Category: Shadows (Page 25 of 26)

The Old Testament contains several prophetic books, including a group of 12 named after the so-called ”minor prophets.” One of the stranger books and prophets is Jonah. Jonah or Jonas, son of Amittai, is also found in the Quran. He lived in about 8 BC and came from Gath-hepher of the northern kingdom of Israel. Jonah is the central figure of the Book of Jonah, which details his reluctance in delivering God’s judgement on the city of Nineveh. There is no question that Jonah was a historical person. He is mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25, which suggests he was one of the more nationalistic and militaristic prophets.

The story starts with God giving Jonah a mission, to pass a message to the people of Nineveh that they need to repent and change their attitudes toward each other from hatred to love. Jonah does not like the mission and runs away by boarding a ship  to Tarshish, a city in southern Spain that lay geographically in the opposite direction from Nineveh. His getaway is interrupted by a storm. The sailors on the ship eventually figure out that Jonah is the cause of the storm because God is displeased with him. They throw Jonah overboard.  While in the ocean, Jonah is swallowed by a great fish (most probably describing a whale), spends three days and three nights in its belly, and afterward gets regurgitated onto land. Now convinced that God is serious, Jonah heads to Nineveh to complete his mission.

How you respond to stories like the Book of Jonah can impact your personal beliefs on the entire Bible. It is not good enough to pick and choose the parts of the Bible you want to believe. While the story of survival in the belly of a whale is problematic, our Bible is filled with similar stories. Miracles, raising of the dead, walking on water, feeding 5,000, or Jesus’ own resurrection can all be difficult to understand. How then are we to take this story of Jonah and glean from it the Godly lessons we need to learn? There are arguments that support the theory of a human being able to survive inside a whale. We will not discuss those here. The most common interpretation held today is that the story of the prophet being swallowed and then disgorged by a “great fish” is fiction, intended to teach, a religious point. Think of the story like a super-sized parable. Many of Jesus’ parables were similar in structure, fictional stories of real moral issues. Many other stories were very real. What then are its lessons for us in the Book of Jonah?

(2 Timothy 3:16)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,”

Jonah’s desire to escape from the mission God gave him describes our own mission given to us by Jesus Himself. We are clearly called to share the Gospel’s message with a sinful, Godless world. If we assume that formal religion’s appeal is shrinking in our society (according to studies), we can see a simile, people’s desire to escape from the job of uniting humanity around Christ. Like Jonah, we all have been given an inescapable mission. It is the same mission today as it was in ancient Babylon when Abraham united the Jewish people as a nation. The foundation of God’s mission to His people is based on “love your neighbor as yourself.” We are called to become a positive example of what a connected community looks like, “a light unto the nations.”

The wrong way to look at Jonah is to try to prove it true or false. For example, the word for “belly” in Hebrew is imprecise and does not only mean “stomach.” Jonah may have been in the oral cavity of a large-mouthed whale. A whale, being a mammal, is a warm-blooded air breather that resurfaces for air, so would have provided Jonah with oxygen, while its body heat would have prevented hypothermia. However, the story of being swallowed by a “great fish” is too far-fetched to be believable. A great fish/large whale would not have been found in the eastern Mediterranean. Some even look to Jesus’ reference to Jonah in Matthew 12:39-41 to say that the Book of Jonah was historical. Yet Jesus used many parables meant to teach godly lessons that were fictional stories.

As a parable, what does the Book of Jonah teach?

• The story of Jonah explains that we need to place the benefit of others ahead of our own. 
• When people accept Jesus as their Savior, they also accept His mission: Teach the world to love their friends and neighbors as themselves.
• Jonah did not concern himself with the well-being of the sailors. Furthermore, he was so reluctant to share God’s mercy with the “evil” Ninevites that he ran from God’s mission. He was not the “good guy” in this story but a normal, flawed human being who only did what he was told as a matter of duty, after being given a second chance.
• We finally find that in the Book of Jonah, God’s grace is available equally and freely to all.

In Jonah’s story, everyone gets a second chance.  You might even call it a story about second chances. Jonah was a legalistic, judgmental Jew, and the lost pagans in Nineveh needed to be reminded of their sins. The happy ending everyone wants can be found here too. Both the sailors and Ninevites not only recognized God but also turned to Him as their Lord.

(Jonah 3:6-9) – ”When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: ‘By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.’”

Jonah, however, had not repented. His heart still needed turning. The prophet did the right things, just as the sailors and Ninevites did, but he did not love the Lord by the end of his book. Jonah got a second chance at recognizing his own depth of depravity, his deep need for mercy. However, he might have squandered it after all. We are missing the rest of his story.

(Jonah 4:1-3) – “But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

Jonah struggled with God’s kindness towards depraved people he believed were unworthy of mercy. He acted like the Pharisees, shocked that Jesus would hang out with sinners. Maybe Jonah thought the evil Ninevites would return to their wickedness and make a fool of the Lord after he left them? Jonah was courageous, loving, and obedient to the Lord. But God rebuked Jonah: “And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh” (Jonah 4:11). Jonah wanted to see God enact justice against non-Jews. But he was blind to the reality that the Ninevites were also God’s children. God had created works, more valuable than the shade plant pitied by Jonah.

(Jonah 4:10) – ” But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight.”

God’s power was already famous. He didn’t need Jonah to spread the good news. Jonah acknowledged as much: “you are a gracious and compassionate God” (Jonah 4:2). Jonah, meanwhile, refused to treat the pagans as human beings created in the image of God. Jonah had enjoyed direct guidance from God, something many of us crave, and yet he rejected it. In summary, the Book of Jonah has very little to do with fish or whales. The story is not about impossible miracles. Jonah’s story is about sharing God with a world filled with depravity, denial, even doubt and about not being judgmental against those who do not share our faith.

Contemplations

• Who do you put into a group that you would call less deserving of God’s grace?
  • Ideas to Explore: Who are the people you avoid? What groups do you dislike? Are there people whose faith or even lack of faith you dislike?
• What would be the most effective strategies to reaching people like those in Nineveh?
  • Ideas to Explore: What exactly would a mission trip to Nineveh look like? What are the effective ways to share the Gospel with someone you do not like or trust?
• Yes, we are called to believe that our God can do the impossible, even keep someone in the belly of a whale alive for three days – But what do you do to sort out the “Story” into history, parable or fiction?
  • Ideas to Explore: Do you first search for science to explain away the miracle? (e.g., Tides divided the Red Sea for Moses in the Book of Exodus) When you cannot rationalize an event based on your own knowledge of the world, where do you go to find peace with your answers? 
• What does the term “God-Breathed” mean to you when describing the Bible?
  • Ideas to Explore: Can you see the history, the fable, the parable, the Law and command, the advice in God’s Words? All are present. How do you think we should respond to each category?
• What did you get out of the Book of Jonah?
  • Ideas to Explore: Is the story so strange that it has no meaning? Can you sort out a lesson from God? How would you teach this story to children?
• Faith is the cornerstone of belief – How does your faith handle the immaculate conception of Mary or the Incarnation of God becoming human?
  • Ideas to Explore: The world uses many tricks to destroy faith. What ones have you seen? How do you keep from becoming a doubtful person?

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It is amazing that of the over1,000 pages of Lostpine’s website, the most popular Biblical story is the children’s story about the prophet Amos. When you consider that those who wrote the Bible lived at different times, some separated by hundreds of years. In many cases, they were strangers to one another. Some Bible writers were businessmen or traders; others were shepherds, fishermen, soldiers, physicians, preachers, kings, and human beings from all walks of life. They served under different governments and lived within contrasting cultures and systems of philosophy. However, the wonder of it all, the 66 books of the Bible with their 1,189 chapters making up of 31,173 verses (NIV) present a perfect harmony in the message they convey. Yet of the twenty years that this website has been published, a children’s story about a minor prophet is number one! That being the case, maybe there is an adult lesson in Amos too.

After Solomon’s death (930 BC), an open insurrection led to the breaking away of the ten northern tribes and the division of the country into a northern kingdom, Israel, and a southern kingdom, Judah, on the territory of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The Kingdom of Israel, with its capital Samaria, would last more than 200 years under 19 kings, while the Kingdom of Judah, ruled from Jerusalem, would be ruled for 350 years by an equal number of kings from the lineage of David. The expansion of the Assyrian and Babylonian empires would bring war, first to Israel and later, to Judah. Surprisingly, the cause of ancient Israel splitting into two lies at the feet of King Solomon. That is a study for another day. The problem was compounded by the Northern Kingdom’s appointment of terrible kings. Solomon had laid the foundation of sin for the Israelites and the people adopted it well. They enjoyed their sinful lives, and then their enemies came in and finished the job. The Assyrians would eventually enslave them.

Amos was one of the Twelve Minor Prophets, an older contemporary of Hosea and Isaiah, and was active 760–755 BC during the rule of kings Jeroboam II and Uzziah. Amos was a sheep herder and a sycamore fig farmer turned prophet. Not a “professional prophet,” his ministry and prophecies concluded around 762, two years before a great earthquake (Zechariah 14:5). Amos wrote at a time of relative peace and prosperity but also a long period of neglect of God’s laws. He spoke against an increased disparity between the very wealthy and the poor. His message was simple: Amos proclaimed that an ethical God required ethical relations between people to assure God’s divine favor. When one ponders the state of political unrest and division in our country, it is a comparative message for our present time.

Prophets were sent by God because He loved His people and with each prophet, a warning would come forth to direct God’s people to change their behavior. Amos’s lament (Amos 5) and warning were because ten of the tribes (excluding Judah and Benjamin) which had lasted for about 210 years, would be destroyed by Assyria in 722 BC. Amos is instructed by God with this well-known narrative (Amos7:7-8) that includes a reference to a plumb line. However, let us read all the verses, those before and after the ones we typically give to our children:

(Amos 7:1-9)¹NIV New International Version Translations – This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after the king’s share had been harvested and just as the late crops were coming up. When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!” So the Lord relented. “This will not happen,” the Lord said. This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: The Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land. Then I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!” So the Lord relented. “This will not happen either,” the Sovereign Lord said. This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord asked me, “What do you see, Amos?” “A plumb line,” I replied. Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer. “The high places of Isaac will be destroyed, and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined; with my sword, I will rise against the house of Jeroboam.”

The problem pointed out here is that those who claim God, live lives that were inconsistent with such a claim. These so-called believers were accused by God of singing idle songs, drinking wine from bowls, and anointing themselves with the finest oils (living the good life). In and of themselves these things (singing, anointing, even drinking) were not the problem. The problem was that these practices were carried on even while “their ship is sinking (their country was in trouble),” and the people simply did not care. The questions that Amos was asking were:

• How can you feast when some have nothing to eat?
• How can you anoint yourselves when the least among us have no honor?
• How can you celebrate as the worlds of so many others are falling apart around them?

God is ANGRY, MAD! Amos is laying it out as clearly as he can. Such behavior, God declares through Amos, is senseless, and this is exactly what the people are doing: “But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness” (6:12b). God then goes on in chapter 7 where Amos is making an appeal to God, praying on behalf of the people. God is about to send locusts and fire. They were spared because of Amos’s prayers. However, God lays it out quite clearly. He is setting a standard, a plumb line, and will measure His people by this standard. God is not going to let them off the hook. History shows, that people never did measure up.

Why is a plumb line such a perfect metaphor? It is a simple tool, requiring no training to use. It needs no manuals, everyone can be an expert with a plumb line, and even in our high-tech age, no one has ever electrified or computerized, a plumb line. There is no advanced model, no Pro version, and it never needs updating. A plumb line always gives us a perfect vertical to measure against. Now the Israelites failed to grasp this simple concept. The Assyrians would take care of them some 40 years later. But today, we are not quite in that same dilemma. Today, we have Jesus Christ, our perfect plumb line, to measure our own lives and character against. Today we have no excuses.

Before you relax and say things are great, you are saved and hallelujah Jesus, let us reflect on reality. In Jurgen Moltmann’s (famed theologian) book, “The Crucified God,” Moltmann brings forward a wakeup call to everyone that professes Christ as their savior: “Jesus was folly to the wise, a scandal to the devout and a disturber of the peace in the eyes of the mighty. That is why he was crucified. If anyone identifies with him, this world is ‘crucified’ to him, as Paul said. He becomes alienated from the wisdom, religion, and power politics of his society. The crucified Christ became the brother of the despised, abandoned, and oppressed.” So, are you ready to be despised, abandoned, and oppressed? Following Jesus, measuring up against the “plumb line” is not an easy thing to do. Our world is against you! However, God has made it painfully clear, that the people of this world, especially those who call themselves people of God, must be different. They must set standards of compassion and love that this world has never seen. God’s expectations are for His people to be discerning and seek His Truth. The hungry must be fed, the killing of the born and unborn must stop, and divisiveness must make way for progress against the issues in our world that matter most to God.

The story of Amos the shepherd-turned-prophet is much more than a children’s story. It is a contemporary view of our society. It calls out to all of us to re-examine our priorities and to learn to live lives pleasing to God. We have no excuses either. Christ already came, He set the standard for how to live, Christ is with us today to help, and He even gave us simplified instructions:

(John 13:34) – “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

It will not be an easy thing to do, but we all must start, one prayer at a time, one charitable act, and one forgiving moment at a time. While the short children’s story about Amos is number one, my prayer for this study would be that this adult story about Amos becomes number two.

Contemplations:

• Do you think that the “ship is sinking,” that our country is in deep trouble and the people don’t care?
  • Ideas to Explore: If we are divided, what does each group represent and believe? Do some people not care about God? What type of national sins do you see? What are the similarities between our country and Northern Israel that caused God to be upset and send Amos? Do we have prophets among us today?
• Why is it hard to walk with Christ?
  • Ideas to Explore: Are we persecuted? Exactly what is hard? Is being a Christian beneficial in your circle of friends? Are you fearful? What causes you to hesitate on your walk?
• Why do you think so many people hate Christians?
  • Ideas to Explore: They envy the peace Christ brings to one’s life. They are afraid that you will hold them accountable if you see some immoral act. The truth of Jesus convicts one’s soul – Do you think people like their sinful life and just don’t want to change? Are we too smug about being saved and judgmental or sanctimonious? Do Christians talk too much about their salvation? Is the promise of salvation an excuse to be a lazy Christian?
• Why if we are hated and persecuted so much should we be open with our testimonies about Christ?
  • Ideas to Explore: What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ? Does it help to learn how to give a testimony? Could God’s plan even work if no one shared their faith? Who wins if all Christians are quiet?
• How do you get to know Christ well enough to use Him as a plumb line, to guide your own life?
  • Ideas to Explore: What are all the ways one can learn about Christ and how He lived? What impact do prayer and the Holy Spirit have on our faith walk?

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Hosea lived just before the destruction of Israel in 722 BC. His prophecies were directed to the northern kingdom. During Hosea’s ministry, Israel experienced a period of economic prosperity and growth. As you study the prophets, notice the oscillation between prosperity and recession. This is one period where the northern Kingdom was oblivious to their sins. On the inside of the nation, they had become corrupt, morally decrepit, and adulterous. On the other hand, the people thought they were doing well. The Book of Hosea can be divided into two parts:

1. Hosea 1:1-3:5: a description of an adulterous wife and a faithful husband, symbolic of the unfaithfulness of Israel to God through idolatry, and
2. Hosea 4:1-14:9: the condemnation of Israel, especially Samaria, for the worship of idols and her eventual restoration.

The major theme Hosea was called to address was that the Israelites had broken their covenant with God. Not only had they given themselves over to idolatry, Hosea writes that they had also “planted wickedness,” “reaped evil,” “eaten the fruit of deception,” and “depended on your own strength” (Hosea 10:13). They had turned to other gods for answers (Hosea 4:12) and other nations for assistance instead of God (Hosea 7:11). Because of this, God chose to intervene, sending Hosea to them with a warning. It would be Hosea’s role to call the people to repentance and extend an invitation to return to their relationship with God. He was to remind them that God was willing and eager to restore their return to a covenant relationship. We will look at Hosea in the context of our society today.

To begin this study is one of the stranger requests that we will hear God make of a prophet. Hosea was commanded to take a wife who would become a prostitute. This was to serve as an example of God’s relationship with Israel. Hosea was to manifest God’s patience and love through his marriage. According to Deuteronomy 22:20, a harlot was supposed to be stoned, not married. This story is found in the opening chapters of the Book of Hosea (Hosea 1:2-3:5). Not only had the people walked away from God, but they had also forgotten Him entirely. They had forgotten God’s faithfulness. They had forgotten the many miracles and how good God had been to them throughout their relationship (Hosea 1:8). They had forgotten His law and instructions. And once separated from God and the knowledge of their love of God, they quickly turned to their own ways, other gods, and other nations (Hosea 8:4) for help. His marriage was to prepare him for teaching the people that only God could satisfy or save them. This is an amazing way to prove a point! The prophet would have to walk the same walk and talk the same talk that God must do with His people. They were undeserving harlots, but God would forgive them and love them still!

(Hosea 7:16)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “They do not turn to the Most High; they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword because of their insolent words. For this they will be ridiculed in the land of Egypt.”

Hosea warned them for almost forty years about their state of spiritual decline leading them to destruction. The people could no longer see the reality of their own demise (Hosea 4:1). Sinful living had them trapped, forgetting their God and His love for them. Hosea writes, “Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God. A spirit of prostitution is in their heart; they do not acknowledge the Lord.” (Hosea 5:4). Where is our nation today? Are we walking away from God? Have we forgotten Him? What about God’s Laws, God’s Truth? Where does our nation stand today? Israel had been enslaved by Egypt. God freed them! You would have thought history mattered. Soon, the city of Samaria would be besieged by the Assyrians. Many of the people would be taken into captivity or forcibly deported away from their places of origin. Must that happen to our own nation’s future for us to turn to God?

While God was using prophets like Hosea to minister to the people of Israel in the north, the people of the Southern Kingdom were not immune to idolatry and betrayal either. Judah, the southern kingdom, was known to go through periods of revival. The Northern Kingdom’s spiritual sickness was spreading. It would inevitably infect the nation to its south (Hosea 4:15, Hosea 8:14). The lesson is that sin does not stay hidden. Eventually, sins are exposed (Hosea 2:10). A sin, like a virus, spreads. Things we do in secret hurt those closest to us. Hosea’s marriage was an example of this. Hosea’s adulterous wife hurt more than just herself. It hurt Hosea as well. The same is true for God, who sees and feels the things we do in secret (Hosea 7:2).

Hosea used a personal approach to teach the people about the faithfulness of God. His life would show them God’s character in ways they could understand. He married knowing his spouse, Gomer, would regularly cheat on him. After bearing him three children, she walked away from Hosea to her lovers. Would you stay in such a relationship just to show those around you the true character of God? That was his point. God had proved Himself to be faithful time and time again. Gracious when it was undeserved. God loved them even when they forgot God. Israel (like Gomer) had proven themselves unfaithful, but God (like Hosea) would demonstrate His love for His bride by remaining faithful even when she (Israel) was not. And what is God’s response to those with the hearts of harlots?

(Hosea 11:9) – “I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I devastate Ephraim² The name Ephraim not only designates a person but also the tribe he started and their inheritance in the Promised Land (Joshua 16:5 – 9). It is Biblically used for a city and part of a mountain range in the heart of Israel. Additionally, a forest, a gate, and a symbolic reference to the northern ten tribes of Israel also use the name. again. For I am God, and not a man—the Holy One among you. I will not come against their cities.”

In Hosea 4-14 is Hosea’s message of warning to the nation of Israel. There you will find a parallel between the three sections describing Hosea’s marriage and the major sections in the ending part of his writings. Hosea alternates between the listing of sins, the pronouncement of judgment, the call to repentance, and the promise of restoration. Since the beginning of time, God’s ungrateful and undeserving creation has been accepting God’s love, grace, and mercy. Yet God’s creation has been unable to refrain from its wickedness. We call Hosea’s writings prophetic because of verses such as Hosea 2:23.

(Hosea 2:23) – “I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’ I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’; and they will say, ‘You are my God.’”

We learn that God is to include the Gentiles (non-Jews) as His children as written in Romans 9:25 and 1 Peter 2:10. Gentiles were not originally “God’s people,” but through His mercy and grace, He has provided Jesus Christ, and by faith in Him we are now His people (Romans 11:11-18). As Hosea ends his book, he shows how God’s love once again restores His children as He forgets their sins when they turn back to Him with repentant hearts. This prophetic message of Hosea foretells the coming of Israel’s Messiah 700 years in the future. Hosea is quoted often in the New Testament.

We should not lose sight of how God is dishonored and angered by the actions of His children. How can a child who is given an abundance of love, mercy, and grace treat a Father with so much disrespect? Yet, that is the history of humanity. Look no further than the mirror in front of us to see a reflection of those that Hosea came to warn!

Contemplations

• What would you tell people today who are abandoning God?
  • Ideas to Explore: Do you agree that there is a problem? Do you regularly share your testimony regarding your faith in Jesus? If people see you, do they know you love God?
• Do you know what today’s idolatry looks like?
  • Ideas to Explore: Sports, entertainment industry, power, wealth, lifestyle, education, how about cell phones and sneakers? What is on your list?
• How tolerant have you become with accepting the sin of our society today?
  • Ideas to Explore: Do you pay attention enough to notice sin around you? What is your attitude toward tolerating sins against God’s Truth? What do others think of your faith when they see your actions toward sin?
• How would you warn those around you that the sins of society are a serious thing to correct?
  • Ideas to Explore: First is family, what are you telling your family? Next, your closest friends. What about the people you encounter every day?
• Do you believe that we can lose our nation?
  • Ideas to Explore: History says it could happen because it has happened many times before. How does that make you feel? Emboldened and willing to help. Overwhelmed and ready to give up. God does not define a position in between!

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  The name Ephraim not only designates a person but also the tribe he started and their inheritance in the Promised Land (Joshua 16:5 – 9). It is Biblically used for a city and part of a mountain range in the heart of Israel. Additionally, a forest, a gate, and a symbolic reference to the northern ten tribes of Israel also use the name.

Isaiah ben Amoz was his full name, a prophet of God. There is extensive evidence that much of the book of Isaiah was composed of two prophets separated by more than a hundred years. The book of Isaiah talks about a day of judgment when all nations will come to the city of Zion (Jerusalem) for sanctuary, as well as the need for the city to be purged of all evil. The prophet Isaiah was referring to the Assyrian expansion, which he said was a warning from God. His warnings can appropriately be applied to the nations of the world today. Will nations be judged by God? Will the sinful greed of one country administer God’s punishment to another nation?

We will look at the Book of Isaiah in three sections:

• Isaiah 1–39: Proto-Isaiah, containing the words of the original Isaiah (pre-exile days around 740-700 BC);
• Isaiah 40–55: Deutero-Isaiah, the work of an anonymous author living during the Babylonian captivity or Babylonian exile; and
• Isaiah 56–66: Trito-Isaiah, an anthology or collection of about a dozen passages (post-exile days around 515-480 BC).

His name “Isaiah” means “Yahweh is salvation.” Along with his contemporary, the prophet Micah, Isaiah served the southern kingdom of Judah under the reign of four kings. At the time of Isaiah’s ministry, Judah was a sinful and unjust nation. We know that Isaiah was the son of Amoz, was married, and had sons (Isaiah 1:1; 7:3; 8:3). Isaiah’s ministry is recognized in the books of the Kings and Chronicles. He was probably a priest (Isaiah 6:4). A prophet’s life was never easy. There were many highs and lows in Isaiah’s life. Because of his faithfulness to God, Isaiah was rewarded with some amazing miracles. For example, God responded to Isaiah’s prayer for King Hezekiah, moving the sun back ten steps as a sign to King that God would add a further 15 years to his life (2 Kings 20:8-11; 2 Chronicles 32:24). Yet, on the other hand, Isaiah spent three years stripped naked and barefoot, in obedience to God, as a “sign and wonder” against the Egyptians (Isaiah 20:2-4). Micah did the same (Micah 1:8) but the length of time is unknown.

Isaiah’s ministry best is known for pointing people to God, not to themselves. Despite being reserved, Isaiah’s notoriety is about how his ministry affected the people of Judah. It would be Isaiah’s lifestyle that taught them, God accomplishes a part of His plan through us when we assure that all the glory goes to Him, not us. Isaiah also remained close to other godly men, like Micah and King Hezekiah. His accountable relationships were based on prayers and reliance on the Holy Spirit. He may be best known for his call by God:

(Isaiah 6:8)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”

In Isaiah’s writings, he predicted that after the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and the Jewish people exiled, a foreign king named Cyrus would rise to restore the scattered nation and authorize the rebuilding of the Temple. He gave the people the straight facts, there would be a punishment but then left them with the understanding that they should keep their hope in their God. His greatest prophecy came in the foretelling of the coming of the Messiah.

(Isaiah 7:14) – “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.”

(Isaiah 9:6) – “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

(Isaiah 11:2-4) – “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness, he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.”

The story behind the second part of Isaiah (Chapters 40-55) is that it was written during the Babylonian exile. This began in 586 BC. At the start of this section, chapter 40, the unknown Isaiah was to bring people comfort before their return to their homeland. They had been in exile for almost fifty years. Not much is known about the author of the second part of Isaiah. He wrote chapters 40-55 of Isaiah, most likely male, and wrote at the end of exile after the Persian Emperor Cyrus conquered Babylon in 539 BC. Cyrus passed a decree that allowed exiles to return to their homeland in 538 BC. We do know what the other Isaiah believed in. In Isaiah part two, God is the King of all creation, who controls the fates of all nations, even the enemies of Israel and Judah. One major theme is God’s complete control over the earth as the Creator of the universe.

It was during the time of exile that the second Isaiah told the story of the suffering servant. This story is a metaphor for the larger suffering done by those who were exiled. The suffering servant’s message is that they all had to go through this for the greater good that was to come. It was one of Isaiah’s most memorable monologues, as he highlighted that the Israelites were not suffering in vain. During the exile, the second Isaiah prophesized a servant of the people would come. These prophetic messages brought hope to God’s people.

(Isaiah 42:1) – “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.”

In the second passage (Isaiah 49: 1-7), the Servant is called by God, to restore Israel, and make them a “light to the nations”. The third reference to the Servant (Isaiah 50: 1-11) has the Servant calling out the people who mocked God. Finally, the last Servant passage (Isaiah 52:13-15, 53: 1-12) describes the Servant’s suffering as the process of receiving redemption. “The Servant” parallels our Savior, Jesus Christ. As the exile ended and the opportunity to return to their homeland began to unfold. The people were reminded to reject useless idols for God who is all-powerful. God was very clear that He cannot be considered an equal to the powerless works of artists (Isaiah 40:18-20). God tells the Israelites that He alone is God and cannot be compared to the blind, mute, deaf, and helpless idols of Babylon (Isaiah 46:1-9).

The messages in the Book of Isaiah made it clear that the people would first suffer and then be free, and the realization of salvation would be in (539 BC) when Babylon fell to the Persians. King Cyrus came into power in (539 BC) and decreed that the Israelites were free, and the Temple was to be rebuilt. It had been 70 years since the Temple’s destruction, and in (516 BC) the exile officially ended when the Temple finally stood again, marking the beginning of the second Temple period, which would stand for hundreds of years.

It would be difficult for people to go back to Jerusalem. They had been living their lives in exile for a long time. The exiled have been forced to live by other values and worship other gods. Children and young adults knew no other life. Many married, made money and even rose to positions of prominence in Babylonian society. The role of the prophets was to help the exiled Jews to understand the importance of going back to Jerusalem. Even in exile, the people were in denial that it was their sinfulness that caused their plight. Most chose to stay at first, but as the situation in Judah continued to improve, eventually, the people began to flow back into their homeland. As they returned, however, they found themselves in conflict with those who had remained in the country and now owned their land. There were further conflicts over what sort of government would be formed and what kind of nation Jerusalem would become.

Chapters 56 to 66 are believed to be written by the same author as the second part of the Book of Isaiah. However, the author was no longer in Babylon but back in Jerusalem. These last chapters are a mixture of prose and poetry, of hope and despair at the same time. The major portion of this section is about the hardships of rebuilding the Temple by Sheshbazzar and the later completion by Zerubbabel. Haggai and Zechariah were now prophets of this period. These chapters are about the exiles who returned to a devastated homeland and undertook the immense task of rebuilding the Temple.

The New Testament Gospels quote more from Isaiah’s writings than any other Old Testament prophets. Both Micah and King Hezekiah, worked together with Isaiah and his protégés to bring a revival to the nation of Judah (2 Kings 19:32-36; 2 Chronicles 32:20-23). It is from Isaiah’s writings that we learn of his faithfulness and his complete humility before God. He also had great respect from King Hezekiah’s court and his peers, which became evident during times of crisis. His grasp of the Hebrew language has been compared to that of Shakespeare’s English. As we read Isaiah, we find some of the most beautiful writings in the Bible. Although the book of Isaiah was written over 2,500 years ago, it is worth reading in its entirety because we see much wisdom that still can be applied to our Christian lives today. The last verse of the Book of Isaiah ends in a chilling reality about the power of our God:

(Isaiah 66:22-24) – “As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the Lord. “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”

Contemplations

• The people in the southern kingdom, of Judah, were conquered, exiled, and enslaved for almost two generations. When the time came to go back to their God, they were not sure they wanted to. What does this tell you about the character of humanity?
  • Ideas to Explore: Can people recognize their sins? Is humanity always looking for the easy path? Will people give up God for the “good life?” Did they forget their faith and fail to pass it on to their children?
• God used exile to teach His children a lesson. Why was this the only way to get their attention?
  • Ideas to Explore: Sin must have been fun. Losing freedom is an effective way to get someone’s attention.
• Do you think that God could take away our freedom today to get our attention to sin?
  • Ideas to Explore: Are we a sinful nation? What does it take to get our attention and focus on God?
• How do you respond to prophetic statements about our Savior, Jesus?
  • Ideas to Explore: We have the advantage to see the value of the prophets. Do people just exclude the idea of prophecies today?
• In Isaiah’s final words, we are told emphatically that God WINS! With all the other prophecies proven to be true by history, why should we not believe that God will win in the end?
  • Ideas to Explore: What is it about the character of humanity that it cannot see the power of its Creator? What do you see that convinces you, God wins in the end.

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  NIV New International Version Translations

The name Micah is a shortened form of the Hebrew word “Mikayahu,” which means “who is like the Eternal?” It is considered the sixth book of the Minor Prophets. Micah’s message is one of judgment. God through Micah warns the people of Judah, the king, the priests, and the (false) prophets of a coming judgment for their unfaithfulness and idolatry. Micah was from Moresheth-gath, a small rural town in the kingdom of Judah (Micah 1:1, 14). This town is located a little less than 20 miles southwest of the city of Jerusalem, close to where the prophet Isaiah grew up. He was likely a contemporary of the prophets Amos, Hosea, Jonah, and Isaiah.

Micah’s ministry came during a time (735 BC to 700 BC) when the people of Israel were thriving economically but suffering spiritually. Those with plenty, the upper class, were placing increasing burdens on the lower class. Micah was very concerned with the oppression of the poor by the wealthy. He considered this injustice among Judah and Israel’s greatest sins. If one looks at our nation today, the growing national debt, the increasing regulations, and inflation, we can find numerous parallels between current events and Micah’s ministry. The judgment Micah threatens would soon come through the hands of Assyria and Babylon.

Micah’s background coming from a small town may have given him special sensitivity to the concerns of the poor rural people of the land. Micah is the only book in the Old Testament to name Bethlehem, where the Messiah would be born.

(Micah 5:2)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

Micah delivered strong indictments against both Samaria and Jerusalem (Micah 1:5-6). He had personally witnessed idolatry, evil business practices, dishonesty, cheating, bribery, divisiveness, and corruption. His message? Simply that God was not going to allow these sinful practices to continue. Unless the people took heed of his warnings and repented, they would be punished with famine, war, and captivity. The rulers were mostly to blame. Micah was critical of the religious leaders. They were leading the people into sin, despite having full knowledge of God’s Laws. God was greatly displeased with those who were professing allegiance to Him through an outward, hypocritical show of religious devotion and service (Micah 6:6-7). This superficial form of worship was considered worthless by God because it lacked genuine love and concern for God. Jesus agreed with Micah (Matthew 23).

Even today, many nations call themselves “Godly Nations.” There is the general belief that there will be no consequences for their actions. The people living during Micah’s time were deceived into thinking that their artificial spirituality and their false sense of righteousness would save them from punishment, despite their “transgression,” “sin” and “iniquity” (Micah 3:8-10). They were under the misguided impression that because they had God among them, they would escape the penalties of disobedience. The Bible tells us that sin is the breaking of God’s Law (1 John 3:4). The Apostle Paul clearly stated that sin is death (Romans 6:23). This is the only law of God that all humans are subject to! The claim of Godliness must be accompanied by a willingness to live according to the Word of God. Not doing so will most certainly lead a nation away from God.

(Micah 3:8) – “But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin.”

Micah boldly states that he was qualified to be judgmental in the case of Judah and Israel. He was called and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Micah’s prophecies frequently meander from messages of doom, warning, and despair to ones of hope, deliverance, and peace. His prophecies covered the full spectrum of sins. Everything from a lawless nation deserving punishment from God to restoration as the chosen people of God. At times he gives a message of utter despair, only to follow on with joyful hope. Micah was always clear about God’s promise of an abundant life for all of mankind for those who repented and honored God’s Truth. Micah’s message was directed to the leaders and false prophets of the time.

(Micah 3:1-2, 5) – “Then I said, ‘Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel. Should you not embrace justice, you who hate good and love evil; who tear the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones;’”

(Micah 3:9-11) – “Hear this, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right; who build Zion with bloodshed, and Jerusalem with wickedness. Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they look for the Lord’s support and say, ‘Is not the Lord among us? No disaster will come upon us.’”

Today’s national leaders have the audacity to constantly ask for our God’s blessings, “May God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America!” You hear it after every political message. The prophet Isaiah, a contemporary of Micah, expressed similar sentiments when speaking about Israel:

(Isaiah 48:1) – “Listen to this, you descendants of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and come from the line of Judah, you who take oaths in the name of the Lord and invoke the God of Israel—but not in truth or righteousness—Who swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth or in righteousness”.

Micah’s response is numbing. They will not escape God’s punishment. Micah 3:12 records: “Therefore because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.” Religiously, economically, and socially, Israel and Judah were in decline. Unfortunately, history shows that the stubbornness of these nations, and their leaders, led in the end, to national captivity and loss of freedom.

A brief outline of the Book of Micah

• (Micah 1) – Judgment is announced against Israel and Judah.
• (Micah 2-3) – Micah announces God’s judgment of the false prophets and the rich and powerful for their sins and evil ways.
• (Micah 4-5 – The millennial reign of Jesus Christ; judgment upon the enemies of Israel.
• (Micah 6) – God’s case against Israel; impending sorrow and punishment for their sins.
• (Micah 7) – God’s future forgiveness upon Israel when they confess and forsake their sins.

In what is probably the most popular verses from Micah, we can find the ultimate question answered for humanity. What God, do you want of me?

(Micah 6:6-8) – “With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

• Burnt offerings are the fatted calf, the best you have to offer God. Does God want your best?
• A thousand rams? That is probably only the wealthiest could have ever hoped to accumulate. Does God want your worldly wealth, everything?
• Ten thousand rivers of oil. That is just the impossible, does God want the impossible from us?
• Your firstborn! This in any family would be the most precious thing you could imagine. Is God asking for the most precious thing in your life that can never be replaced?

Then comes God’s answer: God wants only justice, mercy, and humility. Not FOR you but FROM you. Yes, you are to ACT justly, LOVE mercy, and WALK humbly with your God. It is all about you and how you treat the others around you.

This scripture applies as much to present-day Christians as it did to people during Micah’s time. The Old Testament laws continue to be a tool of instruction. It is the Old Testament that shows us God’s ways, and how to “walk in His paths.” Micah 4:7 adds: “I will make the lame my remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever.” Micah’s prophecies about the future glory and peace of the earth under Christ’s rule are some of the most encouraging in the Bible.

Contemplations

• Generally, the rulers of the world are despots and narcissistic. Those who are elected or hold positions by force seem to fit this model. Why?
  • Ideas to Explore: Why do people in free countries continue to elect leaders that strip them of freedoms, waste their money, lie, cheat and steal? These are our choices. Is it that we are easily fooled? Do we pay attention to who they are? Or maybe, our educational systems have left us unable to think? Can you answer the question, why?
• The leadership void is found whether leaders take their position by force or by vote. How can we do a better job of picking leaders?
  • Ideas to Explore: Would finding Godly people help? Would putting God back into our educational systems help? Do we really spend enough time knowing whom we are electing?
• How do we solve this issue? It seems that it has been in our world from the beginning of time.
  • Ideas to Explore: History tells us that prosperity and peace come from Godly leadership. What should Godly people do about this?

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  NIV New International Version Translations

Nahum is known for his prophecy about the city of Nineveh. Jonah had been the first prophet to try to help Nineveh. Nineveh was a major city in the empire of Assyria. Unfortunately, its reputation was based on its cruelty. There was no love lost either between the Israelites and Nineveh. The city’s king, Sennacherib, laid siege to Jerusalem in 701 BC (2 Kings 18:13-19:37, Isaiah 36-37). The popular 1960s television crime drama Dragnet began every episode with the words, “This is the city.” The idea of a city has often embodied both the best and worst of humanity. Big cities offer morally contradictive lifestyles. While they often are places of excitement, there is also more of the threat of danger. The Bible notes that the first murderer, Cain, is also the builder of the first city (Genesis 4:17)¹A possible reflection of the antiurban bias in Genesis, “The Five Books of Moses”, author Robert Alter, ISBN 0-393-01955-1, 2004.. Nineveh was this type of big city.

Jonah’s message results in the people of Nineveh repenting. The people begin to understand that they should fear God and He spares this great city. Around 100 to 150 years later is where we see Nahum. Although the city of Nineveh had repented, their Godly behavior and fear of the Lord did not last for long. A few generations of people had passed and those in Nineveh were back to their old ways again. This will be one of the things we can learn from Nahum, the importance of passing God on to future generations! To understand Nahum, first, we must understand the people living in Nineveh.

The Assyrians were very powerful during this period and were busy conquering other regions, including Israel. When Nahum issued his prophecy of Nineveh’s doom, there was no hint of its coming destruction. The city was strong, self-confident, and recognized for its splendor by the surrounding nations. Because of its natural defenses, protected by both sides of the Nile River, and surrounded by moats, canals, and water channels, those who occupied Nineveh felt safe from invading armies. Yet most had forgotten that Nineveh had fallen to the Assyrians under Ashurbanipal in 663 BC. Under Assyria’s control, Nineveh had become a corrupt city of blood. Assyria’s cruelty is amply documented through archeology. Assyrian kings boasted of their cruelty. The worst kinds of torture took place for anyone imprisoned there. God considered them cruel and sinful.

Nineveh was also full of temples to other Gods. Their wealth came from the treasures taken from their enemies. Nahum has a vision of the destruction of the city of Nineveh. God then sends him to deliver a message to them, that soon they will face their downfall because of the evil that they have brought to God’s people and other nations around them. Even though Nineveh seems like a power that would last forever, they eventually fall. The prophet Nahum prophesied the destruction of the city because of their people’s evilness. Nahum’s predictions for Nineveh’s destruction came to pass when the Babylonians, Medes, and Scythians sacked the city in 612 BC. It was the largest city in the world for approximately fifty years until its destruction. Nineveh’s walls had been breached by flood waters, allowing their attackers to enter the city. The city’s ruin was ultimately a product of God’s divine wrath.

(Nahum 1:8–10)²NIV New International Version Translations – ‘’but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness. Whatever they plot against the Lord he will bring to an end; trouble will not come a second time. They will be entangled among thorns and drunk from their wine; they will be consumed like dry stubble.”

It is interesting to note that Nahum defines further exactly what God considered their worst sins, demanding His judgment. Nahum is listing the murder, inhumane torture of people, the illicit gains taken from others, and that victims of Nineveh’s culture were everywhere. We have a God that cares about His creation!

(Nahum 3:1) – “Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without victims!”

Nineveh was destroyed because its people and leaders practiced the crimes of religious prostitution and witchcraft. Nahum said, “all because of the wanton lust of a prostitute, alluring, the mistress of sorceries, who enslaved nations by her prostitution and peoples by her witchcraft.” (Nahum 3:4). In a further humiliation, God said, “’I am against you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame. I will pelt you with filth, I will treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle.’” (Nahum 3:5-6). Assyria would parade its captives through the city, sometimes nude, while people pelted them with stones and garbage. Thus, God gave Nineveh the same treatment they gave those they had captured in the past. God would treat them like a naked harlot, fastened to stocks in the public square, and pelted with human excrement. Assyria was disgraced and degraded before the world in the worst kind of humiliation.

Nahum also accused Nineveh as full of “lies and plunder” (Nahum 3:1). Assyria deliberately deceived other nations. They would enter binding treaties that they had no intention of keeping. Once the Assyrians gained the confidence of another nation, they would break their treaty and demand payments from its leaders. Nahum provided a detailed description of Nineveh’s collapse as the Medo-Babylonian coalition attacked the city. In reading Nahum 2-3 the battle is already in progress. As the machinery of war rolls through Nineveh, we are told of the sound of whips cracking, wheels clattering on the stone pavement, horses galloping through the city, and chariots speeding through the streets. The sun’s reflection off the swords and spears strikes terror in the Ninevites as they try in vain to flee. Their slaughter was imminent. The invading army and the people of Nineveh stumble over the thousands of dead that fill the streets during the battle.

Nahum prophecies that Nineveh’s wealth will disappear: “You have increased the number of your merchants till they are more numerous than the stars in the sky, but like locusts, they strip the land and then fly away.” (Nahum 3:16). Nineveh’s traders and merchants were many, like the stars of heaven. Their wealth was enriched by worldwide conquest and trade. Nahum simply prophecies that their wealth would vanish like locusts stripping an area of its vegetation and then quickly flying away.

(Nahum 3:18-19) – “King of Assyria, your shepherd’s slumber; your nobles lie down to rest. Your people are scattered in the mountains with no one to gather them. Nothing can heal you; your wound is fatal. All who hear the news about you clap their hands at your fall, for who has not felt your endless cruelty?”

Nineveh’s leaders would die in the war. Disloyal warriors would run away in the conflict. Nineveh’s people would be scattered and never restored to their land. Their destruction would be a delight to the world. This story is sobering. The city thought itself strong, self-confident and recognized for its splendor by the surrounding nations. No matter what the people did to help their city, whether it was getting water to drink, repairing the city walls, or even increasing the army, nothing saved them. They had gotten rich by plundering others. Their leaders demanded tributes from other nations for “protection.“ Assyria prostituted her values to gain wealth and power. 

Judgment cannot be escaped in this world! Judgment comes because of the character of God. He is in control of both nature and the nations. He used the Babylonians to bring His judgment on the Assyrians. He also used a flood to help the Babylonians. Our hope, however, is that God is just. Punishments, when administered by God are always well deserved. There is a well-quoted set of transitions that most nations move through. Our nation’s journey is no exception:

People begin in bondage, and transition to faith, from faith, comes courage, leading them to be free. It is the freedom that brings abundance, but too often, selfishness follows. Selfishness then breeds complacency which is quickly followed by apathy. Unfortunately, it is the apathy that again spawns bondage. Where is our nation today on this historic circular journey?

Contemplations

• There are similarities between Nineveh to our nation today – What are they?
  • Ideas to Explore: Who are the victims of our society? Are our leaders treating their enemies with cruelty? How do we treat other nations?
• What other nations do you see that are like Nineveh?
  • Ideas to Explore: Do you think that God will forget about those nations? Can God use any one of those cruel nations as a judgment and punishment against another nation?
• How long does a nation typically last?
  • Ideas to Explore: History says about 250 years. What is your guess on our own country?
• The worst stage for a country to be in is one of apathy-What would the signs be for a country in the “apathy” stage?
  • Ideas to Explore: Working populous is diminishing, voting percentages are low, number of regulations removing freedoms growing, your ideas?
• Do you see signs of the stage of bondage in our nation?
  • Ideas to Explore: Entitlements, debt, crime, fear of crime, loss of parental rights of children?

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  A possible reflection of the antiurban bias in Genesis, “The Five Books of Moses”, author Robert Alter, ISBN 0-393-01955-1, 2004.
• 2
  NIV New International Version Translations

Zephaniah prophesied during the reforms of King Josiah (640–609 BC.). What is unusual about this period of history, is that the king is known as someone who “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.” (2 Kings 22:2). Through his reforms, the king tried to restore the nation of Judah by returning the people to their covenant relationship with God. This was desperately needed after the reign of King Manasseh. King Manasseh was one of the most corrupt kings of Judah’s history, reversing all the gains his father had made. He is thought to be the king responsible for putting Isaiah to death. Manasseh’s son Amon was also dead after a reign of only 2 years. He was assassinated by his servants.

Judah, the southern kingdom, experienced a brief return to faithful practices, but it did not last. They quickly fell away from the Lord once again after King Josiah died. To help date this time, the northern kingdom, “Israel,” is mentioned in Zephaniah 2:9; 3:13-15, The northern kingdom had already been taken into exile by Assyria in 722 BC. In these verses, Israel refers to Judah and its capital, Jerusalem. The capital cities had not yet fallen. Other prophets such as Jeremiah, Nahum, and Habakkuk prophesied at the same time. Their messages were similar. They all described the need for spiritual transformation.

Zephaniah has an interesting family history. He traced his lineage back to a man named Hezekiah. We’re not sure whether or not this is the same person as King Hezekiah, who initiated reform, transcribed much of the Proverbs, and was remembered long afterward for following God (2 Kings 19:5). The name Zephaniah means “the Lord hides” or “the Lord has hidden.” It was rather common for parents to give their children a name that somehow became a prophetic description of their life. Some Bible scholars believe perhaps that God hid Zephaniah during the bloodthirsty reign of Manasseh. Zephaniah’s message was coming at a time when the nation was obeying God’s laws and turning from idols (2 Chronicles 34:33). Since the land was obeying God, it is reasonable to ask who exactly was Zephaniah’s warning. After King Josiah dies in battle, his sons take the throne for 22 years. They disobey God, cause trouble with Babylon, and disregard the prophet Jeremiah’s warnings (Jeremiah 36:27–29; 37:1–2). Additionally, the priests and citizens of Judah defile God’s temple (2 Chronicles 36:14).

Once again, the necessity for Zephaniah’s prophecies is caused by the historical pattern of failure to pass God’s Truth to a younger generation. One might question their family structures and educational systems during those times. Despite the stirring revival that occurred under King Josiah, the darkness of pagan practices surrounded them in their tiny nation. Living in a corrupt world is always hard. This has a particularly bad effect on the upcoming generations that know much less about their God than their parents knew. When there is no reinforcement of God’s Truth from either family or educational systems, the surrounding pagan practices can be quickly absorbed by the younger generations.

Like the Book of Joel, Zephaniah takes a “bad news first” approach. He began with the coming destruction of Jerusalem, next the downfall and restoration of the outside nations, and finally ended with the promise that Judah and Israel will one day be restored.

A Brief Outline for the Book of Zephaniah

• (Zephaniah 1) – Desolation and discipline on Judah
• (Zephaniah 2) – Desolation in the surrounding nations
• (Zephaniah 3:1-11) – The Lord’s remnant from the nations
• (Zephaniah 3:25-20) – The Lord’s remnant from Israel

The first thing the prophet Zephaniah wants his readers to know is that these aren’t his prophecies but God’s. It was a heavy message God had placed on Zephaniah’s heart!

(Zephaniah 1:1) – “The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:”

All of chapter Zephaniah 1 becomes his indictment of the people of Judah. It is a frightening description of what God’s judgment will look like for the citizens of the southern kingdom. He does lay out a roadmap to avoid judgment. It is good advice, even for today. Zephaniah also lays out what judgment will look like for the neighboring countries. These are the pagan countries influencing the southern kingdom of Judah.

(Zephaniah 2:3b) – “Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.”

There is a concept that is consistent through the cycles of judgment, punishment, and restoration. It is the story of Israel’s remnant people. Those are the people who followed God’s Truth and obeyed God’s commands. Our God uses them as “seed stock” to rebuild His kingdom of believers.

(Zephaniah 3:9-13) – “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder. From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, my scattered people will bring me offerings. On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to me, because I will remove from you your arrogant boasters. Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill. But I will leave within you the meek and humble. The remnant of Israel will trust in the name of the Lord. They will do no wrong; they will tell no lies. A deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down, and no one will make them afraid.”

Despite the judgment that would come to the people of Israel, the righteous ones would be hidden and guarded against the destruction to come. For many of us today, it is hard for us to understand the constant drumbeat of judgment in the books of prophecy. The occult or pagan practices were disgusting and cruel. It was a time of constant crimes against humanity, murder, and idol worship. Imagine the worst, it was going on at that time. God has no patience with Satanism. The point that we must never forget is that God never brings destruction to a place or a people that haven’t already destroyed themselves.

(Zephaniah 3:14,15,20) – “Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem!”

“The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm.”

“’At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,’ says the Lord.”

There will be a restoration of a remnant (Zephaniah 3:13) that are faithful to God. God’s judgments for sin will be taken away (Zephaniah 3:14). This prophecy is the foretelling of our Messiah’s return. We are to be forgiven in Christ and we have been given the hope of heaven instead of the prospect of eternal judgment (1 John 4:17,18). Do you remember what Zephaniah is suggesting our plan today should be?

(Zephaniah 2:3b) – “Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.”

Contemplations

• Ever since Noah and his family’s adventure on the ark, God has kept a remnant hidden during times of harsh judgment. How does this make you feel?
  • Ideas to Explore: Seems like God’s objective is to leave the world in a good place. Is it reassuring? Do you feel like you are part of whom God will hide?
• Do you think the history of destruction that followed judgment is a deterrent today?
  • Ideas to Explore: We know that God has always punished bad behavior. What makes people think they can get away without punishment?
• Why is it so hard to pass God on from generation to generation?
  • Ideas to Explore: We are separating God from education. The family structure and responsibilities of parenting are collapsing.
• Why is the role of Godly parenting so important for the future of the world?
  • Ideas to Explore: List your perfect world: peace, prosperity, caring for each other, no crime, no need for drugs, adequate food, clothing, and housing for all. Add to this list. Now compare God’s promises to the world’s promises. Who do you want to believe?

Jeremiah was born about 650 BC in a village close to Jerusalem (Jeremiah 1:1). His father Hilkiah was a priest (Jeremiah 1:1). Jeremiah’s name means “Jehovah has appointed.” He was young when called by God to be a prophet (Jeremiah 1:1-10). ). These were troubling times in Judah. King Josiah was the last of the godly kings. He led the people back to God and His Law (2 Kings 22, 23) and made many good reforms. The small nation of Judah, the southern kingdom, was located between two superpowers, Assyria, and Egypt. Many of the wars fought between Assyria and Egypt would be fought on Judah’s territory.  The destruction caused by these two warring nations forced the Kings of Judah to constantly seek alliances with either Babylon or Egypt. One of Jeremiah’s warnings was to only trust in God, not strategic alliances with countries that could not be trusted.

Jeremiah is often called “the weeping prophet” because he shed tears over the sins of his people and their abandonment of God. God told Jeremiah not to marry or have a family (Jeremiah 16:1-4) to spare him added grief that was about to come from the impending judgment and destruction God would lay upon Judah.  During Judah’s last days, Jeremiah served as God’s principal prophet delivering His messages of warning. His messages were simply on how to avoid the judgments of God. To read a summary of Jeremiah’s prophecies, we use the book of Lamentations. The Lamentations are written as a testament to the fulfillment of God’s promised judgments. The people did not follow Jeremiah’s advice. Yet, Jeremiah also gave them hope. He spoke about God’s forgiveness of His people’s sins and the relief He would bring to the suffering of His people.

(Lamentations 5:21)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old”

Jeremiah preached God’s warnings for 40 years. He was never successful in turning the people back to God. Even his own family rejected him. Jeremiah was beaten and put in prison on several occasions (Jeremiah 26:8-11; 32:1-3; 33:1; 37:13-15; 38:6-13). And, when he continued to preach God’s Word, he was finally stoned to death, according to Jewish history. Jeremiah’s life was one of unselfish ministry, sacrifice, humility, and faithfulness. His job, deliver unpopular messages to Israel. His reward from his people was to be rejected, despised, abandoned, and murdered. However, he remained true and obedient to God. Our nation is in a similar position today. People, government, and media are openly antagonistic to God. We have removed God from our schools. Our leaders mock God! Satan laughs as he destroys our families. Our enemies laugh as we destroy ourselves. Generational debt, relenting crime, addictions too many to mention killing our children and young adults, just to name a few. We should all “weep” like Jeremiah!

Don’t think of the Book of Jeremiah as a story or group of stories. Yes, we read about people, places, and events. There are good people, bad people, and endings we don’t care for. The reason we must read Jeremiah is told to us by Jesus Himself:

(Luke 24:44) – “He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.”

God sent Jeremiah and inspired his prophecies to also benefit the people of today!

(Jeremiah 29:11) – “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

Jeremiah shows us God’s character. As our world attempts to dimmish our God, Jeremiah enriches our understanding of God.

(Jeremiah 10:1–16) – “0 Hear what the Lord says to you, people of Israel. This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the heavens, though the nations are terrified by them. The practices of the people are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good. No one is like you, Lord; you are great, and your name is mighty in power. Who should not fear you, King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise leaders of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you. They are all senseless and foolish; they are taught by worthless wooden idols. Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. What the craftsman and goldsmith have made is then dressed in blue and purple—all made by skilled workers. But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath. Tell them this: ‘These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens. But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. The images he makes are a fraud; they have no breath in them. They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish. He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things, including Israel, the people of his inheritance—the Lord Almighty is his name.’”

Take a moment and argue with Jeremiah about the verses above. He will tell you that it is our God who inspired this logic. We live in a world that denies the reality of sin. More creatively, our world just redefines sin. Only God can define sin! God created us to worship Him and to live in peace with Him. Human folly is that we substitute the worship of the one true God for the worship of worthless idols (Jeremiah. 2:4–13; 44:15–30). Sin has its roots deep in the human heart, deceiving us into calling evil good and good evil (Jeremiah 17:1–13). There is no aspect of our being or our nation that sin has not infected.

Our world is in desperate need of a Savior. Jeremiah points the way:

(Jeremiah 23:5) “’The days are coming, declares the Lord, ‘when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.’”

Any time there is a nation that has been given unusual blessings and responded by rebelling against the giver of those gifts, expect the gifts to be curtailed and punishment to come. That was what Jeremiah’s message was all about. God was about to punish the nation of Judah. It is appropriate to ask whether our nation is experiencing God’s punishment. We are more divided than ever. Who influences that behavior? Not God, maybe Satan. The church is becoming less and less influential, becoming more and more worldly.  Sexual perversion, abortion, economic chaos, crime, violence in our cities, and warring nations knocking on our door. Jeremiah points us to a new covenant that God makes with His people (Jeremiah. 31:31–34). Through this new covenant, God finally deals with sin, writes His law on the hearts of his people, and promises He will be our God and His people, forever.

Contemplations

• Do you know young adult couples who have decided not to have children because the world is a mess?
  • Ideas to Explore: Media, government both are promoted the “no children” idea. Environmental groups push “zero growth.” How do you feel about this?
• Can you find a link between today’s sinful society and idolatry?
  • Ideas to Explore: Where is idolatry the worst in society today? What is driving the preference of idols verse God? What part of society is influencing our children to worship “things?”
• Jeremiah owned a home. He would, by our society’s standards, be considered a normal contributor to society. Yet his message was ineffective. Why?
  • Ideas to Explore: Normal is no longer definable. Has it become all about self?
• Jeremiah and other prophets were critical of the church. What do you think the Christian church today should be doing to make our world a better place?
  • Ideas to Explore: Teach God’s Truth. Focus on Jesus, who He is and why He came. Stop aligning themselves with worldly values?

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The book of Habakkuk is a different style that other prophetic books. Habakkuk is not addressing the people but is involved more in a dialogue, between himself and God. He asks difficult questions and then struggles with reconciling what he knows about God’s character and comparing it with God’s current actions. One of the big questions Habakkuk struggles with is why a more wicked nation like Babylon will be victorious over a less wicked nation like his own, Judah. Though there were many acts of unrighteousness committed by both the people of Judah and the people of Babylon, both nations were guilty of idolatry. He saw the punishment as somewhat unfair. Very little is known about Habakkuk and his life except for what is mentioned in his short book. There is even disagreement over the meaning of his name, whether it means “embracer” or “embraced.” Habakkuk is saddened by the injustice and violence occurring around him. He is puzzled by God’s tolerance of it.

Not only was Habakkuk a prophet, but he was also a skilled poet. In the book of Habakkuk, the prophet shows great literary skill in how he records the dialogue between himself and God. His book includes a psalm-like song intended to be performed with instruments (Habakkuk 3:19). Habakkuk likely was written several years before judgment, between 640–609 BC. His prophecy was that God would use Babylon to punish Judah (the southern kingdom) just as he used Assyria to punish Israel (the northern kingdom) in 722 BC

The people of Judah had been spiraling into unfaithfulness. They had become devoted to practices of many different religions, worshipped the pagan god, Baal, and even offered child sacrifices to the pagan god, Molech. Children were burned alive! Is this any different than today, when we abandon tens of thousands of children into sex trafficking or turn their lives over to hard drugs? This is abhorrent behavior before God and God was preparing to pour out his wrath upon them. Since Habakkuk prophesied about the Babylonians and the destruction of Jerusalem (Habakkuk 1:6), many scholars place him around the same time as Jeremiah, who also prophesied about the coming Babylonian Captivity. It is possible that, like Jeremiah, Habakkuk lived to see the destruction of Jerusalem.

(Habakkuk 1:1-3) ¹NIV New International Version Translations– “The prophecy that Habakkuk the prophet received. How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.”

Habakkuk questions why God would allow suffering and let those who are evil go unpunished. God answers in (Habakkuk 1:6), “I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own.“

Whether idols are literal (made of stone and wood) or idols of the heart (things like power, money, or fame), anything that takes our heart’s allegiance away from the One True God is a sin and is deserving of God’s wrath. After a frank and open dialogue with God, Habakkuk responds by saying he will stand by, take his position, and wait and watch God. Habakkuk is reaffirming that God’s wisdom and justice go beyond human understanding. God’s response is not one of anger. We need to take note here. Even when we do not understand but reach out to God for answers, God’s response is always one of affirmation.

(Habakkuk 2:4) – “See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright—but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness”

The Babylonians will eventually experience God’s judgment as well. This is a typical pattern of how God answers the “Why” questions. Like in Job 40:2, “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!” In all conversations with God, He is willing to interact with those who are asking him questions. God, however, never fully explains every detail of his plans to them. God is God and they are not. God’s plans and purposes will come and be merciful. They are always for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). But those plans do not need to be pre-approved by those who love Him, because there is only One all-powerful God who knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). Maybe the most reaffirming statement that God can give humanity is that His victory over evil is sure.

(Habakkuk 2:14) – “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

This verse gives us an eternal perspective of what seems to us like a horrible injustice. As the Psalmist explains, “A thousand years in your [God’s] sight is like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night” (Psalm 90:4). The reason that history must never be forgotten or re-written, it that all evil can ultimately be traced to idolatry. The worship of inanimate objects is a fool’s journey. God’s power should humble even the righteous.  Habakkuk’s response to God’s words about idolatry is full of humility. He simply pleads for mercy and resolves that God’s plan is for the best. When we are faced with divine sovereignty and not told why God does everything he does, we have a choice. People can be angry, and even pretend that they are the ones who oversee the world. That attitude is nothing more than a complete abandonment of God. We must admit to our limits as humans and trust that the future we cannot see and the plans we don’t fully understand have been ordained by God Himself (1 John 4:8).

Contemplations

• Do you believe we are a sinful nation?
  • Ideas to Explore: Statistics on abortion, crime, drugs, the national debt, the lack of transparency from leadership, the abandonment of church and God, and the lack of honesty; oh, please add your favorites!
• The disaster was imminent. The people of Judah just watched their neighbors captured, and enslaved. Yet they would not listen to a message of repentance. Why do you think that was the case?
  • Ideas to Explore: They became comfortable with sin. They abandoned God. Their leaders misled them into captivity. What do you think?
• Do you have conversations with God?
  • Ideas to Explore: An active prayer life leads to communication with God. Do you think humility is necessary? Are we too busy?
• Do you believe there is merit in prophecies like that of Habakkuk?
  • Ideas to Explore: Where does our advice come from? Is it Godly and reliable? How do you know?

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Why should we study the book of Daniel? His story is about surviving a life of terrible circumstances. He was enslaved in a pagan land. Daniel is captured while a young man in Nebuchadnezzar’s first siege of Jerusalem. He will live in Babylon into the reign of King Cyrus the Persian, for 70 years. Daniel will become a government official under four different kings. To begin his life in captivity, Daniel and the other captives had requirements. They first were required to take and pass a 3-year course in the Babylonian language and literature. This was a complete indoctrination into a pagan society. Daniel and his friends did well. They were said to be 10 times wiser than all the experienced magicians and enchanters in all Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom (Daniel 1:20). Daniel’s wisdom would make him a legend. Despite his circumstances, Daniel found purpose in his life. He remained a person of prayer and faith. God’s response to him was through wisdom. Daniel’s life would become a living example of the God of Israel.

It is a great story, one to put on your must-read list. In our modern times, many people feel like Daniel. Circumstances seem out of our control. Trapped by life itself. There are times that life is not what we envisioned. Daniel’s heritage had come from King David’s royal family. In 605 B.C., the Israelite dynasty was in decline. Nebuchadnezzar had been a Babylonian ruler who reigned over much of the civilized world. In his successful destruction of Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar carried off some of the treasure from the temple of God to Babylon. He also captured some young men of the royal family and took them with him to serve in his court (Daniel 1:3). Daniel was one of the high-profile hostages. (Daniel 1:6).

Daniel’s life would become best known for wisdom, prayer, and prophecy. How then could he sustain and grow his faith when forced to learn, live in, and adapt to a pagan culture. Where did his wisdom come from? There were no Jewish temples and schools for Daniel to refresh his faith. No good books to read about the God of Israel.

It would be wrong to categorize Daniel as an opportunist. The first characteristic of Daniel was his unwavering faithfulness to the Law of Moses. Daniel knew the Law and he did not forget it while in exile. As an example, Daniel chose not to defile himself with the King’s food when he arrived in Babylon. This is food that would have rendered him unclean according to the Torah (Daniel 1:8). Daniel, as a young man, knew God’s commands. He would follow them his entire life. Daniel was also righteous and remained that way through his entire life. There is no bad press on Daniel in the Bible. If you investigate the great people within the Old Testament, it is easy to find faults with some of the big names:

• Abraham fathered a child with his wife’s handmaiden, Hagar.
• Moses was banned from Canaan for not listening to God and striking the rock to get water.
• David committed adultery and murder.
• Noah celebrated God’s covenant by getting naked and drunk. (Genesis 9:21).
• Job had to repent because of how he spoke about God (Job 38:2; 42:1–6).

We find nothing bad in Daniel. Even when his political opponents tried to find bad things, their only option would be to make it illegal to obey God (Daniel 6:4–5)! Daniel continued to pray to God and not the king throughout his entire life. He did not soften his faith to accommodate his world even though it put him in danger (Daniel 6:13). David had accepted that God was in control of his life!

When Daniel was still new to Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar has a troubling dream that (at first) nobody can interpret. The king doesn’t make it any easier on his magicians and diviners. He doesn’t tell them what the dream was. The king’s position was that if you’re psychic, you should be able to tell me what I dreamed. The magicians had what they thought was a perfect response:

(Daniel 2:11)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “What the King asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the King except the gods, and they do not live among humans.”

When Nebuchadnezzar’s son also sees a terrifying vision, his mother refers him to Daniel. This is how she describes him:

(Daniel 5:11) – “There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners.”

Daniel gains notoriety for understanding dreams. He is the only person who can interpret some of the most troubling dreams and visions for Nebuchadnezzar and his son, Belshazzar (Daniel 2:27, 30; 4:4–9; 5:15–17). As far as these magicians are concerned, Daniel is an anomaly. Strange as it may be, Daniel is soon placed in a position to oversee the people who relied on other gods to enlighten themselves. This is an example of who God is and about many of His attributes. Daniel’s life becomes a story about God in control! In a way, God uses Daniel’s wisdom to show up the gods of Babylon even though God’s temple has been destroyed by the Babylonians.

Daniel’s wisdom and reputation continue to grow. Other prophets like Ezekiel reference Daniel when they are preaching to arrogant rulers of other nations. When a ruler Ezra is dealing with a king who thinks he’s a god and thinks he might even be wiser than Daniel, Ezekiel says:

(Ezekiel 28:3) – “Are you wiser than Daniel? Is no secret hidden from you?”

The famous story of Daniel and the lions’ den can be found in chapter 6 of the book of Daniel. Daniel was now in his eighties. The story takes place under a different king of Persia. King Darius made plans to establish regional governors, one hundred and twenty of them called satraps. Daniel was one of them. Furthermore, because Daniel was so good at what he did, the king planned to set him over his entire kingdom. Here we see an example played out even in our contemporary history today. Success breeds jealousy. The other satraps tried to find a charge against Daniel’s work to get rid of him. Because Daniel was faithful, they could not find any charges, even false ones. Daniel’s enemies resorted to trickery, using his different religious beliefs against him.

(Daniel 6:7) – “The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors have all agreed that the King should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den.”

When Daniel discovered that the king’s order was signed, he went home. In his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt on his knees three times that day as was his custom. He didn’t fear. Daniel knew God was the source of all his wisdom and success in life. When the governors saw that Daniel prayed to God, they went to the king. They are accusing him of breaking the royal decree and that he does not show due regard for the king (Daniel 6:13). The king saw the snare that had been set for him. Having no alternative, the king gave the order to cast Daniel into the lion’s den. The king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No musicians were brought before him. He could not sleep. And as soon as he arose at morning dawn, the king went to the lions’ den. As he cried out for Daniel, Daniel was heard to say:

(Daniel 6:22) – “My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

The decree had not required the execution of Daniel, but only that he “be cast into the den of lions” (Daniel 6:7). Then, the king commanded that the people who had accused Daniel be thrown into the den of lions with their children, and their wives as a punishment for their conspiracy (Daniel 6:24). No angel came to save them.

As Daniel’s life of service to God would continue, he would add further wisdom in his prophecies. Daniel would introduce us to the angel Gabriel. Daniel’s prophecies would tell us of Jesus’ birth and death. His commitment to God remained strong and visible. Now under another new king, Cyrus would be so moved by Daniel’s faith, he would decree that the Israelite exiles could return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple that Nebuchadnezzar destroyed (Ezra 1:1–4).

What was Daniel’s secret to survival? Daniel lived as if God’s Laws mattered. He was not afraid to speak God’s Words to those around him. Daniel did not succumb to the pagan world around him. Babylon did not change Daniel, Babylon changed because of Daniel. He humbled himself on his knees before God when things were bleak. What would our world look like with a few more Daniels? What would your world look like if you were more like Daniel?

“Wisdom is the power to see, and the inclination to choose, the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it.” ~ J. I. Packard

Contemplations

• How do Daniel and his life speak to you?
  • Ideas to explore: Are you in a place where you feel out of place? What did you see in Daniel’s life that kept him focused on God?
• What helped Daniel keep his faith, for life, while living in a world void of his God?
  • Ideas to Explore: How does prayer help one focus on God in ungodly places? What did Daniel do to keep the pagan world from infiltrating his life?
• How is the life of Daniel like that of the story of Joseph living in Egypt?
  • Ideas to Explore: Why do you think we have stories like Daniel and Joseph in the Bible?
• How do you think learning the language and culture of the Babylonians helped Daniel?
  • Ideas to Explore: Is the reluctance for immigrants to learn a new language and adapt a hindrance or a help to them?
• Why is a life of living for God so powerful to others who do not know God?
  • Ideas to Explore: What stands out in the life of a Godly person to attract them? Is God in the hearts of all people, in need of awakening?
• Why does jealousy exist to the extent it does when someone is recognized as having more talents?
  • Ideas to Explore: Think of our politics – Is this competence and reliance on God the source of hatred we see today?

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