The Bible by David Alley

Up north of Israel, in Lebanon, Jesus and the disciples meet a Canaanite. Why does he call her a dog? And how does she react to that? Was Jesus racist? Was Jesus biased against non Israelites? What does Jesus think about non Jewish people today, like you or I? Join David Alley as he reads the later part of Matthew 15 and then answers questions about this passage bringing the books of the Bible to life.

Jesus experienced personal tragedy too. In this chapter his cousin has his head chopped off, and Jesus is thronged by huge crowds and has no time for personal grief. Have you ever struggled to get personal space? Have you had a loved one brutally murdered? How do you feel when you family suffers? Join David Alley as he reads Matthew 13 and then answers questions about this chapter bringing the books of the Bible to life.

Did Jesus eat Bacon? Did Jesus say we can eat Bacon? Why do Christians eat Pork but Jews and Muslims don't? What makes someone clean or unclean? Can a food made you morally unclean? Jesus talks about being clean and unclean in this chapter. Join David Alley as he reads the first part of Matthew 15 and then answers questions about this passage bringing the books of the Bible to life.

Jesus tells more parables to help us understand the kingdom of God. He talks about a treasure worth more than anything else. What is that treasure?And does Jesus have brothers and sisters? Why do Catholics say he doesn't and the Orthodox say he "kind of does?" Join David Alley as he reads the second half of Matthew 13 and then answers questions about this passage bringing the books of the Bible to life.

In Matthew 13, Jesus starts telling parables to describe the kingdom of Heaven. In the parable of the mustard seed he says the kingdom grows fast. John Lennon of the Beatles famously said "we're more popular than Jesus." So who is right, Jesus or Lennon? Join David Alley as he reads Matthew 13:1-42 and then answers questions about this passage bringing the books of the Bible to life.

Can you drive on the Sabbath? What is the Sabbath? Is the Sabbath Saturday or Sunday? What did Jesus say about the Sabbath? So many sabbath questions answered in this video. Join David Alley as he reads Matthew 12 and then answers questions about this chapter bringing the books of the Bible to life.

The town that Jesus grew up in was Nazareth, but they struggled to receive Jesus. Some other towns that Jesus visited regularly also really struggled to realise who he was. These towns are condemned in this chapter and Jesus said it will be better for SODOM AND GOMORROAH than these places on judgement day. Does it seems a bit extreme? There is a very good reason why. And a huge lesson for our lives too. Join David Alley as he reads Matthew 11 and then answers questions about this chapter bringing the books of the Bible to life.

Jesus sends out the 12 apostles, but won't let them talk to anyone other than Israelites. Why? He also tells them if they are not accepted in a town to wipe the dust off their feet. Is he telling them to curse that town? Join David Alley as he reads Matthew 10 and then answers questions about this chapter bringing the books of the Bible to life.

Jesus goes to raise a dead girl back to life, but tells the parents she is only sleeping. People ridiculed Jesus, but he was very serious. What on earth could he have meant? This video explains. Jesus also calls Matthew, a tax collector to come be a follower of his. Tax collectors were despised. This was a radical moment. Join David Alley as he reads Matthew 9 and then answers questions about this chapter bringing the books of the Bible to life.

After healing a terrible case of leprosy, Jesus tells the leper to keep it a secret. Why would he say that? The casting out thousands of demons out of two insane men, the demons enter an entire herd of pigs (two thousand) who rush into the lake and drown. The entire town wanted Jesus to go away, but why were they farming pigs? Don't Jews avoid pigs? And Jesus tells a parable which seems to suggest the Gentiles will do better in Heaven than Jews will. Join David Alley as he reads Matthew 8 and then answers questions about this chapter bringing the books of the Bible to life.

Does your church have a hypocrite in it? How do you know if you are being hypocritical or not? Plus does God give you whatever you ask for? Why did God say not to judge others, and what does that mean? Join David Alley as he reads Matthew 7:1-12 and then answers questions about this passage bringing the books of the Bible to life.

There would be nothing more shocking that thinking you had served God your whole life to find out, you were serving your own interests instead. As the Sermon on the Mount wraps up there are more surprises. Join David Alley as he reads Matthew 7:13-29 and then answers questions about this passage bringing the books of the Bible to life.

We've all seen those cartoons of the man at the Pearly Gates with a wheelbarrow of gold who can't take his gold in. But you CAN take some things to heaven with you. And you can store up treasure in advance before you get there. This video continues int he sermon on the mount as JEsus talks money.

Mr Beast gives away millions, but uses it to grow his popularity on youtube. Does he get browny points with God? How do you earn favour with God? And how do you pray? Jesus talks about these things in this chapter. Join David Alley as he reads Matthew 6:1-18 and then answers questions about this passage bringing the books of the Bible to life.

What is the hardest thing Jesus told us to do? It's found in this passage. What advice did Jesus give Jews when Romans asked them to help them, and how exactly was Mahatma Ghandi influenced by the sermon on the mount? Join David Alley as he reads Matthew 5:34-48 and then answers questions about this passage bringing the books of the Bible to life.

Previously Jesus told us about the 8 Beautiful Attitudes - the Beatitudes. But now he warns us about some Ugly Attitudes - Uglitudes. What attitudes does he refer to? Do these uglitudes infect you? How do you get rid of them? Join David Alley as he reads Matthew 5:13-32 and then answers questions about this passage bringing the books of the Bible to life.

In this video Jesus has been living in Nazareth for years, but he decides its time to move north east and setup in Capernaum on the shore of Lake Galilee. Prior to starting his ministry he is tempted by Satan. However does the temptation seems a bit lame to you? Is being tempted to thrown yourself off a building actually a serious temptation? What does this say about when we are tempted? Join David Alley as he reads Matthew 4 and then answers questions about this chapter bringing the books of the Bible to life.

What are the 8 things that Jesus says will make you happy? What is the most famous sermon of all time? What does Jesus say in his sermon on the mount? How was even modern India impacted by Jesus teaching? Join David Alley as he reads Matthew 5:1-12 and then answers questions about this passage bringing the books of the Bible to life.

What does a grasshopper taste like? Does cooking them improve the taste? Why did John the Baptist start baptising people? Why did Jesus need someone lower than him to baptist him? Learn about why Jesus honoured John even though Jesus was greater. Join David Alley as he reads Matthew 3 and then answers questions about this chapter bringing the chapters of the Bible to life.

The wise men, otherwise known as Magi, come from an Eastern land seeking a king they discerned was to be born. Who were these Magi, and are they the same as the wise men we already met in the book of Daniel? And Jesus moves to Nazareth and becomes a Nazarene, but what is that exactly? Is it the same as a Nazirite? In the same way the wise men seek Jesus, how can we also seek him? Join David Alley as he reads Matthew 2 and then answers questions about this chapter, and gives insightful and spiritual comment, bringing the chapters of the Bible to life.

The New Testament kicks off with Matthew's Gospel, an immediately we find ourselves immersed in a world we are not familiar with. What is a gospel? Why is the family tree of Jesus such a big deal? Why does the mathematics of the family tree of Jesus seem so 'exact?' Was Jesus really born of a virgin and much much more. Join David Alley as he reads Matthew 1 and then answers questions about this chapter bringing the books of the Bible to life.

After Having Complete the Entire Old Testament we come to..... the 400 years gap, otherwise known as the Inter-testamental period. WHat is the go with that? Why did God seem to dissaper for 400 years?

In the last chapter of hte Old Testament we have a surprise - Elijah is going to come, and he has a special job to do. So who/what is this Elijah and what was he going to do?

Bring the Whole Tithe into the storehouse says the Lord. So are we supposed to tithe or not? Do the NT and OT really say opposite thigns?

The last little book of the Old Testament contains some surprises, including a comment that seems to suggest God hated Esau, the brother of Jacob. What is that all about?

God hates divorce, so says the book of Malachi. But why exactly is that the case, especially given that God divorces his own wife earlier in the Bible.

The last little book of the Old Testament contains some surprises, including a comment that seems to suggest God hated Esau, the brother of Jacob. What is that all about?

In Zechariah 13 it says a spring will be opened in David's house. What is this spring? It would seem that over 2200 years later, the English songwriter William Cowper would pen "There is a fountain filled with blood, that flows from Emmanuel's veins, and sinners plunged beneath the flood, lose all their guilty stains. This chapter is an amazing view into what Jesus would do, from 400 years before he did it.

In Zechariah 11, we find what seems at first an obscure and difficult prophecy about three shepherds, and about fire devouring Lebanon. But soon it becomes apparent it is talking about the temple and the probably the priests.

Who put Jesus on the Cross? Its an age-old question and so often the blame is either the Jews or the Romans. Who then exactly is going to look on the one "they" have pierced and mourn? Is it the jews, or something else?

In this video God is cranky because the people are listening to what they think is the voice of idols, and they attribute the blessing of rain and fertile harvests to Teraphim, that is other gods which are not even gods. The Lord declares he is sendin the cornerstone and the nail which are both symbols of Christ. He is also sending the battleblow - a symbol of judgement against Jerusalem. He is going to sow them into the nations, which is what happens, and the result is an amazing gospel outcome some 400 years later.

In this chapter, Zechariah comes out with a prophecy more like the type we would see in Isaiah, and it includes strong Messianic and gospel ideas. The most obvious is the Palm Sunday prophecy in verse 9 quoted by the gospel writers. Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you! He is righteous, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. However hidden in this chapter is also the telling of the destruction of the temple and the spreading of the gospel after Jesus death and resurrection. Who knew? Christ did, that is for sure.

In this chapter God finishes answering the question started in chapter 7. As a part of that answer he fortells of a time when people from everywhere will take a hold of the edge of the robe of Jewish man and want to be with him, for God is with him. That strange picture is in fact a reality in a most unexpected way. It is true right now. But how?

A delegation of Jewish people from Bethel came to ask Zechariah if they should keep up thier fasting on Tisha B’Av, the saddest day of the year. The answer from the Lord was rather surprising... he said, you are not fasting for me, you are.....

Get your symbols wrong and the meaning shifts wildly. In this vision of a golden menorah with two olive trees, one on each side, it is important to know what the lampstand and the trees represent. While the menorah is a symbol in culture of Israel, in the Bible it is a symbol of the Church.... (see Rev 1) and thus we have a vision of Church times.... but what might it mean?

Zechariah has a vision of a large flying scroll about ten meters long and five meters wide. In this unusual chapter it seems God is calling in the covenant and winding it up, the end of Mosaic Judaism is foreshadowed. What does it all mean?

The visions of Zechariah are strange and the interpretations can be diverse. In this chapter he sees four sets of horses in varying colours, just like the horses of hte apocalypse in the book of Revelation. What is the chance these are the same horses? The chapter finishes with an unexpected reference to people who are far off (the Gentiles) coming to build God's house (the temple). What does this mean?

In this chapter Zechariah has a vision of a man called Joshua. On the human level this is a man wearing dirty clothes, and they are rmoved and he is given clean high priestly clothes to wear.

Zechariah is the second post-exilic prophet - that is the second prophet in the Bible after the exile. HIs book is quirky, and full of the most interesting and strange visions which have people debating still today. In this first chapter a man appears on a red horse with an army behind him... we are pretty sure that is Jesus. What is the go with that? And in the first six verses we meet the fastest revival in history.

Ezekiel has strange visions, including of a man with a tape measuring the apparent third temple. John sees also a man with a measuring rod in the book of Revelation, and now Zechariah sees probably the same man. What is this all about.

The newly rebuilt second temple looked a bit ordinary compared to the fantastic first temple of Solomon which was covered in gold. Haggai declared that the glory of the "latter" temple would be greater than that of the first temple. Was that latter temple the one standing at the time of Haggai 2? Was it the temple of Herod? Was it he temple in Ezekiel's vision? Was it the spiritual temple in the New Testament? What does that phrase mean?

The last three books of the Old Testament are the post-exilic prophets. Here the people were focussed on getting their lives back on track, but were neglecting the work of the Lord and his temple. We do the exact same thing today, focussing on getting ahead in life, financially, health-wise, marriage-wise and more, and the Lord's work is on the back burner. Haggai teaches us about this scenario and the lesson is worth learning.

The last chapter of Zephaniah talks about the rebellious and obstinate city Jerusalem, but also about how God will redeem, not just Israel, but also the nations far away. From beyond Cush (that is Ethiopia) offerings will be brought. What does this mean in New Testament terms? Could this be talking about us?

Zephaniah prophecies with such urgency that it seems as if action is not taken immediately the world will end. Why the urgency if the world in fact will not end for thousands of years or more?

Zephaniah is a prophet that seems to declare the judgements of God in the most pointed terms, and while many people think there are two judgements in this chapter, it seems there are actually three. What are they? And how do they affect you?

The last chapter of Habakkuk is a prayer, similar to the psalms. It is a prayer of praise in the midst of a situation where every single thing you can possibly imagine has gone wrong. What do you do in such a situation like that? You follow the example of Habakkuk, as described in this video.

Three times in the New Testament this chapter of Habakkuk is quoted, in Romans, in Galatians, and in Hebrews. What does the New Testament have to say about Righteousness, faith and life?

Habakkuk prays for revival in Judah, but it seems like God is not listening to him, so he complains about it. But then, God answers his complaint with the most surprising of answers...

The Assyrians were not known for mercy, and they were responsible for the complete and absolute destruction of No-Amon (Thebes) in Egypt. Now just fifty years later, Nahum compares Thebes to Nineveh.

Just a few books earlier in the Bible Jonah went to Nineveh and the result was mercy. Now Nahum has a word for Nineveh and the result is doom. This chapter outlines how the city was to fall to flood, fire and attacking armies, and Diodorus Siculus outlines how massive flooding undermined the walls of the city, which collapsed allowing in the attacked Medes and Babylonians.