Prophetic Overtones “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies” (Proverbs 31:10). — David Rice What is more precious than a mother’s love? A mother carries her child as part of herself for nine months. She thinks of it constantly and then delivers it through stress and pain. She cherishes the new life in a way that is deeply connected to herself and her experience. The child instinctively attaches to its mother, its fond caretaker, and depends […]
An Approaching Concern “Thus saith Jehovah concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it” (Isaiah 37:33). By David Rice This text is God’s assurance, through the prophet Isaiah, that when Sennacherib, king of Assyria, surrounded Jerusalem, God would deliver Hezekiah and the Israelites so remarkably, that without a counter offensive by Israel, the enemy would be defeated. “For I will defend […]
Offerings of a Good King “Ye have consecrated yourselves unto Jehovah, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of Jehovah” (2 Chronicles 29:31, scriptures from the RVIC). By David Rice The reign of Hezekiah was a turning point in Israel’s history. His father Ahaz had led Israel astray. He had “sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus … But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel” (2 Chronicles 28:23). Hezekiah restored Israel to the worship of […]
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob “By myself have I sworn, saith Jehovah … I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore … and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves” (Genesis22:16-18, RVIC). by David Rice Four thousand years ago, God chose Abraham, a man of faith, through whom God would fulfill His intention to bless “all the nations of the earth.” Three ages of God’s Plan […]
The Middle Passovers “There was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem” (John 5:1). “The pass‑over, a feast of the Jews, was nigh” (John 6:4). by David Rice All four Gospels narrate the experiences of Jesus in a generally sequential fashion, but not entirely. Matthew sometimes aggregates subjects by topic. For instance, his account of our Lord’s Great Prophecy in Matthew 24 joins things together that apparently were said on three separate occasions, as reflected in Luke chapters […]