Twice in today’s Bible reading* we read of someone delivering news from the Lord. And both times, it was wrong. They were false prophets. In 2 Samuel 16:21, Ahithophel told Absalom to rape David’s concubines to demonstrate his contempt for David. Ahithophel also encouraged Absalom to pursue David to kill him. Hushai warned Absalom that…
In today’s Bible reading* we see a stark contrast to yesterday’s reading about Caleb choosing the Hill Country because he wanted the challenge of slaying the giants in the land. Today we read the descendants of Joseph complain that the Hill Country isn’t large enough for them. It appears that they don’t want to clear…
Remember Caleb? Other than Joshua, Caleb is the only person left who fled from Egypt. He and Joshua spied out the land and told the people that with God’s blessings, they could be victorious. In today’s Bible reading*, rather than ask for an easy life at eighty-five years old, Caleb asks for the Hill Country…
Today’s Bible reading* warns God’s people to be discerning about those who present themselves with signs and wonders. If they entice God’s people to leave God to follow anyone/anything else, they are to be stoned to death. (Deuteronomy 13:1-5) This sounds pretty radical, doesn’t it? It sounds judgmental, doesn’t it? Well, the warning isn’t about…
We read about a prophet and his donkey in today’s Bible reading*. If you’ve been around church for very long, you’ve probably heard about Balaam. It seems that he saw himself as a mercenary prophet, a prophet for hire. After seeing what the people of Israel did to the Canaanite King of Arad and the…