The Life and Work of Isaiah – Adam Orr
The Holy Spirit inspired the beloved physician, Luke, to record the conversion of a man from Ethiopia. He was a treasurer returning home from Jerusalem on the road that led to Gaza. Philip ran to the chariot and found the man reading. When asked if he understood what he was reading, the man said, “How can I unless someone explains it?” And beginning at the Scripture, Philip taught him about Jesus and salvation found only in His name. What was…
Setting the Stage – Cody Westbrook
As far as we know the designation “major prophets” is attributed to the time of Augustin who referred to the “the twelve prophets who are called minor from the brevity of their writings” and “those who are called greater prophets because they published larger volumes.” The ancient Jews divided their bible into three major sections: Law, Prophets, and Writings. The Prophets were divided into the Former and Latter Prophets. The Septuagint rearranged the order and gave rise to the current…
Do You Believe What You Preach?
To be sure, each of us understands the importance of practicing what we preach (cf. Rom. 2:21). But, we must also believe what we preach. You may remind someone struggling with loneliness that the Lord is always with them (Heb. 13:5), but do you believe that to be true when you struggle with loneliness? You may comfort a brother working through financial stress by reminding him of Matthew 6:33, but do you find comfort in that passage when you endure…
Believe Not Every Spirit
First John 4:1 says, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” The first century church had the responsibility of guarding the truth. The Church of the twenty-first century has that obligation as well. John begins his exhortation with the term “beloved.” It appears eight times in his epistles, three of which are in 1 John 4. It is a term of affection and…
The Lord is Good (Part 3)
Psalm 107:1 calls us to give thanks to God for His goodness, and how we need to do so! The goodness of God is a deep and enriching study. His goodness is associated with His mercy, His faithfulness, and His loving kindness. To say that God is good is to say that He is generous, and that He has the capacity and desire to give and provide in abundance, without any ulterior motive. We see His goodness on display in…
The Lord is Good (Part 2)
The Lord proclaims His goodness in Exodus 34:6-7. Note that His goodness summarizes all other qualities listed in the passage. It is not an abstract idea, but that which is seen in His action toward man. In a more specific sense, the goodness God is most clearly seen in His generosity. “When the biblical writers call God ‘good,’ they are thinking in general of all those moral qualities which prompt His people to call Him ‘perfect,’ and in particular of…
From the Director’s Desk (July 2024) – Trent Kennedy
And they’re off! The Bible program trains men and women to work in the Kingdom; we equip them to be effective preachers, teachers, missionaries, and servants. The course takes nearly two full years, but SWSBS graduates have a solid foundation after they finish. SWSBS has been training Christians “to know Jesus and make Him known” since 1978. This year marked our 46th commencement exercise. Among the nine graduates, three of our ladies will marry SWSBS alumni and help with their…
Elisha, the Son of Shaphat – Kevin Cauley
God told Elijah to anoint Elisha “as prophet in your place” (1 Kings 19:16). He was a prophet of war who would “sweep up” after Jehu by killing those who opposed God (1 Kings 19:17; 2 Kings 13:3; 2 Kings 9:22). When Elijah called Elisha, he slaughtered his own oxen, burned the yokes to cook the meat, and fed the people (1 Kings 19:21). He would not return to the farm. Elisha’s persistence resulted in his being given a double…
Elijah, the Tishbite – Bill Burk
Elijah enters the stage of history mysteriously, with little introduction and no fanfare. Immediately, the text presents him as a man of prayer. James, the half-brother of the Lord, explains that Elijah, despite being a man like the rest of us, was able to use his powerful prayers to start and end a drought (1 Kings 171; Jas. 5:17-18). In the same chapter, he fervently petitioned the Lord to resurrect a widow’s son from the dead, and God granted his…
Micaiah, The Master’s Mouthpiece – Cody Kilgore
The Lord will de-mask the disguised, so we learn in Ahab’s attempted conquest for Ramoth-Gilead. In 1 Kings 22, Ahab, King of Israel, had orchestrated an attempt to regain the land he deemed as his own. With the aid of Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, and about 400 prophets, Ahab became emboldened. While the voice of Jehoshaphat declared that they inquire from the Lord (v. 5), Ahab’s preference remained upon his men. In fact, unsatisfied with the prophecy of the near…
Nathan, the Courageous Prophet – Chase Green
“Moral courage is higher and a rarer virtue than physical courage” (William Joseph Slim). The Bible contains many examples of people who acted courageously. I think of examples such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Daniel and his three friends in Babylon, and many others, including the prophets of the Lord. One of the prophets that exuded courage was Nathan. This prophet may not have written a book of the Bible, but we might say he “wrote the book on courage,”…
The Life and Work of Samuel – John Haffner
One of the most well-known among the non-writing prophets, Samuel was a judge over God’s people, the last leader of this sort for Israel. His mother, Hannah, prayed earnestly for a child and she dedicated him to the service of God at a very young age. Samuel trained under the high priest, and eventually grew to serve and to lead God’s people through pivotal times of conflict and transition. He consistently showed a dedication to the Lord and His truth.…