Oleh Jacob D. Gerber

1 Cor 11:8-10 8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man: 9 for neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man: 10 for this cause ought the woman to have (a sign of) authority on her head, because of the angels. ASVOleh Free audio sermons: Get free audio sermons and free audio Bible studies!

Bible Readings for September 6th 1 Samuel 31 | 1 Corinthians 11 | Ezekiel 9 | Psalm 48 In 1 Samuel 31, we read about the death of Saul, Israel’s first king. While Saul was troubled from almost the very beginning of his reign, this passage is not written to demonize Saul but to underscore the tragedy of his life. Saul had so much promise initially, …

Bible Readings for September 5th 1 Samuel 29–30 | 1 Corinthians 10 | Ezekiel 8 | Psalms 46–47 The narrative of 1 Samuel 30 describes to us the final trial David must undergo as the leader of an underground movement before he becomes the king of Israel. Although Saul has wanted to kill David for quite some time, David has never before faced threats …

This is part 2 of 2 in a study on what the Bible says about failure.Oleh Free audio sermons: Get free audio sermons and free audio Bible studies!

Bible Readings for September 4th 1 Samuel 28 | 1 Corinthians 9 | Ezekiel 7 | Psalm 45 In 1 Samuel 28, we find one of the most vivid scenes from all the Bible. Saul, at the end of his rope, visits a medium to get advice on how to salvage his kingdom. Specifically, he asks the medium to call up Samuel from the dead in hopes that the prophet can give …

this is part 1 of 2.Oleh Free audio sermons: Get free audio sermons and free audio Bible studies!

Bible Readings for September 3rd 1 Samuel 27 | 1 Corinthians 8 | Ezekiel 6 | Psalm 44 David’s stay with the Philistines from 1 Samuel 21 until now is one of the stranger storylines in the narrative of 1 Samuel. It is strange that the Philistines would have even allowed David to stay in their midst at all—and remember that David had pretended to be …

Gal 6:14-18 14 But far be it from me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world hath been crucified unto me, and I unto the world. 15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. 16 And as many as shall walk by this rule, peace (be) upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.…

In this devotional, the focus is on procrastinators, urging them to overcome the habit by highlighting its negative consequences, such as missed opportunities, entrenched laziness, and the erroneous assumption of ample time, all while drawing on biblical wisdom from Solomon and James to emphasize the importance of timely action and the unpredictabi…

Bible Readings for September 2nd 1 Samuel 26 | 1 Corinthians 7 | Ezekiel 5 | Psalms 42–43 In 1 Samuel 24, David had his first opportunity to strike down Saul when Saul relieved himself in the cave where David had been hiding. There, David refused to reach out his hand against Saul, since Saul was Yahweh’s anointed king (1 Sam. 24:6). Here again in …

Bible Readings for September 1st 1 Samuel 25 | 1 Corinthians 6 | Ezekiel 4 | Psalms 40–41 At the beginning of 1 Samuel 25, the great prophet Samuel dies, an event the biblical author records with characteristic understatement, using just one verse (1 Sam. 25:1). Once again, God buries a workman and carries on his work. The death of Samuel also, how…

Bible Readings for August 31st 1 Samuel 24 | 1 Corinthians 5 | Ezekiel 3 | Psalm 39 David has two opportunities to strike down Saul stealthily, and in 1 Samuel 24, we read about the first of those two opportunities. Here, Saul enters a cave to relieve himself, but he chooses the very cave where David and his men are hiding from him (1 Sam. 24:3). A…

Bible Readings for August 30th 1 Samuel 23 | 1 Corinthians 4 | Ezekiel 2 | Psalm 38 In the interactions of David, Saul, and Jonathan, 1 Samuel 23 teaches us much about the nature of true kingship. We learn here what God’s true king should look like—and what it would look like for us to identify with that king covenantally. David, for his part, has …

1 Cor 11:4-7 4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoreth his head. 5 But every woman praying or prophesying with her head unveiled dishonoreth her head; for it is one and the same thing as if she were shaven. 6 For if a woman is not veiled, let her also be shorn: but if it is a shame to a woman to be shorn or shaven, le…

Bible Readings for August 29 1 Samuel 21–22 | 1 Corinthians 3 | Ezekiel 1 | Psalm 37 In 1 Samuel 21–22, David is at the center of three major ethical dilemmas. First, David lies to the priests at Nob (1 Sam. 21:2), and second, David lies to Achish the king of Gath by pretending to be insane (1 Sam. 21:13). Third, David eats the bread of the Presenc…

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Bible Readings for August 28th 1 Samuel 20 | 1 Corinthians 2 | Lamentations 5 | Psalm 36 Although the story of Saul is tragic, narrating the slow descent of a man who seemed to start off his reign so well, Saul’s legacy nevertheless includes one very bright point: his son Jonathan. Jonathan’s life, however, also involves tragedy, since the sins of …

Learn more about the rich fool Nabal in 1 Sam. 25 with this study.Oleh Free audio sermons: Get free audio sermons and free audio Bible studies!

Bible Readings for August 27th 1 Samuel 19 | 1 Corinthians 1 | Lamentations 4 | Psalm 35 Saul’s desperation to kill David grows in 1 Samuel 19, fueled in no small part by the fact that both Saul’s son Jonathan and his daughter Michal help David to escape Saul. The storyline of 1 Samuel traces carefully the slow, agonizing descent of Saul deeper and…

Bristo, a female Boxer belonging to our eldest daughter, died recently from a combination of age (13 years) and various ailments that are common in dogs of that type.Oleh Mike Mazzalongo

Gal 6:12-14 As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they compel you to be circumcised; only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For not even they who receive circumcision do themselves keep the law; but they desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. 14 But far be it from me to glory, save…

Bible Readings for August 26th 1 Samuel 18 | Romans 16 | Lamentations 3 | Psalm 34 It was not Yahweh’s intention for David to wait passively for the throne of Israel, hidden from the public eye, until the day Saul died. Rather, Yahweh sovereignly orchestrated that the lives of the two anointed kings should begin intersecting immediately upon the an…

Bible Readings for August 25th 1 Samuel 17 | Romans 15 | Lamentations 2 | Psalm 33 The story of David and Goliath is one of the more well known stories of the Bible, and with good reason. While the entire nation of Israel was quivering before the booming taunts of the giant Philistine named Goliath, the youngest son of Jesse arrives at the battlefi…

Bible Readings for August 24th 1 Samuel 16 | Romans 14 | Lamentations 1 | Psalm 32 The introduction of David in 1 Samuel 16 is a giant leap forward in the unfolding story of the Bible, even if the story starts with a small step as Samuel travels to Bethlehem to anoint the youngest son of Jesse. Before we get to the long-term implications of David’s…

Bible Readings for August 23rd 1 Samuel 15 | Romans 13 | Jeremiah 52 | Psalm 31 A major issue in biblical theology arises in 1 Samuel 15: What does it mean to read that Yahweh “regrets” decisions he has made? When Yahweh commands Saul to devote everything among the Amalekites to destruction, Saul obeys only insofar as it is convenient for him: “All…

Bible Readings for August 22nd 1 Samuel 14 | Romans 12 | Jeremiah 51 | Psalm 30 The story of salvation history in the Bible does not progress in nice, straight, neat lines. This is a comforting thought, since spiritual growth in our own lives moves forward not with perfect, unbroken progress but rather in fits and starts as we awkwardly advance in …

Bible Readings for August 21st 1 Samuel 13 | Romans 11 | Jeremiah 50 | Psalms 28–29 Saul’s sacrifice in 1 Samuel 13 was a serious sin—so serious, in fact, that Yahweh tore the kingdom away from Saul for it (1 Sam. 13:13–14). In essence, Saul had usurped the priesthood, since Yahweh had appointed only the offspring of Aaron to serve him as priests a…

Bible Readings for August 20th 1 Samuel 12 | Romans 10 | Jeremiah 49 | Psalms 26–27 There are some striking similarities between the farewell address of Samuel in 1 Samuel 12 and the speech of Paul to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20. Like Samuel, Paul also insists that he had not defrauded anything from the Ephesians while he was in their midst (Act…

The Wednesday night service is as inconvenient a habit as you can have. You have to rush home from work and rush through supper or delay supper until late.Oleh Mike Mazzalongo

Bible Readings for August 19th 1 Samuel 11 | Romans 9 | Jeremiah 48 | Psalm 25 At the end of 1 Samuel 10, the narrator gave us a new, critical detail about Saul: “Saul also went to his home at Gibeah…” (1 Sam. 10:26). We knew that Saul was a Benjaminite, and we knew that Saul claimed to be from the humblest clan of the tribe of Benjamin (1 Sam. 9:2…

Bible Readings for August 18 1 Samuel 10 | Romans 8 | Jeremiah 47 | Psalms 23–24 The introduction of a king in 1 Samuel 10 marks uncharted territory for everyone, raising all kinds of questions. How would Yahweh set apart his king, and what resources would Yahweh give to him to help him serve Israel well? How should the king himself act, and how sh…

Bible Readings for August 17th 1 Samuel 9 | Romans 7 | Jeremiah 46 | Psalm 22 At last, Yahweh chooses a king to reign over his people. Nevertheless, we ought to read 1 Samuel 9 with some concern, since Israel’s demand for a king stems from the fact that they have rejected Yahweh from reigning as king over them (1 Sam. 8:7). What kind of a king will…

Bible Readings for August 16th 1 Samuel 7–8 | Romans 6 | Jeremiah 44–45 | Psalms 20–21 In 1 Samuel 7, we see the last iteration of the cycle of Israel’s judges: Israel sins, Yahweh delivers Israel to their enemies, Israel cries for deliverance, and Yahweh sends a judge to reform Israel. In 1 Samuel 7:3, Samuel instructs the people to reform their w…

In this final lesson, Mike summarizes the final eight chapters of Deuteronomy while highlighting the major differences between this last section and the first section of the book from chapter 1 to 26. In addition to this there is commentary about the extensive use of poetry and the final application lessons drawn from three different perspectives t…

Bible Readings for August 15th 1 Samuel 5–6 | Romans 5 | Jeremiah 43 | Psalm 19 If the Israelites had treated Yahweh’s glory with contempt in 1 Samuel 4, the Philistines do so much more in 1 Samuel 5. When the Philistines capture the ark of the covenant in battle, they set it next to their god Dagon as a trophy of war (1 Sam. 5:2)—a situation that …

Bible Readings for August 14th 1 Samuel 4 | Romans 4 | Jeremiah 42 | Psalm 18 In 1 Samuel 4, Yahweh brings three major forms of judgment against the people of Israel. First, when the Israelites bring the ark of the covenant out in battle with them against the Philistines, Yahweh hands them over to defeat, and the Philistines capture the ark (1 Sam.…

Bible Readings for August 13th 1 Samuel 3 | Romans 3 | Jeremiah 41 | Psalm 17 Sometimes we imagine that the people living in the Old Testament were constantly surrounded by great signs and wonders—a parted sea here, a prophetic vision there—but that wasn’t the case. Here in 1 Samuel 3:1, we read specifically that “the word of the LORD was rare in t…

5 indispensable rules that pave the way for your present-day survival and future prosperity as a preacher.Oleh Mike Mazzalongo

Bible Readings for August 12th 1 Samuel 2 | Romans 2 | Jeremiah 40 | Psalms 15–16 If Hannah is put forward as a model for godly parenting, the second half of 1 Samuel 2 reveals the priest Eli as a model for negligent parenting. Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are worthless men who do not know Yahweh (1 Sam. 2:12). They steal for themselves the cho…

Bible Readings for August 11th 1 Samuel 1 | Romans 1 | Jeremiah 39 | Psalms 13–14 Quietly, through a poor, widowed Moabite woman—the most unlikely person possible—God put into motion a plan in the book of Ruth for raising up a king. This king would shepherd God’s people away from doing what was right in their own eyes and instead toward obeying God…

Bible Readings for August 10th Ruth 3–4 | Acts 28 | Jeremiah 38 | Psalms 11–12 In Ruth 3–4, the other sandal drops. We discover here that there is another, closer kinsman-redeemer to the family of Elimelech who would have priority in choosing to marry Ruth (Ruth 3:12–13) and that redeeming Ruth would put that man’s inheritance at risk (Ruth 4:6). U…

Bible Readings for August 9th Ruth 2 | Acts 27 | Jeremiah 37 | Psalm 10 In Ruth 2, we meet the third major figure in this story, a man named Boaz. Ruth, eager to keep the covenant vows she had made to Naomi, sought to provide for her anguished mother-in-law by gleaning in fields, and as she set out, “she happened to come to the part of the field be…

Mike reviews the 18 different laws Moses refers to in this section with special emphasis on key ordinances as well as lesser known rules for living explained by the Jewish leaders nearing the end of his life.Oleh Mike Mazzalongo

Bible Readings for August 8th Ruth 1 | Acts 26 | Jeremiah 36 | Psalm 9 In the book of Judges, Israel descended deeper and deeper into sinfulness, idolatry, and rebellion. The opening verse of the book of Ruth, then, is ominous: “In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land…” (Ruth 1:1). Will the story of the book of Ruth be anot…

Bible Readings for August 7th Judges 21 | Acts 25 | Jeremiah 35 | Psalms 7–8 In Judges 21, we learn that the eleven tribes of Israel had sworn an oath among themselves, saying, “Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin” (Judg. 21:18). Quickly, however, Israel recognizes that their rash vow created a terrible problem—without wives, an entire tribe …

Bible Readings for August 6th Judges 20 | Acts 24 | Jeremiah 34 | Psalms 5–6 When all Israel arrives to inquire into what has happened in Gibeah, neither the Levite nor the tribe of Benjamin comes off looking good. Conveniently, the Levite leaves out the fact that he had pushed his concubine out the door to face the violence of the men of Gibeah: “…

When faced with a decision to do something or get involved in some scheme or plan, people sometimes base their choice on the popular saying "why not?"Oleh Mike Mazzalongo

Bible Readings for August 5th Judges 19 | Acts 23 | Jeremiah 33 | Psalms 3–4 In Judges 19:1, we read that a “certain Levite” took a wife from Bethlehem in Judah. The author of the book of Judges is careful to state, once again, that this all happened “in those days, when there was no king in Israel” (Judg. 19:1), underscoring the wickedness that we…

Bible Readings for August 4th Judges 18 | Acts 22 | Jeremiah 32 | Psalms 1–2 Judges 18 opens with a repetition of the first half of the theme verse of Judges: “In those days there was no king in Israel” (Judg. 18:1). Little by little, bit by bit, Israel is descending further into sin, idolatry, and rebellion as they forsake Yahweh to do whatever is…