According to NASA, roughly 68 percent of the universe is made of dark energy and 27 percent is made of dark matter. That means approximately 95 percent of the universe is consumed in total darkness. That fact should make us even more thankful to God for creating the sun that gives light to the earth and the moon that reflects that light. The Apostle John opens his Gospel by explaining that the Word is One Who always existed and Who created everything (vv. 1–3). John would later explain that this Word is Jesus Christ (v. 14). In Jesus existed life, physical and spiritual. This life was and is given for all mankind (v. 4). The spiritual darkness of this world is no match for the light that Jesus illuminates (v. 5). Light has the ability to attract or repel. We see light’s powerful attraction in the Nativity story. The Magi from the east came to Jerusalem drawn by the light from His star. When they arrived, they wanted to know, “Where is the one who has been born king o

Has God ever opened your eyes abruptly to truth? Has He ever penetrated the darkness of your mind like a bolt of light? One morning, several years ago, God seemingly ripped the scales from my eyes and revealed long-standing anger that He wanted to uproot. Suddenly, I recognized my sin as sin. I was piercingly aware of His patient pursuit and the call I had been resisting for some time. Saul’s call to ministry is perhaps the most dramatic one of all. Saul had a reputation for “breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples” (v. 1). He had planned a mission to Damascus to hunt down and arrest any Christians, those “who belonged to the Way” (v. 2). Outside the city, Saul was struck and blinded by a light from heaven. He fell to the ground and heard a voice call him by name, asking: “Why do you persecute me?” Saul knew immediately that it was the Lord (v. 5). Saul’s call came in two phases. First, the Lord told Saul to “go into the city” and wait for further instru

What does it mean to answer Jesus’ call? John Stott wrote, “At its simplest Christ’s call was ‘Follow me.’ He asked men and women for their personal allegiance. He invited them to learn from him, to obey his words and to identify themselves with his cause. To follow Christ is to renounce all lesser loyalties.” In Matthew 4, Jesus’ public ministry had begun. John the Baptist had been taken into custody, and, because of the growing threat, Jesus left Nazareth and settled in Capernaum. There He preached publicly a message of repentance, an acknowledgment of sin and a turning from it (v. 17). Two fishermen, Peter and Andrew (v. 18), were familiar with Jesus, since Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist (John 1:35–42). They’d already considered Jesus’ mission and message. When Jesus said to them, “Come, follow me” (v. 19), they were prepared to immediately leave their boats, their occupation, and their livelihood—and follow Jesus. Next, Jesus called anothe

We resist the call of God for many reasons. Maybe we feel inadequate, or we fear the ramifications. We might prefer the comfort of our current situation or have a distaste for the assignment. The book of Jonah documents one man’s resistance to God’s call. Others merely protested, but Jonah led God in a full-on chase. God called Jonah to bring a message of repentance to Nineveh, a large city on the eastern bank of the Tigris River (now Iraq). It was over 500 miles from Israel, a month’s journey by land. Nineveh was considered “great” because of its size and importance. Morally, however, it was a mess. The people were cruel, violent, and known for idolatry. If he entered that city, Jonah’s life could be in danger. Unlike the prophets before him, Jonah did not offer a verbal protest to the Lord. He didn’t argue his inadequacy or fear. He just ran. His destination was Tarshish, which may have been in North Africa or even Spain (possibly more than 2,000 miles away). Jonah

When He calls you, God isn’t concerned about your talents. Neither is He concerned about your age. As Paul wrote to Timothy, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young” (1 Tim. 4:12). In Jeremiah 1, God called another prophet. What is unique about this call is His explanation of the timing. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew [yada] you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (v. 5). Like the Hebrew word qara for “call,” the word yada has a range of meanings. Here, it indicates a relationship—one in which God chooses and protects His child. God set Jeremiah apart for holy service before he was even born. Jeremiah’s first response was: “Alas, Sovereign LORD” (v. 6). The “alas” was a cry of alarm. Like Moses, Jeremiah objected because of his ineloquence of speech. His second objection was his age. Commentators believe he was probably younger than twenty at the time. God dismissed Jeremiah’s

Humility might not top the list of qualifications for a pastor, but it should! As David Mathis wrote: “Few things poison the church, and sully her reputation in the world, like arrogant pastors.” And the Apostle Paul included humility in his list to Titus: “Not overbearing [arrogant]” (Titus 1:7). In Isaiah 6, we find the prophet’s specific call to ministry and his humble response. Isaiah was given a vision of the Lord, sitting on His throne. The hem of His robe filled the Temple. Surrounding seraphim covered their faces and their feet with their wings, and they cried to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty! (v. 3).” The triple “holy” emphasized the degree to which God was set apart. The Lord’s utter perfection prompted Isaiah’s reaction. He cried, “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips” (v. 5). When confronted with the perfection and majesty of God, Isaiah’s response was humility. He could on

In 2017, Jayson D. Bradey wrote an article titled “10 Qualities Church Members Expect in a Pastor.” Here’s his list: 1) Scriptural understanding; 2) An ability to listen; 3) Competence; 4) Teaching ability; 5) Good character; 6) Vision; 7) An ability to lead a team; 8) Disciple-building focus; 9) Self- awareness; and 10) Drive. I think it’s important that “good character” made the list. Our human admiration can be so drawn to great gifting and charismatic personality that we overlook deeper matters of holiness, humility, and devotion. In 1 Samuel 16, we find two more specific callings of God, His call of the prophet Samuel and of the young shepherd David, who would be king. Samuel was still grieving over Saul’s disobedience when God instructed him to go to the house of Jesse the Bethlehemite and anoint a new king from among his sons. God was doing a new work. Samuel’s initial response was fear. “If Saul hears about it, he will kill me” (v. 2). Notice that God didn’t

I’ve heard people say that you can identify your calling by looking at what others tell you that you do best. That is often true. God does gift His children in particular ways, and He uses those gifts for His glory and the work of the gospel. Certainly, others might encourage those gifts. We ought to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Heb. 10:24). But there are times when God uses those things we aren’t good at for His purpose. In Exodus we see that happen to Moses. When God called Moses to bring His people out of Egypt (3:10), Moses objected several times. His first objection was his own inadequacy: “Who am I...?” (v. 11). To which God responded, “I will be with you” (v. 12). God promised His presence and a future hope. He painted a picture for Moses of the redeemed Israelites worshiping on that same mountain. Moses was not convinced. He responded with a second, odd objection. He didn’t know how to identify God. The Lord responded, “I AM WHO

At times, God calls particular people to a particular task at a particular time—the special (secondary) call of God. Os Guiness explains: “A special calling refers to those tasks and missions laid on individuals through a direct, specific, supernatural communication from God.” Scripture includes many examples of God’s special call. We’ve already seen a few—Abram, Matthew, Mary. But it’s important to note that God calls in many ways. The diversity in the biblical accounts demonstrates this. While each is unique, these callings teach important truths. The call of Moses is one of my favorites. In Exodus 3, Moses was caring for his father-in-law’s flocks in the wilderness when he saw a burning bush that was not consumed, so he went over to have a look (v. 2). The Lord called to Moses from the flame, and Moses replied with innocent curiosity: “Here I am” (v. 4). God immediately established the solemnity of the situation with instructions to remain at a reverential distanc

Suffering comes in many packages. And while we are aware of its existence, pain still catches us by surprise. We ask “Why?” and wish it away. As Oswald Chambers wrote: “No healthy Christian chooses suffering; he chooses God’s will, as Jesus did, whether it means suffering or not.” Today’s passage is part of an extended section in which Peter offers guidelines for particular relationships. In 1 Peter 2:13–17, he addressed how Christians should consider government, and he introduced the overarching biblical principle of submission (putting oneself under the authority of another). The primary motivation for submission was the Lord. Then Peter addressed servants, those people responsible for the most lowly service in society. He instructed servants to “submit [themselves] to [their] masters” (v. 18). This charge was not only applicable when masters were kind, however. Submission was also the expectation when masters were harsh, since such unjust suffering, done with “rev

As God’s children, we are called to repentance and salvation; confession and belief; belonging, obedience, and holiness. As we follow Jesus, we are all called to walk worthy, to be conformed to His likeness, and to focus on our future hope in Him. But in 1 Peter, we read about God’s calling to the church as a whole. The Apostle Peter wrote this letter to several small churches scattered throughout Asia Minor, encouraging them in their salvation, the Christian life, and their communal identity. Peter compares the church to “living stones” and a “spiritual house.” He exhorts the faithful to draw close to the Lord (v. 4), the living Stone risen from the dead. Peter describes Jesus as “rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him,” a description to which his audience would relate. Peter then calls them “living stones” as well—a “spiritual house” and a “holy priesthood” with one identity and one purpose, built on the cornerstone of Christ. Peter draws

I recently reviewed the resumes of several accomplished individuals and was impressed by their education and experience. That’s the point of a resume, isn’t it? To highlight our qualifications and pique the interest of a possible employer. In Philippians 3, Paul encourages the church to live with a joy found only in the Lord and to guard against the Judaizers. Paul doesn’t pull any punches here. His warning is harsh as he called those pious legalists “dogs” and “evil” and “mutilators of the flesh” (v. 2). Their confidence was in their own merit. Paul offered his own resume in comparison (vv. 4–6). He was the ultimate Benjamite, Hebrew, Pharisee, and so forth. But when Christ appeared to Paul (Saul) on the Damascus Road (Acts 9) and called him to apostleship, Paul’s perspective on his credentials drastically changed. What follows in verses 7–14 is a very personal testimony of Christ’s transformative work. Everything Paul used to take pride in, he now saw as fa

I was 21 when I went on my first overseas mission trip to Europe. We worshiped with a wide variety of congregations—from American military families in Germany to Romanians in tiny villages. It was eye opening and life-changing to experience the Christian bond that crosses cultural, language, and economic boundaries. In Ephesians 4, Paul turns his attention from the overtly theological (chapters 1–3) to the ethical and practical (chapters 4–6), reminding his readers of his imprisonment “for the Lord” (v. 1). Paul practiced what he preached, even in dire circumstances. With an attitude of humility, he issued the following appeals. The first was to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (v. 1). The NIV translation loses the power of the Greek, which includes a double emphasis on calling retained in the ESV: “[I] urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling [klesis] to which you have been called [kaleo].” Paul highlighted why we sho

Is this person “the one”? Should I pursue this job or that one? Is now the time to move or invest or retire? Whenever we are confused or concerned about more specific questions of calling, God’s general call anchors us. When we don’t know what to do, we ask God for wisdom, walk in faith, and pursue what He asks of all His followers all the time. While we may not even know how to pray, the Spirit utters groanings (Rom. 8:26). In today’s passage, Paul introduced himself to the church at Corinth—one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire, strategically located on a major trade route. Paul had spent many months in Corinth during his second missionary journey, establishing this church. Corinth, however, was also full of sin: immorality, idolatry, greed. Three years later, Paul learned that the Corinthian church was struggling. He begins his letter by reasserting his own credibility: “Paul, called [kletos] to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of

Do you remember when you first heard the gospel? When I was eight years old, my Sunday School teacher shared it again and asked my class to raise our hands if we had “asked Jesus into our heart.” That night, I prayed with my mom, confessing my sin and my belief in Jesus as Savior. Today’s passage is part of an extended section (Romans 9–11) in which Paul addresses God’s relationship with Israel after Christ. Jesus’ death and resurrection ended the era of the law, making righteousness through faith available to anyone who believes. Verses 5–7 contrast two kinds of righteousness. The righteousness that came through the law was obtained through human effort. Paul quoted Leviticus 18:5 as proof of this position. The “new” righteousness came by faith in Christ. There was no need to “ascend into heaven” or “descend into the deep” (vv. 6–7). Jesus Christ had already come to earth and dwelt among us. He had died, been buried, and resurrected. The saving work had been done.</

Have you ever been completely confused about how to pray in a troubling situation? We may sometimes struggle to understand the will of God or even how to approach His throne. Thankfully, God has provided His Spirit, who intercedes on our behalf. Just as God-given hope sustains God’s children when they suffer (vv. 22–26), so His Spirit aids our prayers when we can’t find the words. Paul describes the Spirit’s communication as “groanings”—inexpressible and inaudible pleadings in perfect alignment with the Father’s will. But that’s not all. Paul assured believers with the promise of God’s providence. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called [kletos] according to his purpose” (v. 28). Paul describes the recipients of this providence in two ways—by what they did (“love God”) and by what He did (“called [them] according to his purpose”). As God calls His people, so His people love Him. Paul then out

Many factors contribute to the formation of our worldview. Our family background. The teaching we received. The community we experienced. Our education. Our culture. Our media and music. The people we admire. The experiences we survived. Each plays a role. Ultimately, the book of Romans is about worldview. It is a richly doctrinal letter to the Christians in Rome (mostly Gentiles), but also to us. Throughout the letter, Paul explains what it means to be justified by faith and the transforming power of the gospel. When studied and received, Romans can anchor our worldview in the most important truths. In today’s passage, Paul intro- duces himself by explaining his position and purpose. Paul was a servant of Christ Jesus, “called to be an apostle” (v. 1). The word called here is kletos, derived from kaleo. God placed a special calling on Paul’s life when He appeared to him in a blinding light on the Damascus Road (Acts 9). As an apostle, Paul’s purpos

Most authors who write about “calling” distinguish between the general (or primary) call of God and the specific (or secondary) one. God issues a general call to everyone who listens and responds, a call to salvation and sanctification, discipleship, and devotion. This call is for all of His followers at all times. As Os Guiness writes: “First and foremost we are called to Someone (God), not to something (such as motherhood, politics, or teaching) or to somewhere (such as the inner city or Outer Mongolia).” We see God’s general call to His people in the Old Testament—a call to righteousness (Isaiah 43) and repentance (Zechariah 13). He called Israel by name and called them His own (Isa. 43:1). This was a calling of identity and relationship. For the next several days, we will study God’s general call to His followers in the New Testament. In John 10, Jesus continued a series of teachings that began in John chapter 5. Jesus described Himself as the Living Water (John

Every December, Christianity Today publishes its annual list of “Top Testimonies”—the most-read, most-shared conversion stories of the year. They are dramatic personal accounts of the gospel’s transforming power in the life of drug addicts, gang members, and the son of a Hindu priest. Matthew’s testimony in today’s passage would fit right in. At the time, Jesus’ ministry was well under way. He had been teaching (Matthew 5–7) and healing (Matt. 8:1–17) and casting out demons (Matt. 8:28–34). And He had already called two sets of fishermen brothers—Peter and Andrew, James and John—to be His disciples. Then He met Matthew. Matthew did not fit the mold. The most obvious reason was his occupation: tax collector. In that role, Matthew worked for the Roman government, extracting tax money from his Jewish neighbors and getting extra for himself. Such acts of extortion would have caused Matthew’s community, his own people, to hate him. Matthew was likely fami

The moment when a woman learns she is expecting is forever preserved in her mind. Time stands still as she contemplates the new life within her. Soon, she will share that news with her husband, family, and friends. But, for just a moment, it is hers to cherish. In Luke 1, we read about Zacharias, Elizabeth, and Mary and others who received birth announcements. The angel Gabriel delivered these important messages both visually and verbally. God chose each person for these specific assignments because they were righteous and blameless (v. 6) and favored by God (v. 28). These calls involved a miraculous conception— because of Elizabeth’s advanced age (v. 7) and Mary’s virginity (v. 34). These individuals were called to something they could not accomplish by themselves. These calls required the work of God. The calls included a promise that these babies would become men and change the world. John would “bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God” (v. 1

When a leader falls into sin, many follow. When well respected teachers depart from God’s truth, their followers are misled. The far-reaching consequences of false and sinful leaders is nothing new. In the Old Testament book of Zechariah. Israel’s leaders led God’s people into sin. Two hundred years after Isaiah’s ministry, God called Zechariah to preach to the Jews who had returned to Judah from Babylonian exile. The returning exiles resumed their sacrificial worship and laid the foundation for a new Temple. But the project came to a halt when they faced opposition. For more than 15 years, no construction occurred. So, God called His prophets Zechariah and Haggai to encourage the people to continue (Ezra 5:1). In this passage we see that while God is gracious and merciful, He is also a God of justice and discipline. He is a jealous God who will not sit idly by while His people worship other gods. Zechariah 13 describes a powerful cleansing that God would enact on Je

When we think about God’s calling, we can be practical to a fault. We beg God to show us what we should do— when He is more concerned with who we are. In Genesis, God called Abram to go to an undisclosed land and become a great nation (Genesis 12). God wanted Abram to do something and to become something. The theme of calling is woven throughout Isaiah 40–55. In these chapters, God calls (qara) His people to righteousness (41:2) and servitude (41:9). He calls (qara) Israel by name (45:3–4), and His people “belong” to Him (44:5). God’s call is initiated even before we are born (49:1). He desires reciprocity (55:6), which is not always received (43:22; 50:2). Abram’s call is even recounted in 51:2 as an example. In today’s passage, we see that God’s call is motivated by love. Look at this beautiful description, beginning in verse 1: “But now, this is what the LORD says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, I

In the Old Testament, prophets carried messages from God to His people. They spoke words of warning and comfort. The prophet Isaiah emerged during the reign of King Uzziah, a time of peace and prosperity in Judah. Isaiah’s ministry spanned several kings—Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (1:1)—as the cultural and political landscapes deteriorated. During Ahaz’s reign, Assyria occupied the northern tribes and deported most Israelites. God sent Isaiah to reassure Ahaz and call him to faith, but Ahaz didn’t listen. He took matters into his own hands and aligned himself with the Assyrian king who enforced heavy taxation and promoted idolatry. In 701 BC, Hezekiah became king. Assyria attacked, devastating Judah and almost Jerusalem. Again, Isaiah preached hope and repentance to deaf ears. In Isaiah 39, Marduk-Baladan of Babylon sent a gift to Hezekiah. Since Babylon was not a threat, Hezekiah flaunted his treasure—gold, silver, weapons. Immediately, Isaiah responded with

Many feared that church attendance would decline as a result of the COVID pandemic. But, according to a study by the Pew Research Center, “a remarkably steady share of Americans” (40 percent) have continually attended at least one religious service per month (online or in person). For those who identify as Christian, that number rose to 56 percent. God always continues to preserve His people. Psalm 116 is a celebration of that truth.  Collectively, Psalms 113–118 comprise the Hallel (“The Praise”). These psalms are used together as a traditional communal reading during Passover, Pentecost, and other Jewish celebrations. Running through all six psalms are themes of deliverance, protection, and provision, as God’s people praise Him for His sovereign and compassionate care. A clear and compelling progression of worship flows through the Hallel. Psalm 113 proclaims the glory and majesty of Lord, “enthroned on high.” In Psalm 114, God’s deliverance of Is

When newborn babies come into the world, they make their needs known, using the only method they have. They cry. When the adults in that baby’s life respond in a timely and compassionate manner, the baby bonds with them. On an instinctual level, the child learns that she is heard and loved, and the world, therefore, is a safe place. Psalm 17, a psalm of David, begins with a triple petition for God to hear the Psalmist’s righteous plea, listen to his cry, and give ear to his prayer (v. 1). This is one of only five psalms that is overtly designated as a “prayer,” the other prayer-psalms being 86, 90, 102, and 142. This particular prayer is a deeply personal and private request that demonstrates the intimate relationship that David had with his God. It is a call for justice and vindication (v. 2) for the wrong that had been done to him (vv. 9–14). In verses 3–5, David proclaims his own innocence and welcomes the Lord’s scrutiny of his heart. David’s confidence in his re

Sometimes we call on God, asking Him to act, asking Him to reveal Himself or to remedy a dire situation. And sometimes He responds with dramatic intervention. Today we jump forward in biblical history to the time of Israel’s kings. First Kings 1–11 chronicles the rise and fall of Solomon whose love for foreign women ultimately caused his spiritual demise. Upon Solomon’s death, the kingdom divided. Jeroboam reigned over the ten tribes of Israel in the north, and Rehoboam ruled over Judah and Benjamin in the south. Jeroboam did evil in the sight of the Lord, as did all other eighteen kings in Israel. Ahab was the seventh (1 Kings 16:28), and he was even more evil than any other king before him (16:30). Ahab and his wife Jezebel worshiped Baal who they believed controlled the rain and all fertility. In 1 Kings 17, Elijah the prophet visited Ahab, predicting a drought—God’s punishment for their idolatry. The drought caused widespread famine. In the third year, God instru

On October 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire burned more than 2,000 acres—including evangelist D. L. Moody’s Illinois Street Church. The fire caused Moody to reevaluate his life and ministry. It was during that critical season that God called Moody to preach the gospel to the world. Not long after, the evangelist embarked on a tour of the UK and Ireland, which fueled a great revival. Moody obeyed the Lord’s call, and God expanded his influence exponentially. So far, we’ve seen that calling in Scripture can mean naming, an invitation to conversation, or worship. But throughout the Old and New Testaments, we also see that God sometimes calls specific people to a specific task at a specific time. In Genesis 12, we find one of the first examples of God’s special call: His call on Abram. This calling came in the form of a direct command for Abram to leave his home and go to an undisclosed place. Following this call would require a significant measure of faith. But

Worshiping with fellow believers is a powerful experience. Constance M. Cherry wrote, “Corporate worship is what happens when the body of Christ assembles to hear with one heart and speak with one voice the words, praises, prayers, petitions, and thanks fitting to Christian worship.” The Hebrew word for call (qara) has several shades of meaning. Today, we see another significant one. Genesis 4 recounts the family line of Adam and Eve, beginning with their first two sons, Cain and Abel. As grown men, Cain worked the ground and Abel tended flocks, both necessary vocations. They sought to worship the Lord, bringing offerings. Cain offered fruit while Abel the firstborn of his flock. God was pleased with Abel and his offering, but not with Cain and his offering. The reason was likely Cain’s heart, revealed in his visible anger (v. 5) and eventual murder (v. 8). Cain’s punishment was even more severe than his parents’. He became a “restless wanderer” (v. 12), di

Did you know that the childhood game known as hide-and-seek dates to the second century BC? According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Greek writer Julius Pollux called the game apodidraskinda, and his rules were identical to ours. Two or more players would conceal themselves, and another player would try to find them. It almost sounds like Genesis chapter 3, doesn’t it? Except Adam and Eve’s avoidance of God was not for fun. After they ate the forbidden fruit, “the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked” (v. 7). They immediately experienced shame and a severed relationship with God. In a futile attempt to cover their crime, they sewed and put on fig-leaf clothes. When they heard God “walking in the garden,” they hid. The Moody Bible Commentary explains the use of the word walking: It indicates most likely the human form of the Son of God, come to fellowship with His people. Clearly, Adam and Eve were expecting immed

Who are you? If you were to answer that question, you might start with your name, your relationships, and your job. The roles we play, whether at work or home, help define our identity. In Genesis 2:15, God gave Adam his first assignment. He put Adam to work in the Garden of Eden. In effect, this was the first call God placed on a person. Adam’s vocation was to take care of God’s creation. In this verse, the Hebrew word for work is abad. In Scripture it is used generally to denote labor, but it also describes religious service. Adam’s work was an act of worship. As a part of Adam’s job, God brought the animals to him to see what he would call them. This call is also qara. (See yesterday’s devotional for the definition.) This is the first active and specific way in which Adam images God. Just as God named the light and the earth (Genesis 1), Adam named the animals. And in doing so, he exercised God-given authority over creation. How

What comes to mind when you hear the word “calling”? Your vocation? Your mission? The particular work God has given you to do? Certainly, we can use “calling” to refer to our primary occupation or a special assignment given by God. But the biblical concept of calling is broader and richer, more complex and more nuanced than that. It involves both salvation and sanctification, worship and prayer. Biblical calling presumes relationship. It is two-way communication between the called and the caller. For us to understand what it means to be called by God, we must start at the very beginning. In Genesis chapter 1, we find the word “called” as first used in Scripture. It’s a familiar passage. In it, God spoke the world into being. He created light and firmament, earth and sea, and then He “called” them such. The English word called in verses 5, 8, and 10 is the Hebrew word qara. It’s a common word, used over 450 times in the Old Testament. But it

What a journey we have taken this month! We traveled with Nehemiah from the Persian capital all the way to Jerusalem. We mourned over the devastation of Jerusalem and rejoiced when God’s favor fell upon His servant. We watched as he faced fierce opposition and displayed an even fiercer faith. Through it all, we learned the importance of trusting God no matter what we face. In the final chapter of Nehemiah, we saw things fall quickly apart. The repentance of God’s people seemed short lived. They turned from following the Lord and returned to their former wicked ways. This last chapter may not be the happy ending we longed for, but there are some important life lessons. First, Nehemiah’s ending encourages us to examine our own lives and relationships with God. What has your relationship with God looked like in the past? When God’s people were in times of trouble, they were always encouraged to remember what God had done for them (Ps. 77:11). Remembering God’s provision

Contemporary readers may be shocked by Nehemiah’s behavior in today’s passage, especially in this age that celebrates inclusivity and diversity (v. 23). Nehemiah, however, offers two explanations for taking such extreme measures. First, the returned exiles were beginning to lose a common language (v. 25), making it difficult to communicate. Those who did not speak the language of Judah might lose access to the Word of God. Second, the religious views of those joining the community were not in line with the teaching of Scripture. Their faith was in jeopardy (v. 26). Does God hate “foreigners” then? Far from it. Think of Ruth, Rahab, and the “mixed multitude” (Ex. 12:38 ESV) that left Egypt. These were non-Israelites who became Israelites through their faith in the Lord. They were fully integrated into Israel, with Ruth and Rahab becoming ancestors of Jesus Christ. Christ redeems people “from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9). The people of Jud

Growing up, I believed that Christians “don’t drink, smoke, or chew, or go with girls who do.” Never once did someone tell me that stopping by the grocery store on the way home from church was a “wicked thing.” But that’s exactly what Nehemiah tells the people of Judah who were buying, selling, and going about their normal work on the Sabbath. To our modern ears this may seem strange. We might ask, “What’s the big deal?” First, God commanded Sabbath keeping. He rested from creation on the seventh day (Gen. 2:2–3), and when He led the people out of Israel, He established the seventh day as holy (Ex. 20:8), a day to rest and not to work. In an agrarian society, setting aside an entire day not to work meant that all the things that needed to be done to ensure a good harvest would either have to be done on a different day or not at all. Not to work was an act of trust in the Lord. It was saying in effect, “I know God cares for me and will provide for me. I trust you, Lord, to ta

Many churches, especially small congregations with very few full- time staff, will host a workday. On that day, members come together to complete much needed fix-it projects and generally clean up the building and property. They treat their church building with respect and care. In Nehemiah 13, we read that the people of Judah had neglected the house of God. They had stopped bringing tithes to the Temple. This disobedience had a direct and negative impact on the “Levites and musicians” and the effects cascaded down to all the people of Judah. The Levites and musicians relied on Judah’s tithes for their own well-being. Since the tithes were no longer being given, these workers had to leave the Temple and return to their land, so they could make a living and provide for their families (v. 10). The end result? The Temple could no longer function as it should, and worship had stopped. This might not seem like a big deal to us today, but it was a very, very big deal becau

What does it mean to repent? It is one thing to feel sorry that you did wrong, it is another thing to truly repent. As Martin Luther said, “To do so [to sin] no more is the truest repentance.” The next several days in our study take a markedly darker turn. After all the repentance, the joyful worship, and the hard work that Nehemiah and the rest of God’s people had done, it seems they all too quickly returned to business as usual. They turned away from the Lord and compromised their relationship with Him and with one another. Tobiah is the one of the book’s primary antagonists. He had consistently opposed Nehemiah and the efforts to rebuild Jerusalem. We watched as Nehemiah stood up against him and remained faithful to the Lord. However, when Nehemiah left, the people did not remain steadfast. Eliashib was a priest responsible for caring for the Temple and ensuring proper worship of the Lord. He was also Tobiah’s relative, and his loyalty to Tobiah outweighed

Pastor and author A. W. Tozer once observed, “As base a thing as money often is, yet it can be transmuted into everlasting treasure. It can be converted into food for the hungry and clothing for the poor. It can keep a missionary actively winning lost men to the light of the gospel and thus transmute itself into heavenly values. Any temporal possession can be turned into everlasting wealth. Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touched with immortality.” Giving is an important topic that appears throughout the Old and New Testaments. But in Nehemiah 12 we are reminded that God’s people are to support spiritual leaders. The musicians, gatekeepers, Levites, and descendants of Aaron were responsible for the functioning of the Lord’s Temple. In modern terms, we might compare them to the pastors and staff of the church. But there is a significant difference. Ancient Israel was an agrarian society, so their livelihood was tied to their ability to cultivate land. That

Think about your favorite book or movie or television show. What was the best part? What do you remember most fondly? Every good story moves up, up, up, with building tension, action, and conflict, until finally you reach the story’s high point, or climax, and then the action falls off and the story ends. We’ll get to the falling off and ending soon in the book of Nehemiah, but chapter 12 is the climax: the dedication of Jerusalem’s walls. After another long list of names in verses 1–26, verses 27–43 recount the great celebration that accompanied the dedication of the walls—and there are even more names interspersed throughout this section. There are a few things we can take away from Nehemiah’s description of the festivities. First, there is a reason for this list of names. I think the author wants us to understand that this was celebration not confined to Nehemiah and those closest to him. This was not a top-down effort enforced upon the people. No, this celebratio

My wife and I have lived in four different States during our marriage, and each move became increasingly complex. The most recent, from central Louisiana to northern Idaho, was the most difficult because we had three children in tow. Moving an entire family is a far cry from packing up a single car and hitting the road! The people in today’s passage experienced something similar as they uprooted their lives in the countryside to move into the city of Jerusalem. I really don’t blame you if you skip over all the names in today’s reading. We’ve already seen several such lists of names in Nehemiah, and this isn’t even the last one! What I think is important in today’s passage is that it shows the people’s commitment to follow through in reestablishing Jerusalem, even when it meant leaving their home and moving their families to a new city. They had already banded together to rebuild the city’s walls, but as anyone who has been on a short-term mission trip knows, staying a short

Growing up Southern Baptist, I was presented with several options at the altar call each week. The speaker called those who did not know Jesus to repent and trust in Him; those who knew Jesus but had been living in sin to “rededicate their lives” to Christ; and for others to surrender to God’s call into vocational ministry. I remember very clearly responding to each of these calls at different times in my life. Today’s passage reminds me of those times. The first few verses contain a long list of names, something we’ve become familiar with in Nehemiah. This list records the names of the family heads who sealed the renewed covenant with the Lord after the prayers of confession, repentance, and worship in chapter 9. Recording names provided an important layer of accountability and community solidarity, just like walking down the aisle in my Baptist church. It meant that all the people in my community knew I had made a commitment to follow Jesus, repented for turning away from

Sometimes the distressing situation we find ourselves in is a result of our own poor choices. Sin has consequences, and we live with the fall because of our disobedience. Nehemiah chapter 9 ends with a plea to God: “We are in great distress” (v. 37). God’s people had just prayed a prayer, being radically honest before God. They conclude by asking God to be faithful, just as He always has been. In their state of distress, they need Him! Verse 32 opens with a quotation from Deuteronomy 10:17. If you’re not familiar with the passage, take a few minutes to read verses 12–22. Here, the Lord reminds the people that He is the defender of widows, orphans, and foreigners and tells them to do the same. They are also to worship the Lord and Him alone. Unfortunately, the Israelites did not do what the Lord required of them, and so they found themselves as “slaves in the land you gave our ancestors” (v. 36). They remind themselves that the Lord is a God who defends the powerless,

Have you ever been tempted to remember something a bit differently than it happened? I may be the only one, but I tend to remember my sin as not so bad and to spin what I did (or didn’t do) to make myself look better or feel better. The problem is that it’s not honest, and if we are going to be in right relationship with God, we must be honest with ourselves, with the Lord, and with the people around us. Nehemiah 9 shows us what radical honesty looks like in our prayer lives. First, the prayer in verses 5–31 is radically honest about who God is. The prayer draws heavily on Scripture to describe God’s attributes and work in the world. Only the Lord is God, and He created everything. He called Abraham out of his country and established a relationship with him. He heard the Israelites’ cries in Egypt and rescued them. He fed them spiritually with the Torah— “regulations and laws that are just and right” (v. 13)—and physically with food from heaven and water from a rock, and lat

Several years ago, my wife and I were part of a new church in Kansas City. One of my favorite parts of this fledgling community was that each Sunday included the basic format we see in Nehemiah 9. We would spend time together in prayer, confession and repentance, the public reading of Scripture, and worship. There was a sermon, of course, and we know from earlier in this study that Ezra and other leaders put a high priority on helping people understand Scripture. We read that the “Israelites gathered together” with outward signs of inward repentance (v. 1). They did not just say they were sorry— they demonstrated their repentance through wearing sackcloth, “putting dust on their heads,” and fasting (v. 1). What’s more, the people had “separated themselves from all foreigners” and were publicly confessing “their sins and the sins of their ancestors” (v. 2). Put another way, these people’s actions matched their words—they were not simply paying lip service. The next half of th

Have you ever been on a camping trip? I’ve been on several such trips, spending the evenings around the campfire and sleeping on the ground in a tent. Well, today’s passage describes something sort of like that, but also significantly different. After the celebration of their newfound understanding of Scripture, as recorded in Nehemiah 8, most of the people went home. The family leaders, though, stayed behind and continued to study Scripture. They learned about the Festival of Booths, a weeklong celebration of God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt. They erected temporary houses, “booths,” or what we might think of as “tents” (though much different from our modern tents). These temporary dwellings reminded the people of their journey out of Egypt and God’s miraculous works on their behalf. After learning about this festival, the heads of each family sent out word to those who had gone home to return and bring materials to build the “booths.” The people obeyed God’s W

Have you ever attended a wedding reception? It’s one of my favorite events. I love the food, the cake, and the smiles plastered on everyone’s faces. Most of all I love that it makes me think of my own marriage and all the joy, life, and hope wrapped up in that relationship. These few verses in Nehemiah recall a similar occasion, where God’s people were filled with overwhelming joy and hope for the future. Ezra and his associates had just finished helping the people of God understand Scripture. The people, understandably, “had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law” (v. 9). They had likely realized all the ways in which they had failed to obey the Lord, and the Spirit was convicting them of sin. That is a good and right response, and I only wish that we would all more fully recognize our sin that we would respond with weeping at the Spirit’s conviction. However, Nehemiah quickly tells the people that this was not the day for weeping and mourning. It was

Do you have a favorite passage of Scripture, one that always brings you comfort, or hope, or joy, or peace? Today’s reading is one of those passages for me. As a teacher of Scripture, my heart soars when I read the long list of names in verses 4 and 8 of those who helped the people understand God’s Word. I may never be an Ezra or a Nehemiah—it’s not what God has called me to. But there’s a whole string of “nobodies” in this passage whom God allowed to teach and serve His people. That’s encouraging! There are a few other reasons this passage is a favorite of mine. First, the group listening to Scripture included “men and women and all who were able to understand” (v. 2). Scripture is for everyone! It isn’t only for men, and it isn’t only for adults. The assembly gathered to learn Scripture included women and children as well. That seems normal to our 21st century minds, but it was remarkable in Nehemiah’s day and time that women and children would be included along with the men—and it’

Do you have a favorite passage of Scripture, one that always brings you comfort, or hope, or joy, or peace? Today’s reading is one of those passages for me. As a teacher of Scripture, my heart soars when I read the long list of names in verses 4 and 8 of those who helped the people understand God’s Word. I may never be an Ezra or a Nehemiah—it’s not what God has called me to. But there’s a whole string of “nobodies” in this passage whom God allowed to teach and serve His people. That’s encouraging! There are a few other reasons this passage is a favorite of mine. First, the group listening to Scripture included “men and women and all who were able to understand” (v. 2). Scripture is for everyone! It isn’t only for men, and it isn’t only for adults. The assembly gathered to learn Scripture included women and children as well. That seems normal to our 21st century minds, but it was remarkable in Nehemiah’s day and time that women and children would be included along w

I&rsquo;ve been teaching Old Testament at Moody Bible Institute for ten years now, so I have it on good authority that the long genealogies are everyone&rsquo;s favorite part of Scripture. How can you not love the long lists of names that no one can pronounce? I&rsquo;m kidding, of course. Most folks may be tempted to skip over the genealogies&mdash;and that usually includes me! But &ldquo;all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work&rdquo; (2 Tim. 3:16&ndash;17). So why are these long lists of names included in the Bible? First, genealogies cover a lot of ground in a short time. For example, Jesus&rsquo; genealogy in Luke 3 brings readers all the way from creation to the birth of the Messiah. Second, genealogies prove a person&rsquo;s heritage. That was especially important for the priests and Levites, who had to be from a certain family in order

I’ve been teaching Old Testament at Moody Bible Institute for ten years now, so I have it on good authority that the long genealogies are everyone’s favorite part of Scripture. How can you not love the long lists of names that no one can pronounce? I’m kidding, of course. Most folks may be tempted to skip over the genealogies—and that usually includes me! But “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16–17). So why are these long lists of names included in the Bible? First, genealogies cover a lot of ground in a short time. For example, Jesus’ genealogy in Luke 3 brings readers all the way from creation to the birth of the Messiah. Second, genealogies prove a person’s heritage. That was especially important for the priests and Levites, who had to be from a certain family in order to minister at the Temple, for the returning

We&rsquo;ve all heard that &ldquo;Bad company corrupts good morals&rdquo; or &ldquo;One rotten apple spoils the whole barrel&rdquo;. Jesus gave a similar warning, &ldquo;Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees&rdquo; (Matt. 16:6). And the apostle Paul observed: &ldquo;A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough&rdquo; (Gal. 5:9). These sayings all make the same important point: It only takes a little bit of compromise, a little bit of sin, a little bit of going along with evil people to corrupt our whole lives. After all their work resisting their enemies in the first six chapters of Nehemiah, and after the walls are finally completed, we read that some of the &ldquo;nobles of Judah&rdquo; were in cahoots with Tobiah, who had staunchly opposed the rebuilding efforts. You may be shocked that such betrayal came so quickly on the heels of their victory. That didn&rsquo;t take long! These nobles were &ldquo;under oath&rdquo; to Tobiah because he ha

We’ve all heard that “Bad company corrupts good morals” or “One rotten apple spoils the whole barrel”. Jesus gave a similar warning, “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees” (Matt. 16:6). And the apostle Paul observed: “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough” (Gal. 5:9). These sayings all make the same important point: It only takes a little bit of compromise, a little bit of sin, a little bit of going along with evil people to corrupt our whole lives. After all their work resisting their enemies in the first six chapters of Nehemiah, and after the walls are finally completed, we read that some of the “nobles of Judah” were in cahoots with Tobiah, who had staunchly opposed the rebuilding efforts. You may be shocked that such betrayal came so quickly on the heels of their victory. That didn’t take long! These nobles were “under oath” to Tobiah because he had enmeshed himself and his family with “important” people in Judah

Do you remember the last time you successfully finished something you thought could never be accomplished? I remember the moment my wife delivered our oldest son after 48 hours of labor. I held his tiny hand while the doctors attended to him, then stumbled outside to cry with sheer relief that the Lord had brought my son into the world and kept my wife here. (For the record: my wife remembers it all much more happily, but she&rsquo;s an eternal optimist.) The rebuilding of Jerusalem&rsquo;s walls had gone astonishingly fast&mdash;it took a mere 52 days to complete the project, which was finished in early October of 445 BC (v. 15). Archaeological excavations have proven what God&rsquo;s Word indicates; the construction of the wall was very rough and uneven, as one would expect from a quickly completed project. And though the new wall did not traverse the entirety of Jerusalem before the Babylonian invasion and destruction in 586 BC, it still enclosed about six acres. For six chapters

Do you remember the last time you successfully finished something you thought could never be accomplished? I remember the moment my wife delivered our oldest son after 48 hours of labor. I held his tiny hand while the doctors attended to him, then stumbled outside to cry with sheer relief that the Lord had brought my son into the world and kept my wife here. (For the record: my wife remembers it all much more happily, but she’s an eternal optimist.) The rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls had gone astonishingly fast—it took a mere 52 days to complete the project, which was finished in early October of 445 BC (v. 15). Archaeological excavations have proven what God’s Word indicates; the construction of the wall was very rough and uneven, as one would expect from a quickly completed project. And though the new wall did not traverse the entirety of Jerusalem before the Babylonian invasion and destruction in 586 BC, it still enclosed about six acres. For six chapters we have

In 1895, a young woman named Amy Carmichael came to India where she made it her life&rsquo;s mission to rescue orphaned temple children. Amy founded the Dohnavur Fellowship which included nurseries, cottage homes, hospitals, and schools. But the young missionary encountered fierce opposition. Amy refused to give up, saying, &ldquo;When I consider the cross of Christ, how can anything that I do be called sacrifice?&rdquo; Nehemiah also encountered intense challenges. When Nehemiah&rsquo;s enemies learned the building project was successful, they were angry. Their mockery and collusion had come to nothing; the wall had been rebuilt. Still unwilling to submit to the Lord, they hatched a plot to physically harm Nehemiah. When he saw through their plans and refused to meet them outside Jerusalem&rsquo;s walls, Sanballat (Samaria&rsquo;s governor) sent a letter accusing Nehemiah of subversion. The accusation could have spelled Nehemiah&rsquo;s doom at the hands of the Persian king. Nehemia

In 1895, a young woman named Amy Carmichael came to India where she made it her life’s mission to rescue orphaned temple children. Amy founded the Dohnavur Fellowship which included nurseries, cottage homes, hospitals, and schools. But the young missionary encountered fierce opposition. Amy refused to give up, saying, “When I consider the cross of Christ, how can anything that I do be called sacrifice?” Nehemiah also encountered intense challenges. When Nehemiah’s enemies learned the building project was successful, they were angry. Their mockery and collusion had come to nothing; the wall had been rebuilt. Still unwilling to submit to the Lord, they hatched a plot to physically harm Nehemiah. When he saw through their plans and refused to meet them outside Jerusalem’s walls, Sanballat (Samaria’s governor) sent a letter accusing Nehemiah of subversion. The accusation could have spelled Nehemiah’s doom at the hands of the Persian king. Nehemiah responded to Sanballat’

If you&rsquo;ve watched shows such as Downton Abbey or Upstairs, Downstairs, you know that in England, the nobility lived in an entirely different world than the serving class. The same wealth gap existed in Nehemiah&rsquo;s time. The nobles and officials in Jerusalem were exploiting the poor by charging them exorbitant interest on loans. This was money they needed to cover their basic living expenses. Nehemiah challenged these leaders to live generously. By doing so, they would be showing God&rsquo;s love. In addition to not charging interest on his own loans to the poor people in Jerusalem, Nehemiah refused to take what was his by virtue of his position. As the king&rsquo;s &ldquo;appointed...governor in the land of Judah&rdquo; (v. 14), Nehemiah could have demanded that the people provide food for him and his entire court. But unlike the political leaders before him, Nehemiah refused to do this. In addition to refusing to tax the people, he participated in the manual labor require

If you’ve watched shows such as Downton Abbey or Upstairs, Downstairs, you know that in England, the nobility lived in an entirely different world than the serving class. The same wealth gap existed in Nehemiah’s time. The nobles and officials in Jerusalem were exploiting the poor by charging them exorbitant interest on loans. This was money they needed to cover their basic living expenses. Nehemiah challenged these leaders to live generously. By doing so, they would be showing God’s love. In addition to not charging interest on his own loans to the poor people in Jerusalem, Nehemiah refused to take what was his by virtue of his position. As the king’s “appointed...governor in the land of Judah” (v. 14), Nehemiah could have demanded that the people provide food for him and his entire court. But unlike the political leaders before him, Nehemiah refused to do this. In addition to refusing to tax the people, he participated in the manual labor required

When asked about the most important law in the Old Testament, Jesus famously responded that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength (Matt. 22:37). No one listening to Him would have disagreed, most certainly not the Pharisees who were questioning Him. But then Jesus went on, saying that &ldquo;the second is like it: &lsquo;Love your neighbor as yourself&rsquo;&rdquo; (v. 39). In the midst of the people&rsquo;s courageous rebuilding of Jerusalem&rsquo;s walls&mdash;an act of loving God, to be sure&mdash;the people of Israel had failed to keep the command that &ldquo;is like it.&rdquo; Rather than loving their neighbors, the powerful people in Jerusalem were exploiting the poor. When we see this sort of injustice, it is easy for us to turn the other way and say, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not my business.&rdquo; We may assume: &ldquo;They have made bad decisions to become so poor. You reap what you sow!&rdquo; But that was not Nehemiah&rsquo;s respons

When asked about the most important law in the Old Testament, Jesus famously responded that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength (Matt. 22:37). No one listening to Him would have disagreed, most certainly not the Pharisees who were questioning Him. But then Jesus went on, saying that “the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (v. 39). In the midst of the people’s courageous rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls—an act of loving God, to be sure—the people of Israel had failed to keep the command that “is like it.” Rather than loving their neighbors, the powerful people in Jerusalem were exploiting the poor. When we see this sort of injustice, it is easy for us to turn the other way and say, “It’s not my business.” We may assume: “They have made bad decisions to become so poor. You reap what you sow!” But that was not Nehemiah’s response. Rather than cast blame on the impoverished, Nehemiah became “very angry” (v. 6) and

I love basketball and underdog movies. That&rsquo;s why Glory Road is one of my favorite films. It tells the story of Texas Western College, the first team in NCAA history with an all-black starting lineup. I won&rsquo;t spoil the ending if you haven&rsquo;t seen it; what&rsquo;s important is the enormous opposition these students overcame in order to play. Like the workers in the book of Nehemiah, they refused to give up, no matter what came their way. Today&rsquo;s reading in Nehemiah helps us understand the relationship between God&rsquo;s sovereignty and human responsibility. It shows what it means to trust God while also being fully prepared. Nehemiah presents these two concepts as both/and, not either/or. The passage starts with Nehemiah recounting that the Jewish people&rsquo;s enemies knew &ldquo;that God had frustrated&rdquo; their plot to stop the rebuilding project, and &ldquo;we all returned to the wall, each to our own work&rdquo; (v. 15). However, the Jewish people didn

I love basketball and underdog movies. That’s why Glory Road is one of my favorite films. It tells the story of Texas Western College, the first team in NCAA history with an all-black starting lineup. I won’t spoil the ending if you haven’t seen it; what’s important is the enormous opposition these students overcame in order to play. Like the workers in the book of Nehemiah, they refused to give up, no matter what came their way. Today’s reading in Nehemiah helps us understand the relationship between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. It shows what it means to trust God while also being fully prepared. Nehemiah presents these two concepts as both/and, not either/or. The passage starts with Nehemiah recounting that the Jewish people’s enemies knew “that God had frustrated” their plot to stop the rebuilding project, and “we all returned to the wall, each to our own work” (v. 15). However, the Jewish people didn’t just return to the work as if everyth

Have you ever experienced a time in your life when it felt like everyone and everything was against you? Everywhere you turned, you faced the enemy&rsquo;s fiery darts. Such times call us to trust in the Lord and stand firm in our faith. In today&rsquo;s reading, Nehemiah and the rest of those rebuilding Jerusalem continued to face opposition. Nehemiah 4:1&ndash;3 recounts the taunts that Sanballat and Tobiah lobbed at the Jewish people&mdash;and not just privately. Sanballat ridiculed them &ldquo;in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria&rdquo; (v. 2). They derided the people, calling them &ldquo;feeble,&rdquo; along with their work&mdash;&ldquo;even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!&rdquo; (v. 3). Nehemiah sprang into action, showing believers even today how to address opposition to God&rsquo;s work. First, Nehemiah prayed (vv. 4&ndash;6). This isn&rsquo;t the sort of prayer we are accustomed to. Nehemiah asked God to turn the enemies&rs

Have you ever experienced a time in your life when it felt like everyone and everything was against you? Everywhere you turned, you faced the enemy’s fiery darts. Such times call us to trust in the Lord and stand firm in our faith. In today’s reading, Nehemiah and the rest of those rebuilding Jerusalem continued to face opposition. Nehemiah 4:1–3 recounts the taunts that Sanballat and Tobiah lobbed at the Jewish people—and not just privately. Sanballat ridiculed them “in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria” (v. 2). They derided the people, calling them “feeble,” along with their work—“even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!” (v. 3). Nehemiah sprang into action, showing believers even today how to address opposition to God’s work. First, Nehemiah prayed (vv. 4–6). This isn’t the sort of prayer we are accustomed to. Nehemiah asked God to turn the enemies’ taunts back on them, even imploring God to “not cover up their guilt

Have you ever seen Undercover Boss, the reality TV show? In it, a company&rsquo;s CEO, owner, or other high-ranking employees go undercover to work at an entry-level position in their company. People loved it because, rather than staying in a high tower, the bosses got their hands dirty and saw what it was like to be &ldquo;normal&rdquo; employees. Well, the opposite is going on in our passage today. Nehemiah shared God&rsquo;s work, encouraged the people, and rejected the scorn of naysayers. But it was God&rsquo;s people who got to work rebuilding Jerusalem&rsquo;s walls. The chapter may seem a bit boring&mdash;it simply lists off people and the sections of the wall they rebuilt. It&rsquo;s kind of like the list of acknowledgments at the back of a book, except that it comes right at the front. But if you take the time to read through the people and the work they did, it&rsquo;s absolutely fascinating. Everyone went to work including goldsmiths, priests, Levites&mdash; people who reli

Have you ever seen Undercover Boss, the reality TV show? In it, a company’s CEO, owner, or other high-ranking employees go undercover to work at an entry-level position in their company. People loved it because, rather than staying in a high tower, the bosses got their hands dirty and saw what it was like to be “normal” employees. Well, the opposite is going on in our passage today. Nehemiah shared God’s work, encouraged the people, and rejected the scorn of naysayers. But it was God’s people who got to work rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls. The chapter may seem a bit boring—it simply lists off people and the sections of the wall they rebuilt. It’s kind of like the list of acknowledgments at the back of a book, except that it comes right at the front. But if you take the time to read through the people and the work they did, it’s absolutely fascinating. Everyone went to work including goldsmiths, priests, Levites— people who relied on a wide variety of work to support t

I was mocked a lot as a kid. I was dorky, into video games, bad at sports, short, and weighed more than most kids my age. Mocking and ridicule hurt. Although the people in today&rsquo;s passage weren&rsquo;t ridiculed because of their physical appearance or their inability to throw a football, I&rsquo;m certain they still felt the sting of the words hurled against them. Nehemiah had shared with God&rsquo;s people all the Lord had done to bring them to Jerusalem, and God had given them the courage to join Nehemiah in the seemingly impossible task of restoring Jerusalem&rsquo;s wall. Perhaps you can imagine the joy and excitement they felt when they listened to Nehemiah and knew, just knew, that God was going to do a mighty work. That is when their enemies&mdash;and the Enemy&mdash;attacked: &ldquo;But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. &lsquo;What is this you are doing?&rsquo; they asked. &lsquo;A

I was mocked a lot as a kid. I was dorky, into video games, bad at sports, short, and weighed more than most kids my age. Mocking and ridicule hurt. Although the people in today’s passage weren’t ridiculed because of their physical appearance or their inability to throw a football, I’m certain they still felt the sting of the words hurled against them. Nehemiah had shared with God’s people all the Lord had done to bring them to Jerusalem, and God had given them the courage to join Nehemiah in the seemingly impossible task of restoring Jerusalem’s wall. Perhaps you can imagine the joy and excitement they felt when they listened to Nehemiah and knew, just knew, that God was going to do a mighty work. That is when their enemies—and the Enemy—attacked: “But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. ‘What is this you are doing?’ they asked. ‘Are you rebelling against the king?’” (v. 19). The

Have you ever been faced with a huge task, afraid to take the first step even when you knew God had called you to it? Perhaps you had everything planned out, knew God was with you, and all that was left was to begin&mdash; returning to school, starting foster care classes, or sharing the gospel with that one person in your life. Beginning takes courage! And courage is exactly what we see in Nehemiah and the rest of the people of Jerusalem who would rally with him to rebuild the city&rsquo;s walls. Once Nehemiah finished his reconnaissance mission to learn the lay of the land, he saw just in what a bad shape the city had been (vv. 13&ndash;16). Nehemiah gathered the rest of the people of Jerusalem and shared his vision with them. Most importantly, Nehemiah told them all God had already done for him, ensuring that this was not some hair-brained idea from a Persian official: &ldquo;I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me&rdquo; (v. 18).

Have you ever been faced with a huge task, afraid to take the first step even when you knew God had called you to it? Perhaps you had everything planned out, knew God was with you, and all that was left was to begin— returning to school, starting foster care classes, or sharing the gospel with that one person in your life. Beginning takes courage! And courage is exactly what we see in Nehemiah and the rest of the people of Jerusalem who would rally with him to rebuild the city’s walls. Once Nehemiah finished his reconnaissance mission to learn the lay of the land, he saw just in what a bad shape the city had been (vv. 13–16). Nehemiah gathered the rest of the people of Jerusalem and shared his vision with them. Most importantly, Nehemiah told them all God had already done for him, ensuring that this was not some hair-brained idea from a Persian official: “I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me” (v. 18). Nehemiah’s te

Like many people, I typically interpret opposition as a sign that I am doing something wrong, while a smooth road ahead makes me think I&rsquo;m on the right path. We learned yesterday that God made the way smooth for Nehemiah, but today we read the first hint that not everyone would support Nehemiah&rsquo;s mission. Should he take the displeasure of two important men as a sign he should not rebuild Jerusalem&rsquo;s walls? Of course not! This was just another opportunity for Nehemiah to put his trust in the Lord. He should stand strong in what God had called him to do&mdash;to love God and his neighbor by restoring Jerusalem. One of the opposers was Sanballat whose name means &ldquo;Sin [the moon god] Gives Life.&rdquo; Those familiar with the Old Testament will remember that the Ammonites were sworn enemies of Israel. Sanballat and Tobiah would continue to oppose Nehemiah&rsquo;s efforts, but at every step of the way Nehemiah demonstrated trust in the Lord, refusing to turn away fro

Like many people, I typically interpret opposition as a sign that I am doing something wrong, while a smooth road ahead makes me think I’m on the right path. We learned yesterday that God made the way smooth for Nehemiah, but today we read the first hint that not everyone would support Nehemiah’s mission. Should he take the displeasure of two important men as a sign he should not rebuild Jerusalem’s walls? Of course not! This was just another opportunity for Nehemiah to put his trust in the Lord. He should stand strong in what God had called him to do—to love God and his neighbor by restoring Jerusalem. One of the opposers was Sanballat whose name means “Sin [the moon god] Gives Life.” Those familiar with the Old Testament will remember that the Ammonites were sworn enemies of Israel. Sanballat and Tobiah would continue to oppose Nehemiah’s efforts, but at every step of the way Nehemiah demonstrated trust in the Lord, refusing to turn away from what God has called him to do.

Have you ever been afraid to ask your boss for something, such as a raise or maybe some time off? I know I have! I&rsquo;ve been anxious that the answer would be no, or&mdash;even worse&mdash;that I&rsquo;d be fired for presuming my worth. Now, imagine if your boss could literally murder you any time with no repercussions whatsoever. And what if you&rsquo;re asking for something the boss already promised would never happen. That was the situation for Nehemiah in today&rsquo;s passage. It had been four months since Nehemiah (&ldquo;The Lord Comforts&rdquo;) learned from his brother Hanani (&ldquo;The Lord is Gracious&rdquo;) about the devastation in Jerusalem. &ldquo;When wine was brought for&rdquo; King Artaxerxes, it was likely at a feast and, thus, he would be in good spirits, but he sensed something wrong with his trusted cupbearer: &ldquo;Why does your face look so sad?&rdquo; (v. 2). Nehemiah, though fearful (v. 2), answers honestly. Even though he knows that Artaxerxes had alrea

Have you ever been afraid to ask your boss for something, such as a raise or maybe some time off? I know I have! I’ve been anxious that the answer would be no, or—even worse—that I’d be fired for presuming my worth. Now, imagine if your boss could literally murder you any time with no repercussions whatsoever. And what if you’re asking for something the boss already promised would never happen. That was the situation for Nehemiah in today’s passage. It had been four months since Nehemiah (“The Lord Comforts”) learned from his brother Hanani (“The Lord is Gracious”) about the devastation in Jerusalem. “When wine was brought for” King Artaxerxes, it was likely at a feast and, thus, he would be in good spirits, but he sensed something wrong with his trusted cupbearer: “Why does your face look so sad?” (v. 2). Nehemiah, though fearful (v. 2), answers honestly. Even though he knows that Artaxerxes had already halted construction of Jerusalem’s walls (see Ezra 4), Nehemiah prays t

I&rsquo;ve never read Judy Blume&rsquo;s book Are You There God? It&rsquo;s Me, Margaret, but time and again I&rsquo;ve thought of that title as I poured out prayers that felt like they got no further than the ceiling. Did God hear me? These eight verses in Nehemiah offer us a lesson on prayer. First, Nehemiah teaches that we should pray&mdash;even when we are sad or mourning (v. 4). God doesn&rsquo;t want to hear from us only when things are going well! Second, just like Jesus taught the disciples, prayer begins with worship and submission to the Lord. In Nehemiah&rsquo;s words, God is &ldquo;the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments&rdquo; (v. 5). Third, Nehemiah asks God to hear him, making his requests known to God (v. 6; Phil. 4:6). Fourth, prayer should include clear and honest confession and repentance (vv. 6&ndash;7). Nehemiah confesses &ldquo;the sins we Israelites, including myself and my

I’ve never read Judy Blume’s book Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, but time and again I’ve thought of that title as I poured out prayers that felt like they got no further than the ceiling. Did God hear me? These eight verses in Nehemiah offer us a lesson on prayer. First, Nehemiah teaches that we should pray—even when we are sad or mourning (v. 4). God doesn’t want to hear from us only when things are going well! Second, just like Jesus taught the disciples, prayer begins with worship and submission to the Lord. In Nehemiah’s words, God is “the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments” (v. 5). Third, Nehemiah asks God to hear him, making his requests known to God (v. 6; Phil. 4:6). Fourth, prayer should include clear and honest confession and repentance (vv. 6–7). Nehemiah confesses “the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed a

Going against the wave of technology, I exchanged my smartphone for a &ldquo;dumb&rdquo; phone several years ago. But before then, I remember texting with friends and seeing those little three dots come up that indicate your recipient is typing a response. I would sometimes get anxious, waiting for what they would say. Now, take that emotion and multiply it by a camel ride across 900 miles. Travel back to December of 445 BC, and meet Nehemiah, a trusted advisor to the king in the Persian capital Susa, which is the modern-day city of Shush in southwestern Iran. You probably know the city from the book of Esther, where events occurred about 20 years before this. Nehemiah had waited a long time for his message, and the news was even worse than he expected. Nehemiah&rsquo;s brother Hanani (whose name means &ldquo;The Lord Is Gracious&rdquo;) told him that &ldquo;those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace&rdquo; (v. 3). Even the wall of Jeru

Going against the wave of technology, I exchanged my smartphone for a “dumb” phone several years ago. But before then, I remember texting with friends and seeing those little three dots come up that indicate your recipient is typing a response. I would sometimes get anxious, waiting for what they would say. Now, take that emotion and multiply it by a camel ride across 900 miles. Travel back to December of 445 BC, and meet Nehemiah, a trusted advisor to the king in the Persian capital Susa, which is the modern-day city of Shush in southwestern Iran. You probably know the city from the book of Esther, where events occurred about 20 years before this. Nehemiah had waited a long time for his message, and the news was even worse than he expected. Nehemiah’s brother Hanani (whose name means “The Lord Is Gracious”) told him that “those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace” (v. 3). Even the wall of Jerusalem had been destroyed. <

Do you know what your name means? There are websites and books dedicated to explaining the meaning behind names. Maybe you were given a family name&mdash;I&rsquo;m named after my paternal grandfather&mdash;or maybe your name evokes a favorite song, or your parents just liked the way it sounds. In the Old Testament, names held special significance and could reveal something about the person, their story, or their God. For example, Abraham was called &ldquo;the father of many nations&rdquo; (Gen.17:5), Abel&rsquo;s name meant &ldquo;breath&rdquo; or &ldquo;vapor,&rdquo; and the mighty prophet Elijah&rsquo;s name meant &ldquo;Yahweh is my God&rdquo;&mdash;certainly a reminder he needed during the darkest days of his ministry. This month we are reading about Nehemiah whose name means &ldquo;The Lord Comforts.&rdquo; Now, most of us are familiar with the idea that God comforts His people, but put yourself in Nehemiah&rsquo;s shoes and the shoes of his original readers. God&rsquo;s people

Do you know what your name means? There are websites and books dedicated to explaining the meaning behind names. Maybe you were given a family name—I’m named after my paternal grandfather—or maybe your name evokes a favorite song, or your parents just liked the way it sounds. In the Old Testament, names held special significance and could reveal something about the person, their story, or their God. For example, Abraham was called “the father of many nations” (Gen.17:5), Abel’s name meant “breath” or “vapor,” and the mighty prophet Elijah’s name meant “Yahweh is my God”—certainly a reminder he needed during the darkest days of his ministry. This month we are reading about Nehemiah whose name means “The Lord Comforts.” Now, most of us are familiar with the idea that God comforts His people, but put yourself in Nehemiah’s shoes and the shoes of his original readers. God’s people had been living in exile for decades—first under the rule of the Babylonians and then the P

Pastor A. W. Tozer wrote, &ldquo;What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.&rdquo; This is a profoundly true statement. What we believe about God changes the way we think about ourselves, others, and the world we live in. Just like our relationship with other people, our knowledge of God is not a static thing. It grows as we get to know Him better. We conclude our study of images of God in the New Testament, with Ephesians 1. Here Paul prays for the church. His deepest desire is that we &ldquo;may know him better&rdquo; (v. 17). Paul understands that our first calling is to remain in fellowship with God (1 Cor. 1:8). God is unlike anyone else. He created the universe and stands outside of it. The only way we can know God is because He has made Himself known to us. He is revealed through His Word and ultimately through the Lord Jesus. Paul prays that we would learn about God through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit (vv. 17&ndash;18). G

Pastor A. W. Tozer wrote, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” This is a profoundly true statement. What we believe about God changes the way we think about ourselves, others, and the world we live in. Just like our relationship with other people, our knowledge of God is not a static thing. It grows as we get to know Him better. We conclude our study of images of God in the New Testament, with Ephesians 1. Here Paul prays for the church. His deepest desire is that we “may know him better” (v. 17). Paul understands that our first calling is to remain in fellowship with God (1 Cor. 1:8). God is unlike anyone else. He created the universe and stands outside of it. The only way we can know God is because He has made Himself known to us. He is revealed through His Word and ultimately through the Lord Jesus. Paul prays that we would learn about God through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit (vv. 17–18). God provides m

If someone tells a married couple they are acting like newlyweds, it is a compliment. Why? Because newlyweds are so infatuated with one another that they see only good things in the relationship. Usually, it is not until later that they encounter struggles. Then we might say, &ldquo;The honeymoon is over.&rdquo; God&rsquo;s relationship with His people is often described as that of a husband and wife. God is the faithful, loving husband to Israel (in the Old Testament) and the Church (in the New Testament). In today&rsquo;s reading, God laments over His wayward bride. He reminds Israel of how He redeemed her from slavery in Egypt: &ldquo;I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the wilderness&rdquo; (v. 2). Yet, Israel was not faithful. They worshiped idols (v. 5). They often simply ignored the Lord: &ldquo;The priests did not ask, &lsquo;Where is the LORD?&rsquo;&rdquo; (v. 8). God asks, &ldquo;Does a young woman forget her jewelry,

If someone tells a married couple they are acting like newlyweds, it is a compliment. Why? Because newlyweds are so infatuated with one another that they see only good things in the relationship. Usually, it is not until later that they encounter struggles. Then we might say, “The honeymoon is over.” God’s relationship with His people is often described as that of a husband and wife. God is the faithful, loving husband to Israel (in the Old Testament) and the Church (in the New Testament). In today’s reading, God laments over His wayward bride. He reminds Israel of how He redeemed her from slavery in Egypt: “I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the wilderness” (v. 2). Yet, Israel was not faithful. They worshiped idols (v. 5). They often simply ignored the Lord: “The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD?’” (v. 8). God asks, “Does a young woman forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding ornaments? Yet my people have

The most common parental image of God in the Bible is as a father. In Scripture, God is never called mother. The authors of Scripture are intentional about how they use language and so we should respect that omission. However, there are several places where maternal imagery is used to help us understand God as a parent. Through the prophet Isaiah, God says, &ldquo;As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you&rdquo; (Isa. 66:13). Isaiah asks, &ldquo;Can a mother forget the baby at her breast?&rdquo; God speaks through Isaiah, saying that even if an earthly mother could disregard her child, God will never forget His children (Isa. 49:15). In Psalm 131, David uses a similar word picture to describe his relationship with God. He says, &ldquo;I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content&rdquo; (v. 2). Here David compares himself to the infant who finds comfort and security in the arms of the mother. David is not sayin

The most common parental image of God in the Bible is as a father. In Scripture, God is never called mother. The authors of Scripture are intentional about how they use language and so we should respect that omission. However, there are several places where maternal imagery is used to help us understand God as a parent. Through the prophet Isaiah, God says, “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you” (Isa. 66:13). Isaiah asks, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast?” God speaks through Isaiah, saying that even if an earthly mother could disregard her child, God will never forget His children (Isa. 49:15). In Psalm 131, David uses a similar word picture to describe his relationship with God. He says, “I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content” (v. 2). Here David compares himself to the infant who finds comfort and security in the arms of the mother. David is not saying that God is his mother.

Some people struggle with the biblical image of God as a father. Their experience of a human father has made the idea of God as a father unappealing. It is true that human fathers are often far from perfect. Even fathers in the Bible&mdash;Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David&mdash;were men of faith but not ideal fathers. We can trust, however, that God is our perfect heavenly Father. He is utterly reliable, caring, and attentive to His children. In Psalm 103, David rouses himself to praise God (vv. 1&ndash;2). He reminds himself of many of God&rsquo;s wonderful attributes. God heals, redeems, forgives, and satisfies (vv. 3&ndash;5). Even when we fail in our relationship with God, He &ldquo;does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities&rdquo; (v. 10). Instead, God forgives. He removes our sin as far as the east is from the west (v. 12). We find the reason for God&rsquo;s forgiveness in verse 13: &ldquo;As a father has compassion on his children, so the LOR

Some people struggle with the biblical image of God as a father. Their experience of a human father has made the idea of God as a father unappealing. It is true that human fathers are often far from perfect. Even fathers in the Bible—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David—were men of faith but not ideal fathers. We can trust, however, that God is our perfect heavenly Father. He is utterly reliable, caring, and attentive to His children. In Psalm 103, David rouses himself to praise God (vv. 1–2). He reminds himself of many of God’s wonderful attributes. God heals, redeems, forgives, and satisfies (vv. 3–5). Even when we fail in our relationship with God, He “does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities” (v. 10). Instead, God forgives. He removes our sin as far as the east is from the west (v. 12). We find the reason for God’s forgiveness in verse 13: “As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear hi

Michelangelo was perhaps the greatest sculptor in history. When asked to describe his craft, he said, &ldquo;Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.&rdquo; Artists take materials in the world and reshape them to create something new. Today, we are viewing God as an artist. But, unlike Michelangelo or any ordinary artist, God is not dependent on using preexisting material. He can create from nothing! In Psalm 19, David proclaims: &ldquo;The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands&rdquo; (v. 1). David looks up at the night sky and is awestruck by God&rsquo;s handiwork. When we take the time to really look at the universe God made, from the smallest blade of grass to the largest super nova, we cannot fail to see God&rsquo;s grandeur and His artistic prowess. Even though nature cannot speak audibly, it communicates to us who God is (vv. 3&ndash;4). God&rsquo;s artistry is also seen in Scripture. God

Michelangelo was perhaps the greatest sculptor in history. When asked to describe his craft, he said, “Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.” Artists take materials in the world and reshape them to create something new. Today, we are viewing God as an artist. But, unlike Michelangelo or any ordinary artist, God is not dependent on using preexisting material. He can create from nothing! In Psalm 19, David proclaims: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (v. 1). David looks up at the night sky and is awestruck by God’s handiwork. When we take the time to really look at the universe God made, from the smallest blade of grass to the largest super nova, we cannot fail to see God’s grandeur and His artistic prowess. Even though nature cannot speak audibly, it communicates to us who God is (vv. 3–4). God’s artistry is also seen in Scripture. God’s Word is “perfect” and “refre

Gardeners will tell you that getting your hands dirty and caring for plants can be therapeutic. During the darkest days of the American Revolution, George Washington took his mind off the war by drawing up elaborate plans for his gardens back home. Even today, his gardens at Mount Vernon are a delight to walk through. In Psalm 104, God is pictured as a gardener. The Psalmist proclaims, &ldquo;The trees of the LORD are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted&rdquo; (v. 16). God carefully plants and cares for groves of trees. While this is the only verse in the psalm where the gardener metaphor is explicitly stated, the idea of God tending to the created world permeates the whole poem. The Psalmist praises God as the Creator. Gardeners do not only plant seeds, they also nurture their gardens as they grow. In the same way, God did not only create the world but also continues to uphold and sustain it. God provides water for the animals (v. 11). He creates a home for the birds

Gardeners will tell you that getting your hands dirty and caring for plants can be therapeutic. During the darkest days of the American Revolution, George Washington took his mind off the war by drawing up elaborate plans for his gardens back home. Even today, his gardens at Mount Vernon are a delight to walk through. In Psalm 104, God is pictured as a gardener. The Psalmist proclaims, “The trees of the LORD are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted” (v. 16). God carefully plants and cares for groves of trees. While this is the only verse in the psalm where the gardener metaphor is explicitly stated, the idea of God tending to the created world permeates the whole poem. The Psalmist praises God as the Creator. Gardeners do not only plant seeds, they also nurture their gardens as they grow. In the same way, God did not only create the world but also continues to uphold and sustain it. God provides water for the animals (v. 11). He creates a home for the

The first step toward healing is recognizing that you are sick. Aspiring medical students are often counseled to minor in psychology. The reason for this is that treating someone medically involves more than simply diagnosing diseases and prescribing treatments. The patient also must accept that they are sick and that the treatment offered will help them. The prophet Hosea ministered to Israel during a time when the nation was prosperous and thriving economically. But while their pocket- books might have been healthy, their hearts were not. They worshiped idols and oppressed the poor. God raised up Hosea to warn them of the danger they faced if they continued this path. In Hosea 14, we read the prophet&rsquo;s final plea to the nation: &ldquo;Return, Israel, to the LORD your God. Your sins have been your downfall!&rdquo; (v. 1). Israel&rsquo;s sin was like a sickness eating away at the nation from the inside. First, they needed to be honest about their condition. Instead of trusting

The first step toward healing is recognizing that you are sick. Aspiring medical students are often counseled to minor in psychology. The reason for this is that treating someone medically involves more than simply diagnosing diseases and prescribing treatments. The patient also must accept that they are sick and that the treatment offered will help them. The prophet Hosea ministered to Israel during a time when the nation was prosperous and thriving economically. But while their pocket- books might have been healthy, their hearts were not. They worshiped idols and oppressed the poor. God raised up Hosea to warn them of the danger they faced if they continued this path. In Hosea 14, we read the prophet’s final plea to the nation: “Return, Israel, to the LORD your God. Your sins have been your downfall!” (v. 1). Israel’s sin was like a sickness eating away at the nation from the inside. First, they needed to be honest about their condition. Instead of trusting in God

Imagine a classroom. What comes to mind? As a college professor, I picture desks in rows, a whiteboard, and a podium in the front. Education in ancient Israel was a bit different. There were no classrooms. The student/teacher relationship was also bit different. Scripture was taught mainly in the home (Deut. 6:7). Learning a new trade was accomplished through apprenticeships. In today&rsquo;s reading, David portrays God as his teacher. He asks God: &ldquo;Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths&rdquo; (v. 4). He wants to be guided by the Lord, because he knows that God is &ldquo;good and upright&rdquo; (v. 8). David&rsquo;s request is based on two important truths. First, God cares for us and desires for us to change. David affirms, &ldquo;All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful&rdquo; (v. 10). God cares for him even though he has not been perfect. God also &ldquo;instructs sinners in his ways&rdquo; (v. 8). As Jesus taught, &ldquo;It is not the healthy who need a docto

Imagine a classroom. What comes to mind? As a college professor, I picture desks in rows, a whiteboard, and a podium in the front. Education in ancient Israel was a bit different. There were no classrooms. The student/teacher relationship was also bit different. Scripture was taught mainly in the home (Deut. 6:7). Learning a new trade was accomplished through apprenticeships. In today’s reading, David portrays God as his teacher. He asks God: “Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths” (v. 4). He wants to be guided by the Lord, because he knows that God is “good and upright” (v. 8). David’s request is based on two important truths. First, God cares for us and desires for us to change. David affirms, “All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful” (v. 10). God cares for him even though he has not been perfect. God also “instructs sinners in his ways” (v. 8). As Jesus taught, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Matt. 9:12). Secondly,

There is nothing quite like the taste of fresh grapes. They are sweet, juicy, and refreshing. I don&rsquo;t have first-hand experience of growing grapes, but I&rsquo;ve been told it can be a fickle crop that needs constant attention. Grapes were&mdash;and still are&mdash;one of the most common agricultural products in Israel. In today&rsquo;s reading, Isaiah envisions God as the owner of a vineyard. Planting a new vineyard was an especially arduous task. Vineyards were typically planted on a hillside (v. 1). They needed to be cleared of stones (v. 2). In an age before tractors or other mechanical help, this was backbreaking work. The stones would then be used to build a fence around the vineyard and a watchtower for protection (v. 2). Planting a vineyard was also a long-term investment. It takes a few years before a vine will grow eatable grapes. In Isaiah&rsquo;s song, God has done this work skillfully and carefully. He has tended His vineyard with the utmost care and patiently wait

There is nothing quite like the taste of fresh grapes. They are sweet, juicy, and refreshing. I don’t have first-hand experience of growing grapes, but I’ve been told it can be a fickle crop that needs constant attention. Grapes were—and still are—one of the most common agricultural products in Israel. In today’s reading, Isaiah envisions God as the owner of a vineyard. Planting a new vineyard was an especially arduous task. Vineyards were typically planted on a hillside (v. 1). They needed to be cleared of stones (v. 2). In an age before tractors or other mechanical help, this was backbreaking work. The stones would then be used to build a fence around the vineyard and a watchtower for protection (v. 2). Planting a vineyard was also a long-term investment. It takes a few years before a vine will grow eatable grapes. In Isaiah’s song, God has done this work skillfully and carefully. He has tended His vineyard with the utmost care and patiently waited for grapes to gr

In 1935, the United States had 6.8 million farms. Today, while approximately the same amount of land is used for farming, the number of farms has decreased to about 2 million. The shift from a family-based farming model to agribusiness is the reason. As a result, most Americans lack firsthand knowledge of farming. Farming was one of the most common occupations in the ancient world. It is not a surprise that one of the first images of God in the Bible is that of a farmer. In Genesis 1, God is the sovereign Creator. He speaks and the world comes into existence. Then the tone shifts in Genesis 2 and God gets His hands dirty in the soil. He &ldquo;formed a man from the dust of the ground&rdquo; (v. 7). After creating Adam, God &ldquo;planted a garden in the east, in Eden&rdquo; (v. 8). God was the very first farmer. He &ldquo;made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground&mdash;trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food&rdquo; (v. 9). After completing His work, God turned over

In 1935, the United States had 6.8 million farms. Today, while approximately the same amount of land is used for farming, the number of farms has decreased to about 2 million. The shift from a family-based farming model to agribusiness is the reason. As a result, most Americans lack firsthand knowledge of farming. Farming was one of the most common occupations in the ancient world. It is not a surprise that one of the first images of God in the Bible is that of a farmer. In Genesis 1, God is the sovereign Creator. He speaks and the world comes into existence. Then the tone shifts in Genesis 2 and God gets His hands dirty in the soil. He “formed a man from the dust of the ground” (v. 7). After creating Adam, God “planted a garden in the east, in Eden” (v. 8). God was the very first farmer. He “made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food” (v. 9). After completing His work, God turned over the responsibility to Ad

Several years ago, I had a student in class who was old enough to be my father. Over the course of the semester, I got to know him and hear his story. He was originally from Cambodia. As a teenager, he was forced to flee from his home when the Khmer Rouge rose to power. During the short reign of this regime, an estimated 1.7 million people were killed, including many members of this student&rsquo;s family. This is just one example of the horrific power of state. In today&rsquo;s reading, Daniel has a vision of a succession of kingdoms portrayed as terrifying beasts. Daniel himself lived under some of these regimes. In his lifetime, Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem. He also saw the Persians conquer the Babylonians. He knew from experience the beast-like nature of empires. From a human perspective, these powerful empires seem all-powerful. Daniel describes the fourth beast as &ldquo;terrifying and frightening and very powerful...it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underf

Several years ago, I had a student in class who was old enough to be my father. Over the course of the semester, I got to know him and hear his story. He was originally from Cambodia. As a teenager, he was forced to flee from his home when the Khmer Rouge rose to power. During the short reign of this regime, an estimated 1.7 million people were killed, including many members of this student’s family. This is just one example of the horrific power of state. In today’s reading, Daniel has a vision of a succession of kingdoms portrayed as terrifying beasts. Daniel himself lived under some of these regimes. In his lifetime, Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem. He also saw the Persians conquer the Babylonians. He knew from experience the beast-like nature of empires. From a human perspective, these powerful empires seem all-powerful. Daniel describes the fourth beast as “terrifying and frightening and very powerful...it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfo

Throughout its history, Israel was in an almost constant state of warfare. During the events described in the Old Testament, they were attacked by the Egyptians, Philistines, Moabites, Assyrians, and Babylonians&mdash;to name just a few enemies. In such a dangerous world, warriors were both common and necessary. In many places in Scripture, God is described as a warrior. In Exodus 15, Israel had achieved the unthinkable. They had escaped from Egypt, the most powerful nation on earth at the time. They did not escape because of their military prowess or their political savvy as negotiators. Instead, they were freed from slavery because God fought on their behalf. After the Egyptian army drowned in the Red Sea, Moses led Israel in a hymn of praise that proclaimed: &ldquo;The LORD is a warrior, the LORD is his name&rdquo; (v. 3). He silenced the prideful boasting of the Egyptian army (v. 9). God showed that He is unique. There is no one like Him. Egypt&rsquo;s gods can&rsquo;t compete (v.

Throughout its history, Israel was in an almost constant state of warfare. During the events described in the Old Testament, they were attacked by the Egyptians, Philistines, Moabites, Assyrians, and Babylonians—to name just a few enemies. In such a dangerous world, warriors were both common and necessary. In many places in Scripture, God is described as a warrior. In Exodus 15, Israel had achieved the unthinkable. They had escaped from Egypt, the most powerful nation on earth at the time. They did not escape because of their military prowess or their political savvy as negotiators. Instead, they were freed from slavery because God fought on their behalf. After the Egyptian army drowned in the Red Sea, Moses led Israel in a hymn of praise that proclaimed: “The LORD is a warrior, the LORD is his name” (v. 3). He silenced the prideful boasting of the Egyptian army (v. 9). God showed that He is unique. There is no one like Him. Egypt’s gods can’t compete (v. 11). As war

On May 1, 1931, the Empire State Building opened to great fanfare. At the time, it was the largest building in the world. The construction involved over 3,500 workers and took three years to complete. Architects, iron workers, stone masons, carpenters, and plumbers were all needed, along with many other specialties to craft the iconic building. In Job 38, God is the master builder. He created not a skyscraper but the entire universe! He alone is the Creator of everything. You may remember that the Old Testament book of Job shares the story of a man who had lost everything. His house, wealth, reputation, and his children had all been taken from him. Job could not fathom why. What had he done to deserve such calamity? Job&rsquo;s intense suffering impacted his relationship with God, and he began to question God&rsquo;s justice (Job 31:35). God met with Job &ldquo;out of the storm&rdquo; (v. 1), giving him a series of rhetorical questions that centered around God&rsquo;s work in Creatio

On May 1, 1931, the Empire State Building opened to great fanfare. At the time, it was the largest building in the world. The construction involved over 3,500 workers and took three years to complete. Architects, iron workers, stone masons, carpenters, and plumbers were all needed, along with many other specialties to craft the iconic building. In Job 38, God is the master builder. He created not a skyscraper but the entire universe! He alone is the Creator of everything. You may remember that the Old Testament book of Job shares the story of a man who had lost everything. His house, wealth, reputation, and his children had all been taken from him. Job could not fathom why. What had he done to deserve such calamity? Job’s intense suffering impacted his relationship with God, and he began to question God’s justice (Job 31:35). God met with Job “out of the storm” (v. 1), giving him a series of rhetorical questions that centered around God’s work in Creation. God presen

Many people dream of being an archaeologist like Indiana Jones, discovering lost treasures from the ancient world. However, actual archaeological digs are usually not so spectacular. Pottery is one of the most common discoveries, in part because it is highly resistant to decay, but also because pottery was so widely used in ancient cultures. In today&rsquo;s reading, God instructs Jeremiah to go down to the potter&rsquo;s house (v. 2). Jeremiah notices that, in one case, a potter started to make one object, but the clay was not cooperating. Rather than giving up on the clay, the potter smashed it and shaped it into something else (v. 4). God used this scene to teach Israel about their relationship with Him. God is the potter, and Israel is the clay. There is a relationship between them. The clay can be unyielding to the potter&rsquo;s hand, but the potter remains in control of what happens to the clay. God has the same kind of freedom as the potter (v. 6). This is both a warning and

Many people dream of being an archaeologist like Indiana Jones, discovering lost treasures from the ancient world. However, actual archaeological digs are usually not so spectacular. Pottery is one of the most common discoveries, in part because it is highly resistant to decay, but also because pottery was so widely used in ancient cultures. In today’s reading, God instructs Jeremiah to go down to the potter’s house (v. 2). Jeremiah notices that, in one case, a potter started to make one object, but the clay was not cooperating. Rather than giving up on the clay, the potter smashed it and shaped it into something else (v. 4). God used this scene to teach Israel about their relationship with Him. God is the potter, and Israel is the clay. There is a relationship between them. The clay can be unyielding to the potter’s hand, but the potter remains in control of what happens to the clay. God has the same kind of freedom as the potter (v. 6). This is both a warning and a

&ldquo;It is legal because I want it,&rdquo; King Louis XVI said. This quote embodies the attitude of monarchs throughout history. And while the Bible recognizes the authority of human kings and rulers, God is the King of kings! Any human king is under God&rsquo;s authority. Daniel 4 is an unusual chapter. It is the only place in Scripture where a Gentile king is allowed to speak for himself. In the form of a letter or proclamation, Nebuchadnezzar testifies about God&rsquo;s work in his life. He recounts a dream he had about a mighty tree that was cut down. Naturally, he turned to Daniel for its interpretation. Daniel declares that God has pronounced judgment on Nebuchadnezzar for his pride. He would be &ldquo;driven away from people&rdquo; and &ldquo;live with the wild animals&rdquo; until he acknowledges the truth that &ldquo;the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth&rdquo; (v. 25). And that is exactly what happened. One day, while Nebuchadnezzar was relaxing on the pal

“It is legal because I want it,” King Louis XVI said. This quote embodies the attitude of monarchs throughout history. And while the Bible recognizes the authority of human kings and rulers, God is the King of kings! Any human king is under God’s authority. Daniel 4 is an unusual chapter. It is the only place in Scripture where a Gentile king is allowed to speak for himself. In the form of a letter or proclamation, Nebuchadnezzar testifies about God’s work in his life. He recounts a dream he had about a mighty tree that was cut down. Naturally, he turned to Daniel for its interpretation. Daniel declares that God has pronounced judgment on Nebuchadnezzar for his pride. He would be “driven away from people” and “live with the wild animals” until he acknowledges the truth that “the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth” (v. 25). And that is exactly what happened. One day, while Nebuchadnezzar was relaxing on the palace roof, he surveyed the city and boasted,

There is almost nothing worse than working for a bad leader, in a workplace filled with confusion, mistrust, and frustration. On the other hand, when we work for a good leader, even the most difficult job can seem bearable. Again and again, the Bible refers to God as King. In democratic nations, we may be a bit suspicious of that title. But unlike many earthly kings, God is not an elevated tyrant concerned only with his own power and privilege. In today&rsquo;s reading, the Psalmist celebrates God&rsquo;s rule with great enthusiasm: &ldquo;Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises&rdquo; (v. 6). Psalm 47 celebrates God&rsquo;s rule over all the earth, including all the nations (vv. 1&ndash;2). As believers, we owe Him our allegiance. We can trust God as King. Our King wants to hear from us. He delights to receive our worship (v. 6). He cares for us personally and is intimately involved in our lives. David declares, &ldquo;The LORD is near to all who ca

There is almost nothing worse than working for a bad leader, in a workplace filled with confusion, mistrust, and frustration. On the other hand, when we work for a good leader, even the most difficult job can seem bearable. Again and again, the Bible refers to God as King. In democratic nations, we may be a bit suspicious of that title. But unlike many earthly kings, God is not an elevated tyrant concerned only with his own power and privilege. In today’s reading, the Psalmist celebrates God’s rule with great enthusiasm: “Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises” (v. 6). Psalm 47 celebrates God’s rule over all the earth, including all the nations (vv. 1–2). As believers, we owe Him our allegiance. We can trust God as King. Our King wants to hear from us. He delights to receive our worship (v. 6). He cares for us personally and is intimately involved in our lives. David declares, “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who cal

Did you know that there are over a billion sheep on the earth today? In New Zealand, sheep outnumber people five to one! Humans have a long history of tending sheep. Since sheep are naturally defenseless against predators, they tend to be nervous and easily frightened. If you think about it, we have a lot in common with sheep. The world often seems like a dangerous place. Anxiety and fear are rampant today, even among the most wealthy and successful. In today&rsquo;s reading, the Psalmist expresses deep distress. Instead of peacefully sleeping through the night, he groans and stretches out his hands to heaven in desperation (vv. 2&ndash;3). He laments to God: &ldquo;You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak&rdquo; (v. 4). Most disturbing was the fact that his situation made him question God&rsquo;s faithfulness. He wondered if God would keep His covenant promises and be true to His nature as compassionate and gracious (vv. 7&ndash;9). These troubling doubts increased

Did you know that there are over a billion sheep on the earth today? In New Zealand, sheep outnumber people five to one! Humans have a long history of tending sheep. Since sheep are naturally defenseless against predators, they tend to be nervous and easily frightened. If you think about it, we have a lot in common with sheep. The world often seems like a dangerous place. Anxiety and fear are rampant today, even among the most wealthy and successful. In today’s reading, the Psalmist expresses deep distress. Instead of peacefully sleeping through the night, he groans and stretches out his hands to heaven in desperation (vv. 2–3). He laments to God: “You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak” (v. 4). Most disturbing was the fact that his situation made him question God’s faithfulness. He wondered if God would keep His covenant promises and be true to His nature as compassionate and gracious (vv. 7–9). These troubling doubts increased his anxiety. Imagi

What animal is mentioned most often in the Bible? If you guessed &ldquo;sheep,&rdquo; you are right! Sheep were an important part of the economy of ancient Israel. It is no surprise that many biblical characters spent at least some of their life as shepherds, including Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Moses, David, and Amos. Shepherding in Israel was different than it is today. There were no fenced-in fields. Instead, shepherds had to be with their sheep to protect them from predators, lead them to good pasture, shelter them from the weather, and tend to their injuries. Shepherds became symbols of good leadership. Like shepherds, good leaders are compassionate, caring, and protective of those under their care. In today&rsquo;s reading, God denounces the so-called shepherds of Israel. The priests and leaders of Israel had failed. They had extorted their people and did not care for them (vv. 2&ndash;4). They have not tended the sick and weak or sought the lost. They did not lead with compassio

What animal is mentioned most often in the Bible? If you guessed “sheep,” you are right! Sheep were an important part of the economy of ancient Israel. It is no surprise that many biblical characters spent at least some of their life as shepherds, including Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Moses, David, and Amos. Shepherding in Israel was different than it is today. There were no fenced-in fields. Instead, shepherds had to be with their sheep to protect them from predators, lead them to good pasture, shelter them from the weather, and tend to their injuries. Shepherds became symbols of good leadership. Like shepherds, good leaders are compassionate, caring, and protective of those under their care. In today’s reading, God denounces the so-called shepherds of Israel. The priests and leaders of Israel had failed. They had extorted their people and did not care for them (vv. 2–4). They have not tended the sick and weak or sought the lost. They did not lead with compassion but w

The largest bear species in the world is the polar bear. Male polar bears can weigh up to 1,500 pounds and stand up to 9 feet 10 inches tall! While ancient Israel did not have any polar bears, they did have a respect and fear of a bear&rsquo;s power. There is a proverb in the book of Amos where the prophet says, &ldquo;It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear&rdquo; (5:19). That is similar to our proverb &ldquo;Out of the frying pan and into the fire.&rdquo; In Hosea 13, God pronounces a judgment against the northern kingdom of Israel. Israel had engaged in idol worship and even offered human sacrifices, something God detested. They had done this although God had delivered them from slavery to Egypt and warned them to &ldquo;acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me&rdquo; (v. 4). They forgot their dependence on God and became proud. Because of their rebellion, God declares that He will come as a judge. He uses three animal metaphors to describe His anger

The largest bear species in the world is the polar bear. Male polar bears can weigh up to 1,500 pounds and stand up to 9 feet 10 inches tall! While ancient Israel did not have any polar bears, they did have a respect and fear of a bear’s power. There is a proverb in the book of Amos where the prophet says, “It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear” (5:19). That is similar to our proverb “Out of the frying pan and into the fire.” In Hosea 13, God pronounces a judgment against the northern kingdom of Israel. Israel had engaged in idol worship and even offered human sacrifices, something God detested. They had done this although God had delivered them from slavery to Egypt and warned them to “acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me” (v. 4). They forgot their dependence on God and became proud. Because of their rebellion, God declares that He will come as a judge. He uses three animal metaphors to describe His anger toward Israel. He will be

A baby bird is entirely dependent on its parents for survival. The tiny creature lacks the ability to procure food or defend itself, even against the least agile predators. For safety a baby bird relies on its parents. In the face of danger, many bird species will shield their young by covering them with their wings, safeguarding them from predators or inclement weather. Today&rsquo;s reading abounds with protective metaphors for God. God is a &ldquo;shelter,&rdquo; &ldquo;refuge,&rdquo; and &ldquo;fortress&rdquo; (vv. 1&ndash;2). One of the most poignant metaphors compares God to a bird sheltering its offspring under its wings. For a baby bird, there is no safer place on earth than under the wing of the parent. The Bible frequently states that we live in a world filled with threats. This psalm lists pestilence, plagues, and the threat of foreign armies as just a few examples (vv. 6&ndash;8). These threats can easily become the focus of our lives. We worry about losing our job, our h

A baby bird is entirely dependent on its parents for survival. The tiny creature lacks the ability to procure food or defend itself, even against the least agile predators. For safety a baby bird relies on its parents. In the face of danger, many bird species will shield their young by covering them with their wings, safeguarding them from predators or inclement weather. Today’s reading abounds with protective metaphors for God. God is a “shelter,” “refuge,” and “fortress” (vv. 1–2). One of the most poignant metaphors compares God to a bird sheltering its offspring under its wings. For a baby bird, there is no safer place on earth than under the wing of the parent. The Bible frequently states that we live in a world filled with threats. This psalm lists pestilence, plagues, and the threat of foreign armies as just a few examples (vv. 6–8). These threats can easily become the focus of our lives. We worry about losing our job, our health, or our relationships. The trut

Did you know that Benjamin Franklin once proposed that a turkey should represent the United States on our national seal? Most Americans are probably grateful that instead, in 1782, the bald eagle was selected to adorn the Great Seal. The eagle has been a symbol of power and strength from ancient times. In Exodus 19, we read about another nation, Israel, that arrived at Mount Sinai. In this important passage, God summarizes the covenant relationship into which He was inviting Israel to enter with Him. He reminds Israel what He had done: &ldquo;You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles&rsquo; wings&rdquo; (v. 4). Here God compares His actions in the Exodus story to an eagle, symbolizing the speed and power of His deliverance. God makes an important point about why He delivered Israel. He did it not only to save Israel from slavery but also to bring them to Himself (v. 4). He desired to be in a close relationship with them. When we think about our sal

Did you know that Benjamin Franklin once proposed that a turkey should represent the United States on our national seal? Most Americans are probably grateful that instead, in 1782, the bald eagle was selected to adorn the Great Seal. The eagle has been a symbol of power and strength from ancient times. In Exodus 19, we read about another nation, Israel, that arrived at Mount Sinai. In this important passage, God summarizes the covenant relationship into which He was inviting Israel to enter with Him. He reminds Israel what He had done: “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings” (v. 4). Here God compares His actions in the Exodus story to an eagle, symbolizing the speed and power of His deliverance. God makes an important point about why He delivered Israel. He did it not only to save Israel from slavery but also to bring them to Himself (v. 4). He desired to be in a close relationship with them. When we think about our salv

So far in our study, we have reflected on objects that are used as metaphors for God. God has been compared to light, a refuge, water, a rock, fire, a shield, and a strong tower. Today and for the next few days we will examine passages that compare God to an animal. In Isaiah 31, the prophet was addressing a nation in crisis. The fierce Assyrian army had threatened Judah&rsquo;s existence. Judah looked to Egypt for an ally, thinking that if they could associate with another powerful nation, they could save themselves. God warns Judah not to be like those who &ldquo;trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD&rdquo; (v. 1). Our God is a greater ally than any human army (v. 3). To drive this point home, God paints a vivid image. Imagine a lion crouched over and defending its prey. Even if a group of shepherds tried to scare the lion away, it is not going anywhere (v. 4). That

So far in our study, we have reflected on objects that are used as metaphors for God. God has been compared to light, a refuge, water, a rock, fire, a shield, and a strong tower. Today and for the next few days we will examine passages that compare God to an animal. In Isaiah 31, the prophet was addressing a nation in crisis. The fierce Assyrian army had threatened Judah’s existence. Judah looked to Egypt for an ally, thinking that if they could associate with another powerful nation, they could save themselves. God warns Judah not to be like those who “trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD” (v. 1). Our God is a greater ally than any human army (v. 3). To drive this point home, God paints a vivid image. Imagine a lion crouched over and defending its prey. Even if a group of shepherds tried to scare the lion away, it is not going anywhere (v. 4). That

Have you ever heard of someone who lives in an &ldquo;ivory tower&rdquo;? That kind of image is often used to describe someone who is out of touch with reality. While they might be highly educated, they lack first-hand life experience. The word &ldquo;tower&rdquo; occurs 50 times in the Bible, but never in that sense. The tower in the Bible refers to a military fortress. Cities had towers built into the corners of the wall as defensive fortifications. They also had a tower in the middle of the city as a final stronghold if the enemy was able to breech the outer wall. If you lived in a city in ancient Israel, these towers would be a daily visual reminder of a place of safety and security. In today&rsquo;s reading there are two proverbs that are intentionally paired with one another in verses 10&ndash;11. These two verses paint a contrasting picture between the righteous and the wealthy. Where do they turn for safety and security? For the righteous, &ldquo;the name of the LORD is a for

Have you ever heard of someone who lives in an “ivory tower”? That kind of image is often used to describe someone who is out of touch with reality. While they might be highly educated, they lack first-hand life experience. The word “tower” occurs 50 times in the Bible, but never in that sense. The tower in the Bible refers to a military fortress. Cities had towers built into the corners of the wall as defensive fortifications. They also had a tower in the middle of the city as a final stronghold if the enemy was able to breech the outer wall. If you lived in a city in ancient Israel, these towers would be a daily visual reminder of a place of safety and security. In today’s reading there are two proverbs that are intentionally paired with one another in verses 10–11. These two verses paint a contrasting picture between the righteous and the wealthy. Where do they turn for safety and security? For the righteous, “the name of the LORD is a fortified tower” (v. 10). Th

When you think of a shield, what comes to mind? Superheroes? Knights of the Round Table? In Genesis 15, God describes Himself as &ldquo;a shield.&rdquo; Abram had just rescued his nephew Lot along with the other residents of Sodom and Gomorrah from a group of marauding kings (Gen. 14:1&ndash;24). This was a stunning military achievement for a man who was not an experienced warrior. Clearly, God had been at work. Yet, the victory put Abram in a vulnerable position. He had made enemies. Remember that he was not living among his own people and could not count on the support of those around him. God appeared to Abram in a vision and said, &ldquo;Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward&rdquo; (v. 1). A shield was designed to protect a soldier from arrows or spear thrusts. God told Abram that he had no cause for worry. He would protect him. Abram&rsquo;s response is surprising. He asks God how he can trust His promise since he was still childless (vv. 2&ndash;3).

When you think of a shield, what comes to mind? Superheroes? Knights of the Round Table? In Genesis 15, God describes Himself as “a shield.” Abram had just rescued his nephew Lot along with the other residents of Sodom and Gomorrah from a group of marauding kings (Gen. 14:1–24). This was a stunning military achievement for a man who was not an experienced warrior. Clearly, God had been at work. Yet, the victory put Abram in a vulnerable position. He had made enemies. Remember that he was not living among his own people and could not count on the support of those around him. God appeared to Abram in a vision and said, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward” (v. 1). A shield was designed to protect a soldier from arrows or spear thrusts. God told Abram that he had no cause for worry. He would protect him. Abram’s response is surprising. He asks God how he can trust His promise since he was still childless (vv. 2–3). Remember, God had promise

Can you imagine a world without fire? Fire provides us with light in the dark and warmth in the cold. Fire enables us to cook food, refine metals, and power a car. Yet, fire is also dangerous. It can destroy homes and cities. The ancient Greek culture highlighted the importance of fire by naming it as one of the four basic elements along with water, air, and earth. In the Old Testament, God&rsquo;s appearances are often described as fire. God appeared to Abraham as a torch of fire (Gen. 15:17). He appeared to Moses in the burning bush and as a fire on Mount Sinai (Ex. 3:2; 19:18). Fire symbolizes God&rsquo;s holiness and purity. Fire is also used to portray God&rsquo;s anger. The prophet Nahum asks, &ldquo;Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him&rdquo; (Nah. 1:6). In today&rsquo;s reading, Moses reminds Israel that God did not appear to them in the form of any image or shape. Instead, Go

Can you imagine a world without fire? Fire provides us with light in the dark and warmth in the cold. Fire enables us to cook food, refine metals, and power a car. Yet, fire is also dangerous. It can destroy homes and cities. The ancient Greek culture highlighted the importance of fire by naming it as one of the four basic elements along with water, air, and earth. In the Old Testament, God’s appearances are often described as fire. God appeared to Abraham as a torch of fire (Gen. 15:17). He appeared to Moses in the burning bush and as a fire on Mount Sinai (Ex. 3:2; 19:18). Fire symbolizes God’s holiness and purity. Fire is also used to portray God’s anger. The prophet Nahum asks, “Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him” (Nah. 1:6). In today’s reading, Moses reminds Israel that God did not appear to them in the form of any image or shape. Instead, God spoke to them “ou

Looking back on his life, David must have been amazed at all the trials he had endured and how much he had accomplished. He began his journey as a humble shepherd, went on to face the giant Goliath, served in Saul&rsquo;s court, became a fugitive living in the wilderness, worked as a hired soldier for the Philistines, and ultimately ascended to the throne of Israel. In 2 Samuel 22, David reflects on a time when God delivered him from Saul. Although he may have composed this poem shortly after the event, it is included at this point in the book to provide a fitting summary of David&rsquo;s relationship with God. In the central image of this poem, David describes God as a rock. &ldquo;The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge&rdquo; (v. 2). &ldquo;For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?&rdquo; (v. 32). In a world before the invention of powerful drills or explosives, a rock was the ultimate picture of stabili

Looking back on his life, David must have been amazed at all the trials he had endured and how much he had accomplished. He began his journey as a humble shepherd, went on to face the giant Goliath, served in Saul’s court, became a fugitive living in the wilderness, worked as a hired soldier for the Philistines, and ultimately ascended to the throne of Israel. In 2 Samuel 22, David reflects on a time when God delivered him from Saul. Although he may have composed this poem shortly after the event, it is included at this point in the book to provide a fitting summary of David’s relationship with God. In the central image of this poem, David describes God as a rock. “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge” (v. 2). “For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?” (v. 32). In a world before the invention of powerful drills or explosives, a rock was the ultimate picture of stability and strength. If you we

Water is one of our most basic needs. Without it, our bodies quickly break down. Yet, it is very easy to take it for granted. When I get home from work, my wife has never asked me, &ldquo;Did you get enough water to drink today?&rdquo; It just doesn&rsquo;t seem that important. However, if I did not have easy access to water, it would quickly become an obsession. Psalm 42 opens with one of the most memorable images in the Psalter. The Psalmist&rsquo;s longing for God is compared to a deer in the wilderness panting for water. The reason why the psalmist longs for God so desperately is that God seems absent. When things are going well, it is easy to take God for granted. But that is not the case here. The psalmist laments, &ldquo;My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, &lsquo;Where is your God?&rsquo;&rdquo; (v. 3). This taunt of his enemies pierces his soul because he wonders about the same thing: Where has God gone? Why has God forgotten me? (v.

Water is one of our most basic needs. Without it, our bodies quickly break down. Yet, it is very easy to take it for granted. When I get home from work, my wife has never asked me, “Did you get enough water to drink today?” It just doesn’t seem that important. However, if I did not have easy access to water, it would quickly become an obsession. Psalm 42 opens with one of the most memorable images in the Psalter. The Psalmist’s longing for God is compared to a deer in the wilderness panting for water. The reason why the psalmist longs for God so desperately is that God seems absent. When things are going well, it is easy to take God for granted. But that is not the case here. The psalmist laments, “My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’” (v. 3). This taunt of his enemies pierces his soul because he wonders about the same thing: Where has God gone? Why has God forgotten me? (v. 9). Yet even amid his sorrow a

We all remember childhood games where there was a &ldquo;safe&rdquo; place. If you got to it, you could not be tagged or pursued. As adults we look to many things for security. When facing difficulty, we turn to our family, our friends, or even the comfort of our home. In today&rsquo;s reading, David was in a challenging situation. Traps had been set for him (v. 4). He was sorrowful and downcast with grief (vv. 9&ndash;10). Not only did his enemies oppose him, but he had become the object of malicious gossip (vv. 11&ndash;12). In this crisis, David describes the Lord as his refuge. God is his ultimate safe place. David knows he cannot trust in his own ability, military might, or even the strength of his fortifications. Instead, he asks God to be &ldquo;my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me&rdquo; (v. 2). He trusts in God&rsquo;s faithfulness and acknowledges that &ldquo;my times are in your hands&rdquo; (v. 15). He knows God ultimately wants what is best for him (v 19). Ove

We all remember childhood games where there was a “safe” place. If you got to it, you could not be tagged or pursued. As adults we look to many things for security. When facing difficulty, we turn to our family, our friends, or even the comfort of our home. In today’s reading, David was in a challenging situation. Traps had been set for him (v. 4). He was sorrowful and downcast with grief (vv. 9–10). Not only did his enemies oppose him, but he had become the object of malicious gossip (vv. 11–12). In this crisis, David describes the Lord as his refuge. God is his ultimate safe place. David knows he cannot trust in his own ability, military might, or even the strength of his fortifications. Instead, he asks God to be “my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me” (v. 2). He trusts in God’s faithfulness and acknowledges that “my times are in your hands” (v. 15). He knows God ultimately wants what is best for him (v 19). Over and over in the Psalms, God is described

Did you know that the Bible begins and ends with references to light? Light was the first thing God created (Gen. 1:3). In Revelation 22:5, we learn that when we are reunited with Jesus all traces of darkness will finally be gone: &ldquo;There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.&rdquo; In the Bible, light is a representation of God&rsquo;s presence and glory (2 Chron. 5:13&ndash;14; Ex. 34:29). Light stands for goodness and holiness as opposed to evil (John 3:20). Light is truth as opposed to the darkness of falsehood (Ps. 19:8; 119:105). Light is a symbol of God&rsquo;s favor and blessing (Prov. 4:18; Num. 6:24&ndash;26). Today&rsquo;s passage, Isaiah 60:1&ndash;22, looks forward to the redemption of Israel: &ldquo;Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you&rdquo; (v. 1). During the millennial kingdom, Israel will recognize the Messiah and the nations will s

Did you know that the Bible begins and ends with references to light? Light was the first thing God created (Gen. 1:3). In Revelation 22:5, we learn that when we are reunited with Jesus all traces of darkness will finally be gone: “There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.” In the Bible, light is a representation of God’s presence and glory (2 Chron. 5:13–14; Ex. 34:29). Light stands for goodness and holiness as opposed to evil (John 3:20). Light is truth as opposed to the darkness of falsehood (Ps. 19:8; 119:105). Light is a symbol of God’s favor and blessing (Prov. 4:18; Num. 6:24–26). Today’s passage, Isaiah 60:1–22, looks forward to the redemption of Israel: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you” (v. 1). During the millennial kingdom, Israel will recognize the Messiah and the nations will stream to Zion to know the Lord (v. 3). In t

&ldquo;The LORD is my shepherd.&rdquo; Psalm 23 contains one of the most famous images of God in the Bible. In the original language, the phrase is only two words long. Yet, it would take a whole book to fully unpack its depth of meaning. This month, we will look at the way God reveals His character to us through images. In the Old Testament, God is described as a light, a shield, a rock, an eagle, a potter, a craftsman, an artist, a warrior, and a king, to name just a few. The images of God in the Bible are not meant to be exact or perfect representations. When the Bible compares God to a shepherd, it helps us more fully understand who He is. For example, shepherds in ancient Israel were often servants or hired hands. This does not mean that God is a hired hand. But Psalm 23 shows us how God is like a shepherd. He provides for us: &ldquo;I lack nothing&rdquo; (v. 1). What a powerful statement! He guides our way and cares for our needs: &ldquo;He makes me lie down in green pastures,

“The LORD is my shepherd.” Psalm 23 contains one of the most famous images of God in the Bible. In the original language, the phrase is only two words long. Yet, it would take a whole book to fully unpack its depth of meaning. This month, we will look at the way God reveals His character to us through images. In the Old Testament, God is described as a light, a shield, a rock, an eagle, a potter, a craftsman, an artist, a warrior, and a king, to name just a few. The The images of God in the Bible are not mean to be exact or perfect representations. When the Bible compares God to a shepherd, it helps us more fully understand who He is. For example, shepherds in ancient Israel were often servants or hired hands. This does not mean that God is a hired hand. But Psalm 23 shows us how God is like a shepherd. He provides for us: “I lack nothing” (v. 1). What a powerful statement! He guides our way and cares for our needs: “He makes me lie down in green pas

Salvation is by grace. We cannot earn it. The gift we have received from Christ is so great that we could never pay it back. And although we cannot repay this debt, we still owe something to Jesus. As the old song says, &ldquo;Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe.&rdquo; As we close our study of Paul&rsquo;s letters from prison, we are reminded of all that we owe to Jesus. Many of the Christian duties Paul emphasized in his prison letters, especially in those sections that describe the nature of the Christian life, come together in the apostle&rsquo;s appeal to Philemon. Philemon owes a debt of gratitude to Paul (v. 19). Onesimus, who had broken the law by running away, owes it to Philemon to return to him but in a humble spirit (v. 11; see also Eph. 6:5-6; Col. 3:22). Philemon, in turn, has an obligation to recognize that he and Onesimus are equals in Christ. Now that he belongs to Christ, Onesimus is &ldquo;no longer as a slave, but better than a slave.&rdquo; He should be even dear

Salvation is by grace. We cannot earn it. The gift we have received from Christ is so great that we could never pay it back. And although we cannot repay this debt, we still owe something to Jesus. As the old song says, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe.” As we close our study of Paul’s letters from prison, we are reminded of all that we owe to Jesus. Many of the Christian duties Paul emphasized in his prison letters, especially in those sections that describe the nature of the Christian life, come together in the apostle’s appeal to Philemon. Philemon owes a debt of gratitude to Paul (v. 19). Onesimus, who had broken the law by running away, owes it to Philemon to return to him but in a humble spirit (v. 11; see also Eph. 6:5-6; Col. 3:22). Philemon, in turn, has an obligation to recognize that he and Onesimus are equals in Christ. Now that he belongs to Christ, Onesimus is “no longer as a slave, but better than a slave.” He should be even dearer to Philemon than

Frederick Douglass wrote, &ldquo;I prayed for freedom for twenty years, but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.&rdquo; Onesimus tried to obtain his freedom in the same way. He ran away from Philemon&rsquo;s household and somehow ran into Paul, &ldquo;the prisoner of Christ Jesus.&rdquo; Paul doesn&rsquo;t say how he and Onesimus became acquainted. What the apostle does reveal is that he had been instrumental in his conversion. In verse 10, Paul explains that Onesimus &ldquo;became my son while I was in chains.&rdquo; It is possible that Paul already knew Onesimus before. In verse 6, he describes Philemon as a partner in the faith. In addition to being one of those who supported Paul financially, Philemon had also come to faith under Paul&rsquo;s preaching (see v. 19). But Paul wrote this personal letter to inform Philemon that Onesimus had become a Christian and was now &ldquo;a dear brother&rdquo; (v. 16). Indirectly, Paul was asking Philemon to welcome Onesimus back and

Frederick Douglass wrote, “I prayed for freedom for twenty years, but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.” Onesimus tried to obtain his freedom in the same way. He ran away from Philemon’s household and somehow ran into Paul, “the prisoner of Christ Jesus.” Paul doesn’t say how he and Onesimus became acquainted. What the apostle does reveal is that he had been instrumental in his conversion. In verse 10, Paul explains that Onesimus “became my son while I was in chains.” It is possible that Paul already knew Onesimus before. In verse 6, he describes Philemon as a partner in the faith. In addition to being one of those who supported Paul financially, Philemon had also come to faith under Paul’s preaching (see v. 19). But Paul wrote this personal letter to inform Philemon that Onesimus had become a Christian and was now “a dear brother” (v. 16). Indirectly, Paul was asking Philemon to welcome Onesimus back and then return him to the apostle (vv. 8, 12–13). M

Frederick Douglass wrote, “I prayed for freedom for twenty years, but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.” Onesimus tried to obtain his freedom in the same way. He ran away from Philemon’s household and somehow ran into Paul, “the prisoner of Christ Jesus.” Paul doesn’t say how he and Onesimus became acquainted. What the apostle does reveal is that he had been instrumental in his conversion. In verse 10, Paul explains that Onesimus “became my son while I was in chains.” It is possible that Paul already knew Onesimus before. In verse 6, he describes Philemon as a partner in the faith. In addition to being one of those who supported Paul financially, Philemon had also come to faith under Paul’s preaching (see v. 19). But Paul wrote this personal letter to inform Philemon that Onesimus had become a Christian and was now “a dear brother” (v. 16). Indirectly, Paul was asking Philemon to welcome Onesimus back and then return him to the apostle (vv. 8, 12–13). M

Have you ever been in a workplace where everyone got along perfectly all the time? What about a family? Or a sports team? Living in community with harmony does not come automatically. It&rsquo;s a learned skill. That&rsquo;s true in the Christian life. It is no accident that God designed the church to function as a body (see Col. 3:15). As he closes this letter, Paul sends personal greetings to several people in the Colossian church. He also mentions members of his ministry team. Tychicus and Onesimus probably brought this letter to Colosse (vv. 7&ndash;9). Onesimus is an individual we will learn about in the next two days since he is the subject of Paul&rsquo;s letter to Philemon. Paul also mentions names that we may recognize from other letters. The apostle conveys the greetings of Aristarchus alongside those of Mark and Barnabas. During Paul&rsquo;s first missionary journey, he and Barnabas had a falling out because of Mark (Acts 15:36&ndash;40). By the time this letter was writte

Have you ever been in a workplace where everyone got along perfectly all the time? What about a family? Or a sports team? Living in community with harmony does not come automatically. It’s a learned skill. That’s true in the Christian life. It is no accident that God designed the church to function as a body (see Col. 3:15). As he closes this letter, Paul sends personal greetings to several people in the Colossian church. He also mentions members of his ministry team. Tychicus and Onesimus probably brought this letter to Colosse (vv. 7–9). Onesimus is an individual we will learn about in the next two days since he is the subject of Paul’s letter to Philemon. Paul also mentions names that we may recognize from other letters. The apostle conveys the greetings of Aristarchus alongside those of Mark and Barnabas. During Paul’s first missionary journey, he and Barnabas had a falling out because of Mark (Acts 15:36–40). By the time this letter was written, they had reconci

Most sermons begin with a prayer. Sometimes we are tempted to treat it as a formality, like playing the national anthem before the game. Paul saw prayer as far more. For him, it was a source of help and power. Sometimes when we pray, we say we are having our &ldquo;devotions.&rdquo; But in verse 2, Paul urges the Colossians to &ldquo;devote&rdquo; themselves to prayer. The Greek expresses the idea of being busily engaged with something. Prayer is not a formality but an occupation. Furthermore, it is a demanding occupation. It requires the disposition of someone who is on guard and keeping watch. Prayer also requires a particular kind of expectation. Not the disposition of someone who makes demands but a grateful and trusting spirit that believes that God will answer in a way best suited to our needs. Paul asked the Colossians to pray that God would &ldquo;open a door for our message&rdquo; (v. 3). This is a striking request given his circumstance. We might have expected him, as a pri

Most sermons begin with a prayer. Sometimes we are tempted to treat it as a formality, like playing the national anthem before the game. Paul saw prayer as far more. For him, it was a source of help and power. Sometimes when we pray, we say we are having our “devotions.” But in verse 2, Paul urges the Colossians to “devote” themselves to prayer. The Greek expresses the idea of being busily engaged with something. Prayer is not a formality but an occupation. Furthermore, it is a demanding occupation. It requires the disposition of someone who is on guard and keeping watch. Prayer also requires a particular kind of expectation. Not the disposition of someone who makes demands but a grateful and trusting spirit that believes that God will answer in a way best suited to our needs. Paul asked the Colossians to pray that God would “open a door for our message” (v. 3). This is a striking request given his circumstance. We might have expected him, as a prisoner, to ask for h

As Christians, we are a part of two families. The first is made up of those people to whom we are related by birth or have joined through marriage. We gather for holidays and birthdays. Sometimes we share physical features. For believers, our other family is the church, the family of God. Sometimes these two groups overlap. Paul speaks to both in Colossians 3:12&ndash;21. The church&rsquo;s basic rule is love and the recognition that all Christians are bound together in Him (v. 12). The church is not a perfect community. Participation often requires patience and forgiveness from those who are part of it (v. 13). Paul describes the church as a worshiping community, constituted by the Word of God (v. 16). Those who make up the church are &ldquo;members of one body&rdquo; who speak and act &ldquo;in the name of the Lord Jesus&rdquo; (vv. 15, 17). This is a community whose only boundary is Christ Himself. It is not limited by ethnicity, gender, economic status, or nationality (see also v.

As Christians, we are a part of two families. The first is made up of those people to whom we are related by birth or have joined through marriage. We gather for holidays and birthdays. Sometimes we share physical features. For believers, our other family is the church, the family of God. Sometimes these two groups overlap. Paul speaks to both in Colossians 3:12–21. The church’s basic rule is love and the recognition that all Christians are bound together in Him (v. 12). The church is not a perfect community. Participation often requires patience and forgiveness from those who are part of it (v. 13). Paul describes the church as a worshiping community, constituted by the Word of God (v. 16). Those who make up the church are “members of one body” who speak and act “in the name of the Lord Jesus” (vv. 15, 17). This is a community whose only boundary is Christ Himself. It is not limited by ethnicity, gender, economic status, or nationality (see also v. 11). What Paul de

The other day during a conversation with one of my grown sons, I noticed a familiar facial expression and gesture. It was a bit like looking in a mirror. How did he learn it? Was it DNA or imitation? Perhaps it was a little of both. Living the Christian life is similar in one respect. There is a place for imitating Christ, but it is ultimately grounded in something much deeper. Christian living involves three important actions that are noted in Colossians 3: seeking, being, and doing. In verse 1, Paul urges us to &ldquo;set your heart on things above.&rdquo; The Greek word means to &ldquo;seek.&rdquo; It is referring to our aspiration and pursuit, but it is not &ldquo;pie in the sky.&rdquo; This seeking is only possible because the Christian has been united with Christ in His death and resurrection (vv. 1, 3). Being and seeking lead to doing. The Christian seeks the things above by living in the power of the cross. We put to death &ldquo;whatever belongs to your earthly nature&rdquo;

The other day during a conversation with one of my grown sons, I noticed a familiar facial expression and gesture. It was a bit like looking in a mirror. How did he learn it? Was it DNA or imitation? Perhaps it was a little of both. Living the Christian life is similar in one respect. There is a place for imitating Christ, but it is ultimately grounded in something much deeper. Christian living involves three important actions that are noted in Colossians 3: seeking, being, and doing. In verse 1, Paul urges us to “set your heart on things above.” The Greek word means to “seek.” It is referring to our aspiration and pursuit, but it is not “pie in the sky.” This seeking is only possible because the Christian has been united with Christ in His death and resurrection (vv. 1, 3). Being and seeking lead to doing. The Christian seeks the things above by living in the power of the cross. We put to death “whatever belongs to your earthly nature” by saying no to those sinful i

Pastor and author Kent Hughes observes that legalism reduces the message of the gospel. He explains that it &ldquo;enshrines spirituality as a series of wooden laws&rdquo; and calls it godliness. &ldquo;Being in Christ is a relationship,&rdquo; he explains, &ldquo;and like all relationships, it deserves disciplined maintenance, but never legalistic reductionism.&rdquo; This kind of false teaching had crept into the Colossian church. Based on Paul&rsquo;s rebuke in verses 16 and 21, they had begun to observe particular days as sacred and certain foods as religiously clean or unclean. It is unclear whether Paul had in mind legalists who wanted Christians to follow the law of Moses or the kind of rigid rule-following associated with some forms of mystery religions. Perhaps he had both in view. His statement (v. 17) that dietary rules and the observance of special days are only a shadow of the reality found in Christ sounds much like the argument made in the book of Hebrews. His warning

Pastor and author Kent Hughes observes that legalism reduces the message of the gospel. He explains that it “enshrines spirituality as a series of wooden laws” and calls it godliness. “Being in Christ is a relationship,” he explains, “and like all relationships, it deserves disciplined maintenance, but never legalistic reductionism.” This kind of false teaching had crept into the Colossian church. Based on Paul’s rebuke in verses 16 and 21, they had begun to observe particular days as sacred and certain foods as religiously clean or unclean. It is unclear whether Paul had in mind legalists who wanted Christians to follow the law of Moses or the kind of rigid rule-following associated with some forms of mystery religions. Perhaps he had both in view. His statement (v. 17) that dietary rules and the observance of special days are only a shadow of the reality found in Christ sounds much like the argument made in the book of Hebrews. His warning about the false worship o

The second-century church leader Irenaeus famously said, &ldquo;Life in man is the glory of God; the life of man is the vision of God.&rdquo; In Colossians 2, Paul is also talking about life and our vision of God. Christian living, he points out, is the life of Christ at work in us. Our knowledge of God comes through Christ (v. 3). When we accept Him as Lord, we are empowered to live under His rule (v. 6). Instead of being taken in by fine-sounding arguments, &ldquo;human tradition,&rdquo; or speculating about &ldquo;elemental spiritual forces&rdquo; (v. 8), we look to Christ to understand what God is like (v. 9). The themes Paul emphasizes in verses 9&ndash;12 counter some of the false teachings that the Colossians faced at the time. It appears that false teachers in Colosse were denying that Christ was truly human. They speculated about a vast hierarchy of spiritual powers and authorities and taught that circumcision was necessary for salvation. In contrast, the gospel teaches tha

The second-century church leader Irenaeus famously said, “Life in man is the glory of God; the life of man is the vision of God.” In Colossians 2, Paul is also talking about life and our vision of God. Christian living, he points out, is the life of Christ at work in us. Our knowledge of God comes through Christ (v. 3). When we accept Him as Lord, we are empowered to live under His rule (v. 6). Instead of being taken in by fine-sounding arguments, “human tradition,” or speculating about “elemental spiritual forces” (v. 8), we look to Christ to understand what God is like (v. 9). The themes Paul emphasizes in verses 9–12 counter some of the false teachings that the Colossians faced at the time. It appears that false teachers in Colosse were denying that Christ was truly human. They speculated about a vast hierarchy of spiritual powers and authorities and taught that circumcision was necessary for salvation. In contrast, the gospel teaches that Jesus is enough.

If you ask the average person to describe what it means to be a Christian, they will probably identify a moral view, lifestyle choice, or even a political position. While Christianity does have implications for all these areas, that is not what it means to be a Christian. Today&rsquo;s passage reveals that Jesus Christ is the essence of the Christian faith. The heart of the Christian message has to do with the nature of Christ and the reason He shed His blood on the cross. Paul describes Jesus as both &ldquo;the image of the invisible God&rdquo; and &ldquo;the firstborn over all creation&rdquo; (v. 15). Paul&rsquo;s choice of words is deliberate, probably intended to counter aspects of the false teaching that had crept into the church in Colosse. By taking a human nature, Jesus brings the image of the invisible God to light. The fact that Paul calls him the &ldquo;firstborn&rdquo; does not mean that Jesus was the first created being; it means that He is superior to creation. Jesus ex

If you ask the average person to describe what it means to be a Christian, they will probably identify a moral view, lifestyle choice, or even a political position. While Christianity does have implications for all these areas, that is not what it means to be a Christian. Today’s passage reveals that Jesus Christ is the essence of the Christian faith. The heart of the Christian message has to do with the nature of Christ and the reason He shed His blood on the cross. Paul describes Jesus as both “the image of the invisible God” and “the firstborn over all creation” (v. 15). Paul’s choice of words is deliberate, probably intended to counter aspects of the false teaching that had crept into the church in Colosse. By taking a human nature, Jesus brings the image of the invisible God to light. The fact that Paul calls him the “firstborn” does not mean that Jesus was the first created being; it means that He is superior to creation. Jesus existed as God before He was born

As I write these words, an impromptu prayer meeting that began after a chapel service at Asbury College in Kentucky had been going nonstop for more than a week. There have been many reports of blessing and a sense of the presence of the Lord. I doubt that the apostle Paul would have been surprised by this. In today’s reading, we get a snapshot of Paul’s lifestyle of prayer. Every time Colossians came to mind, he gave thanks for them (v. 3). Located in the Lycus valley near the city of Laodicea, Colosse, had fallen on hard times by Paul’s day. But of even greater concern was a form of teaching that had begun to creep into the church. Paul does not give many details in this letter. He is more interested in dwelling on the truth than in detailing all the false tenets of something he describes as a “hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ” (Colossians 2:8). Paul’s prayers for

As I write these words, an impromptu prayer meeting that began after a chapel service at Asbury College in Kentucky had been going nonstop for more than a week. There have been many reports of blessing and a sense of the presence of the Lord. I doubt that the apostle Paul would have been surprised by this. In today’s reading, we get a snapshot of Paul’s lifestyle of prayer. Every time Colossians came to mind, he gave thanks for them (v. 3). Located in the Lycus valley near the city of Laodicea, Colosse, had fallen on hard times by Paul’s day. But of even greater concern was a form of teaching that had begun to creep into the church. Paul does not give many details in this letter. He is more interested in dwelling on the truth than in detailing all the false tenets of something he describes as a “hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ” (Colossians 2:8). Paul’s prayers for the Colossians f

A woman recently posted a video of her husband trying to mow their huge lawn with a small push-style lawnmower, an impossible task. But when she looked outside an hour later, she saw several neighbors, people they had not yet met, arriving with larger riding lawnmowers. She was deeply moved by their willingness to step in and help someone in need. We often turn to friends to lighten our cares. In verse 10, Paul describes his joy over the church&rsquo;s &ldquo;renewed&rdquo; concern for him. Their support had lapsed due to a lack of &ldquo;opportunity&rdquo; rather than disinterest. Yet he takes pains to assure them that, as much as he appreciated their help, he was not dependent upon it (v. 11). God&rsquo;s supply was the secret of Paul&rsquo;s contentment. He does not mean a supply of things but a constant supply of strength (v. 13). God does not always give us what we want. He does provide all we need. This helpfulness from the church at Philippi was not something new for Paul. Des

One day, not long after I had begun to follow Jesus, I walked out the door and met a friend coming up the street. He was on his way to my house. &ldquo;I came to see you because someone told me you had lost your mind,&rdquo; he said. Word had gotten around that I had become a Christian. But despite what my friend had heard, I had not lost my mind. Like the prodigal son in Jesus&rsquo; parable, I had finally come to my senses. The Christian life is a life of the soul, but it is also a life of the mind. We believe with the heart, but what is believed is truth. &ldquo;The heart is always to be influenced through the understanding&mdash;the mind, then the heart, then the will,&rdquo; Welsh minister Martyn Lloyd-Jones observed. Like Paul, the Philippian church was not perfect. As probably true for all churches, the members had personality conflicts and stresses that created problems for them. The solution was to think rightly. Consider the case of Euodia and Syntyche, two women Paul viewe

C. T. Studd was born to wealth and prestige on December 2, 1860. He distinguished himself as an athlete while a student at Eton. But when Studd was 24 years old, his brother became gravely ill. C. T. began to question the course of his life and decided that it came up wanting. &ldquo;What is all the fame and flattery worth...when a man comes to face eternity?&rdquo; he wondered. Studd determined to let it all go and devote himself to Christ. Paul made a similar choice. His achievements were not on the cricket field, as C. T. Studd&rsquo;s were. Paul&rsquo;s accomplishments were religious. He gives us his resume in verses 4&ndash;6, noting that if anyone had a reason to be confident in his own spiritual efforts, it was him. But an encounter with Jesus Christ changed everything. Paul suddenly realized that what he had been trusting in was not true righteousness but self-righteousness. Like Studd, he chose to let it go. Compared to the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ, Pa

Can you have both fear and love? 1 John 4:18 observes, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” Yet in Philippians 2, Paul urges his readers to work out their salvation “in fear and trembling.” What is the difference between these two kinds of fear? The difference is the fear of punishment. Paul does not urge the Philippians to work out their salvation for fear of losing it if they fail to perform well. Neither was Paul urging them to work for their salvation. He assures them, in verse 13, that God was already working in them “to will and to act.” Instead, he is talking about a salvation they have already begun to experience. New Testament scholar H. C. G. Moule describes this sort of fear as “a reverent and wakeful conscience in his holy presence.” To help them with this, Paul hoped to send his protégé Timothy soon to take stock of the situation and b

Can you have both fear and love? 1 John 4:18 observes, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” Yet in Philippians 2, Paul urges his readers to work out their salvation “in fear and trembling.” What is the difference between these two kinds of fear? The difference is the fear of punishment. Paul does not urge the Philippians to work out their salvation for fear of losing it if they fail to perform well. Neither was Paul urging them to work for their salvation. He assures them, in verse 13, that God was already working in them “to will and to act.” Instead, he is talking about a salvation they have already begun to experience. New Testament scholar H. C. G. Moule describes this sort of fear as “a reverent and wakeful conscience in his holy presence.” To help them with this, Paul hoped to send his protégé Timothy soon to take stock of the situation and bring back a report (vv. 19

Followers of Jesus initially called themselves &ldquo;the Way&rdquo; (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 24:14, 22). When the gospel came to Antioch, some people began to refer to them as Christians (Acts 11:26). The label signified that they belonged to the group associated with Jesus Christ. Eventually, the believers adopted it themselves. Today, followers of Jesus still call themselves Christians. When we claim this title, we are doing more than identifying with a group or a church. We are identifying with Jesus. According to verse 5, it&rsquo;s our way of thinking that produces a way of being. We are to have &ldquo;the same mindset as Christ.&rdquo; How do we do this? Paul identifies three characteristics. First, we should remember the love, fellowship, tenderness, and compassion we experienced from Christ (v. 1). Second, we acknowledge what Jesus has done both for and in us (vv. 6&ndash;11). We must understand the gospel and its implications. Third, we begin to have the mind of Christ when we f

In the account of his conversion, Surprised by Joy, C. S. Lewis describes joy as &ldquo;a pointer to something other and outer.&rdquo; The joy Paul writes about in the first chapter of Philippians serves the same function. Given Paul&rsquo;s circumstances, we may be surprised to read that he rejoices. Not only was he a prisoner, but others were using his confinement as an opportunity to get ahead. They seemed to view the gospel ministry as a competition. &ldquo;It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill,&rdquo; Paul admits in verse 15. But with a remarkable generosity of spirit, the apostle resolved to rejoice that no matter the motive, Christ was being preached (v. 18). Paul&rsquo;s imprisonment was a concern for his friends at Philippi. The apostle reassured them in two ways. First, he pointed out that what might seem like a setback was bringing attention to the gospel. How? Through Paul&rsquo;s ministry to the palace guard in Rome and by

If you had asked Paul which of the New Testament churches was his favorite, he might probably have said: the church at Philippi. God directed the apostle by a vision to go to Macedonia after he tried to enter Bithynia (Acts 16:9). Philippi was a major city in the region. Still, at first, it must have seemed not promising. Paul began his evangelistic outreach in the synagogue. The Jewish community at Philippi was small; only a handful of women met by a river outside the city gate. But the Lord opened the heart of Lydia, a wealthy businesswoman from Thyatira, and her home became Paul&rsquo;s base of operations (Acts 16:14&ndash;15). Luke does not say how long Paul and Silas stayed in Philippi, but their visit was long enough to be marked by conflict. They were arrested and beaten, with the jailer being the only other convert that Luke mentions in Acts 16. Despite these small beginnings, this church became an unwavering supporter of Paul&rsquo;s ministry. They shared Paul&rsquo;s faith

When I began attending church regularly in the early 1970s, it was customary for people to dress up. Men wore suits and ties, and women wore dresses. Today, there doesn&rsquo;t seem to be a dress code. Most of the people I see dress casually. It probably doesn&rsquo;t matter to God what you wear to church. But He does care how you dress for spiritual battle. In today&rsquo;s text, Paul finishes his letter to the Ephesians by describing the spiritual resources that enable a Christian to &ldquo;stand against the devil&rsquo;s schemes&rdquo; (v. 11). Using the armor and weapons of a Roman soldier as his analogy, Paul shows his readers how to equip themselves for spiritual warfare. Paul explains that we battle against &ldquo;powers of this dark world&rdquo; and &ldquo;spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms&rdquo; (v. 12). The struggle is earthly as well as heavenly. We can see the effects of these spiritual forces in our world, but their ultimate cause is not visible. How can we

Escaped slave, abolitionist, and statesmen Frederick Douglass observed, &ldquo;Between the Christianity of this land and the Christianity of Christ, I recognize the widest possible difference&mdash;so wide that to receive the one as good, pure, and holy, is of necessity to reject the other as bad, corrupt, and wicked.&rdquo; Modern readers of today&rsquo;s passage are often troubled to see Paul include masters and slaves in his directions about how Christian families ought to operate. It is a fact, however, that in the New Testament era, slaves were considered a part of the household as much as children were. Obedience was expected of both (vv. 1, 6). As we read Paul&rsquo;s directives, it is crucial to recognize that he is not endorsing the practice of slavery (see this month&rsquo;s &ldquo;Practical Theology&rdquo; column). Rather, he is offering guidelines for Christians forced to live within that social structure. He does not tell them to unravel the practice but to be Christlike

In a culture that prizes independence, submission is not a popular idea. Many modern readers bristle when they come to Ephesians 5:22, where Paul says wives should submit to their husbands. However, the command to submit is not just for wives. In this section of his letter, the apostle speaks of submission as a universal obligation and as an expression of reverence for Christ (v. 21). These guidelines are sometimes referred to as the Haustafel, a German word that means &ldquo;household order.&rdquo; The command of verse 21 serves as a heading for this section of this letter, which runs through Ephesians 6:9. Here Paul describes the roles of wives, husbands, children, fathers, enslaved people, and masters. Paul&rsquo;s goal was to help his readers live Christianly within a social structure of his day. John Stott points out that Paul&rsquo;s directives assume the dignity of womanhood, childhood, servanthood, and equality before God of all human beings. The apostle describes differences

According to Tertullian, the North African theologian who lived around 160&ndash;220 AD, the early church was known for its love. Paul says the same in today&rsquo;s passage, where he gives several characteristics of those who follow God&rsquo;s example as dearly loved children (v. 1). Above all else, Christians are known by their love, as we imitate Christ&rsquo;s sacrificial life (v. 2). In verses 3&ndash;20, Paul spells out what this lifestyle should look like in greater detail. It is a life of moral purity. Those who belong to Christ should refrain from sexual immorality or any kind of impurity, not &ldquo;even a hint&rdquo; (v. 3). Not only are immoral acts to be shunned but also the thoughts and desires that fuel them. Followers of Christ must turn from greed. Greed is a particular mode of the more general sin of covetousness, a desire for anything that belongs to another (see Ex. 20:17; Deut. 5:21). Christian purity is reflected in our words as well as deeds. Instead of vulgar

Followers of Jesus were not always called Christians. The term Christian first appeared in Antioch (Acts 11:26). It is a Latinized form of the word Christ that indicates allegiance and suggests that it arose among the Gentiles. It may originally have been an insult (1 Peter 4:16). Before Jesus&rsquo; followers were called Christians, they were called &ldquo;the Way&rdquo; (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 24:22). Why were followers of Christ called &ldquo;the Way&rdquo;? In Ephesians 4:20, Paul explains that Christianity is more than a set of doctrines. It is also a &ldquo;way of life&rdquo; that we must learn. Following Jesus begins with a change of thinking (vv. 17&ndash;19). Instead of following the pointless way of thinking of our former life, we are to &ldquo;put off&rdquo; the old self and &ldquo;put on the new self&rdquo; (vv. 22&ndash;24). What Paul describes requires more than adopting a new set of morals. The Christian life demands that we become new people. As verse 23 puts it, the Chri

In his beloved hymn, &ldquo;Amazing Grace,&rdquo; John Newton celebrates how God &ldquo;saved a wretch like me.&rdquo; The apostle Paul would have agreed. He said of himself, &ldquo;For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God&rdquo; (1 Cor. 15:9). Yet in the very next verse, Paul asserts, &ldquo;But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect&rdquo; (15:10). When Paul urged the Ephesians in verse 1 to live a life &ldquo;worthy&rdquo; of their calling, he was not contradicting himself. The worthiness he speaks of is not based on what we deserve but on what God has promised to do in us through Christ. The striking feature of the lifestyle he describes in verses 2&ndash;3 is that, instead of being a list of tasks, it is a catalog of character traits. A life worthy of the gospel is one in which God lives up to the promise of power described in the preceding chapter (see also E

William Willimon once observed, &ldquo;We preachers so want to be heard that we are willing to make the gospel more accessible than it really is, to remove the scandal, the offense of the cross, to deceive people into thinking that it is possible to hear without conversion.&rdquo; The truth revealed in the gospel is more than a matter of common sense. In this chapter, the apostle Paul describes it as a revelation that comes from God. Instead of using clever arguments to persuade his audience, Paul adopts a more radical strategy. He prays for them. Growing in our understanding of Christ is not simply a matter of collecting facts or articulating doctrinal positions. Paul prays that his audience will experience the power of the Holy Spirit in their &ldquo;inner being&rdquo; so that Christ will dwell in their hearts through faith (vv. 16&ndash;17). In other words, the starting place for understanding Christ is a relationship with Christ, facilitated through the Holy Spirit. Those who com

I was nervous when I first told my mother I wanted to attend school to learn how to become a pastor. We were not a church-going family. But instead of being disappointed by the news, she was thrilled. &ldquo;Oh, Johnny!&rdquo; she beamed. &ldquo;You would make a darling minister.&rdquo; Darling is not the word Paul uses in Ephesians 3. In verse 7 he refers to himself as a &ldquo;servant.&rdquo; Although the Greek term Paul uses is one that is sometimes translated as &ldquo;minister,&rdquo; Paul seems to be using its more common sense, meaning someone who works or serves. Specifically, Paul sees himself as a servant of the gospel. In verse 2, Paul describes his ministry as an &ldquo;administration of God&rsquo;s grace.&rdquo; The Greek word translated &ldquo;administration&rdquo; was often used to speak of a household manager or steward. Paul exercised a stewardship of grace by preaching the gospel. By making Christ known, he became an agent of grace to those who received his message.

In Paul&rsquo;s day, non-Jews who visited the Temple of Jerusalem were confined to the outermost section known as the Court of the Gentiles. A fence separated the Court of the Gentiles from the inner courts. A warning on it read: &ldquo;No man of another race is to enter within the fence and enclosure around the Temple. Whoever is caught will have only himself to thank for the death which follows.&rdquo; Paul seems to be alluding to this boundary in verse 14 when he says that Jesus &ldquo;has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.&rdquo; It was not only ethnic prejudice that kept Gentiles from entering but also the barrier of God&rsquo;s law. Yet even those who had received the law needed to be reconciled to God (v. 16). The spiritual wall not only set Jews apart from Gentiles but ultimately separated everyone from God. Although the physical wall was still standing when the apostle wrote these words, the spiritual wall had been torn down by the death of Christ on the

Ads and commercials for diet supplements and exercise equipment sometimes include &ldquo;before&rdquo; and &ldquo;after&rdquo; pictures of those who use the product. A famous ad from the 1920s for the training regimen developed by bodybuilder Charles Atlas boasted that it had enabled him to go from being a 97-pound weakling to &ldquo;the world&rsquo;s most perfectly developed person.&rdquo; Paul paints an even more striking before-and-after picture of his readers in Ephesians 2:1&ndash;13. The &ldquo;before&rdquo; describes sinners as spiritually dead, but that does not mean they aren&rsquo;t active. They follow &ldquo;the ruler of the kingdom of the air&rdquo; (v. 2). This is Satan, who led humanity into sin. Satan is not a metaphor but an evil spiritual being with other evil spirits who serve him. Satan is a fallen angel (Luke 10:18). He was the first to tempt humanity, but he is not the only source of temptation we face. Because Adam sinned, we are both guilty of and inclined to si

When I was a boy, I occasionally wrote letters to my grandmother who lived in another state. They were handwritten, brief, and usually began the same way: &ldquo;How are you? I am fine.&rdquo; Letter writing in Paul&rsquo;s day also had an opening formula that generally included a greeting to identify the letter&rsquo;s recipient and a blessing. In Paul&rsquo;s letter to the Ephesians, this blessing takes the form of a prayer for spiritual enlightenment (vv. 17&ndash;18). This was not a prayer for salvation. Paul&rsquo;s readers already possessed faith in Jesus Christ and a love for God&rsquo;s people (v. 15). Instead, Paul prayed that the Ephesians would grow in their understanding. Specifically, he asked God to grant his readers enlightenment, using the vivid image of a heart with eyes wide open (v. 18). This kind of understanding is the work of the Holy Spirit, whom the apostle calls &ldquo;the Spirit of wisdom and revelation&rdquo; (v. 17). The kind of understanding Paul requests

People sometimes use the phrase &ldquo;reality check&rdquo; to mean recognizing the circumstances that hinder us from achieving an ambition or reaching a goal. But the reality check Paul describes in his letter to the Ephesians is different. The apostle writes about the true position of those who have trusted in Christ. Their reality is security and hope. If you consider the situation Paul was in, the apostle&rsquo;s confident tone is especially striking. Although a prisoner, Paul&rsquo;s did not describe his situation as the four walls holding him captive but as someone who had been blessed &ldquo;in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ&rdquo; (v. 3). Paul was much more than a prisoner. He was someone who had been chosen in Christ &ldquo;before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless&rdquo; (v. 4). He had been drawn into God&rsquo;s plan of redemption through Jesus Christ. This plan, which originated with God in eternity past, when finished, will &ld

People sometimes use the phrase &ldquo;reality check&rdquo; to mean recognizing the circumstances that hinder us from achieving an ambition or reaching a goal. But the reality check Paul describes in his letter to the Ephesians is different. The apostle writes about the true position of those who have trusted in Christ. Their reality is security and hope. If you consider the situation Paul was in, the apostle&rsquo;s confident tone is especially striking. Although a prisoner, Paul&rsquo;s did not describe his situation as the four walls holding him captive but as someone who had been blessed &ldquo;in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ&rdquo; (v. 3). Paul was much more than a prisoner. He was someone who had been chosen in Christ &ldquo;before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless&rdquo; (v. 4). He had been drawn into God&rsquo;s plan of redemption through Jesus Christ. This plan, which originated with God in eternity past, when finished, will &ld

When Martin Luther King Jr. penned his Letter From a Birmingham City Jail in April 1963, he joined a long tradition of Christians who wrote letters and books while in jail, including John Bunyan, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and most notably, the apostle Paul. This month we will be studying Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, all letters the apostle wrote as a prisoner in Rome. At that time, people were sent to prison not as punishment, but to await trial and possible execution. When Paul wrote these letters, he was most likely serving a two-year &ldquo;house arrest&rdquo; (Acts 28:30). This meant he was able to live in a rented residence, though in chains and guarded. This was not Paul&rsquo;s first arrest. Imprisonment was so much a part of Paul&rsquo;s Christian experience that he included it on his resume. In 2 Corinthians 11:5 he began his defense by claiming that he was not inferior to those whom others may view as &ldquo;super-apostles&rdquo; or perhaps better translated

As a child in Sunday School and Good News Club, I sang: &ldquo;The B-I-B-L-E, Yes that&rsquo;s the book for me. I stand alone on the Word of God, the B-I-B-L-E!&rdquo; Often it was my mother leading the song. She had a passion for teaching the Bible to the next generation. The end of the Book of Revelation tells us that the Bible is complete (vv. 18&ndash;19). We&rsquo;re strictly warned not to add to it or take away from it. Technically, these verses refer to the Book of Revelation, but due to its placement as the last book in the canon, tradition often reads them as referring to Scripture as a whole. The Bible is complete in the sense that there will be no more Holy Spirit- inspired books added. This doesn&rsquo;t mean God is silent. He speaks to us today through His Word, as well as through prayer and the Holy Spirit. Submitting to Scripture is a key mark of the true church. As we follow Christ through the ups and downs of our lives, we wait eagerly for His Second Coming. This is

Books and movies often try to visualize the end of the world. Nuclear weapons are launched and destroy the planet. An epidemic wipes out life on Earth. Robots and artificial intelligence take over. People become virtual reality addicts. Zombies prowl. Space aliens conquer humanity. As fascinating as these scenarios are, there&rsquo;s little hope to be found there. Today&rsquo;s reading demonstrates how Christians see the end of the world&mdash;and it&rsquo;s a Person! Jesus Christ, the First and the Last, the Alpha and the Omega (v. 17; see Rev. 19:11&ndash;16). When John saw Him in a vision, he fell at His feet in worship. Christ appeared as &ldquo;someone like a son of man&rdquo; (v. 13), a Messianic title from Daniel 7:13&ndash;14. His robe and golden sash identify Him as a priest or possibly a judge. His white hair indicates wisdom and dignity (v. 14). His &ldquo;blazing&rdquo; eyes see everything accurately, denoting both omni- science and justice. His &ldquo;glowing&rdquo; feet

In Cultivating a Love for God&rsquo;s Word, Michael Kelley wrote: &ldquo;Our hearts follow our investments. We desire that men, women, and children not just read the Bible, but also that they love the Bible. The problem is that you can&rsquo;t manufacture love even in your own heart, much less in the hearts of the people of your church. That&rsquo;s why this truth is so valuable because even though you can&rsquo;t manufacture love, you can control your focus and priority. And our hearts will follow our investments.&rdquo; In other words, if we want to grow a deeper love for Scripture, we should start by committing more time and energy to it. Our feelings and motivations will follow. The result? Genuine delight. A person who delights in God&rsquo;s law meditates continually on it, seeks guidance from it, and obeys it consistently (vv. 1&ndash;2). Such a person is truly blessed, or happy. The righteous person is like a fruitful tree, deeply rooted and well-watered. Connected to the Sou

Jesus told a parable about a man who built his house on a foundation of rock. A storm came, but the house stood firm. Another man built his house on a foundation of sand. When a storm came, the house collapsed. The first house is a picture of a wise man who &ldquo;hears these words of mine and puts them into practice.&rdquo; The second is a picture of a foolish man who hears the words but fails to put them into practice (Matt. 7:24&ndash;27). While Bible reading and study are essential, they&rsquo;re not enough. They must be accompanied by obedience (v. 7). The Israelites (for the second time) stood on the verge of entering the promised land. Joshua faced his first big leadership test. One may think the emphasis would be on preparing the nation for battle. Instead, the Lord stressed, &ldquo;Be careful to obey.&rdquo; Stay on the path&mdash;don&rsquo;t turn aside to the right or to the left. In covenant terms, obedience leads to success. This is what they&rsquo;d failed to do in the pr

In most sports, a rule book is necessary to control and shape the game. Team members, from the coach to the player on the sideline, are expected not only to be familiar with the book but also to abide by these rules. When a player violates rules, a penalty hurts the entire team. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul exhorted them (and us) to &ldquo;let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts&rdquo; (v. 15). The imperative &ldquo;let&rdquo; reminds us that this is not something for us to do, but something to allow God to do. The &ldquo;peace of Christ&rdquo; is another name for the gospel (Rom. 5:1). Just as an umpire or referee controls the game by enforcing the rule book, everything we think, feel, say, and do should be governed by the gospel, both individually and collectively. Why? Because &ldquo;as members of one body [we] were called to peace.&rdquo; Second, the apostle exhorted us to &ldquo;let the message of Christ dwell among you richly&rdquo; (v. 16). The &ldquo;message of C

Have you ever seen a Peanuts television special? While Charlie Brown, Sally, Linus, Lucy, and the other kids speak clearly, the adult voices are limited to a trombone-like &ldquo;wa-wa- wa.&rdquo; Every word of the parents and teachers sounds like nonsense. Tragically, this is how the Israelites in today&rsquo;s reading mocked the prophet Isaiah and his word from the Lord. Possibly drunk (v. 7), they said the prophet&rsquo;s words sounded like nonsense, &ldquo;wa-wa-wa&rdquo; (vv. 9&ndash;10; see also Isa. 30:9&ndash;11). To whom did the prophet think he was speaking? Babies? The line translated &ldquo;a rule for this, a rule for that&rdquo; is probably, according to the NIV footnote, &ldquo;meaningless sounds mimicking the prophet&rsquo;s words.&rdquo; Another source compares it to childish babbling or baby talk, thus connecting it to verse 9. Since the people of Israel wouldn&rsquo;t listen, scorning the prophet&rsquo;s warning as meaningless, God would speak to them in a foreign l

When my family and I drive around the Great Lakes of the Midwestern U.S., we keep an eye for the picturesque lighthouses along the shores. These historic structures are not just for beauty, of course; they warn boats away from dangerous parts of the coastline. God&rsquo;s Word acts as a kind of lighthouse, warning us to avoid sinful traps and temptations. In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul points to Israel&rsquo;s history, warning not to set &ldquo;our hearts on evil things as they did&rdquo; (v. 6). These sins of idolatry, immorality, testing the Lord, and grumbling, &ldquo;happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us&rdquo; (v. 11; see also Rom. 15:4). The people of Israel enjoyed God&rsquo;s visible presence: &rdquo;under the cloud&rdquo; refers to the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. They witnessed the ten plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and the provision of water and manna. Spiritually, they had everything they needed. Yet an entire ge

Arthur Rorheim has helped millions of children memorize Scripture. Arthur was better known by his nickname, &ldquo;Mr. Awana.&rdquo; He co-founded Awana in 1950, and led the Bible-teaching organization for decades. &ldquo;Awana&rdquo; is an acronym meaning &ldquo;Approved workmen are not ashamed,&rdquo; a reference to 2 Timothy 2:15. The organization now operates in 100 countries and 30 languages! Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, is devoted to putting God&rsquo;s Word at the center of our lives. We&rsquo;re considering its second section today. The question of verse 9&mdash;&rdquo;How can a young person stay on the path of purity?&rdquo;&mdash;signals that this is &ldquo;wisdom literature,&rdquo; which is often concerned with young people or the next generation. The answer, &ldquo;By living according to your word,&rdquo; is the bottom line, an answer that is elaborated in the following verses. The verbs alone teach remarkable lessons. What are we to do with God&rsquo;s Wo

On a wall in our family room hangs a plaque with 1 Corinthians 15:58: &ldquo;Your labour in the Lord is not in vain.&rdquo; As my wife and I prepared to return to the U.S. from Vietnam, where we served for many years, a good friend of ours, a Vietnamese pastor and church planter, gave us this plaque as a farewell present. It holds a special place of honor in our home. This plaque symbolizes our desire to put God&rsquo;s Word at the center of family life. In Deuteronomy 6, we learn two significant truths. The first is that God is one (v. 4, called the &ldquo;Shema&rdquo;). As opposed to those in the ancient Near East who worshiped many gods, Christians worship only one true God. He alone is worthy of our worship. The second truth is also known as the greatest commandment: We are to love God &ldquo;with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength&rdquo; (v. 5). Such love includes wholehearted faith and uncompromising obedience. How can we live out these two truths

Whenever I can, I visit the world-famous Newberry Library in Chicago, a research library known for its collection of rare manuscripts. I&rsquo;ll never forget a 2017 exhibition in which I viewed a copy of the very first Bible published in the Americas. It was not in English or any European language, but in a language spoken by Native American tribes. Called the Algonquian Bible, it was translated by Native American converts led by Puritan missionary pastor John Eliot. Down through the ages, God has preserved and spread His Word. This includes the Holy Spirit&rsquo;s ministry of illumination. Jesus put it this way: The Holy Spirit &ldquo;will guide you into all the truth&rdquo; (v. 13). Jesus would send the Holy Spirit&mdash;also called the &ldquo;Advocate,&rdquo; the &ldquo;Helper,&rdquo; or the &ldquo;Spirit of truth&rdquo;&mdash; to believers after His ascension or return to heaven (v. 7). The Spirit would work on behalf of Christ and the gospel by, for example, convicting people o

A recent survey reported that 26 million Americans mostly or completely stopped reading the Bible during COVID. &ldquo;Currently, only 10 percent of Americans report daily Bible reading.&rdquo; Don&rsquo;t let these grim statistics discourage you! Instead, resolve today to make it a priority to read and study God&rsquo;s Word. In Acts 17, we meet a group of Christians known for their devoted study of God&rsquo;s Word. This chapter takes place during Paul&rsquo;s second missionary journey. After some trouble with jealous Jews and city officials, the believers in Thessalonica helped Paul and Silas slip away by night to Berea, a city about 50 miles away. As was their custom, they went to the local synagogue and found the Jews there to be of &ldquo;more noble character.&rdquo; Why? They were eager to study the Old Testament to see if the gospel message was true (v. 11). In fact, the Bereans &ldquo;examined the Scriptures every day&rdquo; and found that Christ was the fulfillment of the O

Doreen Virtue was a best-selling author, who spent 20 years teaching New Age methods. But it was an encounter with God&rsquo;s Word that transformed her life. &ldquo;Reading the entire Bible changed everything,&rdquo; Doreen said. &ldquo;When I got to Deuteronomy 18:10&ndash;12, I encountered a list of sinful activities that included several I was practicing. I was broken, deeply shamed, and humbled. I dropped to my knees in shame and sorrow. &lsquo;I&rsquo;m so sorry, God!&rsquo; I kept wailing in repentance. &lsquo;I didn&rsquo;t know!&rsquo; On that very day I gave my life to Jesus as Lord and Savior.&rdquo; God&rsquo;s Word has the power to call people directly to salvation. In Acts 8, the Lord sent Philip, one of the seven deacons chosen in Acts 6, to a roadside rendezvous with a eunuch who was the royal treasurer to the queen of Ethiopia. On his way home from Jerusalem, the eunuch was sitting in his chariot reading aloud from the book of Isaiah (v. 28). Philip approached him and

I have been involved with the ministry of Today in the Word as an editor or writer almost continuously since 1993. That&rsquo;s 30 years! These have been years of blessing, challenge, and transformation, as God&rsquo;s Word has made and remade who I am. Even after all this time, I remain excited for each new study! God&rsquo;s Word can do the same for you. Psalms 111 and 112 are a matched pair. They both follow an acrostic pattern. The first focuses on God; the second focuses on godly people, that is, people who &ldquo;fear the Lord.&rdquo; Godly people &ldquo;find great delight in his commands&rdquo; (v. 1). In other words, the Word of God instructs and empowers them in the way of godliness. This way includes righteousness or uprightness (vv. 2, 3, 4, 6, 9), grace and compassion (v. 4), generosity and justice (vv. 5, 9), and steadfast faith (vv. 6, 7, 8). There is a particular emphasis on generosity to the poor (vv. 4, 5, 9; see also 2 Cor. 9:6&ndash;15). Having received blessings, w

When we move into a new house, my family and I pray through it room-by-room. We dedicate each room to the Lord, ask that we would be conscious of His presence, and invite Him to guard and provide for us. We want to remember that this is ultimately God&rsquo;s house, not ours. The Word of God and prayer consecrate. The word &ldquo;consecrate&rdquo; means &ldquo;to declare something to be holy&rdquo; or &ldquo;to set apart something as sacred&rdquo; or &ldquo;to commit something to divine purposes.&rdquo; Everything God created is good even though sin can corrupt, or we can mishandle His good gifts (vv. 4&ndash;5). The Word of God and prayer are thus our best tools for receiving God&rsquo;s blessings in the ways He intended. They help us make holy or dedicate to godly purposes things that we might otherwise misuse or abuse. The context for this principle is false teaching that said otherwise (vv. 1&ndash;3). Paul argued that false teaching ultimately comes from the demonic realm (see a

According to the United Nations, there are 103 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, whether inside or outside their home nations. A total of 32.5 million are classified as refugees, fleeing war or persecution. Of these, 72 percent come from the five countries of Syria, Venezuela, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and South Sudan. After decades of exile following the Babylonian conquest, the Jews were finally allowed to return home. In today&rsquo;s passage, the public reading and teaching of the Scriptures kindled spiritual renewal among the returned exiles. The leaders, including Ezra and Nehemiah, showed the way (vv. 5&ndash;8). Preparations had been made: A day had been set, a reading platform built, and the Levites organized for teaching. When the Law was opened, the people stood as a sign of respect. When Ezra praised the Lord, they bowed facedown to the ground in worship. As they listened, they wept, showing&mdash;like King Josiah&mdash;godly sorrow and repentance. This This day,

Did you know that reading books can help you live longer? A study done at Yale University found that those who read books &ldquo;lived an average of almost two years longer than those who did not read at all.&rdquo; They concluded: &ldquo;People who report as little as a half hour a day of book reading had a significant survival advantage over those who did not read.&rdquo; This being the case, we shouldn&rsquo;t be surprised that reading God&rsquo;s Word is even more life-giving&mdash;enough to revive an idolatrous nation in 2 Kings 22. We&rsquo;re not sure how the Scriptures had gotten lost. We&rsquo;re not even sure if what was lost was the entire Pentateuch or just part of Deuteronomy. But we do know that the rediscovery of God&rsquo;s Word sparked a revival throughout Judah, led by King Josiah (v. 8; see 2 Kings 23). When he heard the lost Scriptures read aloud, the king responded with godly sorrow and repentance (vv. 11&ndash;13). He understood that the people had not kept the

A research study by Arizona Christian University found that only 37 percent of American pastors hold to a biblical worldview. Many do not hold biblical beliefs on issues such as salvation and human sexuality. For example, &ldquo;at least a third of senior pastors in the United States believe one can earn a place in Heaven by simply being a good person.&rdquo; A similar number see reincarnation as a real possibility. These pastors were found to spend little time in God&rsquo;s Word. If we want to hold to sound doctrine, we must know the Bible. In today&rsquo;s reading, the apostle Paul gave his friend and colleague Timothy, pastoring in Ephesus, a serious charge to &ldquo;Preach the word&rdquo; (vv. 1&ndash;2). God the Father and God the Son are called as witnesses to this charge. Timothy is to use the Word to correct, rebuke, and encourage. He should always be prepared &ldquo;with great patience and careful instruction.&rdquo; Great patience is required because most people don&rsquo;

In 2016, the American Bible Society celebrated its bicentennial&mdash;200 years of distributing Bibles around the world. Throughout its history, the organization has been committed to give away Bibles without notes or commentary, in the belief that anyone can read the Bible for themselves. God&rsquo;s Word is the only offensive weapon in the armor of God. Metaphorically, this armor equips us for spiritual warfare (vv. 10 13). Each piece of the armor, including God&rsquo;s Word, helps us stand against &ldquo;the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.&rdquo; The goal is to stand firm&mdash;the final victory already belongs to Christ. Paul&rsquo;s metaphor is quite colorful and vivid (vv. 14&ndash;17). Truth is a &ldquo;belt&rdquo; that holds together all the rest. Righteousness is a protective &ldquo;breastplate&rdquo; (see Isa. 59:17) and salvation is a protective &ldquo;helmet.&rdquo; The soldier&rsquo;s shoes or boots are a readiness to stand on and proclaim the gospel of

The modern hymn &ldquo;O Church Arise,&rdquo; calls to us: &ldquo;O church, arise, and put your armor on; / Hear the call of Christ our captain. / For now the weak can say that they are strong / In the strength that God has given.&ldquo; It continues, &ldquo;And with the sword that makes the wounded whole, / We will fight with faith and valor.&rdquo; The &ldquo;sword that makes the wounded whole&rdquo; is God&rsquo;s Word. In today&rsquo;s verses, we learn that the Word is &ldquo;alive,&rdquo; &ldquo;active,&rdquo; and extremely sharp (v. 12). &ldquo;Alive&rdquo; means full of life or life-giving, which makes sense since the Author is eternal and the source of all life. &ldquo;Active&rdquo; means dynamic as God&rsquo;s Word works to accomplish His purposes. &ldquo;Sharpness&rdquo; is a complex metaphor. God&rsquo;s Word is described as a &ldquo;double-edged sword.&rdquo; This type of sword was short, more like a dagger. One commentator even compares it to a razor-sharp butcher&rsquo;

What is more important: what we say or what we do? As the saying goes, &ldquo;Our lives are the only sermon some people will ever hear.&rdquo; And we&rsquo;ve all felt at times like the person who commented, &ldquo;I&rsquo;d rather see a sermon than hear one.&rdquo; That point is also made in Paul&rsquo;s letter to the Corinthians. The truths and consequences of God&rsquo;s Word should be seen in our lives. Paul said the Corinthians themselves were proof of his apostleship. No false teacher could have brought about such gospel-affirming and God-glorifying results. The Corinthian church was like a letter of recommendation. I write many such letters to assist my students in obtaining jobs or ministry positions or entrance to graduate school. In Paul&rsquo;s day, itinerant teachers used these kinds of letters for identification or authentication, in much the same way that Paul used his own handwriting at the end of a letter so that the recipients could be sure it really came from him (G

Many people say they like and respect the Bible, but they don&rsquo;t actually read it. More than half of respondents in a 2017 LifeWay survey said they had read little or none of it&mdash;at most, a few passages or stories. The good news is that 87 percent of Americans do have one or more Bibles in their homes. For God&rsquo;s Word to bear fruit in our lives, we must not just own a copy, but read and study it regularly. Both Peter and Paul had read not only the Old Testament but also one another&rsquo;s letters. Peter regarded Paul&rsquo;s epistles as equivalent to the &ldquo;other Scriptures&rdquo; (v. 16). This suggests that the writers of the New Testament understood that the Holy Spirit was inspiring their writing. Alongside the Old Testament, it was also the Word of God&mdash; authoritative, true, and trustworthy. Jesus said the same about His own words (Matt. 24:35), and Peter the same about the eyewitness accounts of the apostles (see July 6). Peter was urging believers to &l

How can we talk about Jesus in the Old Testament? Which parts apply to Him? And how should we interpret some of the strange language and figures of speech? A very helpful reference is The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy, edited by Moody professor Michael Rydelnik and Edwin Blum. This book analyzes every OT passage that is considered Messianic! The fulfillment of Messianic prophecies proves that Scripture is one unified story. This would only be possible if the Bible was inspired by the God who is sovereign over history. Today&rsquo;s reading from the Crucifixion narrative provides two specific examples. First, the Roman soldiers who crucified Christ divided His clothes among themselves (vv. 23&ndash;24). The seamless undergarment, however, was too valuable to be torn, so they cast lots for it. Their actions fulfilled the prophecy of Psalm 22:18. Psalm 22 is the prayer of a righteous sufferer, written nearly one thousand years before Christ. This example shows that prophecy can be

How does the Old Testament connect to the New Testament? In his famous sermon on the Day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter referred to prophecies by Joel and David (Acts 2). The Old Testament prophet Joel predicted the coming Day of the Lord, and Peter proclaimed that it had now arrived in the person of Christ. David believed God&rsquo;s promise that one of his descendants would sit on his throne eternally. This too was fulfilled by Christ. Sadly, we too often think of the Old and New Testaments in opposite terms. We view the OT God as grim and wrathful; the NT God as loving and merciful. We see the OT as full of law; the NT as full of grace. Yet in truth they create one cohesive story. There is only &ldquo;before&rdquo; and &ldquo;after&rdquo; Christ, the hinge of history. This is why Peter used words like &ldquo;salvation&rdquo; and &ldquo;grace&rdquo; to frame the entire ministry of the Old Testament prophets (v. 10). They eagerly looked to the future to find out more specific detai

When I was in high school, my parents presented me with a Thompson Chain Reference Bible that I used as my main Bible for many years. By studying its extensive cross-references, I came to see the intricate interconnectedness of all Scripture. The Bible contains 66 books by many human authors, but it&rsquo;s also one Book with one divine Author, built around one Story: redemption in Jesus Christ. That&rsquo;s the story Jesus told to two of His followers: one named Cleopas, about whom we don&rsquo;t know much, and the second unnamed. On a journey to Emmaus, they were discussing what had happened during Passion Week (vv. 14, 19&ndash;24). When Jesus joined them, they did not recognize Him (vv. 15&ndash;16). He rebuked them as &ldquo;foolish&rdquo; and &ldquo;slow to believe&rdquo; for their lack of understanding. They had failed to see what Scripture as a whole, and especially Messianic prophecy, had clearly foretold (vv. 25&ndash;26). Jesus explained the Old Testament Scriptures concer

When a Mississippi church burned to the ground last August, firefighters were able to rescue a Bible that had sat on the pulpit every day for 178 years. One elder told a local TV station: &ldquo;We are a Bible-believing church...the idea that essentially nothing in this church survived but the word of God&mdash;that&rsquo;s not lost on us.&rdquo; God&rsquo;s Word cannot be defeated! Today&rsquo;s Old Testament narrative is just one example of how God has preserved His Word through the ages. Jeremiah had received a prophetic word from the Lord, dictated it to his friend and scribe Baruch, and sought an audience to share it with King Jehoiakim of Judah. But the king was wicked and some godly court officials saw trouble coming. They urged Jeremiah and Baruch to hide and took the message to the king themselves. As the scroll was read to Jehoiakim, he cut it up piece by piece and fed it into the fire. This was a blatant act of pride, disrespect, and blasphemy. The very words of God were b

Some people say the Bible is filled with errors and should not be taken literally. Why should we trust the Bible? Is this merely a human-authored book or the actual Word of God? One reason we can trust the Bible is that many of the authors of the New Testament had seen Jesus for themselves. Before writing his Gospel, for example, Luke carefully investigated and interviewed eyewitnesses (Luke 1:1&ndash;4). The apostle Peter was another eyewitness (2 Peter 1:12&ndash;15). He didn&rsquo;t teach &ldquo;cleverly devised stories&rdquo; (v. 16), but facts he had seen with his own eyes. Before he died, he wanted to share these truths with the church. Verse 15 might be a reference to the fact that Peter was a main source for the Gospel of Mark. Peter had been an eyewitness to Christ&rsquo;s Transfiguration (vv. 16&ndash;18; Mark 9:1&ndash;10). He&rsquo;d seen the glory of the incarnate Christ. He&rsquo;d heard the voice of God declare, &ldquo;This is my Son.&rdquo; The &ldquo;Majestic Glory&r

I used to collect baseball cards, but I never owned any as valuable as the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card. One in mint condition sold last August for $12.6 million. At the time of its original purchase, this card would have come in a pack that cost only a nickel. Today it is the most valuable piece of sports memorabilia ever sold at auction. As valuable as that Mickey Mantle card may be, God&rsquo;s Word far surpasses it. The Bible is beyond priceless! Psalm 19 first presents the &ldquo;book&rdquo; of nature, describing how creation declares God&rsquo;s glory (vv. 1&ndash;6). In today&rsquo;s reading, it turns its attention to the Book of God. Scripture&rsquo;s qualities and virtues reflect God, its source (vv. 7&ndash;9). The Word of God is perfect. It refreshes the soul and restores life. It&rsquo;s true, trustworthy, and reliable. It teaches those who study and obey it so that they learn, grow, and mature. It&rsquo;s good and righteous and therefore we&rsquo;re able to rejoice in t

The Library of Congress recently digitized the Giant Bible of Mainz (Germany). Its pages measure 22.6 inches by 15.9 inches. This is an entirely handwritten Bible, completed in two volumes by a single scribe over a fifteen-month period in 1452&ndash;1453. If you go to the web page LOC.gov, you can view this historical treasure for yourself! Be aware, though, that you&rsquo;ll only be able to read it if you know Latin. God&rsquo;s Word is valuable and perfect in any format! Psalm 18 talks about God&rsquo;s deliverance and His faithful character. As we see in verse 30, His &ldquo;perfect&rdquo; way and His &ldquo;flawless&rdquo; word are parallel and complementary truths. There is a sense, then, in which who God is and what He does are things that can also be ascribed to Scripture because it is the Word of God. Today&rsquo;s reading provides a rich description in this regard. Who is God and what does He do? The Lord shields or gives refuge to His people (vv. 30, 35). He strengthens us

Do you believe the Bible is the literal Word of God? According to a recent Gallup poll, most people don&rsquo;t! In fact, only 20 percent hold this belief, a number just half of what it was in 1980. Even among self-identified evangelicals, only 40 percent believe the Bible is God&rsquo;s Word. A growing number feel the Bible is merely &ldquo;a collection of &lsquo;fables, legends, history and moral precepts recorded by man.&rsquo;&rdquo; Believing the Bible is the inspired Word of God is a core doctrine for followers of Christ. The Bible claims: &ldquo;All Scripture is God breathed&rdquo; or &ldquo;inspired&rdquo; (v. 16). God has the unique ability to give life, as when He breathed into Adam the breath of life (Gen. 2:7). Similarly, the psalmist wrote: &ldquo;By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth&rdquo; (Ps. 33:6). Inspiration means that God, while working through human authors, was actively and directly involved in the writing o

If you&rsquo;re like me, you have trouble sticking to one-year Bible reading plans. I tend to get bogged down in mid-Leviticus or somewhere among the evil kings in the historical books. So, it is comforting to realize that the Word of God is not only a book but also a Person! The Gospel of John begins in an interesting and theologically deep way. John explains that Christ is the &ldquo;Word&rdquo; or &ldquo;Logos&rdquo; (v. 1). This Greek term can mean spoken language as well as unspoken (our reason). More deeply, it refers to &ldquo;the principle which governs the universe.&rdquo; God&rsquo;s laws and decrees govern everything. This is seen most clearly in the creation account of Genesis 1, which John consciously echoes. Christ (&ldquo;The Word&rdquo;) is God the Son. He has been with God the Father since eternity past (v. 2). He participated in creation (v. 3; see also Col. 1:16). He is life; He is light; He is victorious (vv. 4&ndash;5). He is the source of spiritual life, just as

Almost everything we see in the world around us will eventually wear out and die. The grass fades. Flowers wilt. Stars burn out. Pens run out of ink. Cars break down. Technology becomes outdated. This is the way it is in a fallen world: everything must decay and die. The Bible says that even our &ldquo;faithfulness&rdquo; is like the grass of the field, that is, it too withers and dies (Isa. 40:6). The word &ldquo;faithfulness&rdquo; has also been translated as &ldquo;beauty,&rdquo; &ldquo;goodness,&rdquo; and &ldquo;constancy.&rdquo; The basic meaning of verse 6 is, as one translation explains: &ldquo;Human beings and their faithfulness... are short-lived and unreliable, in stark contrast to the decrees and promises of the eternal God.&rdquo; Scripture tells us that one thing stands in sharp contrast to the transitory nature of this world: &ldquo;the word of our God endures forever&rdquo; (Isa. 40:8). This month, we are studying the doctrine of Scripture; we will learn what the Bibl

Leadership begins and ends with trust. Followers must be able to trust their leaders, and leaders must be able to trust their followers. One without the other is a lopsided relationship. Booker T. Washington said, &ldquo;Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him, and to let him know that you trust him.&rdquo; Many people trusted the Apostle Paul as one of the prominent leaders of the early church. But his leadership was successful because he had people he could also trust. One of his most trusted companions was someone most people in the first century would not expect: a woman named Phoebe. In that culture, women had very little say or role in leadership. Not only was there no seat at the table for women, but society knew women as little more than servants. But Paul viewed women as children of God who could and should be trusted to bring Christianity to the next generations. In Romans 16, Paul mentions Phoebe who had been a tremendous help to the apostl

It has been said that you are either in a trial, exiting out of a trial, or entering into a trial...you just aren&rsquo;t aware of it yet. We can either whine and complain when trials come or learn to become the men and women God wants us to be. We aren&rsquo;t the first ones in history to ever face trials. Trials are part of the DNA of the church. When you look at how the church began, it was flooded with trials, especially the early church in Jerusalem. Their pastor, James, the half-brother of Jesus, encouraged his congregation to look at trials not as torture but as an opportunity to learn and grow. James knew that trials are not an option for the Christian. They will come in all shapes and sizes (v. 2). Like a baseball pitcher, some come in like a rocketed fastball. You hardly see them coming, and they set you back on your heels. Others are curveballs where you expect one thing, but it turns out to be completely different. James uses the word &ldquo;testing&rdquo; to denote a pos

Jesus charged the disciples with making disciples throughout Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Still, they never imagined that would include reaching out to the Pharisees and religious elites. So, when word spread that Saul, a Pharisee trained under Gamaliel (Acts 22:3) and persecutor of Christians, had an encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, it would certainly have been hard for them to believe it. After three years of learning about the teachings of Christ and how He fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies (Gal. 1:18), Saul ventured to Jerusalem to meet with Peter and James, the Lord&rsquo;s brother. However, upon arrival, the disciples did not welcome him. He tried to join the disciples, but they were skeptical and feared he would arrest them (v. 26). They were at an impasse, and no side was making any progress. Then an unlikely leader named Barnabas stepped in. Barnabas took the initiative to set up a meeting between Saul and the othe

In the first century, it was illegal for family members to retrieve the crucified bodies of their loved ones. Dead bodies typically hung for days, if not weeks, so the message was clear: Do not mess with the Roman Empire! After some time, the Romans would pry the bodies off the cross, carry them in a wagon, cart them down to the Valley of Gehenna, and dump them into a rat-infested mass grave. The same would have happened to Jesus&rsquo; body if not for the boldness of two unlikely leaders, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. At some point, as the rest of the followers fled, Nicodemus and Joseph looked at Jesus&rsquo; body and reflected on the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah&rsquo;s suffering (Isa. 53:5&ndash;6). They must have concluded that Jesus was indeed the Son of Man who took away the sins of the world (John 3:1&ndash;17). They decided that they couldn&rsquo;t hide their faith in Him any longer. They mustered up the strength to go directly to Pilate and ask for the body (

Boston College runner Madeline Adams was just 200 feet away from finishing the ACC cross country championship race. Just as she was achieving her personal best time, she felt her body collapse due to exhaustion. Her rival Evie Tate from Clemson noticed Adams struggling to stand. In a display of extraordinary sportsmanship, Tate sacrificed her finishing position to put her arm under Adams. Louisville&rsquo;s Rachel Pease saw both women stumbling, took Adams&rsquo;s other arm, and assisted until all three competitors crossed the finish line. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the writers record how the Roman soldiers forced a man named Simon to help Jesus carry the crossbeam up to Golgotha. It is unclear why they chose Simon from the crowd. Perhaps he had demonstrated compassion or maybe he looked different. No matter the reason he was chosen for the task, Simon did what was asked and helped Jesus get to the ultimate finish line. This close encounter with our Savior changed him. Simon was bor

Cheryl Bachelder, former CEO of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, was determined to turn around the struggling fast-food chain. The leadership team focused on improving the company&rsquo;s relationship with their 340 franchise owners. By choosing to serve and even love these individuals, they saw dramatic results. Their change of behavior was spurred by one question: &ldquo;Do you love the people you lead?&rdquo; What does it mean to love the people you lead? Jesus shows us in John 13. Not a person present at the Passover meal would ever forget this demonstration of servant leadership. Since the men would recline at the table to eat, their feet would have been relatively close to the food. Foot washing was necessary, but typically assigned to a lowly servant. Imagine everyone&rsquo;s surprise when Jesus took the initiative to do the dirty job. One of the first phases of the Passover meal was the ceremonial hand washing with a unique laver bowl and towel. Peter, like the others, needed clari

After receiving an Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award, the late Fred Rogers asked the crowd, &ldquo;Would you just take along with me10 seconds to think of the people who have helped you become who you are?&rdquo; He concluded, &ldquo;How pleased they must be to know the difference you feel they&rsquo;ve made.&rdquo; Rogers understood that transformational leaders leave a lasting impact on others. They inspire others to accomplish great things by listening, advising, cheering, and by example. Let&rsquo;s read Luke 10:38&ndash;42 for a third time. Today, we focus on Jesus, a transformational leader. No one who encountered Jesus walked away unchanged. Even though He was the Son of God, the promised Messiah, He took the time to understand each person, responding to their individual needs with care and compassion. We are told that &ldquo;Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus&rdquo; (John 11:5). During the visit described in Luke 10, Jesus noticed Martha&rsquo;s stress as she cared f

The phrase &ldquo;servant leadership&rdquo; was coined by Robert Greenleaf in the 1970s. While working at AT&amp;T, Greenleaf recognized that individuals and organizations ought to be known as servants who lead instead of leaders who happen to serve. He said the best test to determine if one is a true servant leader is asking, &ldquo;Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?&rdquo; In Luke 10, Jesus visits the home of Mary and Martha. Today, we turn our attention to Martha. It is easy to read this passage and shake our heads in disappointment at Martha who, rather than sitting and listening to Jesus, was bustling around preparing dinner. We may think, &ldquo;Oh, Martha, Martha, Martha. You&rsquo;re not focusing on what truly matters. Always trying to impress...&rdquo; But before we criticize Martha for her Southern-Bethany hospitality, take a closer look at where Luke places

Pick any year, and you can easily name a corporate scandal, whether Enron, the Volkswagen emissions, or, more recently, the corruption of the cryptocurrency FTX Trading company. It&rsquo;s no wonder we find it difficult to trust leaders! By contrast, authentic leadership encourages leaders to be self-aware, transparent, and lead from the heart. For the next three days, we will read the same text considering three different types of leadership. First, we&rsquo;ll understand what it means to lead with authenticity by learning from Mary. In Luke 10, Jesus visited the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. It was rare for a rabbi to allow women to sit at his feet, but Jesus was different, and so was Mary. She soaked up Jesus&rsquo; teaching like a sponge and had a hunger for learning. Mary was confident in who she was but also aware of her surroundings. Authentic leaders are transparent; they allow others to see their emotions. Mary exhibited these qualities. After her brother Lazarus died a

For some of us, risk taking is part of our DNA. According to a groundbreaking new study, more than 100 genetic variants are linked with those who take risks. But even if we are the cautious type, being a godly leader may require us to step out of our comfort zone and into the arena. That was the case with the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15. Jesus had withdrawn to Tyre and Sidon, coastal towns on the Mediterranean, both in the Roman providence of Syria (v. 22). The Canaanites were native to the region where Joshua and his army had displaced them centuries earlier (Joshua 3). In essence, the Jews and Canaanites never played nicely together. Yet, word had spread that a miracle-working Jew was traveling through the region. The woman&rsquo;s plea to Jesus to heal her daughter showed that she had some knowledge and respect of His history and power (v. 22). However, the disciples wanted nothing to do with her. They tried to brush her off. At first glance, Jesus seemed ready to dismiss her as

In his book, Leading with a Limp, Dan Allender goes against the norm. He encourages leaders not to hide their weaknesses, but to use them! He recognizes that all leaders are broken, and God can use our brokenness to help others. Instead of protecting our image, Allender suggests that God can use imperfect yet authentic leaders to accomplish amazing things. But facing our imperfection is intimidating. Just ask the woman at the well. In John 4, we read that Jesus came to the town of Samaria. Tired, He sat down at a well around noontime, and a Samaritan woman came to draw water. At first glance, this woman had three strikes against her. For starters, being a woman didn&rsquo;t give her much status. Being a Samaritan lowered her status even more. And drawing water at noon&mdash; all alone&mdash;was her third strike. In everyone&rsquo;s eyes, she was deplorable. Except in the eyes of Jesus. To Him, she had value. Many scholars speculate that this woman had so many husbands because she enj

Do you have a lot of followers on Facebook? Did your last post get dozens of likes? In our social media obsessed world, it is easy to become self-focused. Who among us doesn&rsquo;t enjoy being the center of positive attention? But God desires leaders who are willing to step out of the spotlight. In John 3, we meet John the Baptist. He mainly lived on the outskirts of town in the wilderness. The evangelist would have been easy to spot with his camel&rsquo;s hair clothing and leather belt. If he joined you for lunch, locusts with wild honey would be on the menu (Matt. 3:1&ndash;6). John didn&rsquo;t have a people-pleasing mentality; he called people out on their sins. No one got a hall pass, not even King Herod (Mark 6). John&rsquo;s mission was to shine the spotlight on Jesus. In John 3, John&rsquo;s disciples were playing the comparison game. &ldquo;That man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan&mdash;the one you testified about&mdash;look, he is baptizing, and everyone i

As a professor, I am sometimes asked to introduce guest speakers in chapel and at conferences. I sometimes struggle with finding the right words to say, sorting through all the things I know about the person to phrase the perfect introduction. Imagine, for a moment, that you were asked to introduce Jesus. How would you describe Him? In John 1:14&ndash;18, the apostle John does just that. John knew Jesus as His friend, his esteemed leader, and also as the Messiah to the world. Here John describes Jesus as One whose life is marked by humility. The Son of God chose to dwell with us. Jesus knew that the people He came to serve would turn their backs on Him. Even so, He chose to come and dwell with us (v. 14). John and others saw &ldquo;his glory&rdquo; firsthand, how it radiated and reflected God the Father (v. 14). John describes Jesus as &ldquo;full of grace and truth,&rdquo; (v. 14). The word &ldquo;full&rdquo; is significant. Jesus didn&rsquo;t display 50 percent grace and 50 percent

We value leaders, but what about followers? It is a topic often overlooked, but followership is at the very heart of leadership. Imagine Harriet Tubman, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., or Winston Churchill without any followers. Their many faithful followers demonstrated their ability to lead well. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was the ideal follower. When God surveyed all creation, He appointed Mary to look after His one and only Son. To say Mary was surprised at her meeting with Gabriel would be a huge understatement. It is certainly not every day that an angel of the Lord greets you with news that you will give birth to the Messiah. This announcement was the first for Gabriel too. This was the first and only time he would announce the birth of the Messiah. It took him several attempts to convince Mary that she was the one chosen to raise the Son of God (vv. 28, 30, 35). Gabriel told Mary that a miracle had come to Elizabeth, too (v. 36). Her older cousin was also pregnant. Luke places th

Peer pressure isn&rsquo;t constrained to the halls of high school. It can find its way into the nooks and crevices of our work, friends, and culture. We give into peer pressure for many reasons. We may feel the need to be accepted. Or we would rather &ldquo;go along&rdquo; so we can &ldquo;get along.&rdquo; But the leaders whom God uses are those men and women who are willing to stand up for what they believe. Standing up for God is what three young men did when faced with not only peer pressure but the possibility of death. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were far from home and enslaved by King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. Showing tremendous courage, they refused orders to bow down and worship the king&rsquo;s statue (v. 6). Nebuchadnezzar was so angered by their resistance that he ordered them to either worship him or be sentenced to death by fire (vv. 13&ndash;15). It was decision time. Instead of giving in to peer and political pressure, these unlikely leaders responded wi

Evangelist Dwight Lyman Moody was passionate about pouring into the next generation. In Chicago, he gathered orphans to begin his first Sunday School. Then, after founding Bible training schools in New England and Chicago, Moody determined that even poor and less-privileged students should be able to learn about God and His Word. While he asked supporters for help, he also paid the tuition for needy students out of his own pocket. Godly leaders practice what they preach. While yesterday we read how David was chosen by God to be Israel&rsquo;s king, today we witness the end of his reign. King David was about to hand over the blueprints for God&rsquo;s Temple to his son Solomon (v. 1). In one last act of leadership, David again led by example. Instead of taxing his people or enslaving foreigners to build the Temple, David donated his personal treasures to the building fund (v. 3). This set off a chain reaction of giving. The leaders of each family began to give willingly (v.6). Then, w

What makes a great leader? Many people choose leaders because they &ldquo;look the part&rdquo; or &ldquo;had the most success.&rdquo; However, according to the Scriptures, the mark of a great leader goes much deeper. God taught this lesson to His prophet Samuel when he was tasked with anointing the new leader of Israel. God sent Samuel to Bethlehem, to the home of Jesse, saying: &ldquo;I have chosen one of his sons to be king&rdquo; (v. 1). Samuel determined to find someone worthy of the challenge. He knew that King Saul was not the type to pack up his bags and go off quietly into the night. Saul had a colossal frame and an even more significant presence (1 Sam. 9:2). Once he arrived at Jesse&rsquo;s home and met his seven sons, Samuel was impressed. He probably thought, &ldquo;Surely among these young men is the perfect candidate to unseat King Saul&rdquo; (vv. 8&ndash;10). However, as he evaluated each son, Samuel was not convinced. God taught Samuel not to look at the external app

The Righteous Among the Nations was established to honor non-Jews who took great risks to save Jewish families during the Holocaust. Over half of these are women, known as &ldquo;The Women of Valor.&rdquo; Some hid people in their homes. Others helped them flee to safety. In the face of pure evil, they found the strength to lead. But World War II was certainly not the first time evil threatened the Jewish people. Around 479 B.C., King Xerxes decreed &ldquo;to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews&mdash;young and old, women and children &mdash;on a single day&rdquo; (Esther 3:13). Who would step in to save God&rsquo;s people? Esther was a young Jewish woman who had found favor with King Xerxes. Selected for her beauty, she joined the ranks as one of the king&rsquo;s many wives (2:7&ndash;9). Esther&rsquo;s uncle, Mordecai, found out that a decree had been sent to extinguish the Jews (3:13) and pleaded for his niece to do something (vv. 1&ndash;8). The young woman insisted it was ou

Tragedy keeps a sloppy appointment book. There is no way to avoid it, and it is never welcome. But when difficult things happen to us, do we consider ourselves first or the needs of others? In the book of Ruth, we find three women facing extreme heartbreak. When Naomi had first been forced to leave her country due to famine, she was comforted that her husband and sons would care for her (vv. 1&ndash;2). Because her sons were married, she probably looked forward to being a grandmother (v. 3). But then anguish showed its nasty head. First, Naomi&rsquo;s husband died (v. 3). Then, the two younger women, Ruth and Orpah lost their husbands: &ldquo;Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband&rdquo; (v. 5). As the famine ended, Naomi decided to return to Judah and encouraged her daughters-in-law to return to their own mothers. But rather than agreeing to what was best for them, both women insisted on staying with their mother-in-law (v. 10). After further discussion, Orpah begrudgin

When you&rsquo;re up against an enemy, most people will agree there is strength in numbers. The more people on your side, the more likely you are to win. But in Judges 7, we learn that numbers are meaningless when God is involved. The Lord tasked Gideon with leading the Israelites into battle against the Midianites who had oppressed them for seven years (Judges 6:1). Their power was &ldquo;oppressive&rdquo; (6:2). In the valley, their warriors were as &ldquo;thick as locusts&rdquo;, and their camels like &ldquo;the sand on the seashore&rdquo; (7:12). The odds were clearly stacked against Gideon and his army. His army consisted of 32,000 soldiers. However, God knew that even with this many people, they would boast about their strength (vv. 2&ndash;3). So, Gideon eliminated 22,000 soldiers who were too fearful to fight. With 10,000 remaining, God decided there were still too many. Like a master gardener pruning shrubs, God continued to remove men from Gideon&rsquo;s army. After drinkin

The receptionist responded, &ldquo;Are you crazy, lady?&rdquo; and immediately hung up the phone. But that didn&rsquo;t stop Judy Sheindlin. Three years later, in 1996, Sheindlin convinced CBS television producers to run a daytime reality court show starring her in the main role. For the next 25 years, Judge Judy became one of America&rsquo;s most famous judges and personalities. In the Old Testament, judges were appointed to preside over disputes and to act as military leaders. In Judges chapter 4, we find God&rsquo;s people crying out to the Lord for help (v. 3). God loved His people so much that instead of allowing them to drift into sin constantly, He had permitted them to be sold into slavery (vv. 1&ndash;2). It took them 20 years to come to their senses (v. 3). During this time of bondage, Deborah didn&rsquo;t seek a leadership role or making a name for herself. She simply wanted to serve the Lord. The Hebrew word for leading (v. 4) means to judge, to govern, or to act as a dec

The pandemic changed typical home life in both good and bad ways. Families were forced to work alongside each other, sharing more spaces and meals than before. Children observed their parents&rsquo; ability to problem-solve and trust God during challenging times. Time will only tell the spiritual impact that unexpected &ldquo;time together&rdquo; had on our families. In Joshua 24, we see the household of Joshua and his fellow Israelite families making a choice to serve God. After reminding the Israelites how God fulfilled His covenant by delivering them to the Promised Land (vv. 3&ndash;13), Joshua explained what they should do &ldquo;now&rdquo; (v. 14). First, he urged them to be faithful (v. 14). He commanded them to throw away any false idols they had carried from Egypt. Notice that he gave them a choice! &ldquo;Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve&rdquo; (v. 15). Being God&rsquo;s leader does not mean we can demand obedience from others. Instead of dictating to the I

Do you remember learning about Alexander the Great? At a certain point in his world conquest, he and his leaders became concerned. Examining their maps, they realized they had come to the very edge on each side. How could they proceed when it was all unknown? The people of Israel faced a similar situation. Joshua had brought them to the banks of the Jordan River looking into the land God promised. But this was unchartered territory. However, on the other side of the Jordan was Rahab, an unlikely person whom God would use to assure the Israelites that their future was secure. Joshua sent spies in to survey the land. There they found a haven in the house of Rahab, a prostitute (v. 1). However, after their hideout was exposed, the king&rsquo;s men were sent on a mission to capture and kill them. Sensing danger, Rahab used what little power and leverage she had and hid the spies on the roof of her house (vv. 4&ndash;7). Rahab risked her own safety, finding courage in the face of immediate

Being selected to follow an outstanding leader can be difficult, if not downright impossible. How do you prevent comparisons? The book of Joshua begins with news that would have made headlines for weeks: &ldquo;Moses my servant is dead&rdquo; (v. 2). Without a doubt, it was the topic of conversation at every dinner table. But while Moses&rsquo; life may have been over, God&rsquo;s commitment to the Israelites was not. Joshua most likely had a hunch that he would take up the mantle of leadership. But that did not mean he felt confident. Even Moses&rsquo; second- in-command suffered from impostor syndrome and wondered if he was the right person for the job. God continually reminded Joshua that he would not be alone (v. 5). Notice in Joshua 1, that three times God commands Joshua to be &ldquo;strong and courageous&rdquo; (vv. 6, 7, 9). God also assures victory: &ldquo;No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life&rdquo; (v. 5). The Lord reminded Joshua that he shoul

In the most despicable and wicked manner, the Amalekites attacked the Israelites from the rear, focusing on attacking the women, children, and elderly (Deut. 25:17&ndash;18). The Israelites had never experienced a battle before. Yahweh fought the Egyptians for them. But in today&rsquo;s text, the Lord was teaching the Israelites to rely on the Lord and take matters into their own hands. Moses tasked Joshua with recruiting men, and he then climbed to the top of the hill with his brother Aaron and his brother-in-law Hur. At the top of the hill, they could clearly see the battle, they were visible to their soldiers, but most importantly, they could pray (v. 10). The phrase, &ldquo;as long as Moses held up his hands,&rdquo; describes the Israelites&rsquo; posture of prayer (v. 11). If he kept praying, the Israelites kept winning. However, while a battle raged in the valley, a war also raged within Moses. Having a strong prayer life does not come naturally. Moses became physically weak aft

A well-known comedian observed that the number-one fear for most Americans is speaking in public, while the second fear is death, which means that at a funeral, people would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy. There is some truth to this humor. Having the right words at the right time can be challenging. We fear offending others or embarrassing ourselves. We aren&rsquo;t the only ones to be timid with our tongues. You may picture Moses as a courageous, Charlton Heston-type leader with a booming voice, leading the Israelites out of the oppressive stronghold of Pharaoh. But Exodus 4 gives us a different perspective. Moses was someone we wouldn&rsquo;t initially expect to be a leader. Our text falls in the middle of his conversation with God. Moses was giving excuse after excuse, trying to get out of God&rsquo;s command to go before Pharaoh. His final protest to the Lord points to his speech impediment, which he claimed would hinder God&rsquo;s message (v. 10). The Lord gave

For nearly ten years, lawyer Randy Schoenberg represented Austrian Maria Altmann in her quest to recover her family&rsquo;s paintings that had been stolen by the Nazis during World War II. The exquisite paintings, valued at more than $325 million, were discovered in museums where they had been displayed for decades. Schoenberg persisted on Altmann&rsquo;s behalf, appealing to many judges, including the U.S. Supreme Court, before winning her case. In Genesis 18, we find Abraham in a bargaining conversation with the Lord. Sodom and Gomorrah were the &ldquo;Sin Cities&rdquo; of the day. The mercy cries of the oppressed and powerless had reached the ears of the Lord (vv. 20&ndash; 21). God was on the verge of pouring out another round of destruction. But before God punished Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham courageously pled their case (v. 22). Even though the Scriptures do not explicitly mention Lot, Abraham&rsquo;s nephew and his family was most likely on his mind, since they were still in S

Do you ever yearn for adventure? For some this might mean a winding road trip and camping out under the stars. For others it means trying exotic foods or exploring a new city. Most of us find it exciting to go where we&rsquo;ve never gone before. In Genesis 12, God told another one of His unlikely leaders to venture into the unknown. Even better, God promised that the entire world would be blessed one day through him and his journey. In Genesis 12, we read how God began a new relationship with humanity. The troubled days of Noah were over, and God wanted to restore the relationship, He once had with His creation before sin entered the world. The Lord chose Abram and took him on an unexpected journey that would demonstrate to the world that He is God. Yahweh commanded Abram to leave Harran, his people, and his extended family (v. 1). Leaving the known and entering the unknown would have been terrifying. Abram had no smart device to help him navigate the terrain. He couldn&rsquo;t Goog

Ask any farmer, and they will tell you the word they fear the most is drought. Without rain, their crops and livelihood are in peril. Farmers plant their crops with hope that rain will come soon. But a couple of seasons of drought, sprinkled with a period of doubt, is a combination even the most optimistic farmer never wants to face. When rain does come it is viewed as a blessing, restoring life to the withered land. In Genesis 6, we learn that humanity had reached an all-time low. Wickedness and evil were running wild. &ldquo;The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time&rdquo; (v. 5). He resolved to cross everything out and start over (v. 7). Scripture tells us that as God looked at the darkness of the world, He saw a flickering light of hope. One man found favor in His eyes: Noah (v. 8). Many biblical scholars assert that before the Flood, there had been deca

What do you look for in a leader? For generations, God&rsquo;s people hoped for a leader to take them into battle. They wanted a problem-solver, winner-take-all, charismatic leader. Instead, God gave someone they did not expect...His Son Jesus. In direct contrast to the characteristics of popular leaders then (and now), Jesus was known for humility. In Philippians 2, Paul focuses on the need for the Philippians to complete his joy by being united. Paul knew that if Christians were to live a worthy life (1:27&ndash;30), they had to turn from &ldquo;selfish ambition or vain conceit&rdquo; (2:3) and be unified through having the same mind, same love, and being one in spirit and purpose (v. 2). This is a leadership task easier said than done! Ask any coach, CEO, or mother about the challenges of getting everyone on the same page and united with one another. Paul&rsquo;s solution was learned from Jesus: Lead through humility. We know that humility means considering others above ourselves (

As we conclude our study of 1 Kings, you may wonder if anyone in a power position is ever worthy of the title. This book records a history filled with defeat and disappointment. There are bright spots indeed, but overall, this was a dark time in Israel&rsquo;s history. The kingdom Saul founded and David expanded, declined under the leadership of David&rsquo;s descendants and their rivals. Even the few righteous among them were not strong enough to turn the nation back to faithful worship. Where does that leave us? We must remember the promise God made to David: &ldquo;Your throne will be established forever&rdquo; (2 Sam. 7:16). God&rsquo;s commitment to an eternal throne for a descendant of David is established here as we watch Him work through the reigns of human and fallible leaders in 1 Kings. Recall when David challenged his son Solomon with these words: &ldquo;If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all thei

Where we go for information reveals whom we trust. Children turn to their parents instinctively. Researchers consult the most reputable journals. Scientists use the best instruments. When Ahaziah was in trouble, his choice was to consult Baal. Why did the new king consider Baal to be the best source of information about his future? Today&rsquo;s passage spans the gap between 1 and 2 Kings with the story of Ahaziah, Ahab&rsquo;s son. His introductory biography informs us that he was wicked in the ways of his father and mother, and he also behaved like Jeroboam, the king who built the golden calves at Bethel and Dan. First Kings ends there, but Ahaziah&rsquo;s story does not. The division here is probably not original. It is quite possible that these two books would have been written on one scroll in ancient times. So, if you keep reading into 2 Kings, you&rsquo;ll see Ahaziah&rsquo;s story continue. Here we discover that Ahaziah was seriously injured in a fall. His injury was signific

When someone has an effective way with words, we say they have a silver tongue or are a slick talker. Both phrases could be used to describe King Ahab. In yesterday&rsquo;s reading, the Israelite king persuaded his Judean ally Jehoshaphat to put on his royal robes and join him in battle, while Ahab disguised himself as an average soldier (22:30). The enemy mistakenly identified Jehoshaphat as Ahab and pursued him (22:32). This decision almost cost him his life! You might think that this near- death experience would cause the godly king to reevaluate his relationship with wicked kings. But Jehoshaphat continued to ally himself with those who hated the Lord. At that time the balance of power between the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah was tilted in the favor of the north. Israel possessed more territory, and under the leadership of Omri and Ahab had become more prosperous. This might explain why a righteous king like Jehoshaphat would make peace with Ahab (v

In The Wizard of Oz, Toto draws back a curtain only to discover that the Great and Powerful Oz is just an ordinary man speaking into a microphone. In 1 Kings 22, we are given a look behind the curtain, to see God in action. Who is running the show in Israel? As we draw near to the end of 1 Kings, we might begin to wonder if God is going to resolve the difficulties facing His people. Does He have a plan? These are questions the faithful in Israel faced during the reign of Ahab. Today&rsquo;s passage pulls the curtain back just a bit to give a view behind the scenes. The word from Micaiah, the prophet of the Lord, was not encouraging. While the prophets of Baal predicted Ahab&rsquo;s victory, God&rsquo;s prophet told of his death. Micaiah described a boardroom scene in heaven. At the head of the table, sat the Lord on His throne with one agenda item. &ldquo;Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?&rdquo; (v. 20). Or to put it another way, &ldquo;H

Psychologists have a term called &ldquo;cognitive dissonance&rdquo;&mdash;when what a person believes contradicts what they do. For example, a person may say they want to avoid debt, but then apply for a third credit card. The level of dissonance grows when belief and actions are far apart. Ahab&rsquo;s heart had been trained by years of idol worship and the influence of his wife, Jezebel. Would he learn from his errors? Sadly, no. His behavior was deeply ingrained and manifested in the way he ran his kingdom. Three years after his confrontation with God, Ahab started another war, this time to retake the territory Israel had lost to the Syrians. His ally, Jehoshaphat of Judah, advised him to seek God&rsquo;s counsel (v. 7). Instead, Ahab turned to false prophets. As you would expect, they predicted victory. Their main goal was to find favor with the king. While Ahab employed hundreds of false prophets, he also kept one true prophet of the Lord on staff! We need to pause here and con

If you&rsquo;ve ever held a pity party for yourself, you aren&rsquo;t alone. It is easy to get so wrapped up in our own emotions and our own feelings. Even worse, we can let those emotions hurt others. In 1 Kings 21, we find King Ahab feeling very sorry for himself. After God rebuked Ahab for letting the enemy king go (see 1 Kings 20), Ahab returned to his palace in Jezreel. To console himself he tried to purchase a plot of land near his palace that belonged to Naboth. But Naboth wouldn&rsquo;t sell it, saying: &ldquo;The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors&rdquo; (v. 3). Ahab &ldquo;lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat&rdquo; (v. 4). His wife Jezebel took matters into her own hands. She reminded Ahab that he was king of Israel (v. 7) and promised to get the land for him. She did so by having Naboth killed (v. 9). Why didn&rsquo;t Ahab just take that land? Although Ahab was king, Israelite kings were not permitted to reign the way other rulers did

Have you ever heard someone say, &ldquo;You believe what you want, and I&rsquo;ll believe what I want. We are both right&rdquo;? As Christians, our belief that God is the one and only true God, directly contradicts the all-gods-are-equal philosophy. In 1 Kings 20, God&rsquo;s people were battling the Syrians, a conflict that challenged not just political borders, but also the character of God. In the ancient world, gods were understood to control the borders of the country where they were worshiped. Each nation had its own deity, and while they acknowledged that other gods existed, local deities had homefield advantage, so to speak. This explains why after their loss in the first battle, the Syrians changed their strategy. They reasoned that because the Israelites lived in a mountainous region, their god gave them victory over the battle in the mountains. But their gods were worshiped in the plains, so if they battled there, they would claim victory (v. 23). This logic contradicted

Who do you look to when you need help? When we were children, we thought our parents could always save the day. But as adults, we realize that our parents or our boss cannot solve every problem we encounter. Their power is limited. In 1 Kings 18, we saw a clear demonstration of God&rsquo;s supremacy over Baal. Not only could God&rsquo;s people look to Him for help, but He alone had the character and power to deliver them. Today&rsquo;s story illustrates this again. While most of us would have given up on King Ahab, God extended mercy and delivered him from an enemy. Ben-Hadad, king of Aram (Syria), had attacked Israel, besieging Samaria (v. 1). His army was so powerful that he made outrageous demands of Ahab (vv. 2&ndash;5). He boasted: &ldquo;Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine&rdquo; (v. 3). During the panic that ensued, the Lord sent a prophet to Ahab with encouragement and instructions. His message: &ldquo;Do you see this vast army? I w

If you are discouraged, today&rsquo;s Bible reading is one you need to hear. We meet up with God&rsquo;s prophet Elijah after the victory on Mt. Carmel. What an incredible day it was! God showed up in power, and the false prophets were defeated. Then why was Elijah so discouraged? Anyone would expect that after God&rsquo;s power was so clearly displayed, the people of Israel would have thrown Ahab and Jezebel out of the palace. Instead, Jezebel issued orders for the prophet&rsquo;s assassination forcing Elijah to flee for his life (v. 3). When Elijah thought he was far enough away from his nemesis, he sat under a tree and lamented his existence (v. 4). His response is understandable. Who hasn&rsquo;t been there? When faced with impossible circumstances, we ask, &ldquo;Lord, I did what You wanted and I thought it would work out well, but the opposite happened. Why?!&rdquo; Elijah was so discouraged he asked God to take his life (v. 4). But in the face of the prophet&rsquo;s doubt, we

While we might not witness outright idol worship in modern society, we do see people put their faith in unusual sources. Superstition haunts the sporting world. An athlete might wear the same hat or even the same pair of socks, hoping to ensure a winning streak. But is this trust warranted? Today&rsquo;s reading in 1 Kings 18 marks a high point of the book: a confrontation between God and His people. The confrontation is not between Elijah and Ahab, or even Elijah and the prophets of Baal, but between Yahweh and His people. Elijah is the focal point, but his message is from God. &ldquo;How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; if Baal is God, follow him,&rdquo; the prophet asks (v. 21). The site is a mountain range east of Samaria, likely a high place for Baal worship. Here, Elijah threw down the challenge: You call for Baal and I&rsquo;ll call upon Yahweh, whoever answers by fire is God! The prophets of Baal went first. After hours of praying, cr

If someone threatened your life, what would you do? Some people would flee while others might give up. We all like to think that we would take a brave stand against the enemy. While the prophet Elijah may have thought he was the only follower of the Lord being pursued by wicked King Ahab, the truth was that there was someone else serving behind enemy lines, a man named Obadiah (vv. 3&ndash;4). Obadiah was a faithful Israelite who did not worship Baal but worked for Ahab and Jezebel! The text describes him as &ldquo;palace administrator&rdquo; so his job would have put him near the rulers (v. 3). He had a front row seat to their wicked policies. One of those policies involved killing God&rsquo;s prophets (v. 4). Soon we will learn that Ahab and Jezebel replaced the prophets of Yahweh with their own state-sponsored prophets of Baal and Asherah. The purge involved the death of many faithful servants of God. At great risk to himself, Obadiah worked to save 100 of them by hiding them in c

There are many things in life that the modern world has learned to control. We can genetically modify crops. We are able stop disease. We can explore outer space. But we have yet to resurrect people from the dead! While it is true that we can sometimes resuscitate a dying person, after a certain point, even our highest medical skills fail. That That is what makes resurrection such an overwhelming display of God&rsquo;s power. After demonstrating His ability to care for His own prophet Elijah, by miraculously providing food for him and a widow, God creates another opportunity to declare He has power over life and death, and not Baal. The son of the widow He just helped became ill and died suddenly. The woman interpreted this event as a punishment for some sin she had committed. Elijah took a different approach. Taking the child in his arms, he brought him before the Lord and asked for his life back (v. 21). Our modern minds struggle with this. Once death has come, we understand that t

In the 1930s, the Dust Bowl battered the southern plains of the United States. High winds and choking dust were sweeping across farmland from Texas to Nebraska for nearly six years, killing people and livestock and devastating crops. In 1 Kings 17, we read that a devastating drought had come to Israel. The prophet Elijah explains that this was ordered by God (v. 1). As a result of the idolatrous practices of Ahab and Jezebel, Israel had come to believe that Baal controlled the essential elements of life: the rain, the fertility of land, man and beast, life and death. They knew the one true God, yet they had abandoned Him. In response, God took steps to bring His people back to Himself. First, He raised up a prophet, Elijah, and second, He stopped the rain. Israel had seen prophets before, but stopping the rain was new. Yet it was a fulfillment of a threat God made in the covenant at Sinai (Deut. 11:16&ndash;17). The lack of rain demonstrated that God was in control of all things. Th

In his article, &ldquo;Evolving Ideas of Sin,&rdquo; Rich Barlow observes: &ldquo;&rsquo;Sin&rsquo; is in the eye of the beholder, and our society is richly multiperspectival: we don&rsquo;t have a single definition of anything, &lsquo;sin&rsquo; included.&rdquo; What happens when we do not believe God defines right and wrong? We see the answer in the life of King Ahab. During his 22-year reign &ldquo;Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him&rdquo; (v. 30). After marrying Jezebel, a Sidonian princess, Ahab formally sanctioned Baal worship in Israel. Jezebel was a Baal worshiper and Ahab supported her to the point of constructing a shrine for Baal and an Asherah pole (vv. 32&ndash;33). It is hard to ignore the impact of this moment on Israel&rsquo;s history. The nation was teetering on a knife edge. None of its kings had been righteous&mdash;not a single one! Its history had been characterized by violence, chaos, and increasing theological dr

In 1846 Austen Henry Layard discovered the Black Obelisk which contained the earliest known depictions of a biblical figure. It depicts King Jehu, described as a son of Omri. The monument was carved by the Assyrians and found far from the land of Israel. Why would the name Omri be known beyond Israel&rsquo;s borders? Omri was famous, but for all the wrong reasons. Omri became king during civil conflict which split Israel into &ldquo;two factions&rdquo; (v. 21). When the previous king was assassinated, half of the country followed Omri, while the other half followed Tibni. When Omri&rsquo;s faction overtook his opponent, he became king over both divisions. During his reign, Israel&rsquo;s power expanded beyond its borders. He established Samaria as the capital city until it was destroyed in 722 BC (v. 24). The country he left to his son was recognized as a military power. Yet for all his fame, Omri was wicked, and his 12-year reign was summarized in just eight verses. The judgment is

We would like to think that we learn from our mistakes. Unfortunately, we often repeat them again and again. In 1 Kings, we witness a generational chain of sin where no one seemed to learn from failures. In chapter 15, after the story of Asa, our attention is directed back to the Kingdom of Israel. Jeroboam&rsquo;s son, Nadab, had risen to the throne, but he was wicked, following the practices of his father and leading Israel astray (v. 25). As a result, Baasha, from Issachar, assassinated him and his entire household. This was God&rsquo;s judgment for erecting the golden calves (12:28). Baasha, who replaced Nadab, was wicked as well, and God condemned him for squandering the opportunity and leading like Jeroboam (15:33&ndash;34). The king led the people to sin (16:2). For this, Baasha&rsquo;s entire line would be extinguished. This might seem especially harsh, but leaders have a critical role to play in the lives of their followers. Those who lead others to violate the first command

Little children will sometimes reject help, insisting, &ldquo;I can do this all by myself.&rdquo; While a desire for independence can be admirable, it became a problem for King Asa. Asa had taken over for Abijah as King of Judah, and we may sigh with relief that he was a righteous ruler! His zeal to follow the Lord led to religious reform for the whole nation. He disciplined his own mother because she was worshiping an idol and reestablished Temple worship. While Asa did not eradicate every single high place, he never drifted into idolatry himself. So it is a bit of a surprise when we read that &ldquo;there was war between Asa and Baasha all their days&rdquo; (v. 16). War is usually a sign something is wrong. Baasha, king of the northern tribe of Israel, had invaded the southern territory, blocking the roads in and out of Jerusalem. King Asa had two options. One: Cry out to God and ask for help. Or two: Look for a political solution. Asa chose option 2. He used all the treasures from

When someone says you take after your father (or your mother), it is usually a compliment. That was not the case for King Abijah. He gets just eight verses to describe his three- year reign over Judah in Jerusalem. He is characterized as a wicked king who followed his father Rehoboam&rsquo;s example. As a result, he did not enjoy peace; he experienced war with the kingdom of Israel. While we might have expected God to punish Abijah, he is protected by David&rsquo;s legacy. While Abijah and the nation were worthy of severe judgment for breaking the first and second commandments, God withheld extreme punishment because of David&rsquo;s faithfulness! (v. 4). David wasn&rsquo;t perfect; this chapter acknowledges that explicitly. But the writer describes him as not failing to &ldquo;keep any of the LORD&rsquo;s commands all the days of his life&rdquo; (v. 5). Because of this wonderful legacy, even though David&rsquo;s descendants were often wicked, God showed them mercy. In the northern k

Parents will often discipline their children by temporarily taking away something they love. For example, a child might not be allowed to play a favorite video game or go to a friend&rsquo;s house after school. The loss is intended to teach an important lesson. In 1 Kings 14, we see God&rsquo;s discipline of a king and his kingdom. Under Rehoboam&rsquo;s rule the nation followed in the footsteps of his father and violated the first commandment, worshiping other gods. It is important to note that this behavior characterized the nation, not just the king. Rehoboam set an example and his people followed. But they didn&rsquo;t need to be led astray, they were already prepared to disobey. Punishment came quickly. Five years after Rehoboam took the throne, Shishak, king of Egypt, attacked Jerusalem and raided the Temple. &ldquo;He took everything&rdquo; (1 Kings 14:26). It didn&rsquo;t have to be this way. Rehoboam could have made a different choice. He responded poorly to the discipline o

Jeroboam had been given a golden ticket! He had been chosen by God to lead the ten tribes of Israel. Confronted by a prophet in chapter 11, Jeroboam was informed that if he obeyed, God would be with him and build him a house like He did for David. What an amazing opportunity! Now, with the ten tribes under his control, Jeroboam&rsquo;s heart would be tested. The test would not be war, famine, or crisis. Rather, it would be a test of faith. Would Jeroboam believe what God told him or would he give into fear and try to guarantee his future on his own? In chapter 12 we find Jeroboam pondering a question. What would happen if year after year the citizens of his country traveled to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem? He suspected that sooner, rather than later, he would be pushed off the throne as the kingdoms rejoined (v. 27). The ingredient Jeroboam failed to include in his recipe of doubt, was God&rsquo;s promise! The kingdom was his. His to enjoy, or his to lose. All he had to do was

Whenever a new boss takes charge, they make changes. Some of those decisions are welcomed by their employees, others are met with disapproval. After King Solomon died, two men stepped into leader- ship. Solomon&rsquo;s son and successor, Rehoboam, and his rival, Jeroboam. For Rehoboam, this was a chance to rise to the occasion of leadership and cultivate an identity apart from his father. Unlike David, Solomon seems to have made a clear plan for succession, there was no confusion as when David died. But Rehoboam had a different problem. Although Israel prospered under Solomon, the prosperity came at a cost. The people had experienced heavy taxation and a forced labor system. They yearned for relief (v. 4). They found a spokesperson for their cause in Jeroboam, the man who had fled to Egypt to hide from Solomon (v. 2). He led a delegation to make a request of the new king (Rehoboam). &ldquo;Lighten the hard service...and we will serve you&rdquo; (v. 4). Initially Rehoboam sought couns

There are some very dramatic examples of God&rsquo;s punishment for sin in the Bible. In Numbers, the ground opened and swallowed people whole (Num. 16:31&ndash;35). In Acts, Ananias and his wife Sapphira were judged for lying and fell down dead (Acts 5:5,10). But in Solomon&rsquo;s case, God used a different type of discipline. God had already described what would await the disobedient king when he made a covenant with David. At that time, God warned that He would &ldquo;punish him with a rod wielded by men&rdquo; (2 Sam. 7:14). In this chapter we see what that means. God used war and the threat of rebellion to take away peace. Hadad, an Edomite who had suffered as a child under David, returned as a rival (v. 14). Another man named Rezon, settled in Damascus to set up a rival kingdom (v. 23). Finally, the Lord raised up Jeroboam, a talented young man who worked for Solomon. He was so gifted that Solomon put him in charge of a large construction project in Jerusalem (v. 28). But God

Sometimes what seems like a small compromise can lead to devastating results. Maybe you&rsquo;ve taken a short cut to home repair only to discover the resulting damage was far worse than if you&rsquo;d fixed it the right way at the beginning. The same was true of Solomon. Considering the wisdom and wealth Solomon received from the Lord in the early years of his life, it is great disappointment that the king turned away from the Lord. How did this happen? The desertion comes through worshiping false gods. Solomon disobeyed the instructions God gave Israel about kingship. In Deuteronomy 17:14&ndash;21, God commanded that Israel&rsquo;s kings were not to take many wives. We can assume non-Israelite wives were in view because the command comes with a reason. These wives would turn the king&rsquo;s heart after foreign gods. As Israel&rsquo;s leader, it was of utmost importance to remain faithful to Yahweh. For as the heart of the king goes, so goes the nation. Solomon brought wives into h

In today&rsquo;s world, fame spreads at the speed of light. One viral video can bring a person instant fame. News is pushed to us as it happens. But in Solomon&rsquo;s day, it took 20 years for Solomon&rsquo;s reputation to catch the attention of the queen of Sheba! When the news reached her, she decided to journey to Jerusalem to see Solomon&rsquo;s kingdom for herself (v. 2). She came with &ldquo;hard questions&rdquo; (v. 1), paying careful attention to the food, his servants, their clothes, even what he offered to God. When she saw it, the text tells us, &ldquo;She was overwhelmed&rdquo; (v. 5). Yet, the writer is careful to note that Solomon possessed his wisdom and wealth only because God had established him (vv. 9&ndash;10). Why include an account of this visit? The writer wants us to note that everything the Lord promised Solomon at Gibeon had come true (1 Kings 3:11&ndash;14). You will recall that God promised He would give Solomon what he asked for, wisdom. But He would als

At times, the book of 1 Kings can be depressing. We watch from the sidelines as Israel disobeyed and rebelled against the God who loved them and provided for them. Our shoulders slump as we see God punish them with increasingly strong punishments. And, living in a day when judging is a bad word, how do we reconcile the love of God and the justice of God? Isn&rsquo;t God being harsh, overbearing, and tyrannical? How can we love a god who behaves this way? In response to those concerns, it is important for us to remember that God warned Israel of the consequences of disobedience again and again. He wanted them to avoid sin. After he finished building the Temple, the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time (vv. 1&ndash;2). Solomon was not surprised when God warned him to stay the course, to follow the path, and to remain faithful to the covenant (vv. 4&ndash;5). He warned Solomon of punishment if the king or the people disobeyed. &ldquo;I will cut off Israel from the land&rdquo; (v. 7).

Where does God live? If you knew, would you go visit Him? If He gave you an audience, what would you say? The Israelites understood that there is one God and that He is everywhere. But they also knew that when they worshiped God through sacrifice, they needed to do this at a location He chose. God told the nation He would choose a place and cause His name to dwell there (Deuteronomy 12). His name was a symbol for Himself. It was at this place that the people were to bring sacrifices and offerings. God forbade these practices to be carried out anywhere else. David, Solomon&rsquo;s father, understood that place was in Jerusalem, and wanted to build a Temple there, but the task fell to Solomon. In 1 Kings 6, we read about the building of the Temple. When it was complete, Solomon&rsquo;s prayer of dedication reflects what this &ldquo;house of the Lord&rdquo; signified. God is unique. He makes and keeps His promises. God rewards righteousness and listens to and answers prayers! Solomon k

Have you ever been asked to judge a conflict that came down to one person&rsquo;s word against the other? In moments like these, we long for someone to step in and provide justice. Someone who will declare, &ldquo;This is right, and this is wrong!&rdquo; In 1 Kings chapter 3, Solomon is asked to judge a court case so dramatic that it could have been ripped from today&rsquo;s headlines. It involved two desperate mothers and two babies. One child accidentally died in the night, and now both women were claiming the living baby as her own. Who was telling the truth? Since no one could decide, the case was brought before the king. Earlier in 1 Kings chapter 3, God offered Solomon anything he wanted. The young king had asked God for the wisdom he needed to lead Israel. God agreed to give Solomon what he asked for and much more! Here we see Solomon&rsquo;s wisdom put into action. In a surprise move, the king says, &ldquo;Bring me a sword&rdquo; (v. 24). What appears to be a cruel verdict i

With his kingship now established, Solomon had to figure out how to rule. Almost innocently, we are told that he made an alliance with Egypt and married Pharaoh&rsquo;s daughter (v. 1). Alliances were made to bring nations together in peace, provide defense, and encourage trade. Yet, this was a decision that could bring dangerous consequences. Solomon had willingly attached himself to a foreign nation. And, although he appeared to be doing so from a position of strength, he brought into his house someone who did not worship the God of Israel. Israelites were specifically forbidden to marry Canaanites because they worshiped other gods (Ex. 34:16; Deut. 7:1&ndash;6; Josh. 23:11&ndash;13). Although this woman was an Egyptian, the choice was ominous. Did Solomon understand the long-term consequences of his choice? Was this an early sign that Solomon would not be a perfect leader? In verse 3 we are told that Solomon loved the Lord, &ldquo;except&rdquo; that he worshiped with sacrifices on

Have you ever stepped into a new leadership role only to be met with unexpected opposition? Just because someone gives you a job and a title does not mean you will be welcomed with open arms. Immediately after the death of his father and his own appointment as king, Solomon faced similar management struggles. We have already seen that David struggled to deal decisively at times. He had failed to discipline his sons (1 Kings 1:6). He had sided with the rebel Absalom. He did not establish a clear plan of succession. Now David exhorts Solomon to prepare for battle. Instead of handling the matter himself, he left the problem for Solomon to settle. Joab, David&rsquo;s general, was a powerful man who had murdered two men in times of peace (v. 5). Shimei, an enemy of David, had cursed him when he ran from a coup (v. 8). A third man, Adonijah, was Solomon&rsquo;s half-brother and principal rival for the throne (vv. 13&ndash;25). The new king was forced to take drastic action to deal with eac

Isn&rsquo;t it satisfying when an ending brings clarity? The last minutes of a game inspire a great comeback. The final scenes of a movie explain the plot twist. In the same way, the last days of a life can provide a sense of purpose and reflection. Before David&rsquo;s life and his rule ended, he gave the best advice he could to his young son Solomon who would sit on the throne after him. David reminded Solomon of the covenant God had made with him (2 Sam. 7:4). There God promised David an heir to the throne and said that the success of this descendant would depend upon his obedience to God&rsquo;s commandments. David had followed God wholeheartedly, but certainly not perfectly. Mindful of his own life story, he exhorted Solomon to &ldquo;be strong&rdquo; (v. 2). Strength of conviction and character would be necessary to walk in obedience to God, to &ldquo;keep his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies&rdquo; (v. 3). These words summarize the content of the Law

Investors dislike uncertainty. Who wants to entrust their hard-earned money to an opportunity that is shrouded in mystery? We want clarity if we can get it. As the curtain rises on 1 Kings, we see a great deal of uncertainty about who will sit on the throne of David. Now an old man, King David was too fragile to keep himself warm. More importantly we discover that he had not set his house in order: no one knew who would be king after him. Nature abhors a vacuum and so does politics! David&rsquo;s inaction created an opportunity for his son Adonijah to make a play for the throne. Nathan and Bathsheba caught wind of the plot and reminded the king of the promise he had made. Awakened to the crisis, David appointed Solomon as his successor. His kingdom, and we readers as well, gave a sigh of relief, for Solomon was loved of the Lord (2 Sam. 12:24&ndash;25). David had been a beloved ruler who set the human standard for kingship in Israel. Yet we must acknowledge that he was a flawed man.

It is easy to take aspects of our modern world for granted. For example, we have refrigeration to store and preserve food and ready access to clean running water. Unless you&rsquo;ve lived without these conveniences, you might not appreciate how wonderful they are. Many aspects of the book of Leviticus probably seem foreign and strange to Christians today. One of the reasons is that we have never participated in animal sacrifice or abided by Jewish dietary laws. Since Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the Old Testament sacrificial system, we are no longer under it. But studying the law provides a richer understanding of God&rsquo;s gift to us in Jesus. The writer of Hebrews rejoices in the comparison between the sacrifice of Jesus and the sacrificial system outlined in Leviticus. He notes that the sacrifices in Leviticus always pointed beyond themselves. As Hebrews teaches, &ldquo;it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins&rdquo; (v. 4). But Jesus, through

The book of 1 Samuel opens with the story of Hannah. Unable to have children, Hannah was suffering. In her &ldquo;deep anguish,&rdquo; she vowed to the Lord that if He gave her a son she would give him back to the Lord &ldquo;for all the days of his life&rdquo; (1 Sam. 1:9&ndash;11). Vows were common in ancient Israel. They often involved dedicating something to the Lord, whether a person, an animal, or real estate. Vows were also entirely voluntary. Nowhere in Scripture does God command the making of vows. However, if a person did vow, it was vital to fulfill it (Eccl. 5:5&ndash;6; Mal.1:13&ndash;14). Leviticus 27 outlines ways in which vows could be fulfilled. A person dedicated to the Lord could serve at the tabernacle or be redeemed through paying a price (vv. 1&ndash;7). The price was set by the age and gender. This was not an assessment of someone&rsquo;s intrinsic worth. The Bible is clear that all, male and female, are created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26&ndash;27). Rather,

In 2006, a team of landscape architects conducted a simple study on the impact of a fenced-in playground. They had a preschool teacher take her students to a playground without a fence. The children all huddled around the teacher and did not utilize the full playground space. They then took the same class to a fenced in playground and observed that the children felt freer to explore the entire space. Having a clear boundary led to a greater sense of freedom and security. Through Through the law, God provided Israel with clear expectations. They did not have to wonder what God required of them. This gave them a sense of security and freedom in their relationship with God. However, God&rsquo;s instructions also came with consequences. Today&rsquo;s reading outlines the blessings for Israel if they obeyed the covenant and curses if they did not. If Israel obeyed the covenant, they would be richly blessed. They would have abundant harvests and safety from their enemies (vv. 3&ndash;10).

According to a recent report, there are only 2,668 billionaires in the world. Together, these individuals have accumulated $12.7 trillion in wealth. And 86 of the people in this exclusive club are under the age of 40! Consider the tremendous wealth held by those 2,668 individuals in comparison to the rest of the world&rsquo;s 7.837 billion people. This sharp division between the rich and the poor was not the ideal in ancient Israel. The Jubilee laws were designed to prevent the utter ruin of those who fell into debt. It also prevented individuals within Israel from accumulating large amounts of land perpetually. After every seventh sabbatical year, the year of Jubilee was proclaimed (vv. 8&ndash;9). During this year, all land that had been sold was to be returned to its original owner (v. 10). In addition, if any Israelite had to sell themselves into debt-slavery, they were released (vv. 40&ndash;41). Two reasons are given for this legislation. God proclaimed, &ldquo;The land must no

My son has access to the hand tools at our house. He is free to use them for his own projects. However, he also needs to be responsible with their use. He must use them safely and not leave them outside after he is finished. I set these rules for him because they are my tools, and he is my son. Israel needed to be reminded regularly that their land was ultimately God&rsquo;s. God had the authority to set the rules for its use. In today&rsquo;s reading, God instructed Israel regarding their farming. They were to work the land for six years (v. 3). But in the seventh year, they were to let the land lie in rest (v. 4). They were not to sow crops or prune their vineyards. Just like people get a sabbath every seventh day, the land was to get a sabbath every seventh year. Whatever produce the land yielded during the sabbath year, it was to serve as food for everyone (vv. 6&ndash;7). Observing the sabbath year meant that people would not maximize the potential profit of their land. This pr

During his tumultuous presidency, Abraham Lincoln is reported to have said, &ldquo;I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.&rdquo; In today&rsquo;s reading, Moses encountered a situation where he was not sure what to do. Instead of making a quick decision, he waited, &ldquo;until the will of the LORD should be made clear to them&rdquo; (v. 12). This is a good reminder that the law in Israel was not given by Moses, but God. Moses knew he needed to wait for God&rsquo;s guidance and leading. The specific situation had to do with a man who had an Egyptian father and Israelite mother (v. 10). This man got into a fight with an Israelite, during which he blasphemed and cursed the name of the Lord (v. 11). This was a serious offense. The Lord commanded that the man be put to death (v. 14). This specific situation led to a series of laws that have become f

One of the most frequent commands in Scripture is &ldquo;Remember!&rdquo; God knows we are prone to forget. In Scripture, forgetting is considered a moral failure (Deut. 4:23). God is not concerned with everyday forgetfulness like trying to remember where you put your car keys. Rather, He is concerned with deep relational forgetfulness, forgetting who He is and what He has done (Deut. 6:12). To help Israel remember, God instituted a calendar. Israel&rsquo;s life would be punctuated by breaks in the year where people would stop their normal work. They would remember God&rsquo;s deliverance from Egypt through the 10 plagues at Passover (Lev. 23:5). They would remember the haste in which they left Egypt in the Festival of Unleavened Bread (v. 6). They would remember God&rsquo;s provision at harvest time in the Festivals of Firstfruits and Weeks (vv. 9&ndash;20). The first day of the seventh month was a holy day of rest and remembrance marked by the blowing of a ram&rsquo;s horn (vv. 23&n

We often like to tell people just how busy we are. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m so busy; I can hardly keep up!&rdquo; As one author described the struggle, &ldquo;I wanted to figure out why I was so busy, but I couldn&rsquo;t find the time to do it.&rdquo; One of the reasons we keep ourselves so busy is that we find a sense of value and worth in constantly being productive. One of the most distinctive elements of Israel&rsquo;s faith was their practice of Sabbath. The command is rooted in Creation. Over six days God created the universe and on the seventh He rested (Gen. 2:2&ndash;3). It was important enough that God illustrated this command by example. Today&rsquo;s reading reminded Israel of one of the purposes of Sabbath: it was to be a &ldquo;day of sacred assembly&rdquo; (Lev. 23:3). The community would come together in rest and fellowship with each other and with the Lord. Sabbath reminds us that life is not about being productive all the time. After all, God is the Lord of time. The prac

It is often tempting to cut corners. A high school student might read the CliffsNotes version of A Tale of Two Cities instead of slogging through the entire novel. A carpenter might not use all the safety features on his table saw because it is quicker to use it without them. In today&rsquo;s reading, the Lord warns Israel against cutting corners in worship. For burnt offerings or offerings to fulfill a vow, the worshiper must present a male without defect from the cattle, sheep, or goats (vv. 19&ndash;20). For a fellowship offering, a male or female animal was acceptable, but it must be without blemish (v. 21). This was a problem in ancient Israel. The prophet Malachi admonished, &ldquo;When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you?&rdquo; (Mal. 1:8). In optional sacrifices like freewill offerings, some deformities were allowed (v. 23). An

After Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider and endowed with superpowers to become Spider-Man, his Uncle Ben gave him this memorable advice, &ldquo;With great power comes great responsibility.&rdquo; These words are similar to Jesus&rsquo; statement: &ldquo;From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded&rdquo; (Luke 12:48). Priests in Israel were given much. They represented the people before God in the tabernacle and could enter the Holy Place. But with special privileges came a higher standard for holiness. Today&rsquo;s reading outlines three specific areas where priests had greater restrictions than the rest of Israel: mourning rituals, potential marriage partners, and physical defects. Priests could not make themselves ceremonially unclean in mourning for just anyone. They were allowed this practice only for close blood-relatives (vv. 1&ndash;4). The high priest had an even higher standard. He could not publicly mourn for anyone (vv. 10&ndash;12). This pr

In one country I visited, driving was a terrifying experience. People did not pay attention to stoplights or lanes. Cars would veer into oncoming traffic to make a turn. For me, coming from the suburbs in the United States, it seemed chaotic. I asked a local, &ldquo;Are there traffic laws?&rdquo; He responded, &ldquo;Oh, yes. We have laws, but no one ever enforces them.&rdquo; Leviticus 18 and 19 presented us with laws covering many different aspects of life. A natural follow-up question is, &ldquo;What happens if a law was broken?&rdquo; Today&rsquo;s reading outlines the consequences of disobedience. The modern reader might be surprised at how many infractions resulted in the death penalty. The death penalty was reserved for behaviors that fundamentally broke God&rsquo;s covenant with Israel. Every case of the death penalty can be tied directly to one of the Ten Commandments. For example, sacrificing children to Molek broke the command against murder and against worshiping other go

One day a teacher of the Law asked Jesus, &ldquo;Of all the commandments, which is the most important?&rdquo; (Mark 12:28). Jesus answered that the greatest commandment was: &ldquo;Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength&rdquo; (v. 30). But then He added a second, &ldquo;Love your neighbor as yourself&rdquo; (v. 31). The reason Jesus gave two commands, not just one, is that they go together. You cannot really love God without loving your neighbor and vice versa. Today&rsquo;s reading includes the second greatest commandment (Lev. 19:18). Not surprisingly, it is included in a section with a variety of commands, some of which address our relationship with God, while others address our relationship with other people. The laws relating to God deal with correct worship (vv. 26, 30). These include upholding the food laws and observing the Sabbaths (vv. 26, 30). These are easy enough to understand. Some of the laws

Efficiency and productivity are buzzwords you often hear in the business world. Sharp business owners ask, &ldquo;How can we do what we do better? How can I leverage my resources to maximize profits and efficiency?&rdquo; This attitude has led many to unbelievable success and is understandably valued in our society. In Leviticus 19, we read through a series of laws designed to provide Israel with practical examples of holiness in everyday life. One law commanded Israel to be inefficient in their work. At harvest time, Israelite farmers were instructed not to harvest the edges of their fields (v. 9). In a similar way, vineyard owners were not to go back over their vineyard a second time but instead to leave the remaining grapes (v. 10). In other words, Israel was called to not make the most out of their productive land. Why? This would allow the poor and the foreigner to harvest food (v. 10). God cares deeply about the poor and the vulnerable. Through this practice, God instituted a w

Larry Nassar held an important role as team doctor for USA Gymnastics. But in 2017, Nassar fell from grace when he was convicted of abusing hundreds of children and young women under his care. He is currently serving a 175-year prison sentence. One of the elements that make his actions so reprehensible is that he was in a trusted position of authority. In ancient Israel, male heads of households were in a position of authority and power. Back then, households were structured differently than they are today. It was not uncommon for four or more generations to live together in close proximity with members of one&rsquo;s extended family. In a world before police officers or social workers, the head of house was responsible for the well-being of everyone in his family. With such big responsibility comes the potential for abuse. And today&rsquo;s reading provides a series of prohibitions directed at a male head of household. Most of the commands clarify for the head of house who in his fa

Some people fear the sight of blood. They have to look away during their annual blood test and have a hard time helping bandage a wound. While blood can be frightening, it is also necessary. Every moment, blood pumps through our bodies, keeping us alive by supplying our body with oxygen and nutrients. In today&rsquo;s reading, we have arrived at a major turning point in the book. Up to this point, the commands and teaching have been given to the priests. It instructed them on how to atone for sin and maintain purity in the tabernacle and the camp. Beginning in this chapter, Moses addresses all Israel (v. 1). This part of Leviticus teaches Israel how to maintain holiness in their everyday life. This chapter addresses two issues. The first issue was how to properly slaughter animals for food (vv. 3&ndash;7). If Israel desired to slaughter an animal to eat, they were required to bring it to the Tent of Meeting and offer it as a fellowship offering (v. 5). This ensured that the animal wa

Starting with Adam and Eve, the central problem the Bible addresses is this: &ldquo;How can a holy God dwell with a sinful people?&rdquo; This almost led to the destruction of Israel after they sinned by creating and worshiping a Golden Calf (see Ex. 32&ndash;34). Today&rsquo;s reading describes the Day of Atonement, the most theologically significant passage in Leviticus and perhaps in the entire Old Testament. It is important for every believer to understand the significance of this ceremony. After Aaron&rsquo;s sons approached the Lord in the wrong way and were killed, God provided instructions for how Aaron could rightly enter the Holy of Holies to offer an atoning sacrifice for the nation (Lev. 16:1&ndash;2). Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, Aaron was to offer a sin offering for himself and for the nation (vv. 3&ndash;5). This was a holy and solemn affair. It was the only day of the year that the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies. After offering the appropriate sac

The term &ldquo;cancel culture&rdquo; is often used today. Someone who says or does something another group does not like is &ldquo;canceled,&rdquo; ignored or disregarded. While our society has become pretty good at canceling people, we are not so skilled at welcoming into the community. In the book of Leviticus, we learn how a person was determined to be clean or unclean. The purpose again was to protect the holiness of the camp and the tabernacle. Some types of uncleanness were severe enough that people were required to live outside the camp (13:46). However, the laws did not leave those people without hope. There were also instructions on reintegrating people into the community (vv. 1&ndash;7). This ceremony had four elements: two birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop (v. 4). The significance of this ceremony is not given and is a bit obscure to us today. However, the result is clear enough. After going through the ceremony, the whole community would know that this person w

My father enjoyed quoting Leviticus 13:40: &ldquo;A man who has lost his hair and is bald is clean.&rdquo; Certainly, that verse is a comfort to many who have experienced male-pattern baldness. Today we continue to discuss what makes something clean or unclean. We have learned that it is not simply a moral category. Sin could make one unclean, but so could many other things. Cleanness represented wholeness or normalcy. Things that made one unclean were often associated with death or mortality. Things that were unclean were not to come in contact with what was holy. The unclean could not touch what was clean without contaminating it. The camp of Israel was considered holy. In it was the tabernacle where God met with His people. Part of a priests&rsquo; job was to protect the holiness of the camp and the tabernacle. In Leviticus 13, we read about various types of skin diseases that might render someone unclean. There is a clear pattern to this chapter. If a person had an anomaly on th

Have you seen those dishwasher magnets with two words on them: &ldquo;Dirty&rdquo; and &ldquo;Clean&rdquo;? They help us know when it&rsquo;s okay to add dirty dishes to the racks and when it&rsquo;s time to put clean dishes away. In Leviticus, we read many laws about what is considered clean or unclean. These categories may seem strange to us today. But it is important to realize that uncleanness did not necessarily equate with sinfulness. Many non-sinful aspects of life could make you unclean. Welcoming a child into the world was one such event. A woman was considered ceremonially unclean after giving birth (v. 1). She could not enter the sanctuary or participate in the normal duties of life until she was purified. There was nothing sinful about having children. In Scripture it is clearly considered a blessing (Ps. 127:3). But the loss of blood in childbirth rendered the woman unclean. Things associated with death, such as losing bodily fluids or touching a corpse, were nonmoral re

Keto. Paleo. Atkins. Vegan. Carnivore. Mediterranean. The sheer number of popular diets can be bewildering. We love food and, at the same time, we worry about what we eat. That makes diets a lucrative business. According to CNBC, in 2021 the diet industry was worth an estimated $71 billion. In Leviticus, God gave His people specific laws about food. Israel did not have to turn to diet books to discern what was acceptable to eat or not. It is important to note that Israel did not separate religion from the rest of their life. They understood that obedience to God involved not just worshiping at the sanctuary, but also everyday decisions of what to eat, what to wear, and how to treat people. Following dietary laws would have reminded Israelites a couple of times each day that they were God&rsquo;s people. Observing these laws would help instill an attitude of obedience to God. It is important to remember that in places Leviticus was primarily a procedural manual. It does not always exp

In the midst of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln&rsquo;s eleven-year-old son William succumbed to typhoid fever. Because of the crisis embroiling the nation, Lincoln did not have much time to stop and mourn. He carried his grief with him as he conducted his responsibilities as President. In ancient Israel, it was common to enter a period of formal mourning at the death of a loved one. The mourning ritual involved tearing your clothes and not caring for your hair or handling the dead body. Aaron and his sons had been consecrated for ministry to offer sacrifices on behalf of the nation. They had been in the midst of the worship associated with the dedication of the tabernacle when tragedy occurred. Moses reminded Aaron that despite the loss of two of his sons, he had to fulfill his role as high priest (vv. 6&ndash;7). Moses was not saying Aaron could not be sad or grieve. Rather as leaders, the priests had a job that they needed to complete. In verses 8&ndash;11, the Lord spoke to Aaron

Is a fire always bad? According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire, forest fires serve some important roles. They clean the forest floor, provide wildland habitats for animals, and rid trees of dangerous diseases. While a fire may destroy, it also provides life for future generations. The fire described in Leviticus 10 is shocking. Everything had been going so well for Israel. The priests were consecrated for their ministry and God had accepted their sacrifice. That same day, Aaron&rsquo;s sons Nadab and Abihu offered incense in an &ldquo;unauthorized fire&rdquo;, and everything changed (v. 1). What did Nadab and Abihu do wrong? Well, just about everything. First, they were not the right people to offer incense in the Holy of Holies, that was the high priest&rsquo;s job (v. 1). Second, they offered this incense at the wrong time. It was only on the Day of Atonement that the high priest was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies to burn incense (Lev. 16). Third, they off

When my wife and I put our youngest daughter to bed, she likes things done in a certain order. First my wife will pray with her and say goodnight. Only then can I come in and do the same. For some reason, it just does not work if we change places. In today&rsquo;s reading, the priests have gone through a seven-day ordination ceremony. On the eighth day, they are now ready to begin their ministry (v. 1). You will notice a great deal of precision in this book, this portion focuses on the order of the first sacrifices. Moses instructs Aaron and the priests to first sacrifice a sin offering and burnt offering for themselves (v. 2). Only then could they offer the sin and burnt offerings for the people (v. 7). The order of the sacrifices teaches an important principle: Leaders need to first take care of their own relationship with God before they can lead others (Acts 20:28). After the sacrifices for atonement were offered, the fellowship offering could be given (v. 18). To be in right re

Some professions require people to wear a particular uniform. A police officer wears a badge and uniformed pants and shirt. If you see someone in a white coat with a stethoscope around their neck, most likely they are a doctor. Each uniform communicates that these people have been trained, equipped, and authorized to engage in their profession. In Leviticus chapters 1 to 7, the Lord outlined all the various sacrifices Israel was to offer in the tabernacle. In today&rsquo;s reading, the focus shifts to the priests who would carry out these sacrifices and offerings. Aaron and his sons had been set apart by God to minister on behalf of Israel in the tabernacle (vv. 1&ndash;3). In front of the whole nation, Moses called Aaron and his sons forward, washed them, dressed them in their priestly garments, and anointed them with oil (vv. 5&ndash;13). Much attention is given to their clothing. You may notice that there is no mention of shoes or sandals. This is because the priests working in th

When I was fresh out of college, I worked for a couple of years as a high school teacher. I noticed that students gravitated toward a particular teacher, Mr. S. One day I asked a student, &ldquo;What do you like about him?&rdquo; The student responded, &ldquo;Oh, Mr. S., he gets us.&rdquo; Mr. S. understood what students cared about, struggled with, and needed: he was a good teacher. One of the things that the book of Leviticus has taught so far is that God gets us. He entered a covenant relationship with Israel, which included laws regarding how Israel should act toward Him and toward each other. However, He also knew that Israel was not going to be able to live up to their commitments. God provided a way for them to atone for sin so they could remain in fellowship with Him. As the Psalmist put it, God &ldquo;knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust&rdquo; (Ps. 103:14). Today&rsquo;s reading describes the guilt offering (see also Lev. 7:1&ndash;10) to atone for three k

While driving down a two-lane road in rural northern Michigan, I looked in my rearview mirror only to see flashing red lights. When the police officer pulled me over, he asked if I knew why. I honestly did not. He informed me that the speed limit had lowered to 35 mph because the road was approaching a small town. Unfortunately, my ignorance did not get me off the hook. Today&rsquo;s reading describes the sin offering (see also Lev. 6:24&ndash;30). This offering was provided for two different situations, for unintentional sins or for ceremonial uncleanness (5:2&ndash;4). These laws reflect several important spiritual principles. First, the more responsibility a person had, the greater the consequences of their sin for the community. This principle is reflected in the size of the required offering of a high priest or leader in the community compared with a common person. Leaders have a greater potential to lead others astray and so are held to a higher standard (James 3:1). Second, t

The only time I eat turkey and pumpkin pie is at Thanksgiving. It is my favorite holiday. Thanksgiving is one of the few times a year when our extended family is together without much of an agenda other than enjoying each other&rsquo;s company. It is also a time to stop and give thanks to God for His blessings over the past year. The fellowship offering was unique for ancient Israel (read also Lev. 7:11&ndash;34). It could be an offering from any animal from the herd or flock without defect (vv. 1, 6). It was also the only offering where only a portion of it was consumed on the altar or by the priest. Most of the offering was enjoyed as a meal by the worshiper (7:15). Meat was expensive and would not have been an everyday food in ancient Israel. So, presenting a fellowship offering was a time of joyful celebration as the whole family would enjoy a meal together. I can imagine how excited children would be when they found out they were going as a family to offer a fellowship offering.

On my office desk, I keep some homemade bookmarks, a gift from my daughter. She took some things she had lying around the house and created this lovely present. Each bookmark is decorated with pictures and quotes like, &ldquo;just one more chapter...&rdquo; or &ldquo;fell asleep here.&rdquo; In Israel, anyone could offer a gift to God. Today&rsquo;s reading describes the grain offering (v. 1; see also Lev. 6:14&ndash;23). The Bible teaches that grain, wheat, and other produce is a gift from God (Ps. 65:9&ndash;13). The grain offering was a way for people to take this produce, work it with their hands, and offer it back to God. The offering itself was quite simple, wheat prepared with olive oil and incense (v. 2). It was to be baked without yeast or honey (v. 11). Later in Scripture we see leaven used to symbolize the pervasive nature of sin (Matt. 16:6; 1 Cor. 5:6&ndash;7). This could be a reason why it is prohibited here. The prohibition on date/honey could be instituted because it

Have you ever noticed how many people are involved in planning a church service? From people in the sound booth, to musicians, to building maintenance and ushers. When leading people in worship, it is important to get the details right. We see this type of attention to detail in Leviticus as well. Today&rsquo;s reading covers the most foundational sacrifice, the whole- burnt offering. Unlike other offerings where a portion of the offering would support the priests or be given back to the worshiper as part of a celebration meal, in the whole-burnt offering the entire animal was consumed on the altar (see also Lev. 6:8&ndash;13). Imagine being present at such an offering. The crowd of worshipers would press forward toward the tabernacle. You would hear the animals being led toward the altar. You would see the priest examine each animal to ensure it met the requirements (v. 3). The animal&rsquo;s hide would be warm to the touch as you rested your hand on its head (v. 4). Then the smell

In church, we like to talk about what we were saved from. We were saved from sin and God&rsquo;s judgment. But we don&rsquo;t often stop to ask, &ldquo;What were we saved for?&rdquo; What has God called us to? The Bible from beginning to end describes how we were created to be in relationship with God and dwell in His presence. The end of Exodus (40:34&ndash;38) describes the cloud which represented the glory of God, filling the tabernacle (v. 34). This cloud would lead Israel through their journey to the Promised Land (v. 36). But there was a problem. God is holy and pure and cannot dwell among sinful people. How then could He dwell with Israel? After Israel&rsquo;s sin with the golden calf, God told Moses, &ldquo;Go up to [the] land...but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people&rdquo; (Ex. 33:3). But Moses would not accept that answer, and God agreed to continue to dwell with Israel (Ex. 33:12&ndash;16). However, for God to dwell

One of my roles at Moody Bible Institute is to advise the student Literary Practicum Team. This group of ten students work together to produce two major publications. At the beginning of every year, I tell them that I am just as interested in their teamwork as I am in their creations. And, while there are always bumps along the way, it is always rewarding when they present the two books knowing they did together what not one of them could have done independently. In his letter to the Philippian church, Paul stressed the importance of unity in the body of Christ. While our reading centers on Philippians 4:1&ndash;9, I encourage you to read through the entire book if you have time. Paul raises the theme in 1:27&ndash;30. Believers should &ldquo;[strive] together as one for the faith of the gospel.&rdquo; Through harmony, they could face opposition without fear (1:28). What&rsquo;s true in physics is true in the church: cohesion builds strength. Paul continued in chapter 2, reminding the

In December 1999, my husband and I honeymooned in Athens and took a day trip over to Corinth. We even drove up to the ruins of the Acrocorinth with ancient columns from the Temple of Aphrodite. Acts 18 recounts the transition from Paul&rsquo;s second to third missionary journey. He left Athens and went to Corinth on his own, the final stop on his second itinerary. Ancient Corinth was strategically located, with an eastern and western port. It was the largest city of the Roman empire with 200,000 residents (20 times more than Athens). The main north-south roads converged here. It was a prosperous city and the worship center for Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. Her temple was home to a thousand temple prostitutes, which provides context for the love chapter in Paul&rsquo;s first letter to the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 13). When Paul arrived at Corinth, he was weak and fearful (1 Cor. 2:3). The work had been arduous. But he was quickly welcomed into the home of fellow-tentma

Wherever we preach the gospel, we should not be surprised to encounter opposition&mdash;whether on the foreign mission field or in our own hometown. Jesus Himself faced hostility. And, as we see in the book of Acts, so did Paul. Today&rsquo;s story sits side by side with the joyful conversion of Lydia and her household (vv. 11&ndash;15). The two narratives are opposite in every way. While Lydia was a woman of wealth and status, this young girl was a slave, controlled by an evil spirit and exploited by her owners. The spirit of divination enabled her to predict the future, a skill by which her owners earned much money. This spirit also recognized the divine source of Paul&rsquo;s message, so that the girl followed Paul around town shouting, &ldquo;These men are servants of the Most High God&rdquo; (v. 17). Ironically, she wasn&rsquo;t wrong. Yet, while Lydia&rsquo;s testimony resulted in her family&rsquo;s conversion, this girl&rsquo;s proclamation was only irritating. For three days,

People with the gift of hospitality know how to make others feel welcome, comfortable, and special. They create beautiful gathering spaces. They plan, prepare, and serve delicious food. But most of all, they know how to make people feel welcome and loved. Shortly after Timothy joined his missionary team, Paul received a vision of a man, begging him: &ldquo;Come over to Macedonia and help us&rdquo; (16:9). So, Paul took his team, and they went. Because Luke himself was on this trip, his detailed travel log is a firsthand account (v. 11). After a long journey across the Aegean Sea, they landed in the port of Neapolis and traveled ten miles inland to Philippi. On the Sabbath, the team went to the river to find a place for prayer. The term &ldquo;place of prayer&rdquo; typically referred to a synagogue, but no synagogue had been established, since it required ten men. Instead, the women would gather at the river to pray. One of the first converts was Lydia, a wealthy businesswoman and s

What role do grandparents play in a child&rsquo;s life? Often, they are known for spoiling their grandkids. But they can play a key role. Through prayer, words, and example, they can pass on their faith to the next generation. In In today&rsquo;s reading, we meet Timothy whose faith was shaped by his mother and grandmother. Paul and Barnabas had just finished their first missionary journey, and the Jerusalem Council was convened (Acts 15). The discussion centered around circumcision and its connection to salvation. The decision was not to impose the law on Gentile believers. After the Council, while preparing to return to missionary travels, Paul and Barnabas differed in their strategy and agreed to part ways. Paul took Silas and headed to Syria and Cilicia. In Lystra, they met Timothy. Timothy&rsquo;s mother Eunice was a Jewish believer, and his father was Greek. Paul wanted to add him to their team. There was, however, the matter of circumcision. Timothy was half-Jew, and the Jews

Did you know that Random Acts of Kindness Day is February 17? The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation provides ideas on how to make kindness the norm in society. If such an organization were present in Tabitha&rsquo;s day, she might have been a founding member! We meet Tabitha, also called Dorcas in Greek, at the close of Acts 9. Peter was traveling, visiting &ldquo;the Lord&rsquo;s people&rdquo; (v. 32). He served in a pastoral role for new believers and his healing ministry in Lydda and Joppa opened the gospel door to the Gentiles. When Peter arrived in Lydda, he met Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for years. We don&rsquo;t know if he was a follower of Jesus, but Peter called on Christ&rsquo;s power to heal the man. Immediately, Aeneas rose. God used that miracle to bring to the Lord &ldquo;all those who lived in Lydda and Sharon&rdquo; (v. 35). Healing often played an evangelistic role but happened also within the Christian community. In verse 36, we are told of Tabit

Are you a truth-teller? We all like to think of ourselves as honest, but sometimes it is difficult to speak truth to others, to ourselves, and even to God. Today&rsquo;s reading provides a shocking caution against telling lies. In Acts 4:32&ndash;36, Luke painted an idyllic picture of believers living in unity. The early church shared everything. If anyone sold property, the apostles would collect and distribute the funds to people in need. Luke provided the example of Barnabas, who sold his field and donated the proceeds (v. 36). In Acts 5:1&ndash;11, Ananias and Sapphira wanted the same admiration Barnabas had enjoyed. They, too, sold a piece of property. However, instead of donating the entire amount, they kept part of the money for themselves. Ananias brought some of the money to the apostles. Immediately, the Holy Spirit revealed the deception to Peter who accused Ananias of allowing Satan to &ldquo;fill&rdquo; (&ldquo;control&rdquo; or &ldquo;influence&rdquo;) his heart (v. 3).

Mary was not only the mother of Jesus, she was His disciple. In the book of Acts, Luke continues the story of Jesus. During Jesus&rsquo; 40 resurrected days on earth, He appeared to the apostles and gave them many &ldquo;convincing proofs that He was alive&rdquo; (v. 3). The accuracy of this evidence mattered to Luke. Jesus promised the apostles the gift of the Holy Spirit and instructed them to wait in Jerusalem for this baptism (vv. 4&ndash;5). Finally, He commissioned them as His witnesses and ascended &ldquo;before their very eyes&rdquo; into the clouds (v. 9). The apostles left the Mount of Olives and walked back to their upper room in Jerusalem. There, they could talk and pray away from the street- level crowds. Luke listed the men by name&mdash;the same disciples as in Luke 6:14&ndash;16, excepting Judas Iscariot. Luke also continued his practice of honoring women by acknowledging their presence, though not by name. As we have seen, faithful women served Jesus during His minis

Very early on Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and other women returned to the garden to complete the burial. On Friday, after Jesus died, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had placed His body in a tomb. By Jewish custom, the body should be buried by sundown. As a devoted follower, Mary had been a first-hand witness of the crucifixion (Matt. 27:55&ndash;56). Her devotion ran deep as Jesus had cast seven demons from her (Luke 8:1&ndash;3). We can only imagine her dismay when she arrived at the tomb to find the stone rolled away. She ran to tell Peter and John who bolted to the garden. When they saw the burial clothes folded and purposely placed, John believed (v. 8). After the disciples left, Mary lingered, taking advantage of the solitude to grieve with tears. Eventually, she peered into the tomb and saw two angels where the body had been. When they asked her why she wept, she told them, &ldquo;They have taken my Lord away&rdquo; (v. 13). She turned and saw a man who had a question of

Mary is standing at the foot of the cross. We can only imagine how her mother&rsquo;s heart suffered to see Jesus beaten severely and bleeding profusely. He was forced to carry His own crossbeam until Roman soldiers seized Simon of Cyrene and ordered him to help. The destination was &ldquo;Calvary,&rdquo; on a public roadway near Jerusalem. On either side of Jesus, a criminal was crucified. The inscription over His head, intended as mockery, read &ldquo;Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews&rdquo; (v. 19). Written in three languages, the inadvertent testimony of truth would be read by thousands of Jews, passing by for the Passover. Matthew, Mark, and Luke each recorded that many women followed Jesus to the cross, mourning and wailing (Luke 23:27). John listed only a specific four: Mary His mother, His mother&rsquo;s sister, Mary wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene (v. 25). John noted his own presence as &ldquo;the disciple whom He loved&rdquo; (v. 26). Each Gospel writer documented

We perceive the world through the five senses that God has given us. And worship, as God ordained it in both the Old and New Testaments, was a multi-sensory experience. Consider the Lord&rsquo;s Supper, baptism, sacrifices, and feasts. Maybe our modern worship services could benefit by giving us more to see and touch and even smell. The Passover was only two days away. Up to three million people may have come to Jerusalem for the festivities that year. The chief priests and scribes were nervous. They had witnessed Jesus&rsquo; popularity. They risked a riot if they made a public arrest. So, they doubled down on their plan to seize Jesus secretly. That afternoon Jesus left the crowd and retreated to Bethany, this time to the home of Simon the leper. When a prominent person visited a home, it was customary to leave the door ajar, so others could join the gathering. While Jesus was reclining at the table, a woman entered with a jar of very expensive perfume. She went to Jesus, broke th

In his epistle, James warns us about playing favorites. If a wealthy person comes to church with gold rings and fancy attire, we should not give that person preferential treatment over someone in shabby clothes. &ldquo;Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?&rdquo; (James 2:5). The message of the widow and her two mites is similar. God&rsquo;s economy is drastically different from ours. At the beginning of Mark 11, Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem to the people&rsquo;s resounding praise. The next morning, when He returned to the Temple, He drove out the money changers because they had turned the house of worship into a den of thieves. At the end of His time in the Temple, Jesus sat across from the treasury in the Court of Women, where many rich people donated large sums of money. Their wealth was evident to all by the clang of their offering as it was thrown into the bell. Eventua

Do you long to be heard? From the moment we are born, we want someone to answer our cries and meet our needs. It&rsquo;s a fundamental human desire that we see Jesus meet again and again. In John 11, Jesus clearly heard the desperate request of Martha and Mary. &ldquo;Lord, the one you love is sick,&rdquo; they cried. But even though Jesus heard (vv. 4, 6), He did not hurry. He lingered for two whole days, a terribly long time in a life-or-death situation. Jesus then revealed the motivation behind this delay: &ldquo;It is for God&rsquo;s glory so that God&rsquo;s Son may be glorified through it&rdquo; (v. 4). Jesus longed for that glory to lead people to belief (vv. 14&ndash;15). When Jesus finally arrived at their home, Mary and Martha both expressed their disappointment. They believed He was the Christ and could have prevented Lazarus&rsquo;s death. They did not yet understand that He was able to reverse it. Jesus wanted to reveal more of Himself to them&mdash;His ultimate, eterna

Hester Prynne in Nathaniel Hawthorne&rsquo;s The Scarlet Letter wore a red &ldquo;A&rdquo; for most of her adult life as penance for her sin of adultery. While Hester carried that public condemnation, her lover, the young minister Arthur Dimmesdale, suffered in secrecy and died in shame. In Deuteronomy 22, the law stated that unfaithful wives should lose their lives, but the method was not prescribed. (The Mishnah specified strangling.) When an engaged woman was unfaithful, the woman and the man should be stoned. Consequently, many Bible commentators conclude that the woman in John 8 was engaged. When the scribes and Pharisees arrived at the Temple, Jesus was teaching. They presented the woman caught in adultery, appealed to the law, and demanded a judgment. The case was fishy. Presumably, if they caught the woman, they also knew her partner. Where was he? Clearly, they were less concerned with justice and more interested in setting a snare for Jesus. Would He disregard the law and d

Often one of our children (ages 11 and 14) still complains that he or she is being treated differently. Someone had to do a chore that the other did not. One of them received more screen time or ice cream or rides in the front seat. Sadly, even grown-ups can play the comparison game. This brief scene in Bethany is recorded only by Luke. Jesus and His disciples had arrived in the Jerusalem area, and as He prepared His followers for what was to come, He delivered some intense training on key aspects of the faith. He was likely doing some such teaching at the home of Mary and Martha, sisters to Lazarus, when this conversation took place. Ironically, as He lectured on discipleship, the two sisters provided a perfect and living illustration. Martha worked intently on the preparations involved with hosting an important person like Jesus. She wanted to show Him the honor He was due. By contrast, Mary took the opportunity to sit at His feet and absorb His every word. When Martha asked Jesus

In every country, every nation, and maybe even in your town, there are places most people avoid. The people who live in those communities don&rsquo;t mingle with the rest of society. These places are often marked by crime and darkness. Yet many churches and ministries move into those areas to shine the light of the gospel. Not long after He fed the five thousand, Jesus withdrew to Gentile territory. He had been rejected by His own in Nazareth. His cousin John had been killed by Herod. The religious leaders were escalating their opposition. So, the plan was to go through the Gentile region, into Judea, and ultimately to Jerusalem. Near the infamous pagan cities of Tyre and Sidon, Jesus and His disciples encountered a Canaanite woman. In the Old Testament, the Canaanites were the most wicked and despised of Israel&rsquo;s enemies. Much of that cultural tension remained in Jesus&rsquo; day. Despite her reputation, the woman approached Jesus. She repeatedly called Him &ldquo;Lord,&rdquo;

In one week, all four members of our family became sick. As hard as I tried to keep all the balls in the air, several dropped. It&rsquo;s humbling to realize how fragile and fallible we really are. It is hard to admit we have needs that we can&rsquo;t meet ourselves. Self-sufficiency is a stubborn and sneaky (dare I say?) sin, a particularly problematic form of pride. Today&rsquo;s passage is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels. The story occurs at a ministry low point for Jesus. He had been rejected by His hometown (Matt. 13:53&ndash;58) and His cousin had been killed (14:1&ndash;12). The opposition against Him was escalating. Jesus withdrew by boat to a solitary place. The implication is that He needed some time to mourn, to attune His heart with His Father&rsquo;s, and to gather the spiritual strength for His next phase of ministry. The only hiccup was that Jesus was still very popular. Crowds followed Him on shore and were waiting when He landed at a remote spot along

In today&rsquo;s world, the Christian commitment to holiness runs counter to cultural trends. Politicians, pastors, and others who speak up for biblical truth do so knowing that they will face public ridicule. But this is nothing new. In Matthew 14, two women played a very different role in the Gospel narrative. Jesus was nearing the end of His two-year ministry in Galilee, and news of His growing popularity had reached even the highest-level ruler&mdash;Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee and Perea. Herod had established his capital in Tiberias, eight miles down the coast from Capernaum, where Jesus had made His ministry base. We can be sure he kept an eye on Jesus&rsquo; activities. Herod came to a curious conclusion. &ldquo;This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead!&rdquo; This seemingly came from superstition, rumor, and fear. Matthew takes this opportunity to explain what happened to John. Herod had likely taken John into custody a full year and a half prior to this ac

One of my favorite writing professors always said, &ldquo;Sometimes in order to tell one story well, you need to tell two.&rdquo; Two stories, told side by side, create a deeper meaning than either could convey on its own. In Mark chapter 5, the stories of Jairus&rsquo;s daughter and a hemorrhaging woman are told as a pair. We are meant to understand them together. But why? In many ways, Jairus and the bleeding woman were as different as could be. Jairus was a respected leader in the synagogue, educated, comfortable, a family man. The bleeding woman was destitute, unclean, and isolated. What they had in common, though, was their need for Jesus and their belief in His power. Both came to Him&mdash;humbly&mdash;with hope that He could heal. And Jesus gave them equal attention. In fact, Jesus interrupted His visit to Jairus&rsquo;s dying daughter when the woman touched His hem. Instantly, she felt in her body that she was well and tried to slip away unnoticed. But Jesus sought her out a

As a college professor, I&rsquo;ve witnessed many tearful &ldquo;good-byes&rdquo; between parents and their children. Most parents worry when sending their child, even one who is nearing adulthood, into the unknown. In today&rsquo;s passage, we again meet Jesus&rsquo; mother Mary. As word about Jesus had spread across the region and His crowd of followers had grown, the response was not entirely favorable (Mark 3:2, 6). Religious authorities sent a delegation to discredit and defame Him. &ldquo;He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons&rdquo; (v. 22). Jesus did not shy away from these confrontations. Just as He had answered the Pharisees&rsquo; questions in Mark chapter 2, He boldly addressed these accusers by challenging their logic. &ldquo;How can Satan drive out Satan?&rdquo; (v. 23). His parable pointed out the absurdity of their claim. Jesus&rsquo; mother and brothers heard of His growing influence and the escalating opposition. They were af