The setting for Elijah's showdown is laid out in 1 Kings 17–18. Israel is deep into apostasy under the rule of King Ahab and his Sidonian wife, Jezebel, who promoted the worship of Baal and Asherah. 1 Kings 16:33 says, "And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did...
The book of Amos opens simply: "The words of Amos, who was among the sheepbreeders of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake." (Amos...
The first mention of Nimrod is found in Genesis 10:8-9, in the genealogy of Noah’s descendants after the Flood. The Scripture says, "Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said,...
In the days when Israel had no king, the people did what was right in their own eyes. The nation drifted in cycles of sin, judgment, repentance, and deliverance. God would raise judges to rescue His people, not because they deserved it, but because He is merciful....
Hannah was the first wife of Elkanah, a man from the tribe of Ephraim. Though deeply loved by her husband, she bore the weight of barrenness, while his second wife, Peninnah, had children and mocked her continually (1 Samuel 1:6). In ancient Israel, to be barren...
Baal (Hebrew: בַּעַל, Baʿal) simply means “lord” or “master.” It was a title used broadly across the ancient Near East for various gods, especially storm and fertility gods. In Canaanite religion,...
Psalm 8 is a Psalm of David, as the inscription clearly states: “To the Chief Musician. On the instrument of Gath. A Psalm of David.” David, the shepherd-king, wrote many of his Psalms under the open sky, and this one reflects the awe of a man who often...
Jonathan was the firstborn son of King Saul (1 Samuel 14:49), which made him the legal heir to the throne of Israel. In the world's eyes, Jonathan was destined for kingship. But Jonathan's account is not one of political ambition; it is one of self-denial, courage,...
Bathsheba is often remembered for scandal, but Scripture gives us a broader and richer portrait of her life. She was a daughter, a wife, a mother, and eventually the queen mother of Solomon. Her name appears in critical moments in the lineage of Christ, and though...
Cherubim are not chubby baby angels as popular art suggests. In Scripture, they are mighty, fearsome, and holy creatures that dwell in the presence of God and serve Him with awe and power. They are among the highest-ranking beings in the heavenly order, and their...
