Amos 3 appeals again to the special covenant Israel has with God. Israel has been chosen specially to represent God among the nations, and therefore it is important for them to enact justice on the earth.

Mary's song is called the 'Magnificat', after its first word in Latin. It is uncomfortably revolutionary in its scope, something we don't always appreciate when we read it. Zechariah's song is less well known but it's re...

Like Matthew, Luke includes the Lord’s Prayer in his Gospel but, unlike Matthew, he immediately adds a number of parables about God’s character.

King Jeroboam has rejected God and instituted the worship of two golden calves in an attempt to control his new country's religion. When he's faced with urgent questions of life and death, though, he realises that only the Lord can help him.

Naaman has it all: he's a top military commander, a great man and highly regarded. But he has leprosy, one of the most feared diseases of his day. The words of a servant girl prompt him to seize the opportunity to be healed.

Paul's advice to the Thessalonians was given to them in the light of the belief that Jesus was coming back very soon indeed. That being so, it's fascinating to see how measured and balanced it is. From time to time, 'prophets' pre...

With the reign of King Solomon, the united nation of the Hebrews reached the height of its power. His rule is presented as a golden age of peace, wealth and security given by God, symbolised by the building of a magnificent temple.

From the biblical account, it looks as though Solomon lived a life marked by conspicuous consumption. There was nothing he denied himself; it was bling on a scale that would make a Russian oligarch look a little dowdy.

The writer of 1 Kings ascribes Solomon's spiritual downfall to the many foreign women he took as wives or concubines. No doubt many would have been acquired as status symbols or in the course of diplomacy, but there was still a strong element of...

The judgement God promises because of Solomon's behaviour falls not on the king, but on his son Rehoboam. The loyalty of the northern tribes of Israel to the house of David had always been fragile. After they entered Canaan and in the time of th...

A prophet from Judah has confronted Israel's new king, Jeroboam, and asserted God's authority over him. As a symbol of God's rejection of Jeroboam's regime, he is not to accept hospitality on his way home. A foolish old Israelite ...

Unlike his father Abijah and his grandfather Rehoboam, King Asa clamped down on idolatry and 'remained faithful to the Lord all his life' (verse 14). He was also generous to the Temple, making gifts of gold and silver to replace those lost ...

1 and 2 Kings were originally one book, so 2 Kings picks up where 1 Kings concluded. In chapter 1 we encounter five men: Ahaziah the king, Elijah the prophet and three army captains. The last lines of 1 Kings tell us all we need to know about Ahaziah...

At the end of Elijah’s ministry we witness the deep bond between servant and master: 'I will not leave you.' Elisha asks for 'a double portion of his spirit' (verse 9). What does he mean? Deuteronomy 21.17 explains that the firs...

A roundabout march in the desert for seven days, no water for themselves or their animals – desperate, tired, hungry and the battle is still to come. It is in this moment of crisis that Jehoshaphat finally asks the question: 'Is there no proph...

From kings, battles and the sweep of history the narrative shifts to focus on a widow and her two sons. This is a wonderful reminder of the unique way the Bible tells the story of God’s action in the world and at the same time shows his love and co...

On the surface the situation is dire. An army with horses and chariots surrounds the city. Yet this chapter includes a dramatic reveal. Elisha’s frightened servant has his eyes opened to reality as it is, rather than reality as he sees it: 'Th...

As we know from elsewhere in Scripture, people with leprosy were outcasts from society and not allowed to live in the city. Rejected and feared by society, their lives outside the city gates depended on charity. Yet in 2 Kings 7 it is they who bring ...

We often open our Bibles looking for uplift and inspiration, but this bleak and depressing chapter in the story of Israel is more like Game of Thrones. Judgement is pronounced on King Baasha and his family; they will die and be eaten by dogs and vult...

Elijah, one of the greatest of the prophets, has some of the best and most exciting stories in the Old Testament. He's an Israelite, and his career is marked by a conflict with Israel's wicked and semi-pagan King Ahab. He's introduced ...