Dr Paul Allen

English: Solomon and the Plan for the Temple, as in 1 Kings 6, illustration from a Bible card published by the Providence Lithograph Company (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God , even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.” ( 1 Chronicles 28:20 ) This admonition—to be strong and of good courage—is found 11 times in the Bible—thrice on the lips of Moses , five times in Joshua , then twice from David, and once from Hezekiah . Although these all involved specific challenges confronting God’s people at the time, the principles behind them indicate the need for courage of conviction for God’s people at all times. The first occurrence is in the command given by Moses to the Israelites just before his death as they were about to enter the Promised Land . “Be strong an...

The Children of Israel Crossing the Jordan (illustration by Gustave Doré) (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been encircled for seven days” (Heb. 11:30). Forty years had elapsed since the Israelites refused to enter the Promised Land . That unbelieving generation had perished in the wilderness. Now Joshua was leading a new generation into the land. The first obstacle they faced was Jericho—a well- fortified city that was near the mouth of the Jordan River . Some city walls of that day were wide enough at the top to allow two chariots to ride side by side. That was probably true of Jericho because of its strategic location. That, coupled with the caliber of its army, made the city virtually impregnable—especially to unsophisticated Israelites, who lacked military training. But what is impossible for man is easy for God. And the stage was set for Him to demonstrate His power and for the Israelites to demonstrate their faith and...

Exodus is a book of redemption. God’s freeing his people from Egyptian slavery is a picture of Christ ’s delivering sinners from their sin and its consequences.  Christ was with Israel as the rock that followed them through their journey from slavery to the promised land ( 1 Cor. 10:4; Exod. 17:6).  The Passover lambs are a picture of Christ’s death for sinners (John 1:36; 19:36) and his providing access to God. Related articles The prophetic message of the Passover (jmdansville.wordpress.com) The Court Of The Tabernacle (Exodus 27) (answersfromthebook.org) 40 Years with a Friend of God? (godislivingme.com) Be Thankful (radiatedevotions.wordpress.com) 'Let my son go!' (walgettanglican.wordpress.com) The Passover (michelleublog.wordpress.com) Curtains, Boards, Sockets, And Veils (Exodus 26) (answersfromthebook.org) Word of Grace Teaching - Skills for Success (funkewog.wordpress.com) The Importance of Context in the Conquest of Canaan (The S...

English: Moses Sees the Promised Land from Afar, as in Numbers 27:12, by James Tissot (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Deuteronomy 6:4 –9 “Hear, O Israel : The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (vv. 4–5). Even if we are unfamiliar with the content of Deuteronomy , most of us have probably heard the opening verses of today’s passage. Deuteronomy 6:5, in particular, is well-known in the church as the “great commandment” (Matt. 22:34–40). Yet Deuteronomy 6:4 is also famous, especially within the ewish community. Central to biblical theology is this affirmation of the oneness of God known as the Shema, which is the Hebrew term that begins verse 4. In its original historical context, the Shema set the Israelites apart from the nations that surrounded them. Deuteronomy was revealed at the same time the nation of Israel was about to enter the Promised Land in order t...

Author: Justin Taylor This is a good, hard question. The way we answer it will both reflect and inform our understanding of justice and mercy. In the book of Joshua God commands Israel to slaughter the Canaanites in order to occupy the Promised Land . It was a bloody war of total destruction where God used his people to execute his moral judgment against his wicked enemies. In moving toward an answer it will be helpful to think carefully about the building blocks of a Christian worldview related to God’s justice and mercy. 1. As the maker of all things and the ruler of all people, God has absolute rights of ownership over all people and places. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” ( Gen. 1:1 ) “and the sea and all that is in them” (Act 14:15). This means that “The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein” ( Ps. 24:1 ). As God says, “All the earth is mine” ( Ex. 19:5 ) and “every beast of the forest is min...

From: Hans (Jan) Collaert (Antwerp, 1566-1628), Rahab (Hol. 13-32). Engraving after Marten de Vos, c. 1581. Plate 8 from a set of Celebrated Women of the Old Testament consisting of twenty engravings (plus frontispiece) by Hans or Adrien Collaert and Carel van Mallery published in Antwerp by Phillip Galle (1537-1612) (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Go up into the Negeb and go up into the hill country, and see what the land is, and whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many, and whether the land that they dwell in is good or bad, and whether the cities that they dwell in are camps or strongholds, and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are trees in it or not. Be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land. For forty days these men did just what Moses asked. They scouted the land and returned with encouraging reports: The land was “flowing with milk and honey,” and was flush with produce. It was every bit as rich and ...