IN MEMORIAM: DR. GLENN R. GREENWOOD
SEPTEMBER 10, 2006
Dr. Glenn Greenwood’s Perplexing Passages
Dr. Glenn Greenwood is Pastor Emeritus of Berea Bible Church in Springfield, Ohio. He is an internationally-known expert on Bible customs, and is the co-author of The Shout of the Bridegroom (Covenant Publishing), a book about Bible marriage customs. Each week he will bring us insights about puzzling Bible passages in light of his life-long study of Bible manners and customs.
Isaiah 40:1-2
God exhorts Isaiah to speak tenderly to His people and comfort them becausethey have received a DOUBLE for all their sins. What comfort could be found in receiving double for your sins? A perplexing passage for those who are not familiar with Bible customs and culture in Isaiah’s time. Let us take off our [...]
Scripture “In whose hand is the soul of every living thing.”(Job 12:10).
In my early days of ministry there was a popular chorus that went something like this. “He holds the whole world in His hands, He holds the whole world in his hands,” and the more we sang it the more adrenalin was pumped through [...]
Scripture – Romans 12:20
The Old Testament provides many examples of revenge, getting even or payback time. The “eye for eye” principle was an all-too-common practice, to return to your enemy what he had done to you. This meant keeping books so the revenge could be exact. This is good for civil courts, but the believer [...]
Perplexing Passage – “The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” (Jeremiah 31:29-30)
For years many thought Humpty Dumpty fell from the wall, but recently a new version of the story has emerged – he was pushed.
Man always wants to blame others for his actions. It started long ago when [...]
Matthew 27:63
“I will rise again.”
Man has made many outlandish promises, but none so daring as the one Christ made when He said, “I will rise again.” Christ had authority from His Father to accomplish two unusual feats -1) lay down His life and 2) pick it up again.
The first mention Christ made of His death [...]
Romans 13:14 – “Put on the Lord Jesus”
Someone asked a Christian, “What translation of the Bible do you use?” The reply: “The living flesh one.” The response was classic, as well as scriptural, even though many Christians haven’t come to grips with what this means.
The first incarnation, Christ coming in human flesh, (John 1:14) is [...]
Psalm 42:11
Custom – God is the HEALTH of my countenance
The writer of this Psalm was in great difficulty. Yet he testified that his hope was in God, the health of his countenance. The word “health” is the Hebrew word that can be translated “God is the salvation of my face.” Our face sends forth a [...]
Job 16:8
Custom – “My Wrinkles Witness Against Me”
Millions of dollars a year are spent on cosmetics and plastic surgery to give Americans a “face lift.” Research shows that aspirin helps prevent wrinkles by keeping the skin flexible, preventing stiffening of the skin. Or, if wrinkles are deep enough plastic surgery is performed. Men are joining the [...]
Deuteronomy 14:21-23
CUSTOM – “Don’t Boil a Kid in His Mother’s Milk”
The historical background behind this custom is most interesting. The Egyptians had many pagan practices. An Egyptian medical book in 1552 B.C. records a prescription for preventing hair from turning gray: “Anoint the hair with the blood of a black calf which has been boiled [...]