness (Matthew 26:28). How does it remove sin? We find a surprising answer to this when we trace the trail of blood through Matthew’s gospel. Blood is first mentioned in Jesus’ diatribe against the scribes . . . . Continue Reading »
Why does Jesus get angry when there is no fruit on the fig tree? The Song of Songs, along with Isaiah 5, is in the background. Israel is the vineyard-garden of Yahweh, which also means Israel is Yahweh’s bride. When He comes seeking fruit, it is not only . . . . Continue Reading »
When Sheba visits Solomon, she brings spices. 1 Kings 10 uses the word besem four times (vv. 2, 10 [2x], 25), suggesting that the spices come from the four points of the compass. Spices are exotic in Israel, a sign of the Gentiles flowing to the mountain of God. What were the spices . . . . Continue Reading »
John Paul II offers a profound and subtle analysis of the the sources of sexual deviance in his theology of the body. The steps are: 1. Lust is a disorder of the spirit, and breaks the natural bond between body and soul. Men no longer act as single simple beings, their bodily . . . . Continue Reading »
Given that so much evangelical energy is spend defending “objectivity” and “objective truth” against postmodern subjectivism, it’s striking to turn to John Paul II and find him placing the emphasis on precisely the opposite side of things. For John Paul, the . . . . Continue Reading »
INTRODUCTION Who was tried by Pontius Pilate, tortured, and crucified? All the heretics denied it, but Christian orthodoxy has always said that, impossible as it seems, the One who suffered on the cross was none other than God the Son in human flesh. THE TEXT “When morning came, all the . . . . Continue Reading »
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