Scripture and Tradition Bible Studies

Elijah is the first of the great prophets in the Old Testament. In fact, he is called "the father of prophets" and for good reason. All of his miracles and deeds look backward to Moses and the Exodus on the one hand and on the other hand they point forward to Jesus Christ, the one who accomplishes the true and definitive Exodus! Enjoy this sample from Lesson 6, "Elijah: The Father of Prophets...

Because of Solomon's sins, the kingdom was to be torn away from him as the prophet Ahijah foretold. However, this tearing away should be understood as a "divorce" between the Davidic king and the tribes of Israel. This terrible split was brought about by the abusive and violent words of Rehoboam, Solomon's very unwise heir, and won't be remedied until the new son of David, Jesus Christ,...

Solomon was given an abundance of grace, blessings, and wisdom to bless not only Israel, but all the gentile nations surrounding him. And that is exactly what we see happening at the high point of his life right before his tragic fall from grace. Because Solomon is a type of Jesus we will see these high points of his reign perfectly fulfilled by Jesus, who will bring salvation to th...

The construction of the Temple is arguably the high point of the entire Old Testament. It marks the occasion when Israel finally has "rest" from her enemies all around her in order to enter into the "Sabbath Rest" of covenantal communion with God in holy worship. The Temple is not just for Jews, however, but also for all the nations who will hear of God's holy name and come to worship hi...

The beginning Solomon's reign was marked by some key dramatic problems , but he proved to be both humble and wise to establish the kingdom that was destined for him. Enjoy this sample from Lesson 2, "Solomon the Wise (1 Kings 1-4)," from Dr. Nick's course, "1-2 Kings: The Glory and Exile of the Davidic Kingdom." Anyone can join our community of students and stream the entire audio l...

It is always helpful and productive to spend some time looking at the introductory topics of a new book. We'll quickly cover issues like the title, dating, authorship, etc. of 1-2 Kings, but spend more time understanding the crucial key themes and typological connections that we'll study in various parts of this course. The connections between the overarching structure of...

David's return to Jerusalem was not the triumphant victory and relief many thought it should be. He regained his throne but at the cost of his Absalom's life. Fully aware that such violence was the temporal consequences of his own sins, David must carry on to preserve the peace and unity of his kingdom. Enjoy this sample from Lesson 10, "David's Final Y...

David's sins are infamous, but how could he have committed such crimes after all that God had done for him throughout his life and sworn to him through the covenant just a few chapters prior? David's fall teaches us a lot about how to avoid similar grave sins by being occupied with good things and weeding our gardens. Enjoy this sample from Lesson 9, "David's Fall From Gra...

The theological highpoint of both books of Samuel, and arguably even of the entire Old Testament, is the Davidic Covenant found in 2 Sam 7. God has been establishing covenants with his people going all the way back to Adam. Now, in the final covenant of the Old Testament, God is doing something truly spectacular with David and his progeny that will only be perfectly fulfilled in Jesus Christ....

David trusted in God with heroic patience for many years while running from Saul before he became king, but when he did it was only over the tribe of Judah from Hebron. He had to wait many more years before he could become king over all 12 tribes. Once that happened, he made Jerusalem his political and religious capital, fulfilling many significant passages of Mosaic Law. Enjoy this...

David's many years in  exile were undoubtedly very  painful, stressful, and confusing. His king and father-in-law relentlessly pursues  David  all over the country to kill him for no reason at all . Yet, David never lifts a hand against Saul and thereby proves that David is faithful and loyal whereas Saul is not. Enjoy this sample from Lesson 6, "David in Exile (...

David, unlike Saul, is a king unlike all others. His heart belongs to God and therefore God is with him in all that he does. He is anointed king and goes to fight Israel's enemies, most famously the giant Goliath. Enjoy this sample from Lesson 5, "David: A King Unlike All Others (1 Sam 16-20)," from Dr. Nick's course, "1-2 Samuel: The Rise of the Davidic Kingdom." Anyone can join our communit...

In between Saul's anointing in 1 Sam 9-11 and Saul's fall from grace in 1 Sam 13-15, Samuel gives his farewell speech that sounds awfully familiar. Indeed, as a New Moses, Samuel's echoes the words of Moses' farewell speech in Deuteronomy. The gist of both men's words are be faithful, love God, or things won't go well for you! Enjoy this sample from Lesson 4, "The Fall of King Saul (1 Sam 12-...

The transition between the era of the Judges and the era of the Monarchy isn't a smooth one. Israel sinfully asks for a king to "be like all the other nations," which is a rejection of both God and their unique vocation to be God's special possession. Saul is "the one asked for," and he'll demonstrate it in various ways throughout his reign.  Enjoy this sample from Lesson 3, "Saul: A Kin...

Samuel is arguably the greatest of all the Biblical "judges" during this period of salvation history, which is a welcome change from the stories of those in the book of Judges. Samuel's entire life is filled with grace, faith, and strength, beginning from   the moment he is born , to his upbringing before God in the courts of the Tabernacle,  to the definitive day  he assumes  ...

It's important to set the stage before beginning to study any Biblical book. This lesson will review topics like the title, dating, authorship, structure, main themes, typological connections of 1-2 Samuel. Enjoy this sample from Lesson 1, "A General Introduction to 1-2 Samuel," from Dr. Nick's course, "1-2 Samuel: The Rise of the Davidic Kingdom." Anyone can join our comm...

The first verses of the book of Ruth set the plot for the story. We learn about the historical, geographical, and theological contexts as well as the cast of characters, whose names reveal much about the roles in the drama. It's a story about a family, but also the overall family of God. Enjoy this sample from Lesson 2, "Ruth: A Woman of Worth (chs. 1-4)," from Dr. Nick's short cour...

There is more than meets the eye with this little book of the Old Testament. It describes a beautiful love story between a man a woman, but more so between God and humanity.   Enjoy this sample from Lesson 1, "A General Introduction to Ruth," from Dr. Nick's course, "Ruth: A Woman of Worth." Anyone can join our community of students and stream the entire audio lesson and full course...

The time period of the Judges is filled with social, moral, and religious chaos all because "they did whatever was right in their own eyes ." Such is the "dictatorship of relativism" that plagued their culture and ours today.  Enjoy this sample from Lesson 5, "The Dictatorship Of Relativism (chs. 17-21)," from Dr. Nick's course, "Judges: Cycles of Sin and Mercy." Anyone can join our comm...

Samson is undoubtably the most popular and well-known Judge, but unfortunately he is also the most frustrating. He is born with many indications of being  great man and leader, but his personal sins will keep him from true glory.  Enjoy this sample from Lesson 4, "Samson: A Failed Hero (chs. 13-16)," from Dr. Nick's course, "Judges: Cycles of Sin and Mercy." Anyone can join our comm...

Gideon is a complicated figure with some good traits, but mostly bad ones. However, he began decently well, with his call echoing the vocation of Moses himself. Enjoy this sample of Lesson 3, "The Decline of the Judges (chs. 7-12)," from Dr. Nick's course, "Judges: Cycles of Sin and Mercy." Anyone can join our community of students and stream the entire audio lesson and full course (and...

Judges begins with a description of the stunted military, political, and theological advancement of the Israelites as they try to inhabit the land. All of it is due to their inability to follow through with their promises to be faithful to God. Enjoy this sample of Lesson 2, "A New Generation of Covenant Infidelity (chs. 1-6)," from Dr. Nick's course, "Judges: Cycles of Sin and...

Reading the book of Judges can set us on edge. Who are these people and how can they be considered God's leaders when they're so flawed? Enjoy this sample of Lesson 1, "A General Introduction to Judges," from Dr. Nick's course, "Judges: Cycles of Sin and Mercy." Anyone can join our community of students and stream the entire audio lesson and full course (and other courses too!) whenever they wish....

Joshua's final words to Israel strongly echo Moses's farewell speech. That's not an accident. Joshua is reinforcing the lessons Moses gave, namely, Israel must freely choose to love and serve God with all their hearts and eliminate the various forms of idolatry and sin that threaten them. Enjoy this sample of Lesson 5, "Choose Whom You Will Serve (chs. 22-24)," from Dr. Nick's cours...

The surprising failure to capture the city of Ai after everything went so smoothly at Jericho shocked everyone. It teaches us the lesson of how one person's sin can negatively affect the whole community.  Enjoy this sample of Lesson 4, "Settling in the Land (chs. 7-21)," from Dr. Nick's course, "Joshua: God's Promise Fulfilled." Anyone can join our community of students and stream the entire...