Category Archives: Exile and Repentance

For purposes of the next few posts, I’ll focus on Luke and Acts. Luke fits naturally with Acts, and only Acts records the dawning of the Kingdom at Pentecost. But long before we get to Acts 2:38, we need to work … Continue reading →

Isaiah begins with a warning against ignoring the plight of the vulnerable of society — (Isa 1:11-20 ESV)  11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams … Continue reading →

I guess we do best to start in the Torah. God’s election of Israel demands a response — a changed heart that submits to God’s loving will — a will that shows us what is best for us. (Deu 10:16-19 … Continue reading →

In the Prophets, the NT’s Greek word for “repent” is rarely used of national repentance. But the concept of repentance is plainly taught. For example, the author of 2 Kings says regarding God’s allowing the Northern Kingdom to be carried … Continue reading →

It’s a little surprising that the NT word for “repent” is rarely used in the OT except with regard to God himself. In fact, metanoeo, the Greek verb translated “repent” in Acts 2:38 appears only 19 times in 18 OT … Continue reading →

I skipped ahead a bit, and so we still need to cover some key passages in the prophets before we continue with the NT. Jeremiah prophesied to the Jews of Judea shortly before and during the time of Nebuchadnezzar’s attacks on … Continue reading →

This brings us to a passage frequently alluded to in the NT — (Deu 30:6-8 ESV) 6 And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your … Continue reading →

We saw in Deu 28 that the curses and blessing were conditioned on obedience to all of God’s commands, but most especially to refraining from idolatry. This bring us to — (Deu 29:1-9 ESV) These are the words of the … Continue reading →

So what is the sin that led to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70? Obviously, the rejection by the Jews of Jesus as Messiah. Right? Well, to get the full historical implications, we need to turn to (believe it … Continue reading →

I have no idea where I’m going with this, except that I want to answer questions posed in the comments several days ago regarding the meaning of “repent.” To be clear — 1. I am NOT arguing that people do … Continue reading →