Old Testament

Old Testament offers Bible-based articles that help readers understand the foundations of Scripture and the story that leads to Christ. Explore resources on the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings—covering historical context, covenant themes, God’s character, wisdom literature, and how Old Testament teaching shapes faith and discipleship today. You’ll find guidance for reading difficult passages, tracing biblical theology, and connecting Old Testament truths to the gospel without losing the original meaning. This hub equips readers to study the Old Testament with clarity, confidence, and reverence for God’s Word.

July 25, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for July 31, 2011: Return to God”s Ways (Judges 10:10-18; 11:4-6, 32, 33)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for July 24) is written by Steve Carr, teaching minister at Echo Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. ____________ Return to God’s Ways (Judges 10:10-18: 11:4-6, 32, 33) By Thomas May “We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals” (Judges 10:10). Do you relate with the people of Israel during the time of the judges? One moment striving to follow God with heart and mind and soul and strength, and then””before you can blink””serving false gods. Do you ever feel that happening to you? You are not alone. In

July 18, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for July 24, 2011: Let God Rule (Judges 7:2-4, 13-15; 8:22-26)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for July 24) is written by Steve Carr, teaching minister at Echo Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. ____________ Let God Rule (Judges 7:2-4, 13-15; 8:22-26) By Steve Carr In the late 16th century there emerged a religious/political doctrine known as the divine right of kings. As the Protestant Reformation spread across Europe, monarchs attempted to solidify their positions with this philosophy. This divine right claimed that God gave kings their authority, so kings were accountable to God alone. Even if a king was evil, the doctrine dictated, he could not be overthrown

July 11, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for July 17, 2011: Use God”s Strength (Judges 3:15-25, 29, 30)

Bible background. Pronunciation guide. Real-life commentary. Discussion questions. Find it all in Standard Lesson Commentary. ____________ This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for July 17) is written by James Hansee, senior associate minister with Whitewater Crossing Christian Church in Cleves, Ohio. ____________ Use God’s Strength (Judges 3:15-25, 29, 30) By James Hansee Where the world sees disability, God sees potential. Where the world sees disadvantage or defect, God sees opportunity. When people rely on God”s strength, even their weaknesses or perceived shortcomings can be powerful tools in his hands to accomplish his plans. Such is the case

July 4, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for July 10, 2011: Listen to God”s Judges (Judges 2:11-19)

Eight pages every week to help you with your Sunday school lesson. Learn more about Standard Lesson Commentary! ____________ This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for July 10) is written by Rick Walston, senior minister at Marion Church of Christ, Rochester, Minnesota, and adjunct professor at Crossroads College. ____________ Listen to God’s Judges (Judges 2:11-19) By Rick Walston Today”s lesson begins a new Old Testament book as we move from the conquest of the peoples in the promised land during Joshua”s lifetime to the challenging period of the judges. This unit, “Listening for God in Changing Times,”

June 27, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for July 3, 2011: God Responds to Disobedience (Joshua 7:1, 10-12, 22-26)

Be a better parent. Overcome an un-Christian culture. Understand the Bible Read The Lookout! 16 pages of help and hope every week! Here’s how. ____________ This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for July 3) is written by Caleb Kaltenbach, senior minister with Valley View Christian Church in Dallas, Texas. ____________ God Responds to Disobedience (Joshua 7:1, 10-12, 22-26) By Caleb Kaltenbach Some subjects make us squirm in our seats. Disobedience is one of them . . . mainly because we all can identify with it. We disobey the speed laws, our parents, our employers, etc. As a

June 20, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for June 26, 2011: God Gives the Victory (Joshua 6:2-4, 12-20)

Better Bible lessons starting at 30 cents per week! Get them in Standard Lesson Commentary! (click here) ____________ This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for June 26) is written by Matt Schantz, director of organizational development with a national building supply company in Grand Rapids, Michigan. ____________ God Gives the Victory (Joshua 6:2-4, 12-20) By Matt Schantz Jericho, known as the “City of Palms,” is considered both the world”s oldest city and””at 850 feet below sea level””the lowest. This elevation also makes it one of the hottest places on earth. I had the opportunity to visit Jericho a

June 13, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for June 19, 2011: God Protects His People (Joshua 2:2-9, 15, 16, 22-24)

Read The Lookout every week . . . Two full pages of helps for your Sunday School lesson . . . And inspiration for everyday Christian life. Here’s how. ____________ This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for June 19) is written by Don Hinkle, pastor at Yucaipa (California) Christian Church. ____________ God Protects His People (Joshua 2:2-9, 15, 16, 22-24) By Don Hinkle Joshua 2 would make an amazing film. It has all the ingredients””spies, intrigue, a double cross, humor (“I don”t know which way they went. Go after them quickly”””Joshua 2:5), midnight escapes, secret deals, and

June 10, 2011

Christian Standard

Getting the Most from Old Testament Prophets (Part 2)

Just as a Rubik”s Cube has six sides, six principles will help you understand these often-overlooked books. (This is another in a series of articles titled “Reading the Bible for All It”s Worth” that Matt Proctor is writing this year.) _____________ GO TO PART 1 ______________ By Matt Proctor In Part One of this essay, I pointed out the first four of six principles that can help you grasp the marvelous meanings in the Bible”s prophetic texts. I pointed out that the 17 Old Testament books we call the Prophets””Isaiah through Malachi””contain some of the most powerful passages in all of

June 7, 2011

Christian Standard

Getting the Most from Old Testament Prophets (Part 1)

Just as a Rubik”s Cube has six sides, six principles will help you understand these often-overlooked books. (This is another in a series of articles titled “Reading the Bible for All It”s Worth” that Matt Proctor is writing this year.) _____________   By Matt Proctor The 17 Old Testament books we call the Prophets””Isaiah through Malachi””contain some of the most powerful passages in all of Scripture, and yet these books remain some of the least read portions of the Bible. A nationally respected business leader, John Dasburg, saved Northwest Airlines from bankruptcy in the early 1990s when he served as CEO.

June 6, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for June 12, 2011: God Expects Obedience (Joshua 1:7-18)

Better Bible lessons starting at only 30¢ per week! Get them in Standard Lesson Commentary! ____________ This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for June 12) is written by Damon Reid, lead minister with Bethany Church of Christ in Kettering, Ohio. ____________ God Expects Obedience (Joshua 1:7-18) By Damon Reid The long-awaited day””anticipated for centuries””had finally come. The children of Israel were preparing to enter the promised land! Because of his disobedience, Moses was not permitted to enter the promised land. Although he died at the age of 120, the Bible notes that his “eyes were not weak

June 5, 2011

Christian Standard

“˜Then the Lord Said to Moses”

By Alan Ahlgrim Once again this year I”m enjoying a slow pilgrimage through the Bible. I don”t read through the entire Bible every year, but my daughter and I are using The One Year Bible, and it”s been wonderfully refreshing and enlightening. The best 30 minutes of my day are at the beginning. They”re the ones spent reading and reflecting on God”s Word. That certainly was true this morning when I was once again gripped with the fact that, at times, God spoke to people directly. I”ve been reading the book of Numbers over the last few days and have

May 30, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for June 5, 2011: God Keeps His Promise (Joshua 1:1-6; 11:16-23)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for June 5) is written by Stephen Bond, senior pastor with Summit Christian Church in Sparks, Nevada. ____________ God Keeps His Promise (Joshua 1:1-6; 11:16-23) By Stephen Bond In Waiting: Finding Hope When God Seems Silent, author Ben Patterson tells a story from his personal life. In the summer of 1988, three friends and I climbed Mount Lyell, the highest peak in Yosemite National Park. Two of us were experienced mountaineers; two of us were not. I was not one of the experienced two. . . . The climb to the

March 27, 2011

Christian Standard

Getting the Most from Old Testament Law (Part 2)

Those who first received the Law viewed obeying it a privilege, not a restriction. Can New Testament Christians also see the beauty in these ancient texts? (This is another in a series of articles titled “Reading the Bible for All It’s Worth” that Matt Proctor is writing this year.) ________ By Matt Proctor Last week we considered the challenge to look again at the Old Testament Law. We listened to the testimony of Christians whose lives had been changed by reconsidering the purposes behind all the directives God gives in the legal portions of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. We considered the

March 25, 2011

Christian Standard

Getting the Most from Old Testament Law (Part 1)

Those who first received the Law viewed obeying it a privilege, not a restriction. Can New Testament Christians also see the beauty in these ancient texts? (This is another in a series of articles titled “Reading the Bible for All It’s Worth” that Matt Proctor is writing this year.) ________ By Matt Proctor Imagine it”s New Year”s Day, and you make a resolution to read through your Bible this year. You begin with Genesis, and all goes well that first week. But hold on. Soon you”ll get to Leviticus, and then what will you do? Genesis starts with a bang as God

February 3, 2011

Christian Standard

Nancy Meets God in Isaiah

By Nancy Karpenske It”s just a purple spiral notebook, well-worn and nondescript. But it contains my personal history with the book of Isaiah. All I really knew about Isaiah was that it held precious prophecies””a virgin shall conceive, unto us a child is born, despised and rejected, a man of sorrows. And the famous vision of God”s throne room that resulted in Isaiah crying out, “Here am I, Lord, send me!” I set my sights on becoming more familiar with Isaiah””not the facts and time lines and interpretations; I intended to look for God in the pages. I decided to

February 1, 2011

Christian Standard

Getting the Most from Old Testament Stories (Part 2)

(This is the second of six articles Matt Proctor will write this year under the theme, “Reading the Bible for All It”s Worth.) By Matt Proctor When we read one of these Hebrew narratives, we want to discover the author”s intended meaning. This guards us against imposing our own meaning on the text. How do we uncover the clues to the author”s intended meaning? I love Warren Wiersbe”s observation in The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament, “If you don”t talk to your Bible, your Bible isn”t likely to talk to you!” In other words, if you don”t ask the text

January 19, 2011

Christian Standard

Getting the Most from Old Testament Stories (Part 1)

By Matt Proctor (This is the first of six articles Matt Proctor will write this year under the theme, “Reading the Bible for All It’s Worth.) All human beings love a good story, so when God wanted to communicate the most important message in the universe to us, guess what he did? He told stories . . . and we”ve been captivated ever since. The Bible, and especially the Old Testament, is chock-full of narratives. The Old Testament is two-thirds of Scripture, and more than 40 percent of the Old Testament is narrative. In Sunday school children are still taught much-loved

May 9, 2010

Christian Standard

Like Father, Like Son

By Victor Knowles Abraham was such a godly man that he drew the applause of Heaven. God gave him ultimate praise: “For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just” (Genesis 18:19). Dwight L. Moody said, “I believe the family was established long before the church, and my duty is to my family first. I am not to neglect my family.” Strong families produce strong leaders that produce strong churches. Perhaps the most famous father-son preaching pair in

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