2 Samuel 20
2 Samuel 20 - Concubines, intestines, and a severed head being thrown over a wall! This chapter is not for the faint of heart. Coming off the heels of a civil war, David is drawn back in. ...
2 Samuel 19
2 Samuel 19 - It's an awkward moment when the rebels realize their rebellion has failed and the king they opposed is still in authority. Some of those who supported Absalom double down on their opinion that ...
2 Samuel 18
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 17
2 Samuel 17 - Ahithophel had gone all in. He was firmly in Absalon's camp after abruptly turning on David. How could this man have been a counselor for David for so long? According to Rabbinical literature, ...
2 Samuel 16
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 ...
2 Samuel 15
2 Samuel 15 - Absalom was good looking, charismatic, and a cutthroat politician. Modern-day politicians would do well to study the strategy of Absalom. First, he didn't run a smear campaign against David. In fact, he doesn't ...
2 Samuel 14
2 Samuel 14 - David's go-to plan of action always centered around waiting on the Lord. I'm speculating, but it's possible this was the state of mind that was natural to him. In other words, he was ...
2 Samuel 13
2 Samuel 13 - What a mess here in 2 Samuel 13! It's hard to know where to begin. Amnon was obsessed. The thought of sinning consumed him. He seemingly had no relief from these lustful thoughts ...
2 Samuel 12
2 Samuel 12 - Sin often causes innocent people to perish. This is because sin cannot be overlooked. Though David was forgiven for his sin, there was still a cost to pay. In this case, the consequences ...
2 Samuel 11
2 Samuel 11 - Most of us know the story of 2 Samuel 11. David's sin and repentance are well-documented. The story is familiar to us because it's real. The Bible doesn't sugarcoat the sex, scandal, and ...
2 Samuel 10
2 Samuel 10 - After David's men were humiliated by the Ammonites, a war was sure to break out. The Ammonites hired the Syrians to help fight because they knew David would be boiling. Upon hearing this, ...
2 Samuel 9
2 Samuel 9 - David had made a promise to Jonathan, and David was a man of his word. So as he was reflecting back on Saul's family, David remembered his oath of friendship to Jonathan and ...
2 Samuel 8
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 7
2 Samuel 7 - We live in a society of bare minimums. What's the least I can pay and still buy that? What's the least I can spend and still earn rewards? What's the least I can ...
2 Samuel 6
2 Samuel 6 - Familiarity can often produce deadly results. It was Jesus who proclaimed he could do no miracles in his hometown because of their familiarity. It was familiarity that caused Jesus' brothers to initially discard ...
2 Samuel 5
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 ...
2 Samuel 4
2 Samuel 4 - In 2 Samuel 4, we see the collision of two different kingdoms. Humanity's kingdom operates within an attitude of power and opportunity. The leaders in our world grab life by the horns and ...
2 Samuel 3
2 Samuel 3 - In 2 Samuel 3, we find two men making a deal in order to see their enemy defeated. Abner, being personally offended by Ishbosheth, makes a deal to join David. David, wanting to ...
2 Samuel 2
2 Samuel 2 - There is an interesting backstory on the relationships that take place in this chapter. Abner crowns Saul's son Ishbosheth to be king over all Israel, Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin. Ishbosheth ...
2 Samuel 1
2 Samuel 1 - There are three versions of Saul's death mentioned in Scripture and one of them is found here in 2 Samuel 1. Death Reference #1 1 Samuel 31:4 GNB He said to the young ...
1 Samuel 31
1 Samuel 31 - Let's do a quick recap. In desperation, Saul traveled to see a witch who brought back Samuel from the dead and predicted Saul's death the next day. Today is the next day. Also ...
1 Samuel 30
1 Samuel 30 - David returns to Zikleg, where he had fled from Saul only to find that while he and his men were gone, the Amalekites had come and raided their city. They burned the place ...
1 Samuel 29
1 Samuel 29 - Can you imagine David fighting against his friends and family? Can you imagine him going to war with his best friend, Jonathan? Jesus speaks in Revelation to the church at Laodicea with strong, ...
1 Samuel 28
1 Samuel 28 - I've always had lots of questions about 1 Samuel 28. Was David actually going to fight with the Philistines? Why did Saul think that he could contact Samuel through a witch? Was it ...
1 Samuel 27
1 Samuel 27 - The life of David is not all sunshine and rainbows. Though he was a man after God's own heart, he was still human. Here in 1 Samuel 27, he makes a controversial decision. ...
1 Samuel 26
1 Samuel 26 - If there was ever a justifiable moment for David to end Saul's life, this was it. Saul had repented of his wrongdoing back when David had his first opportunity to kill Saul in ...
1 Samuel 25
1 Samuel 25 - As well as David reacted to having a moment with Saul to himself, he backtracks with his emotions when it comes to dealing with Nabal. Yes, it's true, Nabal was an arrogant and ...
1 Samuel 24
1 Samuel 24 - David retreats with his men to the caves of the Wilderness of En Gedi. This was a strategic move and a very good one on David's part. The canyon of En Gedi is ...
1 Samuel 23
1 Samuel 23 - All Saul cares about is killing David. He doesn't care about worshiping God. He doesn't care about hearing from God. He doesn't want to follow God. Yet, he justifies his actions by using ...
1 Samuel 22
1 Samuel 22 - There's no doubt that David felt completely isolated. Living in a cave, he was completely humiliated. It's hard to imagine how he managed to get through this time. But God was at work. ...
1 Samuel 21
1 Samuel 21 - David has lost so much. He has gone from the beloved and admired son-in-law of King Saul to the forsaken fugitive, alone and rejected. We don't know exactly why he would choose to ...
1 Samuel 20
1 Samuel 20 - Saul has become a volcanic madman. David is struggling with trust and discernment. Jonathan is caught in the middle. The first day of the month was the New Moon festival which was celebrated ...
1 Samuel 19
1 Samuel 19 - Saul has tried everything by this point. He will not be satisfied until David is dead. Saul plotted. God protected. David escaped. Through all of this, Saul never changed. He believed he was ...
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
1 Samuel 17 - Malcolm Gladwell recently delivered a TED talk titled, "The Unheard Story of David and Goliath." In this talk, Gladwell poses the idea that Goliath suffered from poor eyesight due to acromegaly, a disease ...
1 Samuel 16
1 Samuel 16 - Samuel loved Saul. He wanted so badly to see him live a fruitful life. But there are moments when God asks us to move on. The time for mourning is over. God had ...
1 Samuel 14
1 Samuel 14 - Those who are dialed into the Spirit are sensitive to the timing of the Lord. In 1 Samuel 14, Jonathan demonstrated that kind of dialed-in mindset. Unfortunately, Saul operated on his own timing. ...
1 Samuel 9
1 Samuel 9 - Saul had everything going for him. He came from a family of prominence and wealth. His father was most likely a feudal lord - a landowner and a leader in times of war. ...
1 Timothy 6
1 Timothy 6 - Paul bookends this letter by circling back to his thoughts from 1 Timothy 1. In that chapter, he introduced the problem Timothy was facing at Ephesus which was the deceptive doctrine of false ...
Romans 13
Romans 13 - In Chapter 13, Paul's focus is the authority of the government, and how the Christian should respond to such authority. In Paul's time, there were overzealous Jews who claimed that they would honor no ...
Romans 12
Romans 12 - Starting in verse 9 of Romans 12, Paul rattles off a disjointed list of Christian principles. On the surface, it may seem haphazard. In reality, Paul is most likely using a style known as ...
Romans 11
Romans 11 - To me, the most interesting part of Romans 11 starts in verse 25. After outlining the difference again between works and grace, and the stumbling that Israel has had over the years, Paul writes ...
2 Kings 25
2 Kings 25 - It's definitely fitting that the fate of Israel was determined at Jericho. “It seems ironic that here, at the very spot where Israel first set foot on the Promised Land, the last of ...
2 Kings 23
2 Kings 23 - Starting in Deuteronomy 17:14, God outlines the laws concerning Israel's kings. Be sure that the man you choose to be king is the one whom the LORD has chosen. He must be one ...
2 Kings 22
2 Kings 22 - It is through the Word of God that we are able to see and feel the conviction our heart needs to change. For Josiah, it occurred during a tough time for the nation. ...
2 Kings 16
2 Kings 16 - This was a horrific compromise by Ahaz as he decided to trust the Assyrian army to bail him out of this looming threat. When we read this same story from the book of ...
2 Kings 15
2 Kings 15 - If you get bored and skim through 2 Kings 15, you will miss a very significant detail in verse 19. Pul, king of Assyria, came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul a ...
2 Kings 14
2 Kings 14 - What I am struck by in this 14th chapter of 2 Kings is just how much of an impact a single generation can have on all the generations that follow. Take these verses, ...
2 Kings 11
2 Kings 11 - The history can get pretty confusing when the stories switch back and forth from the northern kingdom to the southern kingdom. In addition, there are details outlined in the book of Chronicles that ...
2 Kings 9
2 Kings 9 - One of my favorite parts to this story is the fact that Jehu was recognized by his furious driving. Again the watchman reported, "He reached them, but he is not coming back. And ...
2 Kings 5
2 Kings 5 - Remember when King Ahab was shot by a "random arrow" in 1 Kings 22? Now a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of ...
2 Kings 4
2 Kings 4 - Open containers. What a metaphor. A widow comes to Elisha in a panic. Her husband has died and her creditor is breathing down her neck. In ancient times, this was a greater predicament ...
1 Kings 15
1 Kings 15 - If you are like me, you've read the last few chapters and been a little confused by all the names. We have two different Abijah's and also the prophet Ahijah in chapter 14. ...
1 Kings 14
1 Kings 14 - King Jeroboam decided it was time to seek the Lord, but only after his son was inflicted with sickness. In the past, the idol worship worked out just fine for him, but when ...
1 Kings 12
1 Kings 12 - What happens when the vessel that is destined to carry God's image into the world is split up and divided? What happens when civil war threatens the existence of those who represent His ...
1 Kings 11
1 Kings 11 - When Solomon was old, his wives seduced him to follow other gods. He was not completely devoted to Yahweh his God, as his father David had been. 1 Kings 11:4 HCSB How many ...
1 Kings 9
1 Kings 9 - 1 Kings 9 provides some insight into the subtle turn taking place in Solomon. As soon as Solomon had finished building the house of the LORD and the king's house and all that ...
1 Kings 8
1 Kings 8 - We really cannot understand the massive celebration that took place here until we look deep into the context. It seems that Solomon delayed the dedication of the temple (11 months) to take place ...
1 Kings 6
1 Kings 6 - It's amazing to me that the Lord spoke these same words over and over to Solomon. "If you obey all my laws and commands, I will do for you what I promised your ...
1 Kings 5
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 ...
1 Kings 3
1 Kings 3 - Incredibly, we see both the pinnacle of Solomon's character as well as a foreshadowing of his downfall here in chapter 3. Solomon desired to serve the Lord. He could have asked God for ...
1 Kings 2
1 Kings 2 - After the peaceful resolution in chapter 1, we are now back to the chaos of David's family lineage. As David lies on his deathbed, he gives Solomon a list of action steps to ...
1 Kings 1
1 Kings 1 - The book of Kings picks up with an older David (70) still serving as king but declining in health. The time to pass the torch was near, and this sets the backdrop for ...
Genesis 49
Genesis 49 - What did Jacob's prophecies mean long-term for these sons of Israel? Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength and the firstfruits of my virility, excelling in prominence, excelling in power. 4 Turbulent as water, ...
Genesis 41
Genesis 41 - Joseph began as a shepherd of animals and become a shepherd of men. He, like Jesus, was loved by his father but despised by his brothers. He, like Jesus, was prophesied to receive authority ...
Genesis 38
Genesis 38 - Social media has become a giant in today's culture. It's a place you can project the best version of you. It's a space where you can share your best pictures and your best life ...
Genesis 37
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 36
Genesis 36 - The bullet points of Esau's life were not great. God blessed him and his family, but the blessings were only material in nature. Long before, Isaac and Rebekah were concerned about Esau's choice to ...
Genesis 27
Genesis 27 - What a story! As a Chicago fan, this is kind of like watching the Green Bay Packers play the Minnesota Vikings. There is no one to root for! First, we have Isaac. Though ...
Genesis 23
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
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 18
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
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 14
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 ...
James 5
James 5 - How should we respond to sickness and what is the church's responsibility? In Chapter 5, James gives practical advice with a balance between physical and spiritual. First, we read that anyone who is sick ...
James 4
James 4 - Consider these questions... Does the indwelling Holy Spirit war against itself? Would a believer filled with the Holy Spirit continually war against another believer who is also filled with the Holy Spirit? Look, I'm ...
John 20
John 20 - The empty tomb (Matt 28; Mark 16; Luke 24) is the most contested event by skeptics of Jesus’ death and resurrection. This is because if a skeptic concedes that the tomb was indeed empty, ...
John 19
John 19 - One of the unique aspects of John's Gospel is the theme of Jesus as the Lamb of God. All the way back in John 1, we read about John the Baptist declaring “Look! The ...
John 18
John 18 - "While human politics is based on the premise that society must be changed in order to change people, in the politics of the Kingdom it is people who must be changed in order to ...
John 6
John 6 - Jesus was not going to be defined by the people’s interpretation of who He should be. He came to do the Father’s will. Out of all the themes of this chapter, this one speaks ...
Esther 10
Esther 10 - As Chapter 10 winds down, I can't help but reflect on the sovereignty of God. First and foremost, God had a plan. He knew exactly how this entire situation would bring glory to Himself. ...
Esther 6
Esther 6 - Generally speaking, we tend to fall into one of two categories. Either we are detail-oriented thinkers or big-picture thinkers. People who focus on the details tend to lack the vision to see how it ...
Nehemiah 13
Nehemiah 13 - So, remember that guy Tobiah? Back in Nehemiah 6 he was one of Israel's enemies who formulated a smear campaign against Nehemiah to stop the construction of the walls. Now we read that while ...
Nehemiah 9
Nehemiah 9 - Nehemiah 9 describes a scene of revival. God was working collectively and personally to bring about reflection, ownership, repentance, and obedience. There is something to be said about reflecting on our history with God. ...
Nehemiah 2
Nehemiah 2 - Nehemiah had a rather... uh... interesting position in the royal court. He was the cupbearer and personal bodyguard to Artaxerxes Longimanus, and his responsibilities would have been very diverse. A cupbearer needed to be ...
Hebrews 13
Hebrews 13 - Don't neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it. 3 Remember the prisoners, as though you were in prison with them, and the mistreated, as ...
Hebrews 12
Hebrews 12 - Dear Weary Christ-Follower, Read Hebrews 12:3-17 Which is worse, the weight of sin or the discipline of Jesus? It's an interesting question to ponder considering we often complain about our lot in life. The ...
Hebrews 11
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 9
Hebrews 9 - The author of Hebrews captures the incredible depth of what Jesus did for sinners. It is both stunning and poetic. And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment— ...
Hebrews 8
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 6
Hebrews 6 - Here we go. You want to start a heated debate among your Christian friends? Look no further than Hebrews 6. It all centers around the question of whether or not someone can lose their ...
Hebrews 1
Hebrews 1 - We do not know the writer of Hebrews and honestly, it doesn't matter. The book is absolutely beautiful. Written with a unique elegance, this Holy Spirit-inspired author had mastered the principles of rhetoric and ...
Malachi 4
Malachi 4 - But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall. Malachi 4:2 HCSB ...
Malachi 1
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 ...
Zechariah 14
Zechariah 14 - In Philippians, Paul urges the church to "hold onto the truth we have attained." This means as truth is revealed to us, we must continue to move forward and not lose ground with regard ...
Zechariah 13
Zechariah 13 - In order to understand this chapter, we must rewind to the end of Zechariah 12. In the end times, after Jesus has returned, Zechariah predicts a time of mourning where Israel will finally realize ...
Zechariah 12
Zechariah 12 - Zechariah's name means "The Lord Remembers" and in this chapter, we get a striking image of God remembering His Jewish people. Theology is not the most important thing here, but it does determine what ...
Zechariah 11
Zechariah 11 - The LORD my God said to me, "Act the part of the shepherd of a flock of sheep that are going to be butchered. Zechariah 11:4 GNB Zechariah was called to "act the part" ...
Zechariah 8
Zechariah 8 - Oh my! There are few verses more worthy of our desperate pursuit than Zechariah 8:6. The verse illustrates a life of faith, trust, and perseverance. The LORD of Hosts says this: "Though it may ...
Zechariah 6
Zechariah 6 - The scene here is connected, though it might not seem like it on the surface. In the Bible, divine warfare follows a pattern that was common in the Near East: War-Victory-Kingship-Building-Celebration. Zechariah 6 shows ...