“To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice” (Proverbs 21:3 ESV). Solomon taught the people of Israel that God desired more than outward religious activity. He wanted lives marked by righteousness and justice. In Hebrew, these words described doing what was right, fair, equitable, and morally faithful, especially in one’s

“You are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 5:5 ESV). First Corinthians 5:5 is one of the more difficult verses in the letter, especially because of Paul’s phrase, “deliver this man to Satan.” The

“The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair” (Proverbs 20:29 ESV). Solomon taught his readers that youth and old age each possessed a God-given glory. The strength of the young was their energy, vitality, and capacity for action. The gray hair of the old represented

“Do you not know that you are Gods temple and that Gods Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV). The apostle Paul wrote to both encourage and correct the believers in Corinth, a church troubled by rivalry, personality loyalties, and division. Some claimed Paul, others Apollos, and still others Cephas. Into this fractured fellowship,

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him” (Psalm 28:7 ESV). David wrote this psalm, crying out to God for mercy and deliverance. His circumstances had driven him to prayer, but his confidence was

“Cyrus the king also brought out the vessels of the house of the LORD that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods” (Ezra 1:7 ESV). Ezra wrote to the returned Jewish exiles, reminding them how God had sovereignly brought His people home from Babylon. When Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem,

“Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. You need not carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and his people Israel” (2 Chronicles 35:3 ESV). In 2 Chronicles 35, the Chronicler described King Josiah’s preparations for a great Passover celebration in

“Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you” (Romans 16:23 ESV). Writing from Corinth, the apostle Paul closed his letter to the believers in Rome by naming several associates who sent their greetings. Among them was Erastus, the city treasurer. Paul’s mention of his civic position showed that Erastus was a prominent figure

“Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted” (Psalm 25:16 ESV). David wrote Psalm 25 as a prayer for God’s compassionate attention amid both outward trouble and inward loneliness. He addressed the Lord honestly, admitting both the dangers around him and the distress within him. When David prayed, “Turn

“For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, ‘May the good LORD pardon everyone who sets his heart to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary’s rules of cleanness.’” (2 Chronicles 30:18–19 ESV). The Chronicler described a great Passover celebration during the reign of Hezekiah. Messengers had