Recent Commentaries

God used dreams to reveal His will, and yet not every dream is God’s revelation, nor is everyone who dreams a prophet (v. 25). The dreams in this passage were designed to make Judah forget God’s name much as earlier prophets did through Baal worship (cf. v. 13). False …

Everyone believes that love is important, but love is usually thought of as a feeling. In reality, love is an action. God loved us enough to sacrifice His Son for us (v.7). His love involves an action, and our love should be like His. Much that is called “love” in moder …

At the time of Nahum’s prophecy, Assyria was at the height of its power. Sennacherib had done much to increase the strength and magnificence of Nineveh, its capital, by building great temples, palaces, and fortifications. Nineveh was confident that it could not be overtaken but Nahum …

Every attempt to revive true religion will stir up the opposition of Satan, and of those in whom he works. The adversaries were the Samaritans, who had been planted in the land of Israel. It was plain that they did not mean to unite in the worship of the Lord, according to His wo …

Chapter 18 deals with the sanctity of sex. The Lord told Moses to tell the people of Israel: I am the Lord your God (vv. 1-2)! So don’t follow the customs of Egypt where you used to live or those of Canaan where I am bringing you (v. 3). I am the Lord your God, and you must obey …

Chapters 17-20 reveal a legal code of conduct for the people of Israel, touching on many areas of their public life. These four chapters deal with four special areas of life that must be respected and kept holy: (1) The sanctity of life (Chap. 17), (2) the sanctity of sex (Chap. …

The psalmist continues to praise the Lord for all His creation. The ocean is alive with creatures great and small (v. 24). Water is a predominant theme in this psalm (vv. 25-26). In the sea the ships move freely, but for the whale the sea is his playground. The whale is portrayed as nothing more …

The Spirit of the Lord came on the Levite Jahaziel, after Jehoshaphat’s moving prayer, and he speaks to the congregation (v. 14). He tells them twice to not be afraid and that the battle was not their’s but God’s (vv. 15-17). Then Jehoshaphat and all Judah and the inhabitants …

After the flood there were only eight people alive in the world: Noah and his family. God told them the things they were to do, and He makes a covenant with Noah here in chapter 9: (1) He told Noah to be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth again with people (vv. 1, 7), just …

Almost immediately after receiving Gabriel’s message, Mary`prepared to visit her cousin Elisabeth who lived some sixty or more miles south of Nazareth in the Judean hill country (vv. 39-41). As she rushed off to visit her relative, she must have wondered if the events of the la …