As we read the history of 1 Chronicles, we will see that David respected order and structure. We know that David was both creative, many of the Psalms are attributed to him, and that he was committed to order. In 1 Chronicles 24, we are reminded that the sons of Aaron, Eleazar and
Ithamar, became...

The glory of the LORD is amazing! The Hebrew word kabod means “glory” or “honour” that signifies the weighty presence, majesty, splendor, abundance, and riches of God. So when we talk about the glory of the LORD, it holds more meaning than we might think. We also see in our reading today that the...

"n 2 Chronicles 7, the Temple in Jerusalem was dedicated. It was called the house of God by the Israelites. The events surrounding its establishment are stunning; we can imagine its beauty as the Bible describes its footprint, decoration, and articles. The worship of God in the time of Solomon’s ...

In the Biblical books of Chronicles, there are records of good and bad kings, and we get to see how God interacts with both. Today, we will read about one of the good kings of the southern kingdom of Judah, Asa, father of Jehoshaphat and son of Abijah. But before we do, Asa’s father deserves a me...

In the records of 2 Chronicles 19, we learn that the seventh king of Judah, whose name was Jehoshaphat, ruled well from about 873-848 BC. Among his significant accomplishments was a religious renewal and rededication to the worship of God. This was most important. He did have some troubles while ...

The tenth king of Judah was named Joash, and he did not come to the throne easily. He reigned from 835–796 BC. At the death of his father the king, Joash’s grandmother, the Queen Mother Athaliah, went on a murderous rampage. Joash was rescued by his Aunt Jehosheba, the wife of Jehoiada the priest...

There is a cost to sin. On this side of the cross, we now live in the blessed assurance of the saving work of Jesus Christ. Followers of Jesus know that we are saved from the ultimate wrath of God. But in our reading today, there was a king who bore the cost of ignoring the LORD. God had reached ...

The about-face that the kingdom of Judah experienced after the reign of Hezekiah must have been horrible to see. After Hezekiah’s death, his son King Manasseh systematically reversed all of Hezekiah’s God-honouring ways. He pushed Judah into the most depraved forms of idolatry. The Bible says abo...

A lot was happening during the days of Ezra, descendant of Aaron, whose ministry also overlapped with that of Nehemiah’s. Ezra is believed to be the author of the Biblical book named after him, and he began his ministry around 538 BC. He was a scribe, skilled in the Law of God. Ezra loved the LOR...

Many Jewish rabbis and teachers suggest that the second most important man in Jewish history is Ezra—Moses being the first. We do know that Ezra was a distant relative of Moses, since he was a descendant of Aaron, Moses’ brother. Ezra led the third wave of exiles returning to Jerusalem. The first...

Humanity has accomplished amazing things throughout history, but we have never been able to rid ourselves of the sin that plagues our souls. Only Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, has ever had the ability to confront and deal with our sin and rebellion. Back in the late fifth century BC, the...

The book of Nehemiah records Ezra reading the Law of God to the people as they gathered to worship in Jerusalem. Ezra was an expert in the Scriptures and had become a teacher of them. It is interesting to note that while Ezra was reading the Law, other Levites were among the people explaining the...

Nehemiah discovered that his work to rebuild and restore Jerusalem was not just physical, it was spiritual. Nehemiah had to return to Jerusalem to correct the priests who were not following God’s Law. The Levites had allied themselves with people from Moab and Ammon who had not converted. Remembe...

I think that the book of Esther is one of the greatest storytelling works of the ancient world. It was written about a young woman who lived during the reign of Ahasuerus, king of Persia, about 485-464 BC. In Esther’s ten chapters we will follow Hadassah, a young, orphaned Hebrew woman who lived ...

God has a way of enacting justice that also serves as a teaching tool for the rest of us. The way He worked out rescue for His people living in Persia stands as a great hope and a great warning. The evil plans of those in power were overcome by the actions of someone with no power. In an unexpect...

The book of Job brings us up close and personal with human suffering. It is an uncomfortable book. It focuses in on a specific kind of suffering: Undeserved suffering. In the case of Job, he was a righteous man, following the Law of God, and therefore blameless, forgiven of his sins. And yet, God...

Zophar seems to me to be the harshest of Job’s three friends. He focuses only on the issue of sin. He tells Job that he is a man full of wind with his complaints. Zophar says, “Should your empty talk make men hold their peace?” ( J O B 1 1 : 3 ). What a comfort for your friend who has just lost e...

Sometimes there are just no words. It is very easy to lose our perspective during times of great pain. It can be hard or impossible to think well in those states. Praying the Psalms can be a good strategy that can give words to our hearts, and when all else fails, the Scriptures reminds us that t...

God sees you. He sees you in times of happiness, strength, and peace. He sees you in times of pain, sorrow, and loss. In times of grief, it helps me to remember that God doesn’t just know my sorrow, He understands it. Through Jesus Christ, who was fully God and fully man, He has experienced human...

As Job looks back to his former happiness, he remembers how he used to be honoured by people, how with his wealth he would help and comfort people in need. It stung bitterly when compared to his present situation. Due to his loss, his position in society and reputation were also gone. The only th...

Elihu speaks in today’s reading, he speaks last because he was the youngest of the men and it was a show of respect for his elders. Yet, his words show an arrogance toward them. Elihu respected them in practice but not in truth. The Bible identifies Elihu as the son of Barakel the Buzite, he may ...