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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 ...
Acts 23
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 ...
Acts 21
Acts 21 - This was a tough chapter for me. We read that the voice of the Holy Spirit is speaking through these believers and giving warnings to Paul of what he will face in Jerusalem. Yet, ...
Acts 12
Acts 12 - King Herod never saw it coming. The grandson of the infamous Herod the Great was part of long line of family dysfunction that fought against the people of God many times throughout history. His ...
Acts 8
Acts 8 - It's an awesome thing when the Holy Spirit begins to transform lives and show himself in amazing and unpredictable ways. The early church was on fire and the gasoline that was fueling it was ...
Acts 7
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 ...
Acts 5
Acts 5 - The early church faced persecution from both the Pharisees and the Sadducees. After hearing the testimony of Peter, they were ready to kill these men just like they had Jesus. But wisdom prevailed. But ...
Acts 4
Acts 4 - As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, 2 being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and ...
Acts 3
Acts 3 - The miraculous signs and wonders led to opportunities to authenticate the message of the Gospel. Peter did not hesitate to give the glory back to God. In fact, he literally asked the people why ...
Lamentations 3
Lamentations 3 - The first 20 verses of Lamentations 3 recall the conditions that God has allowed to take place which has brought immense grief to Jeremiah's heart. He is a great lion waiting to ambush. He ...
Leviticus 20
Leviticus 20 - In Chapter 18, we read that the laws of the OT are still applicable in the NT and beyond. Here in Chapter 20, we get a glimpse of the punishment for those who disobey ...
Leviticus 18
Leviticus 18 - We see consistency in the NT with all of these laws found in Leviticus 18. Incest, idolatry, adultery, and homosexuality are addressed. Jesus actually raises the bar on many of these laws from the ...
Leviticus 14
Leviticus 14 - The book of Leviticus deals with holiness in terms of wholeness. It was extremely important for the priests of the OT to have knowledge in what is considered "clean" and "unclean." This allowed them ...
Leviticus 12
Leviticus 12 - After bearing a child, a woman was considered contagiously unclean for one to two weeks. One day 8, when a boy would be circumcised, the childbearing mother was no longer contagious but still had ...
Leviticus 11
Leviticus 11 - In Leviticus 11, God outlines both the clean and unclean animals. A general rule which was given to Israel was that clean animals would "chew the curd" but also have a completely divided hoof. ...
Leviticus 10
Leviticus 10 - By the end of Leviticus 9, everything seems to be going great... until we turn the page to Leviticus 10. Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his fire pan, put live coals in ...
Leviticus 6
Leviticus 6 - In Leviticus 6, we get a picture of the reparation offering. There were many offenses that constituted having to make such an offering and they fell under two main categories. Trespassing against God Withholding ...
Leviticus 5
Leviticus 5 - In Leviticus 5, there are some deep theological principles that begin to come to life. We've heard it said that our body is the temple of God. Here in the OT, we get a ...
Revelation 22
Revelation 22 - Tree of Life The final chapter of the Bible bookends the story that God started in the Garden of Eden. There, we saw a glimpse of the plan He had for mankind which was ...
Revelation 21
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 20
Revelation 20 - If someone comes up and asks you, "How do you interpret Revelation?" most likely, they are referring to Revelation 20:1-10. The question of pre or postmillennialism is the first order of business. It simply answers ...
Revelation 19
Revelation 19 - After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2 for his judgments are ...
Revelation 18
Revelation 18 - Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. Romans 12:19 NASB Paul's words ring true ...
Revelation 16
Revelation 16 - The continuity of the seals and the trumpets is broken up with the bowls as they move seamlessly through all seven with no interlude between the 6th and 7th as we have traditionally seen. ...
Revelation 15
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 ...
Revelation 14
Revelation 14 - First question I asked myself... who is Babylon? John, again, is writing symbolically here. Literal Babylon was a mere fraction of what it had been in years past. But, the wording certainly plays into ...
Revelation 13
Revelation 13 - The First Beast At the end of Revelation 12, we read of Satan's rage. He sets out to destroy the people of God. Now, in Revelation 13, we are introduced to the two henchmen ...
Revelation 12
Revelation 12 - The Woman It is out of Israel that the Messiah will come, therefore, it makes sense that the woman would represent not only Israel but also the Messianic community. We can marry these two ...
Revelation 11
Revelation 11 - I think a major issue with Revelation 11 is the fact that it relies heavily on Revelation 10 for continuity. It is best to read on and view chapters 10 and 11 as one ...
Revelation 10
Revelation 10 - This vision differs from the others for the simple fact that John is engaged in the action firsthand. The angel that appears before John is hidden in a cloud and his legs were pillars ...
Revelation 9
Revelation 9 - The 5th Trumpet The 5th trumpet releases a key to open the abyss. Many scholars believe this is the same abyss that the demons begged Jesus not to throw them in. It may be ...
Revelation 7
Revelation 7 - God’s primary motive in our hearts has always been this: transformation. I think it's important to understand Revelation in terms of the overall picture instead of as individual narratives. We see a great transformation ...
Revelation 6
Revelation 6 - I grew up in Berne, Indiana which sits directly on top of the continental divide. If you are not familiar with the continental divide, it is an area of raised terrain that ...
Revelation 5
Revelation 5 - The Scroll In ancient times, the Romans would seal their wills seven times. Each wax seal usually contained an engraved emblem and sealed the letter for security or to designate ownership. Marriage contracts, leases, ...
Revelation 3
Revelation 3 - Lukewarm I remember several years ago going to a music festival in Kentucky called Ichthus. It was basically a camping trip with live Christian music playing at all times across multiple stages. Now, I'm ...
Revelation 2
Revelation 2 - Although these letters are addressed to specific congregations in the first century, I believe they are representative of all churches that will exist throughout history. No matter what church you attend, it is likely ...
Revelation 1
Revelation 1 - The comparison game. We all do it. When life throws us unpredictable storms, (and especially when we wrestle with why God would allow such things) we feel sorry for ourselves. We ask ourselves questions ...
Jeremiah 48
Jeremiah 48 - Moab can trace its ancestry all the way back to Lot. Historically, Israel and Moab experienced times of peace and hostility but there was little love lost between these two nations. Moab seemed to play both sides of the fence. Often, they were a thorn in the side of God’s people. ...
Jeremiah 46
Jeremiah 46 - Just as God promised, He outlines some of the details that will take place as Babylon prepares to destroy Egypt. It is proof of His justice and his power, as well as His grace ...
Jeremiah 45
Jeremiah 45 - This is a flashback to the 4th year of Jehoiakim so it's not happening here alongside the destruction of Jerusalem. However, it was placed here, probably to be a timely reminder that God is ...
Jeremiah 39
Jeremiah 39 - After 2 ½ years of the people watching and wondering when the Babylonian army would penetrate their city, it finally happened. Jerusalem was taken captive. King Zedekiah, who had been told by Jeremiah to surrender, did the opposite ...
Jeremiah 38
Jeremiah 38 - The brutality against Jeremiah is taken a step further. Led by officials, they inquired with the king for permission to do what they had planned. Zedekiah gave the approval to cast him into a cistern where there was no water. His body sunk deep into the mud ...
Jeremiah 35
Jeremiah 35 - What excuses are we giving for our lack of faithfulness to Jesus? Where are we settling for a lukewarm relationship with him similar to those who are around us? The message here was to ...
Jeremiah 27
Jeremiah 27 - It is fascinating to me to see the way that God is handling wayward Judah in these chapters. Back in Chapter 21 of Jeremiah, we saw the Lord first introduce this idea of submission ...
Jeremiah 26
Jeremiah 26 - Jeremiah is threatened with death. My first takeaway from reading this was just how similar it is to Jesus' encounter with the religious leaders who heard his truth and immediately wanted to kill him. ...
Jeremiah 24
Jeremiah 24 - Captivity has now set in and Jeremiah is once again given a message as to the fate of his people. Essentially, the vision is two baskets of figs - one good and one bad. ...
Jeremiah 21
Jeremiah 21 - It has finally happened. Babylon is bearing down on Judah and God is allowing it to happen. He has warned them over so many chapters of this coming doom if they did not repent ...
Jeremiah 20
Jeremiah 20 - Are you overwhelmed by Jesus right now? Yes, it's a convicting question, but it reveals so much. Jeremiah was consumed by the Lord and from that relationship would come the conviction to lead others. ...
Jeremiah 5
Jeremiah 5 - The people of Israel and Judah have betrayed me completely. I, the LORD, have spoken." 12 The LORD's people have denied him and have said, "He won't really do anything. We won't have hard ...
Jeremiah 4
Jeremiah 4 - Judah’s lovers have become her murderers. And you, O desolate one, what will you do? Although you dress in scarlet, Although you decorate yourself with ornaments of gold, Although you enlarge your eyes with ...
2 Chronicles 28
2 Chronicles 28 - Wow. What a chapter. Where do we begin? There are times in Scripture where we read that the Lord handed over the people to their own consequences. This is one of those times. ...
2 Chronicles 24
2 Chronicles 24 - But after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them. 2 Chronicles 24:17 NASB In other words, after Jehoiada died, ...
2 Chronicles 22
2 Chronicles 22 - The family tree of Jehoshaphat and Ahab can get overwhelming. If you are reading and getting confused, there is a great family tree of this chapter at the link below. 2 Chronicles 22 ...
2 Chronicles 21
2 Chronicles 21 - There is a simple question with a simple answer. What's the cost? When you look at the way you are living your life, what is it costing you? For Jehoram, the life he ...
2 Chronicles 20
2 Chronicles 20 - Did God command his people to go into battle singing? I read this over and over to make sure I wasn’t missing something. As far as I can tell, we don’t read they ...
2 Chronicles 10
2 Chronicles 10 - It seems like this whole situation began to unravel in such a short period of time. If we go back in history, however, we see that is not the case. This struggle to ...
2 Chronicles 9
2 Chronicles 9 - Jesus actually spoke of this encounter between the Queen of Sheba and Solomon. In Matthew 12 the teachers of the Law and Pharisees question Jesus' authority and they demand a sign. Technically, they ...
2 Chronicles 6
2 Chronicles 6 - "But can you, O God, really live on earth among men and women? Not even all of heaven is large enough to hold you, so how can this Temple that I have built ...
2 Chronicles 2
2 Chronicles 2 - Solomon knew the dwelling place for God would not do Him justice. He makes this statement in verse 6... Yet no one can really build a temple for God, because even all the ...
2 Chronicles 1
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 26
1 Chronicles 26 - The house of God in verse 20 referred to a place where treasuries and gifts would be stored. Part of these would be items used for worship but others would be the spoils ...
1 Chronicles 22
1 Chronicles 22 - Though David served Israel in many ways, his primary role was as a military leader. He was considered a man of war. Before a nation can build a palace or temple, they must ...
1 Chronicles 15
1 Chronicles 15 - Chapter 16 ends with an interesting and dramatic detail. And as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of ...
1 Chronicles 11
1 Chronicles 11 - David's ascent to king was not as simple as three verses. In the book of 2 Samuel, the entire process is described in great detail over 3 chapters. David would be anointed king ...
1 Chronicles 10
1 Chronicles 10 - The Philistines Who were the Philistines? They were sea-faring people who immigrated from the island of Crete. According to archeology digs, it is speculated that the Philistines were heavy drinkers with heavy weapons. ...
1 Chronicles 8
1 Chronicles 8 - Within the tribe of Benjamin, we are reminded of Israel's first king. He was the best looking man in all of Israel. He towered above all of his fellow Israelites. He seemed to ...
1 Chronicles 2
1 Chronicles 2 - This chapter begins with the lineage of Jacob through his 12 sons. However, it really focuses upon Judah for most of the chapter. “Judah heads the tribal genealogies and receives more extensive treatment ...
Isaiah 65
Isaiah 65 - God has made Himself available. He is standing with arms outstretched ready to help His people. God says one thing, but the people say another. God offers His help, but the people will not ...
Isaiah 63
Isaiah 63 - At the beginning of Isaiah 63, we find a familiar theme in Scripture. There is someone with blood-stained clothes who is robed in splendor and striding forward in the greatness of strength. This can ...
Isaiah 60
Isaiah 60 - Isaiah 60 begins a new section that looks ahead Christ's Kingdom and rule. Remember, Isaiah was a prophet in the southern kingdom of Judah during the time when the northern kingdom, Israel, had already ...
Isaiah 58
Isaiah 58 - Superficial people. We've all endured them. If we're honest, we've probably been one at some point in our lives. Superficial people seem frivolous, self-absorbed, and shallow. Merriam-Webster defines superficial as lacking in depth or ...
Isaiah 55
Isaiah 55 - Faith in Jesus without a life filled with Jesus' attitude and behavior is no life of faith at all. There are no excuses because a reborn life is not done in our own strength ...