The Israelites had just miraculously crossed the Jordan river, causing the hearts of the Canaanites to melt in fear, yet Joshua does not begin the conquest of the land immediately. In this fifth chapter we see that God’s chosen people were in need of some vital preparation: the circumcision of a new generation, the observance of the Passover, and the submission to God’s sovereign and […]

As we look into the life of Jacob in the book of Genesis, we find that the meaning of his name is the overall theme of his life: “deceiver.”  Throughout his youth, his relationship with his family, and his laboring for a wife, Jacob is always trying to do things on his own, apart from […]