Deus Misereatur

  Face to Face with God: A Biblical Theology of Christ as Priest and Mediator T. Desmond Alexander IVP Academic IVPress.com ISBN:9780830842957; March 2022; $24   There are those places in Sacred Scripture, filled with the minutiae and meticulous details, where one least expects to find gold or diamonds. Part of that is because of our present moment and our lack of experience. We bumble through those passages struck by how distant we are from sacrifices, blood, ashes, priestly functions, etc. T. Desmond Alexander, senior lecturer in biblical studies and director of postgraduate studies at Union Theological College in Belfast, Northern Ireland, has given us a hand in his new 176-page paperback, “Face to Face with God: A Biblical Theology of Christ as Priest and Mediator”. It is a straightforward, in-depth biblical study into priesthood and tabernacle, and the ascended role of Jesus as great high priest in the heavenly sanctuary. This volume is part of the Essential Studies in

  [This particular congregational prayer walks through all of Psalm 56] Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me (Psalm 56:1-4) ?  Lord, our oppressors are the world, the flesh, and the devil. May our trust in you raise us up above fear and dread. Sometimes it feels like our own bodies and life circumstances are our worst enemies, walloping us with maladies, heart disease, mental darkness, disorientation, heart aches and heart breaks. We pray for those going through the thick and thin of it right now (…). Bring them through it all with faith, hope, love, and the smile of your face. Hear our prayer, O Lord, and let our cry come to you! All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil. They stir up strife, they lurk