With mothers’ day coming up it seems a good time to reissue an old post, with a new format and somewhat cleaned up audio. I briefly remind you of some of the passages that picture God as a midwife. The Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) regularly pictures Yahweh as intimately associated with forming in the womb and with birthing. In view of “his” role as midwife “he” can hardly have been thought of as a male god.

Remembering this stuff and celebrating motherly God (who is no god) is particularly appropriate as we approach mother’s day! Better for us than extra chocolate too And it’s not un-topical here in NZ where the TV is showing a drama about Midwives just now, either.

Andean Bear with her cubs an mage of YHWH (Photo by Smithsonian's National Zoo)

In this podcast I’ll again argue that Robert Carroll gets it wrong. Despite his own fierce black humour he fails to acknowledge its presence or at least its prevalence in the prophets. He writes about humour in Hosea in:

Carroll, Robert P. ‘Is Humour among the Prophets’. On humour and the comic in the Hebrew Bible. Edited by Yehuda T. Radday and Athalya Brenner. Continuum International Publishing Group, 1990, 179-180.

Bob was a fine friend, and a great scholar, I wish he was still around to argue against me! Since he isn’t perhaps you will do him the honour of looking for the gaps or weaknesses in what I say and pointing them out in the comments (he’d appreciate it

Here’s the audio: Humour in the Bible: book 28: Hosea

Life on the rubbish dumb in Mae Sot is "Better than Burma" Amos spoke about justice (photo by Jacob Baynham)

In Understanding the prophets: Part one I spoke about the “Three Cons” as a key to reading the prophetic books of the Old Testament with understanding and in ways which are faithful to their original intention. In this second part we’ll look at an example from Amos 5:18ff. and apply this approach. The result will be an uncomfortable word from God for us today.

Here are the slides from that talk: Understanding the Prophets: Part Two: Amos 5:18ff. There are some podcasts that deal with the book of Amos here and there is a detailed free online commentary with a wealth of background information and pictures here.

Cow Dung Patties (photo by mary jane watson)

If podcasts can have dedications, then this one is dedicated to Robert Carroll. The podcast is full or irony, first that of an introvert who spoke before thinking and who failed to read or digest a fine work by an admired teacher and friend, and then that of a frequently (and often mordantly) humorous Irishman who denies title humour to black humour so like his own. And then in the end, in Ezekiel 4:9ff. I’ll suggest there is both irony and (black) humour in the account of the Lord GOD conceding a customary prohibition to his staunch, righteous and rigorous prophet, while demanding that nevertheless he break the clear commandment of Scripture.

Here’s the audio: Humour in the Bible: book 26: Ezekiel

In this podcast I refer to:
Chotzner, Joseph. “Humour of the Bible.” In Hebrew humour and other essays, 1-12. Luzac & co., 1905. (The quotation is from page 12.)

and especially to:

Carroll, Robert P. “Is humour also among the prophets?” In On humour and the comic in the Hebrew Bible, edited by Yehuda T. Radday and Athalya Brenner. 169-189. Continuum International Publishing Group, 1990.

Massebah at Gezer (Photo by Tim Bulkeley)

Back to the longer series, just in case you thought I’d forgotten. Jeremiah has a harsh and cutting humour on almost every page. In this post we’ll look at Jer 2:26-28. And just so you don’t think I am inventing the humour I find there I’ll cite some proper scholarship.¹

Here’s the audio: Humour in the Bible: Book 24: Jeremiah

1. William R. Domeris, “When metaphor becomes myth: A socio-linguistic reading.” In Troubling Jeremiah, edited by A. R. Diamond and Society of Biblical Literature. Composition of the Book of Jeremiah Group. Continuum, 1999, 257.

How Raffael imagined Ezekiel's vision, but what was the point? (Raffaello Sanzio, Wikimedia Commons)

I am doing a three part series at South City Baptist Church on Sunday afternoons on Understanding the prophets. This week thinking, about what a prophet was and how they spoke, I used the title: “What does a prophet? What does it profit?” these are the slides from the talk.

A key idea in this talk was the ideas in my Prophets: three principles to unlock the code another podcast that uses the same idea (but to address a New Testament prophet) is: The teachings of Jesus the prophet. There are many more of these 5 minute audio teaching about the Hebrew prophets and about particular prophetic texts. Just use the menu above > OT > and choose a prophetic book.

Another good place to explore the nature and contents of biblical prophecy is the book of Amos. My commentary with also a huge amount of Bible Dictionary type material is here Amos: Postmodern Bible.

Hut in a field on the Thai-Burma border (photo by Tim Bulkeley)

At last, I’m on the home straight, the first of the prophets The prophetic books are packed with humour. But right at the start we’ll need to get one thing clear. Humour is not just the comic, entertainment that promotes a giggle or a smile. There is humour also in tragedy, at times when “you either have to laugh or cry” and those when the sharp scalpel of cutting wit is needed to cut through defenses.

I’ll try to explain this idea of tragic (as well as comic) humour in exploring Isaiah 1, and will also argue that in this passage (at least in Isaiah 1:8ff) all but two of the “signs of humour” we have been working with are present. One that isn’t is “lighthearted mood” but you’d hardly expect that if there is such a thing as “tragic humour”, as I am claiming.

So, listen to the podcast and tell me if YOU think that tragic humour exists, and if I’ve rightly named it!

Humour in the Bible: book 23: Isaiah: tragic humour

A fine pile of manure.

I never said all the humour in the Bible was gentle or polite. We have come to expect harsh even toilet humour from the prophets, but in this reading Leviticus outdoes Ezekiel sharpening his toilet humour and even making it shorter and more pointed.

In this podcast I’ll compare Ezek 6:3-6 with Lev 26:30, and even throw in some Hebrew and a reference to Cuneiform, just to show how serious Leviticus’ humour really is

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So, here’s the link to the audio:
Humour in the Bible: Book 3 Leviticus

By Tokistar (Template:The artist)

The prophet Jonah (at least as his story is told in the book that bears his name) is perhaps the most orthodox if perhaps the most heteropractic¹ prophet in the Bible!

Yet this book perhaps better than any other in the Old Testament encapsulates the essential truths of Scripture.

[For more on the "Perspicuity of Scripture" see The Perspicuity of Scripture or see the podcasts listed here.]

The next podcast on Jonah should return to a detailed look at a small chunk of the book, this one is big-picture stuff, just to keep you interested

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1. The prefix “ortho-” straight or right and “hetero-” different or wrong are used as opposites. The endings “-dox” to do with worship or theology and “-praxis” to do with action. So orthodox is right-thinking and heteropractic is wrong-doing.

God as creator from the Sistine Chapel (photo Wikipedia)

I’ve already a podcast on Jonah 1:7-8 Direct speech in biblical narratives if you want a fill in between the last podcast and this one.

Had you noticed? We were eight verses into the book and Jonah had not said one word. In Jonah 1:1-8 not a peep out of Jonah the prophet, so 1:9 where he finally speaks has to be significant…

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"It was slightly disturbing to find giant 'Thomas the Tank Engine' faces looking up from the ground" by oxyman

In these two verses we get some more clues about how to read the book of Jonah, we’ll notice how everything is big, and how the ship has personality. I’ll suggest that Jonah is in some ways like a children’s story, larger than life and painted in bright primary colours. I’ll even suggest that there are hints the telling is like Thomas the Tank Engine

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Jonah and the Whale. Photographer: Brams. Hvidbjerg Kirke in Hvidbjerg Sogn in Thyholm Kommune, Denmark.

In this short series (of two podcasts) I’ll describe two things I think I know, two stakes in the ground when I come to think about the topic of “universalism” that has been much discussed (and even more an excuse for slanging matches) recently around the Bible-focused blogs.

Let’s start by admitting there are many many things on this topic that we simply do not know. I list a few of the many things that I am firmly agnostic about in a blog post OK, till now I’ve held my peace, and avoided discussing that Bell fella and universalism. But….In this podcast and the next one I’ll offer two things that I do know related to this topic. Today from the book of Jonah (for other podcasts that may give a fuller idea about how I read Jonah go here) and tomorrow from Psalm 69. In both cases the set text is intended to be typical of a major strand of thinking and expression in the Bible.

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Back in the days before I was a professional Bible teacher I could never have imagined anyone wanting to rip the book of Jeremiah from Scripture. Jeremiah the emotional prophet, who speaks sometimes such lovely promises, who expresses how his own and God’s hearts are torn by the terrible future (and present) Judah’s apostasy and sin have brought upon Jerusalem the holy city, how could anyone not love Jeremiah!?

But then I was asked to teach Jeremiah, and once I did. In preparation I read the book, aloud into a recorder, and then listened to the recording, while driving to work. I discovered, to my horror, but more and more strongly that I detested the book. It is grubby, nasty and leaves such a sour taste that I wanted to spit it out.

And yet, I’ve continued to live with Jeremiah, it’s part of Scripture, it’s part of my Prophets in Context course… and perhaps I can see why it remains in the canon….

I’ll try to illustrate some of this looking at Jer 6:1-8 as a sample passage.

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Misty mountains, southern olympics by Julie Olson

We looked at this passage in class last week. I’ve based this podcast on my own very literal translation (so as to make spotting how if works easier). The translation with a couple of explanatory notes is here: Jeremiah 4:23-27 (translation and notes)

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My earlier podcast: The last Confession of Jeremiah: Jeremiah 20: Yahweh seduces his prophet I simply assumed the translation seduce” for patah But “seduce” is not a translation favoured by English translations.

I dealt with this issue briefly in a blog post Did Yahweh seduce Jeremiah? with a bibliographic note Did God seduce Jeremiah? Addendum but since the issue was raised orally it seems right to deal with it orally here.

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So, in Jer 20:7ff does Jeremiah claim YHWH seduced him, or not? Listen to the podcast and then you decide!

As well as Jer 20:7ff. these other places where patah is used in the piel are mentioned:

• Gen 9:27
• Ex 22:15 (v.16 in English)
• Jud 14:15; 16:5
• 1 Kgs 22:20,21,22 cf. 2 Chron 18:19,20,21
• Ps 78:36
• 2 Sam 3:25
• Pr 24:28
• Hos 2:1
• Pr 1:10
• Ez 14:9

Jeremiah by Michaelangelo from the Sistine Chapel roof (Wikimedia)

Sorry this podcast is firstly out of order (it should have come before the last confession and then late (it should also have come a while back but I’ve been busy trying to get a paper on Isaiah finished

This fourth confession illustrates strongly both the dramatic narrative character of these “confessions” and that they are not to be taken as examples to follow, or as a mine from which we can quarry “texts”. For anyone who followed Jeremiah’s example would be rightly shunned, and any text torn screaming from this matrix would yield most unchristian applications!

No! Rather read this “confession” as a further episode in the continuing drama of Jeremiah and his Yahweh. As you read, allow yourself to be read, and you will listen with profit to the prophet

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Jeremiah gets more personal in his complaints, but his “conversation” with YHWH still seems to shut out any response… curiouser and curiouser… and which ending will you choose of this series?

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Pulpit Bible by contemplativechristian

Jeremiah’s third confession is a monologue, mainly (or all, depending where we think it starts) addressed to God. Complaint is the dominant tone, and Jeremiah asks for vengeance on his opponents. So this text raises interesting questions about the nature of Scripture, and how God might read (some parts of) the Bible…

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Continuing a series on The Confessions of Jeremiah, we’ll explore the second of these rich and complex texts Jer 15:10-21. Although I only have 5 minutes I hope I’ll give you material to spark several times that of study of the biblical text for it is out of such personal wrestling (sometimes like Jeremiah’s struggles with Yahweh) that we grow and learn from our Bible reading

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An Act against Atheism and Blasphemy, Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1697 (Wikimedia)

In the previous two podcasts in this series I’ve introduced “the Confessions of Jeremiah” and the first confession (11:18-12:6). Here we’ll look at this text from the point of view of how it portrays the characters of Jeremiah (in the book the speaker of the passage) and his God (whom he often addresses and on whose behalf he speaks to others).

I’ll suggest that this passage is far from a neat static cartoon of Jeremiah and God on one side and the Judeans (or the “Men of Anathoth”) on the other, goodies and baddies. Rather it shows a rich depth of character as Jeremiah learns to experience God more profoundly.

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Before thinking about this “confession” we’ll first look at lament psalms briefly. Lament psalms often contain:

• an address (maybe simply “O God” or “O Lord”)
• a/some complaint(s)
• a request for help addressed to God
• the affirmation of trust in God, as thanks for past action or simply as praise and conviction God will act
• a vow to praise God when the crisis has passed (44:8; 80:18).

The first Confession of Jeremiah is a good illustration of both how these speeches are like, and that they are unlike Lament psalms. We will also notice how in Jeremiah the lament-like material works with its surrounding text. The condfessions are not a separate part of the book, they are parts of the book. (The next podcast will continue to look at this text, building on this material.)

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Jeremiah, Russian icon from first quarter of 18th cen. Iconostasis of Kizhi monastery, Karelia, Russia

A series of passages in Jeremiah stand out because of their contents which presents itself as powerful debates about Jeremiah, his call, his enemies and his God. In some of them Jeremiah seems to be speaking alone, in otgher God responds.

These “Confessions of Jeremiah are: Jer 11:18-20; 12:1-6; 15:10-21, 17:14-18; 18:18-23; 20:7-13 (the exact details of the list are debatable, but its broad lines are well established.

This podcast introduces Jeremiah’s confessions, subsequent podcasts in the series will examine each in turn.

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Photo by PBoGS

We’ve just recorded the video for the new CareyMedia DVD, this year it is conversations between small groups of us, one I was involved in was about worship. So, here I want to suggest that Leviticus (esp. Lev 19:1-2) and Isaiah 6 can help us come back to the heart of worship (as the song puts it).

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Gathering at First Presbyterian Church Bing (Photo by citizenactionny)

The flat out contradictions in Scripture make Bible readers jumpy.Conservatives seek to defend the “integrity” of Scripture by denying that there is any (even the slightest) disagreement, those on the other side delight in the “proof” that the Bible is merely a collection of venerable ancient texts of no relevance today. Both responses are dead wrong!

Contradictions in Scripture are real guides to how we should read. In Proverbs they reminded us how proverbs work, and how we have to select when to apply which proverb. In other places they are often reminders of the humanity of Scripture, that we have the thoughts of particular authors, in particular times and places, who were inspired by God not the words of God taken down as dictation.

So Is 56:6-8 stands in contrast in its welcoming approach to foreigners to the harsher attitude of Ezra’s prayer 9:5ff.
The debate between the two passages shows us Scripture as incarnate word, rooted in particular times and places, but then that is how the God of the Bible works: choosing the Jews, coming to earth in Jesus…

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OK this story must be one of the best-known that Jesus ever told, everyone has heard it! And if not (at least if they speak English or French or just about any other European language) they know the main character’s name – The Good Samaritan. Except that, what we know if we know this, is all wrong!

Jesus was a prophet so to understand what he’s doing here we need to remind ourselves how Prophets work. So after a quick recap on prophets we think about what Jesus the prophet is doing when he tells this story.

For more on prophets try these:

• E100-36: 2 Samuel 11:1 – 12:25: David and Bathsheba?
• E100 Week 10: Prophets: three principles to unlock the code
• E100-46: Isaiah 51:1 – 53:12: Reading prophets for pleasure and profit
• E100-47: Jeremiah 1:1 – 3:5: Getting started as a prophet
• E100-50: Malachi 1:1 – 4:6: The book that makes the bridge

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This week’s readings contain a sample of Jesus teachings. In reading them we will notice two things particularly that will help us better understand:
(a) Jesus is a prophet: so the rules we learnt for reading Old Testament prophets will help us understand Jesus. These rules were:

1. Prophets spoke to a context: knowing the who, what, when, where, how & why can help us get the point.
2. Prophetic speech is often a conversation.
3. Prophets are about conversion (not prediction).

(b) Jesus taught (often) in parables. Parables are picture language. Parable in Greek parabole or in Hebrew mashal means a “comparison”. So to understand a parable, as well as looking at the context we need to ask what comparison is being made?

In the first reading (the first part of the Sermon on the Mount, Mat 5:1-6:4) we’ll notice that Luke has a Sermon on a Plain and so how each Gospel remembers Jesus for themselves, that like any good biography Gospels are not transcripts, but meaningful retellings of the life of Jesus.

The second reading is the second part of the Sermon on Mount (Mat 6:5-7:29) we’ll notice that Jesus teaches like the prophets and how radical that teaching is.

The third reading Mat 13 introduces us to parables, and also shows us that parables are sometimes intended to make us think not provide quick simple answers.

For the fourth reading, Luke 10:25-37, I’ll suggest that the “Good Samaritan” is not about the Good Samaritan Jesus remember is a prophet and prophets turn things upside down and inside out.

Then we’ll apply all this to the lost and found parables Luke 15:1-32, especially to “The Prodigal Son” and again I’ll suggest the parable is not about the prodigal son, or even his forgiving father.

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Malachi is a short prophetic book, the name Malachi just means “my messenger” which seems to be what the speaker calls himself. It has no more details of time, place or person in the superscription (as most prophetic books do), but the content suggests Judah after the exile under Persian rule.

The book opens opens with a strong statement of Yahweh’s election of Israel, using hyperbole (exageration) to make it’s impact. “Malachi” accuses his audience of being willing to obey and seek to please humans but not God! He calls for proper sacrifice cf. pre-exilic prophets who were less impressed by sacrifice. The book usually signals when others words are being imagined, making it easier to read.

It addresses priests much of the time and the greater importance of priests, sacrifice and law/torah is a feature that suggests the time when Israel was province.

Malachi’s mix of concern for the here and now and for the future is typical of prophetic books, but this book is more weighted to future than most. More than any other short prophetic book Malachi prepares for and links to the New Testament.

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These four chapters tell the story of God’s prophet Jonah (who attentive Bible students know from 2 kings 14:25:

He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher.

This true prophet runs away from  God, says a long prayer inside a fish, preaches a five word sermon and converts the capital of an unusually brutal empire, and then tells God off grumpily! The story of Jonah is told in ways that cause us to laugh, or at least smile. This book is funny from beginning to end – which is different from other Bible books even though many of them contain humour see the podcasts here.

What’s going on? and Why’d he do it?

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There are a number of podasts if you want more on Jonah, or I have some study notes on the book of Jonah (not yet quite finished, or a longer lecture on Jonah.

In this 5 minute recording I try to introduce Daniel, a book that has been placed among the prophets in Christian Bibles (following the tradition of the old Greek translation) but is not a “prophet” in the Hebrew Bible. The book contains two sorts of material, stories about Daniel, like this one “Daniel in the Lions’ Den”, and records of Daniel’s visions, which seem to speak in a half hidden coded language. The visions are rather like Revelation in the New Testament, and scholars class both as “apocalyptic” (from the Greek for uncover or reveal what is hidden). The stories are most like the stories of Joseph and Esther.

I also suggest that reading chapter 6 (Daniel in the Lions’ Den) with chapter 3 (The burning firey furnace) adds an important link between Daniel and the Christian message in the New Testament.

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The call of Jeremiah should really have come before the Isaiah reading, as it gives us a good introduction to what a prophet is, and what prophets do. This reading also gives us a clear idea why prophets were often not much appreciated by the people to whom they were sent to proclaim God’s message.

There is so much one could talk about here, that I will focus mainly on Jeremiah’s call and what that tells us about prophets, to help you understand other prophetic books. I will also talk a little about the other chapter and a bit, but recognise that there are loads of issues in that section that I will not touch on, because of the interest in making sense of prophecy in general…

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I have not focused these 5 Minutes on how Is 53 speaks so clearly about Jesus, it is the Old Testament passage that is most clearly, directly and simply fulfilled in Christ. But that status should not make it paradigmatic for undedrstanding how Jesus fulfills Scripture. For more on that (and there is nothing on that in this podcast see What DOES “fulfil” mean? And other podcasts on this topic here.

Instead in this audio talk I want to focus on reading the prophets. The prophets are problematic today, in part because  Christians sometimes make them seem more like Nostradamus than Nathan, but even more because these books do fit Yancey’s friend’s description: “weird, confusing and all sound alike”. In these five minutes I’ll mention two key tools background (“context“) and hearing the “voices”.

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William Blake: The Ghost of a Flea

Prophets and prophecy: the most misunderstood part of OT, “mysterious messengers”. A random chunk from a prophetic book will offer a confusing, seemingly muddled, confusion of vivid picture language. Yet, three simple principles can (usually) unlock the mystery and allow the prophets to speak:

• conversion not prediction
• context not timeless
• conversation not monologue

As I’ll explain briefly in this podcast these three principles can cause mere fortune tellers to become evangelists, and their mysterious messages to become a call to convert, to change our behaviour, to redeem our world…

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The final steps, by Tracy O

Part three completes the process as we apply the final steps to our difficult passage from Ezekiel 28 and make real (useful and theologically sound) sense of this obscure and difficult passage!

]]> http://5minutebible.com/the-five-step-bible-programme-part-3-ezekiel-28-the-final-steps/feed/ 0 0:05:20 The final steps, by Tracy O Part three completes the process as we apply the final steps to our difficult passage from Ezekiel 28 and make real (useful and theologically sound) sense of this obscure and difficult passage! The final steps, by Tracy O Part three completes the process as we apply the final steps to our difficult passage from Ezekiel 28 and make real (useful and theologically sound) sense of this obscure and difficult passage! Ezekiel, NT, OT, Reading Dr Tim Bulkeley clean no http://5minutebible.com/the-five-step-bible-programme-part-2-ezekiel-28/ http://5minutebible.com/the-five-step-bible-programme-part-2-ezekiel-28/#comments Mon, 10 May 2010 08:05:23 +0000 tim http://5minutebible.com/?p=407

Just three of Lincolnian's steps

In this, and the next, 5 Minute Bible podcasts we’ll begin to discover how the Five Step Bible programme helps us make good sense of, and discover God’s message for us in, a rather difficult and obscure passage from Ezekiel.

Because it is a difficult passage, to do this in just two 5 minute podcasts will involve some over simplifying, so do ask questions in the “comments” if you want

]]> http://5minutebible.com/the-five-step-bible-programme-part-2-ezekiel-28/feed/ 0 0:05:58 Just three of Lincolnian's steps In this, and the next, 5 Minute Bible podcasts we’ll begin to discover how the Five Step Bible programme helps us make good sense of, and discover God’s message for us in, a rather difficult and obs[...] Just three of Lincolnian's steps In this, and the next, 5 Minute Bible podcasts we’ll begin to discover how the Five Step Bible programme helps us make good sense of, and discover God’s message for us in, a rather difficult and obscure passage from Ezekiel. Because it is a difficult passage, to do this in just two 5 minute podcasts will involve some over simplifying, so do ask questions in the “comments” if you want Ezekiel, NT, OT, Reading Dr Tim Bulkeley clean no http://5minutebible.com/direct-speech-in-biblical-narratives/ http://5minutebible.com/direct-speech-in-biblical-narratives/#comments Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:38:00 +0000 tim http://5minutebible.com/?p=13

There are many ways in which the story-tellers of the Bible ensure that their tellings are lively and engaging. One is through the way they report speech. There is usually more “direct speech” (where the words of a character are “quoted”) then “indirect speech” (where the teller tells us the gist of what the character said). This direct speech is often skillfully crafted to give a lively and rich portrayal of the person. The podcast begins with cases where a group of people speak (we already heard one of these in the post Humour in the Bible: Part 2: Still Introducing Saul). Another example of this is found in Jonah 1:8 though here different emotions are expressed. The book of Ruth uses skillfully differentiated speech to help portray the characters. In this podcast we’ll look at Boaz’ two speeches to Ruth from chapter 2 (Ruth 2:11-12; 8-9).

Amos 7:14 is a striking problem for interpreters, not least because what Amos is reported as saying to Amaziah seems to contradict what he is reported to be doing in the rest of the book. This makes it fertile ground for us to incorporate either our presuppositions or rhetoric into the text.

(I use the NIV and Grasping God’s Word) as examples in this but do not intend disrespect for the translators or authors, just to suggest they are human too!
Duvall, J. Scott, and J. Daniel Hays. Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible. 2nd ed. Zondervan, 2005 is an excellent book, which we plan to use as a textbook for a course I’ll teach next year

]]> http://5minutebible.com/amos-714-presuppositions-and-rhetoric/feed/ 0 0:05:13 Amos 7:14 is a striking problem for interpreters, not least because what Amos is reported as saying to Amaziah seems to contradict what he is reported to be doing in the rest of the book. This makes it fertile ground for us to incorporate either our[...] Amos 7:14 is a striking problem for interpreters, not least because what Amos is reported as saying to Amaziah seems to contradict what he is reported to be doing in the rest of the book. This makes it fertile ground for us to incorporate either our presuppositions or rhetoric into the text. (I use the NIV and Grasping God’s Word) as examples in this but do not intend disrespect for the translators or authors, just to suggest they are human too! Duvall, J. Scott, and J. Daniel Hays. Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible. 2nd ed. Zondervan, 2005 is an excellent book, which we plan to use as a textbook for a course I’ll teach next year Amos, Context, Reading Dr Tim Bulkeley clean no http://5minutebible.com/obadiah-and-jonah/ http://5minutebible.com/obadiah-and-jonah/#comments Thu, 18 Oct 2007 15:29:00 +0000 tim http://5minutebible.com/?p=47

Juxtaposition: putting things together to make something “more than the sum of the parts” is a common artistic skill, it is common (but often unrecognised) in the Bible. As my least favourite book of the Bible helps reveal!

]]> http://5minutebible.com/obadiah-and-jonah/feed/ 0 0:05:42 Juxtaposition: putting things together to make something “more than the sum of the parts” is a common artistic skill, it is common (but often unrecognised) in the Bible. As my least favourite book of the Bible helps reveal! Juxtaposition: putting things together to make something “more than the sum of the parts” is a common artistic skill, it is common (but often unrecognised) in the Bible. As my least favourite book of the Bible helps reveal! Isaiah, Jonah, Obadiah Dr Tim Bulkeley clean no http://5minutebible.com/jonah-13-5-whats-jonah-doing/ http://5minutebible.com/jonah-13-5-whats-jonah-doing/#comments Fri, 24 Aug 2007 17:42:00 +0000 tim http://5minutebible.com/?p=25

The puzzle of Jonah’s actions, and other strange goings-on don’t stop in Jonah 1:3, but deepen (pun intended) as we begin to read on… we meet the ship that had plans of its own and hear echoes of Santa Claus in the telling of Jonah’s story…

]]> http://5minutebible.com/jonah-13-5-whats-jonah-doing/feed/ 0 0:04:45 The puzzle of Jonah’s actions, and other strange goings-on don’t stop in Jonah 1:3, but deepen (pun intended) as we begin to read on… we meet the ship that had plans of its own and hear echoes of Santa Claus in the telling of Jonah[...] The puzzle of Jonah’s actions, and other strange goings-on don’t stop in Jonah 1:3, but deepen (pun intended) as we begin to read on… we meet the ship that had plans of its own and hear echoes of Santa Claus in the telling of Jonah’s story… Jonah, Narrative Dr Tim Bulkeley clean no http://5minutebible.com/jonah-12-three-little-words/ http://5minutebible.com/jonah-12-three-little-words/#comments Fri, 24 Aug 2007 16:54:00 +0000 tim http://5minutebible.com/?p=44

Continuing the series on Jonah, we rush ahead into the second verse of the book, only to spot yet again possibly more than one meaning. Jonah’s task however is clear.

By the way I am sorry about the long delays recently, I hope to post more regularly again, but not till after enjoying a two week holiday – starting on Sunday.

It is certainly one of my favourite Bible passages, indeed it is many people’s favourite Bible chapter. Isaiah 40 is just full of superb phrases and pictures. Whenever it was composed, this chapter really comes to life and sparkles when it is heard as the Judean exiles in Babylon heard, it just before Cyrus the Persian king captured the city. For a better idea of the background watch the Video “Babylon as background to hearing Isaiah 40” (4MB).

]]> http://5minutebible.com/isaiah-40-in-babylon/feed/ 1 0:06:48 It is certainly one of my favourite Bible passages, indeed it is many people’s favourite Bible chapter. Isaiah 40 is just full of superb phrases and pictures. Whenever it was composed, this chapter really comes to life and sparkles when it is [...] It is certainly one of my favourite Bible passages, indeed it is many people’s favourite Bible chapter. Isaiah 40 is just full of superb phrases and pictures. Whenever it was composed, this chapter really comes to life and sparkles when it is heard as the Judean exiles in Babylon heard, it just before Cyrus the Persian king captured the city. For a better idea of the background watch the Video “Babylon as background to hearing Isaiah 40” (4MB). History, Isaiah Dr Tim Bulkeley clean no http://5minutebible.com/what-is-the-bible-part-1/ http://5minutebible.com/what-is-the-bible-part-1/#comments Thu, 17 May 2007 07:49:00 +0000 tim http://5minutebible.com/?p=39

How do we picture Scripture? That is what is/are the (unconscious) models in our heads as we read and use the Bible?
This ‘cast refers particularly to Gen 18:20ff. and Amos 7.

Matthew often says that Jesus “fulfilled” some passage from the Old Testament. What does he mean? This ‘cast begins to explore this question.

Spotting the exaggerations and humour in the book can help us understand, but it also acts as a warning!

]]> http://5minutebible.com/jonah-thoroughly-fishy/feed/ 2 0:05:09 Spotting the exaggerations and humour in the book can help us understand, but it also acts as a warning! Spotting the exaggerations and humour in the book can help us understand, but it also acts as a warning! Genre, Humour, Jonah Dr Tim Bulkeley clean no http://5minutebible.com/jonah-pt-2-jon-13-whats-going-on/ http://5minutebible.com/jonah-pt-2-jon-13-whats-going-on/#comments Wed, 25 Apr 2007 17:05:00 +0000 tim http://5minutebible.com/?p=42

So, here’s the second part of the Jonah series. This time we focus on 1:3. Again we end with a question – but at least the right question is better than the wrong answer!

For some reason one of the difficult stumbling blocks at the start of a Bible intro course is “genre” and why it matters. So, here’s a < 5 minute Bible attempt to explain!

This post deals with Jonah 1:1, I excuse this by reference to the new commentary series announced on the first of this month by Eisenbrauns This ‘cast deals with beginnings, and with whether the clues in this verse suggest Jonah is of the genre prophecy or narrative (if you don’t understand why this question matters, keep coming back as I’ll have a post on “Why genre matters” soon!

PS: Thank you Tyler for reminding me of your blog post commentary on Jonah, you began it so long ago that I’d forgotten – but it should get a link here!
I should also link to my Notes on Jonah, less detailed than these talks, but dealing with the whole book.