TNBS Blogging returns with the Shema

Tuesday, Jan 25, 2011, we began a journey through the Shema readings.

We started with Deut. 6:4-7, about which I will post more later.

We're also experimenting with a new preparation method: we prep by writing out the passage and then journaling questions and ponderings.  We're still working out what the in-person study looks like.

Isaiah Key Theme: God works for his own glory

"God is actively using creation and history, and even the wrongs of man, for his own glory" (ESV Study Bible, Laridian version).

• Isaiah 10:5-19
• Isaiah 13:1-27:13
• Isaiah 36:1-39:8
• Isaiah 40:12-26
• Isaiah 44:24-45:13

Instructions for discovering a biblical theology of an idea, word, or theme are located on the Academy blog.

A theology of glory will be added to the blog Tuesday, Dec 8

Isaiah 50:1-51:8

un-faith confronted
while faithful servant submits
choose to trust Yahweh

Isaiah 48

telling and hiding
Yahweh restrains just anger
redeemer and judge

John 1:1-14--Divinity Becomes Flesh and Everything Changes

NOTE: cross-posted on Laura's Writings

only-Son type glory
shining,
light that is life,
substance-maker,
Word,
with God,
is God,

weaving
divine in flesh,
immaterial with material,
crossing the uncrossable divide.

===
John 1:1-14
Norton Lectures (by John Mark Reynolds)

Isaiah 24-27 Outline, Flow of Thought, and Key Ideas

• Isaiah 24: God’s judgment of the earth land
  

• 24:1-13 utter desolation and destruction, leading to emptiness
  
• 24:14-16 praise and glory contrasted with woe
• 24:17-23 continuing description of the judgment that none can escape
  

• Isaiah 25: praise response for God’s justice and salvation

• 25:1-5 individual thanks for judgment against unjust and for needy
  
• 25:5-12 communal praising and feasting "in that day"
  

• Isaiah 26-27: “In that day” is God’s salvation complete
• Isaiah 26: song of praise in response to justice

• 26:1-6 inhabitants of the strong city praise for God's care and justice
• 26:7-19 praise for God's leveling justice and gracious deliverance
• 26:20-21 respite for Judah whilst Yahweh emerges for more vengeance
  

• Isaiah 27: woe and destruction groom Israel for good things as the perfect people of God
  

• 27:1 punishment of Leviathan
• 27:2-6 tending the vineyard
• 27:7-11 Israel is exiled; their oppressors are destroyed
• 27:12-13 "in that day" no Israelite left behind

Key Idea(s): Those in relationship* with God rejoice at and abound in his final justice; those not in relationship are destroyed by it.

Updated: 2/10/09

* relationship: trusting and loving sovereign God

Isaiah 1-23

In an attempt to remember where we are, TNBS talked through Isaiah 1-23 tonight, inserting a number of important tangents centered on these books. On walk to work this morning, a few notions stuck out in the passage under consideration.

1. "in that day" is ubiquitous. Most times it seems to refer to the final blessings of the Kingdom through the Messiah. Other times it seems to refer to the judgment brought by the Messiah upon those who have rejected God and his ways. Mixed in with all this are references to fulfillments closer to Isaiah's time--I think of them a prequels to the end of the story.
2. God is the god of nations. Yes, his chosen people are held accountable, but so are nations who want nothing to do with him. In fact, he seems to use such nations for his own purposes and then punish them for their arrogance.
3. Isaiah, or at least 1-23, seems to have three purposes: (1) to terrify Judah; (2) to let Judah know that they are going to be disciplined because they will refuse to repent; and (3) to offer comfort and hope, for though they will be disciplined severely, a remnant will be delivered, for they are God's people and he is their God.
   

Next week we return to normal systems, previewing Isaiah 24-27.

Bible Reading and Bible Reflection--Nehemiah 8

Nehemiah 8

Key Ideas

The chapter is divided into two sections, signaled by time references [when the seventh month had come (7:73)...on the second day (8:13)]. The first part (8:1-12) focuses on large chunk reading of Scripture in a very large group and the second part (13-18) on smaller chunk study in a much smaller group.

Weekly Questions

• What does each passage say?
• What does each passage mean?
• What does each passage teach us about spiritual discipline?

NOTE: Posted in another form on Laura's Writings.

A SIDE TRIP THROUGH FIVE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

Rev 3. reading and reflection combined, 12/10
Rev 2. passage change, 12/9
Rev 1. schedule change, 12/7

December 9, 16, and 23 TNBS will take a short break from the study of Isaiah to dig into some spiritual disciplines:

1. Bible Reading and Reflection, Nehemiah 8 (mp3) vv 1-12
   
2. Prayer, Daniel 9 (mp3)
3. Giving, 2 Corinthians 9 (mp3)
4. Solitude, Luke 4 (mp3)

Our task on these three Tuesdays will be to understand the meaning of the passage and then discover what we can learn about each discipline the appropriate passage.

• December 9: Nehemiah 8
  
• December 16: Daniel 9; 2 Corinthians 8
  
• December 23: Luke 4
  

Weekly Questions

• What does each passage say?
• What does each passage mean?
• What does each passage teach us about spiritual discipline?

These five disciplines will be the subject of five Collegium seminars in 2009.

Isaiah 13-23 wrap

Key Ideas

• All of Judah's potential partners in a was against Assyria will fall. Her only hope is Yahweh.
• Yahweh punishes evildoers and disciplines his people, but he is also gracious and merciful: he delivers all who come to him in trust--even those once outside (and even against) his people.

SF questions

Isaiah 21-22

Key Ideas

• 22:1-14 God's people misunderstand the fall of Babylon (ch 21) and respond with rejoicing instead of the necessary repentance.
• 22:15-25 Even with the faithless model removed (Shebna) and a faithful model in place (Eliakim), the people and leaders choose faithlessness to their downfall.
• 23:1-14 The commercial strength of a nation will not protect it against God's judgment of its arrogance.
• 23:15-18 Even after restoration, the disciplined nation returns to its old ways; yet, the benefits are taken away and given to the faithful.

Spiritual Formation Questions

Isaiah 20-21

Closing prayer: summary haiku

assyria rules
egypt shoeless and naked
strong babylon falls

Isaiah 20-21

Isaiah 20-21

Key Ideas

The prophesied fall of Israel's allies and enemies

• exhorts Israel to trust the only trustworthy one: God.
• reminds Israel that timing and justice belong to God.

Spiritual Formation Questions

Isaiah 19:16-25

Closing prayer: summary haiku

"in that day" is hope
egypt, assyria blessed
with loved israel

Isaiah 17:1-19:15

Closing prayer: summary haiku

damascus disabled
cush lopped off before harvest
egypt torn and parched

Isaiah 17-19

Key Ideas

• The judgment of the nations forces the people of God to see that their help is in God alone.
• The future repentance of the nations forces the people of God to see that God alone is worthy of worship.

Spiritual Formation Questions

NOTE: this post originally held the SF Questions, but I've rethought that idea and decided to leave those on my blog and post the key ideas here in hopes that we can create our own questions.

Section Outline--Isaiah 13-23

Tentative Outline

13:1-14:23 Oracle Concerning Babylon

• 13:1-22 Oracle
• 14:1-2 Focus on Israel: you will receive compassion
• 14:3-23 Taunt
• 14:24-27 words against Assyria
• 14:28-32 Oracle the year Ahaz died

15:1-16:14 Oracle Concerning Moab

• 15:1-9 Lament
• 16:1-5 Appeal to Moab
• 16:6-12 "We have heard..."
• 16:13-14 Summary

17:1-14 Oracle Concerning Damascus

• 17:1-11 Oracle
• 17:12-14 "Ah..."

18:1-7 Ah concerning Cush

19:1-25 Oracle Concerning Egypt

• 19:1-15 Judgment
• 19:16-25 "In that day..."

20:1-6 Narrative Interlude: Isaiah goes naked

21:1-10 Oracle Concerning the Wilderness of the Sea

21:11-12 Oracle Concerning Dumah

21:13-17 Oracle Concerning Arabia

22:1-25 Oracle Concerning the Valley of Vision

• 22:1-14 Oracle general
• 22:15-25 Oracle re: Shebnah

23:1-18 Oracle Concerning Tyre

• 23:1-14 Fall
• 23:15-18 Rise

Also posted on Laura's Writings, with a bit of additional content.

Isaiah 11:1-12:6

• Isaiah 11:1-5 The Messiah: "...a shoot from the stump of Jesse..."
  
• Isaiah 11:6-16 The Kingdom: "The wolf shall dwell with the lamb..."
  
• Isaiah 12:1-6 The Psalm: "you will say in that day..."
  

Isaiah 9:8-10:34

• 9:8-10:4 Increasing unrighteous earns increasing judgment: "For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still" (9:12, 17, 21; 10:4)
• 10:5-19 Assyria will be judged
• 10:20-34 God's steadfast love to the remnant of his people
  

Isaiah 7:1-9:7

• 7:1-9 Shear-jashub ("A remnant shall return")
  
• 7:10-23 Immanuel ("God with us") and "In that day..." series
• 8:1-10 Maher-shalal-hash-baz ("the spoil speeds; the prey hastens")
• 8:11-22 Vision of Messiah
• 9:1-7 Vision of Messiah and Kingdom

9/9--7:1-23
9/16--8:1-9:7