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 9
1 Chronicles 9 - Psalms 99:5-6 ESV Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he! 6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. ...
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 6
1 Chronicles 6 - One particular name that sticks out in this chapter is Hilkiah. An unknown to most people, this high priest played a huge role in three major events during Israel's history. In 2 Kings ...
1 Chronicles 1
1 Chronicles 1 - It was a bittersweet time for Israel. The Jews had just returned from 70 years of captivity but their situation was significantly different from when they left. There was no king and little ...
Isaiah 52
Isaiah 52 - God's people will be redeemed. They were sold for nothing but they will be bought back without money. The foreshadowing of the future for Israel is also a foreshadowing for humanity. The Messiah will ...
Isaiah 44
Isaiah 44 - "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me. Isaiah 44:6 NASB ...
Isaiah 38
Isaiah 38 - Let's review what's happened thus far and what will happen in the future. Assyria has built the strongest military the world has ever seen and has destroyed both Aram as well as Israel. Judah ...
Isaiah 37
Isaiah 37 - Much of what Isaiah has written leading up to this point has been about the rebellion of God's people. They were living like they really didn't trust the Lord, and continually went back to ...
Isaiah 36
Isaiah 36 - The goal of the enemy is to render us hopeless in the face of our circumstances. The world, Satan, and even our own hearts influence our minds to these dark places. Even though the ...
Isaiah 32
Isaiah 32 - Isaiah's description of a true king is exactly what we all desire. He is righteous, just, and a source of protection and support. This king would contrast many other kings that ruled in ancient ...
Isaiah 27
Isaiah 27 - This chapter, as a whole, is about the destruction of Israel's enemies. The smaller story line, however, is the enemy within. For Israel, they would not experience the punishment of the enemies around them, ...
Isaiah 25
Isaiah 25 - Following a chapter on the destruction and judgment of God, we read a deeply personal appeal to His faithfulness. It almost reads like a prayer, and this is significant. When we face trials, struggles, ...
Isaiah 23
Isaiah 23 - Babylon was the great city along the eastern side of the ancient world and Tyre was considered the great city of the west. Tyre was known for their fabulous wealth - a benefit to ...
Isaiah 20
Isaiah 20 - Let's first set the stage. Coming on the heels of Isaiah 19 and the oracle concerning Egypt, we now see the unfolding of God's judgment. King Sargon of Assyria orders his commander to invade ...
Isaiah 15
Isaiah 15 - Moab was the region on the east side of the Dead Sea. The total land surface would have been about 30 miles long and 30 miles wide. As compared to the nation of Edom, ...
Isaiah 14
Isaiah 14 - There are some deep theological principles at work in this chapter. There is also some controversy as to the correct translation of the phrase, “Oh Lucifer, Son of the morning” in verse 12. Many ...
Isaiah 12
Isaiah 12 - Isaiah 12:1 is a mirror image of Paul's writing in Romans 6:17. Compare the two passages. Then you will say on that day, "I will give thanks to You, O LORD; For although You ...
Isaiah 8
Isaiah 8 - There are many prophecies to sort through in this text. First, we have the prophecy of Samaria falling to Assyria. This was written in verse 4 and would occur in 722 BC. Verses 5-10 ...
Isaiah 7
Isaiah 7 - War has broken out and Jerusalem is under attack. Amazingly, God shows King Ahaz mercy by commanding him to stay calm and courageous, even though he was a terribly immoral king. The Lord sends ...
Isaiah 6
Isaiah 6 - The first 5 chapters of Isaiah outline his prophecies, but do not establish his calling. In chapter 6 we read the details of God's calling for Isaiah. In many ways, Isaiah filled a role ...
Isaiah 5
Isaiah 5 - Six woes are given to the nation of Israel starting in verse 8. The woes include greed, debauchery, unbelief, perversion, arrogance, and injustice. "To these sins are added prophecies of judgment: desolation, captivity or ...
Isaiah 4
Isaiah 4 - Isaiah 4:2 describes the Branch of the Lord. The time is coming when the LORD will make every plant and tree in the land grow large and beautiful. All the people of Israel who ...
Isaiah 3
Isaiah 3 - Strong Christian leadership is important. Most likely during the time that Isaiah was writing this, the readers were under the leadership of King Uzziah. He was a wise and godly king, however, a time ...
Isaiah 1
Isaiah 1 - The book of Isaiah is full of prophecy. Hebrew poetry used a literary style called parallelism, much like a modern-day analogy. In the first several verses, we see the parallels being drawn. "An ox ...
Philippians 3
Philippians 3 - Have you ever met someone who always tries to one-up you? No matter how the story goes, they always pull the trump card with some experience or credential that's bigger and better. It's not ...
Ephesians 2
Ephesians 2 - Many of us today live under the illusion that we simply can’t change. Hidden deep under a “that’s just the way I am” attitude is a deadliest of all sins - human pride. It’s ...
Exodus 29
Exodus 29 - From the beginning we get a glimpse of God's design for sacrifice. Consecration. This word was translated 'hallow' and meant distinct, holy, and set aside for God's purposes. Most of us probably think of ...
Exodus 23
Exodus 23 - "You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. Exodus 23:1 NASB "Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill ...
Exodus 15
Exodus 15 - The structure of this song can be broken up into four sections with a one-line closing declaration. The first stanza briefly mentions the powerful victory of the Lord. Stanza two mocks the enemy's failed ...
Exodus 14
Exodus 14 - Like the Canaanites, ancient Israel thought of the sea as an uncontrollable beast. At creation the Lord hovered over the waters of chaos. At the flood, the raging waters engulfed the sinful generation that ...
Job 24
Job 24 - Job continues on his theme of questioning why the wicked get away with so much. To the theology his friends have adopted, it makes no sense for Job to question this if he is ...
Job 20
Job 20 - The cruel misjudgment of man stems from an ignorant and arrogant attitude. I've written this many times over in this series on Job, but it remains true - his friends understood truth, but misunderstood ...
Job 18
Job 18 - The dating of this time period would have meant that Job and his friends were highly influenced by mythopoetic language. In Ugaritic mythology, death was thought to be ruled by the god Mot who ...
Job 15
Job 15 - Eliphaz brings a load of sarcasm to this chapter. He claims that his understanding of Scripture and his wisdom is completely reliable. He knows that Job is wicked because he's seen wicked people and ...
Ezra 9
Ezra 9 - This chapter is a perfect example of why context is so important when reading Scripture. The Israelites have already been through the humiliation and anguish and being exiled. The reason for this exile, very ...
Ezra 8
Ezra 8 - This trek consisted of over 900 miles on foot. But also consider that there would have been 1754 men that Ezra had to lead, and with women and ...
Ezra 6
Ezra 6 - The people trusted God they were delivered from the threat to their temple. God knew exactly where the scroll was, and He allowed Darius to endorse it. But that's not all. God went above ...
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 ...
Ezra 4
Ezra 4 - "It is what it is." We hear this phrase spoken all the time. In some cases, it's definitely true. In others, however, it almost seems like a rationalization. We all do it. Most times ...
Ezra 2
Ezra 2 - Why was genealogy so important to the Jews? We see this many times in Scripture and often it's hard to make it through the list because we don't know or understand the history. To ...
Ezra 1
Ezra 1 - It is fascinating to consider the faith of Cyrus, King of Persia. Was he a believer in the one true God? The passage here mentions that "the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus ...
Matthew 22
Matthew 22 - The Sadducees and Pharisees were always playing games with Jesus. They, like some today, thought they could outsmart God. Here in Matthew 22, we find some intense back-and-forth debating from the teachers of the ...
Matthew 21
Matthew 21 - During the Passover festival, scores of Jews came from all over Israel and the Roman Empire to worship and celebrate. Since many traveled long distances, it was cumbersome to carry with them their animal ...
Matthew 17
Matthew 17 - The half-shekel tax was equivalent to about 2 days of wages. It was collected annually from every male Jew above the age of 20. This was required for the upkeep of the temple. It ...
Matthew 16
Matthew 16 - The Pharisees and Sadducees (who demanded signs in this chapter) were two of the five major political parties during the time of Jesus. There were also the Herodians, the Zealots, and the Essenes. The ...
Matthew 15
Matthew 15 - It's the worst feeling that any human can experience in this life. It's the realization that I wasted my life. I can't imagine a more horrifying reaction than those who thought they were living ...
Matthew 3
Matthew 3 - Photo credit: Nelson's New Illustrated Commentary Pictured is the traditionally accepted site (the Jordan River) for the baptism of Jesus. As I read this chapter, there are many questions that come to mind. Why ...
Matthew 2
Matthew 2 - Remarkably, the calendar we all depend on was originally created around Jesus' birth. Medieval creators tried to set Jesus's birth at A.D. 1 in order to properly date events, however, they were slightly off. ...
Matthew 1
Matthew 1 - The Gospels do not record a single word spoken by this man. Yet, the Gospel account written by Matthew is a bridge to the past. If a person had just read the Old Testament ...
Proverbs 31
Proverbs 31 - Proverbs 31 is a famous chapter describing a virtuous woman of God. Many of us have heard the phrase "Proverbs 31 woman." As this chapter has become more popular within Christian circles, I have ...
Proverbs 30
Proverbs 30 - Nelson's Commentary gives us a brief introduction to the mysterious authors of the last two chapters of Proverbs. "The final two chapters of Proverbs are attributed to men named Agur and Lemuel. Neither of ...
Proverbs 28
Proverbs 28 - "The one who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy." Proverbs 28:13 HCSB This phrase is mirrored in the NT with James 5:16... "Therefore, confess your ...
Proverbs 21
Proverbs 21 - A very intriguing verse in this chapter of Proverbs includes a reference back to the days of King Saul. "Doing what is righteous and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice." Proverbs ...
Proverbs 1
Proverbs 1 - A blunt tagline to the book of Proverbs could very easily be "Proverbs: Don't live in stupidity." When we encounter Jesus, we discover two very profound realities. We discover the truth of who God ...
1 Peter 5
1 Peter 5 - Peter is following up on his previous chapter on suffering. It's no surprise that in order to withstand suffering and encourage others through it, you need to have strong leadership. Peter is writing ...
2 Samuel 24
2 Samuel 24 - This account of a census is a puzzling chapter. We wonder today, what could be wrong with taking a census? It seems pretty harmless to us. In the ancient world, a man had ...
2 Samuel 23
2 Samuel 23 - David was never ashamed of who he was and where he came from. In a culture that was all about notoriety and popularity, David was still the youngest son of Jesse, the peasant ...
2 Samuel 22
2 Samuel 22 - My rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. These were the words David penned about God after he looked over the history of his relationship. There's no doubt that the words of Scripture speak ...
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 20
2 Samuel 20 - Concubines, intestines, and a severed head being thrown over a wall! This chapter is not for the faint of heart. Coming off the heels of a civil war, David is drawn back in. ...
2 Samuel 19
2 Samuel 19 - It's an awkward moment when the rebels realize their rebellion has failed and the king they opposed is still in authority. Some of those who supported Absalom double down on their opinion that ...
2 Samuel 18
2 Samuel 18 - This is a difficult chapter to absorb. On one hand, justice was served and the rightful king of Israel was restored. On the other hand, a loving father grieves the loss of his ...
2 Samuel 17
2 Samuel 17 - Ahithophel had gone all in. He was firmly in Absalon's camp after abruptly turning on David. How could this man have been a counselor for David for so long? According to Rabbinical literature, ...
2 Samuel 16
2 Samuel 16 - The reason why we read several chapters back about the grace David extended to Saul's family is because here in 2 Samuel 16, we read of how Saul's family wants to kick David ...
2 Samuel 15
2 Samuel 15 - Absalom was good looking, charismatic, and a cutthroat politician. Modern-day politicians would do well to study the strategy of Absalom. First, he didn't run a smear campaign against David. In fact, he doesn't ...
2 Samuel 14
2 Samuel 14 - David's go-to plan of action always centered around waiting on the Lord. I'm speculating, but it's possible this was the state of mind that was natural to him. In other words, he was ...
2 Samuel 11
2 Samuel 11 - Most of us know the story of 2 Samuel 11. David's sin and repentance are well-documented. The story is familiar to us because it's real. The Bible doesn't sugarcoat the sex, scandal, and ...
2 Samuel 10
2 Samuel 10 - After David's men were humiliated by the Ammonites, a war was sure to break out. The Ammonites hired the Syrians to help fight because they knew David would be boiling. Upon hearing this, ...
2 Samuel 9
2 Samuel 9 - David had made a promise to Jonathan, and David was a man of his word. So as he was reflecting back on Saul's family, David remembered his oath of friendship to Jonathan and ...
2 Samuel 8
2 Samuel 8 - In many ways, David is presented as the "anti-Saul" even though at times, their behavior does not seem all that different. Thus far in Samuel, we've witnessed several questionable decisions by David. Here ...
2 Samuel 7
2 Samuel 7 - We live in a society of bare minimums. What's the least I can pay and still buy that? What's the least I can spend and still earn rewards? What's the least I can ...
2 Samuel 6
2 Samuel 6 - Familiarity can often produce deadly results. It was Jesus who proclaimed he could do no miracles in his hometown because of their familiarity. It was familiarity that caused Jesus' brothers to initially discard ...
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 ...
2 Samuel 4
2 Samuel 4 - In 2 Samuel 4, we see the collision of two different kingdoms. Humanity's kingdom operates within an attitude of power and opportunity. The leaders in our world grab life by the horns and ...
2 Samuel 3
2 Samuel 3 - In 2 Samuel 3, we find two men making a deal in order to see their enemy defeated. Abner, being personally offended by Ishbosheth, makes a deal to join David. David, wanting to ...
2 Samuel 2
2 Samuel 2 - There is an interesting backstory on the relationships that take place in this chapter. Abner crowns Saul's son Ishbosheth to be king over all Israel, Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin. Ishbosheth ...
2 Samuel 1
2 Samuel 1 - There are three versions of Saul's death mentioned in Scripture and one of them is found here in 2 Samuel 1. Death Reference #1 1 Samuel 31:4 GNB He said to the young ...
1 Samuel 31
1 Samuel 31 - Let's do a quick recap. In desperation, Saul traveled to see a witch who brought back Samuel from the dead and predicted Saul's death the next day. Today is the next day. Also ...
1 Samuel 30
1 Samuel 30 - David returns to Zikleg, where he had fled from Saul only to find that while he and his men were gone, the Amalekites had come and raided their city. They burned the place ...
1 Samuel 29
1 Samuel 29 - Can you imagine David fighting against his friends and family? Can you imagine him going to war with his best friend, Jonathan? Jesus speaks in Revelation to the church at Laodicea with strong, ...
1 Samuel 28
1 Samuel 28 - I've always had lots of questions about 1 Samuel 28. Was David actually going to fight with the Philistines? Why did Saul think that he could contact Samuel through a witch? Was it ...
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 26
1 Samuel 26 - If there was ever a justifiable moment for David to end Saul's life, this was it. Saul had repented of his wrongdoing back when David had his first opportunity to kill Saul in ...
1 Samuel 25
1 Samuel 25 - As well as David reacted to having a moment with Saul to himself, he backtracks with his emotions when it comes to dealing with Nabal. Yes, it's true, Nabal was an arrogant and ...
1 Samuel 24
1 Samuel 24 - David retreats with his men to the caves of the Wilderness of En Gedi. This was a strategic move and a very good one on David's part. The canyon of En Gedi is ...
1 Samuel 23
1 Samuel 23 - All Saul cares about is killing David. He doesn't care about worshiping God. He doesn't care about hearing from God. He doesn't want to follow God. Yet, he justifies his actions by using ...
1 Samuel 21
1 Samuel 21 - David has lost so much. He has gone from the beloved and admired son-in-law of King Saul to the forsaken fugitive, alone and rejected. We don't know exactly why he would choose to ...
1 Samuel 19
1 Samuel 19 - Saul has tried everything by this point. He will not be satisfied until David is dead. Saul plotted. God protected. David escaped. Through all of this, Saul never changed. He believed he was ...
1 Samuel 18
1 Samuel 18 - “Saul has slain his thousands,And David his ten thousands.” The wording here says that "all cities in Israel" had women who danced and sang to this tune. It was literally a Billboard Top ...
1 Samuel 17
1 Samuel 17 - Malcolm Gladwell recently delivered a TED talk titled, "The Unheard Story of David and Goliath." In this talk, Gladwell poses the idea that Goliath suffered from poor eyesight due to acromegaly, a disease ...
1 Samuel 16
1 Samuel 16 - Samuel loved Saul. He wanted so badly to see him live a fruitful life. But there are moments when God asks us to move on. The time for mourning is over. God had ...
1 Samuel 15
1 Samuel 15 - Do what you want, and ask for forgiveness later. If God is full of love, and He always forgives, then I can just follow my heart and apologize on the way. Do you ...
1 Samuel 14
1 Samuel 14 - Those who are dialed into the Spirit are sensitive to the timing of the Lord. In 1 Samuel 14, Jonathan demonstrated that kind of dialed-in mindset. Unfortunately, Saul operated on his own timing. ...
1 Samuel 13
1 Samuel 13 - Here in 1 Samuel 13, we see the battle between the Philistines and the Israelites begin when Jonathan decides to attack a Philistine garrison. Up until this point, the Israelites were at peace ...
1 Samuel 12
1 Samuel 12 - When our vision is blinded to reality, sometimes the most effective reminder comes from God flexing His muscles. It would be the power found in a storm that would shake the people's selfish ...
1 Samuel 11
1 Samuel 11 - Nahash meant business. He threatened to humiliate and poke out the right eye of every man in Jabesh. The point of this strange act was intimidation, and eventually, to bring reproach to all ...
1 Samuel 10
1 Samuel 10 - Once again, I want to point out the detail that many miss when Saul is anointed king. The terminology described a leader or commander and not a king. Verse 1 opens with this ...