Psalm 78 says that God led his people Israel "like sheep through the desert." Their wanderings through the Sinai provide a striking image of God's leading in our lives today. In this lesson, you will follow God's people through this barr... MORE
During their forty years of testing in the desert, God continued to teach and shape the Israelite nation. By the time they entered the Promised Land, a new generation had formed, a people who obeyed and trusted God with all their heart, soul, and ... MORE
Sheep and shepherds were so much a part of the Biblical world, it's no wonder Jesus uses the imagery as a metaphor in several of His teachings. The shepherds of His day knew every one of the animals in their flock by sight and spent their lives pr... MORE
The Colosseum in Rome is famous for many reasons, not least of which because it was built by the spoils of war from the destruction of Jerusalem, the military defeat of the Jews. In the Roman world, it was assumed that if Caesar was... MORE
Jesus came with a unique message, preaching to the Jewish people that “the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17). But from the beginning, there was another king who hates the shalom that God creates and loves life’... MORE
When the time came for God to choose a people, He didn’t pick the strongest kingdom He could find. He chose the weak, the nobodies – a family that would become the nation of Israel. God rescued them from Egypt and brought them into the... MORE
When questioned about his message, Paul tells the Athenians that the one and only God "does not live in temples made with hands" (Acts 17:24). Naturally, anyone who was curious about Jesus in the Greco-Roman world would ask the early bel... MORE
Over and over in the Bible, God used the image of fire to illustrate His power, holiness, and passionate love for His people. The fire on Mount Sinai when Moses received the Ten Commandments was just such a display of power, highlighting the holin... MORE
Interestingly, when God chose a person to lead His people out of Egypt by the power of His word, He chose Moses, a man with a speech impediment. In this lesson, consider the implications of allowing His strength to work in weakness as you discover... MORE
THE JOY OF LIVING WATER: JESUS AND THE FEAST OF SUKKOT' With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. (Isa. 12:3)Water was of great importance to the people of the Bible. They lived in a dry country, completely dependent on the season...
A City Fit for the HerodsThere is no biblical record of Jesus teaching in Sepphoris, but we know that he grew up in the nearby village of Nazareth. From his hometown, Jesus could probably see the impressive city, which covered nearly five hundred ...
The Judean Wilderness occupies the area from the eastern slopes of the Judea Mountains down to the Great Rift Valley, and runs along the western shore of the Dead Sea.Very little rain falls here, so there are very few plants or animals. Many deep ...
Give Us A King
Many Christians have been taught that God did not want his people to have a king. But in Deuteronomy 17:14-20, long before the people asked for a king, God said, "Be sure to appoint over you the king the Lord your God chooses.&...
Korazin stood in the northwestern corner of the Galilee region, about three miles from the Sea. The nearby cities of Capernaum and Bethsaida joined Korazin as part of the "orthodox triangle," an area inhabited primarily by devout J...
Once one of ancient Israel's largest cities, Tel Lachish covers an impressive eighteen acres. The city was a fortification for Judah, and archaeologists have discovered the largest gate complex in Israel there. The massive double gate included bot...
Thousands of years ago, the city of Gezer the Gezer area strategic during modern history.During Israel's 1948 War for Independence, some of the fiercest fighting took place at a town called Latrun, just a few miles away from Gezer. Why was Latrun ...
Region of Israel, named for the tribe of Judah, where Jerusalem was located. Ruled by Herod the Great and later given to his son, Archelaus; then directly under Roman authority. The Judean Temple leadership resisted Jesus' message and ministry.
The eastern slopes of the Judea Mountains form a 10-mile-wide, 30-mile-long hot, dry wilderness frequently used as a refuge for those in hiding or seeking a spiritual retreat, including the Essenes at Qumran, John the Baptist, David, and Jesus. Si...
Deep wadi forming the eastern border of Jerusalem between David's City and the Mount of Olives. The spring of Gihon and the garden of Gethsemane are in this valley.
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