A Bold Pitch

A Bold Pitch

Mark 10:51 “What do you want Me to do for you?” Observation: Jesus’ question, “What do you want me to do for you?” is His response to one of the most arrogant statements in all of Scripture. James and John had just come to Him saying, “Teacher, we want you to do for...

Party Favor

Party Favor

Mark 6:27 “…and He went and had him beheaded in the prison, and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.” Observation: Herodias’ daughter had danced before King Herod and his party guests. In response, Herod offered...

Foiled Again

Foiled Again

Matthew 27:66 “And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone.” Observation: Jesus had been crucified the previous day and Jewish leaders had gone to Pilate asking that the grave be made secure to prevent Jesus’...

Missed Opportunity

Missed Opportunity

1 Samuel 5:8b “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” Observation: Philistines had captured God’s ark when Israel, in presumption, had carried it into battle. Eli, Israel’s leading priest, had fallen over and died when he heard news of the Ark’s capture...

The Unnamed Daughter

The Unnamed Daughter

Judges 11:36–37 “My father, you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me just as you promised…but…give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry.” Observation:  Israel had been severely oppressed by the Ammonites for years...

His Increasing Presence

His Increasing Presence

2 Chronicles 5:6 “…and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the Ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.” Observation: Solomon had fulfilled David’s vision for building a...

Back-Seat Fighting

Back-Seat Fighting

Numbers 14:33 “And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness.”  Observation: Judgment had come upon the Hebrews. Of the twelve spies sent into...

Wet Backside

Wet Backside

Genesis 28:8–9 “Also Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan did not please his father Isaac. So Esau went to Ishmael and took…the daughter of Ishmael…to be his wife in addition to the wives he had.” Observation: This odd passage about Esau is tucked into a passage in...

Rumpled Faith

Rumpled Faith

Genesis 18:14 “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Observation: Abraham sat in the door of his tent when three men appeared to him, likely Jesus and two angels. Abraham first acted the good host, offering a meal and inviting them to linger. In the ensuing conversation...

Windfall

Windfall

Exodus 34:12 “Take heed to yourself lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst.” Observation: Moses is on Mt. Sinai for the second time to receive a new set of tablets containing the Ten...