by Paul Apple | Sep 17, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: SUCCESS FOSTERS PRIDE WHICH OFTEN LEADS TO IDOLATRY AND STUBBORNNESS WHICH THEN RESULT IN JUDGMENTINTRODUCTION:Raymond Dillard: On the whole the record of Amaziah’s reign is a negative one. Apart from the brief, but clouded, victory over Edom as a reward for...
by Paul Apple | Aug 15, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: DAVID’S EXEMPLARY GIVING CAMPAIGN TO SUPPORT TEMPLE CONSTRUCTION IN THE CONTEXT OF OVERFLOWING PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING MARKS THE TRANSITION TO THE REIGN OF SOLOMONINTRODUCTION:August Konkel: vv. 1-9 — This address of David has several distinct...
by Paul Apple | Aug 10, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: PROPER WORSHIP REQUIRES EXCELLENT ORGANIZATIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SKILLSINTRODUCTION:J.A. Thompson: Chapters 23–27 sometimes are looked upon as an interruption, if not an interpolation, in this narrative. In fact, they are very important for showing that...
by Paul Apple | Jul 21, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE RESETTLING OF THE EXILES FOCUSED ON ESTABLISHING TEMPLE WORSHIP IN JERUSALEM UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE PRIESTS, LEVITES AND OTHER TEMPLE SERVANTS WHILE REMEMBERING THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL’S KINGS BEGINNING WITH SAULINTRODUCTION:August Konkel:...
by Paul Apple | Jul 20, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE PARTNERSHIP OF BENJAMIN WITH JUDAH IN SUPPORTING THE DAVIDIC LINE DERIVES FROM ITS CLOSE ASSOCIATION- WITH THE SOURCE OF THE KINGDOM IN THE GENEALOGY OF SAUL AND- WITH THE PROMISED LAND OF JERUSALEMINTRODUCTION:Iain Duguid: Benjamin is given prominence...
by Paul Apple | Jul 15, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE PROMINENT ROLE OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH (AS FOCUSED IN KING DAVID) IN GOD’S KINGDOM AGENDA EMPHASIZEDINTRODUCTION:August Konkel: The genealogy of Judah is the longest and most complex genealogical unit in the Bible [Genealogy, p. 461]. It provides the...
by Paul Apple | Mar 21, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE LAW ENSURES BOTH PERSONAL PROPERTY RIGHTS AND THE INTEGRITY OF JUDICIAL WITNESSESINTRODUCTION:Daniel Block: These guidelines regarding witnesses in judicial proceedings flesh out the eighth command of the Decalogue (cf. 5:20; cf. 17:6). The text divides...
by Paul Apple | Mar 4, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: ENTERING THE PROMISED LAND PROVIDES THE TRANSITION TO CENTRALIZED WORSHIP ALONG WITH THE FREEDOM TO EAT MEAT LOCALLYINTRODUCTION:Patrick Miller: Placement of the instruction about worship at the sanctuary in first position indicates clearly its priority for...
by Paul Apple | Dec 13, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: WORSHIP MATTERS TO THE LORD AS SEEN IN HIS PRECISE DESIGN OF THE RESTORED TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM IN THE LAST DAYS INTRODUCTION: Lamar Cooper: H. Parunak has noted a chiastic structure to chaps. 40–42, centering around the description of the inner court. After...
by Paul Apple | Nov 25, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE COMING JUDGMENT ON EGYPT PREFIGURES THE ESCHATOLOGICAL DAY OF THE LORD AND IMPACTS EGYPT’S ALLIES INTRODUCTION: The fate of Egypt was revealed in chapter 29. Now this prophecy continues as Ezekiel makes the association with the Day of the Lord to show...
by Paul Apple | Nov 12, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: DESPITE HER FALSE SECURITY, JERUSALEM EXPERIENCES THE DEVASTATION OF DESERVED JUDGMENT INTRODUCTION: This climactic chapter at the heart of the book of Ezekiel brings us finally to the Day of Reckoning for Jerusalem. After repeated prophecies emphasizing the...
by Paul Apple | Oct 30, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE DAVIDIC DYNASTY HAS GONE DOWN IN FLAMES DUE TO FAILED LEADERSHIPINTRODUCTION:Here we have the sad lament of Judah’s failed leadership and its impact on the nation. The common figures of a lioness and a vine are employed to picture the rapid decline and...
by Paul Apple | Aug 17, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: IN TIMES OF CRISIS SATAN USES MANY CRAFTY ARGUMENTS TO TRY TO UNDERMINE OUR FAITHINTRODUCTION:This historical scene in Judah is set in opposition to the preceding account of the Fall of Samaria in Israel. Once again we have a crisis facing God’s covenant...
by Paul Apple | Aug 5, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: GOD REMAINS FAITHFUL TO HIS WORD AND TO HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE DESPITE THEIR FAILURE TO REMAIN LOYAL IN TRUSTING HIMINTRODUCTION:How many times did God come to the aid of His people and bail them out of desperate situations? How many gracious victories did He...
by Paul Apple | Jun 3, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: RASH ARROGANCE AND RELIGIOUS EXPEDIENCY SPLINTER GOD’S PEOPLE AND PROVIDE A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITYINTRODUCTION:Chapter 12 marks the watershed mark in the Book of Kings. The reign of Solomon has ended with serious spiritual slippage from the high water mark...
by Paul Apple | May 29, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE GLORY OF SOLOMON’S KINGDOM AS BLESSED BY GOD IS- WITNESSED BY THE QUEEN OF SHEBA- AND EXHIBITED IN IMPRESSIVE FASHIONINTRODUCTION:The greatness of Solomon’s kingdom far exceeds any comparison in ancient times. Here we see the wealth and wisdom of Solomon...
by Paul Apple | May 15, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE ALLIANCE BETWEEN SOLOMON (OF ISRAEL) AND HIRAM (OF TYRE) SECURED THE MATERIALS AND MANPOWER FOR TEMPLE CONSTRUCTIONINTRODUCTION:This section on the preparation for laying the foundation and building the temple in Jerusalem continues the theme of God’s...
by Paul Apple | May 11, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: SOLOMON EXERCISED MAGNIFICENT WISDOM IN THE ORDERLY ADMINISTRATION OF HIS KINGDOM OF PEACE AND SECURITY AND PROSPERITY – PREFIGURING THE COMING MESSIANIC KINGDOMINTRODUCTION:This chapter ties closely with the previous chapter in extolling the wisdom of...
by Paul Apple | Feb 1, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE DESTRUCTION FROM SPIRITUAL HARLOTRY CAN ONLY BE MITIGATED BY THE ATONING ZEAL OF A FAITHFUL HIGH PRIESTINTRODUCTION:Here we see the height of Israel’s rebellion and failure in the wilderness – just after experiencing victory and just before entering the...
by Paul Apple | Oct 23, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THOSE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED DELIVERANCE SHOULD CELEBRATE GOD’S- VICTORY- POWER- UNIQUENESS- DOMINIONINTRODUCTION:This song of Moses artfully sets the standard for how believers should worship and praise their Redeemer for His powerful deliverance. The echoing...
