Finding Refuge In God: A Reflection on Psalm 34
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Finding Refuge In God: A Reflection on Psalm 34

ByIsrael Shaw

Today is one of those days. This week is one of those weeks. How do I know? Because this has been one of those months. Frankly, it has been years of battling in the muck. My life has passed in the battle; all left is the duff on the ground.This journal entry is me engaging…

The Way To Interpret the Bible Exampled in Luke 24:13-27
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The Way To Interpret the Bible Exampled in Luke 24:13-27

ByIsrael Shaw

God wants you to go to Him in this conversation. He wants you to include Him as you seek Scripture in wonder and awe of how it all leads to Jesus. We are called in our pursuit of God to seek out how Jesus is in all of Scripture. Do not seek out your trusted biblical authority first. But seek God first through prayer and Scripture intake. Let God become your trusted biblical authority.  

The Ostensive Hermeneutical Principle: Unlocking the Power of Fee’s Axiom  
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The Ostensive Hermeneutical Principle: Unlocking the Power of Fee’s Axiom  

ByIsrael Shaw

I am on the hunt for the ostensive phrasing of Fee’s Axiom. The treasure I seek is the hermeneutic, as in THE Hermeneutic. This hermeneutic applies to every letter, word, and sentence in Holy Writ. It always applies. A biblical interpretation is deficient if it does not adhere to this rule. Here is the ostensive hermeneutical principle. 

Unveiling God’s Plan: The Star Prophecy in Numbers 24:15-19 Revealed
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Unveiling God’s Plan: The Star Prophecy in Numbers 24:15-19 Revealed

ByIsrael Shaw

Jesus fulfills Balaam’s prophecy in Numbers 24:15-19. This prophecy tells us that the Bible has long proclaimed that the coming Messiah is also God. God and the promised Redeemer are the same. This tension established a powerful motif within Judaism from its inception. The motif shows us an all-knowing, merciful Creator who also redeems us from sin, as the Messiah promised in Genesis 3:15.

Heralding Hope: The Past Advent of Jesus as Savior.  
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Heralding Hope: The Past Advent of Jesus as Savior.  

ByIsrael Shaw

God highlights his sovereign pleasure in his creation by choosing the promise as the way of the Savior. Mercy abounds from the very beginning of the Bible. Only through the promise do we have hope.  In Galatians 3, “Until Christ came,” The Savior has come. It has happened. All of history revolves around this reality.

Is the Law Our Drill Sergeant?  
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Is the Law Our Drill Sergeant?  

ByIsrael Shaw

Picture the law as a person in your life. How would he interact with you, and what role does he play? Do you imagine the law, as a person, will protect you? How can he? His strength is not his own. Indeed, this guardian is generally older and of little use elsewhere.  This law keeper safeguards the limits; and, when transgressed, administers rightful punishment dictated by justice. 

The Joy of Forgiveness in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
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The Joy of Forgiveness in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

ByIsrael Shaw

Many people have suffered extreme traumas at the hands of others! They can testify to how offensive this call for forgiveness is. Jesus tells us to pick our cross and follow him. What does Jesus obtain for us on the cross? Forgiveness. How do we know? He bodily rose from the dead.

Matthew 18:21-22
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Matthew 18:21-22

ByIsrael Shaw

There is more to forgiveness than its legal aspects. And more manifestations than just the act of mercy. God beckons us to pursue forgiveness in our lives because of how good forgiveness is to us.