This YouTube channel provides verse-be-verse studies of books in the Old Testament, also called the First Testament or the Hebrew Bible. These studies are accessible to anyone at any level in their reading or study of the Bible. The hope is that they will help people learn how to read the Bible, especially the Old Testament, in a way that helps them understand and apply the words to their lives.

One way this is accomplished is by providing basic the basic historical and cultural context for the passages being studied both when the events described occurred and when they were compiled and written down in the form in which we have them today. This can be challenging information for some to digest, since the approach taken does not always agree with a literal interpretation of the text.

New videos will be added weekly.


Reading the Bible with Meaning

Jeremiah 29 is in the form of a letter from Jeremiah to the exiles living in Babylon. Its purpose is to address the timing of their return to Jerusalem. As we have already seen, some prophets were declaring that the exile would end in two years. Jeremiah’s letter counters this claim and sets the length of the exile at seventy years. His counsel to them is to settle in for the long haul, build homes, raise families, and pray for the welfare of the cities and towns in which they live. There seems to be a connection between the conduct of the exiles and that of the Israelites who lived in Egypt in the four centuries between their arrival under Joseph and their departure under the leadership of Moses. The letter forcefully contradicts the messages of the false prophets who were declaring a swift end to the exile.

Reading the Bible with Meaning - Jeremiah 29:1-32

Chapter 27 is an account of another prophetic act and its meaning for Judah. It is set soon after the events of 597 and Zedekiah’s ascension to the throne. This means that it took place more than a decade after the events in the previous chapter. Nebuchadnezzar was the supreme ruler over the region. There is evidence in the narrative to suggest that some neighboring nations may have looked to Judah to form an alliance against the Babylonians. This ran counter to the LORD’s plan for the region. Babylon was to have its day in the sun, but its supremacy would not last long.

Reading the Bible with Meaning - Jeremiah 27:1-22

Chapter 24 addresses the situation in Judah following the first deportation in 597. It is a word of hope for those already taken into exile. It is also a word of warning to those who remain in Judah that they should not assume that their troubles are over. The chapter is replete with images we have already seen in Jeremiah. The picture of a faithful remnant emerges again with reference to those who went into exile. They are characterized as those whom the LORD has preserved, while those who remained in Jerusalem post-597 are characterized as unfaithful. The message of the chapter is directed toward Jeremiah, the Jerusalem community, and the exiles. 
 
Chapter 25 brings us back in time to 604, twenty-three years after the LORD commissioned Jeremiah to deliver his message to Judah and Jerusalem. This chapter is the mid-point of the book, functioning as a link between the two major parts of the prophecy. It describes the moment when Judah reached the point of no return. The warnings of the previous chapters will give way to promises of restoration and renewal. Disaster will be followed by deliverance.

Chapter 24 addresses the situation in Judah following the first deportation in 597. It is a word of hope for those already taken into exile. It is also a word of warning to those who remain in Judah that they should not assume that their troubles are over. The chapter is replete with images we have already seen in Jeremiah. The picture of a faithful remnant emerges again with reference to those who went into exile. They are characterized as those whom the LORD has preserved, while those who remained in Jerusalem post-597 are characterized as unfaithful. The message of the chapter is directed toward Jeremiah, the Jerusalem community, and the exiles.

Chapter 25 brings us back in time to 604, twenty-three years after the LORD commissioned Jeremiah to deliver his message to Judah and Jerusalem. This chapter is the mid-point of the book, functioning as a link between the two major parts of the prophecy. It describes the moment when Judah reached the point of no return. The warnings of the 

Reading the Bible with Meaning - Jeremiah 24:1-25 38

Chapter 23 concludes the message concerning the fate of the kings. It includes three promises about the future of Judah and Israel. The shepherd imagery applies both to the kings and to the LORD. The first is negative, the second positive. The LORD will preserve the promise to David, but none of Jehoiachin’s descendants will rule Jerusalem. These promises make the most sense when viewed through the lens of the events from 597 to 586 and afterward. Judah will be restored, but not as an independent kingdom.

Reading the Bible with Meaning - Jeremiah 23:1-40

Chapter 20 makes explicit what had been implied in the narrative until now: Babylon is the nation that conquers Judah and exiles many of its inhabitants. The chapter also describes an encounter between Jeremiah and an officer of the temple. It includes the first explicit record of the persecution Jeremiah experienced because of his prophetic ministry. The incident sets the stage for an unambiguous description of what Judah will suffer. This did raise awareness of the threat posed by Babylon, but apparently did little to inspire repentance and a return to loyalty to the LORD alone. 
 
Chapter 21 is a picture of Jerusalem under siege by the Babylonians during the reign of Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, although other kings are also in view. Zedekiah reigned eleven years. The events in Jeremiah 21-24 occurred during those years. Calls to the LORD for relief bring the shocking declaration that the LORD has deliberately brought disaster upon his people. As in previous chapters, this one must be viewed through both pre-exilic and post-exilic eyes. Implicit in the text is the judgment that the kings of Judah were ultimately responsible for Judah’s end.

Chapter 20 makes explicit what had been implied in the narrative until now: Babylon is the nation that conquers Judah and exiles many of its inhabitants. The chapter also describes an encounter between Jeremiah and an officer of the temple. It includes the first explicit record of the persecution Jeremiah experienced because of his prophetic ministry. The incident sets the stage for an unambiguous description of what Judah will suffer. This did raise awareness of the threat posed by Babylon, but apparently did little to inspire repentance and a return to loyalty to the LORD alone.

Chapter 21 is a picture of Jerusalem under siege by the Babylonians during the reign of Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, although other kings are also in view. Zedekiah reigned eleven years. The events in Jeremiah 21-24 occurred during those years. Calls to the LORD for relief bring the shocking declaration that the LORD has deliberately brought disaster upon his people. As in previous chapters, this one mu

Reading the Bible with Meaning - Jeremiah 20:7-21:14

Chapter 19 returns to the pottery imagery of the previous chapter. The warnings also continue, with the added emphasis that the door to a future that does not include Judah’s destruction will not remain open forever. The chapter addresses the practice of child sacrifice in Judah and just outside Jerusalem. It is used to depict the desolation Judah will experience because of its sins and deliberate waywardness. 
 
Chapter 20 makes explicit what had been implied in the narrative until now: Babylon is the nation that conquers Judah and exile many of its inhabitants. The chapter also describes an encounter between Jeremiah and an officer of the temple. It includes the first explicit record of the persecution Jeremiah experienced because of his prophetic ministry. The incident sets the stage for an unambiguous description of what Judah will suffer. This did raise awareness of the threat posed by Babylon but did little to inspire repentance and a return to loyalty to the LORD alone.

Chapter 19 returns to the pottery imagery of the previous chapter. The warnings also continue, with the added emphasis that the door to a future that does not include Judah’s destruction will not remain open forever. The chapter addresses the practice of child sacrifice in Judah and just outside Jerusalem. It is used to depict the desolation Judah will experience because of its sins and deliberate waywardness.

Chapter 20 makes explicit what had been implied in the narrative until now: Babylon is the nation that conquers Judah and exile many of its inhabitants. The chapter also describes an encounter between Jeremiah and an officer of the temple. It includes the first explicit record of the persecution Jeremiah experienced because of his prophetic ministry. The incident sets the stage for an unambiguous description of what Judah will suffer. This did raise awareness of the threat posed by Babylon but did little to inspire repentance and a return to loyalty to the LORD alone.

Reading the Bible with Meaning - Jeremiah 19:1-20:6

Jeremiah 14 challenges the people’s attitudes and expectations concerning prayer and rituals in the temple. It includes a series of protests and responses between Jeremiah, Judah, and the LORD. The language of the chapter is characterized by confrontation and warning, focusing on attitudes and beliefs about the LORD’s covenant responsibilities regarding the land. 
 
Jeremiah 15 invites the Judahites to present their protest to the LORD, confess their sins, and plead with him to maintain his relationship with them. The LORD responds to their prayer with another declaration that he will not heed their prayers or pleas. The aim is to push them into an attitude of repentance. Those reading this after 587 would see in it an affirmation that their punishment was deserved. It spells out the reasons for the calamity. They shared in the promises the LORD made to their ancestors. Do they also share in the corporate guilt accrued by the previous generations?

Jeremiah 14 challenges the people’s attitudes and expectations concerning prayer and rituals in the temple. It includes a series of protests and responses between Jeremiah, Judah, and the LORD. The language of the chapter is characterized by confrontation and warning, focusing on attitudes and beliefs about the LORD’s covenant responsibilities regarding the land.

Jeremiah 15 invites the Judahites to present their protest to the LORD, confess their sins, and plead with him to maintain his relationship with them. The LORD responds to their prayer with another declaration that he will not heed their prayers or pleas. The aim is to push them into an attitude of repentance. Those reading this after 587 would see in it an affirmation that their punishment was deserved. It spells out the reasons for the calamity. They shared in the promises the LORD made to their ancestors. Do they also share in the corporate guilt accrued by the previous generations?

Reading the Bible with Meaning - Jeremiah 14:19-15:21

Jeremiah 13 is composed of five sets of warning. While intended to urge the people to change their ways, these warnings also speak to the reasons for the exile. They depict the dramatic reversal of all the promises they had received from the LORD. The stark pictures presented in this chapter are intended to shock the listeners and thereby motivate them to return to the LORD in obedience to all his commands, not just the ones concerning sacrificial rituals and worship. 
 
Jeremiah 14 challenges the people’s attitudes and expectations concerning prayer and rituals in the temple. It includes a series of protests and responses between Jeremiah, Judah, and the LORD. The language of the chapter is characterized by confrontation and warning, focusing on attitudes and beliefs about the LORD’s covenant responsibilities regarding the land.

Jeremiah 13 is composed of five sets of warning. While intended to urge the people to change their ways, these warnings also speak to the reasons for the exile. They depict the dramatic reversal of all the promises they had received from the LORD. The stark pictures presented in this chapter are intended to shock the listeners and thereby motivate them to return to the LORD in obedience to all his commands, not just the ones concerning sacrificial rituals and worship.

Jeremiah 14 challenges the people’s attitudes and expectations concerning prayer and rituals in the temple. It includes a series of protests and responses between Jeremiah, Judah, and the LORD. The language of the chapter is characterized by confrontation and warning, focusing on attitudes and beliefs about the LORD’s covenant responsibilities regarding the land.

Reading the Bible with Meaning - Jeremiah 13:18-14:18

Jeremiah 10 likely deals with events between 597 and 587. It addresses the persistent use of idols in worship. The Judahite’s foolishness and stupidity are on full display in their adherence to religions that focus on lifeless images of their own creation. The narrative sharply contrasts these dead idols with the living LORD. The words and phrases are full of sarcasm. One point is to show the people that their actions are fruitless and will not save them. The concepts in this chapter are also expressed in Isaiah 40-48.

Reading the Bible with Meaning - Jeremiah 10:1-25

Jeremiah 7 begins part two of the book (Jer. 7-24). It was probably complied after the start of the Babylonian Exile in 587. The exhortations and warnings were likely delivered in or before 604. The focus in this chapter is on worship in the Temple. One point is that worship was being used as an attempt to appease the LORD and direct to his attention away from what the people were doing outside of the Temple. Unacceptable worship will result in exile and the destruction of the Temple.

Reading the Bible with Meaning - Jeremiah 7:1-34

Jeremiah 2 concludes with a scathing critique of the making and use of idols for worship. Idolatry permeates every social and economic class. It is held up for ridicule and described using sarcasm. The people are encouraged to call on the gods of their own making for help since they have abandoned the LORD and no longer listed to him.

Reading the Bible with Meaning - Jeremiah 2:26-37

Jeremiah chapter 2 recalls Israel's early days in Egypt, journey through the wilderness, and arrival in Canaan (the Promised Land). It describes their persistent idolatry during their first centuries of existence and sets their relationship with the LORD in the context of a marital relationship. This allows for the description of their unfaithfulness as adultery.

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