THE FAMOUS ONE IS JESUS The little book of Ruth illustrates the use of the Levitical law (found in Lev. 25) which provided for a woman who had no male heir to retain her family’s property. This provision in the law called for a close family member to become a “ga’al” (גָּאַל), which is Hebrew
GO AND TELL THEM TO COME AND SEE The Samaritan woman that Jesus met at Jacob’s well was ready to share Jesus with others after only one encounter. Jesus had given her the clearest statement concerning His identity that He had given anyone, simply saying, “I am He.” The woman ran back to her village,
STOP TRYING TO MAKE YOURSELF FAMOUS When John the Baptist’s followers worried that more people were going to follow Jesus than their leader, John rebuked them. He recognized that God determined spiritual results. And he also understood that his ministry was to prepare the way for Christ’s ministry. As John said, “He must increase, but
WHAT YOU BELIEVE ABOUT JESUS MATTERS All of Adam’s children are “condemned already” because of sin and because of sin’s wage, which is death. Every member of the human race is born under the curse of sin. It was this curse, this condemnation that Jesus took upon His own body, so that the judgment that
HAVE YOU ATTEMPTED TO MOVE WITHOUT GOD? Samson took God’s presence and power for granted, but when Delilah shaved off his seven locks, the power of the LORD left him. Samson didn’t even notice, until it was too late. We shouldn’t wonder at Samson’s shortcomings. We can be just like him. When we step
JESUS NEVER DISAPPOINTS As one preacher described it, Samson was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. As chapter thirteen concludes, we have great hope in Samson’s future. Announced by an angel, the only child of faithful and doting parents, and blessed by God, the writer of the Book of Judges has more to
THE WORD THAT WALKED John began his gospel as Moses began the Torah, with the words, “In the beginning…” This signaled the lofty aspect of John’s gospel that clearly proclaimed Jesus as God’s Son. Using the Greek λόγος (logos – word), John proclaimed Jesus as not only equal to God in every way (essence, preexistence,
DOES GOD GET WEARY? When the Israelites finally “got rid” of their idolatry, so that their deeds matched their words of repentance, God was moved to answer their cry. The description of the Lord’s response to Israel’s true repentance is revealing. For it described Him as being “weary of Israel’s misery.” What does this
LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION Gideon, the hesitant judge, would not be coaxed into being king. He recognized that it was the Lord, and not the people, who had called him to be a judge and lead Israel against the Midianites. Therefore, he did not recognize the people’s authority to name him king and rightly
WHICH SIDE OF THE CROSS ARE YOU ON? In the gospel of Luke, it is recorded that Jesus was crucified between two criminals, one on either side. In the crowd watching the crucifixion were certain Jewish leaders who sneered at Jesus saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ.” The