יוחנן סטנפלד Yohanan Stanfield

The Servant of the LORD as the Arm of the LORD

יוחנן סטנפלד Yohanan Stanfield 05/08/2024

What’s the connection between “the arm of the LORD” and “the servant of the LORD”? In the story of the exodus, they represent respectively God’s divine power and His human vessel. The arm of the LORD symbolizes the LORD’s strength and might in His bringing His people from slavery to freedom, while Moses as the LORD’s instrument was called His servant.

The difference between the two is clear. The first is divine, and the second is human. Against this backdrop, it is surprising to discover that in Isaiah chapters 40 to 53, the motifs of the arm of the LORD and the servant of the LORD are used in a way that both demonstrates their distinctiveness but also brings them to a point of correlation which is as significant as it is unexpected.

In those chapters the use of both the motif of arm of the LORD and servant of the LORD is noteworthy. Each of them is charged with its own individual import, and they represent, as in the story of the exodus, the power of the LORD on the one hand and his human instrument on the other. We will look briefly at each, starting with the servant of the LORD.

Psalm 13: From a scream of pain to a song of trust

יוחנן סטנפלד Yohanan Stanfield 19/02/2024

Tragedy and trauma, shock, grief, pain and suffering – these are words that are on our lips much since the 7th of October, the “black

A conversation with God for a time such as this: the book of Habakkuk

יוחנן סטנפלד Yohanan Stanfield 23/10/2023

A conversation with God for a time such as this: the book of Habakkuk At a time when the people of Israel are in shock

Mirror Images in the Book of Joel

יוחנן סטנפלד Yohanan Stanfield 25/01/2023

When did you last read the book of Joel? It’s well worth reading! It may be short, but it contains a message with a breadth that covers both Israel and the world as a whole. One of the outstanding features of the book of Joel is its many repetitions. It is interesting to examine each of these repetitions in its own right, but when they are considered together…

Let’s hear what the text has to say!

יוחנן סטנפלד Yohanan Stanfield 07/12/2022

When considering the real conversations that we have from day to day, we see that it is important for us to learn how to listen to one another. Otherwise we won’t understand what the other side desires to communicate to us and there will not be any real interaction or communication. Of course, I am able to respond even without listening, but my response will only be relevant if I have perceived and understood what was said to me. We can look in the same manner at the reading of the Bible….

The Motif – following the thread in the tapestry

יוחנן סטנפלד Yohanan Stanfield 14/10/2022

If you really want to delve into a book and get to grips with its message and the way that the message is communicated, there is no better way to do it than to identify the motifs and follow them as they weave through the text. A motif is an idea or unit of meaning (a concept, metaphor, or a component of the plot) that is repeated several times, sometimes in different forms, throughout the literary work and contributes to the meaning…

The beauty and power of Biblical Poetry – and a little help on how to read it

יוחנן סטנפלד Yohanan Stanfield 18/07/2022

Biblical poetry carries riches that once you have tasted of their beauty and power you will only want to discover more and more. With a little understanding of the way that Hebrew poetry functions, and a little work on your part, you can start appreciating the poetry and delve deeper into the ways that it carries meaning – and you will find that the riches you gain are well worth the effort you put in. In this article, we will point out some of the things that are important to notice when you read biblical poetry…

The Tanakh in the New Testament

יוחנן סטנפלד Yohanan Stanfield 20/06/2022

The New Testament opens with these words: “The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1, NASB). With these first words from the first book of the New Testament, it is made clear that Yeshua (Jesus) is part of the Jewish people, the fulfilment of the promises made to Abraham and to David. These words also make clear that the New Testament has a deep connection to the Tanakh (the Hebrew name for the Old Testament)…

Main picture: Moses crossing the red sea

Getting to know those who came before us: How to Study a Biblical Character

יוחנן סטנפלד Yohanan Stanfield 17/01/2022

The goal of this article is to give some guidance to those interested in focusing on a certain character from the Bible, and in understanding what is written about him and what lessons the biblical text wants to teach us through its description, or descriptions, of this character. An in-depth look into the life of a biblical character could be for our enjoyment, and beyond this what we learn from these characters can challenge us, instruct us, and guide us on a personal level…

How to Study a Book of the Bible

יוחנן סטנפלד Yohanan Stanfield 05/07/2021

How can we study a book of the Bible in a deep and meaningful way? In this article, you will find some helpful guidelines. Each biblical book is different: in length, in content, in its character, and in its literary genre. As we learn to read the book in a methodical manner, we will find the benefits of discovering what the book has to say as a whole, beyond the few favorite or prominent verses that might be well known to us from that book…

יוחנן סטנפלד Yohanan Stanfield

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