GOD HAS a council that carries out His commands, and this week we get one of the few glimpses into its workings recorded in the Bible. It’s the story of Ahab’s demise in battle against the Syrians at Ramoth-Gilead, where the king of Israel is enticed by lying spirits to go to his doom.Continue Reading
DAVID CONSOLIDATES control over his kingdom, extending his control from the border with Egypt to the Euphrates River. We also study a number of Psalms, including one that is clearly a polemic against Ba’al.Continue Reading
THE ROLE of the kinsman-redeemer and God’s willingness to accept Gentiles who seek Him are the themes of the Book of Ruth, which records the story of a young widow from Moab who finds favor and “rest”–security–in the person of Boaz, a relative of her late father-in-law.Continue Reading
WE BEGIN our study of the second of the Historical Books, Judges. It chronicles Israel’s slide into apostasy and chaos, showing the need for a godly king to lead them.Continue Reading
WE REACH the end of the life of Moses today, concluding the Book of Deuteronomy with a more detailed discussion of the Divine Council, the warnings of Yahweh to the Israelites, and prophecies over the tribes.Continue Reading
GOD’S STANDARDS of morality as revealed in His word is a lot more egalitarian than skeptics will admit. Today we discuss God’s instructions for caring for the poor, widows, and orphans, and we go into some depth on marriage, divorce, and gender roles for men and womenContinue Reading