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Bible Insights

God Tells Abraham He Will Make Him into a Great Nation

God Makes a Similar Promise to Moses In the book of Genesis, we meet Abraham. God takes a special interest in Abraham and gives him a bold promise. He pledges to make Abraham “into a great nation” (Genesis 12:2, NIV). What makes this promise even more incredible is that Abraham is seventy-five years old and […]

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Bible Insights

The Glory of the Lord

Too Much for Even Moses The book of Exodus opens with the account of God’s chosen people leaving Egypt. It’s an epic tale of plagues, crossing a sea on dry ground, and the pursuing Egyptian army being drowned. It demonstrates God’s power and his provision in awe-inspiring magnificence, foreshadowing his glory. The rest of the […]

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Christian Living

Humble Acceptance

“I am the Lord’s Servant,” Mary Answered. Key Passage: Luke 1:38 Focus verse: “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:38) The angel Gabriel has just delivered shocking news to Mary. It’s a lot for her to take in. It would be a lot for anyone. The […]

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Bible Study

See the Kingdom of God

Luke Bible Study, Day 20 Today’s passage: Luke 9:28–62 Focus verse: “This is my Son, whom I have chosen.” (Luke 9:35) Eight days after Jesus said some of his disciples wouldn’t die until they saw the kingdom of God, we perhaps see his promise play out. Jesus takes his three main followers—Peter, John, and James—on […]

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Bible Insights

How Soon The People Forget God

Then They Stop Doing What He Told Them to Do So, Moses receives ten commandments from God and teaches them to the people. God gives other directions and instructions, too, which Moses also passes on. But the people begin to disregard and forget God and what he told them to do. This displeases him, so […]

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Christian Living

The Number Forty in the Bible

Punishment, Preparation, Milestone, and Completion We’ve looked at occurrences in Scripture of the numbers twelve, seven, and three. Now let’s consider the number forty in the Bible. It occurs throughout the Old and New Testaments. Forty Days and Forty Years The most common use of the number forty in the Bible is to measure time, such as […]

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Bible Insights

Biblical People: Jannes and Jambres

Opposing Moses It may surprise you to see Jannes and Jambres in our discussion of Old Testament sinners and saints. This is because they don’t appear in the Old Testament. They show up in the New Testament and then only once. Yet the reference ties them to Moses, so this places them in the Old […]

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Bible Insights

Biblical People: Zipporah

Learn About Moses’s Wife When Moses flees for his life, he meets seven shepherdesses, the daughters of Reuel. Moses marries one of the daughters, Zipporah. Moses and Zipporah have two sons. They are Gershom and Eliezer. Years later when Moses and his family travel to Egypt, God afflicts Moses. This is apparently because Moses failed […]

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Bible Insights

How Can We Help the Poor?

Deuteronomy Instructs Us to Help Foreigners, Orphans, and Widows In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses reminds God’s people that when they’re harvesting a field to not pick it clean, to leave some of the produce for others. This includes foreigners, orphans, and widows (Deuteronomy 24:19). Help Foreigners Orphans and Widows Moses’s words reiterate the same […]

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Bible Insights

Reuel (2)/Jethro

Giving Helpful Advice When Moses flees Egypt for his life, he ends up in the desert. There he encounters the seven daughters of Reuel, a Midianite priest. The girls are shepherdesses. When they try to draw water from the well for their sheep, however, other shepherds drive them away. Moses intervenes for them and waters […]