Another important feature in ancient treatises is the preservation of the treaty documents. This is done in several ways. One is what is called a “documentary curse,” which is a statement within the treaty that says all the curses found within it will be executed upon anyone who adds or takes away any portion of…
Read MoreDeuteronomy for Asian Americans, Part 5 (Sanctions)
Sanctions: Covenantal Blessing and Curse Within the ancient treatise are found an elaborate series of covenantal sanctions, i.e., blessings and curses. If the covenantal parties conform to the stipulations of the treaty, there is blessing. If, however, they violate those stipulations, there is curse. Deuteronomy has a rather extensive section on covenant sanctions, chapters 27-30.…
Read MoreDeuteronomy for Asian Americans, Part 4 (Stipulations)
Stipulations: Covenantal Life In the literary order of an ancient treaty, once the identity of the great suzerain is established (preamble) and his major achievements have been described (historical prologue), then the demands upon the vassal are made (i.e. commandments). The rationale for this order is clear: in light of who the suzerain is…
Read MoreDeuteronomy for Asian American Christians, Part 3 (Historical Prologue)
Historical Prologue: The Works of God We move from the Preamble to the Historical Prologue, where the great suzerain describes his great accomplishments. The purpose of this is to instill a proper motive for the vassal to conform to the covenantal stipulations that follows. In other words, in light of all the major things the…
Read MoreDeuteronomy for Asian American Christians, Part 2 (Preamble)
Preamble: The Name of God We begin by focusing our thoughts on the first section of Deuteronomy, namely the preamble. In the ancient world, this is where the great king (the suzerain) establishes his covenantal relationship with a vassal by revealing his name. In Deuteronomy 1:1-4, this is done when the Lord reveals to Israel…
Read MoreDeuteronomy for Asian American Christians: Intro (Part 1 of 8)
The Book of Deuteronomy is extraordinary. I’ve been studying, teaching, and writing about this book for many years. Each time I read it, I’m reminded of how it is packed with so much spiritual vitality and wisdom. It was written during a time of transition for the ancient people of Israel. After the Lord…
Read More12 Ways to Keep Up the Biblical Languages
I teach Biblical Hebrew at Reformed Theological Seminary. Usually, after the completion of Introduction to Biblical Hebrew course, that is when I’m asked this question: how can I keep up my language skills and not forget everything? If I received a nickel every time I was asked this question, I would have enough money to….OK,…
Read MoreThe Rise of the Next Generation of Gospel Leaders
It is May 2023, and it is graduation season. Many schools are celebrating the class of 2023 and it is an exciting time. I teach at Reformed Theological Seminary, and we also had our recent graduation ceremony. It was a fantastic time of reflection on the Lord’s work in the lives of a wonderful group…
Read MoreJoy of Being a Son of God
I was recently granted a sabbatical at Reformed Theological Seminary, from June 2021 to January 2022 (ok, maybe it wasn’t too recent). My time off was restful, and it gave me an opportunity to pray and reflect on aspects of my life both professionally and personally. I also was able to get several writing projects…
Read MoreI am (A)-Millennial
I recently had a chat with several friends about our children. The term that was used to describe this current generation was “Millennials.” I am not a social scientist, but I am very interested in the culture war discussions, as it pertains to the interaction of Christian theology and its application in the public dialogues.…
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Redeeming Chillingworth 