Naaman is an accomplished military leader for the king of Aram. The Bible calls him a valiant soldier, but he suffers from a limiting physical ailment. He has leprosy. It’s a contagious skin disease that can cause a loss of feeling, flesh decay, and even deformation. (Miriam also contracted leprosy later in her life.) A […]
We earlier saw that Moses appointed Joshua to succeed him. Though preparing someone to carry on our ministry or lead our tribe when we’re gone is a wise move, the Bible has too few examples of this occurring. Elijah and Elisha are a noteworthy exception. After Elijah anoints Elisha to succeed him as prophet, he […]
Our first encounter with Elijah in Scripture occurs when he goes to King Ahab to warn of a famine-producing drought; no dew or rain will fall until Elijah says so. During this famine, God provides for Elijah, first through ravens at a brook and later through a widow in Zarephath. After three years of no […]
Jehoshaphat is the great-great-grandson of King Solomon. Though Solomon’s father David ruled well as a man after God’s own heart, Solomon’s heart was divided and many succeeding kings in their family line did more evil than good. Jehoshaphat is an exception. Scripture calls him a good king, just like his father Asa. He follows his […]
After Solomon’s reign, the nation of Israel splits into two countries. David’s line continues to rule the nation of Judah, while other kings reign over the rest of Israel. Both nations have God as their legacy, but the kings of Israel are consistent in not following him. They rebel and do evil. One such king, […]
After David and Bathsheba’s first son dies, the pair later has Solomon. Solomon succeeds his father David as king, though an earlier coup—thankfully unsuccessful—by Absalom nearly kept this from happening. Another brother, Adonijah, also attempts to steal the throne before David makes Solomon king. As David’s successor, Solomon builds the temple his father yearned to […]
You may remember David’s best friend, Jonathan, King Saul’s son. Though Saul and three of his sons, including Jonathan, die in battle, this doesn’t mean his line is wiped out. Saul’s grandson, Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth, is still alive. The one physical characteristic we know about him is he is lame in both legs due to […]
Despite being a foreigner, Uriah the Hittite is loyal to the nation of Israel, to King David, and to God. He’s an honorable man, serving in the nation’s army. David stays home while his troops, including Uriah, are off fighting. It’s during this time that David sleeps with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, and she gets pregnant. […]
In the time after Samuel anoints David, but before Bathsheba, David’s on the run, hiding from the murderous intent of King Saul. It’s at this point that David encounters Abigail. Abigail is an intelligent, beautiful woman. Her husband, Nabal, lacks these traits. He’s surly and mean. His servants call him wicked and say he listens […]
David, the shepherd boy turned king, shows up in Scripture more than any other Old Testament character. Even the New Testament mentions him often. He appears in twenty-eight of the Bible’s sixty-six books, with more than nine hundred mentions. It’s enough content for an entire book, with much we can learn from David and much […]