The Caldwell Commentaries Podcast

Genesis 11:10-32 Generation after generation following the dispersion at Babel was given opportunity to repent and turn back to God, but unfortunately the degenerate condition of man soon came to resemble pre-Flood days.  Tragically, the spiritual decline even affected the Messianic line.  But God had made a promise, and He keeps His promises.  He would send the Promised Seed of the woman, the Messiah/Saviour into the world to crush Satan and pay the wages of sin so those who believe on Him could be forgiven and saved.  Thus, because God is the God of love, mercy, and grace; the God Who keeps His promises, He reached down to call a man out of a Shemite family; a man whose family worshipped idols; a Gentile living in Ur of the Chaldees (area of modern-day Iran).  His name was Abram. In this lesson, we begin studying the life of a Abram - whose name was later changed to Abraham by God (17:5).  It was from Abraham's seed that the Messiah would come.  God would indeed preserve the lineage of the Messiah, Jesus Christ!

Genesis 10:8-12; 11:1-9 There are four main subjects found in Genesis chapters 1 to 11: (1) the Creation, (2) the Fall, (3) the Flood, and (4) the Tower of Babel.  This lesson is on the Tower of Babel and the Lord's miraculous intervention at the time of its building, which was almost as critical as His Flood intervention.   As we learn of the humanistic reasoning of the ancient people to deliberately disobey God and eagerly, instead, follow a proud and wicked man named Nimrod "to make a name for themselves," we see a reflection of our own society at large.  Man has not changed since ancient times.  In fact, from the Babel of Nimrod (Genesis 10, 11) to the Babylon of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 5:30) to the one-world "Babylon" of Antichrist (Revelation 17, 18), natural men remain focused on the same goals: to gain their own fame, to find a "security-utopia" on Earth without from God, and (if he is religious) to attain Heaven by his own effort.  Those are all efforts in futility.

Genesis chapter 10 contains the earliest "Table of Nations" know to man!  This is a remarkable historical document that even the Bible's most hostile critics confess is of extraordinary importance and reliability.  No record of the origin of the ancient nations can even remotely compare.  It is not only incomparable in its age, but also in its comprehensiveness and accuracy.  Genesis 10 is an ethnological table.  It tells us where the various nations and people groups of the world originated.  It is the historical record of the expansion of the people that descended from the three sons of Noah.   This chapter is the single bridge or link that takes us from "pre-historic" antediluvian times (history for which we have no written historical records or documentation other than what is found in Scripture and ancient "traditions") to the historical times of Abraham and the nations of antiquity.  "The Table of Nations" is a genealogical record, a geographical atlas, and a history book all in one!

Genesis 9:18-29 It would have been "nice," humanly speaking, if the Bible's account of Noah had ended with the beautiful rainbow placed in the sky as God's token "sign" of His covenant promise with Noah and the perpetual generations of mankind.  But, this is not where Noah's story ended - it moves from rainbows to shadows because Scripture does not conceal the "spots and blemishes" of men, including the "heroes" of faith, such as Noah (and Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, Moses, David, Peter, Paul, etc.).  It presents the truth about man, which thereby demonstrates to us that no individual is above sin.  "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), which is why we so desperately need a Saviour! In this lesson, we look at (1) The Descendants of Noah, (2) The Drunkenness of Noah (three parts - Noah's Disgrace; Ham's Disrespect; Shem's Decency), (3) The Declaration of Noah {fascinating prophecy about the descendants of his three sons), and (4) The Death of Noah (the third longest living member of the human race).

Genesis 9:8-17 Noah and his family members had no doubt been "wounded" in their souls from the traumatic encounter with God's wrath upon sinful man.  Knowing they, too, were sinners, they needed reassurance that they and their descendents would survive and still have the wonderful prospect of the coming Savior Who would redeem them from their otherwise hopelessly lost condition.  These concerns were addressed by God to Noah in what theologians called "The Noahic Covenant".  As we discuss this important covenant, we will look at its substance and its sign (the rainbow).

Luke 10:38-42 Although the two sisters are often contrasted, Martha being the pre-occupied worker-server, and Mary, the pensive worshipper-student (always seen in Scripture at Jesus' feet), this in no way indicates the Lord wants believers in Him to be either one or the other.  Personalities and spiritual gifts are different.  We are to do what we can with what we have and to do it wholeheartedly.  The sisters do not represent an either/or situation.  They represent a composite balance.  Discipleship is a balance of both Martha and Mary; we should imitate Mary in our worship and Martha in our work!  "As the days unfold before me, may this ever be my part, to serve with Martha's busy hands, and love with Mary's heart!"  However, it is apparent from the situation presented in Luke 10:38-42 that there is an appropriate time to work and an appropriate time to worship.  Mary chose the good part when Christ visited their Bethany home on this particular occasion!  She chose the one needful thing that could never be taken from her - feeding her soul on God's Word, the eternal "Bread of Life"! This is a serious and very practical lesson for all of us, whether women, men, or young people. It is also good to be able to sometimes laugh at ourselves, and so this is what we could call "a fun lesson".  There is a surprise ending that may tell us something about these two sisters (particularly Martha) during the days of the Early Church!  Click "like" if you enjoyed this lesson!     This is a subtle matter, for it seems good and right to provide for our own and to attend to household responsibilities, family businesses, our communities, and to our local churches.  But it is in these good things that the danger lies, for they can become snares to our hearts if they draw us away from time spent with God in worship and in fellowship through His Word and prayer.  We must hold the things of this world with a loose hand, not allowing anything to overtake God in our hearts. Everything else is a blessing for which to be thankful, but we should not let other matters so fill our mind, time, and energy that we trample  the  holy  things.  They are  dearly  purchased  if  they  cause  us  to  put eternity from our thoughts, forget our Bible reading, shorten our prayer lives, or cause us to become careless hearers of the Word of God.  "A little earth upon the fire within us will soon make the fire burn low."  (R. C. Ryle,

Probably few people know much about the unique New Testament woman named Joanna. Her story, learned by piecing together just a few verses of Scripture, all found in Luke (and possibly a greeting given by the Apostle Paul in the Book of Romans), is intriguing and convicting! This audio lesson is shorter than most of our studies, yet it is rich with nuggets of truth you possibly never thought about before!  Do you know that Joanna was somewhat like Moses, Joseph, and Daniel? How? Listen and find out. Did you know that she was privileged to not only witness all three vital aspects of the Gospel message (the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ), but was one of the first of just a few women to share that message (to the Apostles, who initially did not believe them)?! Do you know that Bible scholars credit her as one of Luke's valuable resources for his gospel record of Christ's ministry?!  Listen! Learn! Be encouraged and edified by this woman whose name means, "God is gracious," for indeed He is!

From this well-known account of Christ's "Divine appointment" with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well (John 4), learn some very interesting information about the importance of certain numbers in this story (i.e., especially "6" and "7"). Learn from the Lord how to wisely and smoothly witness to someone by going from the physical realm to the spiritual. See how "Samaritana" progressively advanced in her perception of the 7th Man in her life and how He (the God-Man) broke down four cultural barriers in just a matter of minutes! There is a fascinating look at the three famous Old Testament "well encounters" (Eliezer, on behalf of Isaac, and Rebekah; Jacob and Rachel; Moses and Zipporah) and how they were picture-types of Christ's "well encounter" with Samaritana - which, in turn, is a beautiful picture-type of Him and His Bride, the Church! Did you know this is the longest recorded conversation between Jesus and someone in Scripture? Did you know that Jesus HIMSELF first revealed His identity to this woman (half-Jewish/half-Gentile) as both Messiah and the great "I AM"?  Did you know that she was the first "non-Jewish" convert of His earthly ministry? Did you know that she was the first witness/evangelist to "non-Jews" regarding the arrival of the long awaited Messiah? Did you know that Samaritans were the first people to proclaim Jesus as "the Saviour OF THE WORLD"?  There is all this and much more in this "must" hear-to-get-it-all lesson on the changed life of a lonely, immoral, confused woman who finally met the "perfect" seventh Man in her life - the God/Man, Jesus Christ, Who truly came to seek and to save the lost!

Anna is the only named "prophetess" in the New Testament. She was also one of God's two "mighty witnesses" to His Son's Identity as the long-awaited Messiah (on His first "visit" to the Temple at only 40 days of age). She and Simeon (both in their 100's) pictured the transition of the Old Testament to the New Testament (fascinating to realize). She is an amazing example, in many ways, of how to turn tragedy to triumph; how to be "happy" in spite of "sad" circumstances; to be faithful and consistent and patient and to trust in God's absolute Sovereignty over all things. Her name is significant; her father's name is significant; her tribal lineage is significant - in fact, everything about her is significant.  And then there is this: she was the first evangelist to the good news of Christ's arrival in the Holy City of Jerusalem!

The world Noah and his family saw on their disembARKment was drastically different from the world they knew before the Flood.  The world, as Noah had known it, had "perished" (II Peter 3:6).  It was God's grace that provided the human race a new opportunity for a new beginning in an essentially new world.   In this lesson on Genesis 8:20-9:7, we will look at a significant altar Noah built to rightly worship God through an extremely generous burnt offering!  We also discuss three promises made by God to Noah and four new conditions presented to Noah for "the new world order" of the post-Flood world.  Those conditions had to do with (1) protection regarding animals, (2) permission regarding meat, (3) prohibition regarding blood, and (4) punishment regarding murder (capital punishment).

In this lesson on Genesis 8:1-19, "The Ark on Ararat," we learn again of the incredible faith of Noah, as evidenced by his great patience in waiting to hear from God for the proper time to exit the ark.  We also learn of the faithfulness of God in keeping His Word by "remembering" those who belong to Him.  We discuss (1) the remembrance of God, (2) the recession of the flood waters, (3) the rest of the ark (on Ararat), (4) the restraint of Noah, and (5) the replenishment of the earth. Did you know that the ark of Noah came to its rest on Mount Ararat on the very same day Christ, after going down into the deep "waters of judgment" for us (His death), resurrected from the dead! [For a deeper study on the Ark as a type of Christ, see lesson #6 from our study on "Christ in Genesis" on this podcast.] We discuss the significance of the raven and the dove sent by Noah out of the ark, as well as the importance of the word "ruach" (Hebrew) for "wind" in Genesis 8:1.  These facts, plus a whole lot more in this study!

Genesis 7:1-24 "Mabbul" is the Hebrew word for the Noahic Flood.  Many teach that it was merely localized.  Not so!  The Flood was global, and presented in this study is lots of evidence to support that claim!  Did you know God predicted the beginning of the Flood through the name "Methuselah"?  Fascinating!  Do you know when Methuselah died and what occurred right after his death (fulfilled prophecy).  Why do you think Methuselah lived longer than any person "on record"?  What attribute of God does his longevity demonstrate?   We discuss the geological, Biblical, and the "tradition-legend" worldwide evidences that support a global Flood. Think how today's world is similar to the pre-Flood days of Noah's time, and and you will realize how close we are to another out-pouring of God's wrath on the entire globe!  Not another Flood (per God's promise), but definitely a time of global, unprecedented Tribulation!

Genesis 6:9-22 In this lesson, we first have the joy of studying all about God's man, Noah.   There is a lot we can learn from Noah living in our quickly degenerating world today!  Against a hostile, godless, mocking world, Noah persevered for 12 decades!  He did not bail out on his service to or his faith in God.  He did not grow weary in well doing.  He did not grow faith when, year after year, he was labeled a "fanatic" and a "lunatic".  He only cared what God thought of him, not the opinions of evil men.  We also learn from Noah HOW TO HANDLE LIFE'S STORMS!! After discussing "God's Man," we look at "God's Plan" (6:11-13) by discussing seven sub-divisions: (1) the Corruption of that day, (2) the Craft Noah was instructed to build - learn the interesting detail of the Ark, (3) the Cataclysm that God was going to bring upon the earth, which he shared with Noah in verse 17, (4) the Covenant God made with Noah to protect him and his family (in the ark) from the coming "flood of waters," (5) the Christ, as He was prophetically portrayed by the ark (more ways than you can imagine!), (6) the Cargo (how could all those creatures fit in the ark?  Find out.  The fact is, they could fit with plenty of extra space!  (7) the Concurrence; Noah did according to all that God commanded him (6:22)!

  THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING LESSON!!!  YOU WILL WANT TO LISTEN!  We discuss FALLEN ANGELS and their impact on the world of the pre-Flood days. Sin grew rapidly more widespread and wicked as a proud and godless society developed from Cain's descendants.  In time, the degeneracy of Cain's descendants spread to the descendants of Adam and Eve's other children.  Finally, even Seth's lineage (with the exceptions in the Messianic lineage) allowed the great vileness of their inherited sin natures to rule their lives. We discuss the very perplexing passage in the opening verses of Genesis chapter 6 about "the sons of God" seeing the fair "daughters of men" and "taking them wives of all which they chose" and how the result of that "union" was "mighty men which were of old, men of renown" and there is even the mention of "giants in the earth in those days".  What is this all about?  We discuss the three primary interpretations of the passage - and, believe me, it is fascinating!    

Genesis 4:25-5:32 We discuss what Scripture says about Seth (son of Adam and Eve) and his godly line of descendants (up to the time of the Flood).  When Seth was born, Eve understood he was the son (in replacement of Abel) from whom the Promised Seed of the woman (the Saviour/Messiah) would come.  With Seth's son, Enos, we read of the first spiritual "revival"; Genesis 4:26 says men began to call on the name of the Lord, recognizing their dependence on Him (quite the opposite of Cain's descendent Lamech, who boasted of his self-sufficiency).   We discuss the antediluvian (pre-Flood) patriarchs: Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech (not the same Lamech of Cain's descendants), and Noah.  When we look at the Hebrew meaning for the names of these 10 men, we AMAZINGLY FIND A DESCRIPTION OF JESUS CHRIST!  We also learn about four antediluvian prophets (amazing men): Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah.

Genesis 4:17-24.  In chapters 4 and 5 of "the book of beginnings," we learn of the two ancestral lines of Cain and Seth.  Cain, of his own choice, was the firstborn spiritual seed of the serpent (see Genesis 3:15).  We learn about Cain after he murdered his brother Abel and was cursed by God to be a fugitive and vagabond all his life.  We discuss a topic that has provoked the curiosity and criticism of more people than on almost any other Bible-related subject: who did Cain marry? We also discuss some of the primary descendants of Cain mentioned in Scripture, divinely selected to give insight into the Cainitic society that developed from Cain to the time when the Lord's toleration of ungodliness came to a head, and He sent the Flood.  We learn a great deal about the antediluvian period of history (pre-Flood) from the information provided in Scripture about Cain's descendants (and Seth's descendants discussed in Genesis 5).  We find a culture far removed from the brutish cave-men invented by the imaginations of modern evolutionists.  That culture, however, was piled high with sin.  Seven generations from Cain, we are given the first prophetic type of the coming Antichrist in a powerful, lawless, boastful, lustful, proud man named Lamech (also the first to break God's ordained principle of monogamy).

Genesis 4:1-16 In this study of "Cain and Abel," we discuss why Eve selected those names for her first two sons, why God accepted Abel and his offering, but did not accept Cain and his offering, why Abel is referred to as a prophet (Luke 11:49-51), when Scripture does not record a single word he ever spoke, how Abel is a type of Christ, and how Cain (though he believed in the true God) established the first false religion - "the way of Cain" (Jude 11). It is critical to understand why Abel's sacrifice is referred to in Hebrews 11:4 as the "more excellent sacrifice"; it is important to understand God's three divine rules of acceptable atonement for sin, and how Jesus Christ alone met the criteria for the "once-for-all" acceptable sin-Substitute to permanently atone for the sins of the whole world (cleanse them completely, not just cover them temporarily - as the animal sacrifices of Judaism did in anticipation of the coming Saviour).  Of course, one must repent and believe in His finished work on the cross (His burial and third-day resurrection) to receive His cleansing and forgiveness!  

Genesis 3:20-24 Did you ever realize the first time the Gospel was given (Genesis 3:15), it was by the Lord directly to Satan?  But it was not for Satan's benefit (he is unredeemable); it was for man to hear before the Lord pronounced  judgment on his sin (3:16-19).  It is always easier to take "bad news" when we first have "Good News"!  The "Good News" (salvation freely available by faith in the Promised "Seed" of the woman, the Saviour, Jesus Christ) tells us that no matter what may happen to us, everything will be all right in the end! In this lesson, "The Deliverance of Man," we discuss: (1) A New Name (Eve's name reveals Adam's faith in the Promised Saviour), (2) New Clothing (the clothing God provided to cover the naked sin of Adam and Eve revealed the method by which the Promised Seed of the woman would redeem man?), and (3) New Home (God's banishment of Adam and Eve from Eden was actually a tremendous act of mercy?).  A lot of great information in this study!  Join us!

Genesis 3:15 THE MOST IMPORTANT PROPHECY IN SCRIPTURE is something for which all mankind should TRULY BE THANKFUL!! This entire lesson is on one verse, called "The Proto-evangelium" (meaning "The First Gospel").  It is God's promise to mankind after the Fall of the ultimate coming and victory of a Redeemer, born of a virgin (a woman's "Seed").  This single verse contains the beginning and the germ of all Biblical prophecy!  It is critical to an understanding of the "conflict of the ages" fought both in the heavens and on earth.  It is this conflict that provides the key to unlocking the mystery of the ultimate purpose of history. Look with us in this study of Genesis 3:15 at (1) Two Enemies, (2) To Seeds, and (3) Two Bruisings.  Also included is a "jet tour" history lesson from the Fall to the Resurrection!!

Genesis 3:9-19 We look at the attributes of grace, mercy, and unconditional love manifested by the Lord God as He began His redemptive work of seeking and saving that which is lost!  We begin our discussion of what is commonly referred to as "The Curse" - God's judgment for the sin of Adam and the impact of his sin on the animal kingdom, on all his human descendants, and on nature itself.  Note:  God's curse on Satan is discussed in Lesson #19. Learn about "the hide-and-seek" and "blame" games played by our first parents!  Learn the specifics of God's "curse" on the woman, the man,  the serpent (not Satan), and nature.  Learn also about "The Regeneration" (aka "The Times of Restitution of all Things") and when it will occur.