Jeremiah 7 – A lot of people act like the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament is simply not the same being. Although they may call Him God, they live as …
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Isaiah 10 – ‘Woe” is a dangerous word in Scripture. Chapter 10 kicks off with God using this word as a warning of the severe consequences to come. It is the deprivation of the poor and …
2 John 1 – We read in 2 John a more traditional opening as it’s a letter written to a particular individual. However, we can assume this was written to a larger group of people as it …
2 Samuel 18 – This is a difficult chapter to absorb. On one hand, justice was served and the rightful king of Israel was restored. On the other hand, a loving father grieves the loss of his …
2 Samuel 16 – The reason why we read several chapters back about the grace David extended to Saul’s family is because here in 2 Samuel 16, we read of how Saul’s family wants to kick David …
1 Samuel 2 – The book of 1 Samuel is interesting because it transitions from a time of judges into a political and religious monarchy. We get a picture of the time period …
Romans 3 – When we study Scripture, it is important we don’t sweep through it with a predetermined mindset. There are always deeper truths to be found but sometimes we can miss it. This is especially true …
1 Kings 5 – There were two key ingredients Solomon needed in order to build the temple. 1) Peace. 2) Wood. This was an amazing time for Israel as they had no threats from their enemies. “You …
Esther 9 – Historians have long criticized Esther for her decision to eradicate all those who stood against the Jews. Herodotus, a Greek historian, wrote that Esther was a cold and vindictive woman. To outsiders, justice can …
Nehemiah 5 – In Nehemiah 4, we looked at how the enemy engages us when we step out in faith to do the Lord’s work. Satan and the world work externally to derail our progress, however, the …
Zechariah 2 – There is so much we could unpack in this short chapter of only 13 verses. It is rich with symbolism and prophecy. But I want to draw your focus to one section that stuck …
Micah 6 – Micah uses a sarcastic exaggeration to illustrate the hardness of the people’s hearts. What shall I bring to the LORD, the God of heaven, when I come to worship him? Shall I bring the …
Psalm 133 – Through Jesus, the Holy Spirit has been poured out over us. Like a priest who would be anointed by a fine oil, we as believers have been abundantly blessed by the Holy Spirit. This …
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 46 – The statements made in Psalm 46 are common knowledge to those who’ve walked with God. We sing them in our songs and read them all over Scripture. It’s easy sometimes to gloss over these …
Deuteronomy 20 – A lot of us have never thought about what it means to go to war vastly outnumbered. When the facts of the situation do not look to be in our favor, where do we …
Deuteronomy 18 – “God said…” It’s a phrase that has permeated our Christian culture. It’s a statement that flies out of people’s mouths easily and routinely. Reading it in Christian books and magazines and hearing it in …
[bible passage="Ecclesiastes 4" version="ESV"]
Ecclesiastes 4 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
This chapter continues with the theme of finding meaning in a very broken world. It begins by analyzing how the strong take advantage of the weak. It’s an issue and question that people still explore today. In fact, Solomon concludes, like Job, that in many situations it is better to be dead than to suffer through life. This is especially telling considering that in chapter 3 he explored the uncertainty of what happens after death.
These aren’t crazy thoughts. Most likely all of us at one point in time have considered the relief of non-existence over persevering through a crippling situation. But, as we read in the NT, obedience to God is the ultimate form of purpose. Solomon has landed on an essential truth that is discovered by anyone who has chased after meaning and purpose. True satisfaction in this life cannot be achieved. It can’t be bought or even earned. It only occurs through obedience.
Solomon moves on to another familiar outlet for finding meaning – work. Often, it is jealousy that fuels others to work hard but in the end, there is very little gained. We strive to create a great life for ourselves only to find that it does not quench our thirst. This is evident by his example of a man who works hard but has no one with whom to enjoy the fruits of his labor. This leads him to believe that companionship is much greater than accomplishment. From a Biblical perspective, this is definitely true. Our relationship with Christ is far more important than anything we will ever do for Him.
So, in the end, we can conclude that obedience to God is greater than achievements. In the same vein, relationships are greater than accomplishments. It is interesting to consider that the method by which the Pharisees (and some people today) find purpose and meaning is through their works. Jesus shattered this theory and then invited us into a relationship. Not only that, He provided the means for us to walk out that relationship with total obedience. So, we can understand how relevant Solomon’s questions are for us today. We can also see how Jesus has come to show us a better way!
[bible passage="Ezekiel 45" version="ESV"]
Ezekiel 45 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Nelson’s New Illustrated Commentary points out the emphasis of holiness in this chapter. There are specific details of what was expected by God in regards to being holy.
- Stop the use of violence and oppression (Eze 45:9)
- Cease the pattern of evicting people (Eze 45:9)
- Restore honest dealing in business, using standards of value that have integrity and can be trusted (Eze 45:10-12)
- Donate a percentage of each business transaction to God, whether one is a prince or one of the common people (Eze 45:13-17)
- Mark all of life with monthly festivals and celebrations that include everyone (Eze 45:18-25)
(Nelson’s)
Within Ezekiel’s new temple, there would be a higher standard of holiness. No longer would someone like King Ahab be able to confiscate the vineyard of Naboth for personal gain (1 Kings 21). Justice and righteousness are rivers that flow from the ocean of holiness. And as we read in the previous chapter, holiness can only be found by drawing near to God. It’s a simple equation, really. Those who were far from God revealed it by taking advantage of others and selfishly exploiting the less fortunate.
Holiness, however, is more than just justice and righteousness. Although there were places and people in the OT who were set apart to be holy, we must be reminded that all Christians are called to holiness. That does not mean you are holy at church and different everywhere else. It means that Jesus has infiltrated every part of your life in all places and situations. This is not accomplished in our own strength but by the power of the Holy Spirit and our love relationship with Jesus Christ.
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 …
Acts 23 – “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 “But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the …
[bible passage="Acts 18" version="ESV"]
Acts 18 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Corinth had a bad reputation for being a city chock full of immorality. It was known as the hub for Aphrodite (fertility goddess) worship. It was also known for having a major temple dedicated to Apollo. Among the Greeks, it was a well-known and interchangeable phrase to refer to someone steeped in sexual immorality as a “Corinthian” even if they weren’t from Corinth.
As he did many times in a new city, Paul started by bringing his message to the Jews. After it became apparent that they were not open to the Gospel, he moves almost exclusively to the Gentiles. I’m sure Paul was relieved to get a message from the Lord promising his protection as he had been beaten badly in other cities. That message was enough to propel Paul into an aggressive and determined state of mind. We need this many times in our lives. When we open the Word, we can be encouraged that the promises of God are readily available to His children.
Immediately after receiving this message from the Lord, the text states that Paul set up camp. He knew he would be in Corinth for awhile and he knew he would be protected while he was there. For a year and a half, Paul told everyone he could about the Gospel. This infuriated the Jews and they had heard enough. Ironically, there was a new proconsul named Gallio who was appointed by the Roman senate to govern the province of Achaia. The Jewish leaders undoubtedly planned to take advantage of this new governor by bringing charges against Paul.
And, that’s exactly what they tried to do. The problem was, Gallio wasn’t budging. In fact, it’s very likely God hardened Gallio’s heart toward the Jews in order to fulfill his promise to protect Paul during his time in Corinth. Once the charges were brought, Paul didn’t have to say a word. Keep in mind, this decision not only had ramifications for Paul personally, but the Jews wished for Gallio to ban Christianity completely. Judging Christianity to be illegal would have sent the church reeling as persecution would have been looked upon favorably by the Roman government.
However, God already had a plan. Gallio considered Christianity to be a sect of the Jewish religion and therefore not a crime against Rome. He basically told the leaders to work it out on their own. All of this is a reminder to us of how God protects us as He’s promised. For some Christians today, hearing a promise like Paul received can send them into a comfortable and complacent mindset. Instead of warring for the Gospel, they take it as a moment to relax. Do we trust God enough to invest like Paul did? God’s Word was enough for Paul. He was all in.
[bible passage="Acts 10" version="ESV"]
Acts 10 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
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 devout man who feared God and gave alms to Jewish people. He prayed to God continually which could have meant three times per day as this is the Jewish custom. Being described as a devout man meant that he worshiped the God of the OT, kept the OT law, attended synagogue, and observed the Sabbath. However, he had not converted to Judaism, most likely because he was a centurion. So, by Jewish standards, he was still considered ritually unclean because he was a Gentile.
We have here a prime example of the question were are exploring. Cornelius was a genuine seeker who had responded to God but knew nothing of the Gospel. Here we can confirm that God works in the supernatural to drawn seeking people to Him. God’s main message to Cornelius is to investigate. He invites Him to draw even closer. There is action required, however, and Cornelius obeys.
At the same time, God is working on Peter. After his puzzling vision, which challenges everything he believes about food being clean/unclean in the sight of God, Cornelius’ men show up. Peter invites them in as God continues to break down the borders that separate Jew from Gentile.
The beauty here is that Peter took advantage of the opportunity that was before him and listened to the Spirit. He didn’t rely on his human thoughts. He didn’t rely on being raised to hate Gentiles. He didn’t rely on Jewish teaching telling him that the Gentiles could never be God’s chosen people. Peter let the Holy Spirit speak radically in the moment and it transformed not only his thoughts but the lives of the Gentiles who were there before him.
How is God asking you to put aside your human thoughts to pursue the plan He’s asked?