Ownership of land came to represent participation in the covenant community to whom God had given the land. But that ownership had to be legitimized by an attitude of faith and gratitude toward God shown by one’s proper use of the land.

But it does say, he is like a REFINER’S fire. And therefore this is not merely a word of warning, but a tremendous word of hope. The furnace of affliction in the family of God is always for refinement, never for destruction.

The will of God for his people is plain from this verse. He wills that we are faithful to each other.

You should hold your pastors accountable to fulfill the biblical vision of pastoral ministry.

THE EXILE HAD CHANGED ISRAEL, it and other events changed her identity.

If you want final culminating proof in the goodness of God, you can always go to Calvary. Whenever we are inclined to doubt the goodness of God, we can just return to the cross, for there God’s love is so greatly manifested. He gave his own Son; how shall he not also with him freely give us all things? We have some evidences of God’s love Job never knew.

The accusers at the second trial were probably not the Jews but the Romans. The different mood was due to the emperor himself and his effort to make the Christians a scapegoat for the great fire of Rome.

As the Jewish leaders requested, Paul explained the Christian faith to them. But it was not his views about a sect that he expounded. Rather, he declared, about the kingdom of God. And the good news was that God’s reign was in their midst in the victorious life, death and resurrection-exaltation of Messiah Jesus and his salvation blessings.

Paul confidently continued, “For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.’ ”

This reveals the sovereignty of God in human affairs. The Sanhedrin’s request to bring Paul to Jerusalem to stand trial seemed innocent enough. But God providentially intervened to protect His servant.