Bible Commentaries

Esther 9:1-32 — duck…the pessimist responded, dumb dog can’t even swim. ​​​​​​​Celebrate what God has done! MONUMENTS & MEMORIALS What happens if we do not erect monuments? - 4 things: Our Focus will be in the wrong direction. On the bad, the hurt, the sin. Phil.3:13 forgetting those things which are behind. Our Feelings will be in the wrong direction. Depression, Grief, Bitterness, anger, hatred God

Psalms 23:1-6 — at funerals, yet its message applies to the days of our lives right now! This Psalm is set like the center diamond in a 3 stone ring. Ps.22 - Good Shepherd dying for the sheep; Ps. 23 - The Great Shepherd caring for the sheep; Ps. 24 - The Chief Shepherd coming for the sheep. Phillips gives as an outline: The Secret of a Happy Life!(1-3); The Secret of a Happy Death!(4,5); The Secret of a Happy Eternity!(6). Read the amplified bible. Did David write this song on his

Ezekiel 13:1-23 — God. “They prophecy out of their own heart.” (2) “They follow their own spirit & have seen nothing(i.e. no vision)” (3) Ezekiel uses two vivid images to describe the lying prophets. JACKALS IN THE DESERT! (1-7) (4) Foxes or Jackals in the desert – i.e. scavengers. Instead of being shepherds who faithfully led the flock, they were Jackals living on refuse. Spiritually speaking, the false prophets were religious scavengers, living among ruins they

Malachi 1:1-14 — How many children the have? You might not know anything about your mailman but what is most important, is the messages he/she brings. Maybe Malachi was more concerned about being faithful not being famous? Time period – 4 centuries before Christ. During Nehemiah’s day. The Jews had been back in the land for 1000 yrs. The book – Malachi has more verses “spoken by the Lord”(1st person) directly to Israel, at a whopping “47”!

Matthew 12:38-50 — severity. Jesus’ direct opposition to the religious establishment of His day drew the attention and concern of His family. Jesus will then define His extended family as those who do the will of His heavenly Father. RESURRECTION (38-42) (38) We want a sign - What a slam. He had done so many. Some in front of their noses. To ask for a sign was evidence of unbelief. Resurrection, the 1 sign to be shown. Resurrection, the hinge on which our faith swings. If Love put Jesus

Matthew 15:1-20 — & find the smallest gnat, but somehow miss the camel. They were majoring on minors...straining out a gnat, while minoring on majors...swallowing a camel. And being so busy with small details, they never dealt with the important matters. (Lev.11:4,23 both were forbidden as food) This was not a matter of personal hygiene but of religious ritual. They ate w/their hands so of course they’d wash up before a meal, but this was dealing with their prescribed ceremonial washing! (3)

Matthew 24:32-51 — know summer is near.. When you see the Strawberry stands start opening…you know summer is near. When you see Calif wild Poppy’s pop up along our 15fwy…u know summer is near. (31) My words – Wow. We’ve heard Is.40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever. Hear Jesus puts His words on equal footing w/the OT Scriptures. ​​​​​​​We as believers do not depend on signs, we depend

Deuteronomy 30:1-20 — Return? - Funny that, they hadn’t even got into the land yet...let alone, be removed from the land...let alone, the need to be returned to the land. Israel enjoyed the blessings in the land for less than 1,000 years. They entered Canaan about 1400bc, and Babylon conquered Israel about 587bc. (813 yrs) BKC And you return sounds like Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned

Mark 1:9-13 — demons. Example: Lk.8:29 For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness. (also Mt.12:43; Lk.11:24) The wild beasts speaks to this also. Remember the fear of the Bermuda Triangle back in the 70‘s? There was a # of aircraft & surface vessels said to have disappeared in the triangle under unknown circumstances. Popular culture

Mark 13:14-37 — of his return. The 1st seems to wrap up speaking to the tribulation folks. The 2nd to all believers of every age. PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE (28-31) The Fig Tree has special association with Israel. Mark 11:12-14 The people living during the tribulation will be able to watch these things occur & will know that His coming is near. This assurance will help them endure till the end. vs.13 Summer is near - and the harsh winter of the Tribulation

Mark 2:1-12 — - Not the paralytic’s faith(that we know of), but the Faithful Fab Four’s Fantastic Phenomenal Faith! This was risky! They could fall. Worse, they could drop him. Jesus saw persistent, creative, & sacrificial faith! Jesus saw 4 sweaty men willing to put a shoulder to their faith! Jesus saw a faith that laughs at barriers! Philip Yancey, Faith is believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse ​​​​​​​But

James 1:12-27 — impossible if it’s dependent on circumstances. (13) 2nd Promise! The crown of life - not only a future crown to be received, but also the crown of a rich & full life enjoyed here & now.  In the ancient world crowns(stephanos) had at least 4 great associations: The crown of flowers was worn at times of joy (it was the sign of happy/festive joy). The crown was the mark of royalty (worn by kings & those in authority) The crown of laurel leaves was the victors crown in the games

Judges 16:1-31 — Temple Map1: Philistine Pentapolis. Gaza will be the key city here.Ekron, Gath, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gaza Map2: Hebron. And Sorek Valley/which separates children of Israel & Philistines. Every chapter begins w/our hero’s eye on a woman. (14,15,16) [he-man w/a she-weakness] ​​​​​​​It reminds us of Casaer’s famous, Veni, Vidi, Veci (came, saw, conquered). Samson went to Gaza, saw harlot, and he went in to her. A MADAM

2 Peter 2:12-22 — darkness. Daylight Debauchery was frowned on, even in degenerate Roman Society! Wrong doctrine & wrong living go together! Spots & blemishes – on an animal made it unfit to be offered to God! They were like a stain on a clean shirt! (14) Steady Sinners! Eyes full of adultery – Their eyes can’t look at a women w/o lusting (Phillips) They’re constantly on the prowl for fornication or adultery. They cannot cease from sin – Not pausing, unable to

Revelation 19:1-21 — Ch.19 is that wave! When the tide of history sweeps in, many will be swept away by the fury of God’s wrath. BRIDE FOOD! (1-10) [Heaven Scene] THE REHEARSAL DINNER! (1-6) It starts with a song of praise!...A Hallel(see Ps.104-109) (1) Alleluia(PTL) - Remember the call to Rejoice was issued? (in 18:20) Here the great multitude in heaven gladly follow orders! Alleluia only occurs here in the N.T. (4x’s) They Praise Him for: [1] His Salvation(1) [2] His

1 Samuel 30:1-31 — SMOKE! (1-3) Imagine coming home to find your neighborhood ash-gray, charred embers smoking & smoldering; & an eerie stillness, a bone chilling silence. Lets put ourselves in David’s worn-out sandals. PRESSED INTO A TIGHT CORNER! (4-6a) The families of David & all his men were missing. David was greatly distressed - “pressed into a tight corner, the way a potter would press clay into a mold”. (Wiersbe) Different people react in different ways to the same circumstances. What

1 Samuel 31:1-13 — didn’t say - even in his final moments he still didn’t call out to God, still didn’t repent, still didn’t reconcile. He faced death as he faced life: w/his eyes desperately fixed on his circumstances & himself. (4,5) Suicide - we’ll come back to this. (6) Saul’s sins cost him his life - but not his only! How many innocent people died that day because of the consequence of his sin? - His armorbearer, his 3 sons, so many soldiers. We must

1 Samuel 7:1-17 — was his hands. Dr. Semmelweis was the 1st man in history to associate such examinations with the resultant infection and death. His own practice was to wash with a chlorine solution, and after 11 years and the delivery of 8,537 babies, he lost only 184 mothers - about 1 in 50. He spent the vigor of his life lecturing and debating with his colleagues. Once he argued, “Puerperal fever is caused by decomposed material, conveyed to a wound. I have shown how it can be prevented. I have proved all

2 Samuel 17:1-29 — INTRO: Mical told me she saw Rambo, our Doberman, burying a rib bone we gave him. [4th of July bbq!] I never saw him do that before. He doesn’t have a problem keeping them from our little cocker. We don’t take them away from him. Does he not realize that as long as he belongs to us he’ll be fed & given bones? I

2 Samuel 22:1-28 — PROVISION! (17-25) (17) God not only came down(10) he reached down & plucked David out of dangerous waters (19,20) Sums up what he has said so far. (20a) He also brought me out into a broad place - PTL, no longer “tight places!” (Ps.46:1) Madame Guyon(17th cent. French mystic) And what is this "large place"? What can it be but God Himself, that infinite Being in whom all other beings and all other streams of life terminate? God is a large place indeed. And it was through