THE TALE of two kingdoms continues in our Old Testament study this week. We get the stories of the northern kings of Israel Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, and Omri, and the southern kings of Judah Abijah, Asa, and Jehoshaphat.Continue Reading
THE DIVISION of the kingdom of Israel is the focus of our Old Testament study this week. Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, gets some bad advice from his young friends, not just rejecting the request of the northern tribes for tax relief, but doing so with a rather crude euphemism.Continue Reading
ENTANGLEMENTS WITH cares of the world, whether it’s business, politics, or personal relationships, can distract us from what we’re called to do by God.Continue Reading
ANOTHER BOOK of wisdom attributed to Solomon is our Old Testament study this week. The collected sayings of “the Preacher” are generally gloomy, but only in that they remind us of the folly of pursuing material things apart from God.Continue Reading
PROVERBS OF Solomon copied at the direction of King Hezekiah are the focus of our Old Testament study this week. Themes include the wisdom of accepting correction, the foolishness of contending with fools, and the happiness that results from pursuing righteousness instead of wealth.Continue Reading
PRAISE THE Lord! That’s the theme of the Psalms in today’s Old Testament study. We examine a half dozen psalms of praise and find divine council language, making it clear that the psalmists knew that other gods existed, but only one God, Yahweh, created all the rest.Continue Reading