Observations from the Word by The Barking Fox

About That Foreign King

Is it really a bad idea for a nation to select a foreigner as their leader? Yes, it is. That's why not only the Bible, but the US Constitution and the basic laws of many nations forbid foreigners from taking office as ruler or head of state. So how does that apply to the Kingdom of Heaven?
Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9; Isaiah 51:12-53:12; Matthew 23:1-3; Acts 15:12-21; Hebrews 2:14-18
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: About That Foreign King
Music: "God Save the King” and “Hatikvah,” National Anthems of the United Kingdom and Israel, United States Navy Band, National Anthems, 1997. 
Image: George I (1660-1727) was the first German king over the English-speaking peoples of Great Britain. Portrait by Georg Wilhelm Lafontaine, c. 1720-27, The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, Royal Collection Trust #RCIN 405247.

Divided Capital, Divided Hearts

A national capital city is the symbol of a nation and the focus of its citizens. When that city is divided, or discarded and forgotten by the citizens, then the nation is in danger of losing its identity. That's why God commands His people not to forget His capital city.   
Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17; Isaiah 54:11-55:5; 1 Kings 8:22-53; Psalm 122:6; 132:13-18; Matthew 5:33-37; John 10:16, 17:1-26; Revelation 21:9-27
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Divided Capital, Divided Hearts
Music: "We Want to Go Home (Feat. Ross)," Mason Clover, The Isaiah 43 Project, Abiron Records 2011. This song and others by Exodus Road Band are available at https://www.masonclover.com/. 
Photo: A view over the Berlin Wall into East Berlin, August 1983, by Père Ubu, via Flickr.

Outsourcing Government

When we talk about "spiritual maturity," we usually think about how God's people grow spiritually as they learn the Bible and apply its truths to their lives. That's a familiar concept when we apply it to individuals, but does it apply to communities as well?  
Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22; Isaiah 1:1-27; 1 Samuel 12:1-25; Ezekiel 20:27-38; Acts 18:12-17; 1 Corinthians 6:1-7
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Outsourcing Government
Music: "Psalm 25," Exodus Road Band, Heart of the Matter, Exodus Road Band 2017. See the official video on Youtube at https://youtu.be/kHJa7W2Vqlo. This song and others by Exodus Road Band are available at https://www.exodusroadband.com/. 
Photo: Entrance to the Catawba Indian Reservation, Rock Hill, South Carolina. Photo by The Barking Fox, July 9, 2023.

Forty Acres and A Desk

Most people probably don't think about their inheritance until their parents grow old and they begin to wonder what's being left to them. Maybe a better way to think about inheritance is how to help others gain what is theirs. 
Numbers 30:2-36:13; Jeremiah 2:4-28, 3:1-16; Deuteronomy 2:24-25, 3:1-11; Joshua 5:9-12; Matthew 19:16-30; Luke 21:1-4
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Forty Acres and A Desk
Music: "Reuben’s Train,” Nat Keefe with the Bow Ties, YouTube Audio Library, November 2018. Listen to the complete audio on Youtube at https://youtu.be/Obfeo2CzkCY. 
Photo: This desk belonged to my grandfather and father. Now it's my desk, and a memorial to the legacy they passed on to their children. (Photo by The Barking Fox, April 3, 2023.).

I May Have Been That Guy

Maturity sometimes brings a degree of embarrassment when we realize that our less mature thoughts and actions once caused trouble in our relationships. While we're dealing with that embarrassment, we can take heart that our Creator is glad we have finally come to understand what He's been waiting a long time for us to figure out.  
Numbers 25:10-29:40; Jeremiah 1:1-2:3; Isaiah 42:1-4; Matthew 12:15:21; Galatians 3:23-29
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: I May Have Been That Guy
Music: "Ki Mi Tzion (Out of Zion),” Samuel and Benjamin Wearp, 2023. The full recording is available at https://youtu.be/Q1ZeE8JXHXQ. 
Photo by puuikibeach, June 19, 2012, via Flickr.

What Good Parents Do

God is our Heavenly Father, or so we learn from the Bible, but what exactly does that mean? Is there something about God's parenting process that could help us not only with our own children, but with the course of our lives?
Numbers 19:1-25:9; Micah 5:7-6:8; Exodus 4:22; Leviticus 26:44-45; 1 Chronicles 5:1-2; Jeremiah 6:30-34, 31:8; Matthew 6:9-13; John 3:16-21, 17:1-26; Colossians 1:15-20 
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: What Good Parents Do
Music: "Father of Light,” Celtic Worship, Morningtide, Integrity Music 2021. Celtic Worship’s music is available at https://celticworship.co.uk/. 
Picture: A father walks with his daughter near the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. Photo by Kevin Harber, March 19, 2011, via Flickr.

Genuinely Human

Which is better: to be right, or to keep a relationship? We can choose an answer now, but it's likely to be the wrong one at some point. Every relationship is unique, and some need to be broken. The real challenge is to know which is which, and when. 
Numbers 16:1-18:32; 1 Samuel 11:14-12:22; Psalm 46:10; Ezekiel 33:10-11; Romans 12:9-21; 1 Corinthians 5:9-6:8; 1 Timothy 2:1-6 
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Genuinely Human
Music: "Revive Me,” Mason Clover, Perception, Abiron Records 2019. Mason Clover’s music is available at https://www.masonclover.com/. 
Picture: Argument, oil on canvas, Kirsi Karppinen, January 19, 2011, via Flickr.

Vision Beyond Survival

It's right to cry out to our Creator for salvation in times of trouble, and for provision at all times. However, if we never progress beyond that, then we might miss the lofty goals our Creator has for us, and the dreams He dreams on our behalf. 
Numbers 13:1-15:41; Joshua 2:1-24, 6:22-25; Proverbs 29:18; 1 Peter 2:1-25; Revelation 5:6-10 
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Vision Beyond Survival
Music: "How Could We,” Solomon O. Lopez, The Born At Home Collections, The Hebraism Project 2014. To hear more of Solomon’s music, visit The Hebraism Project on YouTube.
Picture: Abd El-Krim al-Khattabi, or Molay Muhand Amazigh as he is known to the Berber people of Morocco, led a fierce resistance against Spanish and French colonial forces in the Rif War (1921-26). Illustration by Imdukar, December 31, 2013, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.