Lashes were limited to forty as a safeguard against excessive punishment and to preserve the dignity of the offender. This command ensured that discipline remained just, not abusive or degrading. "Forty blows he may give him and no more, lest he should exceed this...

The miracle of water from the rock is recorded in two distinct events in Israel’s wilderness journey and teaches about God’s provision and the consequences of disobedience. It also points prophetically to Jesus Christ as the source of living water.The...

The placement of the law beside the ark of the covenant symbolized its authority and the covenantal relationship between God and Israel. It was not placed inside the ark, which held the tablets of the Ten Commandments, but beside it, signifying that it stood as a...

Jephthah is introduced in Judges 11 as a mighty man of valor from Gilead. He was the son of a harlot, and though his father was Gilead, his half-brothers drove him out, saying, “You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house” (Judges 11:2)....

Sacrifices were required before the priests could serve because they needed atonement for their own sins and cleansing to approach a holy God. Though chosen for sacred service, the priests were still sinners and could not minister without first being purified...

Malachi is the last prophet recorded in the Old Testament. His name means “My messenger,” and he ministered to the post-exilic Jewish community likely during the time of Nehemiah, after the rebuilding of the temple (completed in 516 BC) but before the...

John’s vision of the seven churches is recorded in Revelation chapters 1 through 3. It begins with a vision of the glorified Christ and continues with individual messages addressed to seven historical churches in Asia Minor: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos,...

The Bible does not use the word “pornography,” but it clearly addresses the heart of the matter: lust, sexual immorality, and the defilement of the eyes and heart. Jesus says in Matthew 5:28, “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust...

The account of Abraham being commanded to sacrifice Isaac is found in Genesis 22:1–19. It begins with God testing Abraham’s faith. God said to him, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love… and offer him there as a burnt...

The Bible does not use the word “stress” directly, but it addresses the pressure, burdens, and overwhelming circumstances that cause stress in life. God’s Word offers both a diagnosis and a solution, pointing to the peace, strength, and rest found...