Federico Fellini has been called the High Priest of Italian Cinema. Bill Hicks the High Priest of Stand-up Comedy. And Prince, the High Priest of Funk, Soul and Rock n Roll. It’s the idea of being an authority. One who mediates the genre out into the world. They are the go-to person when it comes […]
Do you need a priest to bring you to God? The Bible answers yes. But perhaps not the priest you were thinking of. Back in Exodus 3 Moses is at the burning bush and the One in the bush promises to save the people: “Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a […]
When introducing people to the cross of Jesus it’s very common to hear this objection: “Hang on! If you’re saved from judgement by Jesus’ sacrifice, won’t you just keep on wallowing in sin? Doesn’t the cross mean that Christians will be complacent about sin and go on indulging in it?” Actually the opposite is true. […]
In English we say “the cream of the crop”. In Hebrew they would say “the fat of the land” (Genesis 44:18). Not that the ground is particularly oily (they’d also talk about “the fat of the wheat”; Psalm 81:16). The fat is the best portion. And this is what Pharaoh offers to Joseph’s brothers: “Pharaoh […]
In Australia, where I’m from, it’s not uncommon to give people joke names. So a giant of a man might be nicknamed “Shorty” or a red-head will be called “Blue.” The LORD seems to have a similar sense of humour. In Genesis 17:5, childless Abram is re-named “Abraham” which means “father of a multitude.” But […]
There are three prominent prepositions used about Adam and Eve in Genesis 2. For, From, and To. She is for him. From him. Then brought to him. Which means the whole thing is heading towards a fourth preposition. And I’m afraid I can’t avoid all the connotations of this next word, but let’s hold our […]
It’s no accident that the key verbs of Genesis 2:24 rhyme. The King James translation was written to be read aloud. They would have been glad to find a rhyme that so naturally arises from the Hebrew. And certainly preachers for the last four centuries have enjoyed the fact that their sermons on marriage can […]
Let’s think about two modern sayings where ‘Adam’ features. We say “as old as Adam” when we mean ancient. And, at least whenever I use it, it has the connotation of intransigent. If there’s a stubborn fact of existence that has ever been thus, it’s “as old as Adam.” Frustration with work, the battle of […]
On day 4 we’ve hit a milestone. Here’s the first of many King James phrases that have become swear words! “Be fruitful and multiply.” It’s God’s way of saying… well… let’s stick to the way God says it: “Be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28) It’s a phrase that actually gives us a window onto: the […]