When Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, was outnumbered on the battlefield, he prayed to the Lord for help, and the Lord answered him through Jahaziel, son of Zechariah (2 Chron. 20). You need not fight in this battle; Station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; TomorrowContinue reading “The Song of the Lamb”
Author Archives: Valerie Hobbs
Breath like Apples
In Genesis 4, Cain, tiller of the earth, offers fruit to the LORD and murders his brother Abel. This act comes hot on the heels of Adam and Eve’s lost paradise, where Satan too had offered fruit to God’s people and ushered in a reign of death across the earth. Just as He had doneContinue reading “Breath like Apples”
The Dream of Pilate’s Wife
19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.” 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death.Matthew 27:19-20 Pontius Pilate was the fifthContinue reading “The Dream of Pilate’s Wife”
Wife of the Keeper of the Wardrobe
In 2 Chronicles 34, God begins the story of Josiah, eight years old when he becomes king of Judah. Eight, the number of circumcision, a sign of new creation (see Rom. 2:28-29, Col. 2:11-13). And in case God didn’t catch our attention the first time, He gives us a few more sparks from His guidingContinue reading “Wife of the Keeper of the Wardrobe”
Hezekiah and the Thing That Came About Suddenly
I have been reading and rereading the two books of Chronicles, somewhat reluctantly, if I’m being honest. Isn’t Chronicles just a summary of the books of Kings? Harrumph. Yet here I am reading along, minding my own business, being rather sulky and whatnot, when just like that, in 2 Chronicles 29, “the people rejoiced overContinue reading “Hezekiah and the Thing That Came About Suddenly”
Like a Shadow
There’s so much hidden in the Bible’s shadows. In Judges, Shechem’s ruler Zebul tells Gaal that what he sees coming down from the mountain to wage war are not men but merely “the shadow of the mountains” (Judges 9:36). As we read on, we learn that Gaal has indeed seen Abimelech’s men, but Zebul’s words ring inContinue reading “Like a Shadow”
His Desire is for Me
If ever we talk about Genesis 3:16, then we must also go on to where it leads, to Song of Songs 7:10. I am my beloved’s,And his desire is for me. There are many places of comfort in the Bible. But increasingly, my women friends and I are hanging out in the Bible’s Holy ofContinue reading “His Desire is for Me”
Queen Mothers of Judah
In 1 Kings 2, King David goes the way of all the earth, and his chosen heir Solomon inherits the throne. But Adonijah, “a very handsome man” and Solomon’s older brother, has already set his sights on ruling Israel. Adonijah has already previously been put quickly in his place (1 Kings 1:50-53), and so nowContinue reading “Queen Mothers of Judah”
Five or Six Times: The Death of Elisha
I have that feeling again, of being on the edge of something immensely profound. It’s hard to describe, like a lamp lit in the corner of my mind. Each encounter like this blows me back in my seat. I have to sit a minute and catch my mental breath. In 2 Kings 13, God recountsContinue reading “Five or Six Times: The Death of Elisha”
Face to Face
In the Bible, the face reveals the heart of both God and man, angel and demon (Prov. 27:19), and the Bible’s nearly 400 references to faces signal the magnitude of meaning they carry in God’s redemptive story. Yesterday, I wrote about Hazael, whose shamelessly intense gaze caused Elisha to weep since he knew the wickednessContinue reading “Face to Face”
lampofthelamb.com 