The Second Temple: Why It Was Built and What It Meant
The remnant returned to Jerusalem with a temple to rebuild and the consequences of Judah's rebellion still before them. Ezra follows their work from…
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What Is Idolatry? A Biblical Examination
Idolatry can sound like a sin that belongs to ancient temples, but Scripture brings it much closer to home. What makes a carved image…
Deborah the Judge: What Judges 4 and 5 Teach
Deborah was a prophetess and judge in Israel during a time when a Canaanite king had oppressed the people for twenty years. When she…
The Root of Jesse: What Isaiah’s Prophecy Reveals About Jesus
Isaiah names the coming King the Root of Jesse, reaching back to David's father to identify the Messiah. Why Jesse, and how can this…
The Feast of Trumpets: What It Means in the Bible
Leviticus gives Israel a brief command for the Feast of Trumpets: stop customary work, gather before the LORD, and observe a memorial marked by…
The Number 3 in the Bible: Does It Have a Meaning?
Three appears in passages about God's nature, human testimony, repeated actions, and the resurrection of Jesus. Those uses deserve attention, but they do not…
The Tribe of Judah: From a Flawed Son to the Lion of Judah
Judah's name eventually leads us to David's throne and to Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Before we reach those promises, however,…
Bathsheba in the Bible: Her Life Beyond David’s Sin
Bathsheba's life is often reduced to David's worst sin, but Scripture records more than what he did to her household. She was Uriah's wife,…
The Book of Job Explained: Suffering, Faith, and the Living Redeemer
Job was a man who feared God, and yet he lost his children, his possessions, and his health. When his friends came to comfort…
The Tribe of Benjamin: Courage, Failure, and Covenant Faithfulness
Benjamin's warriors could be courageous, disciplined, and loyal while fighting for a wicked cause. The tribe that produced Ehud nearly destroyed itself by defending…
The Book of Joel: Repentance, the Spirit, and the Day of the Lord
Joel begins with fields stripped bare and animals crying out for water. With the harvest gone, the people could no longer bring their offerings…
Lot in the Bible: A Righteous Man With a Troubled Legacy
Peter calls Lot righteous, yet Genesis records decisions in his life that were foolish and sometimes appalling. I need to receive both parts of…