Job has finished. He has laid his case, like a defendant in a lawsuit, before God. He now waits for God to answer.
But still there is no answer.
Read MoreEnter Elihu
Read, Reflect, Respond
Articles posted by Annabel Robinson
What Will You Do with Jesus?
As Jesus approaches his crucifixion his confrontation with the religious authorities becomes sharper. He continues to speak in parables, and their meaning was not lost on them.
Vineyards were a common sight in Israel, and are found in both the Old Testament and the New Testament as an image of the garden that God is cultivating with his people. Isaiah 5:1-7 tells of a vineyard, just like this one, that failed to produce good fruit.
Read MoreThe Juicy Tidbit
The potential for good exists in all people. We have been made in the image of God, yet that image has been distorted in all of us. We are not “by nature” what God created us to be. As a result not all relationships are good.
Read MoreThe Silence is Broken
There had been no word from God for 400 years. The last time the Jews had heard a word from God was when the prophet Malachi had spoken, declaring that God would send the prophet Elijah before the day of the Lord came. Then silence.
Read MoreMary Understands
Luke is a good story teller. He intertwines the stories of Elizabeth and Mary so that we read one in the light of the other. Mary’s experience was similar, but significantly different to Elizabeth’s. Unlike Elizabeth, she was not married, and had not lived a long life of childlessness.
Read MoreThe Faith of Two Women
Luke’s narrative here is remarkably focussed. (I wonder what Mary’s parents thought? No mention. Did she travel the 100 kilometers to Elizabeth’s home on her own? No mention.) Other things are surprisingly emphasized (Mary’s greeting of Elizabeth). This is a clue as to what we need to pay attention to here.
No wonder Mary “hurried” (v 39). She had just received what must be the most stunning news in all history!
Read MoreThe Story Spreads
The anticipation grows. Elizabeth had become pregnant, as foretold in v.13; now she finds out that the baby is indeed a boy. The angel had told Zechariah that the boy’s name was to be John (“Yahweh has shown favour”), and in spite of the objections of the neighbours and relatives, that is the name which his parents gave him.
Read MoreThe Last Words before Jesus Came!
If you are using a Bible that has cross-references you will see how many times Zechariah refers back to the Psalms and the prophets. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he could see how what was happening in his life was part of God’s big story, going right back to the covenant he made with Abraham (Genesis 22:16-18), David, and the prophets (e.g. Jeremiah 23:5-6). He could see what was happening in the light of the whole history of Israel.
Read MoreWhen the Truth Hurts
To us a “fool” is a silly person; in the Old Testament a fool was someone who turned away from God, rejected his wisdom and chose not to follow him. You wouldn’t expect godly talk from a person like that. But still less would you expect a ruler to lie.
Read MoreThe Hinge of the Whole Story
“She gave birth to her firstborn, a son . . .” Such a simple description of an event that’s happened millions of times in this world. Except that this time it was unique. Earth changing.
Luke the historian frames the story in the political history of the day. Augustus, the adopted son of Julius Caesar and the Roman Emperor, had ordered a census. Joseph, in obedience to the Roman authorities, had gone back to his ancestral town to register. Augustus, who by an iron hand had brought peace to the whole empire, was in control.
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