We're starting a season exploring the book of Exodus, and the story opens with a focus on amazing women.

By the time baby Moses gets his name in this story, the only other named characters are the midwives Shiphrah and Puah. In fact, almost all the people doing anything proactive are women! We notice a few fresh perspectives on this well-known narrative, and are interested to see how even chapter 1 and 2 set up some of the things that will feature in the Exodus.

What is Jonah's challenge for a prophetic-future focused Christian?

There is a widespread idea of some prophecies being conditional on our response, and others being unconditional. The more we look at it in the Old Testament the more it seems this distinction is not often all that clear in the prophecy and its wording. We are intrigued by some of the implications for reading and applying prophecy today, especially as Adventists.

Reading last-day prophecies with hope rather than fear is a profound perspective shift.

We can't help focus on the Sabbath commandment, which features so prominently in in the "Seventh-day Adventist" name and also in our reading of last-day prophecy. It is striking that Jesus stirred up considerable controversy over his Sabbath actions, and the lesson this week has an intriguing description that leads us into a broader discussion.