The Book of Judges tells the history of Israel during the time between the death of Joshua and the establishment of the monarchy. It covers a period of over 300 years when Israel was ruled by “judges” who were raised up by God to deliver the people from their enemies. The recurring theme throughout Judges is the apostasy of Israel as they turned away from God to worship idols, followed by God’s judgment through allowing them to be oppressed by enemies, Israel’s repentance and crying out to God, and God raising up a judge to deliver them. The book shows…
Author: Kristal Wheatley
The Book of Genesis is the first book of the Bible and serves as the foundation for the rest of Scripture. Spanning a period of over 2,300 years, Genesis explains the origins of the universe, humanity, sin, and God’s plan of salvation. Here is a summary of the key events and themes of Genesis: Creation (Genesis 1-2) Genesis opens with the majestic account of God’s creation of the heavens, earth and all living things in six days. On the sixth day, God creates man and woman in His own image to rule over creation on His behalf. God then rests…
The term “Calebite” refers to someone who is a descendant of Caleb, one of the spies sent by Moses to scout out the Promised Land (Numbers 13). Caleb and Joshua were the only two spies who believed that God would help the Israelites conquer the land, while the other ten spies gave a bad report and discouraged the people (Numbers 13:25-33). As a result, the Israelite nation had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years until the unbelieving generation died off. Only Caleb and Joshua from the older generation were allowed to eventually enter Canaan (Numbers 14:26-35). When it…
The Book of Deuteronomy is the fifth and final book of the Torah (the first five books of the Bible). It contains the speeches that Moses delivered to the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. Moses reminds the people of the covenant that God made with them at Mount Sinai, summarizes important laws, and prepares them for entering and conquering Canaan. Here is a summary of the key events and themes found in Deuteronomy: Moses’ First Speech (Chapters 1-4) Moses begins by recounting the events that occurred after the Israelites left…
The commandment “You shall not commit adultery” is one of the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20:14. It is a clear prohibition against engaging in sexual relationships outside of marriage. There are several important reasons why this commandment is included in the Ten Commandments: 1. It protects marriage Marriage is central to God’s design for humanity. Genesis 2:24 says “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Marriage creates a sacred covenant and union between a husband and wife. Adultery violates and destroys this covenant by…
Dinah was a daughter of Jacob, one of the patriarchs of the Bible. She is mentioned in Genesis 34. Dinah was Jacob’s daughter through his wife Leah. She had several brothers including Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. Not much detail is provided about Dinah’s early life with her family. The key event involving Dinah occurred when she was a young woman. Genesis 34:1 states that Dinah went out to visit some of the women who lived in the area. While she was out, Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite saw her, took her, and lay with her…
The book of Acts in the New Testament provides details on the missionary journeys of the apostle Paul. According to Acts, Paul embarked on four missionary journeys to spread the gospel and establish churches throughout the Roman Empire. However, the Bible does not provide a detailed account of what transpired between Paul’s third and fourth missionary journeys. Paul’s third missionary journey is described in Acts 18:23 – 21:17. This journey lasted approximately 4-5 years (c. 53-58 AD). Paul traveled extensively throughout Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) and Greece during this time. Some of the cities Paul visited included Ephesus, Macedonia,…
Simon the Pharisee is mentioned in the Bible in Luke 7:36-50. This passage records an encounter between Simon, Jesus, and a sinful woman. Here are the key details about Simon the Pharisee from this account: He was a Pharisee Simon is explicitly called “one of the Pharisees” (Luke 7:36). The Pharisees were a Jewish religious sect known for their strict observance of the Law of Moses and oral traditions. As a Pharisee, Simon would have been very knowledgeable about the Hebrew scriptures and zealous for ritual purity. He invited Jesus to eat at his house The passage states that Simon…
The “mystery of godliness” is a phrase found in 1 Timothy 3:16 that refers to the revelation of Jesus Christ as the Son of God come in the flesh. It reads: “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory” (ESV). This verse packs a lot of theology into a succinct statement about who Jesus is and what He accomplished in His earthly ministry. Let’s break down each phrase: “He was manifested in the…
The dogwood tree holds a special meaning for many Christians, as it is associated with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. According to legend, the dogwood was once a tall and sturdy tree, but after being used to construct the cross on which Jesus was crucified, God cursed the tree to never grow large enough again to be used as a cross. There are several key aspects to the legend of the dogwood tree: The Dogwood was Once a Tall, Sturdy Tree In the beginning, before being used as the timber for Jesus’ cross, the dogwood is said to have been…