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 16
In Judges 16, Samson visits Gaza and sleeps with a prostitute. The Philistines plan to ambush him, but Samson escapes by tearing out the city gates and carrying them to the top of a mountain ...
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 14
In Judges 14, Samson saw a Philistine woman in Timnah and demanded his parents arrange the marriage, despite their objections. They did not realize this was part of God's plan to confront the ...
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 8
In Judges 8, Gideon was criticized by the men of Ephraim for not including them in the battle against Midian, but he appeased them by highlighting their own victories. As he and his 300 men pursued the ...
Judges 7
In Judges 7, Gideon gathers his troops near the spring of Harod to face the Midianites. However, God instructs him to reduce the number of soldiers so that Israel will not boast in their own strength ...
Judges 6
In Judges 6, the Israelites once again sinned against the Lord and were oppressed by the Midianites for seven years. The Midianites, along with the Amalekites and other desert tribes devastated Israel's crops ...
Judges 4
Judges 4 recounts how Israel once again turned from the Lord after Ehud’s death. In response, God allowed King Jabin of Canaan to oppress them for 20 years through his commander, Sisera, who led an army equipped ...
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 ...
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 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 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 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 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 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 ...
Deuteronomy 34
Deuteronomy 34 - So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. 6 And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, ...
Deuteronomy 27
Deuteronomy 27 - F.B. Meyer paints a beautiful picture of the scene we find in Deuteronomy 27. "Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal were two masses of limestone rock, reaching 2700 and 2000 feet above the sea-level. Between ...
Ezekiel 21
Ezekiel 21 - Ezekiel was a unique and inspired writer that often used abstract visuals to drive home deep spiritual principles. Although the topic is horrific, this chapter is a prime example of this. Take, for instance, ...
Ezekiel 12
Ezekiel 12 - "Son of man, what is this proverb you people have concerning the land of Israel, saying, 'The days are long and every vision fails'? Ezekiel 12:22 NASB "Son of man, behold, the house of ...
Ezekiel 11
Ezekiel 11 - Although it was written thousands of years ago, Ezekiel 11 has a lot of application for our current society. God said to me, "Mortal man, these men make evil plans and give bad advice ...
Ezekiel 3
Ezekiel 3 - First, let's paint a backdrop of what Ezekiel is dealing with here. The people of Israel have continually rejected the Word and the prophets. They are stubborn and obstinant (Eze 3:7). They, like us, ...
Ezekiel 2
Ezekiel 2 - It is intriguing to consider that God's Spirit entered Ezekiel in order to empower him to complete the task. This was not always the case in the OT as God sovereignly chose those individuals ...
Ezekiel 1
Ezekiel 1 - Ezekiel was 25 years old when he was taken into captivity and was 30 when he was called into ministry. Outside of the book named after him, there is no other reference to Ezekiel ...
Acts 28
Acts 28 - I love the image of Paul here at the end of Acts. He is a man who, under normal circumstances, would have no joy. He’s been falsely accused, spent a considerable amount of time ...
Acts 25
Acts 25 - The reason Paul was able to appeal to Caesar and the higher court was because he was rightfully a Roman citizen. The tricky part, as I understand it, was that the Jews wanted to ...
Acts 23
Acts 23 - "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 "But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the ...
Acts 20
Acts 20 - In a bittersweet scene, Paul lays it all on the line for the leaders of Ephesus as he departs for Jerusalem. He knows they will not see each other again, but he is confident ...
Acts 19
Acts 19 - Paul in Ephesus is a great reminder for our churches today. From his investment, we know that Ephesus was just the start of Christianity in Asia Minor. The churches in Revelation were all born ...
Acts 18
Acts 18 - Corinth had a bad reputation for being a city chock full of immorality. It was known as the hub for Aphrodite (fertility goddess) worship. It was also known for having a major temple dedicated ...
Acts 15
Acts 15 - The first question we want to know is, who was right and who was wrong between Paul and Barnabas? I feel that when we approach it from that angle we really miss Luke’s point. ...
Acts 14
Acts 14 - When Paul and Barnabas were in Lystra speaking to the people, they saw a lame man who gazed intently at them as they spoke. Prompted by the Spirit, Paul asked the lame man to ...
Acts 13
Acts 13 - Paul and Barnabas visit multiple synagogues and work there way across the island of Cyprus from east to west. When they reached Paphos, they encounter a snag. A Jewish false prophet by the name ...
Acts 9
Acts 9 - Saul We are reminded here in chapter 9 that even the most rebellious and hard-hearted people can be powerfully used by God. In fact, I believe wholeheartedly in the saying, “whoever is forgiven much, ...
Acts 6
Acts 6 - We really have two storylines going on here. We have a great leadership move and a great Holy Spirit move both packed into one chapter. The beginning of Stephen is a great story, and ...
Acts 5
Acts 5 - The early church faced persecution from both the Pharisees and the Sadducees. After hearing the testimony of Peter, they were ready to kill these men just like they had Jesus. But wisdom prevailed. But ...
Acts 4
Acts 4 - As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, 2 being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and ...
Acts 2
Acts 2 - At the end of Acts 2, we read the three essentials that contributed to a fruitful body. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread ...
Leviticus 27
Leviticus 27 - The New International Commentary (Old Testament) gives a clear summary of this chapter... The custom of making vows and tithing is simply assumed in the NT (see Ac 18:18; Act 21:23; Mat 23:23) as ...
Leviticus 26
Leviticus 26 - First off, this is a crazy awesome chapter that raises many significant questions. In the most direct and straightforward language that He can use, God lays out the future possibilities for His people. These ...
Leviticus 23
Leviticus 23 - There are several of these celebrations that were brought into modern-day by Christianity. Passover = Good Friday. Unleavened Bread = Easter. And finally, the Festival of the Weeks = Pentecost. Most of us know ...
Leviticus 16
Leviticus 16 - The goat chosen for Azazel shall be presented alive to the LORD and sent off into the desert to Azazel, in order to take away the sins of the people. Leviticus 16:10 GNB It's ...
Leviticus 15
Leviticus 15 - The verses here in Leviticus 15 are not directly discussed in the NT but they are alluded to. Many of us remember the story of the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. ...
Leviticus 14
Leviticus 14 - The book of Leviticus deals with holiness in terms of wholeness. It was extremely important for the priests of the OT to have knowledge in what is considered "clean" and "unclean." This allowed them ...
Leviticus 10
Leviticus 10 - By the end of Leviticus 9, everything seems to be going great... until we turn the page to Leviticus 10. Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his fire pan, put live coals in ...
Leviticus 8
Leviticus 8 - The comprehensive and infectious consequences of sin have no limit. Why did Aaron and his family need to be consecrated? Because they needed to be ceremonially set apart in order to be a priest ...
Leviticus 3
Leviticus 3 - In Leviticus 1, we explored the burnt offering. In Leviticus 2, it was the grain offering. Now, in Leviticus 3, we come to the peace offering. If you remember, the burnt offering required only ...
Leviticus 2
Leviticus 2 - The grain or cereal offering of the OT symbolized man's work for God. The offering would be brought to the priest and would symbolize man's willingness to keep the law. But, the grain offering ...
Leviticus 1
Leviticus 1 - The book of Leviticus picks up right where Exodus left off. The opening verse begins with "Then the Lord called to Moses..." 'Then' signals us to look back at the end of Exodus which ...
Revelation 19
Revelation 19 - After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2 for his judgments are ...
Revelation 17
Revelation 17 - We have already reiterated it over many chapters, but Rome stood proudly as a pagan symbol against Christ and His church. Here in Revelation 17, she is personified as a notorious prostitute. She represents ...
Revelation 13
Revelation 13 - The First Beast At the end of Revelation 12, we read of Satan's rage. He sets out to destroy the people of God. Now, in Revelation 13, we are introduced to the two henchmen ...
Revelation 12
Revelation 12 - The Woman It is out of Israel that the Messiah will come, therefore, it makes sense that the woman would represent not only Israel but also the Messianic community. We can marry these two ...
Revelation 10
Revelation 10 - This vision differs from the others for the simple fact that John is engaged in the action firsthand. The angel that appears before John is hidden in a cloud and his legs were pillars ...
Revelation 8
Revelation 8 - Continuing on the theme from Chapter 7, John either heard or saw something with every seal that was opened. Here in Revelation 8, the seventh seal is broken and he hears and sees nothing ...
Revelation 3
Revelation 3 - Lukewarm I remember several years ago going to a music festival in Kentucky called Ichthus. It was basically a camping trip with live Christian music playing at all times across multiple stages. Now, I'm ...
Revelation 2
Revelation 2 - Although these letters are addressed to specific congregations in the first century, I believe they are representative of all churches that will exist throughout history. No matter what church you attend, it is likely ...
Revelation 1
Revelation 1 - The comparison game. We all do it. When life throws us unpredictable storms, (and especially when we wrestle with why God would allow such things) we feel sorry for ourselves. We ask ourselves questions ...
Jeremiah 52
Jeremiah 52 - The final chapter of Jeremiah gives a summary of the events which have occurred, giving us some additional details as to what took place. The thing that strikes me the most in reading this ...
Jeremiah 45
Jeremiah 45 - This is a flashback to the 4th year of Jehoiakim so it's not happening here alongside the destruction of Jerusalem. However, it was placed here, probably to be a timely reminder that God is ...
Jeremiah 43
Jeremiah 43 - What we see here in chapter 43 is just the usual for Jeremiah. Once again, after all that has happened, the men of Judah decide he is a liar and they will not obey ...
Jeremiah 41
Jeremiah 41 - The scene here in chapter 41 is reminiscent of a Hollywood blockbuster action movie. The nation is already mourning the total destruction of Jerusalem, and with a dramatic twist, the body count continues to ...
Jeremiah 39
Jeremiah 39 - After 2 ½ years of the people watching and wondering when the Babylonian army would penetrate their city, it finally happened. Jerusalem was taken captive. King Zedekiah, who had been told by Jeremiah to surrender, did the opposite ...
Jeremiah 31
Jeremiah 31 - There is a lot going on in this chapter, and it can seem kind of confusing. I want to focus on the very interesting but highly controversial verse 15. Thus says the LORD: "A ...
Jeremiah 30
Jeremiah 30 - God works in mysterious ways. It's cliche but truth for this chapter. He is flexing his muscles once again and showing that His plan cannot be thwarted - even by our rebellious sin. There ...
Jeremiah 28
Jeremiah 28 - We get to see the incredible discernment of Jeremiah here in this chapter. He is challenged by Hananiah, a false prophet, and publicly humiliated when the yoke is taken from his neck and shattered ...
Jeremiah 21
Jeremiah 21 - It has finally happened. Babylon is bearing down on Judah and God is allowing it to happen. He has warned them over so many chapters of this coming doom if they did not repent ...
Jeremiah 20
Jeremiah 20 - Are you overwhelmed by Jesus right now? Yes, it's a convicting question, but it reveals so much. Jeremiah was consumed by the Lord and from that relationship would come the conviction to lead others. ...
Jeremiah 18
Jeremiah 18 - How insane is it to think that a piece of clay has any say in what the potter is doing? Yet, many pieces of clay today insult the Potter by protesting against His hands. ...
Jeremiah 15
Jeremiah 15 - The insecurities of Jeremiah are starting to show. He's really stuck between a rock and hard place. He knows he needs to continue to obey God, but it's costing him so much with his ...
Jeremiah 13
Jeremiah 13 - Burdens for people can be so heavy. When we sense that the ways of Jesus are not a priority in someone’s life, there is heartache and sorrow. God brings our attention to His heart ...
Jeremiah 9
Jeremiah 9 - Have you ever been torn between sorrow and anger? On one hand, we are incensed at the lack of spiritual depth in others' lives. On the other hand, we grieve for the turmoil and ...
Jeremiah 6
Jeremiah 6 - A few years ago, I discovered that the agitator in our washing machine was not turning like it was supposed to. After disassembling the whole thing, I discovered that the bolt had worn down ...
2 Chronicles 16
2 Chronicles 16 - There is so much in this chapter that is personal and meaningful for me. As someone who has struggled with unexplained health issues, it seems that every day is a battle. The temptation ...
2 Chronicles 15
2 Chronicles 15 - Several years ago my wife was trying to get me onboard with adoption. Shamefully, I was hesitant. It just wasn't the direction or the plan I thought would unfold. For months, she would ...
2 Chronicles 13
2 Chronicles 13 - After reading this chapter, I am reminded of a common situation we have all encountered. It's that moment when someone is telling the truth, but not giving you the full story. When a ...
2 Chronicles 12
2 Chronicles 12 - Rehoboam did what was evil, because he did not determine in his heart to seek the LORD ...
2 Chronicles 4
2 Chronicles 4 - Then he made the ten golden lampstands in the way prescribed for them and he set them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. 2 Chronicles 4:7 ...
1 Chronicles 25
1 Chronicles 25 - Attention musicians! Does the name Asaph mean anything to you? Anyone....anyone.....Bueller? Although it might not mean anything to us, the name Asaph was as familar as Bach or Beethoven in ancient Israel. In ...
1 Chronicles 4
1 Chronicles 4 - I also find the mentioning of Jabez to be fascinating in this long list of names. His name meant "pain." More specifically though, it was translated "he causes pain" which ...
1 Chronicles 3
1 Chronicles 3 - Why the detailed genealogies? In order to affirm God's plan for Christ to come from Adam, David, and Abraham. These names are the historical proof of the fulfilled promises of God. Of course, ...
Ruth 4
Ruth 4 - You may remember a few chapters back when Ruth worked hard pacing the fields and following the reaper's footsteps. Now, as she has become one with the owner, that land becomes her inheritance. As ...
Ruth 3
Ruth 3 - The act of Naomi asking Ruth to go and seek out Boaz does not translate well to our current cultural norms. Boaz was not only a relative, but he was considered the goel, or, ...
Isaiah 65
Isaiah 65 - God has made Himself available. He is standing with arms outstretched ready to help His people. God says one thing, but the people say another. God offers His help, but the people will not ...
Isaiah 56
Isaiah 56 - Here at the end of the chapter, we read that Israel's irresponsible leaders are the source of their blindness. Anytime that leadership is failing, the people under that leadership have little chance of success. ...
Isaiah 55
Isaiah 55 - Faith in Jesus without a life filled with Jesus' attitude and behavior is no life of faith at all. There are no excuses because a reborn life is not done in our own strength ...
Isaiah 46
Isaiah 46 - The weight of holding onto our idols can be unbearable. Like a backpack full of bricks, the straps pull on our shoulders, twisting our back as we awkwardly try and move forward. With each ...
Isaiah 45
Isaiah 45 - Exodus 33:20 NASB But He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!" He is the unseen God, and for good reason. If we would look at Him, ...
Isaiah 41
Isaiah 41 - In this chapter, God is reminding His people of His promises. The people of Israel would be used to glorify the one and only true God of this world. Even though consequences were coming, ...
Isaiah 35
Isaiah 35 - The promise at the end of the chapter is beautiful. There will be no lion there, and no vicious beast will go up on it; they will not be found there. But the redeemed ...
Isaiah 16
Isaiah 16 - Though Moab's nation was broken to pieces, they had far more hope through Salvation than did Babylon or Philistia. The language describing the destruction of Moab offers much hope. In fact, we read in ...
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 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 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 ...
Philippians 2
Philippians 2 - Paul's opening in Philippians 2 follows a delicate and precise structure. He opens with "Therefore" and unfortunately the breakup of these chapters forces us to lose part of the context if we don't go ...