Living with Pricks and Thorns

Numbers 33:52-53, 55 “You shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molten images and demolish all their high places; and you shall take possession of the land and live in it, for I...

Living Free

Numbers 35:25 “And the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the blood avenger, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he fled; and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with holy...

Hobson’s Choice

1 Samuel 11:2 “I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you” (NIV). Observation: Ammonites led by Nahash besieged Israelites living in the area of Jabesh-Gilead. Preparing to surrender, the men of Jabesh told...

Deep Mining

1 Timothy 4:4 “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude.” Observation: Paul wrote his letter to Timothy more as a coach than an evangelist. Still, in this passage we see his devotion to consistent themes...

Biases Exposed

John 4:39 “Many of the Samaritans . . . believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony” (NIV). Observation: This passage follows the lengthy description of Christ’s meeting the Samaritan woman at the well. In the end she became a trumpet of good news, encouraging...