God’s people continued to sin even though they had the law, the prophets of God, and history filled with God’s miracles. Because of the people’s sin God would give the city of Jerusalem (His mountain in the land) and the wealth of its inhabitants as plunder (Jer …
James issued a warning: a fountain cannot give forth two kinds of water, and a tree cannot bear two kinds of fruit. From this, two pictures of controlled speech are given: a fountain & a tree (vv. 9-12). The fountain provides the water man needs to stay alive. Water is life-giving, and our words …
When Mordecai heard about the decree of Ahasuerus for the destruction of the Jews he rent his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes, which displayed to the Jews great sorrow and grief (v. 1). He displayed his grief publicly, walking throughout the city and crying out bitterly. He was even …
This is Job’s third response to Bildad (vv. 1-14). His reply is almost like the summing up argument of an attorney. He rebukes Bildad for not giving him any help (vv. 1-4). Job had no power, but Bildad didn’t make him stronger. According to his friends, Job lacked wis …
Having explained what the Law does, Paul now explains what the Law cannot do. The Law cannot set you free (v. 14). Paul doesn’t understand why he acts the way he does (vv. 15-20). What he doesn’t want to do he ends up doing and what he wants to do he ends up not doing. The Law cannot …
Peter proclaimed to the crowd that Jesus is Messiah (vv. 22). He insisted that the Cross was no accident, as it belonged to God’s eternal plan (v. 23), a fact that is stated multiple times in Acts (3:18; 4:28; 13:29). However, those who crucified Him were still guilty of murder (v. 23). The …
In this passage the Apostle Paul turns to admonitions and instructions concerning the elders of a church. To get a church operating as it ought to is more important than maintaining good schools, or electing strong officials to office, or building a sound economic base in this country; it is far …
At the end of I Chronicles (29:26-30) we find that David has just died (he was about 70 years of age) (II Samuel 5:4). Solomon takes the royal power fully with a genuine wholehearted devotion to God (v. 1). He is now in complete control of his kingdom because the Lord has blessed him …
The Sea of Galilee is an oval shaped body of water approximately eight miles wide and thirteen miles long. Historians tell us that in the first century some 240 boats regularly fished in its waters. It was here that Jesus publicly called His first two disciples Peter and An …
The Southern Kingdom was to be ruled by six kings (five bad and one good) before the end would come. Manasseh’s reign began when, as a youngster of twelve, he was placed on the throne as a co-ruler with his father Hezekiah. His reign lasted for 55 years which was the longest rei …