Recent Commentaries

Mark opens this gospel by explaining how John the Baptist was divinely appointed by God to prepare the way for Jesus as a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (Mal. 3:1 & Isa. 40:3). John was a rugged prophet from the wilderness and a fearless preacher. Large crowds were com …

In this chapter Israel’s redemption and regathering are pictured. They are reminded that it is the Lord who they should ask, and He will supply the rain in response to their prayers (v. 1). “Latter rain” refers to the necessary rain just before the time of harvest which …

There were over sixty million slaves in the Roman empire. Slavery was a way of life. Slaves served in any number of capacities including manual labor, doctors, teachers, musicians, etc. Some slaves, after accepting Jesus as their Savior, desired personal and political freedom, resulting in problems …

Every verse in this Psalm ends in the words “His mercy endures forever.” It follows the progress of the events from the creation in Genesis to the conquest of Canaan recorded in Joshua. It is thought that the Levite song leader would recite the first half of each verse and the congregation …

At the heart of the Jewish Law was the ten commandments. Yet apparently, as dogmatic as these false teachers were, they really didn’t understand God’s law. God’s law is like a medicine prescribed by our doctor. If we use the medicine the way its prescribed, it w …

Just after God’s special provision of escape and victory the Israelites were tested. It might have seemed nice to linger at the seaside and praise the Lord but they needed to follow His leading.  Leaving the Red Sea area the pillar of cloud lead the Israelites into the …

Two definite things have been made evident in these chapters: the foolish behavior of Micah and the retreat to the north by the tribe of Dan. The tribe of Dan was notoriously restless. When the territory had been allotted to the various groups upon Israel’s arrival in Canaan, they had been …

God is gathering all Jerusalem’s hoped-for lovers into an invading army. They will attack from the north in huge numbers, well-organized and well-armed. They will execute God’s judgment on Oholibah for her abandonment of God’s law. She will drink the same cup of horror an …

A simple contrast is made between the ability and inability to keep quiet (v. 23). A fool is prone to blurt forth all that he knows (which may not be much) while a wise man is careful to practice silence in the presence of others. Next we see a contrast between diligence an …

Joshua summoned a second great assembly at Shechem to confirm Israel’s covenant relationship with God. Shechem was a few miles northwest of Shiloh (v. 1). This was where God first promised Canaan to Abraham (Gen. 12:6-7), where Jacob built an altar and buried his family’s idols …