In 1 Samuel 5, the Philistines took the ark of the covenant from Ebenezer to Ashdod and placed it in…
In 1 Samuel 1, a man named Elkanah from the hill country of Ephraim had two wives: Hannah (who was…
In Ruth 4, Boaz meets the nearest kinsman at the city gate and presents the case of redeeming Elimelech’s property…
In Ruth 3, Naomi seeks to secure provision for Ruth through marriage to Boaz. (Ruth 3:1-2). She instructs Ruth to…
In Judges 21, the Israelites mourned the desolation of the tribe of Benjamin and sought the Lord's guidance (Judges 21:1-4).…
In Judges 18, the Danite tribe was looking for land to settle in and sent five men to scout the…
In Judges 16, Samson visits Gaza and sleeps with a prostitute. The Philistines plan to ambush him, but Samson escapes…
In Judges 13, the Israelites did evil in God's sight yet again. God allowed the Philistines to oppress them for…
In Judges 12, the Ephraimites confronted Jephthah angrily for not calling them to battle, threatening to burn his house (Judges…
In Judges 7, Gideon gathers his troops near the spring of Harod to face the Midianites. However, God instructs him…
In Judges 6, the Israelites once again sinned against the Lord and were oppressed by the Midianites for seven years.…
In Judges 1, we pick up on the journey after Joshua's death. Verse 1 states that the Israelites sought guidance…
Joshua 18 - Spiritually, Shiloh is an important landmark for worship during this time period. In both Judges and Samuel,…
Joshua 12 - Joshua 12 lists the 31 kings defeated by the Israelites during their conquest of Canaan. The chapter…
Joshua 10 - So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies.…
Joshua 7 - Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings…
Joshua 5 - There was a series of events that the Lord required of Joshua prior to conquering Jericho. Joshua…
Deuteronomy 26 - Once again we enter into an Old Testament story which has significant implications for how we understand…
Ezekiel 20 - For a good part of my adult life, I chased after the hopes and dreams of man.…
Ezekiel 1 - Ezekiel was 25 years old when he was taken into captivity and was 30 when he was…
Acts 23 - "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents…
Acts 21 - This was a tough chapter for me. We read that the voice of the Holy Spirit is…
Acts 19 - Paul in Ephesus is a great reminder for our churches today. From his investment, we know that…
Acts 15 - The first question we want to know is, who was right and who was wrong between Paul…
Acts 13 - Paul and Barnabas visit multiple synagogues and work there way across the island of Cyprus from east…
Acts 12 - King Herod never saw it coming. The grandson of the infamous Herod the Great was part of…
Acts 11 - Unfortunately, the attitude that Peter experiences here in Acts 11 is all too common in our church…
Acts 9 - Saul We are reminded here in chapter 9 that even the most rebellious and hard-hearted people can…
Acts 7 - I can vividly remember the old seat belt PSA that was shown on TV all the time…
Acts 6 - We really have two storylines going on here. We have a great leadership move and a great…
Acts 5 - The early church faced persecution from both the Pharisees and the Sadducees. After hearing the testimony of…
Acts 4 - As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and…
Acts 3 - The miraculous signs and wonders led to opportunities to authenticate the message of the Gospel. Peter did…
Acts 1 - At the end of Chapter 1, the apostles have just witnessed the ascension of Jesus and are…
Lamentations 5 - We don't often think in terms of the comprehensive suffering that Judah endured during exile. It was…
Leviticus 23 - There are several of these celebrations that were brought into modern-day by Christianity. Passover = Good Friday.…
Leviticus 6 - In Leviticus 6, we get a picture of the reparation offering. There were many offenses that constituted…
Leviticus 2 - The grain or cereal offering of the OT symbolized man's work for God. The offering would be…
Revelation 21 - There is a lot of crossover between what Isaiah writes in chapter 65 and the 21st chapter…
Revelation 20 - If someone comes up and asks you, "How do you interpret Revelation?" most likely, they are referring…
Revelation 19 - After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven,…
Revelation 16 - The continuity of the seals and the trumpets is broken up with the bowls as they move…
Revelation 15 - The divine judgment which was revealed by the seals and proclaimed by the trumpets will now be…
Revelation 14 - First question I asked myself... who is Babylon? John, again, is writing symbolically here. Literal Babylon was…
Revelation 13 - The First Beast At the end of Revelation 12, we read of Satan's rage. He sets out…
Revelation 11 - I think a major issue with Revelation 11 is the fact that it relies heavily on Revelation…
Revelation 10 - This vision differs from the others for the simple fact that John is engaged in the action…
Revelation 9 - The 5th Trumpet The 5th trumpet releases a key to open the abyss. Many scholars believe this…
Revelation 8 - Continuing on the theme from Chapter 7, John either heard or saw something with every seal that…
Revelation 7 - God’s primary motive in our hearts has always been this: transformation. I think it's important to understand…
Revelation 6 - I grew up in Berne, Indiana which sits directly on top of the continental divide. If you…
Revelation 5 - The Scroll In ancient times, the Romans would seal their wills seven times. Each wax seal usually…
Revelation 4 - The Throne We just recently studied the book of Ezekiel and Leviticus which have some strong ties…
Revelation 3 - Lukewarm I remember several years ago going to a music festival in Kentucky called Ichthus. It was…
Revelation 2 - Although these letters are addressed to specific congregations in the first century, I believe they are representative…
Revelation 1 - The comparison game. We all do it. When life throws us unpredictable storms, (and especially when we…
Jeremiah 50 - “Their Redeemer is strong, the Lord of hosts is His name.” Jeremiah 50:34 As the book of…
Jeremiah 30 - God works in mysterious ways. It's cliche but truth for this chapter. He is flexing his muscles…
Jeremiah 20 - Are you overwhelmed by Jesus right now? Yes, it's a convicting question, but it reveals so much.…
Jeremiah 10 - Let's face it; we love idols. Consumerism is drilled into us at an early age. Most of…
2 Chronicles 15 - Several years ago my wife was trying to get me onboard with adoption. Shamefully, I was…
2 Chronicles 10 - It seems like this whole situation began to unravel in such a short period of time.…
2 Chronicles 9 - Jesus actually spoke of this encounter between the Queen of Sheba and Solomon. In Matthew 12…
2 Chronicles 8 - Some boast in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of…
1 Chronicles 27 - Listed among the commanders of war was a very intriguing man by the name of Benaiah.…
1 Chronicles 25 - Attention musicians! Does the name Asaph mean anything to you? Anyone....anyone.....Bueller? Although it might not mean…
1 Chronicles 21 - To David's credit, he takes responsibility for the error in judgment. He even asks God to…
1 Chronicles 18 - So David reigned over all Israel, and he administered justice and equity to all his people.…
1 Chronicles 12 - The story of David's mighty men sounds a bit like a Hollywood blockbuster. In Chapter 11,…
1 Chronicles 9 - Psalms 99:5-6 ESV Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he! 6…
1 Chronicles 8 - Within the tribe of Benjamin, we are reminded of Israel's first king. He was the best…
1 Chronicles 6 - One particular name that sticks out in this chapter is Hilkiah. An unknown to most people,…
1 Chronicles 5 - For many fell, because the war was of God. And they lived in their place until…
1 Chronicles 4 - I also find the mentioning of Jabez to be fascinating in this long list of names.…
1 Chronicles 3 - Why the detailed genealogies? In order to affirm God's plan for Christ to come from Adam,…
1 Chronicles 2 - This chapter begins with the lineage of Jacob through his 12 sons. However, it really focuses…
Isaiah 62 - *If you haven't read the Isaiah 61 blog entry, it would be helpful for context. Isaiah 62…
Isaiah 56 - Here at the end of the chapter, we read that Israel's irresponsible leaders are the source of…
Isaiah 54 - This chapter focuses on the wonderful love God has for His people. Amazingly, even though human sin…
Isaiah 50 - Here in Isaiah 50 we read a soliloquy by the Servant as well as statements directed toward…
Isaiah 47 - God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. You were secure in your wickedness; you…
Isaiah 45 - Exodus 33:20 NASB But He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me…
Isaiah 43 - Should we forget the past or remember it? This is a troubling question. On the surface, it…
Isaiah 41 - In this chapter, God is reminding His people of His promises. The people of Israel would be…
Isaiah 40 - The theme of chapters 7-39 focuses directly on the punishment of God. It's easy to read this…
Isaiah 31 - God had willed captivity for His people. He also willed restoration. When we must go through a…
Isaiah 27 - This chapter, as a whole, is about the destruction of Israel's enemies. The smaller story line, however,…
Isaiah 26 - Disease. Affliction. Poverty. The kingdom of man wrestles with the birth pains of this world. The city…
Isaiah 23 - Babylon was the great city along the eastern side of the ancient world and Tyre was considered…
Isaiah 20 - Let's first set the stage. Coming on the heels of Isaiah 19 and the oracle concerning Egypt,…
Isaiah 18 - I believe that chapter 18 is an expansion of Isaiah 17:12-14. The flow between the two chapters…
Isaiah 13 - Chapters 7-12 were Messianic in nature and now in Chapter 13 of Isaiah turns to the surrounding…
Isaiah 7 - War has broken out and Jerusalem is under attack. Amazingly, God shows King Ahaz mercy by commanding…
Isaiah 6 - The first 5 chapters of Isaiah outline his prophecies, but do not establish his calling. In chapter…
Colossians 2 - Think of it in these terms. Any philosopher, theologian, scientist, professor or quantum physicist, whether Christian or…
Philippians 4 - As I introduced in my commentary on Philippians 1, we read in Chapter 4 that this church…
Ephesians 6 - It all begins with Psalm 82:1. God presides in the heavenly council; in the assembly of the…
Ephesians 5 - For this reason, it says, "Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on…
Ephesians 3 - It's one of my favorite prayers in Scripture. Ephesians 3:14-21. Once you really see and experience how…
Ephesians 2 - Many of us today live under the illusion that we simply can’t change. Hidden deep under a…