In 1 Samuel 4, Israel went to battle against the Philistines. They were defeated, losing about 4,000 men (1 Samuel…
In Ruth 1, Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, leave Israel because of a famine…
In Judges 11, Jephthah, a warrior from Gilead and the son of a prostitute, was driven away by his half-brothers…
Joshua 23 - Joshua gives the people lots of encouragement but also many warnings. He knows that if they are…
Joshua 13 - As you read through the inheritance distributed to the different tribes, you will notice that the Levites…
Joshua 12 - Joshua 12 lists the 31 kings defeated by the Israelites during their conquest of Canaan. The chapter…
Joshua 7 - Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings…
Joshua 6 - Joshua 6 is one of the most vivid demonstrations of God’s power in the Old Testament. The…
Joshua 4 - In Joshua 4, after the entire nation finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord instructed Joshua to choose…
Joshua 3 - In Joshua 3, the Israelites prepared to cross the Jordan River under Joshua's leadership. Early in the…
Joshua 2 - It would not be an easy task to get a view of Jericho. Spies were sent by…
Deuteronomy 34 - So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the…
Deuteronomy 28 - "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They…
Deuteronomy 26 - Once again we enter into an Old Testament story which has significant implications for how we understand…
Ezekiel 14 - After introducing His hand of judgment, God reveals four ways in which He will punish the rebellious…
Ezekiel 9 - It's tough to read about the judgment of God with regard to sin, however, it reveals the…
Acts 23 - "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents…
Acts 12 - King Herod never saw it coming. The grandson of the infamous Herod the Great was part of…
Acts 8 - It's an awesome thing when the Holy Spirit begins to transform lives and show himself in amazing…
Acts 4 - As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and…
Acts 3 - The miraculous signs and wonders led to opportunities to authenticate the message of the Gospel. Peter did…
Leviticus 25 - After 7 cycles of the sabbatical years came the 50th, or, Year of Jubilee. It was a…
Leviticus 17 - The people of Israel must no longer be unfaithful to the LORD by killing their animals in…
Leviticus 12 - After bearing a child, a woman was considered contagiously unclean for one to two weeks. One day…
Leviticus 11 - In Leviticus 11, God outlines both the clean and unclean animals. A general rule which was given…
Leviticus 2 - The grain or cereal offering of the OT symbolized man's work for God. The offering would be…
Revelation 22 - Tree of Life The final chapter of the Bible bookends the story that God started in the…
Revelation 21 - There is a lot of crossover between what Isaiah writes in chapter 65 and the 21st chapter…
Revelation 20 - If someone comes up and asks you, "How do you interpret Revelation?" most likely, they are referring…
Revelation 19 - After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven,…
Revelation 18 - Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is…
Revelation 17 - We have already reiterated it over many chapters, but Rome stood proudly as a pagan symbol against…
Revelation 16 - The continuity of the seals and the trumpets is broken up with the bowls as they move…
Revelation 14 - First question I asked myself... who is Babylon? John, again, is writing symbolically here. Literal Babylon was…
Revelation 13 - The First Beast At the end of Revelation 12, we read of Satan's rage. He sets out…
Revelation 12 - The Woman It is out of Israel that the Messiah will come, therefore, it makes sense that…
Revelation 11 - I think a major issue with Revelation 11 is the fact that it relies heavily on Revelation…
Revelation 10 - This vision differs from the others for the simple fact that John is engaged in the action…
Revelation 9 - The 5th Trumpet The 5th trumpet releases a key to open the abyss. Many scholars believe this…
Revelation 8 - Continuing on the theme from Chapter 7, John either heard or saw something with every seal that…
Revelation 7 - God’s primary motive in our hearts has always been this: transformation. I think it's important to understand…
Revelation 6 - I grew up in Berne, Indiana which sits directly on top of the continental divide. If you…
Revelation 5 - The Scroll In ancient times, the Romans would seal their wills seven times. Each wax seal usually…
Revelation 4 - The Throne We just recently studied the book of Ezekiel and Leviticus which have some strong ties…
Revelation 3 - Lukewarm I remember several years ago going to a music festival in Kentucky called Ichthus. It was…
2 Chronicles 9 - Jesus actually spoke of this encounter between the Queen of Sheba and Solomon. In Matthew 12…
2 Chronicles 6 - "But can you, O God, really live on earth among men and women? Not even all…
2 Chronicles 2 - Solomon knew the dwelling place for God would not do Him justice. He makes this statement…
2 Chronicles 1 - Solomon commanded the people to go to a high place of worship at Gibeon. This was…
1 Chronicles 22 - Though David served Israel in many ways, his primary role was as a military leader. He…
Isaiah 63 - At the beginning of Isaiah 63, we find a familiar theme in Scripture. There is someone with…
Isaiah 62 - *If you haven't read the Isaiah 61 blog entry, it would be helpful for context. Isaiah 62…
Isaiah 60 - Isaiah 60 begins a new section that looks ahead Christ's Kingdom and rule. Remember, Isaiah was a…
Isaiah 55 - Faith in Jesus without a life filled with Jesus' attitude and behavior is no life of faith…
Isaiah 51 - In verse 9 of this chapter the writer appears to believe that the Lord is asleep. Awake,…
Isaiah 49 - His words were like a sharp arrow ready to pierce the heart. Israel would be his servant…
Isaiah 48 - We who know Christ understand that the Gospel message is not a one of mystery and mysticism.…
Isaiah 43 - Should we forget the past or remember it? This is a troubling question. On the surface, it…
Isaiah 38 - Let's review what's happened thus far and what will happen in the future. Assyria has built the…
Isaiah 35 - The promise at the end of the chapter is beautiful. There will be no lion there, and…
Isaiah 24 - The somber truth is that our world is headed for judgment. In the end, God will reign.…
Isaiah 14 - There are some deep theological principles at work in this chapter. There is also some controversy as…
Isaiah 13 - Chapters 7-12 were Messianic in nature and now in Chapter 13 of Isaiah turns to the surrounding…
Isaiah 9 - Here we get a description of Jesus as a child, son, and eventually, prince. He is called…
Isaiah 8 - There are many prophecies to sort through in this text. First, we have the prophecy of Samaria…
Isaiah 4 - Isaiah 4:2 describes the Branch of the Lord. The time is coming when the LORD will make…
Ephesians 6 - It all begins with Psalm 82:1. God presides in the heavenly council; in the assembly of the…
Ephesians 4 - And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as…
Ephesians 1 - The readers of this letter in Paul's day would have received a rolled up scroll that required…
Exodus 24 - What does the manifestation of God look like? For Moses and these others, they received a small…
Exodus 22 - I am most struck by verses 22 and 25 in this chapter. God has, from the beginning,…
Exodus 19 - When I read how the people trembled with fear at the thunder and lightning, I think about…
Exodus 14 - Like the Canaanites, ancient Israel thought of the sea as an uncontrollable beast. At creation the Lord…
Exodus 7 - The hardening of Pharaoh's heart was something God had reminded Moses of time and time again. We…
1 Thessalonians 5 - I want to follow up on what I wrote yesterday from 1 Thessalonians 4 with some…
1 Thessalonians 4 - What do we know about the coming of the Lord? Paul gives us a clue at…
1 Thessalonians 3 - Dear Thessalonica, I'm burdened for you. Love, Paul In this chapter, we get a glimpse into…
Job 42 - Without... Without knowing answers to all of his deepest questions, Job bowed his knee in humility to…
Job 41 - It is the mystery of the Leviathan... No beast, terrestrial or aquatic, deserves the high character here…
Job 39 - Many times it's true that our expectations of God are outmatched by His unfolding plan. I can't…
Job 38 - After all of Job's questions, and his friends weighing in, God answers their questions with some questions…
Job 37 - We experience and come to know God through Scripture. Another place we come to know Him is…
Job 29 - What does it mean to reflect on the former times? We've all heard people talk about the…
Job 28 - Whatever time period Job was written, it's clear that the author was familiar with mining expeditions. The…
Job 21 - Job thoroughly rejects the doctrine of retribution and he draws from common knowledge to do so. Throughout…
Job 19 - The most magnificent phrase in this chapter shines in verses 25-26. It is so surprising and unexpected.…
Job 16 - This is Job's fourth response. He makes it clear that if he was in their position he…
Job 15 - Eliphaz brings a load of sarcasm to this chapter. He claims that his understanding of Scripture and…
Job 12 - Job comes out with some bold truth in addressing his friends. He seeks to point out that…
Job 10 - Job's attitude takes a turn in this chapter. When I read these passages I picture a courtroom…
Job 9 - The description of God's power in verses 5-9 is breathtaking. I like the HCSB version... God is…
Job 7 - Job now turns his attention to God. He is fully convinced that he will die soon, and…
Job 6 - Here are some points we can draw from Job's response in chapter 6: Job is under tremendous…
Job 5 - Eliphaz continues his speech in chapter 5. I am struck with similar thoughts from his words in…
Job 1 - The entire book of Job explores tough themes and deep theological questions. Namely, it seeks to answer…
Matthew 6 - The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Many people came to hear about the kingdom and left…
Proverbs 24 - The empty U-Haul is parked out front. Your belongings are packed away in boxes. The move has…
Proverbs 23 - "Don't let your heart envy sinners; instead, always fear the LORD. 18 For then you will have…
Proverbs 15 - "The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, observing the wicked and the good." Proverbs 15:3 HCSB This…
Proverbs 8 - When I was in college, I reluctantly took a poetry class. It was difficult for me, but…