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Displaying A battle of the gods &mdash Azariah
Insight: A Battle of the Gods
Bible readers often focus on the human drama of the encounter between David and Goliath: A young shepherd boy confronts a seasoned man of war and kills him with a stone. But the contest was also between the gods of the ...
In Life: A Challenge to Authority
Sooner or later, almost all leaders have their authority questioned. Sometimes they are challenged directly, but more often indirectly by rumor and innuendo. &tab;Jesus faced a direct challenge to His authority from...
In Depth: A Chicken in Every Pot
When a nation enjoys the blessings of peace and prosperity, it has much for which to be thankful. But with affluence and power come temptations to forget that God is the source of every good thing. We see this in Isr...
In Place: A Combination of Divine and Human Guidance
The way that Moses led Israel through the wilderness serves as an instructive model for Christians seeking guidance in today’s complex world. On the one hand, Moses invited a relative, Hobab...
In Context: A Covenant with Death
In the ancient world, worshipers prayed to both demons and deities of death to spare them, or they wore amulets to protect them from death by warding off the divine beings. Such amulets are commonly found in Middle ...
In Life: A Craving for Results
Saul lost his kingdom because of his craving for results. He wanted to defeat the Philistines so much that he offered a burnt offering, which it was not his place to do (
In Depth: A Day of Rest
When God “rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done” (Gen. 2:2), He was modeling for humanity His intention for a weekly day of rest....
In Context: A Deadly Demon
The prophet Isaiah describes the total desolation that God would visit upon Edom for its hostility to God (Is. 34:2,
In Life: A Definitive Standard
Believe anything you want.” “You’ve got your truth, I’ve got mine.” The frightening thing about such modern viewpoints is that those who believe them become the definers of truth and reality....
In Context: A Disappointing Oasis
Water was the lifeblood of ancient caravans. That made the oasis of Tema (Job 6:19) a popular and indispensable rest stop for Sabean traders traversing...
Comparison: A Faithful Minister
In Life: A Father's Final Charge
A farewell charge like David’s to Solomon (2:1–9) was a fairly common way for fathers in the ancient world to pass on a le...
Insight: A Foolish Order
Some situations, such as war, call for tough-minded leadership that makes great demands on people. In Saul’s war with the Philistines, he ordered his troops to forego food until they had vanquished the enemy (
Insight: A Fortunate Miss
Total confusion reigned in the Garden of Gethsemane as Judas led a band to arrest Jesus. The chaos boiled over when Peter drew a sword and swept the air with a stroke that lopped off the ear of Malchus, one of the arresting...
In Context: A Gospel for the Cities
Christianity eventually prevailed as the dominant worldview and social force in the Roman world. One reason: it planted churches in dozens of the empire’s major cities by the end of the first century. Christ...
In Context: A Heavy Mouth
Among his objections against going to Pharaoh, Moses considered himself slow of speech and slow of tongue (Ex. 4:10). His difficulties in speech are not unpr...
Insight: A Helper
Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the Helper (John 14:16, 17). The Greek word, parakleµtos, means “one called alongside to help....
In Life: A House of Prayer for All Nations
Solomon’s prayer of dedication for the temple at Jerusalem showed that Israel’s God was a God for all nations. The king anticipated that foreigners from all over the world would be drawn to the ...
In Depth: A Key to Understanding the Psalms
A fuller appreciation of the eloquence of the Psalms can be gained by understanding the basics of Hebrew poetry. The lack of a predictable rhythm and rhyme has confused some people about the poetic nature ...
In Context: A King's Procession
The royal procession described in Song 3:6–11 reflects the splendor and pageantry that marked Solomon’s reign. He was kno...
In Life: A Leadership Vacuum—A Public Crisis
How important is the character and quality of a nation’s leaders? Extremely important, according to Isaiah. At the time when
Insight: A Long-Overdue Victory
David’s decisive defeat of the Philistines (2 Sam. 5:25) was a major breakthrough for the establishment of his kingdom. For years the Philistines...
In Place: A Love That Turned to Hate
Michal’s story is tragic and bitter. She fell in love with the handsome David right after the young warrior defeated the giant Goliath (1 Sam....
In Depth: A Loving Tribute
How much should you spend on a funeral? A fortune, or only enough to pay for the barest essentials?
The four Gospel writers recorded that Jesus’ body was treated as a rich man’s corpse might be—whic...
In Context: A Missed Opportunity
While Jehu (10:1) is remembered as one of the great kings of the northern kingdom, he did not entirely follow God’s ways. His bloody rise to pow...
In Place: A Mother's Legacy
Eunice (2 Tim. 1:5) was Jewish, but apparently her father was not very orthodox: he violated one of the clear commands of the Law in ...
In Life: A Nation Loses Its Conscience
Amos’ description of Israel is sobering, if not downright frightening: “They do not know to do right” (Amos 3:10). Wickedness ov...
Comparison: A New Beginning
In Life: A New Covenant
Thousands of years of Jewish history were built on God’s covenant with Israel. But Christ came to rewrite the script of history. He offers a superior covenant rooted in better promises and without fault (
In Depth: A New Culture
Israel was on the verge of a momentous occasion. Not only were they preparing to enter the Promised Land and conquer its inhabitants, they were also preparing to establish a brand new culture. The primary focus of this new cu...
Insight: A New Direction for the Gospel
Paul’s vision and subsequent trip from Troas to Neapolis (Acts 16:9–11) proved to be a major fork in the road...
In Depth: A New Way to Worship
What is the proper way to worship God? For those who had grown up in the religious climate of Ephesus before the gospel, Christian worship called for altogether different behavior than they were used to practicing. So ...
In Life: A Parental Responsibility
As modern-day society is quickly discovering, there is no substitute for a solid, stable home life. Where parents are absent, negligent, or abusive, children will probably not learn to cope with the world in a heal...
Insight: A Patient Believer
There was nothing special about Simeon that qualified him to take up the Christ child in his arms and bless Him (Luke 2:28). To our knowledge he was not an...
Insight: A Person's Name
The name of Perez is explained by an incident at his birth (Gen. 38:29). In the Bible, names are often connected with memorable facts about the persons being ...
In Context: A Pharisee Outdone
The incident in Luke 7:36–50 contrasts a respectable Pharisee, Simon, against a disreputable, unnamed woman. Luke describes he...
Comparison: A Picture of the Gospel
In Life: A Place to Be Forgiven
For the Hebrews, there was only one place to worship God by offering sacrifices—at the tabernacle (Lev. 17:8, 9). This is not to ...
In Context: A Poor Family comes into Wealth
What happened to the gifts presented to Jesus by the wise men (Matt. 2:11)? Scripture doesn’t say. Clearly they reflected the magi&rs...
In Place: A Positive Brokenness
For King David, there was ultimately only one way to deal with sin: face it, confess it, and be forgiven. Psalm 51 shows him doing pr...
In Place: A Royal Turns Out Wrong
The tragic account of David’s son Absalom is a story of …
- appearance. Apparently he was the most handsome man in all Israel. His most notable feature was his thick, long hair, which he cut an...
Insight: A Rugged Journey
Mary’s journey into the Judean hill country (1:39) was no leisurely stroll along a country road. Given the difficulties and dangers that the landscape ...
Insight: A Second Census
Just as Israel’s wilderness wanderings began with a census (Num. 1:2–19), so they ended with one (
In Context: A Second Isaiah?
One of the most impressive of the near prophecies of Isaiah is the specific, extended description of a monarch whose birth was 150 years in the future from Isaiah’s time. This, of course, is regarded as quite impos...
In Place: A Shrewd Politician
Whatever fear Gideon may have felt prior to the battle with the Midianites, he displayed shrewd political instincts when he dealt with the men of Ephraim. His allusion to gleaning after a quality harvest (
In Context: A Sign of Strength
Absalom seems to have taken great pride in his hair, which apparently was so long and thick that it weighed several pounds when he cut it each year (2 Sam...
In Life: A Slave to Sin
The apostle Paul was willing to take a long, hard look at his deepest, darkest inner life. What he saw there was troubling, but true: he was a slave to sin (Rom. 7:1...
Insight: A Spiritual Cause to a Natural Event
The three-year famine in the days of David was the result of Saul’s violation of the standing peace treaty that Israel had with the Gibeonites (
Insight: A Survivor Arrives at Ziklag
The survivor who arrived at Ziklag with news of Saul’s death (2 Sam. 1:1, 2) must have been weary not only from battle with...
In Place: A Theft of Hearts at the Gates of Justice
One way to gain a following is to criticize a public system and then lead people to believe that you could fix the problem if given the power. This was the strategy by which Absalom stole the heart...
In Place: A Watershed Event
Certain decisions and incidents can be watershed events in the lives of ordinary individuals, authority figures, and even nations. The tragic massacre of the priests of Nob (
In Place: Learning from Aaron's Weaknesses
Aaron had reason to do some serious thinking. He realized that the misbehavior of his sons raised serious questions about his fitness for ministry (
In Context: Abner's Outrage
Ishbosheth’s accusation that Abner, his father Saul’s general, had sexually violated the late king’s concubine outraged the seasoned veteran. The charge amounted to impugning the commander’s loyalt...
In Context: Abner's Outrage
Ishbosheth’s accusation that Abner, his father Saul’s general, had sexually violated the late king’s concubine outraged the seasoned veteran. The charge amounted to impugning the commander’s loyalt...
In Depth: The Abrahamic Covenant
God burst into the lives of an older, childless couple, Abram and Sarai, with words of strong determination: “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you” (
In Context: Acacia Tree
The wood of the acacia tree, from which the ark and the tabernacle were constructed (Ex. 25:10;
In Context: Acacia Tree
The wood of the acacia tree, from which the ark and the tabernacle were constructed (Ex. 25:10;
In Depth: Accountability
Sometimes warnings get twisted into excuses. The people of Ezekiel’s day, suffering from the consequences of a history of rebellion against God, found it easier to blame their ancestors for sin than to take responsibil...
In Life: Accountability in the Body of Christ
The discipline of a Corinthian believer (2 Cor. 2:6) points to one of the important functions of the body of Christ—to hold its membe...
In Depth: The Actions of Judah
Even though the actions of Judah were evil throughout most of the events recorded in Gen. 38, he was nonetheless by these events broug...
Comparison: From Defeat to Victory: Adam and Jesus Confront Temptation
In Depth: The Adversary
While the Book of Job teaches us much about human suffering, we also learn a great deal about Satan and his relationship to God. The first two chapters of Job demonstrate that although Satan is in rebellion, he is still accou...
In Focus: “advice”
(Heb. 'etsah) (2 Sam. 17:7; Job 38:2;
In Focus: “advocate”
(Gk. parakletos) (2:1; John 14:16,
In Life: Affirm Other Leaders
Jesus invested Himself in the development of other people, particularly the Twelve. He gave them responsibility and authority, resisting the temptation to get the job done “right” by doing it Himself. With thi...
In Life: Affirm Other Leaders
Jesus invested Himself in the development of other people, particularly the Twelve. He gave them responsibility and authority, resisting the temptation to get the job done “right” by doing it Himself. With thi...
In Context: Blessings to Africa
With the relocation of the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem—the occasion for which Psalm 68 may have been composed—the Is...
In Place: Africans in the Bible
Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, the official who unexpectedly came to Jeremiah’s aid (Jer. 38:7), was one of a number of Africans mentioned in the Bible...
In Place: Africans in the Bible
Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, the official who unexpectedly came to Jeremiah’s aid (Jer. 38:7), was one of a number of Africans mentioned in the Bible...
Insight: The Importance of Age
Joseph seated his brothers in order of their ages (Gen. 43:33). Rights of inheritance were almost inflexibly linked to the order of birth. In society as...
In Place: Agrippa, Paul's Judge
Marcus Julius Agrippa was the Roman name of Agrippa II, the last of the Herodian dynasty of five Roman-appointed kings in Palestine. He and his father, Agrippa I, were descended from the Jewish-born Herod the Great, r...
In Place: Agrippa, Paul's Judge
Marcus Julius Agrippa was the Roman name of Agrippa II, the last of the Herodian dynasty of five Roman-appointed kings in Palestine. He and his father, Agrippa I, were descended from the Jewish-born Herod the Great, r...
In Place: Agur and Lemuel
The final two chapters of Proverbs are attributed to men named Agur and Lemuel. Neither of these men are mentioned elsewhere in the Bible. Appearing in both attributions (
In Place: Agur and Lemuel
The final two chapters of Proverbs are attributed to men named Agur and Lemuel. Neither of these men are mentioned elsewhere in the Bible. Appearing in both attributions (
In Place: Ahab
Generally recognized as the most evil king of Israel, Ahab did at times display courage and even real humility before God (21:29). Unfortunately, he never served the ...
In Place: Why Ahimaaz Outran the Cushite
Knowledge about the geography near Mahanaim, where David awaited word of the battle with Absalom (2 Sam. 17:27;
In Life: Aid for the Poor
By comparison to the many modern Christians who live in affluence, the Corinthian believers would appear poor. Yet Paul described the Christians of Macedonia as living in “deep poverty” (
In Life: Aid for the Poor
By comparison to the many modern Christians who live in affluence, the Corinthian believers would appear poor. Yet Paul described the Christians of Macedonia as living in “deep poverty” (
Insight: Alabaster
Alabaster is a soft, translucent stone that can be easily carved and polished. It was often used as a substitute for glass. Alabaster perfume bottles were sealed, disposable containers, opened by breaking and then discarded when e...
In Place: Alexander, the Enemy
Wherever the gospel enjoys unusual success, believers will soon find someone determined to oppose it. In fact, it seems that the greater the impact that the message of Christ has, the more strident and determined will ...
In Place: Alexander, the Enemy
Wherever the gospel enjoys unusual success, believers will soon find someone determined to oppose it. In fact, it seems that the greater the impact that the message of Christ has, the more strident and determined will ...
In Life: Pledging Allegiance
David spared Saul’s life twice—once in the cave at En Gedi (24:1–7) and again in the Wilderness of Ziph (
Insight: An Ancient Key
An ancient key was a piece of wood or metal that could be passed through a hole in a door and used to move the latch or crossbar inside. Protection was provided by making the shape of the key complex. The Egyptians put wooden...
In Context: An Ecological Disaster
The infestation of frogs (Ex. 8:1–15) and the other nine plagues created an ecological nightmare in Egypt. The Nile and its ...
In Context: An Eye for An Eye?
Jesus appears to make some stark, seemingly impossible demands: God’s people should never use force in self-defense (Matt. 5:39); they should neve...
In Place: An Innocent Victim
Uriah the Hittite was one of David’s mighty men (23:39). The name Uriah means Flame of the Lord or The Lord Is Light. The fact that he is called a...
Insight: An Invincible Fortress?
The Jebusites assumed that they were invincible because of their strong fortifications (2 Sam. 5:6). But they failed to realize that God had determined ...
Insight: An Overdue Judgment
The defeat of the Amalekite groups living in the pasturelands near Gedor (1 Chr. 4:39–43) fulfilled a promise of judgment that t...
In Place: Anathoth, Jeremiah's Hometown
Located less than five miles northeast of Jerusalem, Anathoth was a Levitical city (Josh. 21:1–3). It was the hometow...
In Place: Anathoth, Jeremiah's Hometown
Located less than five miles northeast of Jerusalem, Anathoth was a Levitical city (Josh. 21:1–3). It was the hometow...
In Context: Ancestor Worship
The deification of ancestors was common throughout the ancient world. The mythological texts from Ugarit (1400–1200 B.C.) make reference to rulers in the netherworld who formerly had been monarchs in the human real...
In Context: Ancestor Worship
The deification of ancestors was common throughout the ancient world. The mythological texts from Ugarit (1400–1200 B.C.) make reference to rulers in the netherworld who formerly had been monarchs in the human real...
Insight: Ancient Vineyards
To be fruitful, vineyards require considerable care. When the grapes are crushed for their juice, organisms found on the outside of the peel reach the juice. The organisms multiply and cause the juice to ferment and become...
Insight: Ancient Vineyards
To be fruitful, vineyards require considerable care. When the grapes are crushed for their juice, organisms found on the outside of the peel reach the juice. The organisms multiply and cause the juice to ferment and become...
In Focus: “angel”
(Heb. mal'ak) (4:1; 2 Sam. 2:5;
In Focus: “anger”
(Heb. 'aph) (2 Kin. 13:3; Deut. 6:15;
In Life: Animals and Their Rights
One of the most complex issues of modern society is the impact that meeting the needs of people has on animals and their environment. Does the Bible have anything to say about this often divisive topic?
One pr...
In Life: Animals and Their Rights
One of the most complex issues of modern society is the impact that meeting the needs of people has on animals and their environment. Does the Bible have anything to say about this often divisive topic?
One pr...
In Focus: “anointing”
(Gk. aleiphoµ) (5:14; Matt. 6:17;
In Context: The Sinful City and the Antichrist
The great harlot, identified with Babylon (Rev. 17:5), is a powerful and wealthy center of human civilization that leads the kings and all...
In Life: Antidote for Comparisonitis
One of the most debilitating diseases of the modern world is “comparisonitis”—the tendency to measure one’s worth by comparing oneself to other people. You won’t find this illness list...
In Life: Antidote for Comparisonitis
One of the most debilitating diseases of the modern world is “comparisonitis”—the tendency to measure one’s worth by comparing oneself to other people. You won’t find this illness list...
Comparison: The Seven Churches of the Apocalypse
In Depth: Revelation as Apocalyptic Literature
The word revelation (1:1) is a translation of the Greek word apokalupsis, from which we get the English words apocalyp...
In Context: The Use of Apocryphal Sources
The Jewish Apocrypha consists of books and writings that were never recognized as part of the canon of Scripture, but which served a devotional purpose for many believers of ancient times, including some of ...
Insight: The Twelve Apostles
These twelve men were called “apostles” (Gk. apostolos, “messenger”) for they had been sent out to deliver Christ’s message to others.
Comparison: The Appearances of the Risen Christ
Central to Christian faith is the bodily resurrection of Jesus. By recording the resurrection appearances, the New Testament leaves no doubt about this event.
- In or around Jerusalem:
Comparison: Appearing Only in Luke …
Comparison: Appearing Only in Luke …
In Depth: The Arameans
Some of the forces opposing general Joab were Syrians (1 Chr. 9:10), members of an ethnic group also known as the Arameans. They controlled the region northeast...
In Life: Are Some Jobs More Important?
Does a hierarchy of gifts (1 Cor. 12:28–31) mean God values some jobs more than others? Judging by popular opinion...
In Context: Are Sundays Special?
In the OT, God commanded the Hebrews to set aside one day a week as a Sabbath, a holy day of rest (Ex. 20:8–11;
In Context: Paul's Speech to the Areopagus
The purpose of Paul’s visit to the Areopagus and its council is not certain, but he may have been on trial to defend his beliefs. Although ancient references to the council of the Areopagus are few, i...
In Context: The Ark of the Covenant
The ark (Ex. 25:10–22), commonly known as the ark of the covenant, was the most sacred of all the furniture in the ta...
In Focus: “Armageddon”
(Gk. armageddon) (16:16) Strong’s #717: This Greek term, which appears only here in the NT, appears to be derived from the w...
In Depth: The Sweet-Smelling Aroma of Love
Smell is the most evocative of the senses, and so it is not surprising that the Song of Solomon, like many romantic poems, alludes to numerous scents and fragrances. All have to do with the sweet-smelling a...
In Context: Paul Arrested in the Temple
After arriving in Jerusalem, Paul went to James, the brother of Jesus, and to the elders, telling them about his work among the Gentiles. The leaders of the church rejoiced over the conversion of Gentiles, but...
Insight: A Survivor Arrives at Ziklag
The survivor who arrived at Ziklag with news of Saul’s death (2 Sam. 1:1, 2) must have been weary not only from battle with...
In Place: The Sons of Asaph
The name Asaph (1 Chr. 25:1) probably would have been as important to worshipers in ancient Israel as the names Bach and Handel have become for many Christ...
Insight: Ashdod and Its Implications
The name “Ashdod” (Neh. 13:23) was notorious among the Israelites as it indicated a group that had long been their enemies, the Philisti...
Insight: Ashdod and Its Implications
The name “Ashdod” (Neh. 13:23) was notorious among the Israelites as it indicated a group that had long been their enemies, the Philisti...
In Focus: “assembly”
(Heb. qahal) (2 Chr. 6:3; Deut. 18:16;
In Context: Third-Party Assistance
When a relationship has broken down, what can be done? It helps if a third party can be found to mediate a settlement, and that was a function of the priests in ancient Israel. By favoring Aaron’s rod over th...
In Life: Led Astray by Lies
Have you ever tried to minimize the guilt of telling a lie with the attitude, “Of course I lied. Doesn’t everybody? What’s the big deal?” Part of the “big deal” is that if you assume you&rs...
In Life: Positive Authority
Authority can be used in ways that bring liberty to people, not just limitation. &tab;Authority is sometimes thought of as nothing more than telling others what they cannot do and keeping people in line. But in God’...
In Place: Azariah
While the account in 2 Kings summarily dismisses Azariah (15:1), the record in Second Chronicles presents a good deal of information about his considerable accomplis...