The psalmist becomes more pointed in his description of Israel’s sin (vv. 16-18). He describes the sin of Korah (first cousin of Moses and Aaron), Dathan and Abiram (members of the tribe of Ruben). These men were jealous of Moses and Aaron and claimed that they were just as Holy as …
Chapters 40-43 give the temple’s measurements and then describe how it would be filled with God’s glory. As you read all of these details, remember that God is sovereign over everything and even restoring the faithful to Himself. Ezekiel climbed the stairs and entered thr …
Six days before the Passover, Jesus returned to Bethany, the city of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, where he had raised Lazarus from the dead (v. 1). He attended a dinner in the home of Simon the Leper (Mark 14:1_11) (v. 2). Martha, Lazarus, and Mary were there. Martha served, Lazarus sat …
Moses, Aaron, and his sons were to make sure that the Israelites worshiped in the proper way (vv. 38-41). So they obeyed the LORD and counted the Levites by their clans. Here are the requirements made of the Levites for the first-born:The first-born were numbered from a month old …
Josiah’s body was transported back to Jerusalem, where he was buried. With his death, all hope of spiritual revival was gone. The events that followed his reign would soon bring down the proud Judean capitals. Judah made Jehoahaz, Josiah’s fourth son, the new king. His reign o …
Moses knew that the Israelites were out of control and it was Aaron’s fault (v. 25). The people had cast off all restraints (Prov. 29:18). Moses realized that decisive action was required, so he challenged the people by standing at the gate and shouting, “Everyone who is on …
After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel. The writer in this chapter tells about Moab’s independence from Israel and the results of idolatrous practices by Ahab’s successor, Ahaziah (v. 1). He also describes how the last recorded prophetic act of Elijah is p …
In the opening lines of his letter to Timothy, Paul addresses him (1) as an apostle & (2) as a spiritual father. While we might immediately associate apostleship with authority, Paul here associates it with obedience and patience. Paul was under the command of God, and his hope was in Jesus (v.1) …
The prophet is shown a vision of two baskets of figs (v. 1). One was a basket of good figs, the other of rotten, stinking and smelly figs (vv. 2-3). God said “These figs are like the people.” The good figs represented those who are going to be carried captive to Babyl …
In this portion of Scripture Moses explains various Israelite laws. He tells how an unsolved murder is to be handled (vv. 1-9). The town nearest where the body is found is to assume the responsibility for the crime. They were to take a young heifer that had never been worked and break its neck …