Bible Study
Nana Dolce
Why We Remember Lot’s Wife

Lot’s wife belonged to a family with a great name and trust in God’s promises. She even had angels visit her home! God sent them to personally escort her from His coming wrath to His safety (Gen.19:1-22). Yet, she fell into eternal judgment because she looked back to her life in Sodom. She longed to preserve what she had and became a pillar of salt–a crystalline substance used for preservation (Gen. 19:26). Friends, Jesus is kind to warns us in Luke 17:32-33: “Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.”

Why We Remember Lot’s Wife
Bible Study, The Gospel
Nana Dolce
Prayers Rising Like a Sweet Aroma

Cornelius’ conversion account can teach us many things about the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles in the first century church. We see in this story that God’s salvation through Christ is for all the families of the earth. God shows no partiality but comes to redeem people from all nations. All this is true. But my focus today is on that small line in verse four. It makes me wonder: what if my service and prayers to God were like a memorial offering rising up as a pleasing aroma before His throne? 

Prayers Rising Like a Sweet Aroma

Bible Study

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Two Sisters: Different Personalities, the Same Gospel

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Two Sisters: Different Personalities, the Same Gospel

If my husband and I reduce the Gospel to mere obedience, we tempt our natural “law-keeper” with the false gospel of moralism. She could easily “act” like a church-going Christian without true repentance of sin and trust in Christ’s active obedience on her behalf (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our prayer for her is salvation, not just "good behavior." A saving faith in Christ is far more than being “a good person” who treats others well and believes there’s a God.

On the other hand, if we excuse (and even praise) the bold autonomy of our youngest as “budding leadership,” we dangle the false gospel of self-fulfillment in her eyes and encourage a “best life now” mentality. We love her determination and cleverness...but we want more for her than that. Our prayer is for godly wisdom and boldness that comes from the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7). 

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A Donald Trump Presidency and John 18

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A Donald Trump Presidency and John 18

The cross of Jesus stands unmoved today and will not be shaken on January 20th. That cross is my confidence. Whatever a Trump presidency might bring, God still works all things according to the council of His own will (Ephesians 1:11).  And if God ordered the affairs of cunning leaders in the first century for the sake of our salvation than He is able to order the events of any government to fulfill His good and ultimate purposes.

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Elizabeth: Silence Gives Way to Songs

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Elizabeth: Silence Gives Way to Songs

Zechariah used a writing tablet for communication for nine months (Luke 1:63). Elizabeth must have longed for her husband’s voice in these months. Her first and second trimesters were spent in hiding (Luke 1:24). These must have been quiet months for the expectant mother. A picture, perhaps, of Israel’s own 400 years of waiting in silence for the fulfillment of God’s promises.

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Prayer and the Fellowship of Believers- Lessons from a Widow and Her Oil

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Prayer and the Fellowship of Believers- Lessons from a Widow and Her Oil

The widow had nothing but a single jar of oil. Elisha tells her to borrow many vessels from her neighbors. Her jar of oil would miraculously multiply as she poured it into each vessel. God’s means of provision for this woman sends her to many doors on that day—the more she knocked on, the more vessels she would receive. The more vessels she borrowed, the more oil she would have for her son’s freedom and for their livelihood (2 Kings 4: 2-7).

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The Widow of Zarephath: Chosen by Glorious Grace

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The Widow of Zarephath: Chosen by Glorious Grace

Why is Elijah sent to this widow? She was not among the people of Israel and she herself testifies of her sins. Clearly, she doesn’t choose God but He chooses her (John 15:16). He saves her just as He has and will redeem all those He has predestined for adoption as children through Jesus Christ; this is according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His own glorious grace (Ephesians 1:5-11)! Salvation is of the LORD.

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Jezebel’s Deadly Deceit and the Pilgrim’s Progress

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Jezebel’s Deadly Deceit and the Pilgrim’s Progress

Jezebel’s hatred of God’s covenant people is one example of the larger cosmic battle between the offspring of the woman and the offspring of the serpent. God put enmity between the serpent and the woman in Genesis 3:15. From here onward, Scripture unfolds the pattern of two communities: those who belong to the promised Seed of the Woman and those who are hostile to that Seed and his people.

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Job’s Wife: God’s Forbearance ought to lead us to Repentance

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Job’s Wife: God’s Forbearance ought to lead us to Repentance

Job’s wife reminds me of myself in some ways. I am certainly not above sounding like a foolish woman when faced with frustrations, disappointments and pain. My prayer is that God’s demonstrated kindness to me—above all, the atoning death and imputed righteousness of His Son—would continuously guard me to a faith that reveals itself in perseverance and joy in trial (James 1:2-5). I want to found clinging to Christ when weighed!

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Rizpah: We Look to a Greater King on a Higher Throne

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Rizpah: We Look to a Greater King on a Higher Throne

Rizpah, Saul’s concubine, is mentioned within a larger drama involving powerful kings, a broken oath, famine, execution by hanging, and propitiatory justice. In short, the plotline is intense. The story is found near the end of the book of 2 Samuel and it’s darker than any fictional folklore the Grimm brothers could have produced. Rizpah held a lengthy vigil over the dead bodies of her sons and her actions moved the mercy of the king of Israel—and the King of Heaven.

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Bathsheba and One Greater than David

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Bathsheba and One Greater than David

The Mosaic Law declared a woman unclean for seven days during her menstrual cycle. After this period, she was to cleanse herself by washing (Lev. 15:19-28). Scripture tells us that the bathing woman, Bathsheba, “had been purifying herself from her uncleanness” (2 Sam. 11:4). Perhaps the same spring weather that sent David to the roof also led Bathsheba to conduct her ritual cleansing in some airy corner of her courtyard. We can only speculate since the passage doesn’t specify her exact location. But we do know this: the king of Israel stood atop watching a ceremony intended for the LORD alone.

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Abigail: Seek Wisdom from Above

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Abigail: Seek Wisdom from Above

Abigail enters the scene of this narrative like a busy triage nurse, assessing damage and treating wounds. It’s immediately clear that Nabal’s household rested on Abigail’s wisdom. A servant came to inform her of the impending disaster and looked to her for their salvation (1 Sam. 25:14-17). Abigail made haste and gathered large portions of food and drink—displaying generosity where Nabal had shown greediness. She laid these provisions on donkeys and set out to meet David (1 Sam. 25:14-20). One unarmed woman charged toward four hundred swordsmen.

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Hannah, God Works Sovereignly Through Prayer

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Hannah, God Works Sovereignly Through Prayer

Hannah addressed God as “the LORD of Hosts” (Yahweh Sabaoth) in her prayer. The name translates as “the LORD Almighty,” the one who rides before legions of armies. We might imagine this victorious title declared at the parting of the Red Sea or the conquest of Jericho, but Hannah’s narrative is the first time the name appears in the Old Testament. The woman who was thundered against by a persistent adversary, needed the LORD Almighty to remember and defend her.

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Naomi and the Sovereignty of God in Human Suffering

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Naomi and the Sovereignty of God in Human Suffering

I’ve often considered Naomi “the female Job” of the Bible. She and Job could have been understanding friends. They both knew pain and loss (Job 1:13-21). And they both attributed their suffering to God’s sovereign hand (Job 6:4). Like Job, Naomi’s narrative inspires an old question: can a loving and all-powerful God ordain human suffering and remain wholly consistent with his character? Our passage answers “yes” as we continue.

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Ruth, God’s Gracious Providence in Redemption

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Ruth, God’s Gracious Providence in Redemption

In the days of the judges when everyone did what was right in his own eyes, a Moabite woman does what is right in God’s eyes (Ruth 1:1; Judges 21:25). Ruth reflects God’s own covenant love for his people in choosing to leave her familial home for the saving of another. She turned from father, mother, and country for a people she didn’t know and found refuge under the wings of Israel’s God (Ruth 2:11-12).

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Women who Bleed Bible

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Women who Bleed Bible

Sisters, I don’t speak here of petty surface glances of the Word; just enough to make you feel good about your Christianity. I speak of women who understand that they are commanded to present themselves to God as approved and unashamed workers, rightly handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). Believing this, they read. They read carefully and deeply. They string pieces together until they interpret the Bible by the Bible. They knit sections together to unfold the big picture of the gospel.  

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Samson’s Mother: Parental Disappointment and our Ultimate Ambition

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Samson’s Mother: Parental Disappointment and our Ultimate Ambition

Most parents dream great dreams for their children. It’s only natural I suppose. But what if your child comes through miraculous means? What if his birth is personally announced by God? What if that child is dedicated to the LORD from the womb and is declared a future savior of your people? What hopes does a mother cherish then? I don’t refer here to the Lord Jesus but to Samson, Israel’s Judge.

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Rahab the Prostitute, the Riches of God’s Irresistible Grace

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Rahab the Prostitute, the Riches of God’s Irresistible Grace

Somewhere in Jericho, a pagan prostitute learned of Yahweh’s acts of salvation and judgement and was enabled to believe that Israel’s God was the Lord of heaven and earth. Now the Lord would use her testimony to strengthen Joshua and a young Israel—and weave her into the fabric of Israel.

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Jochebed & the Pattern of God's Salvation

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Jochebed & the Pattern of God's Salvation

Pharaoh’s fatal law must have arrived sometime after the birth of Aaron since he was alive and didn’t appear to be in danger of the edict. Unfortunately for Jochebed, her third pregnancy collided with the crisis of the decree. The king’s war against a nation found its target in her womb. But this mother would remember God’s former work of salvation.

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Christians: Clean Saints with Dirty Feet

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Christians: Clean Saints with Dirty Feet

In other words, atonement of sin is settled for those whose trust is in Christ alone. So then God doesn’t love you less when you sin today and more when you obey tomorrow. Instead He loves you because you are His—an adopted son/daughter, made clean through His Son and sealed and preserved by His Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13-14).

But what of your persistent sins? Here, we find that Christ still washes the feet of His disciples. What do I mean? “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean” (John 13:10). Those justified in Christ are Simul Justus et Peccator—at the same time just (or righteous) and sinner. We are positioned in Christ and are seen by God through His imputed righteousness yet inherently we sin. We are clean saints with dirty feet. But just as our justification is achieved by God alone, so is our sanctification enabled by Him alone.

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The Hebrew Midwives: God Chooses what is Low and Despised

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The Hebrew Midwives: God Chooses what is Low and Despised

Shiphrah and Puah would represent Pharaoh’s deadly hands in the delivery room, waiting to smother sons and God’s promised offspring to Abraham. This was a vile task to assign to midwives. Yet how could they possibly refuse the king of Egypt? Afterall, he was meant to be feared, right?

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Tamar: God’s Wrath and Imputed Righteousness

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Tamar: God’s Wrath and Imputed Righteousness

The outcast Tamar was languishing away from God’s covenant family because of superstition and neglect of duty. God had promised to bless Abraham and his offspring (Gen. 12:1-3). This blessing would extend to all the families of the earth—as far as the curse is found. We caught a glimpse of this when God sustained Hagar and her boy for Abraham’s sake (Gen. 21:13, 20). Would this blessing stretch to Tamar too?