"Judah" Means "Praise"
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In the summer of 1975, our ship was making preparations for a two month cruise to Australia. Your mom and I had just gotten married the year before, and the Navy had transferred us to Japan, where we had our first beautiful baby girl. Since we were going to be gone so long, she decided to just fly home to Canisteo, New York, to let her parents and relatives see the baby.
Meanwhile, on my side, a long cruise seemed like a good time to begin a new Bible reading program. Someone had given me a Bible for Christmas, and I wanted to read it. It was a new paraphrased version called “The Living Bible.”
But I was debating where to start reading. I liked New Testament passages like the book of Romans, Philippians, or Hebrews, and was curious what a paraphrased version would do to my favorite verses. But God seemed to be leading me to just start at the beginning, Genesis 1:1. I really wasn’t in the mood--those passages were so familiar, and I wanted something “more spiritual,” not just stories. And I remember asking, “Can anything spiritual come out of Genesis?” Famous last words!
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About the Book
In Daniel 7:13–14 (NIV), the prophet Daniel had a vision in the night. He saw “one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven.… He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations, and men of every language worshiped him.”
Who was this “son of man,” and what were these “clouds of heaven”? They could have been dark storm clouds of God’s impending judgment or multitudes of heavenly angels. But there is one more “cloud” that I am the most interested in: “a great cloud of witnesses.” They can testify to the world who this “Son of Man” is. He is “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”! (See John 19:19.)
Hebrews chapter 11 is the Bible’s “Hall of Faith,” recounting the names and deeds of all of the mighty saints of the Old Testament. The very next chapter begins with these words: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us” … join the cloud (Hebrews 12:1ff., NIV). We also can be a part of this eternal “Kingdom of Praise.” It includes “all peoples, nations, and men of every language” who will worship Jesus as their Lord and King.
“Let us praise the Lord together, and exalt his name” (Psalm 34:3). Hallelujah!
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Au wants only in Back matter