In front of them was the insurmountable sea, and behind them, the rapidly approaching army of the furious Pharaoh. A dead end with no prospects and no way forward. We can well imagine how the Israelites all cried out in fear. We, too, can sometimes find ourselves in such a dead end. There is no…
We are in danger of losing our gratitude. Is it because we suffer from external deprivation? Certainly not! Most of us have more than enough—not only food, clothing, a house or apartment but also many things we don’t even need. Compared to many poor people, we are doing exceptionally well. Yet we find that the…
A great many people who try to be comforters only lay thorns under aching heads. No art needs a more delicate touch than the comforter’s. The hands of most of us are too rough to be laid on throbbing hearts. No wonder Job felt that his friends were miserable comforters, or that he was not at first in a mood…
A rich Christian regularly prayed that God would give needy people what they needed. However, he himself rarely opened his wallet. One day, his young son said to him: “Dad, I wish I had your money!” His father asked in surprise: “Why? What would you do with it?” – “I would use it to answer…
After 70 years of captivity in Babylon, the first activity of the returnees to Jerusalem was to rebuild the altar of burnt offering: “And they set up the altar on its bases; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening burnt offerings” (Ezra 3:3). This fact is remarkable…
In their carnal mindset, the Corinthians had caused factions and divisions in the local church in Corinth. Characterized by envy and strife, they had misused some servants in the Lord’s work for their own purposes. Some made Paul, others Apollos or Cephas (Peter), and the very devout even made the Lord Jesus Himself their party…
Question: In Matthew 27:52, 53, it is said that when the Lord Jesus died on the cross, many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised and that after His resurrection, those who had been raised went into the holy city and appeared to many there. How is the fact of the resurrection…
The 53rd chapter of the prophet Isaiah paints a striking picture of our Lord as the suffering servant who was despised and forsaken by men and who was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Peter reminds us that the prophets spoke not only of the glories of the Messiah in His kingdom but…
“Coincidence” – a term that you would not expect to find in the Bible. When reading this incident, one gets the impression that the Holy Spirit is practically writing “from a human perspective”: it really does seem to be a coincidence that Ruth gleaned in Boaz’s field out of all the fields of Bethlehem. Ruth…
The chapters 23 and 24 of the Book of Joshua give us the record of the final address of an aged servant of the Lord just before he leaves this scene. It’s a touching appeal addressed to God’s earthly people of old and is, at the same time, a challenge to all of us who…
“I could have saved myself the trouble. Completely in vain!” The Christian watched sadly as a woman handled the tract he had just handed her. She said in horror: “Completely worthless to me,” and threw it away in disgust. There it lay, in the dirt of the street. Dejected, the distributor went home. But had…
In this impressive promise from God to Elijah we could emphasize different aspects, and we would certainly like to emphasize the ravens. We marvel at the sovereignty and omnipotence of God, who uses what we see as unsuitable instruments to provide for His servant. This required faith on Elijah’s part. Could his faith be based…
And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.”. Gen 22:8 God instructed Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac on a mountain in the land of Moriah (Genesis 22:2). Abraham did not hesitate to carry out this difficult task (verse 3). After a three-day journey, when he…
Is tithing a Christian way of giving? Tithing (giving 10% of one’s income) was definitely part of the Old Testament law and the religious life of the Jews. In Malachi 3:8-9 the people of Israel were charged with robbing God by not paying tithes. God made it clear in no uncertain terms that they were…
It is dark. The streets are deserted. A thick mist hangs between the houses. A man is walking hurriedly to the bank. He has the day’s takings from a large grocery store under his arm. He is relieved when the box with the money falls into the night safe. The money is in the bank…
In God’s dispensational dealings with mankind, there are three main groups of people: the Jews, the Gentiles, and the assembly (1 Cor. 10:32). In the early days of the assembly recorded in the first part of Acts, the distinct and separate character of the assembly as a called-out company (the literal meaning of the Greek…
These few verses from the epistle to the Philippians tell us about the illness of a brother who, on behalf of the Philippians, brought a gift (probably financial support) to the imprisoned apostle Paul in Rome. Among other things, they shed light on a question that moves some of God’s children, namely, what illnesses and…
“Wait a minute, David. Don’t you speak of the valley of the shadow of death, of evil, and enemies in the same psalm? How can you say that you lack nothing?” “Wait a minute, Moses, the people were often hungry and thirsty; once the water was bitter, enemies were lurking. How can you say that…
Introduction The 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians is one of the best-known chapters of the Bible. The great lesson we learn is how to become imitators of God. God is not only light, but He is also love, and in giving His only begotten Son, He has acted in unfathomable love. Now we are called…
Do you hope you’ll have the opportunity to turn to Christ after death? Unfortunately, many people think so. They hope that God will be merciful towards them at the “gate of heaven“ and that salvation will still be possible then. But let’s be honest. What is your reason for thinking that way? People who want…
