With King David on his death bed, the royal family knows that the time to transfer power is drawing near. David’s oldest son, Adonijah, gains support for himself from well-known leaders like Joab and Abiathar, calling Judah together for a feast to celebrate his bid for kingship. Nathan the prophet catches word, and teams up with Bathsheba to alert …

Paul catches word from fellow workers in the Gospel that the church at Colossae is wrestling with some false teaching that had entered their church. While the heresy is not fully identified, we gather that it had an inferior view of Christ, involved worship of angels and asceticism, and promoted man-made traditions. Paul directs their hearts and mi…

Now that the account of King David has essentially come to a close, the author recording the account looks back on David’s life to record some of the events that happened during David’s lifetime that were not included in the chronological story line. These accounts include the execution of members of Saul’s family, battles against the giant descend…

On our last episode we followed the trajectory of David’s son Absalom, a handsome young man who had won the hearts of Israel by deception, telling those who came to King David that the king had no time for them. Absalom devises a coup to overthrow David, but his father catches wind of his plot and flees before he arrives. Today, David’s men prepare…

After killing his brother at a family dinner, Absalom fled to another country, and was only brought back after Joab convinced David to do so by way of a theatric analogy. Today, Absalom begins a plan to win the hearts of the people and turn Israel against his father, the king. Learning of this impending insurrection, David flees Jerusalem with all …

When we last left King David, he had slept with another man’s wife, and when it came to light that she was pregnant, he designed a conspiracy to kill Uriah in order to cover up his own adultery. Today Nathan comes to David with a word from the Lord. Because of his sin, the Lord says that he will take David’s wives and give them to another before al…

Throughout the Old Testament, we meet men of varying backgrounds who set out to obey the Lord and deliver God’s people. Time and again, God’s people rejoice and revel in their hero, but inevitably, these men fall and are shown to be sinful. There is none righteous, no not one. David is no exception, and his lust for another man’s wife begets more a…

Now that David has been recognized as king, it’s time for him to begin to establish his kingdom. David consults the Lord before he goes into battle, and prioritizes the worship of the Lord as a matter of great importance. With much fanfare, he moves the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, and worships in a very un-regal fashion. King David expresses …

After Saul’s death, an Amalekite man comes to David claiming that he is the one who killed Saul, thinking he will be rewarded for his deed since Saul pursued David for so long. To say that David is displeased with this report, however, is an understatement. After a period of mourning for the house of Saul, David is anointed king in Judah, but Abner…

Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi is full of love and instruction for the Lord’s church. He rejoices that the gospel is moving forward even while he is in prison, and encourages the church to endure suffering, to be united in love, and to serve one another sacrificially, looking to the King of Kings who humbled Himself even to death on a cros…

Today, Saul set his sights on David once more, bringing three thousand men with him, but David again has compassion on him. David and his men defect from Israel and escape to Philistine territory, where the king gives him the city of Ziklag. Later, as Saul faces the Philistine armies, he becomes fearful and tries to consult the Lord, but God does n…

In a paranoid rage, Saul has slaughtered a city of priests and their families. One man has escaped from that raid and joined David’s ranks; his name is Abiathar and he has come with a priestly ephod in hand. At every turn, it seems that Saul is hot on David’s tail until, at long last, he unwittingly happens upon the cave where David is hiding. Howe…

In our last episode, King Saul’s jealousy and hatred for David began to grow as David successfully conquered the Philistines in battle time after time. Saul began plotting David’s demise, but his plans to see him killed were all foiled. Today, Saul’s rage becomes clear to everyone, and David flees from the king’s presence. As he takes shelter in a …

When the subject of a historical account like this one tells you the reason why he will be victorious before he achieves his victory, we should probably pay attention to that right? So often when someone references David & Goliath, they frame it as if it’s about a big guy versus small fry, and the underdog wins the day because of his ingenuity. Let…

At the end of our last episode, Saul had just been appointed as king in Gilgal. Samuel gave him instructions to wait for him there, but when he feels like he is pressed for time he assumes that it will be best to make the burnt offering himself. Saul, however, is not a part of the priesthood, and while he is king, it doesn’t mean that he can do wha…

In our last episode, the nation of Israel asked an aging Samuel to appoint a king over them before his death. Samuel warned them about what a king would demand from them, but the people urged him all the more. Ultimately, the concern is not so much that they want a king, but that they were looking to have a human king as a source of strength, prote…

When Israel went to battle against the Philistines they assumed that they could bring out the ark of the covenant to the battlefield, and that it’s presence would either oblige God to win the battle for them or that the object itself had some kind of mystical power. They were sorely mistaken, and the Philistines promptly defeated them captured the …

The instructions that the Lord has given to his people concerning justice, holiness, and priesthood have all been shattered in the time of the judges. It seems like all is lost for Israel, but even here we can see foreshadows of the Christ who has yet to come. There is a woman incapable of having children who is faithful to the Lord. In His provide…

As we open Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus it becomes immediately clear that Paul is overflowing with joy in Christ. The source and origin of this joy is Christ Himself, whom Paul notes as the one who is responsible for our salvation. Take note of how often Paul uses the phrase “In Him” or “In Christ”. He goes on to make clear that it is not…

It seems like so much has been lost in the time of the judges, but the author of Ruth gives us a glimmer of hope. In a season of drought, a family leaves Israel and moves to Moab hoping to find relief, but instead they find sorrow. The wife, Naomi, becomes a widow without family to help her. Her daughter-in-law, a foreigner, commits to love her and…

The call to love one another continues as Paul encourages church members not to quarrel over opinions. From one believer to the next, you’ll find that Christians have varying convictions about what is acceptable concerning things like dietary restrictions or celebration of particular days, and Paul says that’s OK. Let each one be convinced without …

* Get 40% off the regular price of any CSB Bible at lifeway.com using code "COMMUTER24" When we consider that God “hardens hearts,” our minds may try to conceive of a defense for God or fight against the idea that the Lord would direct our steps in such a way. Paul recognizes this instinct and asks, “Is there injustice with God?” Absolutely not! If…

True righteousness comes by faith in Jesus Christ, not by the works of the flesh. Paul has masterfully explained that Abraham is the father of all who come to faith in Christ, both Jew and Gentile, as by faith he received the promise before the institution of circumcision and then received circumcision as a seal of that faith. Today he explains tha…

Paul’s letter to the house churches of Rome is full of rich, theological truth, often presenting ideas that are both mind-boggling and comforting all at once. In today’s passage, Paul begins to present his case for a righteousness that comes by faith. He begins by explaining that the world rejects God because they love their unrighteous behavior mo…

At this point in the narrative of Judges, the Lord is surprisingly absent from the life of Israel. It seems like nobody knows how any of this covenant stuff works, even in the slightest. It becomes so bad that a Levite is involved in a scenario almost identical to that of Sodom & Gomorrah, only this time, those who are intent on sexually assaulting…

In short, Samson is a picture of Israel in one person. Meant to be set apart and holy, he instead takes his vows and his God lightly, defiling himself over and over. A Nazirite was supposed avoid dead bodies, yet he eats honey from a lion’s carcass and uses a jawbone for a weapon. A Nazirite was supposed to abstain from wine, yet Samson threw a dri…

Two judges of Israel follow the death of Abimelech, and we know little about them, except that they each judged Israel for over 20 years with no ruckus to speak of. When Israel turns to idols yet again, they suffer under the Philistines & Ammonites. They cry out to the Lord, but he rejects their pleas. When they confess sin and burn their idols, Go…

When we last left Gideon and his army, he had attacked the forces of Midian with 300 hundred men. Though he and his small band had already killed 120,000 men, there are still 15,000 left. We begin with a discussion between Gideon and the men of Ephraim who have just killed the two princes of Midian as Gideon’s men routed them from battle. They’re u…

Our reading today begins by wrapping up the account of Deborah and Barak after Sisera’s defeat. It’s not long, however, before Israel turns, once again, to worship idols. The false gods of Baal and Asherah were meant to bring fertile crops and prosperity, but they only bring despair and a fractured relationship with the One True God. During a perio…

Under the rule of Joshua, Israel was doing well and was off to a good start in obeying the Lord’s commands. Not long afterward, however, they begin to intermarry with the Canaanites, signaling, not only an apathy toward God’s commands, but an acceptance of the gods that the Canaanites worshiped. God declares that he will no longer drive out the Can…

In Matthew’s very Jewish-oriented account we have seen Jesus lauded as the coming King, we have seen the builders reject the cornerstone, and today we will see the Lamb of God who brings a greater Passover and a greater deliverance. Like Abraham’s firstborn, the Son of God is offered to God as a sacrifice, but he also the substitute offered so that…

In Matthew’s very Jewish-oriented account we have seen Jesus lauded as the coming King, we have seen the builders reject the cornerstone, and today we will see the Lamb of God who brings a greater Passover and a greater deliverance. Like Abraham’s firstborn, the Son of God is offered to God as a sacrifice, but he also the substitute offered so that…

The prophecies of the Son of David predict that a king will rise to power to shepherd the people of Israel. Jesus fits this description, and after waiting for centuries for this King, the people rejoice at the thought of a King rising to power to conquer their foes. What they don’t realize is that Jesus won’t conquer Rome or other nations, but He w…

While man-made religions all try to glorify the followers and originators of the religion they promote, Christianity stands in stark contrast, for it is evident that the disciples were absolutely clueless when it came to Jesus and His teaching. Time and again, they record their confusion and ignorance, all the while elevating Christ and His wisdom …

CSB promo code at lifeway.com: COMMUTER24 We’ll hear a number of parables from Jesus today, and according to Jesus Himself, the reason he speaks in parables is conceal the truth from those whose hearts are callous. These truths are, however, for those who have ears to hear and eyes to see, that is, those whom the Father has chosen to reveal the tru…

If you’ve been a follower of Jesus for a while, chances are that you’ve heard many of today’s accounts before. Jesus cleanses the lepers, opens the ears of the deaf and the eyes of the blind, raises the dead, casts demons out of people, and then commissions His disciples to do the same. As you listen to today’s reading, don’t let familiarity keep y…

Just as Moses did before Him, Jesus ascends a mountaintop in order to deliver a Word from God to those who were following Him. Unlike Moses, Jesus doesn’t need to wait for an authoritative teaching, for He Himself is the authority: he is Immanuel, God with us. As He begins His teaching, He assures the crowd that His words are not an alteration of G…

The gospel of Matthew was written with a Jewish audience in mind, pointing frequently to the Old Testament to show how Christ was God’s promised Messiah and the fulfillment of the Law. Matthew looks back upon some 60 Hebrew prophecies throughout his text. Not only is He the long-awaited King, He is also the new Abraham, that is, the head of the new…

The clans and families of Israel are settling into their apportioned lands and beginning to find rest when a report spreads across the lands that the tribes on the other side of the Jordan are rebelling against God. They ready themselves for war, knowing that God is a jealous God, but later find their zealous action was in haste. Today’s reading en…

Joshua 18 – 1:08 . Joshua 19 – 5:42 . Joshua 20 – 12:47 . Joshua 21 – 15:37 . Psalm 59 – 22:25 . Psalm 60 – 25:07 . Now that the majority of the Promised Land has been conquered, the land is being divided by lot and by size according to the number of people in each tribe. Today’s reading is the last section of text detailing the division of the lan…

Joshua 14 - 1:10 . Joshua 15 - 3:55 . Joshua 16 - 11:46 . Joshua 17 - 13:22 . Psalm 57 – 17:36 . Psalm 58 - 19:24 . The work of conquering the Promised Land, in large part, has come to a close. Now it’s time to divide the land between the clans of Israel as Moses had instructed. To our modern ears, much of what we’ll hear today may not seem importa…

Joshua 10 – 1:10 . Joshua 11 – 10:37 . Joshua 12 – 15:04 . Joshua 13 – 18:53 . Psalm 55 – 24:13 . Psalm 56 – 27:20 . A coalition of nations conspires to fight against Israel when they hear that Joshua has defeated Jericho and Ai, and they gather together to surge against them. They are no match for those with whom the Lord has covenanted, and God s…

Joshua 7 – 1:14 . Joshua 8 – 8:38 . Joshua 9 – 16:39 . Psalm 52 – 22:00 . Psalm 53 – 23:24 . Psalm 54 – 24:41 . In our last episode, Israel had successfully crossed the Jordan on dry ground and defeated the walled city of Jericho, not by their own strength, but by the strength of God’s mighty hand over His Creation. God had instructed that all of J…

Joshua 1 – 1:09 . Joshua 2 – 4:26 . Joshua 3 – 10:05 . Joshua 4 – 13:31 . Joshua 5 – 18:33 . Joshua 6 – 21:37 . Psalm 51 – 27:32 . Moses has died, leaving Israel with a new legacy, a new Law, and a new leader. Before Moses’ death, the Lord appointed Joshua to lead and blessed Him. Today, Joshua takes charge over Israel and leads them over the Jorda…

James 1 - 1:09 . James 2 - 5:33 . James 3 - 10:58 . James 4 - 14:07 . James 5 - 17:08 . Psalm 50 - 21:04 . After spending some time writing to the church concerning trials and temptations, James writes about the role of works in the believer’s life, citing specific works such as caring for orphans & widows in their distress and avoiding favoritism.…

Deuteronomy 32 – 1:12 . Deuteronomy 33 – 12:35 . Deuteronomy 34 – 19:44 . Psalm 49 – 22:22 . In our final reading of the book of Deuteronomy, the Lord tells Moses that Israel will indeed rebel against Him after Moses dies. The song of Moses recorded here prophesies the coming wrath of God for Israel’s rebellion, focusing on God’s power over the wor…

Deuteronomy 29 – 1:10 . Deuteronomy 30 – 7:36 . Deuteronomy 31 – 12:51 . Psalm 48 – 19:37 . Moses continues to explain to Israel that they will be blessed if follow the Lord and cursed if they follow other gods. He calls out that thought which is so common to mankind: I am the exception to the rules, and as Moses puts it, “I will have peace even th…

Deuteronomy 26 – 1:20 . Deuteronomy 27 – 5:16 . Deuteronomy 28 – 11:00 . Psalm 47 – 22:22 . In our reading today, Moses outlines the blessings and the curses that will fall upon Israel if they fail to keep the covenant of the Lord. Keep in mind that the covenant and the statutes include the prescribed ways that Israel can repent of sin and execute …

Deuteronomy 21 - 1:17 . Deuteronomy 22 - 5:38 . Deuteronomy 23 - 11:56 . Deuteronomy 24 - 16:59 . Deuteronomy 25 - 21:11 . Psalm 46 - 23:33 . Our reading today contains some statutes that seem harsh, some that seem odd, and others that could easily be incorporated into daily interactions today. A few things to remember: first, the covenant with Isr…

Deuteronomy 16 - 1:12 . Deuteronomy 17 - 6:12 . Deuteronomy 18 - 10:33 . Deuteronomy 19 - 15:16 . Deuteronomy 20 - 19:11 . Psalm 45 - 23:30 . Moses continues to speak to the Israelites before his impending death, reminding this new generation about the laws and statutes that have been put in place. Many of the structures given here for a system of …