After telling his disciples that they should love one another, Jesus began preparing them in John 15:18-16:11 to be hated by the world. Even so, he sent them out to be witnesses for him, but not on their own. He also promised to send the Holy Spirit to be the witness who would convince the world about the truth of the gospel.
God grows his church usually by ordinary and sometimes extraordinary means.
As the second Adam and the faithful Israel, Jesus resisted temptation and so can help us when we are tempted.
When the ark is captured, the Lord goes into exile for his people and fights their enemies. When his people repent, he gives them...
