Contemplative Bible Reading

Isaiah 10:1-2 (New International Version) 1 Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, 2 to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. Let’s start with verse 2: depriving the poor, withholding from the […]

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Jonah 1:3 (New International Version) But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. Another verse from one of my favorite histories in […]

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Let me break with the theme of this blog (noticing one or two verses here and there) and instead discuss an entire Bible story – the history of Naaman. This history is told in 2 Kings chapters 5 and 6. 2 Kings 5:1 (New International Version) Now Naaman was commander of the army of the […]

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2 Chronicles 25:14 (New International Version) When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them. Amaziah was a King of Judah. Earlier in this chapter, we are told that he […]

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John 1:17 (New International Version) For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. I hadn’t noticed this short verse of a dozen or so words before. This type of writing is called contrast or opposition. It shows one thing, then another. Moses – a great and humble servant of […]

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Acts 4:25-26 (New International Version) from Psalms 2 25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: ” ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 26The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed […]

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Proverbs 25:16 (New International Version) If you find honey, eat just enough— too much of it, and you will vomit. This is one of those great verses in the Bible. So much of Western philosophy and practice comes from these few words. Too much of a good thing is bad You  eyes were bigger than […]

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1 Peter 2:1 (New International Version) Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind Malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander – these are bad things. I don’t want these things in my life. Is Peter telling us, “Stop this or you will go to hell.” I don’t […]

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