The High Price of Disobedience
Samuel’s sons did not walk with the Lord. Therefore, the people wanted a king who would rule over them and fight their battles (1 Sam. 8:19–20). They wanted to be just like other nations.
ISRAEL'S HISTORY
Bound for Babylon
Tell 10 Jewish people they are the Chosen People of God and at least half will reply, “I wish He had chosen someone else!” While such an example of Jewish wit is amusing…
From Bill Sutter’s Desk May/Jun 2008
Widespread “Israel at 60” celebrations in Jewish communities this year are reminders of the certainty of God’s promises to the Jewish people. Christians who have been participating in these events realize they are expressing…
Israel’s Long and Hard War of Independence
Despite its military victories, Israel still does not enjoy peace. So the country’s anniversary celebration took a different turn this year—for a significant reason.
Israel: Still the Apple of God’s Eye Part One
Three men played key roles in Israel’s ancient history. Each man reveals an aspect of God’s work with the nation and His special blessing on it.
Israeli Economy Gallops Ahead
As Israel turns 60, its economy is moving ahead more rapidly than anyone would have guessed. Here are some facts and figures that probably will astound you.
Inextinguishable Israel
In a world stricken by the compulsion to forget and plagued with perpetually erratic behavior, it is not surprising that some people no longer see Israel as a little David struggling for survival…
Drama Around the Triclinium
Reasonable, educated speculation based on an understanding of the Jewish seating custom can help us appreciate the drama in the Upper Room at Jesus’ final Passover more than 2,000 years ago.
From Bill Sutter’s Desk Jan/Feb 2008
This year—2008—marks the 60th anniversary of the rebirth of the nation of Israel. On May 14, 1948, the Jewish People’s Council assembled at the Tel Aviv Museum to approve the historic proclamation…
A Christian View from the Temple Mount
Muslims now claim the Western Wall was a hitching post for Muhammad’s horse! Their claims are preposterous, but they will stop at nothing to rewrite history. And they have two main reasons for doing so.
Milestone
It happened against all odds. Sixty years ago this month, on November 29, 1947, in a building left over from the 1939–1940 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, Queens, the fledgling…
Pursuing the Finish-It Principle
While the West founders in a sea of inconclusiveness, radical Islam pushes aggressively toward its goal. We have an option. Dare we take it?
Two Great Days, Two Great Doctrines
If you’re interested in learning the exact differences between Israel and the church, this amazing outline is just what the doctor ordered.
Happy 40th Birthday, Jerusalem
Forty years ago in June, Israel recaptured its city of cities in a six-day war that stunned the world. But things haven’t turned out as anticipated.
The Disobedient Prophet
Jonah 1:1–3: The book of Jonah is probably the best known of all the Minor Prophets. What child has not heard the story of Jonah who was swallowed by a huge fish? The prophet’s…
Hallowed Be Your Name Ezekiel 36
The Israelites profaned God’s holy name and have suffered ever since. But their story does not end there, because God has a perfect plan that will glorify Him.
The Rebirth of Israel Ezekiel 37
In Ezekiel 37, God asked, “Son of man, can these bones live?” The answer so far is the story of a nation’s resurrection to physical life. But even more lies ahead.
Just As He Promised Ezekiel 39:21–29
The Jewish people, like many others, have struggled to trust God. Do their failures mean He has forsaken them? His Word has the answer.
War: What Is It Good For? Ezekiel 38:1—39:16
God’s prophetic Word reveals much about war, particularly the great, future battle involving Gog and Magog.
When Israel Sins
It was one of those truly soul-rattling moments (metaphorically speaking). In the heart of Jerusalem, the Israeli Supreme Court rendered a ruling that seems to betray one of God’s clearest…
Herod the Not-So-Great
Herod murdered infants yet built a magnificent Temple Mount. What type of man was he? A brilliant madman whose life is a remarkable study in contradiction.
Jerusalem Vs. Rome: Jewish Life in the Time of Christ
Although idol worship saturated Rome, the Jewish people had rights that many of them did not want jeopardized. Thus arose a difficult conflict for Judaism.
Chai, Chai, V’Kayam Conclusion
Growing up I always loved to dance the hora, a Hebrew folk dance that was stomped to merrily while singing “Hava Nagilah.” We also danced to another Hebrew song. The words go like this: Dovid…
Chai, Chai, V’Kayam Part One
Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s a superhero who was killed and came back to life then was killed again and came back to life then killed someone else…
The Perfect Triad
If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that the Israelites made it through the Red Sea because it was low tide or because they “knew where the stones were,” I’d be rich…
These Are the Facts
Israel became a nation around 1450 B.C., some 2,000 years before the rise of Islam. Jewish people have lived in the land continuously since the days of Joshua—some 3,000 years. The Jewish…
Judah’s Inheritance: The Dead Sea, En Gedi, Qumran, Hebron
Many of King David’s words were inspired by the animals at En Gedi. Visit En Gedi, the Dead Sea, Qumran, and Hebron through this excellent article.
The Ottoman Legacy
The Muslim Ottoman Turks pillaged the land when they controlled it. Today it’s blooming like a rose. Is there a reason why? There certainly is.
The Two-for One Deliverance Conclusion
While I was taking a boat tour of a recreational lake in Western New York years ago, my guide pointed to a magnificent home gracing the water’s shores. It dwarfed the smaller, more modest…
Eye on the Middle East Mar/Apr 2006
When Israel’s prime minister, Ariel Sharon, was stricken with a devastating, career-ending stroke in January, an era came to an end. Sharon was the last of the giants who have fallen…
The Beginning of the Reckoning
The Islamic Center in Munich, Germany, was founded by Muslim Nazis. But that link is only one of many in a surprisingly strong Muslim-Nazi connection.
Remarkable Rescuers
When the Nazis systematically exterminated 6 million Jews during World War II, not everyone stood by and watched. The State of Israel’s Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, Yad Vashem, has recognized the efforts…
A Hero Named Janusz Korczak
God loves children. His heart especially goes out to orphans, and He commands us, “Defend the fatherless” (Isa. 1:17). During the Holocaust, one man in particular did just that. He was born…
The Two-for-One Deliverance Part One
More than 20 years ago I had a friend whom I’ll call Jill. I telephoned her one afternoon, and her husband answered. “She can’t come to the phone,” he said. “She’s up…
Israel’s Messianic Shepherd
Zechariah 10:1–12: In the previous chapter, the Lord is pictured as a shepherd who saves Israel, and Israel becomes “the flock of His people” (9:16). Israel’s redemption will take place when the nation…
Mary Magdalene: Setting the Record Straight
Seventeenth-century philosopher Joseph Hall once said, “A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep their eyes on the spot where the crack was.” How true. Worse yet…
Israel’s Messianic King
Zechariah 9:9–17: When Alexander the Great conquered the Middle East, he did not lay siege to Jerusalem. The Jewish people survived his conquest because God kept His promise to protect the city (9:8).
Just Like Jezebel Conclusion
What does it take to convince someone that he believes a lie? Cold, hard facts? A visible, bona fide, supernatural occurrence? Sometimes even these don’t work. They didn’t work with Jezebel even after the greatest
Outrage at Gibeah: A Spiritual and Societal Breakdown
The story of the Levite and his concubine is one of the grimmest in all of Scripture. And its relevance for today may surprise you.
Conquering Spiritual Paralysis
Have you ever thought God let you down? Perhaps you’re simply looking at things the wrong way, as Gideon did before he fought the Midianites.
Jephthah: Faithful but Flawed
Jephthah was the man of the hour to deliver Israel, going from outcast to tribal chief. But when he was on top, a grave error cost him dearly.
Jephthah’s Vow: Did He or Didn’t He?
For centuries scholars have debated the fate of Jephthah’s daughter. Did Jephthah sacrifice her as a burnt offering (Jud. 11:31) because of a foolish vow he made to Jehovah, or did he constrain…
The Samson Syndrome
Millions of Americans are experiencing the “Samson Syndrome.” Nearly 20 million have purchased Rick Warren’s book The Purpose-Driven Life, attesting to the fact that this generation desperately seeks purpose and meaning.
The Grecian Conqueror
Zechariah 9:1–8: The six remaining chapters of Zechariah’s prophecy consist of events pertaining to God’s eschatological program for Israel. They cover a vast period that extends from the Grecian era under Alexander the Great…
Eye on the Middle East Sep/Oct 2005
In the quest for peace and survival in the Middle East, a little history and a few questions may be to our benefit. Following Britain’s defeat of the Muslim Ottoman Turks in 1917, the Mandatory…
Just Like Jezebel Part One
Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes fame has never been my favorite television reporter. He always seems a little too arrogant—too sure of himself. But after the Pentagon and World Trade Center tragedies of 9/11…
Myths/Facts: Israel & the Middle East Jul/Aug 2005
Long before 1967, when Israel captured the West Bank, Arabs used violence to try to first prevent the establishment of a Jewish state and then to destroy Israel. Anti-Jewish riots began in 1920 and were…
Why Israel Is Unique
As far as the nations of this world are concerned, Israel stands apart. Scripture teaches that the nations were “made [not created] from one blood” and so may be, and quite often are…
Israel’s Glorious Restoration
Zechariah 8:1–23: In the previous chapter, a delegation from Bethel questioned the necessity of continuing to fast over the destruction of Solomon’s Temple. Zechariah did not address the issue directly; instead, he used the question to reflect…
Hannah and the God Who Hears Conclusion
I had been a Christian only two years when a dear friend gave me a book titled Hinds’ Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. “It’s wonderful,” she said. “You’ll love it.”
From Throne to Scrub Mop Lamentations 1
Sin has dire consequences, both for individuals and nations. This insightful article on Lamentations 1 examines what Judah’s sin wrought.
Suffering God’s Wrath Lamentations 2
Lamentations 2 reveals three areas of Judah’s destruction and paints vivid word-pictures of the torment the Jewish nation endured as it went into captivity.
The Measure of Success
They called it the dungeon of malchiah, but it was actually an abandoned cistern near the center of the prison courtyard in Jerusalem (Jer. 38:6). The floor was a slimy quagmire covered…
Awaiting a ‘Song in the Night’ Lamentations 3
The southern kingdom of Judah was in trouble with God. About a century earlier, the Lord had allowed the Assyrians to destroy the northern kingdom of Israel. That event should have served as a graphic…
Bring Us Back to You, O Lord Lamentations 4—5
You’ll feel as though you were in Jerusalem in 586 b.c. as you explore Lamentations 4—5 and the anguish of the Roman destruction.
Shoulders to Cry On
In every nation’s history there are great disasters. Turbulent times amplify feelings of insecurity and vulnerability on a grand scale. calamities threaten the comfort of familiarities. catastrophes destabilize civilized societies. Such were the conditions in Judah…
Nebuchadnezzar: A ‘King of Kings’
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had a tremendous impact on the nation of Israel and the history of the ancient Near East. He is referred to by name over 90 times in the Old Testament…
Babylon
Babylon. The very name inspires all types of hedonistic, dissolute images of not only a city, but an attitude of rebellion against God and all that is righteous and good.
On the Way to Canaan Land
George W. Bush had just won the presidential election for a second term. The confetti was still lying on the floor of GOP headquarters when Britain’s prime minister Tony Blair jumped forward…
Messiah’s Coronation and Reign
Zechariah 6:1-15: What a long night Zechariah must have experienced. He had already received seven apocalyptic visions unveiling Israel’s future, and the eighth was soon to come. This final vision would reveal God’s judgment of the nations…
The End of the Line Conclusion
Nothing thwarts the God of Israel. He alone is sovereign. He alone declares the end from the beginning “and from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘my counsel shall stand…
Perfect Injustice: Jesus’ Trial Before Pilate
It was early in the day. Yet Governor Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect, was already facing a busy docket. He really didn’t want to be bothered with the political intrigues of the Jewish high priest…
The End of the Line Part One
World War II was a little before my time—a very little. But I don’t recall a day in my life that I didn’t know about it. Growing up Jewish, and being a first-generation American…
Jerusalem: The Missing Link
When the pundits look back on 2004 and the attempts at an Israeli-Palestinian solution, the word disengagement will probably top…
If the Maccabees Had Lost
Each year around December, wherever there is a significant Jewish population, television screens across America flash the greeting…
Israel in the News Nov/Dec 2004
“The Painful Truth: All the World Terrorists are Muslims!” So writes Abdulrahman al-Rashed, general manager of AI-Arabiya television, in his…
The Babylonian Captivity
God always keeps His promises, even the unpleasant ones. The issues surrounding this captivity will take you from mere history to important theology.
The Second World Empire
After the Babylonian Empire, Media-Persia took over. This outstanding article sorts out that kingdom’s rulers and what they accomplished.
Daniel and Darius
Daniel in the lions’ den (Dan. 6) is probably one of the best-known accounts in the Bible. It’s the encouraging, satisfying triumph of faith, righteousness, and justice over wickedness and evil in high places.
The Exiles Return
God may have removed the Jewish people from their land, but He faithfully brought them back. Learn how He did it and who He used.
The Ten ‘Lost’ Tribes Weren’t Lost
The phrase the lost tribes of Israel emits a certain ring of mystery that romanticizes the disappearance of the Israelites taken captive by Assyria in 722 B.C. Although the phrase is nowhere in Scripture…
Vision Four: Israel’s Cleansing
God specifically chose Israel to be a holy nation in which He could manifest His grace and truth to mankind (Ex. 19:5–8). Failing to live up to her elective calling, Israel committed gross immorality…
Ezra the Teacher
Ezra, a Levitical priest and scribe (Ezra 7:6–11), exercised a central role in rebuilding the spiritual condition of the Jewish people who returned from Babylon (Ezra 7—10). How was he equipped for such a task?
The Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem
From the moment the Lord formed the nation of Israel after the Exodus, He desired to dwell with His people as their King. Hence, the Tabernacle was built; and the Lord’s Glory indwelled it…
The Eastern Gate
The ground in front of the Eastern Gate of the Temple Mount was still soft from the heavy rains. Confidently, the archaeology student stepped back from the gate to capture its entire view…
Are You a Naomi? Part One
I’m not much of a shopper. My favorite place in the mall is probably the ice cream parlor, where I’ve spent many a pleasant moment contemplating the virtues of hot fudge versus butterscotch…
The Sons of Ishmael
Ishmael was the son of Abraham and Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian maidservant. His name, which in Hebrew means “God heard,” memorializes the Almighty’s concern for Sarah’s harsh treatment of Hagar (Gen. 16:6, 11).
The Mosaic Law: A Hard Road to Travel
God’s standards are far above ours. And if you think you would have done better than the Israelites, this article is especially for you.
The ‘Queen of Heaven’
God pronounced severe judgment on the people of Judah and Jerusalem because they worshiped “the queen of heaven” (Jer. 7:17–20; 44:15–19). Who or what was the queen of heaven, and how did the people…
A Step in the Wrong Direction
A pastor in the Midwest tells about his early years trying to shepherd a church that his entire family attended—sisters, brothers, and father. Apparently it wasn’t easy. During a business meeting when he was trying desperately…
God’s Care for Judah
Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius [January/February 519 B.C.], came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of…
Myths/Facts: Israel & the Middle East May/Jun 2004
Arab leaders have repeatedly made clear their animosity toward Jews and Judaism. For example, on November 23, 1937, Saudi Arabia’s King Ibn Saud told British Colonel H.R.P. Dickson: “Our hatred for the Jews dates from…
Miracle Mother Conclusion
Logically speaking, the State of Israel should not exist. Five fully armed Arab nations tried to snuff it out at birth in 1948. Nevertheless, with few weapons; no air force; no navy; and an “army”…
Anti-Zionism or Anti-Semitism—By Any Name, The Game’s the Same
No matter how attractively you wrap garbage, it still reeks. And despite clever repackaging, “anti-Zionism” still smells like Hitler’s “final solution.”
The Second Jerusalem Council
Church split are words that make us shudder. A split almost occurred in the early church. See how the church avoided it and grew instead.
Called to Repentance
The book of Zechariah is among the most profound in the Old Testament and of great importance in view of the times and circumstances in which it was written. Zechariah summed up and condensed most…
The Passover Lamb
“Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29). Using clear imagery rooted deeply in the Jewish experience, God identified His servant the Messiah as a lamb…
Israel’s Peculiar Position
The Jews are a peculiar people: things permitted to other nations are forbidden to the Jews. Other nations drive out thousands, even millions of people and there is no refugee problem. Russia did it…
Miracle Mother Part Two
Satan is the master of deceit. He can disguise his deceptions so brilliantly they often appear the epitome of logic and right thinking. But faith often contradicts logic. God’s ways are not our ways…
Joshua: Profile in Courage
Sometimes the odds aren’t in our favor. But when it comes to God’s work, the “odds” don’t matter. Joshua learned what really counts.
How Big Is How Big Is Your God?
Who hasn’t heard of the Battle of Jericho? This article takes a fresh look at that amaz- ing victory and the powerful God who won it.
Archaeology Confirms the Walls ‘Fell Flat’
In 1997 two Italian archaeologists hired by the Palestinian Department of Archaeology excavated for one month at ancient Jericho. Their conclusion was not surprising, considering who hired them: No evidence supports the Jewish conquest…
Caleb’s Enduring Faith
Caleb and Joshua were kindred spirits when it came to faith. Of the twelve men Moses sent to spy out the land, only these two had faith that God would deliver Canaan into Israel’s hands…
The Consequences of Spiritual Failure
Although God promised success, the Israelites suffered a crushing defeat at Ai. Explore the reasons for such failure—both then and now.
Joshua’s Farewell
In a touching goodbye, Joshua reviewed Israel’s history and issued both a warning and a challenge that are still relevant today.
The Significance of Shechem
In Hebrew shechem means “shoulder,” an apt description of the town’s location in the narrow valley between Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal, approximately 40 miles (65 km.) north of Jerusalem. Today the world calls it Nablus…
Nineveh’s Demise
Nahum 3:1-19: Assyria’s unrelenting violence, extortion, and brutality are well documented in the records of its history. More important, however, God kept track of such savagery; and He judged it. In chapter 3 Nahum continued his vivid description…
Miracle Mother Part One
Biblically speaking, Gentiles probably have more right to question God’s miracles than do Jewish people. After all, it wasn’t the Gentiles for whom God plagued Egypt or parted the Red Sea. It wasn’t the Gentiles…
Nineveh’s Destruction
Nahum 2:1-13: On March 19, 2003, a coalition of the United States and more than thirty-five countries implemented a preemptive strike against Iraq to disarm it of weapons of mass destruction. Twenty-six hundred years ago…