The refrain of Psalm 136 is “for His steadfast love endures forever!” It is repeated 26 times and is the major theme of the Psalm. The refrain is the part that the people say, after the priest said the first part of each verse. That interaction between the priest and the people is the antiphon […]
The Psalms were the “hymnbook” of the Old Testament. Israel used them to worship God, sing His praises, learn His ways, and confess their faith. In addition, the Psalms are a collection of prayers; heart wrenching prayers for all kinds of hardships are included throughout the Psalms. Of the most prominent are prayers for forgiveness. […]
A Theophany is a “God appearance” in the Old Testament. Specifically, it is the Son of God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, who appears on earth before His Incarnation and birth in Bethlehem. In a theophany, the Lord is intervening on behalf of His People. He is saving them, helping them, guiding them, […]
The Bible teaches us that we are to patiently endure and remain faithful whenever we face trials, pain, suffering or persecution. These things TEST YOUR FAITH, proving that it’s genuine. These things are meant to bring you closer to the Lord so that you rely on His Word and promises, and that you turn to […]
In our story today from the Old Testament, it is now the end of the 40 years in the wilderness. This is the end of the Exodus. Moses has died, Joshua is the leader, the Israelites have crossed the flooded Jordan River on dry ground – just like they crossed the Red Sea on dry […]
Moses lived to be 120 years old. The first 40 years of his life he was a Prince of Egypt; growing up in the Palace of Pharaoh; he was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was well known for his words and deeds. One day, when he was about 40 years […]
The first appearance of God as a Pillar of Cloud by Day and a Pillar of Fire by Night is in the Exodus story. The Israelites had escaped Egypt, and they were traveling through the desert. Pharaoh changed his mind about letting them go, and so he sent his army to chase after them. The […]
Abraham and Sarah had miracle baby in their old age and his name was Isaac. Isaac grew up and married Rebecca, and they had twins named Esau and Jacob. Esau was born first, but Jacob was born immediately after, as he held on to his brother’s heel. The name Jacob means “heel grabber” in Hebrew. […]
In the Gospel of Luke, the Christmas story reads like an Old Testament miracle story. It begins in the Temple with faithful Zechariah and Elizabeth and ends in the Temple with devout and godly Simeon and Anna. For the Gospel of Luke, the Christmas story is more than just what happened in Bethlehem! Not only […]
An easy way to think about the Old Testament is to remember the key people; most of them are about 500 years apart from each other. The key people of the Old Testament are Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Ezra, and John the Baptist. These are the key men in the Old Testament, and if […]