Is there a way out of sin and guilt? (Zechariah 3)
Zech 3:1-10 A common misconception Christians have is that the Old Testament people of God believed in animal sacrifices as the general panacea to the problem of sin. A close study of Leviticus 1-7 on the sacrificial system, however, should…
The challenge of God’s unexpected plans (Zechariah 2)
Zech 2:1-13 A year or two after I came to faith, the pastor of my church asked me if I had ever thought of becoming a pastor myself. My reply was a resounding ‘no’. The idea was so far out…
The remedy to losing heart in God’s work (Zech 1:18-21)
Zech 1:18-21 Most of us, I suspect, have moments when we look at our lives and feel its smallness, its insignificance. We may meet a person or read about the life of someone who has achieved great things for God.…
God’s reality we wish we could see (Zech 1:7-17)
Zech 1:7-17 As I write, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza continue and the rest of the world has troubles, too. Many are apprehensive about the future with the menace of war hanging over them. As we look at our…
Repentance that makes a difference (Zech 1:1-6)
Zech 1:1-6 As a teenager, I was taught by the church that we are all so mired in sin that our case is hopeless without God and therefore we need to repent of all our wrongdoing. While the principle made…
Zechariah introduction – In-between times
Historical background The prophet Zechariah is known to us from the Book of Ezra where, together with another prophet, Haggai, he encourages the exiles who have returned from Babylon to re-start the temple building (Ezra 5:1). The latter stalled when…
The cost of choosing our own way (1 Samuel 31)
1 Samuel 31:1-13 In his imaginative book, The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis describes different characters who take a trip from Hell, a town where it is always raining, a place damp and miserable, to Heaven. Although the sun is shining…
The key to being generous (1 Sam 30:16-31)
1 Sam 30:16-31 In primary school, I had a classmate who had several brothers and sisters. Although not especially wealthy, she often brought extras to school for our meals to give away to those around her. Sometimes it was a…
Learning to rely on the Lord for strength (1 Sam 30:1-15)
1 Sam 30:1-15 How do we react to adversity? It may depend on the circumstances, of course, like how unexpected our challenge is or whether it affects us short or long-term and what we struggle with (the loss of a…
How God’s providence works (1 Samuel 29)
1 Sam 29:1-11 I love stories of God’s providence where through a string of seeming coincidences someone is rescued from a tricky situation, a financial difficulty, accident, temptation or the like. It is uplifting to know that God cares and…