Psalm 19
Psalm 19 - One of the issues addressed in this psalm is hidden sin. I'm not talking about sins you know about, but sin that you are ignorant of. The psalmist calls them "hidden faults." None of ...
Psalm 17
Psalm 17 - We face critical situations all the time. These trials batter our hearts and our minds. They trample our senses and destroy our hope. The psalmist describes such trials by repeatedly referencing the physical attributes ...
Psalm 16
Psalm 16 - Inheritance is something that's found extensively in Scripture. David writes of this inheritance in verse 5. The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. Psalm 16:5 The ...
Psalm 15
Psalm 15 - The term "Christian" can mean many different things. Some people immediately think of a moral person who obeys rules. Others may picture someone who is filled with love. Still, others may associate the word ...
Psalm 14
Psalm 14 - When the psalmist refers to the unbeliever as a fool, he isn't insulting his intelligence. It's a moral charge. Sye Ten Bruggengate, a Christian apologist, relates this thought to a personal story. “My father ...
Psalm 12
Psalm 12 - Lies. Deception. Delusion. We all do it. We use coping mechanisms to help us deal with reality. In many ways, it's a strategy to deny reality. The problem with this is that we begin ...
Psalm 9
Psalm 9 - According to Spurgeon, the title of this Psalm is, “A Psalm on the death of the son,” or “on the death of the champion.” Many have speculated that this could have been written following ...
Psalm 7
Psalm 7 - As I read Psalm 7, I found myself asking if God was not righteous, would I pray to Him? In other words, what logical reason do we have for pleading our case before the ...
Psalm 5
Psalm 5 - In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch. Psalms 5:3 NASB It's easy to tell God what we want, ...
Psalm 4
Psalm 4 - A major NT theme for believers is the concept of perseverance. This is something David articulated well. If we look closely at this Psalm, we can see that David seems troubled. He is calling ...
Psalm 2
Psalm 2 - This royal psalm was a familiar one, as it was recited often by God's followers. We read of two instances in the book of Acts where this Psalm is quoted. The one I want ...
Mark 14
Mark 14 - In Mark 14, Jesus sat down with his disciples during the Last Supper and broke the bread saying "This is my body." He poured the wine saying "This is my blood." Essentially, He was ...
Mark 12
Mark 12 - Total sacrifice. Do we understand it? Do we live it? Jesus pulls his disciples aside to highlight the faith of the poor widow. In this story, the NASB translation reads... A poor widow came ...
Mark 9
Mark 9 - We all know the greatest commandment according to Jesus. Here's a refresher... "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. ...
Mark 8
Mark 8 - A fascinating quality of Jesus' teaching style was the way in which the geographic location often added to the depth of the teaching. At the end of Mark 8, Jesus takes his disciples to ...
Mark 4
Mark 4 - The Purpose of the Parables By utilizing parables as His primary vehicle for delivering "the secrets of the kingdom," Jesus was assured more time to invest in those who were seeking. There's no doubt ...
Mark 3
Mark 3 - The healings of Jesus are well-documented and factual. Interestingly, the Jews did not dispute the healing power of Jesus, but rather, the source of that power. The Greeks did not dispute the healings either, ...
Mark 2
Mark 2 - At the end of this chapter, we see a common problem that Jesus faced with the Pharisees. These law-abiding men had taken a command and turned it into a burden. The Sabbath was established ...
Deuteronomy 32
Deuteronomy 32 - Look at all the names Moses ascribed to God in one song! the Rock: Deu 31:4; Deu 31:15; Deu 31:18; Deu 31:30Jehovah: Deu 31:6Father: Deu 31:6the Most High: Deu 31:8God: Deu 31:3Lord: Deu 31:3 ...
Deuteronomy 31
Deuteronomy 31 - “But was his momentary failure not far too severely punished?" Alexander MacLaren We tend to look at old man Moses and feel sorry for him. The fiery temper that ended the life of an ...
Deuteronomy 30
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 25
Deuteronomy 25 - "Do not muzzle an ox when you are using it to thresh grain." Deuteronomy 25:4 GNB On the surface, this seems like a straightforward passage. In that time, an ox would break the grain ...
Deuteronomy 22
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 18
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 ...
Deuteronomy 16
Deuteronomy 16 - Favoritism. Bribes. Bias. Corruption. Does this not describe our current political climate? God gave specific laws regarding the judges that He Himself would appoint for Israel. First, there would be impartiality. Everyone would be ...
Deuteronomy 14
Deuteronomy 14 - Holiness and practicality are two thoughts that are sometimes difficult to reconcile. Why did God not allow certain animals to be eaten? Why did the people have to tithe from their agriculture? The laws ...
Deuteronomy 12
Deuteronomy 12 - What separated the people of God from the pagans around them was their total allegiance to the One True God. He gave them commands to follow which centered around every facet of life. They ...
Deuteronomy 11
Deuteronomy 11 - Remember. Teach. Obey. This is the instruction given to those who were responsible for raising the next generation. Remember today what you have learned about the LORD through your experiences with him. It was ...
Deuteronomy 10
Deuteronomy 10 - "Now, people of Israel, listen to what the LORD your God demands of you: Worship the LORD and do all that he commands. Love him, serve him with all your heart, 13 and obey ...
Deuteronomy 7
Deuteronomy 7 - What is your motivation for obedience? Do this because you belong to the LORD your God. From all the peoples on earth he chose you to be his own special people. 7 "The LORD ...
Deuteronomy 6
Deuteronomy 6 - Here in Deuteronomy 6, we find the "shema." The word itself means "hear" or "listen" and begins in verse 4. "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! 5 "You ...
Deuteronomy 4
Deuteronomy 4 - "No other nation, no matter how great, has a god who is so near when they need him as the LORD our God is to us. He answers us whenever we call for help. ...
Ecclesiastes 12
Ecclesiastes 12 - The final chapter of Ecclesiastes calls for people to remember God. The tone is depressing, however, Solomon is commended at the end as the narrator breaks into the scene. We first heard from this ...
Ecclesiastes 10
Ecclesiastes 10 - Ecclesiastes 10 reminds us of Proverbs. It's difficult to analyze because it seems disjointed from the previous chapters. I want to focus on a verse that is probably controversial and also a target for ...
Ecclesiastes 6
Ecclesiastes 6 - Though a stillborn child does not see the sun and is not conscious, it has more rest than he. 6 And if he lives a thousand years twice, but does not experience happiness, do ...
Ecclesiastes 5
Ecclesiastes 5 - Fear God. Not exactly a popular message these days. You don't hear many sermons on the fear of God or what that even means. So, what does it actually mean to fear God? Solomon ...
Ecclesiastes 1
Ecclesiastes 1 - The Bible quite often emphasizes its main point by using a common Hebrew superlative. We see this in Song of Songs which literally means "the loveliest of songs." We see it with the description ...
Numbers 36
Numbers 36 - Unfortunately, the evangelical church today has become a place where people feel they cannot seek truth through difficult questions. Many churches discourage seekers from "questioning God," and while questioning Him without faith can be ...
Numbers 32
Numbers 32 - The LORD became angry with the people and made them wander in the wilderness forty years until that whole generation that had displeased him was dead. Numbers 32:13 GNB I found myself wondering why ...
Numbers 30
Numbers 30 - Keep in mind that ancient vows could be both positive and negative. They may be to motivate us to perform in some way (positively) or to abstain from certain things (negatively). A great example ...
Numbers 29
Numbers 29 - The feasts we read here are the fall feasts. Many people believe that these speak toward prophecies yet to be fulfilled by Jesus. Feast of the Trumpets - This is the first of the ...
Numbers 28
Numbers 28 - God was teaching the Israelites what it meant to have a heart full of love for Him. This fact has not changed today. Following and loving God means we bring a sacrificial heart of ...
Numbers 27
Numbers 27 - Don't gloss over this chapter too quickly or you will miss a moment that is very rare in our current society today. As we know, Moses was not going to be allowed to enter ...
Numbers 25
Numbers 25 - The Bible was not written to convince us that we are good, but rather, to illustrate that God is good despite how much we fail. This is clearly seen in the book of Numbers. ...
Numbers 19
Numbers 19 - It's a tricky task to explain the uncleanliness laws in our modern context. On one hand, being ritually unclean mirrored our fallen sin condition. Being human, we inevitably find ourselves stained with sin and ...
Numbers 18
Numbers 18 - As mentioned in previous chapters, the Levites were given special authority and privileges among the spiritual duties assigned by God. However, they were not given the same authority as priests. This is the main ...
Numbers 16
Numbers 16 - Numbers 16 is part of a much bigger picture of Moses' leadership of Israel. This rollercoaster of leading the Israelites toward the Promised Land had many twists and turns. If we go all the ...
Numbers 14
Numbers 14 - Jumping to conclusions. We do it all the time. I'm guilty of it, and so are you. Speculation can vary from discernment to intuition to an absolutely sinful attitude. In this chapter, we are ...
Numbers 12
Numbers 12 - There are so many lessons in this chapter. When jealousy enters the heart, it often manifests a different form in words and behavior. This was most definitely the case with Miriam and Aaron. They ...
Numbers 11
Numbers 11 - Moses needed help, and God responded. The Lord commanded the gathering of 70 men from the elders of Israel, and Moses began assembling his team. The word elder means "aged" or "old." Hebrew tradition ...
Numbers 10
Numbers 10 - Then Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, "We are setting out to the place of which the LORD said, 'I will give it to you'; come with us ...
Numbers 9
Numbers 9 - What an amazing scene! Now on the day that the tabernacle was erected the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony, and in the evening it was like the appearance of fire ...
Numbers 8
Numbers 8 - The cleansing of the Levites was an important step in helping the people understand and respond accordingly to God's holiness. The acts described were symbols of spiritual cleansing. For example, shaving their bodies would ...
Numbers 7
Numbers 7 - This chapter is a bit repetitive and long. OK, let's just be honest - it's boring. Each of the leaders from the 12 tribes brought a gift to the altar to present to the Lord. ...
Numbers 6
Numbers 6 - People are probably surprised to learn that this famous prayer of blessing comes from the book of Numbers. The LORD bless you, and keep you; 25 The LORD make His face shine on you, ...
Numbers 5
Numbers 5 - The ceremony (Num 5:11-31) which was developed as a means to test someone suspected of adultery is very strange in our modern context. God instructed a specific way to handle these affairs because He ...
Numbers 3
Numbers 3 - We understand the substitutionary atonement of Jesus very well. He died so that we could live. Here in Numbers 3, we find that God was consistent with this theme of substitution dating back to ...
Numbers 2
Numbers 2 - You really need a visual for Numbers 2. It describes the arrangement of the camps around the tabernacle. There were three tribes on each of the four sides of the tabernacle and there were ...
Luke 24
Luke 24 Commentary by Brad Boyles Then he said to them, "These are the very things I told you about while I was still with you: everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the writings of the prophets, ...
Luke 21
Luke 21 - Some speculate Jesus' warnings were to be interpreted for the people of that time and others speculate they are future events. We know that the apostles would suffer incredible persecution after Jesus resurrected and ...
Luke 20
Luke 20 - Some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, You have spoken well." 40 For they did not have courage to question Him any longer about anything. Luke 20:39-40 NASB The so-called “experts” of the ...
Luke 19
Luke 19 - In Chapter 19, Jesus tells the parable of the ten minas. A mina was 1/60 of a talent and would have come out to around 3 months of wages. Jesus goes to Jerusalem to ...
Luke 17
Luke 17 Commentary by Brad Boyles It is a common occurrence for people to be tripped up in this life. The word Jesus uses in verse 1 to describe a “stumbling block” is also used in many other places in ...
Luke 12
Luke 12 - "I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! Luke 12:49 NASB Jesus would send fire upon in the Earth in a few ways. First, He ...
Luke 11
Luke 11 - Packed into three verses here in the middle of the chapter is an unbelievable amount of depth and theology. Many of us have heard or read these verses. "When the unclean spirit goes out ...
Luke 10
Luke 10 - The kingdom of God was sent out and manifest itself through the power of the 72 that Christ chose. What was their purpose? "Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is ...
Luke 9
Luke 9 Commentary by Brad Boyles Feeding of the 5,000 This sign/miracle of feeding the 5,000 is recorded in all 4 Gospels. Matthew 14:21 specifies 5,000 males, and further emphasizes the point by adding, “Besides women and children.” Many Bible ...
Luke 6
Luke 6 Commentary by Brad Boyles And Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?" 10 After looking around at ...
Luke 4
Luke 4 - The entire chapter here in Luke 4 captures the struggle for power and authority. Jesus' temptation, obviously, was Satan's attempt at derailing Jesus by appealing to His authority and power. Jesus resists, and His ...
Luke 3
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 ...
Luke 2
Luke 2 - Luke narrates the routine events that surrounded the arrival of Jesus in a way that presents the ordinary with the extraordinary. God is present in seemingly insignificant events. We see this when we read ...
Luke 1
Luke 1 Commentary by Brad Boyles Who made the most significant contribution to the New Testament in terms of total verses? Most would say Paul or maybe even John, but those answers would be incorrect. Who was the only non-Jewish ...
Song of Solomon 1
Song of Solomon 1 Commentary by Brad Boyles Just like the phrase "holy of holies" and "king of kings," Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon) means "the loveliest of songs." Some Jewish scholars originally interpreted this book allegorically stating that ...
Ezekiel 48
Ezekiel 48 - Some view the final chapters of Ezekiel as a literal prophecy to be fulfilled during the end times. This is definitely possible. However, I tend to lean more toward the immediate context for readers ...
Ezekiel 45
Ezekiel 45 - 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 ...
Ezekiel 46
Ezekiel 46 - First, this is a tough chapter to reconcile with our modernized Christian worldview. Second, there are many details that paint a clouded picture of what a fulfillment would look like. We can rest assured ...
Ezekiel 44
Ezekiel 44 - "They shall enter My sanctuary; they shall come near to My table to minister to Me and keep My charge.' Ezekiel 44:16 NASB We must understand that every true believer is a saint and ...
Ezekiel 43
Ezekiel 43 - In chapters 8-11 of Ezekiel, we find the presence of the Lord leaving the temple. This was symbolic of what was about to happen to the people as their protection was removed and they ...
Ezekiel 42
Ezekiel 42 - The visual created by this chapter draws special interest. From a bird's-eye view, the design of the temple itself had many layers with different levels of holiness. Inside was the holy of holies where ...
Ezekiel 41
Ezekiel 41 - The previous chapters of condemnation were hard to swallow. They were, however, necessary. Now, we have entered into the consolation section of this visionary prophet's writings. The people were no doubt weary from their ...
Ezekiel 40
Ezekiel 40 - Ezekiel's ministry began with a vision of God. The last 9 chapters end with a vision for his people. This vision is one of reconciliation, protection, trust, and blessings. Throughout his book, Ezekiel has ...
Ezekiel 38
Ezekiel 38 - This chapter has gained a lot of attention in recent years as expositors have focused on the connection to modern-day events. Though some scholars are quick to label this chapter as apocalyptic, many are ...
Ezekiel 37
Ezekiel 37 - The phrase, "I will be their God and they will be my people" is a familiar phrase. We read it here in Ezekiel as an analogy for how God will unify both Israel and ...
Ezekiel 36
Ezekiel 36 - Verses 22-38 immediately drew my attention. The title over the section reads "I Will Put My Spirit Within You." We must remember that when we read this, it is God speaking to His people, ...
Ezekiel 31
Ezekiel 31 - The cedars of Lebanon were highly esteemed as symbols of excellence and domination. They towered up to 80 feet in height and were thick with spreading branches. God says not even the trees of ...
Ezekiel 27
Ezekiel 27 - What kind of future is in store for those who ferociously cling to their pride and arrogance? When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom. Proverbs 11:2 Pride goes before ...
Ezekiel 24
Ezekiel 24 - Ministry is hard. And I don't just mean formal ministry positions. I really mean following Jesus is hard. There are so many days I feel like I've run for miles and traveled nowhere. Love ...