The previous, innocent question is all the author records of the reaction of Isaac in the story. We aren't given his age or demeanor. We don't know if he was compliant in the act, or if he struggled tooth and nail to escape his father's grasp. By any and all means necessary, Abraham would obey God, even when he didn't understand the commandment.The

2. Knowing God’s story keeps us from being taken in by those with other stories (see Matt. 24:5—there will be pretenders). It’s why God’s people don’t need Tarot cards, psychics, astrology, channeling, etc. In fact, for their good, God even forbids these of his people (Deut .18:14–15).3. Fulfilled prophecy validates the prophet (Deut. 18:21–22; see

1. Jocabed Jocabed was mother to Moses, Miriam, and Aaron. By placing baby Moses in a basket in the Nile, Jocabed showed remarkable courage. She defied Pharaoh’s decree while actively involving her other children in her bold act of faith (Miriam guarded the basket and secured Jocabed as Moses’ nurse.) Moses spent his formative years with his own fa

"Leave her alone," Jesus replied. " It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me." — John 12:4-8Mary knew that this perfume was not only a symbol of her value for Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, but also in preparation for his burial. Sh

Jesus Christ stands at the apex of history. Just as we look back in history to Christ's sacrifice for our sins on the cross, Old Testament believers looked forward to His sacrifice for them.Hank Hanegraaff serves as president and chairman of the board of the North Carolina-based Christian Research Institute International. He also hosts the Bible An

The humble seeking of these Gentiles formed a striking contrast to the persistent rejection of the Jews. And the occasion forcibly suggested that the gospel invitation, which had hitherto been confined to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, should be extended to the vast throng of waiting Gentiles. But, according to the counsel of God, this exte

1. Elohim: Creator (Genesis 1:1)It all started with a Creator--our God who pieced together the Universe with His hands and great attention to detail. When you acknowledge the name Elohim in your prayers, you are calling out to the One who holds all things together, brings beauty to the world, and structure out of nothing. You’re calling out to the

It’s difficult to chart spiritual growth in the midst of pain. I may see growth in retrospect, but while I’m experiencing it, all I want to do is return to my comfortable, pain-free and growth-free state. But being open to God’s work in my life means being open to His correction. We are not called to remain spiritual 7-year-olds, attempting to snea

If the Bible's description of us is accurate, then God's grace is our only hope. Thank God that He has given us big grace! Each one of us needs grace that's not only big enough to forgive our sin, but also powerful enough to free us from the self-atoning prison of our own righteousness. We're not only held captive by our sin, but also by the delusi

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The falling back is a contextual clue that Jesus is speaking like God speaks in Isaiah. Thus, there is likely a double entendre here in 18:6. On the one hand Jesus is simply answering the soldiers’ question by saying, “I am he [the one you are looking for].” But, on the other hand, he is saying, “I am he [the one true God].”In the end, the “I am” l

Yet the seriousness of God’s commands to Israel are merely a reflection of the waywardness of man. In many instances, God’s laws are not motivated as much by rectifying the immediate situation as they are by His perfect foreknowledge of the consequences which will eventually ensue once men begin down such a path. Christ’s NT condemnation of the wor

When we really get down to it, there’s an obvious point that we all know, but that maybe we should take a second to remind ourselves of: This season is about Jesus, or at least it’s supposed to be. Breathe that in. Tell yourself that everyday. Remember what Jesus did for us, and be thankful for it. It will change everything.And then, take a moment

 - The most documented biblical event is the worldwide flood described in Genesis 6-9. Discoveries indicate that a number of Babylonian documents describe the same flood. "The Sumerian King List . . . , for example, lists kings who reigned for long periods of time. Then a great flood came. Following the flood, Sumerian kings ruled for much sho

The Christian God is nothing like these pagan gods, which means we have nothing to offer God that would make Him respond by giving us a favor.“God, if you give me this raise than I’ll give you 15% of it.” God is not sitting in heaven wondering how he will be able to finance His work and hoping someone steps up to foot the bill. The whole world is H

Allen Yeh is a missiologist who specializes in Latin America and China. He also has other academic interests in history, classical music, homiletics, social justice, and Jonathan Edwards. He earned his B.A. from Yale, M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell, M.Th. from Edinburgh, and D.Phil. from Oxford. Despite this alphabet soup, he believes that experience i

There are good reasons for every item included below. The order, however, is somewhat uncertain. But I will place the events of Paul’s fourth missionary journey in the sequence I find most plausible.Paul appeared before Nero some time during his house arrest in Rome. (God had promised Paul in a vision in Acts 27:24 that he would stand before Caesar

3. Receive the anointing of wisdom even as Joshua received wisdom after Moses laid his hand upon him. Recognize that wisdom is a spiritual act. It has very little to do with cognitive development or education. It has everything to do with the anointing of God to see what is right and what is wrong, to know what to do and when to do it. You and I bo

“This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, “‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be s

1. Trusting the Word of GodTime and time again, David expresses his belief that the Scriptures are true (v.151). He believes in them (v.66). He trusts in their reliability (v.42). He states: “The sum of your word is truth” (v.160).This first step is key. If a believer doesn’t really regard the Word of God as being fully and entirely trustworthy, th