Latest Commentaries

James 4:11-17 rebukes believers who are critical, judgmental, or are putting themselves in God's position and acting superior to their brothers and sisters in Christ. People who act proudly and better than others are not living as the Lord Jesus taught us to live. Only God can tell us what is right and can evaluate if we are doing right. Only God can rescue us from sin or punish sin. We are not God and should not act as God toward other people. James redirects the arrogant and boastful men to consider their limits and mortality, and instead acknowledge God is God. We should live in faithful dependence on God, because we cannot control the outcome of a single day. We should do what we know is right to do; if we choose not to do what we know is right, we are sinning.

James 4:6-10 answers the problem of self-seeking and friendship with the world. God gives us grace when we humble ourselves. If we remain proud, He will resist us. James urges his readers to submit to God and reject sinful living. If we go to God, He will come to our aid. This is the process of repentance, of turning away from selfishness. We should be humble, which means acknowledging God's ways are right and then living accordingly. God will lift us up, help us, and bless us when we approach Him this way.

James 4:1-5 explores the conflicts among believers. We all have our own personal agenda, our own desires, and when we chase after things we can’t have, we become resentful and combative toward other people. Or, if we have good desires, but never ask God for them, we are in the same position of feeling unfulfilled, which leads to resentment. It is also sometimes the case that we ask for good things but with bad intentions, and God says, "No." Living solely to please ourselves is to live sinfully, in step with the world's values, not God's. This puts us at odds with God. And God desires we live in fellowship and obedience to Him.

1 Samuel 1:9-11 shows that although Elkanah's family is feasting, Hannah is grieving, so she exits the celebration and goes to the temple of the LORD. Eli the priest is sitting outside the Tabernacle and witnesses Hannah praying in great distress. Hannah makes a vow to the LORD that if He will open her womb, Hannah will dedicate her son to the LORD for all his life.

In 1 Samuel 1:6-8 Peninnah, Elkanah's other wife, harasses Hannah habitually because she has no children. This demoralizing treatment goes on for years and years, specifically at a time that was meant to be one of reverence and fellowship with God. This treatment distresses Hannah so that she weeps and cannot eat yet her husband does not understand. Elkanah assumes that his love for Hannah would be more fulfilling than 10 sons.

Ephesians 2:13-18 explains how Jesus Christ reconciled those who were formerly far off to God and to one another through His blood, creating one new people and giving both Jews and Gentiles equal access to the Father through the Spirit. Paul contrasts the former separation of the Gentiles from Christ and God's covenant blessings with the peace and reconciliation that Jesus accomplished through His sacrificial death. Through Christ, the dividing wall of hostility has been removed, believers have been united into one body, and all who are in Him now share direct access to God as members of His family.

Ephesians 2:10 says that God created every person anew in Christ Jesus as His workmanship. This new creation has a purpose: believers are made to walk in the good works God prepared long ago for them.

Joshua 15:20-63 enumerates the cities allotted to Judah, arranged into five major districts: the southern district, the lowland, the Philistine cities, the hill country, and the wilderness. Yet the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of Jerusalem, continued to dwell there alongside the people of Judah.

Joshua 15:13-19 records how Caleb receives Hebron as his inheritance and successfully drives out the three sons of Anak. He conquers Debir through Othniel, his nephew, who is then married to Caleb's daughter Achsah as a reward. In response to Achsah's request, Caleb grants her springs of water to complement her dry southern land.

Joshua 15:1-12 outlines the inheritance of the tribe of Judah by describing its boundaries on all four sides: south (toward the brook of Egypt), east (Salt Sea), north (around Jerusalem), and west (the Great Sea and its coastline).

1 Chronicles 19:16-19 describes the defeated Arameans summoning reinforcements from beyond the Euphrates under Shophach the commander of Hadadezer's army, David gathering all Israel, crossing the Jordan, and drawing up against them, the Arameans fleeing before Israel with 7,000 charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers killed and Shophach dead, and Hadadezer's vassals making peace with David and refusing to help Ammon again.

1 Chronicles 19:10-15 describes Joab, caught between enemies in front and behind, dividing his force with his brother Abishai, each pledging to help the other if hard pressed, Joab calling the army to courage for the sake of their people and the cities of their God while leaving the outcome to the LORD, the Arameans fleeing before Joab, the Ammonites fleeing into their city before Abishai, and Joab returning to Jerusalem.

1 Chronicles 19:6-9 describes the sons of Ammon, aware that they had made themselves odious to David, sending 1,000 talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, Aram-maacah, and Zobah, the hired 32,000 chariots and the king of Maacah camping before Medeba, Ammon mustering from its cities, David sending Joab with the whole army of mighty men, and the two enemy forces taking position, Ammon at the city gate and the kings in the open field.

1 Chronicles 19:1-5 describes the death of Nahash king of Ammon, David sending messengers to console his son Hanun in return for Nahash's kindness, the Ammonite princes persuading Hanun that the messengers are spies, Hanun shaving them and cutting off their garments at the hips, and David sending word for the humiliated men to stay at Jericho until their beards grow.

1 Chronicles 18:14-17 describes David reigning over all Israel and administering justice and righteousness for all his people, and lists his chief officers: Joab over the army, Jehoshaphat the recorder, Zadok and Abimelech the priests, Shavsha the secretary, Benaiah over the Cherethites and Pelethites, and David's sons as chiefs at the king's side.

1 Chronicles 18:12-13 describes Abishai the son of Zeruiah defeating 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt, David putting garrisons in Edom so that all the Edomites became his servants, and the LORD helping David wherever he went.

1 Chronicles 18:9-11 describes Tou king of Hamath, on hearing that David had defeated the army of Hadadezer, sending his son Hadoram to greet and bless King David with articles of gold, silver, and bronze, because Hadadezer had been at war with Tou, and David dedicating these to the LORD along with the silver and gold he had taken from Edom, Moab, Ammon, the Philistines, and Amalek.

1 Chronicles 18:5-8 describes the Arameans of Damascus coming to help Hadadezer and losing 22,000 men, David placing garrisons in Damascus so the Arameans became tributary servants, the LORD helping David wherever he went, and David carrying Hadadezer's gold shields and a very large amount of bronze to Jerusalem, bronze from which Solomon later made the bronze sea, the pillars, and the utensils of the temple.

1 Chronicles 18:3-4 describes David defeating Hadadezer king of Zobah as far as Hamath, on the way to establishing rule at the Euphrates River, capturing 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers, and hamstringing all the chariot horses except enough for 100 chariots.

1 Chronicles 18:1-2 describes David defeating and subduing the Philistines, taking Gath and its towns from their hand, and defeating Moab so that the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute.