Moses gives instruction for a ceremony of covenant renewal that was to be followed when Israel entered the promised land. It seems that throughout Israel’s history it was necessary for God to periodically call His people to renewals of covenant commitment and obedience…
Gideon who came through the test of adversity with flying colors was not so successful in the test of prosperity. After his successful encounters with the enemies of the Lord he yielded to two temptations which brought devastating consequences …
In yesterday’s passage, judgment was declared on those who practiced idolatry and refused to worship the Lord (vv. 4-6). Today’s passage will focus on the more everyday type of sin, the kind of wrongdoing that is so easy for us to ignore. It was customary to summon people to a sacrifice …
After David had captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites and made it the capital of Israel and Judah, he was eager to make it the religious center as well. This could not be done, however, till the Ark of the Covenant was returned to a permanent resting place in Jerusalem. The Philistines had …
A person who trusts Christ is born of God and is able to overcome the world (v. 6). It appears that the term “water” is a reference to the baptism of Jesus by which His public ministry was initiated (Matt. 3:13-17). “Blood” refers to His death, by which His ea …
Moses had left his family with his father-in-law Jethro, who was the priest of Midian when he returned to Egypt. Now they all joined Moses in the wilderness (vv. 1-5). Jethro apparently had followed the happenings of his son-in-law, with great interest and when the Israelites ca …
It is important to remember that our perspective determines how we respond to the truth. If we see a car as only a racing machine we will fail to utilize all of its potential in carrying goods from one place to another. In the same way, if we fail to see all of the wonderful facets of…
David may have written this psalm to be sung annually when the harvest was brought to the Lord. It is obviously a harvest hymn of praise, designed to be sung on an occasion of thanksgiving and not a ritual. The psalm begins with a mention of man’s preparation to praise God …
When religious restraints are removed, we find the moral conditions of a country going down. This fact just shows the basic wickedness of man when he is apart from God. Here we find a religious leader of Israel whose life should have been a shining example of purity taking to himself …
Israel practiced formal religion. Amos criticizes the people of Israel for believing that their religious practices could compensate for their self-indulgent and sinful lifestyle (vv. 1-5). He begins this section by referring to the wealthy women of Samaria, calling them “ …