The Measure of a City

I encountered a statement about the proper manner by which we might measure the success or failure of our cities:

"Too often men are apt to measure a city's significance by its business, professions, and industry, its buildings, its wealth, its art and culture.  Zechariah [8:4-5] suggests that we measure the significance of our cities by their effect upon two groups easily overlooked--the old and the young." -- T. C. Speers, Zechariah (Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 1956), 1085.

Sadly, we do not understand the power of this image, but for those who live in a world of fear, lack and destruction such images are profound and may seem far-fetched.  The poignant passage to which Speers was speaking dramatically portrays the blessing of the young and old alike in the idyllic eschatological age:

"This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: Once again old men and women will walk Jerusalem's streets with their canes and will sit together in the city squares. And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play." (Zech. 8:4-5 NLT)

Points of Interest

I thought today I would just post about a couple of things which interested me:

(1) Apparently Hendrickson Publishers has just released the fascicle of Biblia Hebraica Quinta: Judges.  I still need to start ordering my copies of BHQ, but it seems each volume is taking longer to publish.  It will certainly be a tremendous contribution to Hebrew Bible studies once it is completed.

(2) Renowned Greek scholar and linguist, Dr. Stanley E. Porter (President of McMaster Divinity School) has begun blogging about McMaster, Seminary education, Koine Greek and the New Testament.  I've already added it to my blog-reader...how about you?

(3) My two alma-maters have each just announced new presidents: Trinity Bible College will be receiving Dr. Paul Alexander (currently Principal of Mattersey Hall in the U.K.) and I trust this will prove a positive academic direction for TBC.  In other news, I discovered that Dr. David Johnson (Professor of NT, Executive Vice-President and Provost of PTS) has been accepted as the interim president of Providence Theological Seminary.  Congrats to Dr. Johnson on the new opportunity!