10–16 July 2016. 1 Kings 1 (click to read). In the ancient world, people believed a king’s power to rule was linked to his sexual abilities. That’s one reason kings and rulers had so many wives. So 1 Kings opens with a serious problem: David is now so old and weak, even his sexual abilities […]
Bonus Devotional Text, July 2016. 2 Samuel 15 (click to read). King David’s story began with so much hope. Finally here was a king who was listening to God, defending justice, and doing what was right. But how quickly it all fell apart. David becomes an adulterer and a murderer, and the sin in his life […]
3–9 July 2016. 2 Samuel 4–5 (click to read). In 2 Samuel 5, David finally becomes the ruler of both Israelite kingdoms, Judah in the south and Israel in the north. It’s the start of a new chapter in Israel’s royal history. But what type of king will David be? Will he be like many […]
26 June – 2 July 2016. 1 Samuel 26 (click to read). When people do horrible things to us, straightaway we start to think how we can get back at them. How can we make them suffer for hurting us so badly? Sometimes people even think that taking revenge is what God wants them to […]
19–25 June 2016. 1 Samuel 17 (Click to read). Over and over in this world we see how the strong survive and succeed, and how they do this at the expense of the weak. Strong nations attack weaker nations; strong armies fly into other countries and randomly bomb and kill families and children; big companies use […]
12–18 June 2016. 1 Samuel 7–8 (click to read). Today when we think about good judges, we think of someone making neutral decisions, someone not biased one way or the other, someone who doesn’t get involved. But the great judges in ancient Israel weren’t like this. Instead of simply making neutral decisions, the great judges […]
5–11 June 2016. Ruth 3–4 (click to read). Anyone who has lived in a different country knows how hard it is to be a foreigner. We often get pushed away or treated badly just because we’re different. Sadly, the ancient Israelites often treated foreigners in shocking ways: oppressing and rejecting them, even murdering foreign women, children and […]
29 May – 4 June 2016. Judges 16 (click to read). From beginning to end, Samson’s story is like a train wreck. We see the disaster coming, but just can’t look away! What was Samson thinking? He is supposed to be a Nazarite, a man living a life dedicated to God, but instead he’s a […]
22–28 May 2016. Judges 7–8 (click to read). In Judges 7 and 8 we read about the Israelites’ trouble with the Midianites. Back in those days, the Midianites were a powerful group. They attacked and oppressed the Israelites, took their food and possessions, controlled their lands, and forced them into lives of misery. In ancient times, people […]
15–21 May 2016. Joshua 22 (click to read). One day I got an email advertising holidays to the “holy land”. Of course, what the travel agent meant was that they were selling trips to Israel. Sometimes we still hear people talking about “the holy land”, but it’s really quite a strange expression. What makes land […]