“He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name!” (Psalm 111:9 ESV). Psalm 111 is a song of praise celebrating the mighty works of the LORD. It is an acrostic psalm, each line beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, demonstrating the completeness of

“Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing (Proverbs 27:14 ESV). Solomon had a keen sense of humor and deep insight into human behavior. Here, he paints a vivid picture of a man who bursts into his neighbor’s home early in the morning, loudly blessing

“But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings (Hebrews 10:32 ESV). The writer of Hebrews urges believers to recall—to bring deliberately to mind—their earlier experiences of faith and endurance. This remembering was not sentimental; it was strengthening. After they first came to Christ, these believers faced

“And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (Hebrews 10:10 ESV). The writer of Hebrews contrasts the repeated sacrifices of the old covenant priests with the once-for-all offering of Christ. The animal sacrifices could never truly take away sin; they were only shadows

“And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for my name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord God.” (Ezekiel 20:44 ESV). When Ezekiel delivered this prophecy, many of God’s people were living in exile in

“Yet you say, ‘The way of the LORD is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?” (Ezekiel 18:25 ESV). When Ezekiel proclaimed this message, many of God’s people were already living in exile in Babylon after Jerusalem’s first deportations. They

“I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the LORD, that you may remember and be ashamed and never open your mouth anymore because of your disgrace, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord GOD (Ezekiel 16:62–63 ESV). Ezekiel closes this lengthy

“Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: As the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give up the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 15:6 ESV). When Ezekiel spoke these words, Jerusalem had not yet fallen, but many of Judah’s people were

“Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them?” (Ezekiel 14:3 ESV). When certain elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord through Ezekiel, the Lord revealed their hypocrisy to him.

“And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19 ESV). When Ezekiel delivered this prophecy, many of God’s people were already living in exile in Babylon after the second