“And there you shall build an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. You shall wield no iron tool on them; you shall build an altar to the Lord your God of uncut stones” (Deuteronomy 27:5-6 ESV). Moses instructed Israel to build an altar of natural, “uncut stones” after they crossed the
“No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord, even to the tenth generation. None of them may enter the assembly of the Lord forever” (Deuteronomy 23:3 ESV). The law was clear: no Moabite could enter the assembly of the Lord. The Moabites had a history of opposing Israel, particularly when they refused
“You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of the garment with which you cover yourself” (Deuteronomy 22:12 ESV). God commanded the Israelites to wear tassels on their garments as a visual reminder of His commandments and their covenant relationship with Him (Num. 15:38-40). These tassels symbolized holiness, obedience, and God’s authority. I was
“For he who is least among you all is the one who is great” (Luke 9:48 ESV). Jesus corrected His disciples’ understanding of greatness. For they had been arguing about who among them was the greatest. Instead of rebuking them harshly, Jesus used a child as an illustration. In that culture, children had little status,
“But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:27 ESV). The Kingdom of God is a mystery. For Jesus described it as both present and future. Perhaps the best explanation for this mystery was offered by George Ladd, who called
“And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased” (Luke 8:43-44 ESV). A
‘“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him’ (Luke 8:39 ESV). When Jesus freed the man living in the tombs of the Gerasenes of demon possession, he begged to go with Jesus. The man
“Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn” (Deuteronomy 10:16 ESV). God commanded Israel to circumcise their hearts, removing stubbornness and fully devoting themselves to Him. Physical circumcision was a sign of the covenant, but God desired more than an external mark—He wanted a transformed heart. To “circumcise the heart” means
“The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6 ESV). Moses told the Israelites that the Lord would deliver seven nations greater and mightier than they over to them when they entered the Promised
‘And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”’ (Luke 7:13-14 ESV). When Jesus encountered the crying widow of Nain walking behind her