Daniel lives a life of difficulty from being ripped from his home as youth, to being thrown to the lions as an old man. It would be natural to ask, “Is this worth it?” Daniel’s book concludes with God telling him this is the end and it is brilliant.
Amos is a prophet who uses his voice for the poor, used, and overlooked. He demonstrates that God cares about justice and gives us the hope of a coming King and Edenic Kingdom that will ultimately remedy the human problem.
A crisis drives Isaiah to the temple and a divine surprise. Isaiah 6 is an incredible portrait of God’s glory and human sin.
As we watch our society shift and change it can be easy to want to disengage and run. But is there a better way? Jeremiah the prophet battles this mentality when God gives him the remedy and the recipe for exiles to thrive in Babylon.
What is the Old Testament about? The repetition of sin and failure can get monotonous and confusing. What is the goal? What is the solution? How can a people be changed? Zephaniah gives us the heart of the message of the Old Testament.
Grudges, retaliation, revenge and bitterness are themes in human history. Obadiah’s short prophetic message is a warning to all of us to rid ourselves of the radioactivity of retaliation.
One of the themes in the prophets is their call of exhortation to God’s people. The call can be to get back to Torah observance, or justice or it in case of Haggai to stop procrastinating. We get to learn from how God shepherds His people during periods of “we will do it later” and gain wisdom for our own tendencies.
Scripture is an epic narrative full of characters, rules, history and miracles. It can be difficult to understand how it applies to our lives and what it means for us to live as those who believe and follow God. Micah helps by giving the most succinct summary of what God wants.
Restore: to bring back to or put back into a former or original state. There might not be a greater truth than God’s ability to restore. It goes further than forgiveness by renewing what was lost or broken. Joel 2 does a prophetic dive into the miraculous work of restoration.
Hosea the prophet’s life and marriage to Gomer the prostitute is both moving and mysterious. There is no happily ever after. Instead we are left to consider how we treat God and if we will be a faithful covenant partner to Him.
Nahum is the sequel to Jonah. The Ninevites have repented of their repentance and have become a national bully. God’s longsuffering runs out and in its place is God’s wrath. Nahum forces us to wrestle with how to respond to God’s anger.
Everyone knows the story of Jonah and the whale. However, most of our mental pictures are from Veggie Tales and distort the incredible message of this prophet. Jonah isn’t about Nineveh, whales or dying plants; it is a mirror for the reader's heart.
Ezekiel is one of the most colorful prophets. His actions, words, and visions are both mysterious and marvelous. Chapter one set the tone for the entire book. It is a shock to Ezekiel and a comfort for every person that feels exiled.
When life gets dark can Christians ask why? We looked at three of God’s prophetic voices - Habakkuk, Job and Jeremiah - to learn how to wrestle well in the dark night of the soul.
Daniel’s life is exemplary. He demonstrates how to live in the worst biblical city. He not only endures the attacks but his life changes the city of Babylon. We get wisdom on how to endure our own attacks that come at our bodies, minds, and spirits.