Judges 21
In Judges 21, the Israelites mourned the desolation of the tribe of Benjamin and sought the Lord's guidance (Judges 21:1-4). They recalled their vow to punish those who did not join the war
Judges 19
In Judges 19, a Levite's concubine was unfaithful to him and left for her father’s house in Bethlehem. After four months, the Levite went to bring her back. Her father delayed their departure for several days ...
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 11
In Judges 11, Jephthah, a warrior from Gilead and the son of a prostitute, was driven away by his half-brothers and settled in Tob where he gathered a group of followers. When the Ammonites waged war ...
Judges 1
In Judges 1, we pick up on the journey after Joshua's death. Verse 1 states that the Israelites sought guidance from the Lord on who should lead the fight against the Canaanites. God designated Judah, who ...
Joshua 11
Joshua 11 - Let's set the backdrop. Joshua has just led Israel in defeating the cities in the south. News travels fast. The northern kings are becoming restless at the dominance of Israel. Specifically, Jabin of Hazor. ...
Joshua 9
Joshua 9 - The Gibeonites, fearing Israel's conquests, deceive Joshua and the Israelites by pretending to be from a distant land. They present worn-out provisions to secure a peace treaty, which the Israelites agree to without consulting God. ...
Acts 8
Acts 8 - It's an awesome thing when the Holy Spirit begins to transform lives and show himself in amazing and unpredictable ways. The early church was on fire and the gasoline that was fueling it was ...
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 ...
Lamentations 4
Lamentations 4 - With graphic detail, Jeremiah describes all the ways in which his people suffered during the Babylonian attack on Jerusalem. Those who survived the siege lived under horrific suffering. It was so bad, that women ...
Lamentations 2
Lamentations 2 - In the second chapter of Lamentations, God expresses His hatred for sin. It's important for us to remember that although God hates sin, it does not cloud His compassion for us. However, when we ...
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. ...
Revelation 15
Revelation 15 - The divine judgment which was revealed by the seals and proclaimed by the trumpets will now be poured out by the seven bowls. From a literary standpoint, the seventh seal was unleashed by the ...
Revelation 14
Revelation 14 - First question I asked myself... who is Babylon? John, again, is writing symbolically here. Literal Babylon was a mere fraction of what it had been in years past. But, the wording certainly plays into ...
Revelation 11
Revelation 11 - I think a major issue with Revelation 11 is the fact that it relies heavily on Revelation 10 for continuity. It is best to read on and view chapters 10 and 11 as one ...
Revelation 9
Revelation 9 - The 5th Trumpet The 5th trumpet releases a key to open the abyss. Many scholars believe this is the same abyss that the demons begged Jesus not to throw them in. It may be ...
Revelation 7
Revelation 7 - God’s primary motive in our hearts has always been this: transformation. I think it's important to understand Revelation in terms of the overall picture instead of as individual narratives. We see a great transformation ...
Revelation 5
Revelation 5 - The Scroll In ancient times, the Romans would seal their wills seven times. Each wax seal usually contained an engraved emblem and sealed the letter for security or to designate ownership. Marriage contracts, leases, ...
Jeremiah 44
Jeremiah 44 - Once again the people of Judah have hardened their hearts to God. It's unreal. To be honest, this is such a hard chapter to read because Jeremiah stands here confronting them as a prophet ...
Jeremiah 34
Jeremiah 34 - Every 7 years slaves were to be released. This had been an ordinance God had established hundreds of years before. As the people’s hearts became hardened, they failed to follow this law. They were ...
2 Chronicles 20
2 Chronicles 20 - Did God command his people to go into battle singing? I read this over and over to make sure I wasn’t missing something. As far as I can tell, we don’t read they ...
2 Chronicles 8
2 Chronicles 8 - Some boast in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God. Psalms 20:7 NASB "Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall ...
2 Chronicles 6
2 Chronicles 6 - "But can you, O God, really live on earth among men and women? Not even all of heaven is large enough to hold you, so how can this Temple that I have built ...
1 Chronicles 29
1 Chronicles 29 - 1 Chronicles 29:25 GNB The LORD made the whole nation stand in awe of Solomon, and he made him more glorious than any other king that had ruled Israel. If you read my ...
1 Chronicles 28
1 Chronicles 28 - Loyalty of heart. I once had a pastor give me advice on how to preach a sermon. His main point was, speak to the mind and speak to the heart. Truth and grace ...
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 9
1 Chronicles 9 - Psalms 99:5-6 ESV Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he! 6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. ...
1 Chronicles 7
1 Chronicles 7 - God has used women to build, lead and change the world from the beginning of time. Here in 1 Chronicles 7, we get a glimpse of a woman who completed a remarkable feat. ...
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 ...
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 20
Isaiah 20 - Let's first set the stage. Coming on the heels of Isaiah 19 and the oracle concerning Egypt, we now see the unfolding of God's judgment. King Sargon of Assyria orders his commander to invade ...
Isaiah 4
Isaiah 4 - Isaiah 4:2 describes the Branch of the Lord. The time is coming when the LORD will make every plant and tree in the land grow large and beautiful. All the people of Israel who ...
Ephesians 1
Ephesians 1 - The readers of this letter in Paul's day would have received a rolled up scroll that required unrolling before reading. It was important to quickly see who the writer was and what the letter ...
Exodus 35
Exodus 35 - Think upon the skills that were required of a master craftsman. Obviously, the person would be gifted in craftsmanship, but according to Scripture, that trait is not enough. Craftsmanship alone has a tendency to ...
Exodus 32
Exodus 32 - The first question I asked when reading this chapter was - what caused this? We read in the very first verse that it was because of a delay. How many times have we allowed ...
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 ...
Job 35
Job 35 - This is arguably Elihu's harshest language against Job. It is a message of condemnation with truth mixed in. I am somewhat puzzled by commentaries who defend Job in being completely righteous and not deserving ...
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 ...
Matthew 28
Matthew 28 - The appearances of the resurrected Christ are astonishing! Many people will concede that Jesus was a real man who died, but few will place their faith in His divinity. Naturally, more people take issue ...
Matthew 14
Matthew 14 - The miraculous feeding of the 5000 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 scholars believe the actual ...
Matthew 1
Matthew 1 - The Gospels do not record a single word spoken by this man. Yet, the Gospel account written by Matthew is a bridge to the past. If a person had just read the Old Testament ...
Proverbs 31
Proverbs 31 - Proverbs 31 is a famous chapter describing a virtuous woman of God. Many of us have heard the phrase "Proverbs 31 woman." As this chapter has become more popular within Christian circles, I have ...
Proverbs 5
Proverbs 5 - Upon an initial read of this chapter, it seems as if Solomon is painting a negative picture of women in general. But when we consider the instruction within the context of Solomon's life, we ...
2 Peter 3
2 Peter 3 - Peter was writing, at the time, against the theory of uniformitarianism. It states that the processes affecting Earth today are the same ones that affected it in the past. Looking forward, Peter writes ...
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 ...
1 Peter 3
1 Peter 3 - It's in this chapter that Peter makes a strange statement about Jesus going to hell after his death and preaching to the evil spirits there. "For Christ also suffered for sins once for ...
2 Samuel 20
2 Samuel 20 - Concubines, intestines, and a severed head being thrown over a wall! This chapter is not for the faint of heart. Coming off the heels of a civil war, David is drawn back in. ...
2 Samuel 16
2 Samuel 16 - The reason why we read several chapters back about the grace David extended to Saul's family is because here in 2 Samuel 16, we read of how Saul's family wants to kick David ...
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 4
2 Samuel 4 - In 2 Samuel 4, we see the collision of two different kingdoms. Humanity's kingdom operates within an attitude of power and opportunity. The leaders in our world grab life by the horns and ...
1 Samuel 30
1 Samuel 30 - David returns to Zikleg, where he had fled from Saul only to find that while he and his men were gone, the Amalekites had come and raided their city. They burned the place ...
1 Samuel 22
1 Samuel 22 - There's no doubt that David felt completely isolated. Living in a cave, he was completely humiliated. It's hard to imagine how he managed to get through this time. But God was at work. ...
1 Samuel 18
1 Samuel 18 - “Saul has slain his thousands,And David his ten thousands.” The wording here says that "all cities in Israel" had women who danced and sang to this tune. It was literally a Billboard Top ...
1 Samuel 14
1 Samuel 14 - Those who are dialed into the Spirit are sensitive to the timing of the Lord. In 1 Samuel 14, Jonathan demonstrated that kind of dialed-in mindset. Unfortunately, Saul operated on his own timing. ...
1 Samuel 2
1 Samuel 2 - The book of 1 Samuel is interesting because it transitions from a time of judges into a political and religious monarchy. We get a picture of the time period ...
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 2
2 Timothy 2 - There's only one Gospel. There's only one Gospel. There's. Only. ONE. Gospel. The Gospel = Suffering Paul continues to reiterate the fact that the Gospel requires sacrifice, suffering, and even imprisonment. Suffer. Hardworking. ...
1 Timothy 3
1 Timothy 3 - Paul moves from congregational conduct to leadership. There are two offices he addresses: the overseer and the deacon. Today, we would call an overseer a pastor and a deacon an elder. The difference ...
1 Timothy 2
1 Timothy 2 - As a child, I would sometimes hear my parents say, "As long as you are under this roof, you will live by our guidelines." Every parent must choose how they will govern their ...
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 ...
2 Kings 15
2 Kings 15 - If you get bored and skim through 2 Kings 15, you will miss a very significant detail in verse 19. Pul, king of Assyria, came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul a ...
2 Kings 8
2 Kings 8 - The pattern of Elisha's service to the Lord consistently reflects the act of leading others to a spiritual mind. There was the birth and healing of the Shunammite woman's son, the enlightening of ...
2 Kings 4
2 Kings 4 - Open containers. What a metaphor. A widow comes to Elisha in a panic. Her husband has died and her creditor is breathing down her neck. In ancient times, this was a greater predicament ...
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 11
1 Kings 11 - When Solomon was old, his wives seduced him to follow other gods. He was not completely devoted to Yahweh his God, as his father David had been. 1 Kings 11:4 HCSB How many ...
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 ...
1 Kings 1
1 Kings 1 - The book of Kings picks up with an older David (70) still serving as king but declining in health. The time to pass the torch was near, and this sets the backdrop for ...
Genesis 39
Genesis 39 - Set against the backdrop of Joseph's brother Judah pursuing a harlot who was actually his daughter-in-law, here we have a polar opposite response. Genesis 39 is a valuable lesson on dealing with temptation. Joseph ...
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 30
Genesis 30 - Jacob married sisters... just think about that. Rachel had her husband's love but could not produce sons. Leah could produce sons but did not have her husband's love. It was a recipe for disaster. ...
Genesis 29
Genesis 29 - Jacob is here in Genesis 29 doing "Jacob-like stuff." Like a smooth-talking used car salesman, he approaches these shepherds as if they were his long lost buddies from college. His reference to it being ...
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 21
Genesis 21 - In previous chapters, we may have been tempted to wonder, "Why has God stuck with Abraham for so long?" Commentators and scholars have wondered why the Bible is so brutally honest about the struggles ...
Genesis 17
Genesis 17 - The question we all ask ourselves at one point or another is, why circumcision? First, in the context of what God is speaking to Abraham, the covenant is dealing specifically with fathering nations. Circumcision ...
John 6
John 6 - Jesus was not going to be defined by the people’s interpretation of who He should be. He came to do the Father’s will. Out of all the themes of this chapter, this one speaks ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 3
Hosea 3 - What impacts me the most about this short chapter in Hosea 3 is the fact that God makes the first move. Scripture tells us in Romans 5... "But God demonstrates his own love for ...
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 ...
1 Corinthians 11
1 Corinthians 11 - 1 Corinthians 11 opens up a can of worms in our culture today. At the very least, many of Paul's words here have been challenged. In some cases, they have been called sexist ...
Psalm 106
Psalm 106 - What is risk? It is a decision to act in a way that opens us to danger, hurt, or uncertainty. Every day we take risks. Today, you have a 1 in 70 chance of ...
Psalm 49
Psalm 49 - Death. No one can escape it. It is a certainty that all of humanity agrees upon regardless of what they believe about God or the afterlife. You and I will die one day, and ...
Psalm 15
Psalm 15 - The term "Christian" can mean many different things. Some people immediately think of a moral person who obeys rules. Others may picture someone who is filled with love. Still, others may associate the word ...
Mark 16
Mark 16 - The Great Commission is important. So important, in fact, that we find it 5 times in the NT. It's found here in Mark 16, as well as Matthew 28, Luke 24, John 20 and ...
Mark 14
Mark 14 - In Mark 14, Jesus sat down with his disciples during the Last Supper and broke the bread saying "This is my body." He poured the wine saying "This is my blood." Essentially, He was ...
Deuteronomy 20
Deuteronomy 20 - A lot of us have never thought about what it means to go to war vastly outnumbered. When the facts of the situation do not look to be in our favor, where do we ...
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 3
Deuteronomy 3 - They told Moses, "We explored the land and found it to be rich and fertile; and here is some of its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and their cities ...
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 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 26
Numbers 26 - The census here marks a turning point in Israel's history. The first generation that was delivered from Egypt and complained continually has now been destroyed by the plague. In fact, just like God had ...
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 24
Numbers 24 - To me, the most striking verse in this chapter begins with verse 1. When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to seek ...
Numbers 6
Numbers 6 - People are probably surprised to learn that this famous prayer of blessing comes from the book of Numbers. The LORD bless you, and keep you; 25 The LORD make His face shine on you, ...
Numbers 4
Numbers 4 - Numbers 1 dealt with numbering the tribes. Numbers 2 was all about the ordering of the camps. Numbers 3 introduced us to the duties of the priests and Levites. Now, in Numbers 4, it ...
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 ...