Old Testament

2 Chronicles 24 and 2 Kings 12 – Accountability

2 Chronicles 24:2 and 2 Kings 12:2 offer an important insight into the dynamics of spiritual growth. Growth takes place in godly community. King Joash followed the ways of the Lord as long as the priest Jehoida was alive. Jehoida was a godly man that instructed the king in the counsel of God. For this [...]


Proverbs 25:6-7 – Promotion and Faith

“Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great, for it is better to be told ‘Come up here,’ than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.” The wisdom of this proverb takes great faith. What if the king or those in power never [...]


Ecclesiastes 7:1-13 “Better” and “Wisdom”

Ecclesiastes is a hard book to interpret. Without carefully reading, it is easy to miss the point. For instance, Ecclesiastes 7:16 says do not be overly righteous or overly wise, presumably because all is vanity. If we make absolute these words, then we should strive to live mediocre lives in two important areas – righteousness [...]


Esther – commentary

Esther a. Authorship There is no name attached to the book of Esther. Therefore, we cannot know who wrote the book. The best that we can do is to say that the author was someone who knew something about Persian court life. Moreover, this person lived after the events, as he writes from the vantage [...]


Wisdom and a Divided Heart – 1 Kings 3

1 Kings 3 When God appeared to Solomon and asked him what he desired (1 Kings 3:5), Solomon was wise. He asked for wisdom. God was pleased and he gave Solomon the request of his heart as well as riches and honor. I Kings 3:10-14 offers the context: “It was pleasing in the sight of [...]


Psalm 96 – Worship

Now is the time for worship in Spirit and in truth. These are the words of Jesus in John 4:23. The word, “now” is of paramount importance, because it is eschatological. In other words, Jesus through his coming has ushered in a new age of the Spirit, where people can worship in Spirit and in [...]


2 Samuel 9, 16, 19 – Mephibosheth

In 2 Samuel 9, we read about David’s kindness to Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son. David shows that he is man who knows how to extend grace. David is magnanimous. He asks Ziba, a servant in the household of Saul, if there is anyone in that household to whom he can show kindness. Ziba responds by saying [...]


1 Samuel 24 – Meekness

As we look at the scope of David’s life, we see great ups and downs. At times it is hard to believe that the same person could act to courageously and sin so grievously. However, with more reflection the characterization of David is true to life. We are also capable of some great acts of [...]


1 Samuel 16 – God looks at the heart

By the time of 1 Samuel 16, Samuel is one of the most holy men of all of Israel. He is recognized as a prophet of the Lord. He already anointed Saul as king and judged him on account of his disobedience. Samuel is God’s prophet and messenger in some of the most important matters [...]


1 Samuel 3 – Samuel Listening to God

Samuel 3 opens with a very sad statement: “The word of the Lord was rare in those days.” If we look at the broader context, we can see why. The book of Samuel follows the period of the judges, where there was lawlessness – everyone did what was right in their own eyes. Human autonomy [...]


Psalm 21 – Security and Strength

It is hard to remember that in the end it is not about us. It is even harder to say, as John the Baptist said in John 3:30: “he must increase and I must decrease.” Human pride and desire for recognition contend. What is also odd is the tension of wanting glory without the responsibilities [...]


Psalm 16 – Back to the “Basics”

Often Christians, in my opinion and myself included, look for esoteric knowledge or something new in an effort to grow in Christian maturity. The heart behind this is noble and commendable, but in some ways it is misdirected. What we may view as basic truths are not basic at all. These truths are profound and [...]


Deuteronomy 20 – Trust in God

Moses speaks to the Israelites about a time when they will enter into the Promised Land and have to fight the inhabitants of the land. Moses acknowledges that these inhabitants will have larger armies and better equipment. (Deuteronomy 20:1). However, he tells his people that they must not fear, because God is with them. He [...]


Psalm 36 – Two Ways

Amazon.com Widgets Psalm 36 juxtaposes two modes of living: the way of sin and the way of righteousness. Whenever these two ways are juxtaposed, the contrast is stark and the logical conclusion is that the way of righteousness is far better. When we consider the way of sin, there is no fear of God (36:1), [...]


Exodus 4 – Trust in God

Exodus 4 shows us at least two points – one not so shocking, the other very shocking. First, God calls Moses to deliver his people. Moses, like most of us, is filled with fear. He feels like that he is not the right man for the job. He has a point. He is a fugitive [...]