Acts 10 – Many people like to ask the question, can you be saved if you are a genuine seeker and have responded to God but have not yet heard the Gospel? Cornelius was described as a …
Abraham
66 posts
Acts 7 – I can vividly remember the old seat belt PSA that was shown on TV all the time when I was a kid. Vince and Larry, the Crash Test Dummies, would facetiously admit that they …
Leviticus 1 – The book of Leviticus picks up right where Exodus left off. The opening verse begins with “Then the Lord called to Moses…” ‘Then’ signals us to look back at the end of Exodus which …
Revelation 21 – There is a lot of crossover between what Isaiah writes in chapter 65 and the 21st chapter of Revelation. “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will …
Revelation 15 – The divine judgment which was revealed by the seals and proclaimed by the trumpets will now be poured out by the seven bowls. From a literary standpoint, the seventh seal was unleashed by the …
2 Chronicles 1 – Solomon commanded the people to go to a high place of worship at Gibeon. This was the location of the tabernacle. It is the same tabernacle that the children of Israel built after …
1 Chronicles 21 – To David’s credit, he takes responsibility for the error in judgment. He even asks God to spare His people and instead punish him and his family. Anytime sin separated the people from God, …
1 Chronicles 3 – Why the detailed genealogies? In order to affirm God’s plan for Christ to come from Adam, David, and Abraham. These names are the historical proof of the fulfilled promises of God. Of course, …
Isaiah 54 – This chapter focuses on the wonderful love God has for His people. Amazingly, even though human sin has corrupted the future God had promised, His words will not return void. Given the current exile …
Isaiah 15 – Moab was the region on the east side of the Dead Sea. The total land surface would have been about 30 miles long and 30 miles wide. As compared to the nation of Edom, …
Philippians 3 – Have you ever met someone who always tries to one-up you? No matter how the story goes, they always pull the trump card with some experience or credential that’s bigger and better. It’s not …
Exodus 31 – At the end of the chapter, God reminds Israel of the third sign of their covenant – the Sabbath. Overall, these signs were established as a reminder of the great provision of God, and …
Judges 19 – This is a terrible story, to say the least. In fact, you will be hard-pressed to find a more shocking chapter in the Bible. In a horrifying scene of events, we get a picture …
Judges 6 – Early Christian theologian and Greek scholar, Origen, makes some fascinating prophetic connections to the weak faith-testing by Gideon and the response by God. The passage I am referencing is Judges 6:36-40. Judges 6:36-40 HCSB …
Job 32 – Elihu may have been younger, but he had the genealogy going for him. But the anger of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram burned; against Job his anger …
Job 24 – Job continues on his theme of questioning why the wicked get away with so much. To the theology his friends have adopted, it makes no sense for Job to question this if he is …
Ezra 2 – Why was genealogy so important to the Jews? We see this many times in Scripture and often it’s hard to make it through the list because we don’t know or understand the history. To …
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 …
Matthew 4 – “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Matthew 4:1 NASB Wow! What a chapter! Let’s read and re-read this opening verse. Satan didn’t just …
Matthew 1 – The Gospels do not record a single word spoken by this man. Yet, the Gospel account written by Matthew is a bridge to the past. If a person had just read the Old Testament …
2 Samuel 21 – King David was seemingly indestructible. He was a beast on the battlefield and a musician at heart. Although his sins are well-documented, it is a fact that David was blessed with many gifts …
2 Samuel 8 – In many ways, David is presented as the “anti-Saul” even though at times, their behavior does not seem all that different. Thus far in Samuel, we’ve witnessed several questionable decisions by David. Here …
2 Samuel 5 – Every sports fan knows the term “bulletin board material.” It occurs days or weeks before a big game when your opponent makes some kind of degrading or insulting comment against you. It’s basically …
1 Samuel 3 – What I love about this chapter is that Samuel had not yet experienced the voice or guidance of the Lord. His mind had not yet been renewed to spiritual things. However, when the …
Romans 4 – In Romans 4, Paul contrasts the ideas of “works = righteousness” with “faith = righteousness.” Abraham was counted as righteous in the sight of God because of his faith, not because of his works. …
1 Kings 19 – The events in 1 Kings 19 could be known as “The Pastor’s Chapter.” After the triumphant, cataclysmic fire-from-the-sky victory over the prophets of Baal, Elijah found himself defeated. The smoldering flames of God …
Genesis 50 – It is always fascinating to me when we come across a chapter in the Bible that captivates us with incredible detail and then quickly moves across history with sweeping summaries. We get both in …
Genesis 46 – Genesis 46 contains an ancient treasure documented only four times in all of Genesis. It is a simple but powerful phrase God would use to draw His people into total obedience. Do. Not. Fear. …
Genesis 37 – “Enoch shows the walk of faith, Noah shows the perseverance of faith, Abraham shows the obedience of faith, Isaac shows the power of faith, and Jacob shows the discipline of faith. Along these lines …
Genesis 30 – Jacob married sisters… just think about that. Rachel had her husband’s love but could not produce sons. Leah could produce sons but did not have her husband’s love. It was a recipe for disaster. …
Genesis 28 – Promises, promises. Jacob was a slick wheeler and dealer as we will find out later. He certainly didn’t deserve Isaac’s blessing or a divine dream, but God was faithful despite. This fact alone is …
Genesis 26 – In Genesis 26, God reiterates His promise made long ago to Abraham. Being a descendant, Isaac was still under this covenant relationship of God. Let’s look at exactly how God describes His relationship with …
Genesis 25 – In the music industry, most fans hate sellouts. According to Wikipedia, “selling out” is a common expression for the compromising of a person’s integrity, morality, authenticity, or principles in exchange for personal gain, such …
Genesis 24 – Consider the picture we get of Christ’s relationship with the church from Isaac and Rebekah… Just like Rebekah was chosen before marriage, believers in the body are part of God’s chosen people. Just like …
Genesis 23 – It is significant that the age of Sarah is given when she dies. This is not the case with other matriarchs. Rebekah’s death is not even recorded and Rachel’s death is only highlighted by …
Genesis 22 – God was faithful to Abraham and through this relationship, obedience was continually being renewed. God’s faithfulness was a catalyst for Abraham’s faith. But like James writes, faith must be proven. It is not found …
Genesis 21 – In previous chapters, we may have been tempted to wonder, “Why has God stuck with Abraham for so long?” Commentators and scholars have wondered why the Bible is so brutally honest about the struggles …
Genesis 20 – Once again Abraham lied. Once again he told a foreign king his wife was his sister. And once again he was rebuked by a foreigner. It seems to me, in His grace, God withholds …
Genesis 18 – I have to admit, I’m not a great intercessor. I sometimes fall victim to the attitude that “the Lord will do what the Lord will do.” But the Bible prescribes a persistent, faith-filled prayer …
Genesis 17 – The question we all ask ourselves at one point or another is, why circumcision? First, in the context of what God is speaking to Abraham, the covenant is dealing specifically with fathering nations. Circumcision …
Genesis 16 – Think about all the stressful situations that Abraham, Sarai, and Hagar now faced from one sinful decision. Does Sarai have a right to be mad at Abraham and to despise Hagar? Should Abraham raise …
Genesis 15 – God spoke, Abraham believed. Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:6 NASB I love that we see the first expression of the Gospel here between …
Genesis 14 – Here in Genesis 14, we find the bizarre story of Melchizedek. Melchizedek came to Abraham after his defeat of Chedorlaomer and his three allies. He gave bread and wine to Abraham and his men …
Genesis 13 – Between chapters 12 and 13, we see a spiritual maturity unfolding in Abram’s life. His journey into Egypt illustrated his lack of trust in God’s provision. Now, we read that he has decided to …
Genesis 12 – “Faith is not a mushroom that grows overnight in damp soil; it is an oak tree that grows for a thousand years under the blast of the wind and rain.” Donald Grey Barnhouse None …
Hebrews 11 – The Hall of Faith. It is by far the most popular and most quoted chapter of Hebrews. Beautifully, the author articulates the power of faith and how it can completely change both our attitude …
Hebrews 8 – Hebrews 8 is an important chapter because it proves Jesus was the Messiah and His covenant was both needed and expected. The Jews reject Jesus as their Messiah primarily on the grounds that His …
Hebrews 7 – Who was Melchizedek? You can read his full story in Genesis 14. Basically, he was a priest who came to Abraham after his defeat of Chedorlaomer and his three allies. Melchizedek gave bread and …
Hebrews 4 – The Law demanded perfection. This was the standard accomplished by Jesus. Despite our best efforts, we don’t even come close. However, we continue to live in a society built upon works. Nearly everything we …
Malachi 1 – Malachi’s ministry would have overlapped with Nehemiah. The temple had been rebuilt (v. 13), and there was a presiding governor over the nation (v. 8), but the people were struggling with the same sins …
Amos 7 – In Genesis, Abraham pled with God over Sodom. In Exodus, Moses interceded for Israel. Here, Amos does the same. Although Amos would later give a prediction for God’s people, he first would go to …
Psalm 135 – Our God is praise worthy in every age and season. No matter the circumstances, God is with us and for us. Often, it is hard to understand and believe this when we look around …
Psalm 110 – Psalm 110 might be quoted more frequently in the NT than any other Psalm. The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet’? Matthew …
Psalm 96 – “Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. 3 Tell …
Psalm 90 – So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom. Psalms 90:12 NASB We’ve all heard stories of those who receive a heart-breaking terminal diagnosis, and are …
Psalm 87 – “I shall mention Rahab and Babylon among those who know Me; Behold, Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia: ‘This one was born there.'” Psalms 87:4 NASB A relationship with Jesus is not based on genetics …
Psalm 76 – God is faithful. His track record is perfect. He never fails and never shows up late. His power is unmatched and His grace is providential. God is known in Judah; His name is great …
Deuteronomy 30 – I was drawn specifically to verse 6 of this chapter because it relates closely to the process a believer undergoes within the New Covenant. “Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and …
Deuteronomy 29 – When I was younger, I used to think it was enough to “keep my oath” with God. If I tried to live as a good person, prayed once in a while, and asked for …
Deuteronomy 22 – Many of these laws seem outdated or inapplicable to our modern culture. Furthermore, one might say that since we are under the New Covenant we are no longer under the Old Testament law. Though …
Deuteronomy 9 – Today know this: GOD, your God, is crossing the river ahead of you—he’s a consuming fire. He will destroy the nations, he will put them under your power. You will dispossess them and very …
Deuteronomy 5 – False teachers love to cherry-pick verses and twist the context to their liking. A perfect example of this is found in Deuteronomy 5:9. ‘You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness …
Luke 16 Commentary by Brad Boyles At the end of Luke 16, we read a fascinating story contrasting the rich man and Lazarus. Jesus does not start out this story as He does other parables. He also gives us the …
Luke 13 – Jewish belief at the time would have proclaimed that all Jews, except notorious sinners like tax collectors and prostitutes, would inherit the kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, the message that Jesus consistently articulated was offensive …
Luke 3 – The way the Holy Spirit moved in order for Jesus Christ to come into this world is really fascinating. There are so many wonderful stories in Christ’s family tree. The interesting thing is, the …