by Paul Apple | Sep 5, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: DESPITE JUDAH’S SAD ENDING, ALL IS NOT LOST FOREVERINTRODUCTION:Judah is finally a barren land – even abandoned by those who had not been carried off to Babylon. The failed leadership of Nebuchadnezzar’s appointee, Gedaliah, could not sustain a stable...
by Paul Apple | Sep 4, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: GOD TURNS THE LIGHTS OUT ON HIS HOLY CITY AND EXILES HIS APOSTATE PEOPLE — DESTRUCTION, DEPORTATION, DESECRATION, EXECUTION AND EXILEINTRODUCTION:Judgment Day has finally arrived for the city of David and for its inhabitants. It is not a pretty sight. The...
by Paul Apple | Aug 30, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: GOD’S CONTROL OF THE NATIONS CONTROLS THE FATE OF HIS PEOPLEINTRODUCTION:Powerful nations like Egypt and Babylon act in their own self-interests under the direction of their sovereign leaders. But true sovereignty in world events belongs to God alone who...
by Paul Apple | Aug 27, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: REFORMATION WITHOUT INWARD TRANSFORMATION CAN’T DIVERT GOD’S JUDGMENTINTRODUCTION:What an impressive list of worship reforms! It’s no surprise that the wrath of God was targeting a nation that had become so apostate and idolatrous. But despite all of the...
by Paul Apple | Aug 26, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA:REFORMS UNDER JOSIAH BEGIN WITH THE RECOVERY OF GOD’S WORD AS THE NATION REFOCUSES ON TOP LEVEL PRIORITIES INTRODUCTION:Judgment against Judah and Jerusalem has already been proclaimed. The wrath of God is about to be unleashed because of Judah’s spiritual...
by Paul Apple | Aug 23, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE APEX OF APOSTASY AND IDOLATRY UNDER MANASSEH AND AMON ELICITS SEVERE JUDGMENT UPON JUDAH AND JERUSALEMINTRODUCTION:Judah and Jerusalem have now arrived at the end of the line. They failed to learn any lessons from God’s dealings with Samaria and Israel....
by Paul Apple | Aug 21, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: RIGHTEOUS HEZEKIAH HOLDS ON AT THE END OF HIS REIGN AS HIS LIFE IS MIRACULOUSLY EXTENDED AND HIS VANITY IS PROPHETICALLY CHASTIZEDINTRODUCTION:Hezekiah goes into the record books as one of the greatest of the kings of Judah. By his own testimony he “walked...
by Paul Apple | Aug 19, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE BEST DEFENSE IS A DIVINE DEFENSEINTRODUCTION:You have heard the saying in the sports world: The best defense is a good offense. Here we see in the spiritual and political realm: The best defense is a Divine Defense. When God is on our side we have...
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...
