Exodus 31
Exodus 31 - At the end of the chapter, God reminds Israel of the third sign of their covenant - the Sabbath. Overall, these signs were established as a reminder of the great provision of God, and ...
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 20
Exodus 20 - The 10 Commandments illustrate the vertical and horizontal obedience that God desired for humanity. Jesus came to fulfill and (in many ways) raise the standard of the law. Mount Sinai was a particular summit ...
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 2
Exodus 2 - He was given the name of Moses by Pharaoh's daughter because she "drew him out of the water." It Hebrew his name means "one who draws out." This would be a common theme in ...
Exodus 1
Exodus 1 - The bitter labor that was given to Israel actually made them multiply and grow. In the future, when the Passover celebration would be established, the bitter herbs would come to represent the bitterness of ...
Jude 1
Jude 1 - Jude was one of four half-brothers of Jesus. In the Greek, the name Jude was synonymous with Judas. "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James ...
3 John 1
3 John 1 - Gaius was the Greek way of writing the Roman name Caius. Believe it or not, there are many references to Caius in Scripture. In Romans 16, Paul mentions a Caius who lived in ...
1 John 4
1 John 4 - When I worked in the computer software industry, I became familiar with the latest viruses and malware that would infect our client's computers. It seemed like every few months or so, there was ...
1 John 3
1 John 3 - This really is an incredible chapter! It's hard to summarize these thoughts in just a few paragraphs. I was really drawn to the first several verses that speak to believers being children of ...
Job 41
Job 41 - It is the mystery of the Leviathan... No beast, terrestrial or aquatic, deserves the high character here given, though that character only considers him as unconquerably strong, ferociously cruel, and wonderfully made. Perhaps leviathan ...
Job 37
Job 37 - We experience and come to know God through Scripture. Another place we come to know Him is through His creation. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and ...
Job 33
Job 33 - As I read Elihu speak, I feel the tension of two different angles. On one hand, Elihu is young and a little bit cocky. He says things like, "Keep silent, and I will teach ...
Job 32
Job 32 - Elihu may have been younger, but he had the genealogy going for him. But the anger of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram burned; against Job his anger ...
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 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 13
Job 13 - If it's true that the enduring attitude of a believer is a great threat to everything the enemy is trying ...
Job 2
Job 2 - There are a few differing thoughts that we naturally progress through as we read the story unfold in Chapter 2. The first is compassion. We empathize with Job. What a horrible situation to be ...
Job 1
Job 1 - The entire book of Job explores tough themes and deep theological questions. Namely, it seeks to answer the ancient question we still hear so often today - "If God is so good, why does ...
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 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 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 11
Matthew 11 - Yet another piece of evidence that confirms Jesus was indeed the Messiah is the presence of John the Baptist. As prophecy foretold, in Malachi, there would be a forerunner. "Behold, I am going to ...
Matthew 9
Matthew 9 - Interestingly, as Matthew writes his account of his own selection as a disciple, he chooses to use his new name, Matthew, instead of his old name, Levi. As Levi, he was a tax collector, ...
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 24
Proverbs 24 - The empty U-Haul is parked out front. Your belongings are packed away in boxes. The move has begun. "By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; 4 by knowledge the ...
Proverbs 20
Proverbs 20 - This chapter really addresses a diverse range of topics. Excessive drinking, gossip, pride, and disobedience, just to name a few. Here is what stuck out to me... "The one who lives with integrity is ...
Proverbs 8
Proverbs 8 - When I was in college, I reluctantly took a poetry class. It was difficult for me, but I actually managed to learn a few things. The Bible is chock-full of literary masterpieces. The artistic ...
2 Peter 2
2 Peter 2 - 2 Peter 2 opens by describing two different kinds of false people within the church. Maybe we have never taken the time to consider the difference between false prophets and false teachers? Maybe ...
Philemon 1
Philemon 1 - Paul offers us a lesson in diplomacy and peacemaking. At the time, Paul was a prisoner in Rome and his friend Philemon was stationed in Colossae. We don't know all the details but it ...
Titus 2
Titus 2 - Years ago, I remember a conversation I was having with a group of teenagers when suddenly the topic veered into spiritual territory. A few of them were asking questions about the Bible and before ...
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 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 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 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 ...
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 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 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 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 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 Timothy 1
2 Timothy 1 - The personal nature of 2 Timothy 1 really shines! Paul was such a gifted communicator and encourager. As he reflects back fondly on Timothy's faith and initial calling, he reminds him that God ...
1 Timothy 5
1 Timothy 5 - Through Jesus' sacrifice and forgiveness, we enter into a new relationship with God. As our father, He loves us unconditionally and leads us into truth and light. The point is, it is Jesus ...
Romans 16
Romans 16 - This is a phenomenal chapter that champions the role of women in the church. Romans 16 begins with an affirmation of a woman serving in a position of leadership. I commend to you our ...
Romans 10
Romans 10 - A lot of times we talk about people having knowledge about God, but no zeal for him. Here, Paul is attacking just the opposite. He is accusing the Jews of having much zeal for ...
Romans 9
Romans 9 - Paul now shifts his focus to the Israelites specifically. His heart is so heavy for his brothers and sisters. Although they had knowledge of God, they had not truly humbled themselves to him. He ...
2 Kings 22
2 Kings 22 - It is through the Word of God that we are able to see and feel the conviction our heart needs to change. For Josiah, it occurred during a tough time for the nation. ...
2 Kings 16
2 Kings 16 - This was a horrific compromise by Ahaz as he decided to trust the Assyrian army to bail him out of this looming threat. When we read this same story from the book of ...
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 ...
2 Kings 1
2 Kings 1 - Same story, different chapter. After reading about all of Ahab's disastrous choices, we now move into the reign of Ahaziah. The gist of the story is that Ahaziah has experienced a severe fall ...
1 Kings 21
1 Kings 21 - When Elijah finished speaking, Ahab tore his clothes, took them off, and put on sackcloth. He refused food, slept in the sackcloth, and went about gloomy and depressed. 1 Kings 21:27 The tearing ...
1 Kings 20
1 Kings 20 - There are some incredible spiritual metaphors we can glean from these passages which build on the disobedience of Ahab in 1 Kings 19. Right off the bat, there is the threat of warfare. ...
1 Kings 17
1 Kings 17 - Since Baal was considered the god of the sky, or "the storm god," it would be a drought that God would use to grab the people's attention. God was setting the scene to ...
1 Kings 5
1 Kings 5 - There were two key ingredients Solomon needed in order to build the temple. 1) Peace. 2) Wood. This was an amazing time for Israel as they had no threats from their enemies. "You ...
1 Kings 4
1 Kings 4 - This was the golden age for Israel as we read in verses 20-21... The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore; they ate and ...
1 Kings 3
1 Kings 3 - Incredibly, we see both the pinnacle of Solomon's character as well as a foreshadowing of his downfall here in chapter 3. Solomon desired to serve the Lord. He could have asked God for ...
Genesis 49
Genesis 49 - What did Jacob's prophecies mean long-term for these sons of Israel? Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength and the firstfruits of my virility, excelling in prominence, excelling in power. 4 Turbulent as water, ...
Genesis 46
Genesis 46 - Genesis 46 contains an ancient treasure documented only four times in all of Genesis. It is a simple but powerful phrase God would use to draw His people into total obedience. Do. Not. Fear. ...
Genesis 36
Genesis 36 - The bullet points of Esau's life were not great. God blessed him and his family, but the blessings were only material in nature. Long before, Isaac and Rebekah were concerned about Esau's choice to ...
Genesis 35
Genesis 35 - Which is more dangerous, heading to Bethel or disobeying God? We often justify disobedience with fear. We often convince ourselves that safety is more important than a total commitment to Jesus. But the truth ...
Genesis 34
Genesis 34 - There are so many issues here and they are glaring. What is clearly evident in this story is that one disaster builds upon another when we refuse to obey God. Jacob's refusal to go ...
Genesis 32
Genesis 32 - There are three points that really stick out to me in this chapter. Separation from the world will often allow us to become aware of God's greater revelation. In Genesis 31, we learn that ...
Genesis 27
Genesis 27 - What a story! As a Chicago fan, this is kind of like watching the Green Bay Packers play the Minnesota Vikings. There is no one to root for! First, we have Isaac. Though ...
Genesis 24
Genesis 24 - Consider the picture we get of Christ's relationship with the church from Isaac and Rebekah... Just like Rebekah was chosen before marriage, believers in the body are part of God's chosen people. Just like ...
Genesis 12
Genesis 12 - "Faith is not a mushroom that grows overnight in damp soil; it is an oak tree that grows for a thousand years under the blast of the wind and rain." Donald Grey Barnhouse None ...
Genesis 11
Genesis 11 - Josephus wrote of how the Tower of Babel originated from the heart and mind of Nimrod. "Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. ...
Genesis 10
Genesis 10 - Here in Genesis 10, we are introduced to an individual whose full-fledged insurrection led to all sorts of rebellion among humanity. Now Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on ...
Genesis 4
Genesis 4 - I'll be honest, this story has always confused me. Why was Abel's offering acceptable to God but Cain's was not? All we know from the story here in Genesis is that Abel offered the ...
James 5
James 5 - How should we respond to sickness and what is the church's responsibility? In Chapter 5, James gives practical advice with a balance between physical and spiritual. First, we read that anyone who is sick ...
James 4
James 4 - Consider these questions... Does the indwelling Holy Spirit war against itself? Would a believer filled with the Holy Spirit continually war against another believer who is also filled with the Holy Spirit? Look, I'm ...
James 3
James 3 - "Name-It Claim-It" Theology - believers have the power to speak anything into existence. You just have to have faith. Universalism - everyone is saved as long as they believe in some form of higher ...
John 20
John 20 - The empty tomb (Matt 28; Mark 16; Luke 24) is the most contested event by skeptics of Jesus’ death and resurrection. This is because if a skeptic concedes that the tomb was indeed empty, ...
John 18
John 18 - "While human politics is based on the premise that society must be changed in order to change people, in the politics of the Kingdom it is people who must be changed in order to ...
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 ...
John 16
John 16 - They will ban you from the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 They will do these things because they ...
John 11
John 11 - So much irony! The reasoning of the religious leaders is astounding. "Let's kill the man who is actively doing mighty works in the Name of God..." "Let's kill the man who has just proven ...
John 8
John 8 - It would not be a stretch to call this the "chapter of traps." After trying to get Jesus to condemn a woman caught in adultery, the Pharisees continue their verbal trickery. I Am The ...
John 2
John 2 - Jesus cleansed the temple twice. The first, recorded here in John 2, was early in His ministry. The second is recorded by the other gospel accounts during passion week. Jews and proselytes from all ...
Esther 8
Esther 8 - Throughout the book of Esther, I have been drawing lines connecting Haman with Satan and this chapter is no different. Haman was defeated and eliminated but the King's decree still stood over the Jewish ...
Nehemiah 13
Nehemiah 13 - So, remember that guy Tobiah? Back in Nehemiah 6 he was one of Israel's enemies who formulated a smear campaign against Nehemiah to stop the construction of the walls. Now we read that while ...
Hebrews 11
Hebrews 11 - The Hall of Faith. It is by far the most popular and most quoted chapter of Hebrews. Beautifully, the author articulates the power of faith and how it can completely change both our attitude ...
Hebrews 7
Hebrews 7 - Who was Melchizedek? You can read his full story in Genesis 14. Basically, he was a priest who came to Abraham after his defeat of Chedorlaomer and his three allies. Melchizedek gave bread and ...
Malachi 4
Malachi 4 - But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall. Malachi 4:2 HCSB ...
Malachi 2
Malachi 2 - God starts with the priests and then works His way down to marriage and divorce in this heavy-handed chapter. Rather than speak to the details, I want to look at the bigger picture. We ...
Zechariah 14
Zechariah 14 - In Philippians, Paul urges the church to "hold onto the truth we have attained." This means as truth is revealed to us, we must continue to move forward and not lose ground with regard ...
Zechariah 12
Zechariah 12 - Zechariah's name means "The Lord Remembers" and in this chapter, we get a striking image of God remembering His Jewish people. Theology is not the most important thing here, but it does determine what ...
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 2
Zechariah 2 - There is so much we could unpack in this short chapter of only 13 verses. It is rich with symbolism and prophecy. But I want to draw your focus to one section that stuck ...
Zechariah 1
Zechariah 1 - According to many scholars, Zechariah is the most messianic, apocalyptic, and end times descriptive book of the Old Testament. That's a big statement considering many have probably never read it. Haggai led the charge ...
Zephaniah 1
Zephaniah 1 - The twelve minor prophets are divided into two categories based on the time period of their ministry. Either they came before the Babylonian exile (pre-exilic) or after it (post-exilic). "Zephaniah is the last of ...
Habakkuk 3
Habakkuk 3 - O LORD, I have heard of what you have done, and I am filled with awe. Now do again in our times the great deeds you used to do. Be merciful, even when you ...
Habakkuk 1
Habakkuk 1 - Many years ago, in 2010, I was driving home from work heading north toward Fort Wayne. My windshield wipers were frantically trying to keep pace with the torrential downpour of a typical Midwestern summer ...
Micah 5
Micah 5 - Micah 5:1-5 can be confusing because three different contexts are covered in such a short span of verses. They have elements of the current context, the future Messiah's birth, and the Second Coming. Verse ...
Micah 1
Micah 1 - Dates Approximate Micah was a prophet during a very critical time for both Israel and Judah. He mostly served the nation of Judah and his ministry spanned over the kings of Jotham, Ahaz, and ...
Amos 6
Amos 6 - You never know a good thing until it's goneYou never see a crash until it's head onWhy we think we're right when we're dead wrong,You never know a good thing 'til it's gone As ...
Amos 2
Amos 2 - Amos 1 and 2 are really meant to be read and analyzed together as they are a review of the judgements from God. In Amos 2, however, we see God turn his attention away ...
Amos 1
Amos 1 - Nelson's Commentary gives an informative but concise background on the book of Amos. "The Lord sent Amos, a Judean, to Bethel to prophesy of coming judgment on Israel. But in Bethel, Amos faced a ...