Judges 21
In Judges 21, the Israelites mourned the desolation of the tribe of Benjamin and sought the Lord's guidance (Judges 21:1-4). They recalled their vow to punish those who did not join the war
Judges 20
In Judges 20, the 11 tribes of Israel gather at Mizpeh to address the murder of the Levite’s wife by the Benjaminites. After hearing the Levite’s account, the other tribes resolve to punish the tribe of Benjamin ...
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 18
In Judges 18, the Danite tribe was looking for land to settle in and sent five men to scout the territory. They arrived at Micah’s house in Ephraim and met the young Levite who was serving as his priest ...
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 11
In Judges 11, Jephthah, a warrior from Gilead and the son of a prostitute, was driven away by his half-brothers and settled in Tob where he gathered a group of followers. When the Ammonites waged war ...
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 7
In Judges 7, Gideon gathers his troops near the spring of Harod to face the Midianites. However, God instructs him to reduce the number of soldiers so that Israel will not boast in their own strength ...
Judges 6
In Judges 6, the Israelites once again sinned against the Lord and were oppressed by the Midianites for seven years. The Midianites, along with the Amalekites and other desert tribes devastated Israel's crops ...
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 23
Joshua 23 - Joshua gives the people lots of encouragement but also many warnings. He knows that if they are obedient, the Lord will fight for them, but if they are not, He will fight against them. ...
Joshua 21
Joshua 21 - This statement of God's promises is such an encouragement. Let's take a look back and review some of these great promises. The Promise of LandGenesis 12:7 The LORD appeared ...
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 19
Joshua 19 - When the people of Israel finished dividing up the land, they gave Joshua son of Nun a part of the land as his own. 50 As the LORD had commanded, they gave him the ...
Joshua 17
Joshua 17 - Essentially, what is happening over this chapter is that the other half of Manasseh's tribe is being assigned their portion of their inheritance. It just so happens that Zelophehad had no sons or heirs, ...
Joshua 16
Joshua 16 - The sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance. Joshua 16:4 This made up a good chunk of the land. Again, this point has already been discussed extensively, but a big takeaway from ...
Joshua 13
Joshua 13 - As you read through the inheritance distributed to the different tribes, you will notice that the Levites receive no land. It is mentioned twice in this chapter. Only to the tribe of Levi he ...
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 11
Joshua 11 - Let's set the backdrop. Joshua has just led Israel in defeating the cities in the south. News travels fast. The northern kings are becoming restless at the dominance of Israel. Specifically, Jabin of Hazor. ...
Joshua 10
Joshua 10 - So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of ...
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 5
Joshua 5 - There was a series of events that the Lord required of Joshua prior to conquering Jericho. Joshua completed these duties (circumcision and First Passover) and was now waiting on the Lord. For whatever reason ...
Joshua 4
Joshua 4 - In Joshua 4, after the entire nation finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord instructed Joshua to choose twelve men, one from each tribe, to take twelve stones from the middle of the river where the priests stood ...
Joshua 3
Joshua 3 - In Joshua 3, the Israelites prepared to cross the Jordan River under Joshua's leadership. Early in the morning, Joshua led the people from the Acacia Grove to camp by the Jordan. ...
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 33
Deuteronomy 33 - Moses gives his final blessings to the tribes of Israel. I was drawn to the guidance given to the Levites. About the tribe of Levi he said: "You, LORD, reveal your will by the ...
Deuteronomy 28
Deuteronomy 28 - "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. ...
Deuteronomy 27
Deuteronomy 27 - F.B. Meyer paints a beautiful picture of the scene we find in Deuteronomy 27. "Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal were two masses of limestone rock, reaching 2700 and 2000 feet above the sea-level. Between ...
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 20
Ezekiel 20 - For a good part of my adult life, I chased after the hopes and dreams of man. I had my eyes set on the material pleasures and the finite comforts of this world. God's ...
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 18
Ezekiel 18 - Turn away from your sins and live. In this chapter, a foundational Christian belief is described in detail. Though the punishment during Ezekiel's time was on a national scale, the sin that caused the ...
Ezekiel 16
Ezekiel 16 - This chapter is an anti-entitlement message. Once again, there is application that is extremely relevant for our culture today. The truth is, we all have skeletons in our closet. We are not always who ...
Ezekiel 15
Ezekiel 15 - The grapevine was of utmost importance to the agriculture of ancient Israel. Coming off the heels of Chapter 14 (which was about false prophets), it's interesting to consider that Jesus makes a direct correlation ...
Ezekiel 14
Ezekiel 14 - After introducing His hand of judgment, God reveals four ways in which He will punish the rebellious people. Ezekiel 14:13 - "If a country sins...My Hand....will bring famine."Ezekiel 14:15 - "If I were to ...
Ezekiel 13
Ezekiel 13 - Wow! What a relevant topic! For years, false prophets have been stirring up dissension in order to dismantle what God is building among His people. To make a clear point, God compares a false ...
Ezekiel 12
Ezekiel 12 - "Son of man, what is this proverb you people have concerning the land of Israel, saying, 'The days are long and every vision fails'? Ezekiel 12:22 NASB "Son of man, behold, the house of ...
Ezekiel 11
Ezekiel 11 - Although it was written thousands of years ago, Ezekiel 11 has a lot of application for our current society. God said to me, "Mortal man, these men make evil plans and give bad advice ...
Ezekiel 10
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 ...
Ezekiel 9
Ezekiel 9 - It's tough to read about the judgment of God with regard to sin, however, it reveals the character of God. The standard set by the holiness of God is not the same as our ...
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 ...
Ezekiel 7
Ezekiel 7 - The Babylonians invaded Judah twice but the people could not comprehend the severity of the destruction. It's like they could not connect the dots. They couldn't see the connection between their sin and the ...
Ezekiel 4
Ezekiel 4 - Just as Isaiah was asked to walk naked and barefoot for 3 years, Ezekiel is asked to portray the coming judgment on His people. Ironically, we see this type of teaching style used in ...
Ezekiel 3
Ezekiel 3 - First, let's paint a backdrop of what Ezekiel is dealing with here. The people of Israel have continually rejected the Word and the prophets. They are stubborn and obstinant (Eze 3:7). They, like us, ...
Ezekiel 2
Ezekiel 2 - It is intriguing to consider that God's Spirit entered Ezekiel in order to empower him to complete the task. This was not always the case in the OT as God sovereignly chose those individuals ...
Acts 28
Acts 28 - I love the image of Paul here at the end of Acts. He is a man who, under normal circumstances, would have no joy. He’s been falsely accused, spent a considerable amount of time ...
Acts 26
Acts 26 - In this chapter, Paul gives his most exhaustive and evangelistic appeal to Agrippa II. If you remember, he has appealed to Caesar. But in the meantime, Agrippa II is passing through visiting Festus along ...
Acts 25
Acts 25 - The reason Paul was able to appeal to Caesar and the higher court was because he was rightfully a Roman citizen. The tricky part, as I understand it, was that the Jews wanted to ...
Acts 24
Acts 24 - Paul now finds himself in limbo and at the mercy of the political system. He continues to plead his case, as well as preach the Word in all situations. The sad part of this ...
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 22
Acts 22 - Paul never wastes an opportunity to talk about the Gospel. Whether he's imprisoned, being beaten, being interrogated, or just passing through a town; he was diligent to look for these opportunities. What helped him ...
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 20
Acts 20 - In a bittersweet scene, Paul lays it all on the line for the leaders of Ephesus as he departs for Jerusalem. He knows they will not see each other again, but he is confident ...
Acts 19
Acts 19 - Paul in Ephesus is a great reminder for our churches today. From his investment, we know that Ephesus was just the start of Christianity in Asia Minor. The churches in Revelation were all born ...
Acts 18
Acts 18 - 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 ...
Acts 17
Acts 17 - It's interesting to ponder how each person responds to the Gospel differently. Some, who we think will understand, (the Jews in Paul's case) end up being the most hostile and resistant. Others, however, are ...
Acts 16
Acts 16 - I want to focus on a somewhat bizarre section of this chapter – the end. It struck me that Paul, after being told he and Silas have been released from jail, demanded that the ...
Acts 15
Acts 15 - The first question we want to know is, who was right and who was wrong between Paul and Barnabas? I feel that when we approach it from that angle we really miss Luke’s point. ...
Acts 14
Acts 14 - When Paul and Barnabas were in Lystra speaking to the people, they saw a lame man who gazed intently at them as they spoke. Prompted by the Spirit, Paul asked the lame man to ...
Acts 13
Acts 13 - Paul and Barnabas visit multiple synagogues and work there way across the island of Cyprus from east to west. When they reached Paphos, they encounter a snag. A Jewish false prophet by the name ...
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 11
Acts 11 - Unfortunately, the attitude that Peter experiences here in Acts 11 is all too common in our church culture today. People these days want to know, what is your background, what church did you grow ...
Acts 9
Acts 9 - Saul We are reminded here in chapter 9 that even the most rebellious and hard-hearted people can be powerfully used by God. In fact, I believe wholeheartedly in the saying, “whoever is forgiven much, ...
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 6
Acts 6 - We really have two storylines going on here. We have a great leadership move and a great Holy Spirit move both packed into one chapter. The beginning of Stephen is a great story, and ...
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 ...
Acts 2
Acts 2 - At the end of Acts 2, we read the three essentials that contributed to a fruitful body. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread ...
Acts 1
Acts 1 - At the end of Chapter 1, the apostles have just witnessed the ascension of Jesus and are waiting for the promised Holy Spirit. So, the question I found myself asking is, how do we ...
Lamentations 5
Lamentations 5 - We don't often think in terms of the comprehensive suffering that Judah endured during exile. It was not just that their enemies came and put them in chains. They struggled immensely. Their sin cost ...
Lamentations 4
Lamentations 4 - With graphic detail, Jeremiah describes all the ways in which his people suffered during the Babylonian attack on Jerusalem. Those who survived the siege lived under horrific suffering. It was so bad, that women ...
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 ...
Lamentations 1
Lamentations 1 - The mere existence of the book of Lamentations shows us that God takes seriously our need as humans to process and grieve. "In this world, you will have trouble... " Jesus promised. Trouble comes ...
Leviticus 27
Leviticus 27 - The New International Commentary (Old Testament) gives a clear summary of this chapter... The custom of making vows and tithing is simply assumed in the NT (see Ac 18:18; Act 21:23; Mat 23:23) as ...
Leviticus 26
Leviticus 26 - First off, this is a crazy awesome chapter that raises many significant questions. In the most direct and straightforward language that He can use, God lays out the future possibilities for His people. These ...
Leviticus 25
Leviticus 25 - After 7 cycles of the sabbatical years came the 50th, or, Year of Jubilee. It was a release from debt and bondage. All slaves were released, all captives were set free, all debts were ...
Leviticus 24
Leviticus 24 - When I read the "eye for an eye" passage, I immediately think of the Sermon on the Mount. "You have heard that it was said, 'AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR ...
Leviticus 23
Leviticus 23 - There are several of these celebrations that were brought into modern-day by Christianity. Passover = Good Friday. Unleavened Bread = Easter. And finally, the Festival of the Weeks = Pentecost. Most of us know ...
Leviticus 22
Leviticus 22 - As do many of the chapters in Leviticus, there is a background painted in order to better understand the NT teachings. An emphasis is continually placed on holiness. This was achieved by the law ...
Leviticus 21
Leviticus 21 - This chapter primarily deals with the holiness of the religious leaders. We read that higher standards were expected from them as opposed to ordinary citizens. The New International Commentary - OT provides a good ...
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 19
Leviticus 19 - We read some strange laws in this chapter that are not easily understood by our culture. Skeptics love to point out the bizarre laws found in Leviticus and accuse Christians of not following them. ...
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 17
Leviticus 17 - The people of Israel must no longer be unfaithful to the LORD by killing their animals in the fields as sacrifices to the goat demons. The people of Israel must keep this regulation for ...
Leviticus 16
Leviticus 16 - The goat chosen for Azazel shall be presented alive to the LORD and sent off into the desert to Azazel, in order to take away the sins of the people. Leviticus 16:10 GNB It's ...