A few weeks ago I took time to study the book of Leviticus for my Old Testament survey class. I concluded that if I did not choose to study it when required to, I would more than likely never be compelled to study it thoroughly.

I won’t tell you that the study of this book left me without questions, but I will tell you that being aware of this book has opened my eyes to the Old Testament concept of sin, and to the writings of scholars on the topics I had in question.

No question was more baffling to me than trying to understand the role of the “scapegoat” on the day of Atonement. Why drive a goat into wilderness? Well, I found the answer in the writings of the same scholar who created my Greek curriculum…and I must say that a proper understanding of it completely changes my perspective on the event. I hope this enhances your understanding of the book as well.  Enjoy the entire article from William Mounce by clicking here.

Rather than the traditional “scapegoat” translating la ‘^aza,zel here, we should read instead “to Azazel” (NRSV; NJB).¹ We know that ‘^aza,zel should be the proper name of a party capable of ownership because a lot ceremony designated one goat layhwh, “belonging to Yahweh,” and the other goat as la ‘^aza,zel , “belonging to Azazel” (16:8). However, we do not know what the name “Azazel” means.²

The fact that Yahweh, owner of the goat slain as a purification offering (16:9, 15), is supernatural suggests that Azazel, owner of the live goat, is also some kind of supernatural being. Because transporting a load of Israelite toxic waste, consisting of moral faults, to Azazel in the wilderness and abandoning it there by the command of Yahweh (16:10, 22; cf. Zech 5:5–11) is a singularly unfriendly gesture, it appears that Azazel is Yahweh’s enemy.⁷ Therefore, Azazel is most likely some kind of demon (so Jewish tradition recorded in 1 En. 10:4–5), who dwells in an uninhabited region (cf. Lev. 17:7; Isa. 13:21; 34:14; Luke 11:24; Rev. 18:2).⁸

Also, If you want to see the layout of the book of Leviticus, you can take a look at my book chart, in excel format, here.

Lessons to be gleaned from this experience:
1. If you find a book of the Bible boring, trying studying with more depth.
2. Seeing the structure of a book adds quite a bit of depth to your study. Trying creating a book chart (more on this later).

I consider “doom and gloom” preaching to be one of the most distasteful activities of the church. And although I believe in being optimistic about the future, I think it is time American’s viewed life through a different lens, starting with the economy. I may not preach “doom and gloom” regarding life, but I am seriously considering preaching it toward the economy.

Let me begin by sharing the opinion of Gerald Celente, an economist who is known for his ability to predict the economic crashes of past half-century. His predictions for the upcoming years are frightening, and I am willing to listen and investigate the happenings. I hope, in turn, you will share your feedback regarding this all important issue as well.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46MEqEgdLTg[/youtube]

Read more about Gerald Celente here, or visit his website at www.trendsresearch.com

If you have a desire to meet and be used as a witness to non-Christians, then you MUST have a look at this powerful networking tool. It’s one of the biggest evangelism fields I know of. Think about it: a listing of local groups that meet for the specific purpose of discussion. Search by interest, search by zipcode. Join a discussion of travelers or photographers or atheists.

A common statistic in evangelistic conversations today is the Christian’s isolation from the non-believing world. I believe this is a technological blessing that helps earnest people to stretch their social network for the sake of the gospel How many secular social gatherings do you find yourselves in?

Have a look at the local networks in the top 20 results from my area, then think about surfing www.meetup.com for yourself and getting involved in a local discussion or two.

I cannot tell you how disappointed I am with the quality of the readily available Bible study resources that we have today. The proper interpretation of the Scriptures is a very difficult task, and one that often requires educated guidance and disciplined study…which is one reason why I believe we prefer to read the writings of Christian writers over reading Scripture at times. I don’t know about you, but I have read my daily devotions from the writings of Daily Bread, Max Lucado, Oswald Sanders, and others.

Unfortunately, every time I attempt to study the Word of God, I run into one of two dilemmas: (1) Inadequate resources, or (2) too many resources to sort through. Here are a few specific suggestions to assist you in avoiding this same dilemma.

Bible Software: (poor quality resources) I would suggest to you that you stay away from purchasing any Bible Study Software, as I find the translations available through them far outmatched by the free study sites available to us today. I have also spent a decent amount of money to purchase premium packages of books for software like Logos and Quickverse, but  am never impressed or assisted in interpretation by their commentary collections. (YouVersion.com,  bible.logos.com, and BibleGateway.com)

At the present time, I have not found an online Bible Study portal or electronic software that allows for the guided study of Scripture…but I am hopeful that this is forthcoming. Perhaps one of our readers will suggest a good one!

Church Libraries: (too many resources) If you have access to a library of study resources, but are not sure where to start, be sure to utilize www.bestcommentaries.com, which will give you a listing of the top two rated Commentaries for each book of the Bible, along with other suggested study tools for each book.

If your church does not have a good library, I suggest that you consider utilizing the library of a nearby church or Bible College (I’ve rarely seen a library refuse to allow an interested person to use their collection).

Further tools that can be utilized are online article databases like ATLA, which can be accessed through many secular libraries computer systems (sometimes even through the city library).

And, if you choose to purchase the books, please utilized the discounts of online retailers and search sites like AddAll.com and Christian Book Distributers (www.ChristianBook.com).

One Excellent Resource: On a final note, I constantly rely upon the expository outlines of Warren Wiersbe, which acts as an excellent Bible Study resource for understanding the meaning of a passage of Scripture. If there was one item I would suggest that your purchase for your personal library, it would likely be his outlines. See them here.

Today I stumbled upon a very funny contribution to the banter between married and single people. stuffChristianslike.blogspot.com writes regarding his tips for getting people married, here’s a short exerpt of the full article, available here.

1. Always tell your single friends that marriage is awesome.

2. Start every sentence with “my husband” or “my wife.”

3. When they describe their weekend, always reply with “awww.”

4. Don’t let them throw the Paul (the apostle was single) card.

I must admit that I start a lot of sentences with “Stacy and I”.