Recent Commentaries

Amos condemned the rich, powerful leaders for living in luxury gained through violence and for ignoring the poor of the land (vv. 1-7). One of the main reasons Israel’s spiritual life had declined was because God’s people had grown complacent (v. 1). They had grown smug and sel …

A description is given of the most frightening holocaust in human history, the Battle of Armageddon (vv. 17-21). The name “Armageddon” means that mount of slaughter. The place is in Palestine on the edge of the plain of Esdraelon. The participants are several hostile groups led …

The key statement in this chapter is, “Let not your heart be troubled” (v. 1). We can understand why the disciples would be troubled. Jesus had told them that He was going to die, that one of them was a traitor, that Peter would disown Him three times, that Satan was at work against them …

The letter to Smyrna, the shortest of the seven letters, was written to Christians being persecuted not only by pagan Gentiles but also by hostile Jews and by Satan himself. Smyrna, a large city, rebuilt by Alexander the Great, was wealthy and famous…

Bible scholars attribute this Psalm to Solomon and say that it describes his reign. It opens with prayer that God would give the king ability to judge righteously (vv. 1-2). It is one thing to be the king and quite another to reign righteously. In the early days of being king, So …

For the third time in his speech, Elihu requested that his audience of four hear him out. He argues that if God were unjust, there could be no just government on earth (vv. 16-20). If God had been unjust in the world, men would have wanted to condemn Him (vv. 16-17). Yet they wou…

Paul poses three questions that we may ask ourselves as we seek to measure our ministries…

Chapter 13 gives an account of the Last Supper and of the beginning of the Lord’s farewell message to His disciples. They met together in the Upper Room to observe the Passover. Jesus knew that “His hour was come” (v. 1), and that Judas would soon betray Him (v. 2). Jesus knew …

God delivered His people from Egypt that they might enter the promised land and enjoy the blessings prepared for them. He had promised the land to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Gen. 12:7; 13:15). He even reminded the people of this promise when they broke camp at …

God told Jeremiah to write His promises of comfort in a book so they would be available to the exiles after theJerusalem fall (vv. 1-3). This book would declare a note of hope that the days are coming when God will restore His people. Jeremiah pointed to a day of restoration when Go …