Sermons, Articles, and Other Things

Everybody likes a happy ending. Yet we know that many episodes in life don’t seem to have such. Indeed, for many, the closure of some sets of circumstances indicates the opposite. No doubt, there were times in David’s life when he may have thought that there would not be a happy ending. For example, he was identified as a future king when Saul was still reigning, and for years it looked as if Saul would even kill David. Yet eventually David became king. If we know the story of his life, we can think of several stages when anything but a happy ending could be anticipated. Yet here he is, stressing that the story of his life on earth will have such a happy ending. Sometimes we imagine if it is possible to summarise your life in a sentence. Or at other times we may comment on a sentence and say that a lot can be said in a few words. Maybe we may hear or read a sentence that challenges us about the grasp of reality that the speaker or the author possessed and we respond by saying that ...

It is possible that verse 5 of the psalm explains something that a shepherd did for his sheep as he led them along the valley that took them to the higher summer pastures – we considered this possible interpretation of the valley when we looked at verse 4. Some commentators suggest that the shepherd would travel the route beforehand and store provisions at regular distances, so that food would be available when the sheep reached those locations. Whether that was the case or not, it is true that the heavenly Shepherd will ensure that adequate supplies are available wherever he takes his people. Others suggest that the imagery of a shepherd does not exist in this verse or in the next, and that instead the author now uses the imagery of a host because he refers to a table with food on it, and a cup from which the psalmist drinks. Verse 6 further suggests that the psalmist is now inside a building called the house of the Lord. It is obvious that some details may not fit with the usual i...

We can see that the sword of the Spirit is the weapon that a Christian soldier uses as he defends himself against the enemy’s schemes. The obvious implication is that the sword should only be used by someone who has the armour on. At the same time, we can see that the armour without the sword is not sufficient. Both the armour and the sword are necessary for a successful outcome. This is how we can be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. What or who is the model that Paul has in mind when he refers to a soldier wearing armour. Two suggestions have been made. One is that he has in mind a Roman soldier because he would have seen many of them in his travels and he may even have been chained to one as he wrote this letter. The other suggestion is that he is thinking of Jesus because Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would come wearing armour (Isa. 59:17). Personally, I would suggest that we combine both suggestions, arguing that Paul wants us to imitate Jesus but uses the Roman ...