Best Scriptural Insights
A man wanted to follow Jesus, but he had one request before he could leave. He asked permission to bury his father. Jesus answered with words that remain among His most difficult sayings: “Let the dead bury their dead.” At first, the response sounds unnecessarily harsh. Burying a parent was a serious family responsibility, and … Read more
Jesus once told a crowd that anyone who came to Him without hating father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and even their own life could not be His disciple. The statement is startling, especially since Scripture commands people to honor their parents and love their neighbors. Did Jesus really tell His followers to hate their … Read more
A meal was being prepared during a famine when one careless mistake threatened the lives of a group of prophets. Someone had gathered wild gourds and cut them into a pot of stew, apparently unaware that the ingredients were dangerous. The men began eating, but when they tasted the food, they realized something was wrong. … Read more
Naaman was a powerful commander in the Syrian army, a kingdom that repeatedly stood against Israel. He had military authority, the favor of his king, and a reputation as a successful warrior. Yet none of these advantages could protect him from leprosy. The man who commanded soldiers could not command his own body to be … Read more
The man was already dead when the raiders appeared. His family or companions were in the process of burying him when they suddenly spotted a band of enemy raiders approaching. There was no time to complete the burial properly. In their haste to escape, they threw the dead man into the nearest available tomb. That … Read more
Judah (the 4th son of Jacob) was ready to have Tamar burned alive. His daughter-in-law was pregnant, and he believed she had become pregnant through sexual immorality. As far as Judah was concerned, the evidence was enough to condemn her. He did not need to investigate further or consider whether he himself had contributed to … Read more
King David had committed adultery with Bathsheba, arranged for her husband to die in battle, and taken Bathsheba as his wife. From the outside, the crisis appeared to have passed. Uriah was dead, the king had married the woman, and the secret seemed buried with the soldier who could have exposed it. But David had … Read more
The city was surrounded, and the danger was real. An enemy army had arrived during the night, bringing horses and chariots to capture Elisha, the prophet whose words had repeatedly frustrated the plans of the king of Aram. When Elisha’s servant rose early the next morning and went outside, he saw the soldiers encircling the … Read more
A group of trees once went looking for a king. They approached an olive tree, a fig tree, and a vine, asking each to rule over them. All three refused. Each had something valuable to produce, and none was willing to abandon its purpose to govern the others. Eventually, the trees approached a thornbush. Unlike … Read more
King Josiah was already working to restore the temple in Jerusalem when a discovery changed the direction of his reign. During the repairs, Hilkiah the high priest found a book of the Law of the LORD. When the book was brought to the king and read aloud, Josiah tore his clothes in distress. The discovery … Read more