Micah: the just God demands justice
God had made Israel His own special nation, and He had special expectations of them. God is holy, and His people were to be holy. God is faithful, and His people were to be faithful to Him. God is merciful, and His people were to be merciful. God is just, and His...
Amos: the sovereign Lord roars against Israel
Amos was a simple shepherd in the Southern Kingdom of Judah (Am 1:1). He wasn't a prophet. There were no prophets in his family. But God had a message for the rebellious Northern Kingdom of Israel, and He chose Amos to deliver it (Am 7:15). God had made Israel His...
Paul’s letters are live!
Well, the documents have been around for more than 1,900 years, but they all have pages on this site as of this week. I liked Paul before I began overviewing his letters. Now I really love the man: Paul is orderly. He's a disciplined, intentional, organized writer. He...
Proverbs: principles of wisdom, righteousness, and justice
The new king Solomon became king, God came to him in a dream with a golden opportunity: "Ask what you wish Me to give you" (1 Ki 3:5). He could have asked for long life, riches, or the deaths of his adversaries, but instead, he asks for wisdom (1 Ki 3:9). God was...
What was it like before Noah’s flood?
Many people have speculated on what life was in the time between Adam's sin and Noah's flood. The book of Genesis does not give us a perfect profile of antediluvian civilization, but the Word does tell us a few things of note: 1. At least two people made sacrifices to...
Daniel: God’s long-term plan for the world
Isaiah was right. Jeremiah was right. Habakkuk was right. The Babylonians had attacked Jerusalem and carried off many Jewish captives. One of them was a young man named Daniel. Daniel quickly distinguishes himself from the men of Babylon. He is loyal to his God. He is...
6 biblical facts about Michael the archangel
Next to Gabriel and Satan, Michael is probably the most famous angelic being in the Bible. And since we find angels so fascinating, there's been lots and lots of talk about Michael through the centuries. He's become such a legendary character, it's often hard to...
Why 1 & 2 Chronicles are so boring (and how to change that)
We've heard plenty of jokes about how boring certain sections of the Bible can be, and First and Second Chronicles tend to be the punch line. If you've ever tried to read these books of the Bible, you have a good idea why. They're long---full of genealogies and...
Hosea: God’s unending love for an unfaithful people
What is Hosea about? The Northern Kingdom of Israel had turned her back on God. When God chose Jeroboam to rule the northern ten tribes of Israel, He was prepared to establish Jeroboam's bloodline the same way He'd done for David (1 Ki 11:38). Instead, King Jeroboam...
Can you guess the bossiest book of the Bible?
The Bible is full of commands---we all know there are at least 10. Biblical commands, instructions, and exhortations are important: we see what the characters and authors intend for others to do. A long time ago, I attended a Bible-study workshop on 2 Thessalonians....
