After Joshua’s death Israel presses forward to exterminate the Canaanites who are still holding on to their strongholds in the land. The tribes of Judah and Simeon merged their forces to carry out a series of attacks on the Canaanites in the hill country south of Jerusalem (vv. 1-5). They captured …
When Jesus returned to Capernaum (v. 1), four men carrying a paralyzed man on a mat were unable to get to him because of the density of the crowd. They resorted to lowering him through the roof to where Jesus was. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the crippled man, “Don’t worry, your …
Luke recorded that Jesus was about 30 years old when He began His ministry (v. 23). Luke apparently used the term “about 30” to indicate that He was well prepared for ministry. The two genealogies of our Savior are found in the first chapter of Matthew and here in …
When God pronounced the destruction of man from the face of the earth (Gen. 6:7,13) he still gave sinful man 120 years to repent while Noah built the ark. And now in this chapter Noah enters the Ark (v. 1). Some have questioned why it would say in one place that Noah took two of every kind …
Jesus went into Tyre and Sidon (present day Lebanon), Gentile country (v. 21). Jesus wanted His disciples to have a compassion for Gentiles as well as Jews. The gospel “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). A …
Once the ark was safely delivered within the tent erected by David, burnt offerings were dedicated to God and peace offerings provided a sacrificial meal for the people (vv. 1-3). This was only a tent, a humble dwelling place, but this was the tabernacle which David, in his psalms, often speaks of …
The task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem was so enormous that it called for great organization and the help of everyone. Nehemiah’s plan is unique and various aspects of this plan are outlined in this chapter. He begins with the Sheep Gate and proceeds counterclockwise. The …
These verses in this passage summarize the core of Christian living. In this day of constant lawsuits and demands for legal rights, Paul’s command sounds almost impossible. When someone hurts you deeply, instead of giving him what he deserves, Paul says to befriend him (vv. 17-21). We are …
In this passage we can see how God did not give up on His people despite this 40-year judgment of that ungrateful and rebellious generation. We can see how He was still guiding them through His prophet Moses and had not abandoned His plan to give them the promised land in Canaan…