Bible, Theology & Philosophy

What a tumultuous week it had been for Jesus’ disciples. Talk about going through a whirlwind! By Sunday evening, they were practically—almost literally—driven out of their minds.

Each of these men had spent—wasted?—three years in the school of Christ.

But now, suddenly, it was over. This was the end—and now it was time to return to the mundane tasks that had been all but forgotten over the course of the previous years.

But they did not realize that, for each of them, life—real life—was actually just about to begin.

The so-called “long day” recorded in Joshua 10:12-14 has generated much discussion among Bible scholars. Before Copernicus’ heliocentric solar system gained acceptance, interpreters argued that the sun’s and moon’s orbits were halted. Martin Luther, for example, reportedly denounced Copernicus and declared, “I believe the Holy Scriptures, for Joshua commanded the sun to stand still, not the earth.”¹ But with the advent of modern astronomy and science, serious objections have been raised against this interpretation.

There are certain tasks I do not enjoy having to do on a regular basis. One that immediately comes to mind is garbage night. Every Tuesday night, the garbage cans and recyclables go out to the curb. Rain or shine, hot or cold, it still must be done. Even though I just did it seven days ago, they sit on the driveway waiting to be taken on their weekly walk.

I first encountered T. Desmond Alexander at seminary, years ago, via his tome From Paradise to the Promised Land.

When you represent The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, there is sort of an unwritten rule that you will present Passover Seder demonstrations in the spring, leading up to Easter.

Notice that I am careful to point out the fact that these are educational presentations. We are not mandating that the church return to the Mosaic Law and reinstate the Passover. However, there is so much that we can learn from the wonderfully rich heritage behind this festival—which I call the world’s oldest holiday.