27 Dec (Revelation 18)

Revelation 18

In the previous chapter, God dealt with the Satanic religion of man...the church of works, paganism and humanism. All these things deny the work of God on the cross, and have devised a way to earn a way into heaven by their own works or for being "a good person."

In this chapter, God deals with the power of the anti-Christ...the world money system. Remember, Babylon has been the symbol of Satan and humanism from the beginning. From the Tower of Babel to the anti-Christ using that area now known as Iraq to influence the world, Satan has been at work.

Those that have denied God, and have been enticed by the worldly things, have fallen for the anti-Christ's sales pitch. They will wail and gnash teeth, for they have believed the lie.

Babylon has been ravished time and again over the centuries, but there has always been inhabitants...a remnant. After the LORD deals with Satan's Throne for the last time, no one will live or work there again!

The good news is that one glorious day, as it's written in Isaiah 55:1, that there will no longer be a need for commerce...there will be such an abundance of food and water, that mankind will no longer want for anything! That will be, of course, for His believers.

14 Nov (Rom 13-14)

Romans 13

(v.1) This is a hard concept for many Christians, since we don't like what the U.S. government is doing most of the time. We need to remember that God appoints our nation's leaders for His purposes.

There is an old saying that I believe is true: "You get the leadership you deserve."

I see the USA being like the nation of Israel in the time of the kings and the book of Judges...we are ourselves (as a nation, but not individually) not following the LORD. Therefore, we are reaping what we sow. We allow abortion, we allow blatant sex on our mainstream shows on TV, we allow cursing and rude behavior with our kids, and we allow the normalization of homosexuality in our culture. Once we allow or tolerate something in society that is against God's Word, we will then see the next generation embrace it as common.

With that said, I believe that God puts certain people in power to further His plan. I feel that the USA was asleep and apathetic until the current government started blatantly abandoning the Constitution and the Bible as our founding laws.

So keep Rom 8:28 in mind, and let the LORD work this out. In the meantime, be diligent, be good citizens, and stand up for good. When given bad, respect authority and pray for our leaders.

(v.8) With the world economy in so much debt, and individually we are in debt more than ever as a nation of people, we are slaves to another. Here, Paul is reminding us that we should not be in debt (except for a home) and live to love one another.

(v.10) Jesus is love, and His love of us by dying on the cross fulfilled the Law. He lived sinless and was the perfect Passover Lamb of God for us, so loving others is fulfilling the Law of Christ.

Romans 14

(v.6) There are cults and denominations in Christianity that revere certain days over another as the Sabbath and holy. The Law had sundown Friday to sundown Saturday as the Sabbath. But that was under the Law...we who are under the New Covenant of Christ are under God's grace. We should revere EVERY DAY as holy and worthy to praise and serve God!

It is spiritually uplifting to take at least part of a day, and reserve it for deep prayer and worship to God. Spend a good deal of time in the Word, and converse with God. After all, one day a week dedicated to the LORD out of seven days is not too much to ask, is it?

(v.12) Each of us will face God...whether in judgment or in rewards. In both cases, we will have our lives tested by fire. The big difference is, if we have the blood of Christ washing our sins away, then we will only have rewards leftover. But if we rejected Christ, we will be guilty by the Law in our sins, and we will be destined to hell. We all need to make the choice for Christ individually.

(v.17) Don't let your faith be defined by what day you reserve for worship, or what foods and drinks you imbibe or not...faith is not about what we do...it's about gratitude for what God did for us!

6 Nov (2 Cor 3-5)

2 Corinthians 3

(v.6) I like to take notice that Paul mentions the new covenant, and how the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. This is a direct distinction between the Law and the Gospel. Jesus made a new covenant with mankind, where faith brings life. Matt 26:28 The Law, in itself, shows us our doom to death since we can't keep it perfectly. However, the beauty of the Gospel, is that by faith, we are saved.

(v.14) The veil here has a double meaning...typology is being used again. In Matt 27:51 as Jesus died on the cross, the veil was torn in two, from top to bottom. That veil was the partition that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple. Only the High Priest was allowed to go in there, and only once a year, to act as intercession for the people. Jesus wiped that all away, by dying in our place, and removing the barrier between us and the Father. Now, we don't need a pastor, or priest, to pray and intercede for us...we can pray and talk directly with the Father ourselves!

2 Corinthians 4

(v.6) This is a great point to make with our kids...God created light out from the darkness, and so are we when we are born again. We believers are light in a dark world. Gen 1:2-3

(v.14) This is another reference to the Rapture.

(v.16) Even though our bodies are dying, our spirits are growing when we walk with the LORD. God is preparing us for eternity with Him!!!

2 Corinthians 5

(v.1) I explain to my kids again, that God will use our DNA to create our heavenly bodies. The body we have today is cursed with sin, and is dying. But the one He creates for us in heaven will be done by His hands, and without sin and death!

(v.8) This verse is often cited at funerals, and rightly so. If a loved one who is a believer dies, they are immediately in heaven with Jesus! That is reason to celebrate and be happy for them. But since we are still here on earth, and we will miss that loved one until we join him/her in heaven, we are sad. We must try to focus on the positive, and realize that to be in heaven is our goal, and our joyful destination!

(v.10) The judgment seat of Christ is called, in Greek, the Bema Seat. This is what we see in the Olympics when the medals are handed out...the athletes stand on this and receive their rewards. We will have the same moment with Christ. He will view our whole life, and the things that weren't done for His glory will burn, but the things we did for His glory, they will be rewarded with crowns. 1 Cor 9:25

(v.20) Our kids (and us adults) need to remember that if we proclaim to be believers and followers of Christ, then we are His ambassadors of His on earth. This comes with great responsibility. I believe this is what the Third Commandment is all about...if we take the name of our King, then we need to represent Him purely and righteously to others! Exo 20:7

2 Oct (Matt 27:1-31)

The Gospels: Jesus Faces Pilate

Matthew 27:1-31

(v.1) An important note here...it was against Jewish law to have a trial at night. In all, the Pharisees broke at least a dozen laws by the way they secretly treated Jesus the night before. Darkness is afraid of the Light!

(v.4) Judas had a moment where Satan wasn't controlling him, and he regretted his betrayal. What happens after is one of the best prophecies in the Bible!

In Zech 11:13 there is a weird story 30 pieces of silver. Judas regretted his betrayal, and tried to give back the money the leaders paid him to lead them to Jesus. They wouldn't take it, so Judas threw the money to the ground...in the House of the LORD...the Temple!

The leaders knew they couldn't put that money back into the general fund, so they used the money to buy a nearby field for future burial of strangers who died in Jerusalem. This field was owned by a potter!

So the prophecy is precisely fulfilled...the 30 pieces of silver was thrown down in the House of the LORD, and the potter ended up with the money!

This was written down hundreds of years before Christ walked the earth...this is one of many prophecies that prove that the Bible was inspired by God, for He is outside of time, and can predict things in advance, since He sees the end and the beginning at the same time!

(v.11) Jesus again allows Himself to be called the King of the Jews...this is Messianic...Jesus calling Himself God.

(v.19) Pilate is portrayed as an evil man, and he definitely wasn't a saint. But I empathize with him, for he was put into an impossible situation. There had been many uprisings from the Jews during Pilate's watch as Rome's Governor of Jerusalem, and during this time of Passover about to start, the last thing he wanted, was another riot!

Pilate, and his wife, who had a dream that Jesus was God, didn't want to condemn Jesus. But since the Pharisees insisted, he had to follow through or face a riot by the Jews.

So Pilate thinks he has a way out...he gives the people a choice...free a murderer, or free Christ. What he didn't expect, was they would rather live with the murderer than the Son of God and be faced with their own sins!

If we take a look at this...we are Barabbas. The Innocent One took on the punishment of the guilty one, and the guilty one was given mercy at the price of the Innocent One. This is the case with all of us sinners who realize that Jesus took on our punishment for us, so that we could be redeemed with the Father!

24 Sep (Matt 24:1-31)

The Gospels: Jesus Shares the End of Times

Matthew 24:1-31

(v.2) I can't go into all the theories and discussions about the last times, for there are groups of people that think we're in the times Jesus discusses here, ones that think it's already happened, and those that believe it will happen in the future.

This verse is a direct prophecy to the sacking of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D. They utterly destroyed the Temple and the city.

(v.4) Jesus warns us many times to be wise, and not to let false teachers deceive us. This goes for me as well, so do your homework! However, I have this blog, so I will share what I teach my kids, and you can use that as a springboard to look into these things further.

(v.8) Many good teachers that I respect believe we are in the times Jesus speaks about in this verse...the leading up to the Great Tribulation of Israel. We are getting close, but the Rapture will happen before that...at any time! We could be Raptured while I'm typing this! Wouldn't that be awesome?!?

(v.12) I look back on my childhood, and marvel at how simpler and kinder that time was. With technology and the falling away from God in our society, we have become a colder people. We don't hang out in the neighborhood anymore. We don't picnic all day with our neighbors after church on Sundays...we're too busy and self-absorbed. We are getting close to the LORD's return!

(v.15) Now, Jesus shifts forward in time to the actual Tribulation of Israel, and it will be set into super-size mode when the Antichrist blasphemes God in the Temple.

By the way, some of you may ask, "What Temple?" Well, the plans to build it are ready, and all that has to happen, is for what Daniel prophesied in Dan 9:27 to happen. The Antichrist will make a deal with the Muslims and Israel, and the Jews will be allowed to build their Temple again. The Jews are right now ready to go...they have the old blueprints and directions from the Torah!

(v.21) The Tribulation lasts exactly seven years. The Great Tribulation starts halfway through that time...three and a half years. This is when the Antichrist breaks his promise to the Jews, and literally all hell breaks loose on the earth. Fortunately for us in Christ, we will be in heaven watching and waiting to come back with our King!

(v.29) Now Jesus shifts to His return. The Jews will be at their wits end, and it will look like they will be all killed. But their Messiah will return, and He will save them and bring judgment upon the evil doers of Satan!

10 Sep (Matthew 22)

The Gospels: The Parable of the Wedding Feast

Matthew 22:1-14

There is much debate about the true meaning of this parable. I will give what I believe is true after reading many different (and sometimes contradicting) scholarly interpretations on this. But I must remind everyone to remember Acts 17:11 to read and study God's Word for yourself, and see what God is telling you!

(v.2) The King is the Father, and the Son is Jesus

(v.3) The servants are the Jewish prophets

(v.7) The people are the Jews, and their indifference to heed God's Word angered God, and He used Israel's enemies to bring war and hardship upon them. As we know, they would then repent and come back to God, but the cycle continued to happen.

(v.8) God came first for His chosen people...the Jews. Matt 15:24

However, they rejected Him and crucified Him. So God reached out to the Gentiles and the world.

(v.10) Doesn't this describe God's Church? We are all sinners, and we come from different lands and languages, but together, we are His Bride!

(v.11) This is where good scholars have disagreed. Some say that all here are saved, but only the over-comers and faithful enjoy the feast. Others say that this man was not saved, and part of his eternal torment, will be seeing what he gave up out of his own pride on earth, by refusing to accept the King's Son.

One thing to start with, in Jewish culture, when a man invites guests in those days, he would wash their feet when they came, and he would offer a coat for them to wear. This would be the equivalent to having a backstage pass hanging from our neck...it meant we were invited and welcome.

If we read other Scripture, we see that the wedding garment is white...and that describes the Bride of Christ. Rev 6:11 & 19:14

I believe this parable is speaking of those that aren't saved, who don't have their white garments on as the Bride of Christ does in heaven...he is an unbeliever. The tragedy of all of this, is he could have been welcomed, but his pride on earth prevented him from believing in God's Son.

(v.12) ...and he was speechless...this is the effect upon all who face God at the Great White Throne of Judgment. They will realize their folly and their pride, and know that they chose foolishly.

(v.13) If we read all the parables that Jesus spoke, the outer darkness is not considered a part of heaven. After all, does heaven sound like a place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth? And with God's presence in heaven, will there be any darkness? I don't believe that this man was saved, and part of his eternal torment, was to see what he missed by his pride.

9 Sep (Matt 21)

The Gospels: Jesus Shows Righteous Anger

Matthew 21

(v.12) Jesus came the first time to save John 3:17 but in two occasions in this chapter, He judges the hypocrisy of Israel. The Temple had become a retail outlet...not a revered place to get closer to God. There is such a thing as righteous anger, and that is allowed by God. If we are angered at sin and evil, then our anger is in alignment with God. If we are angry because of something personal, then we are not in alignment with God. In any case, we are instructed to let God fight our battles.

(v.19) The fig tree was used by Jesus as an illustration of Israel, and their hypocrisy that didn't bear fruit. Just like the fig tree, Israel should have been bearing fruit by showing the world who the only true God was. But instead, they were acting like the rest of the world.

God is love, but He is also Just. He demands we make a choice...either we choose Him, or we choose our own pride.

(v.31) Jesus shows the disciples by telling the Pharisees a parable, that those who say they have faith, but don't show it, are not going to enter into heaven.

(v.43) I can't help but feel that Jesus was alluding to America in this verse! After the Jews rejected their King and Messiah, God reached out to the Gentiles. America was established by Christians, and they used the Bible as their main source to form the Constitution and its laws.

There has been no other country or nation in history that comes close to spreading the Gospel like America! It is our job today to make sure we don't turn away from God, for if we do, we will lose His blessings for us.

26 Aug (Matt 13)

The Gospels: The Parables of Faith

Matthew 13

Why did Jesus speak in parables?

First of all, Jesus spoke in terms that the Jews would understand, since they were farmers and gatherers. Also, Jesus explained the reason why He spoke in parables in Matt 13:11

God didn't make His Word in sections for Salvation, another section for Living Godly, another section for Creation, etc. He put all topics and doctrines in EVERY BOOK of the Word, so not only will we better remember it by reading it many times, but also, if one book is not read, the whole counsel of God is in the next book!

The Parable of the Four Soils

1. No Soil ~ Birds (typify evil) prevent faith to start. Not in a state to hear the Word and let it convict them. Evil and worldly things prevent them to listen with an open mind.

2. Shallow Soil ~ no place for faith to take root. Quickly fall away and die. Short time of joy and praise for God, but when the first trouble comes along, they fall away and don't trust in God.

3. Soil with Thorny Bushes ~ Cares of the world choke out true ambassadorship. Not fruitful because God is not feared or respected. They care too much about what other people think, or about material things to devote themselves to Christ.

4. Good Soil ~ Faith flourishes and bears fruit. A person who is willing to be used by God for His purposes.

Which one are you? I would suspect, if you're reading this blog, you're at least in soils 3 or 4. If you're in soil 3, then think about your priorities, and make sure that God is most important in your life, and NOTHING takes precedence over Him.

Parable of the Wheat and Tares

Sower ~ Jesus and His Spirit sows seeds that are to bear fruit.

Fields ~ The world...the seeds and weeds live together in the world.

Reapers ~ The angels gather the seeds, and the weeds are burned with the sower of the weeds, the devil. This is like what is described in Matt 25:32

Parable of the Leaven

Leaven is in Hebrew culture, equated with sin. Leaven is like yeast, which puffs up the bread. Pride is puffing oneself up, and God hates pride! This is a prophecy that the Church will become corrupt and sin will be prevalent in the last days.

Parable of the Hidden Treasure

Once someone discovers who God is, and what He did for us, we will give our lives to Him. The treasure (us believers) are hidden in the world (evil). God is searching for us who believe!

Parable of the Pearl of Great Price

Oysters and any shellfish are not kosher, so this parable is describing the Gentile Church. An oyster produces a pearl by great irritation (persecution) and the pearl is removed from it's home (the world) to be adorned and admired (the Bride by her Groom). This is talking about the Church as the Bride of Christ, and the love that the Groom, Jesus, has for her.

Parable of the Dragnet

Much like when the angels reap the wheat and tares, they will separate the good fish from the bad fish. Make sure you and your family are in the right pile of fish!

(v.55) It is so hard for someone to witness to family, since they know all our wrongs we committed. Of course, Jesus was sinless, but He was just a son of a carpenter growing up! They had a hard time thinking that a carpenter's son would be God! Of course, if they knew their Scripture, they would've known who Jesus was!

4 Aug (Esther 7)

Esther 7

(v.7) Queen Esther finally reveals her wishes to the king, and floors him that not only is she a Jew, but she and her people will be wiped out by Haman!

(v.8) The king could have immediately lashed out on Haman, but he left the room to think. I believe this was God's work, since at this point, the king might have just reprimanded Haman and tried to counter the decree from before. But when the king returned to the Queen and Haman, he saw Haman prone on the Queen's legs! Haman was most likely pleading for his life, but the King must have thought that Haman was either sexually assaulting Esther, or physically harming her.

I think the scene makes sense if we picture Haman repeatedly trying to fall at the Queen's feet, while she keep pushing him away...so the king saw it as a struggle that would harm the Queen.

(v.10) So many times we've read in books, or seen in movies, where the bad guy makes a plan to kill the good guy, and the bad guy's doom comes from the very trap he intended for the good guy! They must have gotten this template from the book of Esther! It's so ironic, that the very gallows that Haman had built to kill the Jews (and especially Mordecai) was the place where his own death would occur!

13 June (Isaiah 63-66)

Isaiah 63

(v.1) This chapter is about Jesus returning to earth to bring judgment upon those who refused Him and tormented His beloved. As we will see, this is graphic, and use your best judgment as to how much you read to your kids.

(v.2) His apparel is red, because it's stained with the blood of all those that He slayed in their rebellion. Rev 19:15 Jesus comes back as the conquering King, and His wrath is terrible.

(v.4) We are either with God, or against Him...there is no neutral ground. He will save those who love and worship Him, but He will destroy those who rejected His gift of salvation in their pride.

(v.6) We will be there to witness Jesus slaying the whole earth all by Himself. After all, He made the heavens and the earth by His Word, so taking care of rebellious people will be no problem!

(v.9) We see that Jesus is the Savior of the world, not just the Jews, and we also see that He was the Rock in the Wilderness and the cloud of fire. The Trinity is one God, and all have their parts.

Isaiah 64

(v.6) Even the most revered and "good" person falls way short of God's Law and His holiness. The Hebrew word for "filthy rags" is the same for menstrual tissues...that gives us a clue as to how we need Him to save us and guide us...we can't do it ourselves.

(v.8) All of us earthly fathers know how it feels when our kids look up to us for answers and for protection. It lifts us up, and we so desire to teach our kids the Word, and to give them all that we can. Our heavenly Father is the same way with all of us!

Isaiah 65

(v.1) The Gentiles were in God's plan all along, for He knew that Israel would reject Him, and He loves all His creation. Even cultures that don't really know who Jesus is, have doctrines that teach of a great God who dies for us...isn't that cool?!?

(v.12) Sadly, so many people fall into this category and they will spend eternity in torment, knowing that they made a foolish decision to live their lives for themselves. God is love, but He's also Just...He must separate those who love Him from those that rejected Him.

(v.17) After the 1,000 year reign of Christ in the Millennium, God will burn this earth and make a new heaven and earth. Rev 21:1 It's fun to wonder about what that will be like, but our tiny minds can't even come close to imagining what God has in store for us.

(v.24) God knows what we desire and need, even before we do. However, He does want us to pray and speak with Him, so He can bless us and hear us.

Isaiah 66

(v.2) God wants humble servants...not proud or boastful ones.

(v.8) A nation was born in a day...Israel in 1948...it was born again. No other nation has existed and then been recreated in history, except for God's country, and His people!

(v.11) The people of Israel are not perfect, just like America, but we are to support and pray for Israel, for she is God's land. We must remember Gen 12 and bless Israel not only because it's the right thing to do, but also, it's our only hope to escape God's judgment upon this sinful country we live in today.

(v.24) Here is a scary glimpse of hell...those who are there will forever endure the pain of fire, and the pain NEVER goes away. Please join me in reaching out to the lost, for they still have time to accept what Jesus did for us on the cross.

16 May (Joel 3)

Joel 3

(v.2) Joel is describing what we hear often called today, Armageddon. This is the final battle between God (Jesus) and all unbelievers. The valley is named Megiddo, and it's also called the valley of Jehoshaphat. In Hebrew, Jehoshaphat means God Will Judge.

Scholars have noted that when Napoleon Bonaparte travelled to this area, he saw how perfect the valley would be for the final battle according to the Bible. He saw it as the perfect place to have many nations, and millions of people fight at one time.

I also point out to my kids that Israel is always special to God. He will return His focus on Israel once He has brought His Bride (the Church) to heaven in the Rapture. The whole world, without Christians in it, will try to get rid of the nation Israel, once and for all. They will get close, but God will come again and save them. This time of affliction and distress for Israel is called the Great Tribulation by Jesus Himself. Matt 24:21; Rev 2:22, 7:14

Only when Israel sees that there is no hope for saving themselves, they will turn to God. Hosea 5:15

(v.14) The Valley of Decision is where God will judge the nations and peoples that rejected Him and fought against Israel...His land.

(v.15) Here we see the darkness referred to many times for the last days.

(v.17) Jesus will sit on the Throne of David and reign for 1,000 years...this is called the Millennium. Only then will there be peace, since the Prince of Peace is ruling in Jerusalem!

(v.18) Creation will be restored, except for the lands that fought against God...they will be desolate.

Mar 26 (Psa 1, 36, 37, 40)

Songs about Right and Wrong

Psalm 1

(v.1) This is important to point out to our kids...have friends that will uplift you, not bring you down. My wife and I talk with our young kids about choosing friends wisely. We can't choose our family, but we can choose who our friends are...choose people who will give you that soft word of rebuke if we're doing wrong, and those who will let us cry on their shoulder when we need comfort.

(v.3) What a beautiful picture this is! A tree by a river is very fruitful if it's roots are deep and absorb the water. Jesus is our Living Water (John 4:10; 7:38) who gives us nourishment that never ceases.

(v.4) Chaff is a plant that is rootless...it doesn't hold up against wind and rain. It is a good Bible study on this subject...here are some good verses to read to your kids:

~ Job 21:18

~ Psalm 35:5

~ Isaiah 5:24

~ Hosea 13:3

~ Matthew 3:12

Chaff looks like wheat, and in Matt 13 Jesus tells a parable that illustrates this point. Chaff or tares look just like wheat, and are often harvested along with the wheat. Then the farmer would go to a hill top called the Threshing Floor, and throw the bundles of wheat and chaff in the air. The wheat is heavier than the chaff, so the pile closest to the farmer downhill would be the bundle to sell, and they would burn up the pile that landed further downhill since it was useless.

This is also a picture of all mankind on Judgement Day...the godly will be gathered and brought to heaven, where the ungodly will suffer eternal fire in hell.

Psalm 36

(v.4) This is a good thing to teach our kids...if we are godly, then we hate evil and stay away from evil. Righteous anger and hate is Biblical if it is against evil. Even so, we are to be loving and fair, even with the evil and ungodly, while standing up for good.

(v.8) This is another reference to the river of Living Water...as long as our roots are deep in the Word of God, we will never go thirsty or be abandoned by God.

Psalm 37

(v.3) This verse is so comforting, and should be read when we're feeling down, to remind us to turn to the LORD to provide.

(v.4) If we are walking with Him, He will bless us and give us abundant joy!

(v.9) We who live in such a fast-paced world want instant-gratification. We want God to respond to our needs immediately. God is outside time, and His timing is perfect!

(v.18) God knows our troubles, and Jesus experienced all our temptations and pains...He knows what we're going through, and if we cry out to Him and trust Him, He will deliver us!

(v.34) I find this verse interesting, and believe it's a reference to the Rapture of the Church BEFORE the Great Tribulation mentioned in Daniel and Revelation. We shall be brought to Jesus and see the last days unfold before us...how terrible and exciting that will be!

Psalm 40

(v.5) This is hard to fully comprehend, but God thinks of us continually...each one of us, individually, He thinks of and cares for!

(v.7) This verse is often believed by scholars to be said by Jesus, since the whole Bible is talking about Him. We can also look at it from our perspective, and see that the whole Bible speaks about God's redemption for us, so that we may be saved from our sins.

(v.13) I truly believe that God loves to deliver us from hard times...He delights in it! This speaks to His character, and His essence...love.

Mar 19 (2 Sam 17-18)

2nd Samuel 17

In 2 Sam 15:31 David prayed to the LORD that Ahithophel woud give foolish advice to Absalom. However, his advice was brilliant...why didn't the LORD answer David's prayer? To David, his request made sense, but God had other plans with the same result. God had Hushai act as a double agent, and hand all of Absalom's men over to David in one battle, instead of only a portion.

I remind my kids that God doesn't need our advice on how to do things...and He knows what is best for us. He does want us to call on Him and ask Him for His guidance, but as far as the timing of things, and the way they work out, that is His doing, not ours.

(v.15) Hushai was able to buy David and his people time...time to regroup and cross over the river.

(v.19) Again, God has a courageous woman save two of His people like Hagar did in Joshua 2.

(v.23) Why did Ahithophel hang himself?

~ Ahithophel had a son named Eliam, who had a daughter named Bathsheba...he was the grandfather of the woman whom David took as his wife by killing her husband! It's safe to say that Ahithophel hated David, and he feared that he would be killed once David regained the throne.

Unfortunately, we will never know if David would've shown mercy upon Ahithophel. Ahithophel's anger cost him his own life.

2nd Samuel 18

(v.2) David prepares for battle, and gives out a word of comfort, much like our LORD says to us:

Lo, I am with you always ~ Matt 28:20

David wanted to fight with his people, but they convinced him, that if he were captured or slain, the loss would be too great.

I remind my kids that Absalom was famous for his long and full hair...he would have won "Best Hair" in school every year! It was Absalom's pride that killed him...his hair got caught in the brush.

Joab killed Absalom himself...why did he disobey his king's direct order? I don't know for sure, but perhaps Joab didn't want his collusion with Absalom to be known, or he just knew that Absalom would continue to divide the kingdom if he was still alive.

(v.17) Absalom was covered in stones, which was the punishment for rebellious sons in Deut 21:18-21

Anyone who has lost a child can relate to the mourning of David. Even prodigal sons that rebelled are still loved and mourned when they die so young. But Joab gave David some tough love and a pep talk. All of Israel would've reacted to David's state of mind. David needed to praise and thank all that fought for him, instead of focusing on just one person.

Feb 8 (Lev 11-15; Deut 1-12)

Deuteronomy 1

This is a review of the 12 men who spied out the land of Canaan. There they saw the ancestors of Goliath, called the Anakim there. These were the giants who were described in Genesis 6.

One thing to note...when a word has the "im" ending to it, that means the plural of the noun. For instance in Hebrew, a cherub is a high angel, and a group of them are called cherubim.

Deuteronomy 2

(v.10) The Anakim are mentioned again, as well as in (v.20)

(vv.26-37) Here we have a tough part of the Bible where God orders the Jews to kill every man, woman and child of a tribe. God ordered this because they were families who had giants amongst them, and their DNA was corrupted by Satan.

Deuteronomy 3

(v.11) We see that the king of Bashan was spared, and his bed was nearly 8 feet wide and almost 18 feet long! These were big and scary men, who had supernatural power, and were against God's people...God had to deal with them.

Deuteronomy 4

Moses reminds the people of God's commands and warns of idolatry.

Deuteronomy 5

Moses reminds the people of the Law that God gave them...the 10 Commandments.

Deuteronomy 6

(v.4) This is what is know as the Sh'ma or Shema, since the first word is "hear" and that's what Sh'ma means.

The word for God used here is Elohim, which is a singular noun in the plural tense...indicating the Holy Trinity!

Also, the Hebrew word for "one" is echad, which also indicates a compound unity...the Trinity!

(v.7) This verse is one of the reasons I created this blog...God commands His believers to teach their children about God. We need to do this daily, and in all things. I often point out the presence of God in the weather, in the complexity of our bodies, in nature and its animals. Doing one prayer at night as our "God time" with our kids is not enough...we need to stay consistent and have them know that God is real, and He loves them, by using the things around us to prove that point!

Deuteronomy 7

The Jews are called "God's Chosen People" and we must teach our kids to love and respect the Jews. God did not choose them because they were more righteous and good than all on earth, in fact, in some ways, they were worse than the pagans! God chose the tiny nation of Israel to reveal Himself to the world. If He did it with Rome, then people would fear Rome because of its immense size and power. But tiny Israel has grown mighty, and the only explanation is that God was with them!

Deuteronomy 8

God reminds the Jews that He provided for them for 40 years! They didn't go without food or drink, and amazingly, their sandals never wore out! I remind my kids that they wear out their sandals twice a year, and they aren't traveling many miles for 40 years like the Jews did!

Deuteronomy 9

God reminds the Jews that they failed 40 years earlier, because they feared the giants more than they feared Him. Now, God is reassuring them that He is with them, and they will conquer these giants, and dwell in the land that God gave them!

I take this time to discuss "giants" that we face in this life with my kids:

~finances
~peer pressure
~sickness
~pride

We usually go through a big list, and it changes according to what's happening in their lives at the time. But no matter what makes us fearful, we need to remember that God is with us and we are His. I quote this to make the point:

"What shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? ~ Rom 8:31

Deuteronomy 10

God reminds the people that He loves them and gave them the Law to show them that they need God to provide for them. As the Apostle Paul writes in Hebrews 7:7, that he wouldn't have known he was a sinner unless he knew the Law.

Deuteronomy 11

I often hear that the Old Testament God is harsh, and the New Testament God is merciful. This just reveals to me that they don't know the God of the OT...He is loving and merciful, and He reminds us to do the same just as Jesus did in the NT. This is the same loving God in both Covenants!!!

Deuteronomy 12

God tells the people that one day, there will be a special place that is permanent (Temple) that will be much like the Tabernacle.

Also, God reminds the people to stay away from the pagan practices...it leads to idolatry and adultery.

(v.32) The last verse of this chapter reminds us what the Church has been fighting for centuries...the addition and subtraction to God's Word

Feb 5 (Num 21-22)

Numbers 21

This is a fascinating chapter, and one I take some time explaining to my kids.

The Jews are murmuring and complaining again, and God has serpents (snakes) enter the camp and kill many people from their poisonous bites. They realize their sin, and they ask Moses to ask God to stop the serpents.

I wish I could have seen Moses' face when God told him to erect a pole, and put a snake on it. If we don't know our Old Testament and the culture of Israel, we will miss the significance of this event.

Brass/Bronze ~ this metal was symbolic for judgment. It was the only metal of that time that could withstand fire and extreme heat.

Serpent/Snake ~ It was the serpent who tricked Adam and Eve, and it was always connected to sin and the devil.

So why did God have Moses erect a bronze pole with a snake on it, and if a Jew was bitten by one of the poisonous snakes, where they to just look up at the snake on the pole in order to be saved?

Up until this point, and for the rest of the Old Testament, there is no explanation for this event. But Jesus tells us the reason for God's work here in the Wilderness:

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." ~ John 3:14

I love to see my kids' faces light up when they see the typology here, mirroring what Jesus did for us on the cross!

The snake on the pole typifies the judgment of sin, and those who believed it would heal them were healed. Jesus was lifted up on a pole to take on ALL OUR SINS and those who look up to Him and believe in Him are saved as well.

Numbers 22

My kids laugh when I act out this event with Baalam and his donkey. They picture the donkey in Shrek talking to Baalam, and he talks back to the donkey!!!

I make sure to point out that the "Angel of the Lord" is really Jesus in another theophany, and that we see God working in this whole drama.

As we'll see in the next chapter, Baalam goes from righteousness for refusing to curse Israel (see Genesis 12) to letting his desire for money and fame to show the pagans how to bring the Jews down by having God remove His protective Hand from them.