• Doctrine,  Old Testament

    Miracles in Jericho

    Jericho was certainly where the Bible said it was in Joshua 5 and 6 – the tumbled walls are still there. The question was when did it happen? Some scholars think the city was destroyed over a century before the Hebrews got there. Now new evidence from studies of ceramics, royal objects, seismic activity in the region, carbon-14 dating, and the ruins themselves show new evidence that the city was destroyed when most scholars believe that the Hebrews arrived – about 1400 BC. ”When we compare the archeological evidence at Jericho with the biblical narrative describing the Israelite destruction of Jericho, we find a quite remarkable agreement,” Dr. Bryant G.…

  • Old Testament

    God’s Guidance: Commander of the Lord’s Armies

    It’s easy for me to feel confused or uncertain about directions to take in my ministry and business. Sometimes I know exactly what to do, am rock-solid and laser-focused — and many other times, I’m not. So when I read this passage from Joshua it reminded me of a few very important things about the God’s guidance: Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I…

  • Old Testament

    Jonah and the Gentiles

    Jonah means “dove.” The dove in the Bible can be a symbol of hope as in the story of Noah’s Ark. It can also be a symbol of thoughtlessness. “Ephraim is like a dove, easily deceived and senseless— now calling to Egypt, now turning to Assyria.” (Hosea 7:11) The book was probably written in the 8th century BC by the same circle of prophets who wrote down the deeds of Elijah and Elisha in 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles. This is not fiction, it is an inspired report of the prophet Jonah’s experiences in Nineveh of the Assyrians. Historical Background Jonah was a prophet during the…