I must say that I love the Old Testament.  There are just so many stories that relate to our lives.  The story of Elijah and his contest with the priests of Baal is a dramatic example of the power of the Lord over all the earth.  He is the supremeContinue Reading

1 Kings 11-14 tell the story of the division of the Kingdom of Israel.  We spent a few minutes setting up the circumstances surrounding the division of the kingdom as outlined in 1 Kings 11-12.  After establishing the narrative where Jeroboam decides to set up false worship in the northernContinue Reading

The narrative of David’s downfall in 2 Samuel 11 is given with such detail and in such a matter of fact manner that it is impossible to miss the point.  David made a series of decisions that brought him and those around him misery.  There were several switchpoints in thisContinue Reading

2 Samuel 13 As the remainder of David’s life unfolds in the book of 2 Samuel, the narrative is filled will examples of how Nathan’s prophecies about David and his family are fulfilled.  The record states that one of David’s sons, Amnon, loved his beautiful half-sister, Tamar, who was theContinue Reading

As Samuel grows, he learns to hear the voice of the Lord.  The experience in 1 Samuel 3 illustrates how the Lord works with us to communicate his will.  We need to grow in the process of hearing and following the still small voice of the Spirit. Sister Julie BeckContinue Reading

Deuteronomy 7 discusses the importance of making the right decisions with respect to marriage.  From the text we read: Neither shalt thou make amarriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.  For they will aturn away thyContinue Reading

In class as we were going through some of the chapters in Numbers I had several students ask about the casting out of the lepers in Numbers 5.  Although not just lepers were “put out of the camp” (Numbers 5:2), this brought out the idea – what leprosy represented.  LeprosyContinue Reading

Numbers chapter 9 illustrates how the Lord instructed Israel when they were to move the camp.  “So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.” (Numbers 9:16) As long as the cloud rested upon the tabernacle, Israel stayed where they were campedContinue Reading

In Exodus 5 there is an interchange between Moses and Pharoah where the prophet asks Pharoah to let the Israelites “rest from their burdens” and go and “hold a feast in the wilderness.” (Exodus 5:1,5). Pharoah responds with the command that from this time forth the Israelites will continue theirContinue Reading