God Compared to a Travailing Woman
When God stirs up Himself, and begins to cry and roar, it is that He may bring forth deliverance for His people.
Men Compared to Earth
Man naturally is earth-like, a heavy and lumpish piece, being taken out of the Earth, and the offspring of red Earth.
Sin - A Sting
Death is like a venomous serpent, that hath a cruel and tormenting Sting, and this Sting is Sin.
Christ the Way
If a man would come to God, which is happiness, his chief end, the Way if Jesus Christ: “no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Here man is the subject, God or happiness the end, Christ the Way.
Hebrews 10:23-29
Hebrews chapter 10 is in many cases a battlefield for the believers. You choose your side and prepare to battle. Someone gives you your ammunition ahead of time so that you don’t have to think much on your own or consider all of the options. As you are standing on your interpretation someone from the other side fires a shot and puts a hole in your doctrine. What to do now? Do you throw out everything? Probably not….many times it is God himself firing a shot to help you get Bible Doctrine instead of yours.
The Conspiracy of Jehu
This chapter records the vengeance of the Lord against the house of Ahab. Ahab has already died according to the word of the Lord, but God has business to finish with the house of Ahab and with Jezebel. All His prophecies are carried out to the letter. This lesson reminds us that vengeance belongs to the Lord and that He will fulfill His part (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19; see also Ecclesiastes 8:11).
The Reigns of Hazael and Jehoram
We enter into a time of confusion in the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Because of their sins, God had judged them with defeat at the hand of the Syrians and famine in the land. Yet, they did not return to the Lord. However, in the restoration of land to the woman whose son was restored to life, we see that God continues to watch over those who are faithful to Him. May the Lord help us to be found faithful in these last days.
A Thing Most Holy
Almost every scholar wants to change the meat offering to something else—although they cannot decide what else. The name is said to be confusing to Bible readers. The meat offering has no animal flesh. In fact, it is the only major offering in which no animals are killed. Why is it called the meat offering? Actually, there are very good reasons for calling it the meat offering. The Biblical use of meat refers to solid food as opposed to drink (see Psalm 69:21; Daniel 1:10; Matthew 25:35; John 6:55; Romans 14:17). This is also the older use of the word in English. The first occurrences of meat in the Bible are found in Genesis 1:29-30 where God gives every “herb bearing seed” and the “fruit of a tree…for meat.” Obviously, the fine flour of the meat offering would fit into the meaning of the word. But there is more. The meat offering has a very special typology that is revealed plainly by the cross references to the word meat as used by Christ. The meat offering is the offering of a “living sacrifice”—the kind Christians are supposed to give (Romans 12:1). It is also the kind of sacrifice Christ gave during His earthly ministry. Two verses especially teach this. In John 4:34, Jesus said, “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” In John 6:27, He declares, “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life.” These references to meat fit perfectly with the meaning of the meat offering. Yet, this wonderful connection in scripture is destroyed in the modern versions of the Bible. And it is not simply a matter of them choosing another word. None that I have examined use the same word—any word—in all three passages This lesson will deal with the different elements of the meat offering. It will then show how these characteristics apply to the life of Christ and the life of the believer.
The God Who Provides
This chapter has four examples of God using His prophet Elisha to provide for the needs of His people. They are illustrations for us to show us the wonderful supply that God gives to those who are His own.
Fruit Unto Death or Death Unto Fruit
As Christians we have a positive view of fruit, but is fruit always good? Everybody in the world is bringing forth some kind of fruit, but some fruit leads to death. Before you "go and bring forth fruit", pray that the Lord will give you wisdom on how and what kind of fruit to bring forth.