Recent Commentaries

1. Guards are assigned to the Temple. (vv. 1-19) The temple guards were divided into groups according to clans or families. The Korah clan had seven sons (vv. 1-3). Obed-Edom was blessed with eight sons (vv. 4-7). There were …

Several Army officers asked Jeremiah to pray for them and ask the Lord what He wants them to do (vv. 1-3). Jeremiah promises that he will and they promise they will do whatever the Lord says, even if it isn’t what they want to do (vv. 4-6) Ten days later the Lord gives them …

The Lord sends a wind storm to destroy Babylon (v. 1). Foreign soldiers come from every direction and Babylonia will be empty and worthless (v. 2). He will tell these soldiers to kill and destroy their army before they can string their bows (vv. 3-4). Everyone in Israel and Judah …

In this life we hear many clichs like, live and let live, time will tell, when at first you don’t succeed try again etc. In Christian circles we often hear “Praise the Lord,” which can come flying out of our mouth without much thought behind it. However in this …

Hiram, King of Tyre, located on the Mediterranean Sea north of Israel, sent his envoys to pay his respects to Solomon the new King. Hiram had been an ally and friend of King David and had supplied materials and laborers to build David’s palace (II Sam. 5:11). Now Solomo …

In this section, we find David’s response to his son’s sickness and death. After Nathan left David, God allowed sickness to come to the child born to him and Bathsheba (vv. 15-16). We do not know what the sickness was but we know that after seven days the child died (vv. 17-18). Da …

Prayer is the energy that enables Christians to engage in the battle of life. We can never fight this battle in our own power, no matter how strong we may think we are. Remember that many men greater than we have fallen before us. Paul tells us how to pray in order to defeat Satan …

The chapter begins with the death of Samuel, the spiritual leader of Israel for many years. It seems that when David heard the news, he started to feel a bit restless, prompting his move from Engedi, near the Dead Sea, up into Paran, in Judah proper (v. 1). Thus continues the theme established in …

The Lord addresses the matter of oath making (vv. 33-36). Don’t make a promise unless you are going to keep it. The basis for Old Testament oathtaking is found in Leviticus 19:12, Deuteronomy 23:21, and Numbers 30:2. Oaths taken in the name of the Lord were binding. By Old Testament …

The fall of Damascus was a warning to Ephraim in the Northern kingdom of Israel. Both Ephraim, representing Israel, and Damascus, representing Syria, would be defeated (vv. 1-2). The emphasis in this chapter is on the God who controls the armies of heaven and earth (v. 3). Isaiah used several …