Several people have recently asked me about the mysterious figure of Melchizedek and why the book of Hebrews makes such a big deal out of him, even though he’s only mentioned in 4 verses in the whole Old Testament! So… Read More ›
Old Testament
A Biblical Prayer for Guidance in Uncertain Times (Psalm 25)
We are living in the midst of uncertain times, and for a lot of us it’s probably easy to feel overwhelmed by all the things that are rapidly developing every day — in the news, on the Internet, and even… Read More ›
Psalms That Reference David’s Life
I just finished teaching through the life of Israel’s King David at our church (thank God for technology that allows me to teach virtually!). Because of David’s poetic labors as the “sweet psalmist of Israel” (2 Sam 23:1), we have… Read More ›
Video: 1 Samuel (The Rise of David)
Time for something new! I did a thing! See me on VIDEO! (I stayed up late recording it, so I don’t feel like writing a full post today!) Here’s the link to the video lesson I recorded for the Sunday… Read More ›
Thoughts from Quarantine (Psalm 37)
Greetings, fellow shut-ins and those who still roam free! In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, my work has mandated that everyone stay away from the office and work from home. And while my city hasn’t officially declared a quarantine,… Read More ›
1 Samuel 4, Coronavirus, and the Illusion of Control
I’m currently teaching through the book of 1 Samuel and I was surprised by the fresh relevance of a particular scene in it. 1 Samuel 4 hasn’t been a source of great devotional insight to me previously, but in the… Read More ›
Every Book of the Old Testament in a Nutshell
Reading the Old Testament can be daunting, especially if you don’t have much context for what this collection of ancient books is all about. To help readers better understand the Old Testament without getting lost, here are quick summaries of… Read More ›
Book Review: The Violence of the Biblical God by L. Daniel Hawk
Whenever I told people I was reading a new book about violence in the Bible, I inevitably got the same response: “There sure is a lot!” Understatement of the century! One barely makes it past the first few chapters of… Read More ›
The “Angry” God of the Old Testament?
Critics of the Bible often complain that the God we see depicted in the Old Testament is an angry, vindictive deity. They’ll aver that Yahweh appears to be more than a bit temperamental — indeed, he seems constantly ready to… Read More ›
Your Gifts Aren’t Just for You (Exodus 35)
I’ve been reading back through the book of Exodus this month, and there’s a passage near the end that always grabs my attention. It’s in Exodus chapter 35, and it’s the first place in the Bible that mentions people being… Read More ›
