1 Samuel 19
In 1 Samuel 19, Saul commanded Jonathan and his servants to kill David, but Jonathan warned David to hide. Jonathan spoke to Saul on David’s behalf, reminding him of David’s loyalty and his victory over ...
1 Samuel 18
1 Samuel 18 - “Saul has slain his thousands,And David his ten thousands.” The wording here says that "all cities in Israel" had women who danced and sang to this tune. It was literally a Billboard Top ...
1 Samuel 17
In 1 Samuel 17, the Philistines gathered for battle at Socoh in Judah, facing Israel across a valley (1 Samuel 17:1-3). Goliath, a giant warrior from Gath, challenged Israel to send a champion to fight him, ...
1 Samuel 16
In 1 Samuel 16, Samuel mourned for Saul but the Lord told him it was time to move forward because He had already chosen a new king (1 Samuel 16:1). Though Samuel feared Saul’s reaction, God provided a ...
1 Samuel 15
In 1 Samuel 15, Samuel commanded Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites, including all people and animals (1 Samuel 15:1-3). Saul gathered his army, warned the Kenites to leave, and attacked the ...
1 Samuel 14
In 1 Samuel 14, Jonathan led his armor-bearer to attack a Philistine garrison. Although he didn't tell his Father (King Saul), Jonathan had faith that “nothing can keep the Lord from saving” (1 Samuel 14:6). ...
1 Samuel 13
In 1 Samuel 13, Saul became king and reigned for 40 years (1 Samuel 13:1). He selected 3,000 men, keeping 2,000 with himself at Michmash/Bethel’s hill country and 1,000 with Jonathan at Gibeah ...
1 Samuel 12
In 1 Samuel 12, Samuel reminded Israel that he had faithfully led them from his youth and had not wronged or taken anything from anyone (1 Samuel 12:1-4). The people affirmed his integrity, and Samuel ...
1 Samuel 11
In 1 Samuel 11, Nahash the Ammonite besieged Jabesh-gilead. The men of Jabesh sought a treaty, and Nahash agreed as long as he was permitted to gouge out the right eye of every man in the city ...
1 Samuel 10
In 1 Samuel 10, Samuel anointed Saul as Israel’s ruler by pouring oil on his head (1 Samuel 10:1). He told Saul about three signs that would confirm his calling: He would meet men near Rachel’s Grave ...
1 Samuel 9
In 1 Samuel 9, we are introduced to a young man from the tribe of Benjamin named Saul. His father, Kish, sent him to find their lost donkeys (1 Samuel 9:1-5). After an unsuccessful search, Saul’s servant
1 Samuel 8
In 1 Samuel 8, Samuel has grown old and has appointed his sons, Joel and Abijah, as judges over Israel. But they turned to dishonesty, taking bribes and perverting justice (1 Samuel 8:1-3). The elders of Israel ...
1 Samuel 7
In 1 Samuel 7, the ark of the Lord was taken to Kiriath-jearim, where it remained for 20 years as Israel longed for the Lord (1 Samuel 7:1-2). Samuel urged the people to return to God wholeheartedly by ...
1 Samuel 6
In 1 Samuel 6, the Philistines sought guidance from their priests and diviners after the ark of the Lord had been in Philistine territory wreaking havoc for seven months (see 1 Samuel 4 & 1 Samuel 5 for context). ...
1 Samuel 5
In 1 Samuel 5, the Philistines took the ark of the covenant from Ebenezer to Ashdod and placed it in the temple of Dagon beside his statue (1 Samuel 5:1-2). The next morning, they found Dagon fallen face down ...
1 Samuel 4
In 1 Samuel 4, Israel went to battle against the Philistines. They were defeated, losing about 4,000 men (1 Samuel 4:2). Seeking victory, they brought the ark of the covenant from Shiloh accompanied by Eli’s ...
1 Samuel 3
In 1 Samuel 3, the text states that Samuel served under Eli during a time when God's revelations were rarely heard or seen (1 Samuel 3:1). One night, as Samuel lay in the Temple, God called him, but he ...
1 Samuel 2
In 1 Samuel 2, Hannah offers a heartfelt prayer of praise while rejoicing in God's salvation, justice, and power over life and death (1 Samuel 2:1-10). Samuel serves before the Lord but Eli’s sons, Hophni and ...
1 Samuel 1
In 1 Samuel 1, a man named Elkanah from the hill country of Ephraim had two wives: Hannah (who was childless) and Peninnah (who had children). Each year, Elkanah would go to Shiloh to worship and offer ...
Proverbs 1
In Proverbs 1, the author identifies himself as Solomon, son of David and king of Israel. The Proverbs of Solomon are given to impart wisdom, understanding, and guidance for living with integrity, justice, and ...
Ruth 4
In Ruth 4, Boaz meets the nearest kinsman at the city gate and presents the case of redeeming Elimelech’s property by taking Ruth as wife (Ruth 4:1-5). The closer relative (kinsman) declines, fearing ...
Ruth 3
In Ruth 3, Naomi seeks to secure provision for Ruth through marriage to Boaz. (Ruth 3:1-2). She instructs Ruth to wash, anoint herself, wear her best clothes, and approach Boaz at the threshing floor after he ...
Ruth 2
In Ruth 2, Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side who was a noble man named Boaz (Ruth 2:1). Ruth asked Naomi for permission to glean in the fields, and Naomi agreed (Ruth 2:2). Ruth went to glean and, ...
Ruth 1
In Ruth 1, Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, leave Israel because of a famine and live in Moab (Ruth 1:1-2). While in Moab, the sons marry Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth ...
Judges 21
In Judges 21, the Israelites mourned the desolation of the tribe of Benjamin and sought the Lord's guidance (Judges 21:1-4). They recalled their vow to punish those who did not join the war
Judges 20
In Judges 20, the 11 tribes of Israel gather at Mizpeh to address the murder of the Levite’s wife by the Benjaminites. After hearing the Levite’s account, the other tribes resolve to punish the tribe of Benjamin ...
Judges 19
In Judges 19, a Levite's concubine was unfaithful to him and left for her father’s house in Bethlehem. After four months, the Levite went to bring her back. Her father delayed their departure for several days ...
Judges 18
In Judges 18, the Danite tribe was looking for land to settle in and sent five men to scout the territory. They arrived at Micah’s house in Ephraim and met the young Levite who was serving as his priest ...
Judges 17
In Judges 17, Micah, a man from the hill country of Ephraim, returns 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother and admits that he stole it. His mother blesses him and consecrates the silver to the Lord to make a ...
Judges 16
In Judges 16, Samson visits Gaza and sleeps with a prostitute. The Philistines plan to ambush him, but Samson escapes by tearing out the city gates and carrying them to the top of a mountain ...
Judges 15
In Judges 15, Samson visited his wife (from Judges 14) but found that her father had given her to another man.. He offered Samson her younger sister instead. This further enraged Samson and in ...
Judges 14
In Judges 14, Samson saw a Philistine woman in Timnah and demanded his parents arrange the marriage, despite their objections. They did not realize this was part of God's plan to confront the ...
Judges 13
In Judges 13, the Israelites did evil in God's sight yet again. God allowed the Philistines to oppress them for 40 years. An angel appeared to the barren wife of Manoah, a man from the tribe of Dan, and told her
Judges 12
In Judges 12, the Ephraimites confronted Jephthah angrily for not calling them to battle, threatening to burn his house (Judges 12:1). Jephthah responded that he had called for their help, but they did not come ...
Judges 11
In Judges 11, Jephthah, a warrior from Gilead and the son of a prostitute, was driven away by his half-brothers and settled in Tob where he gathered a group of followers. When the Ammonites waged war ...
Judges 10
In Judges 10, Tola from the tribe of Issachar led Israel for 23 years and was buried at Shamir. Jair from Gilead then led Israel for 22 years, having 30 sons who each rode a donkey and controlled 30 cities in ...
Judges 9
In Judges 9, Gideon's son Abimelech persuades the people of Shechem to make him king by arguing that it's better to be ruled by one man than by all of Gideon's seventy sons. With money from the temple of ...
Judges 8
In Judges 8, Gideon was criticized by the men of Ephraim for not including them in the battle against Midian, but he appeased them by highlighting their own victories. As he and his 300 men pursued the ...
Judges 7
In Judges 7, Gideon gathers his troops near the spring of Harod to face the Midianites. However, God instructs him to reduce the number of soldiers so that Israel will not boast in their own strength ...
Judges 6
In Judges 6, the Israelites once again sinned against the Lord and were oppressed by the Midianites for seven years. The Midianites, along with the Amalekites and other desert tribes devastated Israel's crops ...
Judges 5
Judges 5 is the Song of Deborah, a victory hymn sung by Deborah and Barak after Israel’s triumph over King Jabin and Sisera's army. ...
Judges 4
Judges 4 recounts how Israel once again turned from the Lord after Ehud’s death. In response, God allowed King Jabin of Canaan to oppress them for 20 years through his commander, Sisera, who led an army equipped ...
Judges 3
Judges 3 describes how the Lord left certain nations in Canaan to test Israel. These foreign nations would help determine Israel's faithfulness to His commands. Despite this, the Israelites intermarried with the surrounding nations and adopted their ...
Judges 2
Judges 2 emphasizes Israel's cycle of sin, disobedience, and God's grace. Despite reminders of the covenant, they abandoned the Lord, adopted Canaanite practices, faced oppression, but received judges for deliverance. ...
Judges 1
In Judges 1, we pick up on the journey after Joshua's death. Verse 1 states that the Israelites sought guidance from the Lord on who should lead the fight against the Canaanites. God designated Judah, who ...
Joshua 24
Joshua 24 - In Joshua 24, Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, summoning their leaders to present themselves before God. ...
Joshua 23
Joshua 23 - Joshua gives the people lots of encouragement but also many warnings. He knows that if they are obedient, the Lord will fight for them, but if they are not, He will fight against them. ...
Joshua 22
Joshua 22 - The one thing that sticks out as a positive note is how seriously the western tribes took the possibility of falling back into sin. This had been something that plagued Israel for years, and ...
Joshua 21
Joshua 21 - This statement of God's promises is such an encouragement. Let's take a look back and review some of these great promises. The Promise of LandGenesis 12:7 The LORD appeared ...
Joshua 20
Joshua 20 - It's one thing to say that we believe in God as our refuge and strength, but it's an entirely different experience to go through circumstances where this is all we can cling to. If ...
Joshua 19
Joshua 19 - When the people of Israel finished dividing up the land, they gave Joshua son of Nun a part of the land as his own. 50 As the LORD had commanded, they gave him the ...
Joshua 18
Joshua 18 - Spiritually, Shiloh is an important landmark for worship during this time period. In both Judges and Samuel, we see special worship take place at this location. This would also be the location God would ...
Joshua 17
Joshua 17 - Essentially, what is happening over this chapter is that the other half of Manasseh's tribe is being assigned their portion of their inheritance. It just so happens that Zelophehad had no sons or heirs, ...
Joshua 16
Joshua 16 - The sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance. Joshua 16:4 This made up a good chunk of the land. Again, this point has already been discussed extensively, but a big takeaway from ...
Joshua 15
Joshua 15 - Joshua 15 details the land allocation for the tribe of Judah, highlighting Caleb's victories in Hebron and the challenges of expelling the Jebusites from Jerusalem. It includes specific geographic boundaries and lists numerous cities within the region. ...
Joshua 14
Joshua 14 - The rest of Joshua slows in pace with the land distribution becoming the focal point. However, we have an interesting story here to explore with Caleb. What we find is that the conquering of ...
Joshua 13
Joshua 13 - As you read through the inheritance distributed to the different tribes, you will notice that the Levites receive no land. It is mentioned twice in this chapter. Only to the tribe of Levi he ...
Joshua 12
Joshua 12 - Joshua 12 lists the 31 kings defeated by the Israelites during their conquest of Canaan. The chapter divides the victories into two regions: the lands east of the Jordan, conquered by Moses and given to the Reubenites, ...
Joshua 11
Joshua 11 - Let's set the backdrop. Joshua has just led Israel in defeating the cities in the south. News travels fast. The northern kings are becoming restless at the dominance of Israel. Specifically, Jabin of Hazor. ...
Joshua 10
Joshua 10 - So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of ...
Joshua 9
Joshua 9 - The Gibeonites, fearing Israel's conquests, deceive Joshua and the Israelites by pretending to be from a distant land. They present worn-out provisions to secure a peace treaty, which the Israelites agree to without consulting God. ...
Joshua 8
Joshua 8 - Joshua 7 left a bad taste in our mouths. After discovering the sin that had caused Israel to be defeated at Ai, Joshua was left to pick up the pieces. ...
Joshua 7
Joshua 7 - Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. James 1:15 NASB This is a sad story after such a joyful victory for Israel. ...
Joshua 6
Joshua 6 - Joshua 6 is one of the most vivid demonstrations of God’s power in the Old Testament. The Israelites spent 40 years wandering in the desert. ...
Joshua 5
Joshua 5 - There was a series of events that the Lord required of Joshua prior to conquering Jericho. Joshua completed these duties (circumcision and First Passover) and was now waiting on the Lord. For whatever reason ...
Joshua 4
Joshua 4 - In Joshua 4, after the entire nation finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord instructed Joshua to choose twelve men, one from each tribe, to take twelve stones from the middle of the river where the priests stood ...
Joshua 3
Joshua 3 - In Joshua 3, the Israelites prepared to cross the Jordan River under Joshua's leadership. Early in the morning, Joshua led the people from the Acacia Grove to camp by the Jordan. ...
Joshua 2
Joshua 2 - It would not be an easy task to get a view of Jericho. Spies were sent by Joshua and through the sovereignty of the Lord, they were able to find help from Rahab. Though ...
Joshua 1
Joshua 1 - The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years due to a lack of faith and a misunderstanding of their identity in the Lord. As Deuteronomy closes with Moses' death ...
Deuteronomy 34
Deuteronomy 34 - So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. 6 And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, ...
Deuteronomy 33
Deuteronomy 33 - Moses gives his final blessings to the tribes of Israel. I was drawn to the guidance given to the Levites. About the tribe of Levi he said: "You, LORD, reveal your will by the ...
Deuteronomy 28
Deuteronomy 28 - "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. ...
Deuteronomy 27
Deuteronomy 27 - F.B. Meyer paints a beautiful picture of the scene we find in Deuteronomy 27. "Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal were two masses of limestone rock, reaching 2700 and 2000 feet above the sea-level. Between ...
Deuteronomy 26
Deuteronomy 26 - Once again we enter into an Old Testament story which has significant implications for how we understand events documented in the New Testament. "Then it shall be, when you enter the land which the ...
Ezekiel 22
Ezekiel 22 - Spiritual sin = practical consequences. This is a fact. Though the OT and NT are under different covenants, God is consistent. Israel would experience physical consequences for the heinous acts they committed spiritually. Though ...
Ezekiel 21
Ezekiel 21 - Ezekiel was a unique and inspired writer that often used abstract visuals to drive home deep spiritual principles. Although the topic is horrific, this chapter is a prime example of this. Take, for instance, ...
Ezekiel 20
Ezekiel 20 - For a good part of my adult life, I chased after the hopes and dreams of man. I had my eyes set on the material pleasures and the finite comforts of this world. God's ...
Ezekiel 19
Ezekiel 19 - In this elegy, Ezekiel mourns the lion cubs (kings of Judah) who were brought up by the lioness (nation of Judah). An elegy is a poem of serious reflection that is typically a lament ...
Ezekiel 18
Ezekiel 18 - Turn away from your sins and live. In this chapter, a foundational Christian belief is described in detail. Though the punishment during Ezekiel's time was on a national scale, the sin that caused the ...
Ezekiel 17
Ezekiel 17 - Let's start by getting an understanding of the allegory. The first great eagle represents Babylon, or, King Nebuchadnezzar. The cedar is Judah. The topmost young twig is Jehoiachin, the king of Judah who was ...
Ezekiel 16
Ezekiel 16 - This chapter is an anti-entitlement message. Once again, there is application that is extremely relevant for our culture today. The truth is, we all have skeletons in our closet. We are not always who ...
Ezekiel 15
Ezekiel 15 - The grapevine was of utmost importance to the agriculture of ancient Israel. Coming off the heels of Chapter 14 (which was about false prophets), it's interesting to consider that Jesus makes a direct correlation ...
Ezekiel 14
Ezekiel 14 - After introducing His hand of judgment, God reveals four ways in which He will punish the rebellious people. Ezekiel 14:13 - "If a country sins...My Hand....will bring famine."Ezekiel 14:15 - "If I were to ...
Ezekiel 13
Ezekiel 13 - Wow! What a relevant topic! For years, false prophets have been stirring up dissension in order to dismantle what God is building among His people. To make a clear point, God compares a false ...
Ezekiel 12
Ezekiel 12 - "Son of man, what is this proverb you people have concerning the land of Israel, saying, 'The days are long and every vision fails'? Ezekiel 12:22 NASB "Son of man, behold, the house of ...
Ezekiel 11
Ezekiel 11 - Although it was written thousands of years ago, Ezekiel 11 has a lot of application for our current society. God said to me, "Mortal man, these men make evil plans and give bad advice ...
Ezekiel 10
Ezekiel 10 - Think for a moment about the devastation caused by sin. This was not just a "mistake" or "moral failure." No matter how much we dress up the sins of the people, the severity of ...
Ezekiel 9
Ezekiel 9 - It's tough to read about the judgment of God with regard to sin, however, it reveals the character of God. The standard set by the holiness of God is not the same as our ...
Ezekiel 8
Ezekiel 8 - The people thought that because the temple was located in Jerusalem, their shameful acts of sin were covered. They really believed that the temple guaranteed their security. In reality, their acts had caused God ...
Ezekiel 7
Ezekiel 7 - The Babylonians invaded Judah twice but the people could not comprehend the severity of the destruction. It's like they could not connect the dots. They couldn't see the connection between their sin and the ...
Ezekiel 6
Ezekiel 6 - "However, I will leave a remnant, for you will have those who escaped the sword among the nations when you are scattered among the countries. Ezekiel 6:8 NASB Since the beginning of God's plan, ...
Ezekiel 5
Ezekiel 5 - Each person in Jerusalem was predicted by God to suffer one of three fates. Each of these was symbolized by the three mounds of equally cut-off hair. 1) One-third would burn along with the ...
Ezekiel 4
Ezekiel 4 - Just as Isaiah was asked to walk naked and barefoot for 3 years, Ezekiel is asked to portray the coming judgment on His people. Ironically, we see this type of teaching style used in ...
Ezekiel 3
Ezekiel 3 - First, let's paint a backdrop of what Ezekiel is dealing with here. The people of Israel have continually rejected the Word and the prophets. They are stubborn and obstinant (Eze 3:7). They, like us, ...
Ezekiel 2
Ezekiel 2 - It is intriguing to consider that God's Spirit entered Ezekiel in order to empower him to complete the task. This was not always the case in the OT as God sovereignly chose those individuals ...
Ezekiel 1
Ezekiel 1 - Ezekiel was 25 years old when he was taken into captivity and was 30 when he was called into ministry. Outside of the book named after him, there is no other reference to Ezekiel ...
Acts 28
Acts 28 - I love the image of Paul here at the end of Acts. He is a man who, under normal circumstances, would have no joy. He’s been falsely accused, spent a considerable amount of time ...
Acts 27
Acts 27 - It's interesting to me that Paul could have fallen by the wayside so many times in his life. Luke gives us an amazing description of how and why Paul ended up in Rome. When ...
Acts 26
Acts 26 - In this chapter, Paul gives his most exhaustive and evangelistic appeal to Agrippa II. If you remember, he has appealed to Caesar. But in the meantime, Agrippa II is passing through visiting Festus along ...
Acts 25
Acts 25 - The reason Paul was able to appeal to Caesar and the higher court was because he was rightfully a Roman citizen. The tricky part, as I understand it, was that the Jews wanted to ...