As one reads through the Book of Jeremiah, it is appalling and surprising to see how many false Jewish prophets were contending with Jeremiah (Jer. 23. 9-40; 26:7-15; 28:1-17; 29:24-32). The people within Judah who were giving Jeremiah the hardest time was the false prophets and priests who were falsely handling the Law. As a […]

One of the outstanding aspects of the Book of Jeremiah is the character of the prophet himself. Jeremiah embodied his prophecies for his fellow Jews to such an extent that it could be said that the man and the message were one. As we read this Book, one of the themes that shines forth is […]

Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet. His ministry lasted well over 40 years and he ministered during the dark days of Judah’s history. His ministry culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians and the exile of its inhabitants in 587 BC. The LORD addresses His people with this question: “What fault did […]

In these last chapters of the Book of Isaiah, I believe that the prophet is seeing beyond the Babylonian exile and is given a vision of not only a restored Israel but a world that has been put right with its Maker. For example in Isaiah 65:17-25, we are given a vision not only of […]

In this section of Isaiah we have several servant songs (Isaiah 42, 49, 50 and Is. 52:13 -Is 53:12). The nation Israel was called to be the servant of LORD (Isaiah 44:1,2). In the servant songs of Isaiah, however, the focus seems to be on an individual. The Christian Church has tended to interpret these […]

In our reading today, God’s people are facing a major threat to their very survival. The mighty Assyrian army appears right on the doorstep of Jerusalem, demanding the surrender of King Hezekiah and the kingdom of Judah. It is interesting to note that the army commander appears at the very spot on the road to […]

In Isaiah 13-23,  the LORD turns his attention to the nations that surround Judah and Israel. The only exception is Isaiah 22 where the LORD again prophesies against the inhabitants of Jerusalem. In these chapters, the LORD addresses these nations with prophecies of judgment. Many of these prophetic oracles seem to address the immediate situations […]

In today’s blog we begin covering the great Book of Isaiah. No Old Testament book is quoted more in the New Testament than Isaiah. It is written over an approximately 40-year period (740 – 700 BC). Isaiah lived and prophesied in the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Many commentators believe he had a close connection to […]

In today’s blog, we will be covering our reading in the Book of Ecclesiastes.  This Book is probably written by King Solomon near the end of his life. Our title, Ecclesiastes, comes from the Latin form of the Greek word for a preacher, or teacher, that appears in Ecc. 1:1. The Book begins and ends […]

In our last post, we made mention of how many proverbs give us guidance in being good stewards in the areas of material possessions, sexuality, work and friendship. Another area that is often covered by Proverbs is the tongue. For example, in Proverbs 21:23 we read these words: “He who guards his mouth and his […]