Nehemiah 1
Nehemiah 1 - Back in the minor prophets, we learned that very few Jewish people left Babylon to return to their own land when they were granted permission. Out of approximately 2.5 million Jews, only about 50,000 ...
Hebrews 1
Hebrews 1 - We do not know the writer of Hebrews and honestly, it doesn't matter. The book is absolutely beautiful. Written with a unique elegance, this Holy Spirit-inspired author had mastered the principles of rhetoric 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 ...
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 5
Zechariah 5 - Even though the Jewish people were brought back to their land, were forgiven of their sins, and were inspired by the Holy Spirit to complete the temple, God still had standards for them. What ...
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 ...
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 2
Micah 2 - People only want to hear what tickles their ears. They don't want to hear the truth. "Men haven't changed much. They don't want to hear really of the judgment of God that is to ...
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 ...
Hosea 7
Hosea 7 - "Two-faced and double-tongued,they steal you blind, pick you clean.It never crosses their mindthat I keep account of their every crime" Hosea 7:2 God exposes Israel's two-sided nature in this chapter. He compares them to ...
Daniel 11
Daniel 11 - Daniel 11 contains some of the most specifically accurate prophecies in the entire Bible. Critics have often wondered if this chapter was written after the historical events took place because it is so deadly ...
Daniel 9
Daniel 9 - All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 ...
Daniel 8
Daniel 8 - This chapter is one of the most controversial and heavily debated chapters in all the Bible. However, there is still solid truth we can take away. First, we must realize that even the interpreter ...
Daniel 7
Daniel 7 - The prophetic part of Daniel starts here with Chapter 7. It is unlikely that we can know exactly what is being talked about here, or even the timing of these events. Scholars have differed ...
1 Corinthians 14
1 Corinthians 14 - Gifts that are meant to edify the body, share with the body. Gifts that are meant to edify you personally, keep them personal. Paul's stance on tongues is clear. If there is no ...
Psalm 148
Psalm 148 - It is a word that has become obsolete in many Christian circles. Sin. The rebellion of man that separates us from God is our primary issue in life. The Bible opens in Genesis with ...
Psalm 146
Psalm 146 - Psalms 146:3 NASB Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. Dr. A.C. Gaebelein describes his conversation with an Orthodox Jew who interpreted this passage incorrectly. “He stated ...
Psalm 125
Psalm 125 - It is a bold declaration, especially within the turmoil of our world today. Those who trust in the Lord will never be moved. Never. Think about that for a moment. Those who trust can ...
Psalm 117
Psalm 117 - Although short, this psalm packs a heavy punch. God calls all people to worship Him. The calling of the Gentiles (all people other than Jews) was in the plan of God from the beginning. ...
Psalm 111
Psalm 111 - The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His instructions have good insight. His praise endures forever. Psalms 111:10 HCSB Do you have good insight? The NASB translates it ...
Psalm 99
Psalm 99 - God is holy. Let them praise Your great and awe-inspiring name. He is holy. Psalms 99:3 HCSB Exalt the LORD our God; bow in worship at His footstool. He is holy. Psalms 99:5 HCSB ...
Psalm 98
Psalm 98 - Do we actually praise and worship God for His judgment? Let the sea and all that fills it, the world and those who live in it, resound. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands; ...
Psalm 97
Psalm 97 - When we look back at Scripture, we see just how holy God really is. Anyone who came into the fullness of God (or Jesus in His heavenly form) were overwhelmed beyond comprehension. Wrestling With ...
Psalm 90
Psalm 90 - So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom. Psalms 90:12 NASB We've all heard stories of those who receive a heart-breaking terminal diagnosis, and are ...
Psalm 87
Psalm 87 - "I shall mention Rahab and Babylon among those who know Me; Behold, Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia: 'This one was born there.'" Psalms 87:4 NASB A relationship with Jesus is not based on genetics ...
Psalm 80
Psalm 80 - There are some aspects to growth that can only happen in community. This is the central theme of this chapter. Three times the psalmist pleads for victory through restoration. However, it is not a ...
Psalm 78
Psalm 78 - Coming off the heels of Psalm 77 where we are to remember God's faithfulness, we now move into the action steps behind those memories. At the end of Psalm 77, I wrote that we ...
Psalm 76
Psalm 76 - God is faithful. His track record is perfect. He never fails and never shows up late. His power is unmatched and His grace is providential. God is known in Judah; His name is great ...
Psalm 75
Psalm 75 - Psalm 75 is a plea for justice. The dilemma with justice is that many of us want it to reign down on those around us but fail to take a look in the mirror. ...
Psalm 66
Psalm 66 - The end of Psalm 66 highlights various ways in which we are to walk out the mercy of God in our lives. All of us who have believed have received grace from the Father ...
Psalm 45
Psalm 45 - Psalms 45:3-5 describes our Savior Jesus Christ returning as a Warrior Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, in your splendor and majesty! 4 In your majesty ride out victoriously for the ...
Psalm 29
Psalm 29 - In Canaanite poetry, it was believed that Baal was the god of the storm who controlled the thunderous claps of the sky. It was also believed that Baal was victorious over the waters of ...
Psalm 19
Psalm 19 - One of the issues addressed in this psalm is hidden sin. I'm not talking about sins you know about, but sin that you are ignorant of. The psalmist calls them "hidden faults." None of ...
Mark 9
Mark 9 - We all know the greatest commandment according to Jesus. Here's a refresher... "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. ...
Mark 1
Mark 1 - It's fascinating to identify the different writing styles of the Gospel authors. Matthew began with genealogy. His mission was to write to the Jews and prove that Jesus was the heir to David's throne. ...
Deuteronomy 13
Deuteronomy 13 - When did self-appointed titles become a "thing" in the church? When did "a word" become more important than action? When did the thoughts inside people's heads become full-blown prophecies directly from the mouth of ...
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 1
Ecclesiastes 1 - The Bible quite often emphasizes its main point by using a common Hebrew superlative. We see this in Song of Songs which literally means "the loveliest of songs." We see it with the description ...
Numbers 25
Numbers 25 - The Bible was not written to convince us that we are good, but rather, to illustrate that God is good despite how much we fail. This is clearly seen in the book of Numbers. ...
Numbers 14
Numbers 14 - Jumping to conclusions. We do it all the time. I'm guilty of it, and so are you. Speculation can vary from discernment to intuition to an absolutely sinful attitude. In this chapter, we are ...
Numbers 8
Numbers 8 - The cleansing of the Levites was an important step in helping the people understand and respond accordingly to God's holiness. The acts described were symbols of spiritual cleansing. For example, shaving their bodies would ...
Luke 21
Luke 21 - Some speculate Jesus' warnings were to be interpreted for the people of that time and others speculate they are future events. We know that the apostles would suffer incredible persecution after Jesus resurrected and ...
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 9
Luke 9 Commentary by Brad Boyles Feeding of the 5,000 This sign/miracle of feeding the 5,000 is recorded in all 4 Gospels. Matthew 14:21 specifies 5,000 males, and further emphasizes the point by adding, “Besides women and children.” Many Bible ...
Luke 8
Luke 8 Commentary by Brad Boyles Starting in verse 26 we see an amazing story of casting out a legion of demons. The demons know who Jesus is, and are frightened by Him. And Jesus asked him, "What is your ...
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 43
Ezekiel 43 - In chapters 8-11 of Ezekiel, we find the presence of the Lord leaving the temple. This was symbolic of what was about to happen to the people as their protection was removed and they ...
Ezekiel 38
Ezekiel 38 - This chapter has gained a lot of attention in recent years as expositors have focused on the connection to modern-day events. Though some scholars are quick to label this chapter as apocalyptic, many are ...
Ezekiel 31
Ezekiel 31 - The cedars of Lebanon were highly esteemed as symbols of excellence and domination. They towered up to 80 feet in height and were thick with spreading branches. God says not even the trees of ...
Ezekiel 30
Ezekiel 30 - The historical validity of this chapter is amazing. In verse 13-19, God speaks specifically to cities within Egypt and gives vivid details for what they will face. Is it ironic that one of the ...