Places and Cities of Spiritual Influence

After 2 days of fairly intense study of Hebrew, I began to read a couple of monographs and commentaries on Isaiah 40-66. I was given the text, Isaiah 50:4-9, Psalm 31:14-19; Phil 2:5-9 to preach in next month's Chapel, about three and a half weeks from now. Surprisingly, these texts have been a real comfort to me as I seek the Lord for my future and reflect on my 6 years of teaching ministry. I read about the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel and how her father, a Lutheran pastor decided to go to East Germany under Communist Rule while everyone else was heading to the more prosperous West Germany. Merkel's father must have known something about downward mobility or forsaking safety for the sake of Christ, very much like the Christ's hymn of Phil 2.

Principles of Hebrew Phonology

I am up to chapter 7. of Brettler's Biblical Hebrew for Students of Modern Hebrew. This morning I did chs. 5 & 6. This has been a luxury, a quiet morning doing Hebrew and nothing else. I hope to make it ch. 10 before my week-long break ends. I have been reading LXX and Theodotion of Daniel lately for my seminars on End-time. It is a kind of disciplined way to refresh one's Greek and Hebrew and you work with the primary sources and pay less attention to secondary sources.

Keeping Up with Hebrew & LXX Greek

In the midst of marking papers for NT 2, these two weeks' break give relief in terms having time to revise my Hebrew and keep up with reading of Septuagint Greek. I am currently using Marc Zvi Brettler's Biblical Hebrew for Students of Modern Israeli Hebrew and I have with me, T. Muraoka's A Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint which I use regularly to look up words. For instance, Daniel 12:4, LXX has this unusual word, apomanosin from mainomai (to become insane) which gives the reading as "many will become insane and wickedness will multiply" whereas the Theodotion has "many shall be taught and knowledge will multiply" and the Hebrew MT has "many shall go to and fro and knowledge will multiply."

Working after SABBATH

Adam was created on the 6th day and the very next day he rested on God's sabbath. Man was created to rest with God, enjoying his unbroken communion without the worry of working. The sabbatical year for the land also applies the same principle. First, during the wilderness wanderings Israelites were to collect what they needed daily and the 6th day there was always double portion to tie over the sabbath before collecting again on the 8th day or beginning of a new week. When the land is tilled for 6 years, Israelites were enjoined to let the land lays fallowed for a whole year, the 7th year. Thus there will be no work, sowing and reaping except that they are free to harvest what grows of itself in the 7th year. How are they going to eat in the 7th and 8th year? The answer is that God will provide a double portion in the 6th year and there will be bountiful harvest until the reaping of the 8th year. Incredibly, the Jubilee year, the 50th year after 7 × 7 years' cycle comes after a normal sabbatical year and hence in the year of Jubilee the land is to lie fallowed for 2 years, 2 years of rest from sowing and planting. Again God promises to bless the Israelites with triple portion on the 48th year, so that they can rest and enjoy two years of sabbath on the 49th and 50th year. Does the sabbatical year principle apply today?

"Many shall roam about" (Daniel 12.4)

As I was speaking about Daniel 12.4 "many shall go to and fro" and how easy it was to fly to various places, the news of the Malaysian airlines plane gone missing came through. We prayed for the passengers, their families and rescue efforts before the start of the 2nd session. My seminar on the End-time attracted 120 people.

Seeking for Prayers at Chapel's Service

My Family Group led Chapel's service for the last time (for me anyway) at College just before the Semester break. I thank the Lord for answering our prayers that everything went smoothly and without hiccups. Yesterday's rehearsal gave me some worry as I felt we were so unprepared. But my FG members pulled together, everyone playing his or her part for God's glory. I prayed a couple of times, one last night and also in the morning so that Lord direct everything we say, sing and do during the Chapel's service. I was led to share a prayer item on the name of God issue in Malaysia where the Federal Court had postponed indefinitely the hearing of the church's appeal.

Ephesians & Colossians: Deutero-Pauline?

When you have 2 and a half hours to cover Ephesians and Colossians how much time can you afford to spend on questions of authorship? As this is crucial in Ephesians and Colossians, almost reaching a near consensus about them being, not Pauline or not authored by the apostle Paul, hence, the term, "deutero-pauline", I thought it was important to deal squarely with these issues. It was tough going, knowing that some students might not be interested at all with such questions but for those who are interested, 30 minutes given to travess the grounds of either Pauline or non-Pauline camps are simply not sufficient to do justice to the arguments involved. I took the first hour going through Ephesians and got some interesting discussion going when I noted Pauline ascription of God as the God of the Lord Jesus Christ and in another place "The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ". With such phrases, I explained that the God we proclaim or Paul proclaimed is forever defined by Christ and any other understanding of God that rejects the centrality of Christ, the Son of God is no god, not least not the Christian God.

Waiting is not Easy

I have waited for 45 days and today is Ash Wednesday, 40 days before Good Friday & Resurrection Sunday. I am still waiting, quietly and confidently before the Lord. The Lord is my sun and shield. Lord I take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. The Lord has the best for everyone who waits on Him for heart has not perceived nor eyes have seen what the Lord prepares for those who love and wait for Him. He knows our needs. He knows what we will do for Him if we are obedient. Often it will take faith to obey for by faith Abraham obeyed (Heb 11) and all our forefathers did.

Tired Eyes

The photographer told me I had tired eyes and that my individual shot as a faculty member did not turn out well. I guess it is not surprising when you got up at 5am and lectured for 3 hours on the book of books, the prophecy of all prophecies, it could be a bit energy sapping.

Academic Regalia & Robes

Today for the second last time, I shall be putting on my academic gowns. It's photo-taking day here at College. I attended my LLB graduation in Christchurch with full academic regalia but for my theological degrees, I have not bothered with them much as far as ceremonies or graduations were concerned. As soon as the exams finished at the end of 1994, I went back to Malaysia and began serving. I missed the May graduation in Auckland the following year.

Seminar on Revelation (no. 9)

It was a good time for revelation. I started out at 7.15am thinking that I could get a seat on the 190 bus to Bible House where the seminar was held. It was again packed to the full but I got there in good time, the first to arrive at 8.30am for the 9am Seminar. We had 5 sessions, 3 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon with a final 30 minutes Q & A.

Six other participants came from different churches from the host church and it was a wonderful time. I did not feel the strain while speaking in the afternoon and I felt fresh right to the end, almost 6 hours of teaching. We ended at 5pm sharp and had fellowship for another 15 minutes.