Joel Gilbert

Now that the rebellious generation has died off, the next generation is poised and ready to send them into the promised land. In Deuteronomy, Moses leads the people into a covenant with God (structured like a treaty that was common in their day). In this covenant he retells the works that God did in the past, instructs them in the ways of the covenant (how they should live), and exhorts them with blessings for obedience and curses for rebellion. He then prepares a succession plan and appoints Joshua as the new leader shortly before his death on Mt. Nebo.

Now that the people of Israel are camped at Sinai and understand the expectations of their covenant with God, God prepares to lead them into the promised land. Their rebellion results in 40 years of wandering, and yet God has not given up on fulfilling His promise.

As the people of Israel are encamped around Mount Sinai, God gives them a series of rituals and laws that guide them in worship and in life - setting them apart from the nations around them.

Introduction Learning to dwell with someone can be a challenge. As your lives begin to get intertwined, inevitably areas of friction come to light. During my first year of college, I lived with two guys - Scott from Michigan and Dave from Warsaw, IN. We got along fairly well. We were all a polite to…

Famous Openings It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.…

Have you ever had one of those moments when you meet a person and you think you know them and then you hear them say something that catches you off guard? Their comment seems so contrary to the knowledge of the person that you’ve come to know that it makes you think that you’ve either misunderstood them…

Though it's made up of 66 books, the Bible tell part of God's story - how things starting, a particular history, the climax of the cross, the beginnings of the church, and the promise of new creation.