It is said that the Bible is the most influential book you will ever read. It is the oldest, complete book from history that we now have. Some of the quotes from the Bible are actually a part of our culture and conversations on a daily basis. For example, the phrase the writing is on the wall is ...

Many people know about the Biblical man named Abraham. It’s common to know that he is important in at least three major religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In the narrative of the Bible, Abraham is a key figure whose name changed from Abram to Abraham. Abram is a name that means father. ...

In Genesis 17, the LORD speaks to Abram and tells him two significant things: First, his name will be changed from Abram to Abraham, from father to exalted father. This is how God will address him from this time forward. Second, God tells Abraham, and us, that the land he is in will be given to h...

Abraham did not do everything right. In fact, we know that he lied about who Sarah was to him many times. The Bible reveals a marriage between Abraham and Sarah that was largely built on lying. When God told Abraham to leave his father’s land and people, Abraham asked Sarah to tell people whereve...

In Genesis 22, God speaks to Abraham after he is tested with the sacrifice of Isaac. This incident was important in Abraham’s life, Isaac’s life, and the lives of their future children. The LORD blessed Abraham with a promise that he would be made into a great nation through Isaac, and a blessing...

Abraham had tried to establish a pattern of securing family marriages from the land he was originally from. Isaac’s wife Rebekah had come from Abraham’s original land, and when Isaac and Rebekah’s sons were of age, they were frustrated when Esau married Canaanite women instead. They would have pr...

God marks the confrontation with Jacob, in Genesis 32, with a specific word. Years earlier, Jacob had successfully taken the birthright of his twin brother Esau, so, he is appropriately named. Jacob means taking the place of another, through scheming. In Genesis 32, Jacob finds himself truly alon...

In the last verses of Genesis 35, the generations and situations change. Rachel, as she is dying in childbirth, names her son Ben-Oni as her last act. This name tragically means son of my sorrow. Her husband Jacob chooses instead to honour them both by calling him Benjamin, meaning son of the rig...

The Bible is very upfront about the dark side of human nature, but we should not mistake this honesty with endorsement. We always have decisions to make and God has told us over and over again to pray for guidance and live according to His morality. When we do, He gives us the ability to do the r...

The LORD knows the future, He planned the past, and understands how they fit together. The LORD is orchestrating everything as He has from the beginning.

There was a great famine coming on the earth and God shows Pharaoh in a dream what will happen. However, Pharaoh did not understand. Perhaps h...

The first five heroes of the Old Testament were women. The Bible is frequently charged with being chauvinistic, but it is so easily misunderstood. The Bible records history, it is reporting on human nature, it is not endorsing that nature. The Bible’s history may be depressing at times, but it al...

Three indicators of God’s power were in the path of Moses as he returned to Egypt. First there were the miracles that God showed him, represented by the rod that Moses carried. Then there was the personal display of God’s power which Moses didn’t seem to have recognized, but his wife Zipporah did...

The ten plagues of Egypt were ten judgments of God that could have been avoided if Pharaoh had obeyed God through Moses. Pharaoh was of the belief that he was God. This helps explain why his heart was hard against the God of his slaves. He was not interested in losing their valuable labor. He bel...

The LORD spoke to ancient Israel about what actions they must take for death to pass over their households. God’s judgment was coming on Egypt in the tenth plague. Today we live in the time of the grace of Jesus Christ. That means that we have opportunity to come to God in repentance. One day how...

We hear it all the time from people who are frustrated and impatient: “Is the LORD with us or not?” “Why won’t the LORD do miracles?” But we learn from Scripture that God’s time does not flow like our felt needs move. In many ways, we are tempted to call on God for our felt needs, rather than tru...

Most ancient religions had specific things that they would wear to convey meaning and worship. The Hebrews were no different, they too were commanded to make specific garments for the priests. While the idea was not unique to Israel, the design and meanings of the outfits were unique. On a base l...

The census offering in the book of Exodus is very interesting. Whenever a census of the Israelites was taken, everyone who was twenty years old and older had to pay a half-shekel as an atonement offering. This offering money could only be used for the operation of the Tent Tabernacle. This moneta...

Offerings were meant to be given by free will. People chose to give to God because they understood what God had done for them. In the ancient times, God delivered Israel out of Egypt and the people were grateful for the miracles that God had done. Today we have been given eternal life, and words ...

The fashion industry is booming. We truly care about what we wear. In recent years, many pastors have made it a priority to dress normally on Sunday to illustrate that God cares more about your heart than your clothes. While this is true, it does not mean dressing up for Sunday service is wrong o...

There were several offerings in the Old Covenant designed to illustrate God’s holiness and to impart a sense of respect not seen in any other worship practice. The offerings given to idols as well as other pagan worship practices involving idolatry, divination, fortune-telling, horoscopes, and th...

There are many ways to describe the hurts and blunders that our own actions can cause in our lives. One of these ways is to compare them to physical ailments. The sin offerings in the Old Testament give us great examples of how sin works. There are phases to sin’s infection in our life. There are...