Psalm 142
The Psalm is written in the cave, referring to the time David was hiding from Saul and his soldiers.
Contributors
Chad Bird
Chad Bird holds master’s degrees from Concordia Theological Seminary and Hebrew Union College. He draws upon his expertise as a former professor of OT and Hebrew to cohost the podcast, “40 Minutes in the OT.” Chad has authored several books, including his latest, "Upside-Down Spirituality: The 9 Essential Failures of a Faithful Life." He has written for Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, and elsewhere. He and his wife, Stacy, have four children and two grandchildren.
Chad Bird
Most Recent
Psalm 60
David states a very bold accusation that God has rejected and abandoned him. The land is quaking, shaking and full of tragedy.
Psalm 10
This Psalm describes the wicked and the arrogant thoughts and scenes of wicked preying upon the poor.
Judges 19:13-30 (Episode 218)
Chad and Daniel wrestle with one of the darkest and most heart-wrenching passages in the old testament.
Psalm 28
A call for God to hear our cries, a call for the Good Shepherd to carry His people. Going down to the pit, a prayer that God rescue him, lest he end up stuck there forever.
Psalm 3
In Psalm 3, David is fleeing from Absalom, and many are saying there is no God that will save him.
Psalm 7
Psalm 7 is a prayer that gives expression to those who have experienced persecution.
Psalm 137
As this Psalm is set in the the time of the Babylonian exile, Chad Bird meditates on the types of exile we find in scripture and in our lives.
Psalm 42
There are times when we feel farther away from God than we used to be. This reminds us that even though we feel exiled, God is with us in our exile.
Psalm 39
Look away from me, that I may smile again. Rather than putting on a happy face, it might be better to honestly grieve during seasons of heartbrokenness.
The Old Testament Pentecost: Why Did Jesus Pour Out His Spirit on This Particular Day?
At the foot of Mt. Sinai, God told Israel how to celebrate Pentecost once they reached the holy land. Generations later, on the day of this Old Testament festival, Christ poured out his Spirit in Jerusalem. What made Pentecost the ideal day for this gift to be given?
Judges 18:11-19:12 (Episode 217)
Levites, idols, war, and an "unfaithful” concubine.
The Gift of Being Proven Wrong: The Ascension and Israelizing the World
In their last Q&A with Jesus, the disciples ask, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" I used to think that was a dumb question by confused disciples. I was wrong. In his response, Jesus teaches them--and us--what the restoration of Israel's kingdom really looks like.
Judges 17:1-18:10 (Episode 216)
Silver, a. cult, and a hireling priest.
Unchristianity: Putting Jesus on the Unemployment Line
Far from being a Savior, the god of Unchristianity is a coach who whips us into moral shape, inspires us to be better people, serves as our example. The unspoken goal is to be so virtuous and free of sin that we don’t need Jesus anymore. The transaction is complete. Jesus is unemployed.
Judges 16:5-31 (Episode 215)
Sin is everywhere. Betrayal is everywhere. But the Christ whom Samson foreshadows has the final word.
Judges 15:9-16:4 (Episode 214)
A donkey jawbone, a prostitute, and the gates of hell.
God, Don't You Care That I'm Drowning?
In our liquid world, strung out on the meth of evil, full of poor souls fighting to stay afloat, where are you, O God? Don't you care that we are perishing?
Judges 14:9-15:8 (Episode 213)
A wedding, a riddle, a tragedy, and 300 fire-tails.
People Aren’t Downgraded to Angels When They Die
When Christians die, heaven does not “get another angel.” We cannot become angels any more than we can become giraffes or ocean waves or stars. We are people and will remain so after this present life. God did not make a mistake when he made us human.
Judges 13:8-14:4 (Episode 212)
Seeing God, the birth of Samson and rabbit hole regarding Hagar.
Judges 12:1-13:7 (Episode 211)
Jephthah wars with the men of Ephraim and we are introduced to Samson's mother and a messenger who is more than an angel.
Was Jesus in the Grave for Three Days and Three Nights? Avoiding Literalism by Accepting Hebrew Idiom
Was Jesus really in the tomb for a full three days and three nights? If so, how does this square with his death on Friday and resurrection on Sunday? Is there a contradiction here? In this article, Chad Bird explores the Hebrew understanding of this phrase to shed light on the words of Jesus.
Golgotha’s Bizarre Hebrew Backstory
One key to unlocking the significance of Golgotha is found all the way back in Joshua--in a "round" Hebrew word, a bizarre story about reproach, and five kings hiding in a cave.
Judges 11:12-40 (Episode 210)
Jephthah makes an ill-advised vow to God before going into battle and then tragically fulfills it.
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