Good Word is an invitation. An invitation to explore biblical and theological topics presented in regularly published Bible Study guides. The Bible awaits our continued study and investigation; Good Word provides one way to approach it.
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Walla Walla University Good Word Podcasts
Lesson Guide:Of the Israelites: "Their most dangerous enemy was not outside their camp but within their own rank and file."Questions:What are our greatest dangers "within?"Those who interpret the Bible differently than we do?Those who demand perfect performance?Those who tolerate less-than-perfect performance?Those who would enlarge our tents, and …
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Lesson Guide:"The book of Joshua contains some disturbing scenes. Serious questions are raised by the concept of a divine or holy war portraying a group of people with a God-given mandate to destroy another group."Context:United Nations:Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of GenocideArticle II:In the present Convention, genocid…
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Israel's crossing of the Jordan in Lesson 3 was a miraculous success: We have tried to imagine the logistics of getting thousands of people of all ages, across a swollen river, together with their animals But, in last week's lesson, God accomplished all of that. And this miracle had another effect: It turned out to be psychological warfare, highly …
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Question:Nowadays the Jordan River has almost ceased to exist. What was so special about crossing this river in the time of Joshua?It was spring, when seasonal rains, plus melting snow from Mt. Hermon, put the river at flood stage. Many of the well-known fords were now covered by deep water, swift and dangerous.Questions:Had the two spies returning…
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"Grace is simply receiving what we don’t deserve."Question:Or perhaps is "grace" the usual, natural behavior of a gracious person?"Is it a difficult struggle for God to be gracious?Question:Do we get to decide who "deserves" grace?And should we decide that in this case, grace is "deserved," is it still "grace?"Question:Was God also using psychologi…
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We have recently studied the book of Exodus:Question:As God led Israel's escape through the Red Sea, how many battles did Moses have to win against the Egyptians?Question:How did Moses respond to an unprovoked attack by Amalekites?Question:On this urgent occasion did Moses ask for specific guidance from God?Question:And did this impromptu battle gi…
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Key Verses: Exodus 35-40Key QuestionsWhy does the text emphasize Sabbath again—right before the Tabernacle is built? What does this teach about how we balance action and rest?Why is the spinning of yarn by women mentioned specifically? What might this tell us about valuing unseen or domestic labor as spiritual (35:25-26)? What is the significance o…
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Key Verses: Exodus 32Key QuestionsWhat is more devastating—the loss of the land or the loss of God’s presence? How does this speak to what we truly value in our spiritual lives?Why does Moses ask to see God’s glory—and why does God only reveal God’s “back”? What does this reveal about the limits of human understanding and God’s self-disclosure?What…
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Key Verses: Exodus 32Key QuestionsWhy do the people make a calf? What does this say about how fear and impatience can cause us to recreate false security from our past, even if it enslaved us?Why does Moses break the tablets? Does this act serve as protest, lament, or judgment?How do we wrestle with the Levites’ violence in the name of loyalty to G…
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Key Verses: Exodus 24-31Key QuestionsWhat are some of the possible connections between the Sanctuary and the creation of the world (and the Garden of Eden)? What is the author trying to convey with these parallels?How is God’s desire to to dwell with the people different from Pharaoh’s rule? What does it mean that God chooses to dwell in a movable …
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Key Verses: Exodus 21-23Key QuestionsWhy is God so insistent on protecting the widow, orphan, and foreigner? How does your community embody—or fail to embody—this kind of Divine concern?How do these laws about Hebrew servants attempt to limit power and restore dignity? How do we engage critically with texts that still regulate servitude?What do the…
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Key Verses: Exodus 19-20Key QuestionsWhy does God call the people to the mountain but also set boundaries around it? What does this tension between intimacy and distance say about the nature of divine holiness?What does it mean for Israel to be a “kingdom of priests”? How does that reshape their role in the world? How was this calling applied to th…
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Key Verses: Exodus 16-18Key QuestionsWhat is God teaching the Israelites (and us) through the daily provision of manna and the prohibition on storing it? How does this practice challenge the empire mindset of accumulation and control? How do these wilderness experiences reshape Israel’s understanding of God—not just as deliverer, but as sustainer?H…
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