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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 18
Joshua 18 - Spiritually, Shiloh is an important landmark for worship during this time period. In both Judges and Samuel, we see special worship take place at this location. This would also be the location God would ...
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 15
Joshua 15 - Joshua 15 details the land allocation for the tribe of Judah, highlighting Caleb's victories in Hebron and the challenges of expelling the Jebusites from Jerusalem. It includes specific geographic boundaries and lists numerous cities within the region. ...
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 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 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 6
Joshua 6 - Joshua 6 is one of the most vivid demonstrations of God’s power in the Old Testament. The Israelites spent 40 years wandering in the desert. ...
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 ...
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 ...
1 Chronicles 7
1 Chronicles 7 - God has used women to build, lead and change the world from the beginning of time. Here in 1 Chronicles 7, we get a glimpse of a woman who completed a remarkable feat. ...
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 51
Isaiah 51 - In verse 9 of this chapter the writer appears to believe that the Lord is asleep. Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; Awake as in the days of old, the ...
Exodus 17
Exodus 17 - The team was assembled and ready to go! Joshua would lead the army into battle. This is the first we've heard of Joshua but, of course, it wouldn't be the last. His training here ...
Ezra 5
Ezra 5 - Let's get a quick background on the characters involved in the temple rebuild. Haggai and Zechariah are the prophets of the Lord. They are encouraging the people, specifically, the leaders, to get back to ...
Matthew 7
Matthew 7 - Judge not so you will not be judged. What was Jesus getting at here? This is a quote that is so often misrepresented, in my opinion. Was Jesus saying we should lower our standard ...
2 Samuel 21
2 Samuel 21 - King David was seemingly indestructible. He was a beast on the battlefield and a musician at heart. Although his sins are well-documented, it is a fact that David was blessed with many gifts ...
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 ...
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 1
1 Samuel 1 - Historically, Israel was on the ropes. The Philistines were growing and becoming stronger because of their modern Greek military technology. They were the first in the region to discover and use iron, and ...
2 Kings 2
2 Kings 2 - Discipleship 101 Elijah respectfully asked Elisha to stay and leave him alone, but Elisha refused to leave his mentor. After Elisha demonstrated such incredible loyalty and commitment to him, Elijah offers a special ...
John 17
John 17 - I cannot think of a more powerful prayer in all of Scripture. Through Jesus' words, much is revealed. Eternal life = knowing Jesus Christ and the one true God (John 17:3) Glorification on Earth ...
Esther 9
Esther 9 - Historians have long criticized Esther for her decision to eradicate all those who stood against the Jews. Herodotus, a Greek historian, wrote that Esther was a cold and vindictive woman. To outsiders, justice can ...
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. ...
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 ...
Zechariah 3
Zechariah 3 - Wow! What. A. Scene. Joshua stands before God in rags while Satan accuses him. That image alone is enough for an entire sermon series. The reason Joshua stands in rags is because the vision ...
Haggai 1
Haggai 1 - We just finished studying Zephaniah who warned of God's future judgment on Judah, and as predicted, they were carried off to captivity by Babylon. That bondage lasted 70 years until Babylon was conquered by ...
Daniel 2
Daniel 2 - What does Daniel's interpretation mean? He tells us that the gold represents King Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian Empire. Three greater kingdoms would come after the reign of Babylon (silver, bronze, and iron). With each level, there ...
1 Corinthians 10
1 Corinthians 10 - So many Christians today have fallen into the temptation of obsessing over rights and privileges. What I mean by that is the need to ask the question, "What harm can it do?" to ...
Psalm 128
Psalm 128 - "I'm so blessed." We hear this phrase often in our culture. It's not that I don't believe that it's a genuine feeling. I do. However, sometimes I wonder what exactly it means to be ...
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 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 19
Deuteronomy 19 - We find the familiar "eye for an eye" passage in Deuteronomy 19. In such cases show no mercy; the punishment is to be a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a ...
Deuteronomy 3
Deuteronomy 3 - They told Moses, "We explored the land and found it to be rich and fertile; and here is some of its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and their cities ...
Deuteronomy 1
Deuteronomy 1 - What should have taken 11 days took 40 years. If you have read the book of Numbers, you already have a good understanding of these events. Deuteronomy opens by ...
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 26
Numbers 26 - The census here marks a turning point in Israel's history. The first generation that was delivered from Egypt and complained continually has now been destroyed by the plague. In fact, just like God had ...
Numbers 20
Numbers 20 - So... do you want the bad news or the worse news? Well, the bad news is that in Numbers 20 we, unfortunately, witness a sobering truth - complaining and unbelief go hand-in-hand. Where you ...
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 13
Numbers 13 - We finally arrive at the "meat and potatoes" of the book of Numbers. The Israelites were to scope out the Promised Land and give a full report back to Moses. In the beginning, everything ...
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 ...