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Week 12 - This is war! |
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Written by Ming Dao Ting
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Not many things anger us modern people more than the idea of a “holy war”. I mean, war must be one of the worst things that us humans do to each other. How can you possibly justify the killing of countless people just because the leadership of two (or more) parties disagree? You’re playing with human lives here! And to make war in the name of religion? Abhorrent! An insult to our humanity! How dare people twist religion to support the need for a gruesome battle! But then we turn to the book of Joshua and realise that that seems to be exactly what’s happening there. What’s going on? |
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Week 11 - Final words |
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Written by Ming Dao Ting
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Hear now, O Israel, the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.
Deut 4:1
After many 80 years of wandering in the desert, Israel stands on the brink of entering the promised land. The generation that angered God had passed away, leaving a new generation who grew up in the wilderness, probably not having experienced God’s amazing deliverance from Egypt. Moses, God’s mediator, has faithfully shepherded God’s people, but due to a sinful act was prohibited from entering the promised land. His leadership was to be passed on to Joshua, who would lead Israel to fight and overthrow strange and powerful enemy nations. Moses has one last chance to speak to his people. It was his last opportunity for warnings and instructions. It was the final ‘pep talk’ before the battle. It was his last chance to remind them of everything God had done for them. What would he say? |
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Week 10 - Slippery Soap |
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Written by Ming Dao Ting
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After 350 years of cruel slavery in Egypt, the Israelites were freed from captivity by God. And their deliverance wasn’t at all ambiguous - it was clearly God’s work. From walking across a whole river bed while the water was parted on either side, to witnessing first hand and experiencing water shooting out from rocks in the desert and bread falling from the sky without fail… if anyone was to be sure of God’s faithfulness and providence, it would be the Israelites. But it wasn’t. |
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Week 9 - Object Lessons |
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Written by Ming Dao Ting
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This last week saw us entering the gospel of Mark, and from the very first chapter, it’s been action action action! Within four chapters, Jesus has already assembled his ministry team, driven out demons, healed countless people, silenced his opponents, risen to huge fame, earned the scorn of many Jewish leaders, and established his reputation as an incredible teacher. With love and firmness, Jesus drew from everyday situations and tangible things around him to illustrate the truths of the kingdom. Chapter four saw Jesus employing one single metaphor - the seed - in several different ways! There was the parable of the sower, the growing seed, and later the mustard seed! Jesus couldn’t have picked a better object lesson - doubtless his audience would be reminded of his teachings whenever they encountered seeds in the years to come. But it’s not that surprising that Jesus would be gifted in delivering object lessons - God had been doing it since thousands of years before. |
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Week 8 - Muffling the resurrection |
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Written by Ming Dao Ting
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Imagine you were a guard, living in Jerusalem in the first century AD. A certain Jewish leader called Jesus had just been executed, by demand of the Jewish people. Nervous Pharisees had obtained the Roman governor’s permission to place Jesus’ tomb under high security - just in case any of his devious disciples decided to steal the body and claim their leader had come back to life. You and some other guards were told to seal the tomb with a massive boulder and to be on high alert for as long as was needed. But you weren’t that worried - after all, you were fully armed and very well trained. What’s the worst that could happen? |
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