Often when we think of the book of Exodus we think of the actual exodus from Egypt. God rescued the people of Israel, along with a mixed multitude from other nations who joined them (Exodus 12:38), out of Egypt and therefore out of slavery and oppression. This is a significant part of the story of…

The prophet Jonah was sent to the great city of Nineveh, the capital of ancient Assyria. The city was massive and powerful and very wealthy. Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh because God promised to spare the city if they would repent of their sins and believe in the God of Israel. Nothing…

One of the most difficult things we must do is to wait for something. Whether it’s Amazon’s new “next-month delivery” promise (I jest) or a webpage that takes an extra half-second to load (ugh) or not being able to meet together until who-knows-when (seriously! when!?), we often find waiting difficult. It is difficult to wait…

God had chosen David to be king over Israel. There was one problem, though: Saul was still king. David refused to move against him, though he had been anointed king. His loyalty to Saul was profound in its intensity. He would not lay a hand to the Lord’s anointed, even though he himself had been…

Years ago my wife and I knew a youth pastor who would tell his students to not watch R-rated movies. Instead, he would tell them, they should just read the book of Judges. It is filled with war and violence and conspiracy and destruction. While the visual effects may not be as appealing, it has…