Deuteronomy 8:5 “Thus you are to know in your heart that the Lord your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son.” Observation: Forty years have passed since the Hebrews began their odyssey through the wilderness. Instigated by their intransigence...

Acts 3:10 “And they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms.” Observation: The setting is the gate called Beautiful. Peter and John were heading to morning prayers when they came upon a beggar who asked...

Isaiah 37:14b “…and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord.” Observation: The King of Assyria was on a rampage to conquer every tribe within reach, and he was about to bring his intimidating tactics against Judah’s good King Hezekiah....

Deuteronomy 2:3 “You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north…” Observation: Israel was near the end of their 40-year exile, and Moses was recounting important passages from their journey. Early on they had licked their wounds from defeat at the hands of...

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...

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...

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’...

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...

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...

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...