The book closes by speaking of the king’s power; but more importantly extols the leadership abilities of Mordecai who was once a hated Jew in the Persian Empire (vv. 1-3). He was promoted by Ahasuerus and loved by the Jews (v. 3). Mordecai did not only act frequently on his own b …
The Lord appeared to Solomon and assured Him that his work on the temple and its dedication pleased Him (v. 11?‘12) (details are given on the actual construction in I Kings 7:1?‘12). Obedience was the key to God’s Blessing. God encouraged Solomon by His promise that if …
Pottery making was a familiar sight throughout the ancient Holy Land. Therefore, it was quite natural for Jeremiah to use this symbol to gain a hearing for his preaching and to reinforce his message. The parable of the marred vessel (chapter 18) demonstrates God’s sovereign …
Herod the Great ruled all of Palestine as a Roman King. When he died in 4 B.C. his kingdom was divided into three parts of which Archelaus was given Judea and Samaria. He was a failure and in 6 A.D. the Romans stepped in and made Cyrenius governor with direct rule. This placed th …
Solomon’s life ends in disaster. It seems that as he grew older, he got farther away from God. Riding the crest of power and prestige he apparently thought he was above reproach. The Law had clearly forbidden foreign marriages (Deut. 7:1-5). In addition to this, a king was als …
Our love for God is demonstrated by our loving the brethren (v.22). An example of this is found in I John 4:20-21. Love toward God is hard to measure, however love toward the brethren is easily seen. This love is to be a “fervent†love which is real and not …
The big question is – Do I want justice or do I want mercy? God finally gave Job the one thing he wanted most, the opportunity to meet Him in court and defend his case (vv. 1-2). But Job had no case to present. His first words were, “Behold, I am vile!†(vv. 3-4) which …
David begins this psalm by rehearsing the sad condition in which he found himself. We don’t know the cause of David’s pain but whatever the cause, he sought God for the remedy. Here was “a man after God’s own heart” who had not only fallen but who persisted in pretending publicly that …
Psalm 58 is a Psalm about injustice and the abuse of the system of justice. It is impossible to say with certainty when David wrote this. Some think it was soon after he became king and discovered how corrupt the system of justice really was in Israel. Others think David wrote th …
Divisions and contentions have always been a problem for believers. Almost every local church mentioned in the New Testament had divisions. The Galatian Christians were “biting and devouring” one another (Galatians 5:15). The Corinthians had members who were suing one …