Adam and Eve had several sons and daughters as we read in (Gen. 5:4), but here we are intro¬duced to their son Seth (v. 25). Seth means the “appointed one.†Eve said that God had provided or “appointed†a son in the place of slain Abel. We are never told on when Cain murdered Abel …
In this chapter, Ezekiel reveals how Israel (God’s people) will be restored to their land from many parts of the world. Once Israel is back in the land and becomes strong, a confederacy of nations from the north will attack, led by Gog (Rev. 20:6). They will come to dest …
Someone once said, “we do not know what prayer really is until we have cried out of deep sorrow or despair.†The Psalmist wanted to be heard which is even better than getting an answered. If God answered all our requests the way we wanted, it might be more of a curse than a blessing. If we …
Hezekiah got sick and almost died (v. 24). He prayed, and the Lord gave him a sign that he would recover. He was so proud that he refused to thank the Lord for everything He had done for him (v. 25). This made the Lord angry, and He punished Hezekiah and the people of Judah and Jerusalem …
Having given Absalom advice, that if implemented would turn out well for David, Hushai now informs the priests Zadok and Abiathar who in turn through their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan got a warning to David to cross the river so he and his people won’t be wiped out (vv. …
Psalm 109, a personal lament of David, is one of the imprecatory (cursing) psalms. As he writes, David is calling on God (Elohim = the Strong One) to avenge his enemies. David had endured many false accusations and now he asks the Lord to not be silent (v. 1). The psalmist prayed that …
The ‘wherefore†(v. 1) that opens this chapter refers back to where Paul expressed his great love and concern for the believers (2:17-20). These new believers must be taught and established in the faith. A key word in this chapter is establish (v. 2). Paul was not only …
The shoe symbolized motion and wandering. To make a sale legal in those days, one person would take off a sandal and give it to the other (v.7). So after the man had agreed to let Boaz buy the property, he took off one of his sandals and handed it to Boaz (v. 8). The shoe a …
The final problem that Nehemiah faces was the tendency so common in Israel to ignore the prohibitions against intermarriage with pagan peoples. When he returned to Jerusalem, he found the people again disobeying the Law (vv. 23-24). It was true then as it is today that when the f …
We have now completed the history of the Judges. This portion of scripture gives us a full picture of what it was like to live in a day of moral and political disorder before there was a king in Israel (v. 6). Micah was regarded as a religious man. He had “a house of gods” (v. 5). Yet he stole a huge …