2 Chronicles 20 After King Ahab of Israel died in 853 B.C., the nation of Moab revolted and reestablished their independence from Israel (2 Kings 1:1), and then they immediately formed an alliance with the Ammonites and the Meunites to attack King Jehoshaphat of Judah. By the time Jehoshaphat was informed of the situation, the […]
Category Archives: Old Testament
Judges of Israel
Judges 2-16 Under Joshua’s leadership the Israelites conquered and occupied most of Canaan, but Canaanites continued to occupy many parts of the land, particularly the valleys and the coastal areas. From time to time these Canaanites oppressed the Israelites, and the Lord raised up local leaders to help the Israelites fight against them. Often these […]
Jacob Returns to Canaan
As Jacob returned to Canaan from Haran, his father-in-law Laban caught up with him in the hills of Gilead and confronted him for stealing away quietly with his daughter and grandchildren. After the two men reconciled, they established a covenant of peace between them and set up a monumental pillar there. Then Jacob continued on […]
The World of the Patriarchs
Abraham, the father of the Israelites, grew up in the ancient city of Ur of the Chaldeans, but he moved to Haran with his father Terah, his wife Sarai, and his nephew Lot (Genesis 11:27-31). At this time in history the Chaldeans (Kasdim) inhabited the area east of Haran, making it unlikely that Abraham’s city […]
Samson’s Exploits
Judges 13-16 During the days when Israel was led by judges, Samson was born to an Israelite couple from the tribe of Dan near the border of Philistia. Samson was specially dedicated to God as a Nazirite (see Numbers 6:1-21), and the Lord foretold that Samson would lead the Israelites against the Philistines, who were […]