A Newsletter of weekly meditations on Biblical Theology and curated resources from The Carson Center

April 22, 2026

“Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly.” Exodus 19:18

“As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.” 2 Chronicles 7:1

“And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.” Acts 2:2–3

Read: Genesis 2; Matthew 2; Ezra 2; Acts 2

Have you ever been in the midst of a storm that scared you? Sometimes the power of nature can overwhelm us, whether that be thunder, rain, fire, or wind. God’s acts through the natural world can make us realize we are not in control and that there is someone out there much more powerful than us.

In Acts 2, the disciples find themselves in a storm. This isn’t any normal storm. It was predicted by Jesus himself (Acts 1:4). This storm had a timetable set by God. At the promised moment, the disciples hear the sound of a rushing wind and see tongues of fire divide and rest over them. The scene is one of untamed and uncontrollable power. Before Luke tells readers what this means (Acts 2:4), he wants them to pay attention to the imagery.

Luke employs the imagery of wind and fire because both recall the arrival of God’s presence. When God would appear in the Old Testament, his presence would often be accompanied by a storm or fire. This most often occurred in relation to the tabernacle or temple. Israel’s tabernacle and temple were built according to the pattern Moses saw on Mount Sinai. When Israel met with God in the temple, it was like they were recreating the Sinai scene. The presence of wind and fire signaled the powerful presence of God with his people.

Therefore, when Luke records that the disciples at Pentecost heard wind and saw fire rest on them, he communicates that God’s presence has arrived in a new way by the Spirit. No longer was God’s presence only accessible to the high priest once a year in the Holy of Holies;; now fire rested on each believer, empowering them with God’s powerful presence at all times. God’s people are now the mobile temples, carrying God’s presence with them wherever they go. And God’s people would need God’s presence because he was calling them to be witnesses to the whole world on his behalf.

—Patrick Schreiner

Reflect: Do you often feel weak in your Christian life? How does remembering that God’s powerful presence is always with you bring you encouragement today?

“Yes, You Can Find Christ in a Text About a Fool” by Ian Vaillancourt

David’s encounter with a fool named Nabal seems odd, impractical, and out of place. David’s genocidal intent and deviant marital practices would be rated for mature audiences by today’s streaming services, so why is this story in the Bible?

First Samuel 25 is sandwiched between stories of David’s refusal to kill Saul (chap. 24; 26). In the Nabal story, though, David and his entourage are denied a meal, so he vows to gather 400 of his men and kill every male that belongs to Nabal by the next morning (25:22). David is only saved from shedding innocent blood by the wise intervention of Nabal’s wife, and then by Yahweh, who puts Nabal to death 10 days later.

At the end of the story, David marries Nabal’s widow, takes another wife, and loses his first wife when Saul steals her away. As readers, we instinctively know we shouldn’t “dare to be a David” and model his murderous intent or the soap opera of his love life. But as we read this story in our morning devotions, many of us will struggle to find anything of spiritual value.

When we remember that every part of the Old Testament has been fulfilled by Christ and should lead us to revel in Christ, so that we’re built up as mature Christians, we’re even more bewildered. The breakthrough for gospel nourishment comes as we read the details of 1 Samuel 25 in light of the Bible’s unfolding story.

SEE HOW A LESS-THAN-IDEAL KING LEADS TO CHRIST

In this video series Gregg Allison, Professor of Christian Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, teaches on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. In the 10 videos, Dr. Allison walks us through the person and work of the Spirit, covering frequently discussed topics such as the Spirit’s personality, the Spirit in the Old Testament, spiritual gifts, and more.

Spiritual gifts often swing between being over-emphasized or under-emphasized, with little clarity to help us understand what the New Testament promises to every believer through the work of the Holy Spirit. In this essay, Tom Schreiner offers needed clarity in introducing us to the gifts of the Spirit. Schreiner helps us to see the ecclesiological focus of the gifts, dividing them between gifts of speaking and gifts of serving.

READ “The Gifts of the Spirit” by Thomas Schreiner

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