While Amaziah was being held prisoner in Israel, Jehoash, king of Israel, died. When this happened, Amaziah was released and returned to Judah. Azariah (referred to as Uzziah later), his son, had been acting as king while he was in prison. Now Amaziah resumes his reign over Judah …
This psalm enumerates some of the blessings enjoyed by a person who fears (reverences) the Lord. Then it anticipates the exaltation of the righteous and grievous destruction of the wicked. However, we must not conclude based on this psalm that all believers today can claim health, wealth, success, …
This passage explains how the sword was sharpened (vv. 8-17). It is a poetic song of judgment and the theme is that God’s sword was sharpened, ready for slaughter. The song has three stanzas: The first stanza explains how God’s sword was sharpened with a whetstone to giv …
The people were not responding to Jeremiah’s message, so God had him perform a symbolic act to get their attention (vv. 1-11). He commanded Jeremiah to buy a linen belt and wear it around his waist (vv. 1-2). The fact that it was made of “linen,” the material us …
Viniculture was important to the Jewish way of life. When our Lord used this illustration, He was not introducing something new. In the Old Testament, Israel is called a vine, but it’s a vine that only produced wild grapes. Christ, by contrast, is the true vine (v. 1). The Father is the owner of …
Jeroboam’s reign in the northern kingdom of Israel actually covered the same period of time as the reigns of Rehoboam, Abijam and the beginning of Asa’s rule in the southern kingdom of Judah. each ruler of Judah is introduced by reference to his age at accession, the numb …
Throughout the book of Malachi, these disbelieving people have been asking that judgment be brought to the wicked who seem to be prospering. In this passage Malachi gives a prediction of that day which is also known as the time of Jacob’s trouble, the great Tribulation, and the birth …
Since the Jews were anxious to speed up the death process, the Roman soldiers were sent to break the legs of the crucified (vv. 31-32). A crucified person could live for many hours, sometimes even days, so long as they kept the use of their legs, which they could use to lift their chest allowing …
While Jesus is still talking, someone comes with the news that Jairus’s daughter is dead (v.35). This person also accuses Jesus of not caring, otherwise, He would have hurried to help the girl, and here He is just talking. He implies that they should not fool with this Jesus. Jesus …
Jesus’ disciples gathered around Him, and he taught them (vv. 1-2). This passage of Scripture is known as the Sermon on the Mount. It is one of the most misunderstood messages that Jesus ever gave. It does not tell a person how to be saved as some people say but instead it tells us what it is …