Author: Mark Uraine
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A Hardened Heart
And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go. Exodus 4:21 Harden – The picture here is that YHWH actively hardened Pharaoh’s…
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Coals of Fire
Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Romans 12:20 (KJV) Heap coals of fire upon his head – Why is this the metaphor we’re made to associate with being kind to our enemies? Sounds rather drastic,…
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The River
And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive. Exodus 1:21 (KJV) Cast into the river – Israel has an amazing history with “the river”. This is the scene that sets in motion the redemptive power of YHWH. And it is here where…
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Love the Sinner
Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD. Psalm 104:35 (KJV) Sinners – Love the sinner, but hate the sin. Isn’t this how we’ve come to understand it? Shouldn’t we have compassion and patience toward those…
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Law of Liberty
And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables. Exodus 32:16 (KJV) Graven – So many of us look at the law as a burden, or restrictive. We definitely don’t refer to it as freedom, or life-giving. But the Hebrew language provides a little…
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The Will of God
And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; Romans 2:18 (KJV) Knowest his will – Who knows the will of God? Who knows His plan for our lives? We’re always searching for some explanation of what’s to come, but maybe we should be looking to…
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Walking Without Sin
And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. Luke 1:6 Blameless – No one likes to read these words, and most won’t acknowledge what they clearly state. Zacharias and Elisabeth, the parents of John the Baptist, were walking without sin during this time in their lives.…
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Perfection in Plainness
And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. Genesis 25:27 (KJV) Plain – In all my readings of Jacob as a young man, I am baffled at how he could possibly obtain the mercy of God and be found just…
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Healing for a Purpose
And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people. 2 Chronicles 30:20 (KJV) Healed – Healings are among the most magnificent of all miracles. To witness someone in sickness and pain receive a healing will surely reinvigorate hope and faith in our Living God. A Healing can strengthen the people, not just the individual. And in…
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Weightier Matters
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Matthew 23:23 (KJV) Judgment – How can judgment be one of the weightier…