At the end of chapter 11, Samuel summoned Israel to Gilgal to “renew the kingdom” (v. 14). Here, at the transition from the last of Israel’s judges to the first of their kings, Samuel will call them all to a renewed allegiance to Israel’s true and everlasting King. In this sermon, pastor Matt shows us […]
Chapter 8 begins the next major section of the book. It also marks a turning point in the history of Israel. Here we discover how God’s people came to be a nation ruled by kings. But this all came about as they experienced yet another crisis of faith. Once again Israel was faced with a […]
In chapter 4, at the battle of Aphek and Ebenezer, Israel was twice defeated (by Yahweh) before the Philistines. As a result, the ark of the covenant was captured; the Glory departed from Israel. This is why the priest Eli’s daughter-in-law named her son Ichabod, “no glory.” And while Yahweh had gone into exile on […]
In chapters 5-6, we follow the exiled ark of Yahweh as he continues to gain victory over his enemies and eventually returns to his place among his people. And while this story is certainly a cause for us to rejoice, it is a cause for us to rejoice with trembling before our holy God. In […]
1 Samuel 4 describes the fall of Eli’s house. Samuel will take over as priest-judge in Israel, but Yahweh must first carry out his purpose of judgment against his corrupt priest-judge and a godless nation. This is why a new “character” takes center stage in chapters 4-6: the ark of the covenant. The ark was […]
In this sermon, pastor Matt shows us that, despite corruption in his house, God is always at work to fulfill his purposes. He will provide for the needs of his people both in purging judgment and in preserving mercy
In chapter 1, God answered Hannah’s prayers for a son—a son whom she vowed to give back to Yahweh all the days of his life. Now, in chapter 2, we hear another one of her prayers, and it’s a psalm of thanksgiving. As we saw last time, Hannah’s story is meant to be a picture […]
With this sermon we are starting a new series through the books of 1-2 Samuel. Originally one scroll in Hebrew, these books recount the series of events that saw Israel transition from judges to kings, and from tabernacle to temple. The backdrop for Samuel is summed up with the final verse of Judges: “In those […]
In this sermon, pastor Matt looks at one of the few passages in the Law that deals with the concept of tithing. In Deuteronomy 14, we learn what Israel was supposed to do with the tithe, who it was for, and why this act of generosity was crucial for their life and witness as a […]
In our last sermon for our series through Isaiah, pastor Matt reminds us that God will make his glory known to all nations in salvation and judgment. Through the gospel, the Holy One of Israel is gathering a worldwide people to worship him forever, but those who persist in rebellion against him and his Christ […]
Just as we find ourselves at the end of another year, we’ve also come to the end of the book of Isaiah. Yet what’s remarkable about this final chapter is that the book of Isaiah ends just like it began. After all Isaiah has said about the nations of the world, the exile of Israel, […]
What is the Christian’s hope? For most people today, the answer goes something like this: “We get to go to heaven when we die.” Many times, this is the final destination of the so-called “Romans’ road.” But this is not the Christian’s hope. The Christian’s hope is the day of resurrection and the life of […]
At the end of chapter 64, Israel asked: “Will you keep silent, and afflict us so terribly?” (64:12). in these last two chapters, we see how God responds to this prayer. And his answer is nothing less than what the King of heaven has in store for the whole earth. The focus now shifts to […]
So far, in Isaiah 60-62 we’ve been looking at the glory of Zion. These chapters are about the church, the place on earth where God’s saving rule is known. And it’s because of Christ that the church is a new-creation city of joy and righteousness. Now in one sense, these chapters describe the church as […]
In chapter 60, we learned that Zion is ultimately the church, the city of God that shines amidst the cities of men. With the coming of Jesus, the light of God’s glory had broken through the darkness of our world. And all who come to King Jesus in faith become citizens of Zion now. Now, […]
