"Job and His Friends" (detail), by Ilya Repin One of the features of mortal life is that we experience suffering we don't deserve. Why does God allow that to happen? The book of Job explores this question through an extreme example: a good man who loses nearly everything—wealth, family, and health—in a short period of... Continue Reading →

"Esther," by Jean-François Portaels When I think of Queen Esther, I remember how little control we have over our circumstances, but how much control we have over our actions within those circumstances. Esther's people were a minority ethnic and religious community scattered across the Persian Empire. Through a sequence of events that she could not... Continue Reading →

"Nehemiah Inspects The Walls of Jerusalem," by Robert Theodore Barrett Seventy years after being taken captive by the Babylonians, the former inhabitants of Judah were permitted to return. Jeremiah had prophesied, "After seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place" (Jeremiah 29:10). About a... Continue Reading →

"The Flight of the Prisoners," by Jacques Joseph Tissot Even before the Israelites inherited their promised land, the Lord warned them that they would be scattered if they persistently rebelled against Him. (See Leviticus 26:33, Deuteronomy 4:27, Deuteronomy 28:25, 37, 64.) But God also promised that even after they were scattered, He would remember His... Continue Reading →

"The Prophet Elisha and the Woman of Shunem" (detail) by Gerbrand van den Eeckhout In a Whirlwind Elijah didn't die. Instead, he was carried to heaven by a whirlwind in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11). This places him in a unique category of prophets who were translated, changed into a state where they... Continue Reading →

"Widow of Zarephath," by James Johnson "Jehovah is God." That's the meaning of the name Elijah (אֵלִיָּה) in Hebrew. His very name is a testimony. Elijah was a Tishbite, which might indicate where he is from, or it might be a variant of the Hebrew word toshab (תּוֹשָׁב), which means a stranger or a sojourner.... Continue Reading →

"King David Playing the Harp," by Gerard van Honthorst (1622) This week, we are studying the reigns of King David and King Solomon. Here are some of the major themes: The City of David (2 Samuel 5-7) Jerusalem has deep symbolic significance. Soon after David became king, he took possession of the city, made it... Continue Reading →

"Samuel Anoints David," by Antonio Gonzalez Velazquez The children of Israel wanted a king. Samuel tried to persuade them that it was a bad idea, but his own credibility had been diminished by the corruption of his sons, whom he had appointed as judges. (See 1 Samuel 8:1-5.) Under God's direction, Samuel identified and anointed... Continue Reading →

"Ruth and Naomi" (detail) by Ary Scheffer After the conquest of Canaan in the book of Joshua and the epic battles in the book of Judges, we read three personal stories: Ruth's assimilation into Israel, Hannah pleading for a son and then dedicating him to God, and Samuel's willingness to hearken to the voice of... Continue Reading →

"Gideon's Army" (detail) by Daniel A. Lewis The period between the death of Joshua and the establishment of a kingdom was a chaotic time for the Israelites. For more than 400 years, the people struggled to remain loyal to God. When they turned away from Him, they fell into captivity. When they prayed for help,... Continue Reading →