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Haggai – Prophet of Introspection and Exhortation (4 of 4)

Focus Text: Haggai 2.4-5

“‘Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the LORD; ‘and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the LORD, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!’”

“Be strong!” That was the LORD’S message to every one…  ( Click for more )

Haggai – Prophet of Introspection and Exhortation (3 of 4)

Focus Text: Haggai 1.12-13

“Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him; and the people feared the presence of the LORD. Then Haggai, the LORD’S messenger, spoke the LORD’S message to the people, saying, ‘I am with you, says the LORD.’”

Haggai was a prophet who got godly results!…  ( Click for more )

Focus Text: Haggai 1.5-7

“Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Consider your ways! You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.’ Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Consider your ways!’”

Some one has defined insanity as continuing to do the same thing over and over while expecting…  ( Click for more )

Haggai – Prophet of Introspection and Exhortation (1 of 4)

Focus Text: Haggai 1.1-5

“In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, ‘Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying: “This people says, ‘The time has not come, the time that the LORD’S house should be built.’”’ Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet,…  ( Click for more )

Pride - a Common Human Malady

Focus Text: Zephaniah 3.11-12

“In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds In which you transgress against Me; For then I will take away from your midst Those who rejoice in your pride, And you shall no longer be haughty In My holy mountain. I will leave in your midst A meek and humble people, And they shall trust in the name of the LORD.”

Israel was not the first nation to be destroyed because of haughtiness; neither was she to be the last. God hates haughtiness, or as it is called in Proverbs 6.16-17, “a…  ( Click for more )

Habakkuk – The Burden Prophet (4 of 4)

Focus Text: Habakkuk 2.20

“But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.”

Just what and where is God’s holy temple? Let the scriptures speak. “However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands…” (Acts 7.48). “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.” (Acts 17.24). “Hear, all you peoples! Listen, O earth, and all that is in it! …  ( Click for more )

Habakkuk – The Burden Prophet (3 of 4)

Focus Text: Habakkuk 2.18-20

Habakkuk’s burden was a heavy one; God had revealed to him that the Chaldeans would rise and triumph over his beloved nation, Israel. He wondered out loud as to the fact that the wicked (i.e. the Chaldeans) could prosper. This was one of his “complaints.” Likewise, he wondered (complained) about the propriety of God’s use of such a wicked nation to punish a nation which had historically called on the name of Jehovah. What a blow it must have been for the prophet to have…  ( Click for more )

Habakkuk – The Burden Prophet (2 of 4)

Focus Text: Habakkuk 1.12-2.1

Habakkuk’s second complaint went like this:

“Are You not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, You have appointed them for judgment; O Rock, You have marked them for correction. You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours A person more righteous than he? Why do You make men like fish of the sea, Like creeping things that…  ( Click for more )

Habakkuk – The Burden Prophet (1 of 4)

Focus Text: Habakkuk 1.1-4

“The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw. O LORD, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You, ‘Violence!’ And You will not save. Why do You show me iniquity, And cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; There is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.” (Habakkuk 1.1-4).

Perhaps Habakkuk’s…  ( Click for more )

Morality – Let Me Define it!

Focus Text: 1 John 3.4

At the very beginning of the Bible God set forth the idea that there is such a thing as good, there is such a thing as evil, and there is a discernable difference between the two. In fact, this distinction is contained in the very first account of God’s dealings with man. The inspired writer recorded, “And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of…  ( Click for more )

Micah – Prophet of Uncompromising Principles (4 of 4)

Focus Text: Micah 7.14-20

Micah, as we have clearly seen, was a prophet of uncompromising principles. He was also a man of great passion and empathy. He spoke straight from his heart and yet delivered candid and cutting messages of impending destruction upon rebellious Israel. One might think that a person of this demeanor and thought might lose sight of God’s mercy and goodness. Yet, this was far from the case with Micah; he was a man of strict principle and undiminished hope based upon God’s…  ( Click for more )

Micah – Prophet of Uncompromising Principles (3 of 4)

Focus Text: Micah 6.6-8

Ritualism had become a way of life among the children of Israel. Warning upon warning had been delivered by God’s faithful prophets; warnings to forsake the cold and heartless worship practices into which they had fallen and to turn their hearts back to their Redeemer. Yet, to a large measure these pleas had fallen on deaf ears; rituals replaced virtues and rites replaced what was right. Micah was but one of the voices that cried out against this great wrong but his eloquence…  ( Click for more )

Micah – Prophet of Uncompromising Principles (2 of 4)

Focus Text: Micah 3.1-7

Times were not ordinary during Micah’s life. Sin had reached a point in the culture of Israel such that the patience of God had been exceeded. Now that is a frightening statement! Take a deep breath before reading the following words from Micah’s pen; to a believer, they are chilling words which cut the heart and tell of man’s most fearsome fate.

“And I said: ‘Hear now, O heads of Jacob, And you rulers of the house of Israel: Is it not for you to know…  ( Click for more )

Micah – Prophet of Uncompromising Principles (1 of 4)

Focus Text: Micah 1.8-12

The focus text (Micah 1.8-12) has been called by some the Lamentations of Micah. We will examine this text, the circumstances that surrounded it, and gain significant insight into Micah’s character at the same time.

The situation in the land of the Jews was bleak! Idolatry had made tremendous strides into the hearts and practices of “God’s people.” They had been warned about idolatrous worship from of old, yet many of the descendents of Abraham plunged…  ( Click for more )

Achieving Sainthood

Focus Text: Philippians 1.1-2

“Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1.1-2).

Note the use of the word saints in the preceding quote. Notice that the book of Philippians was written to “…the saints… in Philippi.” Note also that others addressed in the greeting were “…the bishops and deacons.” There are several…  ( Click for more )

Amos – Shepherd Prophet of Judgment (5 of 5)

Focus Text: Amos 9.11-15

From our brief overview of the ministry of Amos, we have seen that he rightly could be called the Shepherd Prophet of Judgment; his pronouncements of doom were frequent, forceful, and sometimes downright frightening. However, lest one get the idea that there is not a glimmer of hope in Amos, we must conclude with a look at the last five verses of his book.

“‘On that day I will raise up The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its…  ( Click for more )

Amos – Shepherd Prophet of Judgment (4 of 5)

Focus Text: Amos 7.10-17

Godly men have always been the subject of ridicule and persecution; Amos was certainly not an exception. Consider the following paragraph from the life of Amos, the Shepherd Prophet of Israel.

“Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, ‘Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said: “Jeroboam shall die by the sword, And Israel shall surely be led away…  ( Click for more )

Focus Text: Amos 4.1-5

One of the important but often misunderstood facets of biblical inspiration is that God used the personalities and vocabulary of His prophets in delivering His word. By paying attention to the approach and language a prophet takes to a particular situation, one can gain insight into the prophet’s personality and character. By reading these clues, one does not have to be a super detective to learn that a couple of Amos’ strong points were his candor and his passion. We will note some passages…  ( Click for more )

Amos – Shepherd Prophet of Judgment (2 of 5)

Focus Text: Amos 3.1-8

Amos has a powerful and memorable way of putting things; his hearers/readers can not help but pay attention; they can’t help but be impressed by his words. Some of the reasons are evident in the paragraph that follows.

“Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying: ‘You only have I known of all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.’…  ( Click for more )

Focus Text: Amos 1.1,7.14-15

“The words of Amos, who was among the sheepbreeders of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.” (Amos 1.1). There had been other prophets from among the ranks of the shepherds and there would be others. However, had been more blunt or to the point than Amos. His speech was picturesque and drew upon his upbringing and his occupation.

God’s call…  ( Click for more )

Jeremiah – Words from the Heart (4 of 4)

Focus Text: Jeremiah 26

Courage and perseverance go hand in hand and Jeremiah was well acquainted with both virtues; notice the following example.

“So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD. Now it happened, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, ‘You will surely die! Why have you prophesied in the…  ( Click for more )

Jeremiah – Words from the Heart (3 of 4)

Focus Text: Jeremiah 36

One who knows the prophets cannot think about Jeremiah without thinking about his courage. From the world’s perspective, Jeremiah was a failure. He was frequently isolated, alone, lonely, and incessantly persecuted during his ministry. Yet, in spite of all the hardships that Jeremiah endured, he never quit! His desire to please God was greater than his desire for personal comforts and popularity. Even after years and years of teaching and preaching, Jerusalem and Judah were not greatly…  ( Click for more )

Jeremiah – Words from the Heart (2 of 4)

Focus Text: Lamentations 3.48-51

Writing about Jeremiah without mentioning compassion would be like writing about our solar system without mentioning the sun; compassion is at the very center of Jeremiah’s writings, feelings, and personality. We will explore a couple of texts which illustrate this fact.

“My eyes overflow with rivers of water For the destruction of the daughter of my people. My eyes flow and do not cease, Without interruption, Till the LORD from heaven Looks down and sees. My eyes bring suffering…  ( Click for more )

Jeremiah – Words from the Heart (1 of 4)

Focus Text: Jeremiah 1.4-10

Jeremiah is frequently referred to as the weeping prophet and this with good cause. In the book of Lamentations he wrote, “The elders of the daughter of Zion Sit on the ground and keep silence; They throw dust on their heads And gird themselves with sackcloth. The virgins of Jerusalem Bow their heads to the ground. My eyes fail with tears, My heart is troubled; My bile is poured on the ground Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, Because the children and the infants…  ( Click for more )