Deuteronomy 8
Deuteronomy 8 - Remember that the LORD your God corrects and punishes you just as parents discipline their children. 6 So then, do as the LORD has commanded you: live according to his laws and obey him. ...
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 5
Deuteronomy 5 - False teachers love to cherry-pick verses and twist the context to their liking. A perfect example of this is found in Deuteronomy 5:9. 'You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 8
Ecclesiastes 8 - For the king's word is authoritative, and who can say to him, "What are you doing?" Ecclesiastes 8:4 HCSB How many today question God? How many today say to Him, "What are you doing?" ...
Ecclesiastes 7
Ecclesiastes 7 - Even the day of one’s birth is ominous, despite all the hopes and potential in a baby’s birth. Children come into the world uttering the human sound – a scream. “Before ever a child ...
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 3
Ecclesiastes 3 - The universe is made well and finds its rhythm through structure and order. There most definitely is a time for everything and only our Lord and Savior knows of those times. There is a ...
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 35
Numbers 35 - When we take a deeper look into the cities which were selected as places of refuge and we utilize the Hebrew text, we see obvious parallels to the refuge Jesus provides for His church. ...
Numbers 34
Numbers 34 - When analyzing this chapter, F.B. Meyer wrote, "God’s ideal for His people far exceeded their realization of it." What a true statement that is! Numbers 34 outlines the land boundaries for the tribes of ...
Numbers 33
Numbers 33 - At the end of this chapter, there are six verses that give the Israelites specific instructions on how to take the land. Cross the Jordan into Canaan and drive out all the inhabitants. Destroy ...
Numbers 31
Numbers 31 - Although the lesson of this chapter is overshadowed by the war, there are some very miraculous accomplishments. The spoils of war were almost too good to be true. The officers themselves were all accounted ...
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 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 15
Numbers 15 - Nestled in the middle of this chapter is a bizarre story for our modern society. A man is caught collecting sticks on the Sabbath and he is brought before Moses and Aaron. God commands ...
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 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 ...
Numbers 1
Numbers 1 - Lists of names... census figures... what is this all about? The Book of Numbers takes place just before the Israelites are led into the Promised Land. It records the awkward in-between moments where they ...
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 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 18
Luke 18 - Have you ever uttered these phrases? “Well, I’m not really that bad.” “I’m not as bad as _________.” “I’ve done ________ so I’m a pretty good person.” We’ve probably all muttered these phrases 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 16
Luke 16 Commentary by Brad Boyles At the end of Luke 16, we read a fascinating story contrasting the rich man and Lazarus. Jesus does not start out this story as He does other parables. He also gives us the ...
Luke 15
Luke 15 Commentary by Brad Boyles What about the other son? What about the older "obedient" son? “Then he became angry and didn’t want to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him. [29] But he replied ...
Luke 14
Luke 14 Commentary by Brad Boyles In Luke 14, Jesus visits a house of a chief Pharisee on the Sabbath. The text tells us that there is bread served. This could have meant there was actual bread there to be ...
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 7
Luke 7 Commentary by Brad Boyles We see a very powerful indicator of the faith that this centurion soldier had in the way he addressed Jesus. The Gentile calls him "Lord." Now Jesus started on His way with them; and ...
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 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 8
Song of Solomon 8 Commentary by Brad Boyles As Hank has written, this chapter is the 1 Corinthians 13 of the Old Testament. In these verses, we find four essential qualities of love. It is unstoppable and inevitable within a ...
Song of Solomon 7
Song of Solomon 7 Commentary by Brad Boyles In today's culture, being liberated is often defined as being free from marriage. Many today would rather scrap the old marriage and move on to something new and exciting. But in Song ...
Song of Solomon 6
Song of Solomon 6 Commentary by Brad Boyles The theme of this chapter is most definitely reconciliation. As Hank has written, any successful marriage must involve lots of forgiveness. But there are several contextual questions I asked as I read ...
Song of Solomon 5
Song of Solomon 5 - As with any marriage, there is miscommunication. Hurt and conflict naturally follow. It is hard to understand if verse 2 is describing a dream or a real situation. On one hand, it ...
Song of Solomon 4
Song of Solomon 4 - If we study these chapters carefully we can see that there has been no mention of a wedding prior to chapter 3. In 3:11, (the last verse of chapter 3), we read ...
Song of Solomon 3
Song of Solomon 3 - The beautiful pageantry described in verses 6-11 really reflects on how Solomon was viewed during his powerful reign. He was obviously known for his wisdom as well as his wealth. But, Scripture ...
Song of Solomon 2
Song of Solomon 2 - The chapter begins as a young woman is excited by the arrival of her lover. He bounds onto the scene just as a swift deer or gazelle. He gazes at her and ...
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 47
Ezekiel 47 - If we read this chapter as a future prophecy of the end times, we get a picture of the amazing geographical changes that will occur in the middle east. The water becomes a source ...
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 39
Ezekiel 39 - Until the time that Jerusalem fell, the message of Ezekiel was negative and full of judgment. Now, God turns His attention towards hope. There would be a new spirit, new leadership, and a new ...
Ezekiel 35
Ezekiel 35 - The land of Edom was just south of the Dead Sea. Located in Edom, we find Mount Seir. This would be the Edomites' stronghold as they were the people of Esau. Historically, the Edomites and ...
Ezekiel 34
Ezekiel 34 - There are so many false teachers out there who twist the message of the Bible to have personal and selfish benefits. Muddled behind spiritual words is a subtle self-glorifying message. Ultimately, the concern is ...
Ezekiel 33
Ezekiel 33 - The role of watchman that was given to Ezekiel is one of the most fascinating metaphors for a prophet. We first read it in Ezekiel in Chapter 3. "Son of man, I have appointed ...
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 ...
Ezekiel 23
Ezekiel 23 - "Playing harlot" can generally refer to any type of sinful behavior. In this case, it would be idol worship and trust in foreign nations that would seal Judah's fate. Specifically, in verses 11-14, Ezekiel ...