Is the Bible for or Against Slavery?

Today’s Bible reading* includes a clear case for the Bible being against slavery. It has bothered me for a long time that the Bible accepts the reality of slavery in its historical context and doesn’t seem to condemn slavery or advocate for abolition. And then I read today’s readings. Deuteronomy 22:1-3 commands returning to a…

The Leaders of the People Challenge God’s Sovereign Choice of Aaron as their Priestly Leader

Once again, the people have rejected God’s sovereign choice of their leader. To indicate whom God had chosen to serve as the priestly leader of the people, God told Moses to collect a staff from each of the Israelite tribes. He was to write the name of the tribe on the staff and write Aaron’s…

God Protects His People

Have you noticed that environments that have the fewest storms and the most sunshine … are deserts? A few years ago someone told me about the scientific experiment called Biosphere 2, an artificially enclosed ecosystem in Oracle, Arizona. Scientific experiments were conducted in the early 1990s to study the effects of plants and animals in…

His Promise is Sure

In today’s Bible reading*, Peter reminds us that God’s promise is sure: Jesus will return. He says that scoffers will come, trying to discourage God’s children by pointing out that Jesus has yet to return. “Where is the promise of His coming He predicted?” (2 Peter 3:4) There will always be nay-sayers. There will always…

No Freeloaders Here

In today’s Bible reading*, Paul says that those who are unwilling to work shouldn’t eat. In other words, Believers aren’t to be freeloaders. Now, is that a cut-and-dried statement? Or is it a principle? I think Paul intended this to be a principle. It comes down to a person’s heart, his/her motivations. If a person…