Author: Kevin Corbin

The discussion moved around to the number of animals killed  daily in Jerusalem, to be offered as sacrifices in Jesus’ time. As far as I’m aware, no records have been found, but the numbers must have been astonishing.

The numbers must have been high daily, but incomprehensible when Passover came around. I’ve seen estimates that say as many as a million Jews would crowd into the city for the festival.

Certainly not every person would have offered a sacrifice, but even if it averaged one per family, it meant tens or hundreds of thousands of animals. To be super conservative, let’s use 10,000 animals, although I think the real number must have been at least ten times that. It would have been a mixture of lambs, calves, and doves.

The temple would have been a slaughterhouse. All of those animals would have to be killed, drained of their blood, and butchered. The smell and noise would have been horrific. The gutters for the blood must have poured rivers out into the Kidron Valley.

The person who was offering the animal had to place their hand on the animal’s head as it was slaughtered. This was not an impersonal ritual.

He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. Leviticus 1:4

You would think that having to have your hand on the animal as it was killed, along with the noise, smell, and blood, would have driven home the seriousness of sin. Yet, the people kept on sinning, in all probability even on the same day.

It’s easy for us to condemn the Jews for their foolishness in continuing to sin, but do we not do the same thing?

There aren’t enough animals in the world to cover the sins of the world. Fortunately for us, the Lord gave Himself up as the pure and spotless Lamb. He took the place of all that sacrifice, fulfilling the Law.

I know I could never atone for my sin, and I know that holds true for you as well.

The letter to the Hebrews reminds us:

Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me;in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’” When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Hebrews 10:5-8

May an understanding of what it cost Him to atone for our sins make us more reluctant to sin and quicker to repent. Thank God He did the atoning “once for all.”

Praise the Lamb of God that He loves us enough to do what all the sacrifices in the world could not.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

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All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2025 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, Gleanings From The Word.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).

A book I read prompted me  to think about dragons and dragon slayers. In various genres and mythologies, a community or society is under the tyranny of a giant dragon, serpent, or other seemingly impossible-to-defeat threat. The world longs for a hero, and eventually one rises out of obscurity to take on the mighty beast (or arch criminals, terrorists, or whatever) and set them free. 

What people don’t understand is that this type of story is based on truth. God created a utopian world, and the people were mesmerized by the serpent (also referred to in places in Scripture as a dragon), fell under its spell, and the utopia was gone.

They had traded walking with God in the Garden for a world of increasing rebellion and destruction. The dragon rules the hearts and minds of most. In fact, all are spiritually dead. After a long wait, a hero arises in obscurity (the Lord is incarnate, born to a poor peasant girl in a manger in a strange town in the middle of nowhere). As He grows in wisdom and stature, the opposition to Him grows, and they kill him. If the story ended there, it would be disastrous. 

The Scriptures tell us that He was raised from the dead and was seen by many. He ascended back into heaven, where He intercedes for us. He sent us the Comforter, also known as the Holy Spirit, to guide us on the path to redemption.

When the time is perfect, He will return to redeem His people and remove the dragon from power.

The Bible isn’t a myth or a story. It is truth, the myths and stories reflect a built in desire to see and know the truth. People often suppress the truth and settle for myths. They reject the true hero and attempt to save themselves, embarking on an impossible quest. Perhaps they identify with the serpent or dragon and long to create their version of the world, where there are no consequences to their actions and they can do as they please.

The return to a utopian, righteous society ruled by a just and perfect ruler isn’t a dream. It’s a reality for those who follow Jesus. His followers may face physical death, but they are brought to life spiritually and will be resurrected bodily.

The true story of the dragon and the slayer is the story of God and His people. It is the Old and New Testaments and is given as a gift from a revelatory God.

From the opening pages until the closing words, the story is one of the victory of the king, the story of the true hero who slays the dragon and the freedom of those who will follow Him.

Jesus speaks of the fate of the dragon in John’s Revelation of Christ 

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. 

This is the first resurrection.Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Revelation 20:1-10

My friends, the world is presently under the sway of the dragon, but the hero has already arisen and been victorious. What we see now are just the serpent’s death throes.

Until next time, rejoice in the risen victorious Lord.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

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All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2025 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, Gleanings From The Word.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).

It was summer, and I was up on the mountaintop, digging  fossilized fish and plants. Kathy opted to stay back on the valley floor with the dog, where it was relatively cool and shady.

The dig was on private property and appropriately licensed. I toiled away for a couple of hours baking under the sun and realized I had left my water bottle in the car.

Eventually, I made my way back down the winding path, carrying several ore bags full of samples. I was parched to the point of feeling weak. Kathy met me at the bottom with a cold bottle of water fresh from the cooler. 

I don’t remember a bottle of water ever tasting that good before.

In most of North America, we take fresh drinking water for granted. Very seldom, and even then for no more than a couple of days, have I not had plenty of water to drink on demand.

The people of the Middle East are accustomed to the experience of being thirsty. They are aware from personal experience how personal a commodity is.

They know how refreshing a cold drink of water can be on a hot day.

Two of the more common biblical metaphors for the love of God are water and living water.

You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Isaiah 12:1-3

Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”  John 4:13-15

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. Revelation 22:17

Remember a time when you were the hottest and thirstiest you have ever been. Now, picture the refreshment of a cold glass of water.

That refreshment is nothing compared to the refreshment from the well of salvation. The Lord’s living water refreshes like nothing else ever will.

Allow your thirst for love, forgiveness, and acceptance to be eternally satisfied by His living water.

Drink deeply.

Be Blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word

Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)

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All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2023 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, “Gleanings From The Word”.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV). 

There isn’t much left of this old pier on the Fraser River. A few  nearly rotted-out pilings mark the spot where it once stood. What was its story?

Was it used to moor small craft? For logging? Fisheries? All are possibilities along this stretch of the river. It once served a purpose, but now it sits largely forgotten and will eventually decay, slowly rotting away until nothing remains to show it was ever there.

Places like these, along with old abandoned buildings, capture my imagination. I wonder what their story was, and long to hear the tales they could tell if they could speak.

Alas, they remain silent, unable to share their history and legacy. As I pondered the ruins, I wondered what my legacy would be. How will I be remembered? It’s a natural question.

Few of us leave a legacy that lasts more than a couple of generations. Of all the billions of people who have ever lived, relatively few have left behind a mark remembered more than two or three generations. Even most of those faded into obscurity over the long haul. 

Wealthy individuals spend fortunes to ensure their names live on in hospitals, libraries, and sports stadiums. Yet those things are eventually replaced, renamed, or fall into ruins.

While it would be nice, in a way, to leave a legacy here on earth that lasts forever, it’s not going to happen.

I hope that the legacy of my life results in a few words from Jesus when I arrive in glory.

In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus tells a parable about a master who entrusts some currency to some servants. Two of the servants are faithful to invest it well, but the third does not.

To the servants who were faithful, Jesus says, 

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ Mathew 25:21

I long to hear those words. In truth, I haven’t always been faithful, and the times I have been, it was only with this help. Still, I long to please the one who died to save me.

My performance won’t impact my salvation. We are saved by grace, through faith in His finished work. Yet He loved me enough to die for me, how else can I show my gratitude?

I pray that your legacy is to hear the Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

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All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2025 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, Gleanings From The Word.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).

One of the things that always amazes me is how often we miss  critical details when we read familiar Bible stories. It may be because we have heard or read them so often that we don’t actually read them.

Let me cite a couple of examples from the account of Noah and the flood.

How many animals did Noah allow into the ark? Most people will say that’s easy. It’s two; he brought the animals onboard two by two.

The Bible has a different answer.

Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate, and seven pairs of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth. Genesis 7:1-3

There are pairs, seven pairs for clean animals and birds and a single pair for the unclean.

How did the Ark stay afloat when everything else, including boats, was destroyed?

Was it the construction? God gave very explicit instructions about how to build it.

And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood.Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits,its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks.  Genesis 6:13-16

That may be part of the reason, but the larger portion of the answer is recorded elsewhere.

And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the Lord shut him in. Genesis 7:16

The ark remained afloat, keeping its inhabitants safe because the Lord sealed them in and the flood out.

The Lord who sealed the ark for Noah, thus protecting Him, is the same Lord who seals us when we are Christians. It’s why Paul could say with confidence,

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?(As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. Romans 8:35-37

Jesus put it this way:

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. John 10:28-29

Believers are sealed in by God. What a blessing.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

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All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2025 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, Gleanings From The Word.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).

Early this morning, I heard the eerie sound of foxes yipping. It  reminded me of a time when I was driving home after dropping our eldest son, Kris, off at a camp/retreat center where he was working for the summer. Off to the side of the road, I saw a big red fox. 

She appeared to be in good shape and had what looked like a rabbit in her jaws. I thought she was headed home to share the meal with her kits. Wherever she was going, she was making good time.

That sound and memory of the fox stayed with me the rest of the night, and I awoke thinking of Jesus’ words.

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:57-62

These are strange words from the Son of God, who came to save people. They seem almost harsh and uncaring. Do they mean that Jesus has no compassion?

Not at all! It was His love for us, His compassion for us, that brought Him to earth as an infant. He came to rescue us. This story is designed to show how people often respond to God’s call on their lives. It has nothing to do with the largesse of Jesus’ heart.

Like the men in this gospel account, we often declare that we are Jesus’ disciples. However, in this passage and others, He clearly tells us that following Him has a cost. Our faith and discipleship will be tested.

Yet, when push comes to shove and we are called to follow, we offer up some excuse or another.

I will follow you anywhere, Lord, as long as it is where I want to go and when I want to go. I will follow you anywhere, Lord, except there. I will do what you command, but surely, you do not really expect me to forgive “him,” do you? You do not really want me to give, do you? You cannot mean that I should be the one to give in.

Are any of these sounding remotely familiar? The truth is that “No, Lord” is an oxymoron. The only correct answer is “Yes, Lord”.

Following Jesus isn’t always easy. Anyone who says it is either doesn’t understand the truth or is a liar.

Are you saying yes when He asks? Or are you making excuses?

You will not lose your salvation if you say no, but you will miss out on many blessings. You will be the poorer for your reluctance.

Until next time, may you be able to say “Yes” to all that He asks of you.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

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All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2025 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, Gleanings From The Word.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).

I stood and watched the two goose feathers dancing on the lake  in the breeze. One was curved like a “c” and floated on the rounded part of its back. The other was shaped like an upside-down “u” and floated on the uprights.

Each danced differently along the surface of the water. The “c”-shaped feather swirled, while the “u”-shaped feather walked and skipped along the surface. Eventually, they touched, joined together, and danced with a new rhythm. When the two joined, they rolled and tumbled across the surface.

As I watched them, a goose landed nearby. The wake of its landing hit the feathers, and they quickly sank into the lake.

The feathers were light and had no problem standing up to the gentle breeze along the water. When the waves picked up, they could not stay afloat any longer.

The same thing can happen to believers. We can be deceived and easily sunk when we do not know the truth of God’s Word.

He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.  Ephesians 4:10-16 NIV

God has given each of us a calling and a ministry. Part and parcel of attaining that calling, and completing that ministry, is growing up in the faith. If we remain infants we can be blown around, confused and eventually even loose heart. We will not lose our salvation if that happens, but we miss out on much of the blessing and purpose that God has designed and planned for us.

Floating close to the feathers was a stick. It stayed the course while the feathers danced around. It stayed the course when the goose landed. I suspect that even if the goose had landed on the stick, it would simply have popped back up and stayed the course once more.

As mature Christians, we can exhibit all the joy and freedom of the dancing feathers, but still stay the course like the floating stick. We have the best of both worlds.

Until next time, may you grow ever more like Christ.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

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All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2025 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, Gleanings From The Word.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).

We walked along the heavily shadowed forest trail. Underneath  our feet, the moss and evergreen needles padded our footsteps. We enjoyed hearing the songs of the chickadees who seemed to be following along with us on our walk, and listened to the sound of a bubbling stream nearby.

Periodically, we’d hit a spot where the sun shone brightly, then we were back in the shadows before long. The shadows didn’t mean the sun wasn’t there; they meant the trees shielded us from seeing it temporarily.

Life can be that way at times. Life’s troubles can make it seem like God isn’t there, yet He remains the same all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present loving God even when times are dark.

The Scriptures repeatedly tell us that He will never leave or forsake us. King David understood this truth and proclaimed it in a familiar Psalm.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousnessfor his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23

David knew many dark times, including extended periods when his enemies actively sought to kill Him. He also knew the power and faithfulness of God, and that come what may, He was secure in the Lord’s hands. He knew that even if they succeeded, he would be with the Lord forever.

We live in dark times. People are more frightened than I recall ever seeing before. The shadows are falling over us.

We don’t have to be fearful because the Lord’s mercies are new every morning, and His faithfulness is great. He is still on the throne when the shadows threaten to overwhelm us.

The world can strip us of everything but cannot separate us from Christ. Through Him, we are victorious.

Fear not, my friends.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

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All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2025 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, Gleanings From The Word.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).