Text for discussion: Luke 8.  

Happy week of the Lutheran Reformation! 

Luke 8 covers the Parable of the Sower, a powerful parable, but powerful events also ensue.  Jesus calms the storm, frees a man of a "legion" of demons, and He raises a child from the dead.  Who is this who calms the storm, who the demons must obey, and even death itself must yield?  This Jesus is none other than God Himself, clothed in human flesh . . . .  

The hymn: A Mighty Fortress is Our God 

The picture: by Rembrandt.  1633. "The Storm on the Sea of Galilee."

Luke 7.  

Jesus heals a centurion's servant in Capernaum, raises a young man at Nain, and makes waves felt in Judea.  

His mercy and forgiveness abounds.  

The hymn: We Praise you O God.  Public domain.

The image: Palma il Giovane, "Penitent Woman Anointing the Feet of Christ at the Table of Simon the Pharisee."  Late Renaissance.  Public domain.  

Text for discussion: Luke 6

Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath, and in Him we build a firm foundation for our lives.  

Hymn: Built on the Rock

Image: Sheaf of Grain, Franz Marc, 1907.  Public domain.  

To the Savior (INRI) 

Just wanted to share a song that I wrote and recorded.  It is called "To the Savior. (INRI)." It is a paraphrasing and retelling of events in the Gospels.  

Music by Chris Truelsen (Copyright 2026) 

with lyrics based on Scripture. 

Painting: Christ in the Storm by Rembrandt.  (public domain). 

Text for Discussion:  Luke 5.  

Jesus is gathering disciples, but it does not seem like He is gathering the most righteous of people . . . .  What we are seeing is "new wine" when people are so used to the old.  

He is bringing about something that hasn't been seen before . . . . 

Hymn of the Day: My Faith Looks Up to Thee.  (A public domain hymn).  

Painting: Jan van Hemessen, 1536.  "Jesus Summons Matthew to Leave the Tax Office"

Text for discussion: Luke 4.  

In this chapter, Jesus is tempted in the desert and begins His ministry.  

Jesus shows us how He is going to stand between us and evil.  The full victory is won at the cross.  It is not just a temporal victory, but an eternal victory, for you . . . . 

Hymn: Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me.  A public domain hymn.  

Image: Christ in the Desert by Ivan Kramskoy, 1872.  

Discussion: Luke 3.  

When Jesus is baptized in the Jordan River He is baptized into our sin and we in turn our baptized into His mercy and grace. Interestingly, when Jesus goes to the Jordan he is south of the Mesopotamian Mt. Olympus, so to speak.  His ministry is not just to gather in Israel, but to claim the people of the other nations, and Jesus does so by uprooting and overturning their gods.  In this episode you will discover that there is a bigger battle taking place than meets the eye.  

Text for discussion: Luke 2.    Everything mentioned in the narrative of the birth of Christ has significance from beginning to end.  In this one we join the shepherds by the manger . . . .    Hymns: What Child is This, On My Heart Imprint Your Image, We Praise you, O God, Eternal Father, Strong to Save, The Battle Hymn of the Republic. Art: Public domain, John Singleton Copley, "The Nativity" dated, 1776-1777.

Text for discussion: Luke 1

The Son of God most High's birth happened in the fullness of time.  God's salvation plan for humanity would be fulfilled in Jesus Christ.  John the Baptist would roll out the royal carpet for the King of Kings, Jesus, clothing himself in human flesh.  This is the story of John's birth, and the conception of Jesus, Son of God . . . . 

#226 The Benedictus, "Song of Zechariah.", (LSB, CPH).  

Many have built their lives, staked their lives on the ideas of Darwin, but how many know that he was once concerned that he may have "devoted his life to a fantasy" [his own words]!? In contrast the Apostle Peter said that the disciples did not follow "cleverly devised myths" and they were well familiar with cleverly devised myths in the ancient world-and there are many and constant cleverly devised myths we see and experience today.  Yet, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and He is RISEN! 

The hymn: Amazing Grace (public domain).

Painting: the Holy Women at the Tomb (by William Adolphe Bouguereau, 1890) Public domain.  

The hymn: Jerusalem, My Happy Home.  Public domain.  

The painting:  Ecce Homo (Behold, the Man) by Antonio Ciseri.  Public domain.  

The New Tree of Life and the Great Feast: Moses and the Elders ate and drank and beheld God in a feast; in the Last Supper, God ate in the domain of the Apostles.  The tree of life passed away from history, but God gives a new tree of life and fruits thereof.  

The hymn: Lord of Glory, You Hast Bought Us (public domain).  

The painting: The Last Supper by Carl Bloch, 1800s (public domain).  

Recorded in 2021, here we observe Good Friday with the Stations of the Cross Service . . . .   May this service be a blessing to you as you remember how our Lord died upon the cross to atone for our sins.  Our Lord Jesus Christ is now risen . . . .  Let us hear God's word together and recall how Jesus, the lamb of God, takes away the sin of the world . . . . 

The painting: Behold the Man by Antonio Ciseri, 1871.

Seeing the Bible through the modern lens is a dangerous proposition that can lead us to look at the Scriptures in a skewed way.  It matters what lens we bring to the table when we read Scripture.  What do we make of the ancient laws in Scripture even as we live in very different ways in the modern world?  As much as things change, things remain the same!  

The hymn: Be Still My Soul (public domain) 

The engraving (by Dore) a depiction of Moses and the Ten Commandments.  (public domain).

We live in a Fallen world, and sometimes tragedy strikes.  How will people find closure?  How will justice be served?  Man cannot see what happened, but God know all and sees all.  It is His Son who will judge the living and the dead, but in this world we seek to limit the beast mentality and seek a higher way in the God who has created us.  

The hymn: Savior When in Dust to Thee (public domain). 

The engraving (by Dore) a depiction of Moses and the Ten Commandments.  (public domain).

In the modern world, there are certain segments of society that seem to think that war is always evil, however, there are some enemies, whether one likes it or not, that prove to be an existential threat.  In such a circumstance war would be justified, but some might always be in denial about that consideration.  

War in a Fallen world is sometimes necessary.  With God's people in Deuteronomy 20, it was about defeating not only existential threats, but spiritual enemies too.  

The hymn: Not All the Blood of Beasts (public domain).

The engraving (by Dore) a depiction of Moses and the Ten Commandments.  (public domain).

In today's world people might try to justify bad laws or policies with biblical justifications, but historical and cultural context always matter!  There were cities to which a person that had committed a serious error-but not a crime could flee for safety and refuge from a family member who might seek vengeance.  This is part of our topic for today . . . . 

The hymn: Glory Be to Jesus (public domain) 

The engraving (by Dore) a depiction of Moses and the Ten Commandments.  (public domain).

The word "incarnation" describes what Jesus did.  The God of Heaven and Earth lowered himself to take on human flesh.  Moses says that this would happen long before it came to pass.  In Scripture, we see the grand sweep of God's plan of salvation for humanity.  

The hymn:  All Depends on Our Possessing (public domain)

The engraving (by Dore) a depiction of Moses and the Ten Commandments.  (public domain).

Strange title right? Yet, in our day and age, people practically worship the earth, there is a reverence accorded to the earth that is not accorded to the God who created everything.  The God of the Universe, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit has created everything, and has created amazing systems that help the earth to restore itself, yet the earth, sun and moon are created things.  They are not to be worshiped . . . .  Deuteronomy prohibited sun and moon worship (and anything else in the Creation) because people were actually doing that.  This and other subjects today . . . . 

Hymn: O Love How Deep.  (public domain)

The engraving (by Dore) a depiction of Moses and the Ten Commandments.  (public domain).

We are headed into a weekend when many will be celebrating a thing they call Valentine's Day, often without understanding what they are doing and why they are doing it.  In Deuteronomy 16, Israel is commended to celebrate a number of important feasts, significant not only for their history, but foreshadowing the things even of Messianic times to come.  

Hymn: Savior, Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise.  (public domain)

The engraving (by Dore) a depiction of Moses and the Ten Commandments.  (public domain).

God provided generously in the Promised Land and wanted to ensure that those who were down on their "luck" were provided for.  This chapter gives us insight to that society.  Yet, God's greatest promises are fulfilled in Christ who gives abundant life.  

The hymn: Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us.  (public domain)

The engraving (by Dore) a depiction of Moses and the Ten Commandments.  (public domain).

There was once a time when all of humanity that lived, lived under God in a harmonious society-that was life in the Garden of Eden.  In the Fallen world, things run differently.  

In the Promised Land, things would be a little more like Eden, a little less like the Fallen world, but it was never easy.  

The hymn: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (public domain).

The engraving (by Dore) a depiction of Moses and the Ten Commandments.  (public domain).

The world is filled with idea, philosophies, doctrines, teachings.  How do we separate the good from the bad, the true from the untrue?  How do we determine what comes from God?  

The hymn: My Faith Looks Up to Thee (public domain)

The engraving: by Dore - a depiction of Moses with the Ten Commandments (public domain).  

We are in God's image, though imperfectly.  Deuteronomy 12 is about a new way of life in God's Promised Land, and how they would keep it.  

The hymn: Fight the Good Fight (public domain).

The engraving: by Gustave Dore features Moses and the Ten Commandments.  (public domain).  

In this one, we talk about how God's word and His ways were to become a daily part of Israel's life, bound to their wrists and foreheads, written upon their gates and doors.  

Here we talk about how God is at work, writing His name on us, and giving us His Holy Spirit.  

The hymn: The People that In Darkness Sat (public domain)

The engraving: by Dore (Moses and the Ten Commandments) (Public domain).  

The light of Christ shines in the dark world.  The world was made through Christ, yet, when He arrived in the fullness of time, the world did not know Him! 

Hymns: Away in a Manger, Silent Night.  (Public domain).  

The painting: Adoration of the Shepherds by Gerard van Honthorst, 1622.  (Public domain). 

This special service ends with prayers and song.  

Hymns: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, What Child is This, Gentle Mary Laid Her Child, Away in a Manger, Silent Night.  (All public domain).

The painting: Adoration of the Shepherds by Bartolome Esteban Murillo (1600s) Public domain.  

ALL scriptural passages come from the ESV translation of scripture.  

Mary sings a song about how God fulfills His promises.  Zechariah prophesies regarding his son as the forerunner to the Savior, Jesus.  

The hymn: Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates.  (Public domain).

The painting: The Dream of Joseph by Rembrandt.  1645.  (public domain).  

During the Advent season we see in what ways Messiah was foretold, going back to the Old Testament, and how He came to be called Jesus.  

The painting: The Dream of Joseph by Rembrandt, 1645. (Public domain).  

Hymns: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, What Child is This?  (Public domain).

In this season of Advent we look at the Gospel narratives surrounding the birth of Jesus.  

Hymn: Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus (public domain) 

The painting: The Dream of Joseph by Rembrandt, 1645. (public domain)

Just as God engraved his testimony on the tablets of stone, He writes his name on our hearts.  

Image: personal photo.  A slice of geode with John 3:16 written on it, by Chris Truelsen, 2025. 

Hymns: (all public domain) 

Amazing Grace. Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven. The Day Thou Gavest. When Peace, Like a River. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. We Praise You, O God. Savior, Again, to Thy Dear Name We Raise.  

Egypt was a domain of slavery, darkness, false gods, and death.  God brought Israel into the Promised Land, driving out the people there in the Land of Canaan.  This was not by the peoples' own righteousness, but for the sake of His promises to Abraham, and His own faithfulness.  He gives us a better life as we put aside sin and selfishness and live a new life in Him.  

The engraving by Dore is of Moses and the Ten Commandments.  (public domain)

The hymn: Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me (public domain).  

We may seek to do well, but there are times when we stray from the will and ways of God, seeking our own way, not His.  

Sometimes God shows us something different, pulls us in a different direction.  But in some instances God keeps us from being our own worst enemy when we go astray, and God stands in the way.  (This is a replay from March 28 of this year).  

Hymn of the day: I Bind Unto Myself Today 

 the painting: Balaam's Ass, 1626.  Rembrandt.  Public domain.  

Since Eden, humanity has always sought to regain paradise lost.  What sinful humanity most often seems to want is paradise without God.  Moses reminds the Israelites that their entering into the Promised Land will not be by their own virtue, but because God keeps his promises, even ones made to their fathers, long dead.  

Yet, God is indeed the God of the living, and those who believe in Christ will have salvation and life in Him.  

Hymn of the day: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing 

Engraving: (subject is Moses with the Ten Commandments and the Israelites).  

The children of Israel were to drive the Canaanites and many other nations out of the Promised Land.  Their time was over.  Today, we have the choice between a virtuous society, or a wicked society, hell-bent.  Here I go into why it was necessary for Jesus to drive out demons in his own time.  Some of these things also tie into the phenomenon of "ghosts" today.  Many have claimed to have experienced strange things in various places.  What is the Christian (or anyone) to make of them?  

The hymns (all are public domain): A Mighty Fortress, My Soul Now Praise Your Maker, For All the Saints.

The engraving: Dore's image of Moses and the Ten Commandments.  

To live under the true God both in Israel long ago, and today, is to live free, and to enjoy not only His guidance, but His provision.  He is the one who sustains the Creation, and in Him is life and salvation.  

Hymn: We Praise You, O God (Public domain).  

The photo: "The American Flag in the Sun" by Jay Cubby, Nov 2024.  [used with permission under the Creative Commons license of Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:American_flag_in_the_sun.jpg]

Text of Discussion: Exodus 15

The defeat of Pharaoh is a "type" of things to come, where God shows us the mighty acts He will bring about.  Our sins are drowned, crucified with Christ, so that we live as God's victorious people.  

The hymn: I Bind Unto Myself Today

A public domain hymn.  

(This podcast was originally published for January 7, 2022)

As the Israelites prepared to move into the Promised Land Moses reiterated the Covenant of the Law given to them.  We call them the 10 Commandments, and they are foundational to society, yet at one point or another, everyone has broken them-sometimes carelessly and lightly.  Transgressing them was breaking the contract . . . .  What did that mean?  What did that entail?  

The hymn: Savior Again, To Thy Dear Name We Raise (public domain) 

The engraving: The engraving: by Gustave Dore - of Moses and the tablets of the Ten Commandments.  

Moses warns Israel not to be drawn away to following other gods, nor any creatures on the earth, nor the stars or celestial objects.  False worship goes back to Adam and Eve; it is rooted in the ego of Adam and Eve (the first version of humanism) or in a following after the old evil foe (the serpent).  

All the roads of false worship lead back there-Moses commends us to follow the true God; in Him is all that is good, life, and salvation! 

The hymn: I Bind Unto Myself Today.  (public domain).  

The engraving: by Gustave Dore - of Moses and the tablets of the Ten Commandments.  

Deuteronomy 3.  

We have heard of ages upon the earth when lived gigantic flora and fauna-they are recorded in the fossil record.  But what about giant peoples?  Deuteronomy 3 records a time when Moses and Israel defeated many Rephaim, giants-which were like the pre-Flood Nephilim.  This was only with God's aid.  

They hymn: A Mighty Fortress 

The photo: A Meganeura from the Museum of Toulouse.  The photographer: Didier Descouens.  [Used with permission under the Wikimedia Commons license: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Meganeura_monyi_au_Museum_de_Toulouse.jpg]

Israel had its own Promised Land.  Certain peoples were off limits to their warfare and plunder leading up to their conquest of the Promised Land.  These peoples were in actuality "cousin" peoples.  See how it all ties together . . . . 

The engraving:  (Moses and the Ten Commandments) by Dore.

The hymn: When Peace Like a River.  (Public domain).  

(podcast message revised 9/23/25)

The children of Israel get ready to go into the Promised Land for the second time.  Deuteronomy 1 begins with a significant speech of Moses.  What is a significant speech that shaped your life?  

The hymn: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross. (public domain).  

The engraving: (the subject is Moses with the tablets of the Ten Commandments) by Gustave Dore, public domain.  

Here we close out the fourth of the five Books of Moses.  How do you determine what belongs to who when an inheritance is being administered?  In allotting the parcels of the Promised Land to the 12 tribes, the daughters of one man named Zelophehad were the only heirs for this man, yet, the land generally went to sons.  The problem was solved when these daughters were allowed to be next of kin in receiving an inheritance, but the greater tribe wanted to make sure that tribal lands would stay with the tribe of Manasseh if they should marry.  Tune in to see how they solved the problem . . . . 

The hymns: Blest Be the Tie that Binds, What is the World to Me? 

The engraving: Gustave Dore - Moses Breaks the Tablets of the Law 

Numbers 35.  

The perfect society . . . doesn't exist.  Not on earth.  Yet, God established bounds of society in which the children of Israel could live and even thrive.  The Levites did not have a territory specifically allotted to them, but they were given cities in which to live, and this chapter also specifically speaks of ways in which the Fallen world problem of manslaughter was handled.  

The hymn: When Peace, Like a River (public domain).  

The illustration: The Allotment to the Levites by Philip de Vere.  used by permission in accordance with its license:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_allotment_to_the_Levites._Vorleser.png

God had an inheritance for Israel: the Promised Land-promised in the time of Abram/Abraham.  God has an inheritance in store for you.  This is the story of their inheritance, and your inheritance.  

The hymn: For All the Saints (Public domain).  

Painting: Noah's Dankgebet by Domenico Morelli (Noah's thank offering).  Public domain.  by 1901. 

Life presents us with countless claims which we have to evaluate as "true" or "not true."  Numbers 33 presents us with the itinerary of the Exodus and wanderings in the desert of Israel.  The account takes us deep into history, and finding the path of the Exodus in modern times proves a challenge-the "footprints" seem long ago erased.  Did it really happen?  Yes, we believe so, but what was the route, and how do we evaluate the case for the Exodus?  

The hymn: Jesus, Savior Pilot Me.  (Public domain.) 

The painting: Passage of the Jews Through the Red Sea.  1891.  by Aivazovsky.  (Public domain) 

Matthew 10.  

While no one can finish the race for you, Christ did pay the price for all our sins, taking up His cross that we might have life.  

Jesus tells us that we may also have to take up the cross in this life . . . 

This life's rewards are temporary, but we have an imperishable reward in Christ . . . . 

Hymn: What is the World to Me?  

The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh did not want to cross over into the Promised Land.  They saw the land of Gilead as much more favorable for their livestock.  Moses it seems was not happy with them, but he changed his tune . . . .  What to do with livestock?  

The hymn: My Soul Now Praise Your Maker

Photo: entitled, "Lascaux Painting" 

The author/artist of the photo is reported as EU X and permits others to use the work when mentioned.    (at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lascaux_painting.jpg)

Commanded by God, Israel goes to war against Midian.  In an age of modern warfare and devastation, what are we to make of events like these?  What does all of this mean for us?  

The hymn:  Battle Hymn of the Republic.  (public domain).  

What's in a vow?  What makes it significant?  Both males and females had responsibilities regarding vows.  Where we are not so faithful in our vows, we know that God is.  

They hymn: Battle Hymn of the Republic (public domain)

In the world as it is currently configured there seems barely time for rest as mind, body, and spirit are pulled in too many different directions.  Too many irons in the fire.  

How do we handle the pressure?  How do we escape the rat race?  When is our holiday?  Or more precisely . . . who gives and is our holiday?  

The hymn: What Wondrous Love is This?  (public domain).  

Jesus heals a centurion's servant in Capernaum, raises a young man at Nain, and makes waves felt in Judea.  

His mercy and forgiveness abounds.  

The hymn: We Praise you O God.  Public domain.

The image: Palma il Giovane, "Penitent Woman Anointing the Feet of Christ at the Table of Simon the Pharisee."  Late Renaissance.  Public domain.  

Here we have a summary of offerings to be made on special feasts, as well as the everyday offering.  From the Old Testament to the New Testament church and beyond there were changes in offerings, rites, and customs.  Today we talk about some of those changes and their significance.  

The painting: (public domain).

The hymn: I Bind Unto Myself Today (Public domain).  

Who wants to pay the full price, especially when you get a great discount?   The price for salvation was steep, impossibly high.  Keeping the Law with the goal of salvation in mind is an errand of despair.   Isn’t there another way?  It’s on full display, wrapped up in Jesus’ very name.  

The hymn: Savior Again, to Thy Dear Name We Raise (public domain).  

The painting: Ecce Homo!, by Mihály Munkácsy, 1896. (public domain).  

June 13, 2025 podcast

Text for discussion: Numbers 26.

This chapter is about the generations that would be going into the Promised Land after their captivity in Egypt.  

The generation that started in Egypt did not get to go in.  We have a source and a destiny.  Our life is not meaningless, but God intended that we should seek Him and find Him.  Indeed, you were meant for more in this life and beyond . . . . 

The hymns: Eternal Father Strong to Save My Soul, Now Praise Your Maker I Bind Unto Myself Today

The artwork: Study for Jacob's Dream, by Gustave Doré. (1865). Public domain.  

Who we decide to pair ourselves with in life is serious business.  Marrying among the other nations for Israel was not just about genetics or genetic traits, it was about whether people would belong to God or belong to the world and its gods.  Some among Israel paired themselves with Midianites and then followed after their gods.  

the hymn: Holy, Holy, Holy (public domain).  

the painting: Jesus Stilling the Tempest by James Tissot (public domain).  

Jacob dreamed of a ladder to heaven, and God's promise to Abraham was reaffirmed to Jacob . . . .  What is the Jesus connection?  What is our connection?  This discussion deals with Part II of Genesis 28.  

All passages come from the ESV translation of Scripture.  

The Hymn is Glory Be to Jesus #433, a Lenten Hymn in the public domain.  

This episode was originally published March 12, 2021.

Balaam could do no other than speak the blessings of God upon Israel.  That they were favored by God went back to Genesis 12.  Yet, Balaam also speaks of destruction to come for those who were set against Israel and against God.  

The hymn: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (Public domain).

 the painting: Balaam's Ass, 1626.  Rembrandt.  Public domain.  

A sermon 

[This is a special podcast]

One of the (I think) little quoted sayings of Jesus is, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."  In our day and age, people may use the word "blessing" lightly.  What does this word really say?  How do we understand the fullness of a thing like forgiveness?  These things are covered in this message.  

The hymn: Savior Again, to Thy Dear Name We Raise

The photo: Pillars at the Ruins of Ephesus. (from March 2011, by Slyronit.)

The children of Israel were secondary in this narrative.  Balak, King of Moab wanted to curse the children of Israel, but Balaam could by no means do so.  

Here we see the purposes of God unfolding in time.  God's ways and purposes will unfold-it is good, and best for us to sail with this flow in life.  

the hymn: My Faith Looks Up to Thee (public domain). 

 the painting: Balaam's Ass, 1626.  Rembrandt.  Public domain.  

We live in a world of skepticism, and there is much to be skeptical about.  There are illusions and untruths set before us constantly.  How do we know what is true and what is untrue?  In Scripture we have something different than what the world gives.  In it we find virtue and truth.  God's Holy Spirit is at work in it.  It is dependable and reliable.  Yet, when we say, "I believe in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit" we cannot confess this for someone else-we must confess it for ourselves.  We must make it our own.  God gives us a solid foundation in His Word.  At some point we must be believing rather than unbelieving but God allows us to take a look and determine these things to be beyond a reasonable doubt.  

The hymn: Savior Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise.  (public domain)

The painting: Doubting Thomas by Carl Bloch.  (public domain).  

Christ's victory over sin and death is our victory.  

While the world and skeptics may dismiss the ancient accounts, there was indeed miraculous fallout that indicates there was beyond the ordinary going on.  

The Apostles changed drastically, the Christian faith did not go away, and the tomb was empty.  

Christ is the Savior, and He is risen.  What does all of this mean?  

Hymn:  He's Risen, He's Risen (text: CPH, 1941.  Music: public domain.)

The painting: The Holy Women at the Tomb by William-Adolphe-Bouguereau. 1890.  Public domain.  

In Christ, the second death to come passes over us, because Christ has won salvation for us.  All of those events began with the first Maundy Thursday and the Institution of the Lord's Supper . . . . 

The hymn: On My Heart Imprint Your Image (public domain) 

The painting: The Last Supper by Philippe de Champaigne ca. 1652.  public domain.  

The Litany for Holy Week, the prayers, John 18-19, and a message.  

The Painting: "Ecce Homo" (Behold, the man!) by Antonio Ciseri, mid 1800s.  (Public domain).  

The hymn: A Mighty Fortress.  (Public domain).  

The photo: Wheat Grain by Michele Castagnetti, 2022 used under Creative Commons license: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wheat_Grain.jpg

In installment IV, we see how the devil selectively quotes Psalm 91, even as Psalm 91 speaks of the devil's demise!  

Hymn: Eternal Father Strong to Save (public domain). 

The photo: Old Olive Trees in the Garden of Gethsemane (by Beko, from Wikimedia Commons, used under Creative Commons license: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Оld_Olive_trees_in_the_Garden_of_Gethsemane,_12.jpg

In part III, the devil uses a selective quotation of a Psalm as his proof that God would bear Jesus up if he would throw himself off the pinnacle of the temple.  If he could get the Son of God to do it, it would be a two-fer.  His plan was to get God's Son to sin by tempting the Father, and to show that he was really a hypocrite and really wasn't the perfect Son of God.  None of this of phased God's Son.  Where Israel failed, God's Son would not falter.  

The hymn: Fight the Good Fight.  (Public domain).

The painting: Christ in the Desert by Ivan Kramskoy, 1872.  (public domain).

In Part II, the devil offers Jesus the world, but it is not really his to give.  The devil offers humanity many thing, but his "promises" always fall short.  God holds out a far better offer: eternal life in His Son.

The hymn: The King of Love My Shepherd Is (public domain).

The painting: Christ in the Desert by Ivan Kramskoy, 1872.  (public domain).

Jesus was Israel reduced to one. In the desert, many people of Israel fell in the trials described in the Exodus and until they entered the Promised land. The trials of the flesh were difficult to overcome. Jesus’ time in the wilderness for forty days was a reminder of their trials. There, he faced the temptations of the evil one. He experienced the troubles of the flesh, but Jesus was both God and man. It was in His victory that God proclaimed that this was His Son in whom He was well pleased.  

The hymn: Built on the Rock (public domain).

The painting: Christ in the Desert by Ivan Kramskoy, 1872.  (public domain).

We may seek to do well, but there are times when we stray from the will and ways of God, seeking our own way, not His.  

Sometimes God shows us something different, pulls us in a different direction.  But in some instances God keeps us from being our own worst enemy when we go astray, and God stands in the way.  

Hymn of the day: I Bind Unto Myself Today 

 the painting: Balaam's Ass, 1626.  Rembrandt.  Public domain.  

Numbers 21 with the fiery serpents biting many Israelites, and Moses setting up a bronze serpent on a pole which they could look at and live is a Bible narrative emblazoned on our minds.  It is to this narrative that Jesus alludes when He speaks of His own crucifixion which was yet to come.  In this chapter we learn about the spiritual warfare taking place in that age, and in our very own age.  

The Hymn: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (public domain)

The engraving: from the Bible panorama, or The Holy Scriptures in picture and story, 1891.  Artist: Foster, William A. (from old catalog) digitized and contributed by The Library of Congress.  Public domain.  

If you grew up with brothers and sisters, it is likely you remember the words you heard as you traveled with your parents, “Are we there yet?”  When you have siblings you travel through life together, even for better or for worse. 

By Numbers 20, it seems Israel is nearing the end of its journey in the wilderness.  

The text for today deals with the end of the road together for Moses and his siblings-a fork in the road, and a traveling on alone.  We have a brother who has traveled all the difficult roads before us that we might have life and salvation, Jesus Christ.  

The hymn: Jesus Savior, Pilot Me. (Public domain hymn) 

The painting: Moses Strikes Water from the Stone by Krzysztof Lubieniecki.  1714.  (public domain).  

We know what it is like to come in from working outside (or playing), to be drenched in sweat and dirty, the day's work permeating our clothes.  To be dirty is to be unclean, but the uncleanness discussed in this chapter is the uncleanness of death.  Uncleanness is associated with sin, and the unclean required purification.  What was required?  

The hymn: On My Heart Imprint Your Image (public domain)

The painting: The art: The Jewish tabernacle and priesthood, 1874, by George Needham, from an old catalog.  Public domain.   

The Levites in Israel had no inheritance, no land that was allotted for them in the Promised Land.  God was to be their inheritance.  The gifts of the rest of Israel provide for them.  In our modern context, offerings provide for the needs and workers of the parish.  What is the meaning of our giving today, and what does God give us? 

The painting: Moses and Aaron Speak to the People (painted by James Tissot c. 1896-1902, public domain). 

The hymn: Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us (public domain).  

How do you identify the true leaders of the Israelites?  How do you determine who has the authorization of God?  Moses sets up a little test.  

 Photo: Almond Blossom Time by Clay Gilliland, Feb 2014.  (free use granted with proper credit).  

The hymn: My Soul Now Praise Your Maker (public domain).  

Korah's rebellion is a disaster for Korah and for the children of Israel, but from God comes grace, redemption, and atonement.  

The art: The Destruction of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.  Public domain.  from the 1890 Holman Bible.

The hymn: Be Still My Soul.  Public domain.  

Surviving in the midst of the wilderness brings a struggle between life and death.  

A man is found breaking the Sabbath; the punishment is severe.  

In an age and context far removed, what lessons do we draw from this troubling situation?  

The hymn:  My Faith Looks Up to Thee (public domain).  

The art: The Jewish tabernacle and priesthood, 1874, by George Needham, from an old catalog.  Public domain.  

It is time for Israel to go up and possess the land that has been promised to them, but fearfulness wins out, and their grave offense leads to defeat.  

The illustration: Map of Canaan in Patriarchal Times, (ca. 1880) Public domain. 

The hymn: Eternal Father Strong to Save.  

A man who had been living in the tombs encounters Jesus.  The demon-possessed man falls down before Jesus, and in a frightening turn of events, 2,000 pigs rush down a steep bank and into the sea.  Jesus heals those who live in darkness.  Jesus is always the answer for the dark times of our lives.  

The painting: The Swine Driven into the Sea by James Tissot.  Public domain.  

Hymn: A Mighty Fortress.  Public domain.  

(first dropped on March 1, 2024)

Spies were sent into the Promised Land and declared that they saw some unusual things. 

The hymn: O Love How Deep 

The Painting: The Sistine Madonna by Raphael, 1513.  (Public domain).  

Moses' marriage in this account sounds like a recent event, but we do not know who the Cushite woman he marries might be.  Aaron and Miriam object to the marriage, but God fully backs Moses, who has been faithful to him.  

Why did they object, and what are we to make of this?  

Hymn: My Faith Looks Up to Thee (public domain). 

The art: The Jewish tabernacle and priesthood, 1874, by George Needham, from an old catalog.  Public domain.  

The song: What Child is This (instrumental version).

The Photo: Shepherd Field Chapel, Palestine.  Author of photo: Dennis G. Jarvis https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Palestine-06398_-_Chapel_(34769897192).jpg

Hymn: Silent Night (public domain).  

The Photo: Shepherd Field Chapel, Palestine.  Author of photo: Dennis G. Jarvis https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Palestine-06398_-_Chapel_(34769897192).jpg

Hymn: What Child is This?  (Public domain).

The drawing: "Moses Stands in Front of the Ark of the Covenant" by Jan Luyken between 1703-5, in the Rijksmuseum.  (Public domain)

For anyone who is interested, I am including a link to a free download of several favorite Christmas and Advent hymns I have recorded.  Hope you enjoy them: 

https://christruelsenpresents.com/songs-of-advent-songs-of-christmas

The painting: Expulsion from the Garden of Eden by Thomas Cole (public domain) 

The hymn: The People that in Darkness Sat (public domain).  

The struggles of Israel in the wilderness were no laughing matter, yet when we talk about Scripture, sometimes there is parody and satire, sarcasm, irony, puns-things that may be humorous to us-or not always so humorous.  Humor can strike us all in different ways.  

The ultimate purpose of the wilderness and the scope of history is the refining of God's people, to bring forth an important seed, an heirloom seed that would spring forth in the fullness of time.  

Hymns: Be Still My Soul; Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus.  (Public domain).

The painting: Moses Strikes Water from the Stone by Krzysztof Lubieniecki.  1714.  (public domain).  

This podcast was first published November 17, 2023.  Have a Happy Thanksgiving! 

The way of operating in the world is different from the kingdom to come.  

In the world we see the pain and perils of Fallenness, the brokenness of society.  In this dark and difficult situation, God hears our prayers, and answers them, and when this life is over, promises to bring us to Himself.  

This week’s hymns: 

Eternal Father, Strong to Save God Himself is Present

Fight the Good Fight My Faith Looks Up to Thee We Praise You, O God  (All are public domain)

Painting: Jesus Goes Up Alone onto a Mountain to Pray (by James Tissot, between 1886-1894, public domain).

God had the Israelites fashion two silver trumpets for calling the assembly and sounding the alarm.  Where are we in history at this point, and exactly where are we?  

The photo:  attributed to Steerpike (talk) Arc-de-Triumph.  

Description: Roman Triumphal arch panel showing spoils of the Jerusalem Temple from about 81 AD.  NOTE THE TWO TRUMPETS TO BE SEEN ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PANEL.  

The author has permitted people to generally use the work with a link to the license:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arch_of_Titus_Menorah.png

Hymns: Savior, Again, to Thy Dear Name We Raise; The Day Thou Gavest; Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven; Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us; We Praise You, O God.  (All public domain).

In Numbers 9 we find the first celebration of the Passover after the actual event.  It is amazing to think that the intricate work of the making of the Tabernacle is complete.  Now, they are led in the wilderness by God.  These are unique events in history, but like golden threads, they can be tied to earlier Scriptural events, and events to come . . . .

The art: The Jewish tabernacle and priesthood, 1874, by George Needham, from an old catalog.  Public domain.  

The hymn: Be Still My Soul. (Public domain.)

Numbers 8 is a story of plunder and transference.  God plundered the Egyptians (and their gods), carrying their wealth out with the Israelites in the Exodus.  The finely crafted lamp stand, made of gold, provides light in a dark sanctuary that was made without windows for natural light.  

The Israelites transfer their sins and transgressions to the priests, who in turn transfer the sins to the sacrifices, but something bigger, much bigger is going on here.  It is a foreshadowing of how God plunders the old evil foe, and a demonstration of how you, to God, are far more precious than gold.  

Hymns: What Wondrous Love is This, Eternal Father Strong to Save.  (public domain)

Photo: In the Darkness, copyright Redpipi, shared for free use on Wikimedia Commons.  Author's description: "It shows the way a fire can light up the darkness."

The Israelites consecrated the tabernacle and offered various kinds of offerings for acceptance by God and the forgiveness of sins.  To enter into God's presence they had to be made new again, made whole.  They, like we, were imperfect.  Who would purchase something like that?  Blemished, imperfect, even sometimes on its last legs?  

The hymn:  For All the Saints.  (Public domain).  (One of the best of all my hymn recordings).

The artwork: Adam and Eve Expelled from Paradise by Auguste Rodin, 1887 (public domain).

Have you ever taken a vow?  Have you ever made a promise?  How seriously did you take that promise, or have you forgotten a promise almost as soon as you made it?  Numbers 6 is about making a vow and keeping it.  Our promises often get broken, but going even back to the earliest times of the world, God has kept His promises-millennia after He promised a Messiah, in the fullness of time, His Son was born.  

The hymn: A Mighty Fortress. Public domain.  

Painting: The Sacrifice of Isaac by Juan de Valdes Leal, 1659.  Public domain.  

When we reflect on our lives, we would all like to think that we are good.  When we try to justify ourselves, a reflection on our deeds and our lives will remind us forcefully that we fall short.  In understanding this, Jesus shows us how to do the impossible: thread a camel through the eye of a needle.  

Hymn:  Built on the Rock (public domain).

Painting: Christ Weeping over Jerusalem by Ary Scheffer, 1849.  Public domain.  

In Numbers 5 we find an unusual test of truth.  The test was designed to discern guilt from innocence in regard to adultery.  

What do we make of the test; how do we bear the burden of the Law?  

Hymn: Be Still My Soul (public domain)

The artwork: The tabernacle, engraving from Robert Arnauld d'Andilly's 1683 translation of Josephus. Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons.

 God makes His presence known in the midst of the Tabernacle.  In far more ancient times, He walked with humanity, but Fallenness made it so that man had to call upon God.  (Genesis 4).  Now God is in the midst of His people, but coming is the time when He will walk among humanity again, tabernacling in human flesh: the incarnation of Christ.  On a side note, in this one you will also find out what "hexaplex trunculus" is! 

The artwork: The tabernacle, engraving from Robert Arnauld d'Andilly's 1683 translation of Josephus. Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Hymn: Amazing Grace.  Public domain.  

Why the Levites?  Why was this tribe designated for the priesthood of Israel?  And what is the destination of the priesthood, what become of it?  It's a remarkable history, and the final destination is perhaps unexpected, but not surprising when you understand the scope of holy history.  

Hymns: Upon the Cross Extended, On My Heart Imprint Thy Image (public domain).  

The artwork: Melchizedek detail, created by the studio of FX Zettler, Munich,   from St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, Springboro, OH, Aug 31, 2023, by Nheyob.  (free to share and copy with attribution).  

Some scholars have doubted that such large numbers of people could have crossed the barren lands on the way from Egypt to the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey . . . . 

Though the event was miraculously guided by God, the numbers do not have to bow to the concerns of skeptics.  Comparisons with other large movements of people show that this movement is plausible and possible.  

The hymn:  Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me (public domain).  

The artwork: The tabernacle, engraving from Robert Arnauld d'Andilly's 1683 translation of Josephus. Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons

Exodus was the story of God's people coming out of Egypt.  Leviticus was about the laws and regulations and worship that God planned for the people in the desert, and for their new life in the Promised Land.  Numbers seems like a strange name among the others in the 5 Books of Moses, but it recalls the census here in chapter 1 of Numbers.  The actual Hebrew name for the book is different than the name that comes to us in English, and perhaps more descriptive of the real experiences in this book.  

The hymn: God Himself is Present (public domain)

The painting: Moses Strikes Water from the Stone by Krzysztof Lubieniecki.  1714.  (public domain).  

God did not create us to die and go into black oblivion.  He gave us an eternal soul and plans to raise us one day.  We will be judged by His Son.  Many have scoffed at this very idea, but God's Son participated in the creation AND redeemed it from sin and death.  

Jesus says that even Moses in the Torah confessed that the dead are raised because he calls God the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and God is the God of the living.  

The hymn: O Love How Deep.  (Public domain).  

The art: The Ancestors of Christ: David, Solomon (Jesse is also mentioned).  Michelangelo, 1511.  (Public Domain). 

In this chapter we meet small of stature Zacchaeus, hear an alternate take on the parable of the talents, and hear of the triumphal entry of Jesus in Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday.  

The hymn:  What is the World to Me?  

The art: Christ and Zaccaeus, by Niels Larsen Stevn, 1913.  (Public domain in the US)