Justice but Not Anger After Jeremiah gives a stinging prophecy about God and idols, he pauses to pray. He may feel he has no other choice after giving the people God’s stern warning. Jeremiah’s prayer is not like one we might hear—or say—today. His words are not positive. He doesn’t talk about God’s grace, mercy, […]
One Man’s Disobedience Impacts the Entire Nation At last it’s time for Joshua to lead the people into the land God promised to give them and take it. First up is Jericho. But they don’t attack the city as we’d expect. Instead, they march around it for seven days. On the seventh day, the priests […]
The King Confesses His Mistake and Asks God to Take Away the Guilt In 1 Chronicles 21 we read the account of David telling Joab to take a census of the people to determine how many fighting men are in the nation. This was Satan’s doing who tempted David into numbering his military. This could […]
Do God’s Instructions to the King of Judah Apply to Us Today? It’s dark times indeed for God’s people. The prophet Jeremiah is his mouthpiece to speak truth. God sends Jeremiah to the king of Judah with a message. This message begins with some commands and ends with a promise for obeying and a threat […]
The King Claimed to Be Afraid of His Men, When He Should Have Been Afraid of God From a human standpoint, Saul appeared he had what it would take to be king. Yet from God’s perspective, his first king fell short. Saul had many character flaws, which ultimately caused God to reject him as king. […]
Punishment May Await Us If We Fail to Listen to God Isaiah wraps up his lengthy prophecy talking about judgment. He prophesies that God has destined the people for death. That they will be slaughtered. There will be consequences. Why would a loving God want to kill his people? Through the mouth of Isaiah, God […]
Just Because God Can Do Something Doesn’t Mean That He Does Most people know the story about Joseph and his multicolored coat. Of how his brothers resent his behavior and how their father indulges his favorite son. To get rid of him, the brothers effectively imprison him and sell him as a slave to some […]
God Doesn’t Give Empty Threats; He Will Do What He Says He Will Do God has expectations for his people. The Old Testament of the Bible covers this. The first five books of the Bible, often called the Law of Moses, details God’s expectations. He tells the people what to do and what not to […]
God Promises Rewards for Obedience and Punishment for Disobedience As we read through the book of Leviticus, which is a struggle for most of us, we read instruction after instruction of what God expects from his people. With precise detail, his commands come forth one after another. Then, in chapter 26, the book begins to […]
God Had a Purpose for His People and They Let Him Down God established Jerusalem as the center of all nations. This suggests he intended them to set an example and be a global leader, showing everyone how to live right and pointing them to him. But this isn’t what they did. In their wickedness, […]