Gilbert House Fellowship
Our weekly Bible study!
Her House Sinks Down to Death
April 21, 2024 • Proverbs 3, Proverbs 2
WE RETURN to our regularly scheduled reading this week with proverbs that are paternal calls for wisdom--and a warning against communing with spirits of the dead. Contrary to some who seen in these chapters a female deity named Wisdom, perhaps even the consort of Yahweh, the mundane explanation is simply that the word chokhmah (“wisdom”) is a feminine noun. Grammatical gender has nothing to do with biological gender. So, attempts to see in Proverbs a feminine spirit named Wisdom are misguided—an example of eisegesis, reading a desired, predetermined meaning into the text, rather than exegesis, drawing the intended meaning from the text. We also dig deep into Proverbs 2:18: [F]or her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the departed; We find in the passage what may be a reference to the cult of the dead that surrounded the Israelites. First, the word translated “departed” is rephaim, the spirits of the Nephilim destroyed in the Flood. This is confirmed by the Greek Septuagint, translated about 200 years before the birth of Jesus, which translates rephaim as “giants.” Further, the Septuagint uses axonas for the word translated “paths,” where three verses earlier the words triboi and trochiai are rendered “paths.” The Brenton translation of the Septuagint renders Prov. 2:18 this way: For she has fixed her house near death, and guided her wheels near Hades with the giants. We explain why this is relevant: On the Golan Heights, ancient Bashan, there are literally hundreds of funerary monuments that feature concentric rings of stone around a central tumulus or cairn. The largest is Gilgal Refaim (“Wheel of Giants”), which we visited last March, but there are three others nearly as large that are practically unknown. Gilgal Refaim appears to have been built as a cult site for ritual circumambulation around a sacred central core in which a priest or shaman would descend to make contact with spirits of the netherworld. In short, Proverbs 2 appears to be a warning against participating in rites that were clearly still taking place in the time of Saul, David, and Solomon (see 1 Samuel 28, Saul’s visit to the medium of En-dor). In fact, based on the writings of the prophets, communing with spirits of the netherworld continued in Israel for at least another three or four hundred years, down to the time of Jeremiah and the Babylonian captivity.
I Set Jerusalem as a Doorway to be Shaken
April 14, 2024 • Zechariah 12:1–10, Jeremiah 25:17–31
IRAN ATTACKED ISRAEL late last night, the first time the Islamic Republic has struck at Israel directly. The sight of missiles over the Temple Mount is startling, evoking images of the end times. We discuss the events of the last 24 hours and what may come in the days ahead, and we look at prophecies from Jeremiah and Zechariah about the role of Jerusalem and the Jewish people—no, God is not done with Israel yet—in the end times. The title of this week’s study comes from the Septuagint translation of Zechariah 12:2, which reads in the ESV: Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. In other words, at some point in the future, Israel’s neighbors will be so overcome with hatred that they will behave irrationally, as though they are drunk. What we have seen since October 7, 2023, is just prelude. Here is a link to the online books by 19th century author and clergyman H. Clay Trumbull, author of The Threshold Covenant, The Blood Covenant, and The Covenant of Salt. All three books, along with his other works, are available to read online for free here: https://bit.ly/hclaytrumbull
Together in the Garden of Love
March 10, 2024 • Song of Songs 6, Song of Songs 7, Song of Songs 8, Proverbs 1
IT’S APPARENT why the Song of Solomon is not often preached in church. It is a beautiful and poetic description of the love and desire felt by a husband and wife, but the euphemisms that describe physical intimacy between Solomon can raise awkward questions from children in the congregation! But if you have been blessed with a loving marital relationship, you know. We also begin the proverbs of Solomon this week. Chapter 1 emphasizes the importance of wisdom, which begins with the fear of (or reverence toward) God. We also explain why the personification of Wisdom in Proverbs 1, and later in Proverbs 8, does not mean that there is a feminine aspect to the godhead, nor does it mean that God has a “wife.”
As a Lily Among Brambles
March 3, 2024 • Song of Songs 5, Song of Songs 1, Song of Songs 2, Song of Songs 3, Song of Songs 4
THE SONG OF SOLOMON has layers of meaning. On the surface, it’s a beautiful depiction of the intimate relationship between a husband and wife. At a deeper level, it’s a picture of the mutual love between Christ and his church. We discuss the first five chapters and note the bride’s description of herself as “very dark, but lovely,” which is not based on racial characteristics but implies one whose skin is darkened by the sun—a laborer, one of lower social status than her husband. Nonetheless, the husband, who may be Solomon, is clearly in love with his bride.
The Prayer of Solomon
February 25, 2024 • 2 Chronicles 1, Psalm 72
SOLOMON’S PRAYER for wisdom pleased God, who honored Solomon’s wish and granted him more besides. 2 Chronicles picks up the story of Solomon from the beginning of his reign around 971 BC. At this time, the tabernacle of Moses was still at Gibeon, a city in the territory of Benjamin just north of Jerusalem, although the ark of the covenant was in Jerusalem. The wealth of Solomon is legendary. It’s possible that the political situation in the eastern Mediterranean after the Bronze Age Collapse around 1200–1175 BC left a power vacuum that was filled by the kingdom of David and Solomon, but the hand of God was in all of the events. We detour briefly into the history of the era and how such seemingly unconnected events like the Trojan War (c. 1200 BC) may have created some of the political entities, like Kue (probably Mycenaean Greeks) mentioned in 2 Chr. 1:16, with which David and Solomon had dealings. We also discuss Psalm 72, a prayer for the new king, and note the interesting connection made by the Jewish scholars who translated the Septuagint between “oppression” and usury (Ps. 72:14), the practice of lending money with an unreasonably high rate of interest. It sounds like present day credit cards!
The Wisdom of Solomon
February 18, 2024
SOLOMON BEGAN his reign with a prayer for wisdom, a prayer that was answered by God in a dream. We discuss some of the interesting differences in the Septuagint and the Masoretic Hebrew text, which is the basis for our English language Old Testament translations. It appears the Masoretes made minor changes to make David and Solomon appear even more powerful and wise than in the older Hebrew text that was translated into the Greek Septuagint. We talk about a concept we’ve discussed before, “the Name.” This is a term used often in the Old Testament, but it’s not well understood. Jews today use the phrase ha-shem (“the name”) to avoid saying Yahweh, but since YHWH appears some 7,000 times in the Old Testament, that clearly wasn’t a problem for the Hebrew prophets. Nor is the Name of Yahweh His reputation; it’s another aspect of the personhood of God, often described as dwelling with the Angel of Yahweh, who is Yahweh in human form. A more accurate translation of 2 Samuel 6:1–2, acknowledging the lack of a preposition (the word “by”) in the original Hebrew, the Ark of the Covenant is “is called the Name of Yahweh of hosts.” In short, “the Name” isn’t a phrase, it’s a Being. PLEASE NOTE that our audio sounds different this week because we took in a new rescue puppy Friday night! We recorded this week’s study in our dining room with wireless mics because we don't trust little Glory around all the expensive lights just yet. Also, you’ll hear the sound of dog wrestling towards the end of this week’s study. Our apologies for the distractions!
Your Word is a Lamp to My Feet
February 11, 2024 • Psalm 119:89–176
WE OFTEN WISH that God would show us the road we’ll travel for the rest of our lives. That’s not the sense of His promise in Psalm 119:105. The Hebrew word translated “lamp,” ner, is a small clay lamp with a single wick. In other words, it illuminates enough of the path to see that our next step or two is safe, but after that we have to trust that He’s leading us where we need to go. The overall theme of Psalm 119 is that those who follow God’s directions will ultimately be blessed, even though present circumstances may not be pleasant.
Blessed Are Those Whose Way is Blameless
February 4, 2024 • Psalm 119:1–88
PSALM 119 is sometimes called the Mount Everest of psalms. Not only is it long, its length is due to its unique construction: It’s an extended alphabet acrostic divided into 22 stanzas, one for each of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Further, each of the eight verses in every stanza begins with that Hebrew letter. For example, the eight verses of the first stanza all begin with alef, the verses of the second stanza with bet, and so on. The overarching theme of the psalm is a contrast between following the ways of Yahweh and the way of wickedness, with elements of a lament as the author, possibly David, cries out for God’s help in the face of persecution.
Rise Up, O Judge of the Earth
January 28, 2024 • Psalm 37, Psalm 71, Psalm 94
It’s tempting, when looking at the state of the world, to conclude that God has abandoned us to the wolves—evildoers who think nothing of enriching themselves at the expense of everyone else. The psalms in this week’s study are a reminder that God has not forsaken us, and that those who trust in Him will ultimately be rewarded while for those who do not things will not end well.
The Death of David
January 21, 2024 • 1 Kings 1, 1 Kings 2
The succession of Solomon to the throne of David wasn’t secure even through the final days of the old king’s life. Like his brother Absalom before him, Adonijah declared himself king over Israel before the death of David. The difference is that Adonijah’s insurrection took place after David publicly named Solomon his heir and successor. We discuss the political machinations of Adonijah and why Solomon had him killed for asking to have David’s concubine Abishag for a wife. In a nutshell, Adonijah’s request was a not-very-subtle play to show Israel that he, not Solomon, was the true king by demonstrating that he’d inherited the old king’s harem.
His Steadfast Love Endures Forever
January 14, 2024 • Psalm 114, Psalm 115, Psalm 116, Psalm 117, Psalm 118
PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING is at the heart of this week’s collection of psalms. From the awesome power of God and His mastery over the sea to His protection during times of distress, our God’s chesed, translated “steadfast love,” “loyal love,” “lovingkindness,” “mercy,” and other English words that don’t fully convey the concept, will never end.
"All Things Come from You"
January 7, 2024 • Psalm 112, Psalm 113, 1 Chronicles 29, Psalm 127, Psalm 111
THE AMOUNT of precious metal used in the construction of the Temple is astonishing. The gold and silver donated by King David and the leading men of Israel would be valued today at roughly $20 billion! David alone contributed about $7.5 billion worth of gold and silver. The point of this week’s study, however, is not that one can buy God’s favor, but that whatever we have is His, to be used at His discretion and for His purposes.
Preparing for Solomon
December 10, 2023 • 1 Chronicles 26, 1 Chronicles 27, 1 Chronicles 28
DAVID PREPARED the way for his son, Solomon, to take the throne and build the Temple. As we’ll see in the months ahead, our best laid plans don’t guarantee a smooth, trouble-free life. This week, we read through the divisions of priests, the organization of the military, and David’s farewell address to Israel. It may surprise some, like us, who thought that Solomon designed the Temple. The reading today makes it clear that it was David, guided by God, who was the architect.
Lead Me in the Eternal Way
December 3, 2023 • Psalm 145, Psalm 138, Psalm 139, Psalm 143, Psalm 144
DAVID EXPERIENCED more during his life than a Hollywood action movie character. It’s remarkable that despite his accomplishments, David recognized that his success was entirely due to God. This week, we study a half-dozen psalms written toward the end of David’s life that explore the king’s relationship to his Creator from birth to “the eternity of the eternity.”
Priests, Levites, and Musicians
November 19, 2023 • 1 Chronicles 23, 1 Chronicles 24, 1 Chronicles 25
IMAGINE AN ORCHESTRA of 4,000 musicians playing hymns of thanksgiving and praise! That’s what David envisioned when he organized service for the temple that would be built. This week, we read through the detailed description of the plans made by David for temple service. It may seem like a boring section of scripture, but it illustrates the central role of God in the lives of His people—at least for a while. As with people throughout history, and we include ourselves here, distractions, ambition, and the things of this world occupy our attention and take His place at the center of our lives.