Gilbert House Fellowship

TODAY WE encounter the Devil as Jesus is led into the desert for 40 days and then tempted — or, more accurately, tested. Thankfully for all of us, Jesus resisted the snares of physical gratification (bread), public acclaim, and earthly power. We discuss Jesus’ first miracle, turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana, the miraculous catch on the Sea of Galilee, and the unique nature of Jesus a...

ISRAEL RECEIVES its first king, who turns out to be something less than ideal. Anointed by Samuel at God's direction, Saul shows his true colors right from the start. Continue reading →

WE BEGIN to study Jesus’ ministry, the early days, beginning with his appearance to John the Baptist at the Jordan River and the calling of the first disciples: Andrew, Simon (Peter), James, and John. We also spend some time discussing the Magi, the virgin birth of Jesus, and the geopolitical climate of Judea at the time of Jesus’ birth. Click here for the reading order of the Old Testament, and c...

OUR STUDY of the Old Testament now moves to the time of the creation of the monarchy in Israel. Continue reading →

TODAY WE begin our study of the New Testament, which we will follow in chronological order just as we’re doing with the Old Testament. Our readings today begin the story of Jesus, the Christ. We discuss the differences between the styles and intended audiences of Matthew, Luke, and John, all of whom, in their own way, establish right from the start the bona fides of Jesus as the rightful heir of t...

THE ROLE of the kinsman-redeemer and God's willingness to accept Gentiles who seek Him are the themes of the Book of Ruth, which records the story of a young widow from Moab who finds favor and "rest"--security--in the person of Boaz, a relative of her late father-in-law. Continue reading →

WE CONCLUDE our study of the Book of Judges today with several incidents from the period between the conquest of Canaan and the establishment of the monarchy in Israel. Continue reading →

TODAY WE discuss a test of faith most of us hope we never experience: God chose Gideon to lead Israel against the armies of Midian and Amalek--then He ordered Gideon to send most of the troops so that he was outnumbered 400-to-1. Continue reading →

WE BEGIN our study of the second of the Historical Books, Judges. It chronicles Israel's slide into apostasy and chaos, showing the need for a godly king to lead them. Continue reading →

JOSHUA NEARS the end of his life. He sends a surveying team to divide Canaan which is then assigned to tribes by casting lots. We also look at his final instructions for Israel which include the declaration, "As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Continue reading →

THE ISRAELITES have crossed the Jordan and defeated the giant clans in two separate campaigns through the hill countries of Judah and Israel. Today we look at the division of Canaan among the 9-1/2 tribes still waiting to occupy their inheritance. Continue reading →

WE ALL remember the song: Joshua fit the battle of Jericho, and the walls came tumbling down. Today, we study the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites, examining what appears to be military campaigns that specifically targeted the giant clans known as the Anakim. Continue reading →

TODAY, WE begin studying the fulfillment of the patriarchal promise, the occupation of the land that Yahweh had allotted to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Continue reading →

WE REACH the end of the life of Moses today, concluding the Book of Deuteronomy with a more detailed discussion of the Divine Council, the warnings of Yahweh to the Israelites, and prophecies over the tribes. Continue reading →

OUR STUDY nears the end of the life of Moses, as the prophet gives final instructions to Israel before turning them over to Joshua and sending them across the Jordan River into Canaan. Continue reading →

GOD'S STANDARDS of morality as revealed in His word is a lot more egalitarian than skeptics will admit. Today we discuss God's instructions for caring for the poor, widows, and orphans, and we go into some depth on marriage, divorce, and gender roles for men and women Continue reading →

THE CONCEPT of holy war is developed in the passages we read today (specifically Deut. 20:16-18), where the Hebrew verb kharam is translated "devote to complete destruction". The concept relates to the coming war between Israel and enemies who served -- and were spawned by -- lesser gods. Continue reading →

OUR STUDY this morning is very timely. The chapters we discuss include descriptions of the three major feasts decreed by Yahweh for Israel: Unleavened Bread, Weeks, and Tabernacles (Booths), or Sukkot, which begins at sundown tonight along with the fourth "blood moon" of this tetrad. Continue reading →

UPDATE 2/10/19: An astute listener pointed out this week that we overlooked chapter 9 of Deuteronomy when we recorded this in 2015, something neither we (nor anyone else, apparently) had noticed before! We corrected that today. For our study on Deuteronomy 9, see GHF #222. OUR STUDY this week is a reminder of the deadly seriousness of the spiritual war that's been waged for millennia. Continuing h...

HEAR, O ISRAEL, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. We continue our study of Deuteronomy with a discussion of the Shema, the promises and warnings from Yahweh to the Israelites, and how these passages relate to prophecies fulfilled and yet to be fulfilled. Continue reading →

MOSES CONTINUES his review of the Law and the history of the Israelites from the time Yahweh brought them out of Egypt. We discuss the land of Bashan and its evil reputation, hints in the text that argue for its authenticity, and the prophecy of Israel's future dispersal among the nations. Continue reading →

PEOPLE BEING what we are, the Lord had to set rules for dealing with the shedding of human blood. We discuss the avenger of blood, the kinsman-redeemer, and Jesus Christ--our kinsman-redeemer and the future Avenger of Blood on all who reject his offer of salvation. Continue reading →

THE ISRAELITES time in the wilderness is drawing to a close. Today, we discuss instructions from Yahweh to Moses about vows to the Lord, the military operation against the Midianites, and the death of the prophet-for-hire, Balaam son of Beor. Continue reading →

JUST AS Israel seemed to be on a spiritual high, the people again found a way to squander the blessings of God. The Israelites began to worship Baal of Peor, which provoked the wrath of Yahweh. Then a prince from the tribe of Simeon brought a Midianite princess into the camp and had relations with her--possibly inside the Tent of Meeting itself. Continue reading →

Balaam son of Beor was a prophet for profit. The frightened king of Moab hired him to curse Israel so that his tiny nation would not be overrun. Instead, Balaam blesses Israel three times. We also discuss the incident in the desert with the fiery serpents (saraph nachash) and the Israelites' defeat of the giant kings Sihon and Og. Continue reading →