Recent Commentaries

At the command of God, Noah (1) built an ark, (2) gathered the necessary food for their time in the ark, (3) entered the ark with his family and all the animals, and finally (4) exited the ark. One of the defining characteristics of Noah was that he was obedient to the commands of the Lord …

Following Christ’s instruction (v. 4), the disciples returned to Jerusalem to wait and pray (v. 12). When faced with an important task or decision, we should not rush in and hope for the best. Instead, prayer for the Holy Spirit’s power and guidance should be our first step. They assembled in the …

Samuel was a blameless leader for Israel (vv. 1-5). He did not resist the people’s will when they cried out for a king. Samuel could not live forever and his sons, having earned a bad reputation (1 Sam. 8:2-3), …

A detailed description of the judgment on Babylon is given in chapters 17-18. No student of the Bible doubts that in historic times there existed a literal city called Babylon. In fact, the Bible is full of information about this city that has a long history dating back to as early as 3,000 years …

Jesus opens this passage with an illustration, one that every listener would have understood. Thieves and robbers attempt to enter the sheepfold by climbing over the wall. A sheepfold normally consisted of four walls of stone, with one door and no roof. The fold is Israel (v. 16), and …

This ninth plague of darkness came quickly without warning to Pharaoh. God just tells Moses to stretch out his hand toward Heaven and there would be darkness all over the land (v. 21). It was so dark in Egypt that the darkness could be felt while the land of Goshen ha …

Isn’t it strange after forty years or more of Jeremiah’s ministry of highest integrity, they dared to say, “You are telling a lie. God didn’t send you” (vv. 1-2). They justified it by blaming someone else. “Baruch did it” (v. 3). The fles …

It was night time (Mk. 4:35) so you can imagine the eerie scene. At the legion of demons’ request Jesus allowed them to enter into a herd of two thousand hogs coming down the mountain nearby (vv. 11-12). Immediately these swine ran into the lake and drowned (v. 13). The men …

At times God must discipline us to help us. This is similar to a loving parent disciplining his child. The disciplining is not very enjoyable to the child, but it is essential to teach him right from wrong. The Bible says that “no chastening seems to be joyful for the presen …

Evangelist and Bible teacher Wendell Calder entitles this book “Praise from Prison.” One of the biggest robbers of joy in the Christian life is circumstances. In this passage Paul stresses the fact that there are no accidents with God. His confinement was doing …