As we came to the conclusion of our Old Testament readings in The Daily Bible, we read the inspiring account of Nehemiah and his efforts to rebuild and reform Jerusalem. Yet, just as we have seen with the many other major characters in Scripture, Nehemiah’s life ultimately points us to the life of Jesus Christ and […]

While it is true that the name of God is absent from the book of Esther, his fingerprints are unmistakably and beautifully apparent throughout the entirety of this story. Here we find one of the most remarkable displays in all of Scripture of Providence: God’s wise, loving, and righteous care and governance of all things for the accomplishment […]

When one hears the name “Job,” it’s not long before the word “suffering” comes to mind. In some churches, when sermons are preached on Job, it’s not long before even the word “prosperity” is brought up. But it’s a rare occurrence that we ever associate Jesus Christ or the gospel with this particular book. Nevertheless Job makes […]

Evangelicals cherish the doctrine of justification by faith alone, that believers are declared “not guilty” before God based on the righteousness and merits of Christ. Yet when it comes to our sanctification – the process of our moral condition being brought into conformity with our legal standing – we are quick to abandon the gospel and instead […]

The prophet Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones is often preached and understood to be nothing more than an illustration of the faith we must possess in order to “speak life” into our circumstances. However, this faulty interpretation falls miserably short of the glorious gospel truths being communicated and places the focus exclusively on man […]

Throughout the Scriptures, and especially in our own lives, God is repeatedly questioned regarding our trials, his judgments, our suffering, his promises, our future, and his plan. However, at the bottom of all these questions is the singular issue of faith – whether or not we believe God to be the God he says he is in […]

Isaiah 66:1-2 paints a beautiful picture of our eternal, sovereign, omnipotent God – the creator of all things. Yet this text informs us that, ultimately, it is not tabernacles or temples made by human hands that God looks upon with favor, or looks to dwell within; rather it is “he who is humble and contrite in spirit and […]

As we read through the writings of the prophet Isaiah, we are repeatedly confronted with declarations and examples of the sovereignty of God, of his incontestable and absolutely total control over everything in creation. Yet, of all of God’s glorious attributes, this is undoubtedly one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented. Although we may not perfectly […]

Many inspiring sermons have been preached on Isaiah chapter 6, most concluding with a call to respond like Isaiah did: “Here I am! Send me.” Yet, these types of sermons fail to explain the nature of Isaiah’s prophetic ministry, that he was to “make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see […]

In the very first month of the first year of his reign reign, Hezekiah began a series of sweeping reforms, repairing the temple and seeking to bring unfaithful Judah back to her faithful God: “For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done what was evil in the sight of the Lord our God. . . Now it […]

The story of Naaman, in 2 Kings 5, is a profound illustration of one of the most penetrating questions posed by Jesus: “for what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). Many “lepers” today are consumed by the soul-destroying […]

Most sermons based on the life of Old Testament characters typically revolve around all of the ways that we can learn to be just like them. In the case of Elijah, the focus is always on his faith, his powerful prayers, his extraordinary miracles, his power and anointing, etc., and how we should strive to […]

As we concluded the book of Proverbs in our daily, chronological readings of the Bible, we then came upon one of the most tragic sections of the Old Testament: “For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was […]

Many people attempt to use the book of Proverbs as a kind of instruction manual for how to achieve health, wealth, and prosperity: if they simply adhere to the principles and rules laid out in Proverbs, then God must owe them the associated rewards of riches and blessing. However, there is an eternity of difference between […]

Psalm 78 could be called a hymn for the home – that is, this psalm reminds us that it is the responsibility of parents, family members, and even the covenant community, by God’s grace to teach our children about His holiness, His great and awesome deeds, and instruct them to trust and obey the Lord wholeheartedly. In this sermon, delivered on […]