Read the Passage: Ecclesiastes 11
Diligence of Man (11:1–4)
The vanity of life can cause some people to question God and the idea of right living. The thought process here seems to be that if life is uncertain, then attempts at right living are useless. Continue reading Diligence and Providence – Ecclesiastes 11
Read the Passage: Ecclesiastes 8
Effect of Wisdom (8:1)
In Eccl. 7:23–29 Solomon wrote about the scarcity of wisdom, even noting that despite his desire to find true wisdom, “One [wise] man among a thousand I have found” (Eccl. 7:28). Continue reading Wisdom Applied – Ecclesiastes 8
Read the Passage: Ecclesiastes 7
Death and Foolishness (7:1–10)
More so than in the preceding chapters, in Eccl. 7 Solomon begins to write in a style very similar to that of the book of Proverbs. This same genre will be Solomon’s method of writing throughout most of the remainder of this book. Continue reading Practical Wisdom – Ecclesiastes 7
Read the Passage: Proverbs 21
Listen to The Redeemed Mind Podcast: Proverbs 21
Providence, Plans, and Work (21:1–8)
As with the other chapters in the current section of this book (cf. Prov. 10–29), Proverbs 21 contains a wide variety of proverbs that apply wisdom to many different areas of life. Continue reading Providence and Wisdom – Proverbs 21
Read the Passage: Psalm 139
God’s Omniscience (139:1–6)
In Ps. 139:1–4, by way of retrospective thought, David states God’s comprehensive, perfect, and complete knowledge of him. In this passage David speaks of the Lord’s knowledge of his inner being as he refers to being “searched . . . and known” (Ps. 139:1), as well as God knowing the thoughts of his mind and words on his tongue, even before they are spoken (cf. Ps. 139:2, 4). Continue reading God’s Perfect Knowledge – Psalm 139
Read the Passage: Psalm 23
Provision of the Lord (23:1–3)
David is introduced into the biblical narrative when the Lord sent Samuel to anoint a new king to replace Saul at 1 Sam. 16:10–13. In this passage from 1 Samuel, the first words spoken about David, which come from the mouth of his father Jesse, are, “He is keeping the sheep” (1 Sam. 16:11). Continue reading The Good Shepherd – Psalm 23
Read the Passage: Jonah 1
Authorship and Date – While the prophet Jonah, whose name means “dove,” is explicitly mentioned 18 times in the book that bears his name, the authorship of this book is technically anonymous. However, we can be sure that Jonah is both the principle character and the author of this book, for Jesus claimed it to be so (cf. Matt. 12:39–41; 16:4). Continue reading Jonah: Introduction – Jonah 1
Read the Passage: 1 Samuel 24
David Spares Saul (24:1–7)
In the narrative of 1 Samuel, David has been fleeing Saul in the wilderness since chapter 21. Note that wilderness wanderings are a common theme in Scripture, as they occur in the lives of Jacob (cf. Gen. 27–32), Joseph (cf. Gen. 37–41), Moses (cf. Exod. 2–4), David (cf. 1 Sam. 24–31), Jesus (cf. Matt. 4), and Paul (cf. Gal. 1:17–18). Continue reading David Spares Saul – 1 Samuel 24
Read the Passage: Daniel 1
Author and Date: The book of Daniel was written by the prophet Daniel, as this book itself notes (cf. Dan. 8:15, 27; 9:2; 10:2, 7; 12:4–5) and did Jesus (cf. Matt. 24:15, “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel. . . .”). Chapters 1–6 of this book are narrative, while chapters 7–12 are written in the first person. Daniel was one of the Jewish captives who was deported to Babylon from Jerusalem in 605 BC, in the first of three Israelite deportations, likely being about 15 years old. Continue reading Daniel: Introduction – Daniel 1
Read the Passage: Ruth 3:1-4:22
Promise of Redemption (3:1–18)
Ruth chapter 2 begins with dire circumstances, but ends with great promise. After the introduction of Boaz, as well as Ruth and Naomi’s encouraging dialog in Ruth 2:20–23, the reader is left wondering about the outcome of the story. In Ruth 3:1–4, we learn that Naomi is a woman of action. She schemes to facilitate a marriage between Ruth and Boaz, while it is yet still the time of the Barley harvest (cf. Ruth 3:2). Continue reading Ruth’s Redemption – Ruth 3:1–4:22
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