Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
I Samuel
II Samuel
I Kings
II Kings
I Chronicles
II Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Key Verses From Every Book
For the last two and a half months of the school year Michael had to teach from his computer. Assigning lessons and receiving completed assignments through the internet. He was finally able to get back into his classroom and clean it for the summer break. In one of his desk drawers he found a little book of scripture. It is called "My Little Bible" (Christian Art Gifts) and is about 2 1/2 inches square. It must have been leftover from the ones he included in Christmas gifts to his students several years ago. The little book has at least one key verse from every book of the Bible, and a few study aids. When he showed it to me I was excited that this would be a great base for my next devotional theme. I hope to begin in the Old Testament with Genesis and continue all the way through the 66 books to Revelation, using a verse or two from each book. This should give us a good look at the whole Bible during the weeks of summer.
"Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away." Luke 21:33
Genesis
For children to learn to read they have to start at the beginning by learning the alphabet. As in any study, it is great to start at the beginning, so we are looking at the very first verse in the Bible. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) If you are going to read and study the Bible, you must believe this first verse. Students are taught all kinds of theories about the beginning of time and existence, but here is the truth about creation in just ten little words. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness." (Genesis 1:3-4) To begin it all... God created light. From the very first day of creation, God gave us light to dispel darkness. We find another beginning in John 1. God gave us His only begotten Son, Jesus, to be the Light of the world so that we would not have to walk in darkness. Praise the Lord!
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." (John 1:1-5)
Exodus
I am currently in the book of Ezekiel with my daily Bible reading, and there is a phrase that I see over and over, "know that I am the Lord." This little group of words, which is shown in 77 verses of the Bible, was first spoken in Exodus 6:7. "And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians." God has given us His Word so that we can know that He is the Lord. Chapter 20 gives us The Ten Commandments. There is a beautiful conversation between God and Moses in chapter 33 and I want to include some of those amazing words, spoken between God and man, and tell you today, I am glad that God knows my name, and that I have found grace in His sight. I am thankful that His presence goes with me, and there is a place by Him, where He shows me His glory. Thank you, Lord!
"... I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight." (33:12)
"... shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight:" (33:13)
"... If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence." (33:15)
"... shew me thy glory." (33:18)
"... Behold, there is a place by me,..." (33:21)
Leviticus
One of the verses in "My Little Bible" for Leviticus is 26:12, "And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people." God wanted to walk among His people, and He gave them the law to follow. He told them, "Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God." (20:7) Over and over He told the people to "be holy". Jesus came to save us and now we live under grace, and not under the law, but even in the New Testament God tells us to be holy. "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." (I Peter 1:15-16)
I also want to share a thought from Leviticus 9:23-24. "And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces." Ezekiel saw the glory of God and he fell on his face. (Ezekiel 1:28, 3:23, 43:3, and 44:4) When we see God in His glory, we will fall on our face before Him. You can choose to do that now, or choose not to humble yourself to Him, but you can be sure that one day we will all fall down and worship God Almighty. "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." (Romans 14:11)
Numbers
In addition to finding the number of the Children of Israel that God led out of Egypt, we also find a beautiful blessing that God shared over His people. These are great verses of encouragement that we can share with others.
"The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." (Numbers 6:24-26)
The book of Numbers tells of the Tabernacle being set up and the offerings of each tribe. Chapter 7 tells us that each tribe had the same offering, but they were all mentioned specifically by name. It is good to know that the Lord knows our name, and that He sees our offering and hears our prayers individually. We see how God led the Israelites with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. We are not led this way today, but Christians living in the church age walk by faith. "(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)" (II Corinthians 5:7) We see that Moses was not above sin. When God told him to speak to the rock, he disobeyed. God still gave them water, but he and Aaron were not allowed to go into the Promised Land because they rebelled against God's Word.
"And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?
And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them." (Numbers 20:10-12)
I want to close with a portion of Numbers 21:4, "and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way." Many of us are finding ourselves discouraged today because of the way. Because of the way sickness has taken a hold on people. Because of the way our country has turned its back on God. Because of the way sin is so prevalent. Try not to be discouraged. God is still on His throne and He cares for His children!
Deuteronomy
Before Moses died he charged the people to follow God. The book of Deuteronomy gives us his closing words. As I review my personal Bible study notes I see so many verses that I want to share, so I will limit my comments and let God's Word speak to you today. We will begin with what Jesus said was the greatest commandment. (Matthew 22:36-38, Mark 12:30, and Luke 10:27)
"4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.: (6:4-9)
"Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him." (4:35)
"Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;" (7:9)
"And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul," (10:12)
As we get to the end of the book, we see Moses' challenge and warning. And then we close with encouragement found in Deuteronomy 31:6.
"14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;
16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
17 But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;
18 I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.
19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:" (30:14-19)
"Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." (31:6)
Joshua
Moses told Joshua, and the Lord told Joshua, and I believe that if Joshua were to give us some encouraging words today he would pass it along to us; "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." (Joshua 1:9) We may not be fighting the same kind of battles that Joshua had to fight, but with everything that is going on in the world today it is sometimes hard to be strong. It is hard to be of good courage and not be afraid. But, we need to remember that the Lord our God is with us! And we are on the winning side!
The other verse I want to share from the book of Joshua is one that is found in part, posted on the walls in many houses. "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:15) Have you taken a stand to serve the Lord? Look at where Joshua was at this point in life when he proclaimed, "...as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." We read in Joshua 13:1 "Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed." (If the Lord tells you that you are old, then you are old.) Again in Joshua 23:2, "And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age:" It is in the next chapter that Joshua declares that he will serve the Lord. He began as an army leader in the battle against Amalek. (Exodus 17) He was a minister to Moses and went with him up the mount of God. (Exodus 24:13) In Numbers 11:28 he is called the servant of Moses. He and Caleb were the only two spies who had faith in God to go in and possess the Promised Land. (Numbers 14) He had lived his life for the Lord, and when he was old, he declared that he would still serve the Lord. We can't quit! I know that we get tired, and we get discouraged, but we can't quit! Be strong and of good courage and keep on serving the Lord!
Judges
We have come to the sad book of Judges. The Israelites followed the Lord, then they forsook the Lord and worshiped idols. God let them go into oppression from their enemies. They cried out to the Lord and He would send a deliverer. Then the cycle would be repeated, as they would start serving false gods again. There are some interesting stories about the judges of Israel. Ehud was a successful judge because he was left-handed. Deborah was a prophetess who judged Israel, and during that time Jael, the wife of Heber, killed the captain of the opposing army. We see a woman's point of view in Deborah's song of victory. "The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?" (Judges 5:28) How many stop to think about the mother of their victim after battle? Then, we read the story of Gideon and his fleece. Some may criticize his hesitancy, but I understand how he wanted to make sure he knew what God was telling him to do. Chapter 11 gives us the sad vow of Jephthah. We also read the very sad story of Samson, who was strong in the Lord, but after breaking his Nazarite vows, he thought he would escape as always, "...And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him." (Judges 16:20) The last verse of the book is an accurate summary, "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes." (Judges 21:25)
Ruth
Even during the dark days of Judges, God was still working in the lives of His children. "My Little Bible" gives us Ruth 1:16. "And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:" This shows the great love Ruth had for Naomi, her mother-in-law. It also shows the testimony Naomi had, that Ruth would leave her father and mother, and her home, and believe in the God Naomi served and go with her. Ruth went and worked in the field of Boaz and she was overcome by his kindness. "Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?" (Ruth 2:10) This is the way I feel sometimes when I think about how God has been so good to me. I was just a lost sinner and He found me and saved me.
He protects me and gives me water from the well. "Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn." (Ruth 2:9)
He took me under His wings and has a "full reward". "The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust." (Ruth 2:12)
He gives me comfort and speaks friendly to me. "Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid,..." (Ruth 2:13)
He feeds me. "And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left." (Ruth 2:14)
He drops handfuls on purpose to me! "And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not." (Ruth 2:16)
I Samuel
We have come to an important book in the history of Israel. Samuel was born of Hannah, who was barren, and she gave him to the Lord, who made him become the Priest, instead of Eli's wicked sons. Saul was the first king of Israel, and we have the story of his rise and his fall. "And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." (I Samuel 15:22) Then we have the story of David who wanted to go against the giant Goliath. "And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart;..." (I Samuel 17:28) "And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?" (I Samuel 17:29) We have a cause... to stand against the enemies of the Lord! Eliab had already been passed over by God when Samuel annointed David to be the next king. (chapter 16) Eliab spoke of the "naughtiness" of David's heart, but God called David "a man after his own heart." (I Samuel 13:14) "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." (I Samuel 16:7) The world, even our closest family and friends often misjudge us, but God knows our heart. King Saul became jealous of David and tried to kill him on several occasions. He knew that as long as David lived, his son Jonathan would not be king.
"5 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.
6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.
7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands." (I Samuel 18:5-7)
This book also gives us the story of David and Jonathan's great friendship. It ends with King Saul and Jonathan killed in battle by the Philistines.
II Samuel
Michael and I were talking and I told him that I had not planned to do a complete synopsis of each book of the Bible when I began these devotionals. I thought I would take the verse(s) from "My Little Book" and write about them. But as I looked over my study notes for each book I felt led to share my thoughts and summarize each work. II Samuel opens with David becoming king and closes with him nearing the end of his life. I don't want to cover the battles and victories of his life. You can read the book and look at his great accomplishments, and great failures. Today I want to look at the verses in "My Little Book" and acknowledge his praise to his Lord.
"1 And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:
2 And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.
4 I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies." (II Samuel 22:1-4)
We all have some accomplishments in our lives. And we all have some failures. We can be sure that our God never fails us! He brings us through storms and trials and is with us all the way. Don't let the highs lift your heart up in pride, and don't let the lows get you down. Keep on trusting in the Lord and praising His name, for He alone is worthy of our praise!
I Kings
Before King David died, he made his son, Solomon, king over Israel. King Solomon built the temple that his father had wanted to build, and had prepared for. "And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven: And he said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart:" (I Kings 8:22-23)
"3 And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
4 And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:
5 Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel." (I Kings 9:3-5)
King Solomon did not follow God with all his heart, but he married many wives of other countries and they turned his heart away from God. God rent the kingdom away from his son, Rehoboam, and gave 10 tribes to Jeroboam. There was war between Judah and Israel all through First and Second Kings.
One of my favorite stories from this book is found in chapter 19. Elijah had a great victory over the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Queen Jezebel threatened to kill Elijah and he ran. But, God was still with him, and spoke to him in "a still small voice." We may look for God in the mighty acts that we see, but we should be listening for His still small voice.
"9 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice." (I Kings 19:9-12)
II Kings
The history of the kings of Judah and Israel is continued in the second book of Kings. There are only a few good kings in the book of II Kings. Asa, Jehoshaphat, Uzziah, Jotham, Hezekiah, and Josiah were the kings of Judah who were good throughout their reign. All of the kings of Israel and most of the kings of Judah were wicked. In the book of Proverbs King Solomon gives a lot of wise advice to his son, but King Rehoboam, the son of King Solomon, did evil in the sight of the Lord. King Ahab and Queen Jezebel were a wicked pair who sat on the throne. Manasseh, the son of good King Hezekiah did a lot to bring Judah down. I would rather talk about the prophets of the book of II Kings. The story of Elijah is continued in II Kings, and he is followed by Elisha. I want to share this final episode between the two great prophets.
"8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.
9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.
11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;
14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over." (II Kings 1:8-14)
Leaders will come and go. Some will be wise and good. Some will be wicked in the eyes of the Lord. As Christians, we need to follow in the steps of the great men and women of God who leave this world. Elisha asked, "Where is the LORD God of Elijah?" I once heard an old preacher who preached a message titled, "Where Are The Elijah's Of The Lord God?" We need to take our place, and take a stand for the Lord God. Especially in our day when so many are taking a stand for evil.
I Chronicles
I Chronicles is the history of the Jews and it begins with the first man, "Adam, Sheth, Enosh," (I Chronicles 1:1) The first nine chapters are filled with genealogies of the people and chapter ten records the death of King Saul. Chapter 11 begins the story of King David, and it continues through to the end of his reign. A notable part is found in chapter 16, as he brought the ark of God back home and gave his first psalm to Asaph, with rejoicing. You can find these verses in Psalm 105.
"7 Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren.
8 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.
9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.
10 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.
11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.
12 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;" (I Chronicles 16:7-12)
II Chronicles
In 1976 the youth group of Gospel Baptist Church of Archdale, NC wrote and performed a play to celebrate the bicentennial of the United States of America. My Mom helped the ladies make elaborate costumes. We learned our speeches, and sang songs that proclaimed the Christian lives of the founding fathers and mothers of our nation. One of the songs was titled, "If My People" and the words were from II Chronicles 7:14. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." If we needed this scripture back in 1976, just think how much more we need it now...
Ezra
God's Word will be fulfilled! Look at the opening of the book of Ezra. God used a foreign king, not a Jewish King, to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. God is in control, and He can use the powers of this world to further His work. We don't understand all that is happening in our world today, but we can be sure that God is still in control, and it will all work towards His purpose. His Word is being fulfilled before our eyes.
"1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
3 Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem." (Ezra 1:1-3)
Another verse I want to look at is Ezra 7:10. "For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments." The people that went back to Jerusalem faced all sorts of opposition, but they didn't let that stop the work. "Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia." (Ezra 4:4-5) People were hired to go against God's people but Ezra prepared his heart to study the law of God, to do it. and to teach it to others. Today is Father's Day and I believe that these are good standards that our Christian fathers of today need to follow. Be prepared for opposition. Study God's Word, do it, and teach it to others. Those that follow after our generation need to learn the Word of God and see it practiced so they will be bold to also follow the things of God.
Nehemiah
I enjoy reading the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. In Ezra the Jewish captives went back to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem. Later, Nehemiah went back to Jerusalem and saw the ruins of the wall and he had a burden to rebuild the wall. When I think about Nehemiah, the verse that comes to mind is, "Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work." (Nehemiah 2:18) We can hear their eagerness, their willingness, and their readiness, to do the work in their answer, "Let us rise up and build." They repaired the wall, side by side, as they faced the rebuke of their enemies. "And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall." (4:2-3) In the next chapter we see that they even had trouble among their brethren. Notice Nehemiah's response. "And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them." (5:6-7) He was angry, but he talked it out with himself before he decided what to do. We make better decisions when we think things over, before we act, instead of when we react. They worked through their opposition, with tools in one hand and a weapon in the other. "So the wall was finished..., in fifty and two days. And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God." (6:15-16) They had prayed, "...O God, strengthen my hands" (6:9) and in the end they had a great celebration and rejoiced, "for the joy of the LORD is your strength." (8:10) Nehemiah ends the book, "Remember me, O my God, for good." (13:31)
Esther
This is the second book of the Bible named for a woman. My favorite verse in the book of Esther is "For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14) Mordecai knew that God would deliver the Jews, but he wanted Queen Esther to understand that she could have been put in her position by God, "for such a time as this." We often hear people say, "I was at the right place at the right time." There have been countless times in my life when I felt like God had put me somewhere "for such a time as this." I want to look back to the beginning of this chapter. Mordecai has just heard the decree from the king that all the Jews would be killed.
"1 When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;
2 And came even before the king's gate: for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.
3 And in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
4 So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not." (Esther 4:1-4)
Esther did not know why Mordecai was in mourning, and she sent clothes to help with the "outside" of his appearance, "but he received it not." Once Esther found out the problem, she was willing to risk her own life to be part of the solution. We can try to help people but we need to get to the root of the problem and help them on the inside, before we can really make a difference in their lives. People need the Lord. If you have not read the book of Esther I encourage you to take time and read it. You may see something that God has for you to do, "for such a time as this."
Job
My nephew's cat was hit by a car and he has been heart broken for two days. I told my sister that I would send him a card, but I didn't know if it would help. He is finally feeling better, and I am afraid that any reminder would open the hurt all over again. I seem to never know what to say to people, and many times I upset the ones I love the most, by saying the wrong thing. As we look into the book of Job we find that he was a good man who feared God. He was a very wealthy man, with a loving family that gathered together for regular feasts. After the introduction, our scene moves to heaven.
"8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face." (Job 1:8-11)
God let Satan have power to take all of Job's wealth, and his ten children, in one day, "And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly." (Job 1:21-22) Then Satan took Job's health.
"11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.
12 And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
13 So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great." (Job 2:11-13)
I don't think Job's three friends set out to make Job's life worse, but they surely did. At one point Job says, "No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you." (Job 12:2) Later he says, "I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all." (Job 16:2) Remember that people are going through hard times now. You don't have to yell at someone for walking down the wrong way in the grocery store. Be kind. And if you feel like you have hit rock bottom, remember these words of Job, "But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." (Job 23:10)
Psalms
How do I write one simple paragraph on 150 Psalms? I must choose just a few verses... so I will begin with my favorite, which I completed in cross-stitch many years ago and it hangs on the wall in front of my computer.
"1 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
3 I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" (Psalm 8)
Psalm 23 is a favorite of many, and it is the one I go to when I need comfort from the Lord.
"1 <<A Psalm of David.>> The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever." (Psalm 23)
And, since the book of Psalms is a book of praise, I close with the final verse of the final Psalm. "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD." (Psalm 150:6)
Proverbs
Several times readers have sent me the question, "Where in the Bible do you find, Birds of a feather flock together?" That statement is not in the Bible, but there is a verse in Proverbs that tells how the flock you walk with influences your life. "He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed." (Proverbs 13:20) The book of Proverbs is about knowing wisdom. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." (9:10) There are verses that will help us gain knowledge and wisdom. "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger." (15:1) There are verses to turn our thoughts to God, and that give us warning. "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." (15:3) "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." (16:18) And there are verses to guide us through this journey. "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (3:5-6) There are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs and a preacher once suggested reading a chapter every day of the month, every month for a year. I am sure this would increase our wisdom and knowledge of the things of God. One of my sons would often say, "Here's the thing..." when we were having a conversation. Well, wisdom is the main thing... so get wisdom. "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." (4:7)
Ecclesiastes
The book of Ecclesiastes can bring thoughts of hopelessness as it opens...
"1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?" (Ecclesiastes 1:1-3)
The last chapter seems to show that King Solomon wrote the book later in life as he looked back on life with much weariness. “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;” (Ecclesiastes 12:1) The chapter describes an old man with failing eyesight, shaking knees, few teeth, lost hearing, and a gray head. Chapter 2 told how Solomon sought wisdom and had great riches and tried to find happiness in great works and music, but all was vanity. Chapter 3 tells of the “times” of life. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2) Some of the other times are “a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;” (verse 4) and “A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” (verse 8) Solomon saw all these times and in the end he saw that life apart from God was all vanity, or wasted. He started out great, serving God, and building the temple, but he let all his wives turn his heart away from God. Here are the last verses of this sad book. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
Song Of Solomon
Our last book of poetry is actually a love song, written by King Solomon. He wrote 1,005 songs. (I Kings 4:32) "The song of songs, which is Solomon's. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine." (Song of Solomon 1:1-2) Being a song, I wonder if it was sung by a choir, or performed similar to an opera, or sung by King Solomon to the one he loved. He declared his love for his bride and she proclaimed, "He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love." (Song of Solomon 2:4) I enjoy reading my King James Bible. I find the language so elegant. Solomon gives a beautiful picture of spring and it is so descriptive, all five senses are brought into the picture. We can see the joy that comes when winter is past, how it feels, looks, sounds, tastes and smells.
"10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
11 For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
12 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
13 The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away." (Song Of Solomon 2:10-13)
Isaiah
As we come to the book of Isaiah we find the call of the Lord for a people who had turned away from God. "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18) Isaiah declared who God is. "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me," (46:9) He prophesied of the coming of our Lord. "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (7:14) "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this." (9:6-7) The great prophet also told of His death.
"3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." (Isaiah 53:3-7)
Isaiah also gives us a sure hope for the future. "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations." (61:10-11)
Jeremiah
Jeremiah is the second book of prophets. It opens with God's call.
"5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD." (Jeremiah 1:5-8)
Jeremiah prophesied to the people, and they would not listen. " Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein." (6:16) Jeremiah knew that God's judgment was sure, and he is called the weeping prophet. "But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD'S flock is carried away captive." (13:17) This book gives us the story of the Potter's House. "Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel." (18:6) One of my favorite verses from this book was given when the great prophet was shut up in prison. "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." (33:3) Even in our darkest days we can call on the Lord and He will hear and answer our prayers. I close with this plea which shows the exasperation of the Lord God Almighty. "O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD." (22:29)
Lamentations
Today we have come to the book of Lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah. I believe there are many Christians today who are lamenting over the condition of the world we live in today. With all the sin that is prevalent we can say with Jeremiah.
"22 It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD." (Lamentations 3:22-26)
The chapter continues with an answer for all our trials and troubles.
"40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.
41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens." (3:40-41)
Ezekiel
The book of Ezekiel opens with his vision of the glory of the Lord. "As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake." (Ezekiel 1:28 ) When we see God's glory, we will fall on our faces. When I read the book of Ezekiel I notice a phrase that is spoken over, and over again. "Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD." (38:23) Look at those last six words, "know that I am the LORD." When I put that phrase in my Bible app I counted 63 times that it was in the book of Ezekiel. And it may be written a little differently and be in there more times than that. I once heard a preacher say that if something was in the Bible more than once we need to take notice. In this book of prophesy God was telling them that judgment was coming and they would know that He is Lord. Many people today joke about our God, but judgment is coming and one day they will know that He is Lord! We need to be witnesses for our Lord. God called Ezekiel to be a "Watchman" and send out the warning. (Chapters 3 and 33) Are we sending out the warning of judgment to come? One of the saddest verses in this book is, "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." (22:30) Are we standing in the gap left by the Christians that have gone on? Jesus is coming!
Daniel
My favorite verse of Daniel is found in the first chapter. He was taken into captivity to Babylon. "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself." (Daniel 1:8) God gave Daniel and his three friends great wisdom. "God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams." (1:17) "And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm." (1:20) Daniel interpreted several dreams for King Nebuchadnezzar. Chapter 3 gives us the account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego thrown into the fiery furnace because they wouldn't bow to the statue. "Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." (3:24-25) King Belshazzar held a great feast and drank wine from the golden vessels from Jerusalem and a hand appeared and wrote on the wall proclaiming the end of his kindgom. (chapter 5) In the next chapter Darius is king and his presidents and princes told him to sign a decree that no one could ask any petition of any God or man for 30 days. "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime." (6:10) Daniel was thrown into the den of lions. The next morning Daniel said, "My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: ...) Daniel had been in Babylon during the reign of four kings and may have been 80 or 90 years old at this time, but he stayed true to God. Daniel saw many visions, and once a messenger of the Lord appeared to him and said, "O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong..." (10:19) Do you know that you are also greatly loved by God? "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
Hosea
I like to plant flowers in my garden. I search which ones are beneficial to my vegetables and I plant them throughout the garden. The zinnias attract beneficial insects and shade the cucumbers. Marigolds are said to keep some of the damaging insects away. This year I planted some sunflowers to give afternoon shade. More may have come up than I intended, giving too much shade. But, they sure look pretty, towering above the plants. I only plant flowers that are helpful. I would never dream of planting a poisonous plant in my garden. Some of the verses of God's judgment in the book of Hosea speak of a garden. "For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind:..." (Hosea 8:4) "Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies:..." (10:13) "... judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field." (10:4) Hemlock is one of the most poisonous plants and even a little of the flowers, seeds, stems, or roots can cause death to people and farm animals. Can you imagine it growing among your garden rows? God gives them the answer, "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you." (10:12)
God told Hosea to take a wife that was unfaithful to show the Children of Israel that they had been unfaithful to God. They worshipped false gods. One of the sad verses in the book is when Hosea’s wife, Gomer, has her third child. “Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.” (1:9) Gomer left her family and became a slave but Hosea bought her back because of his love for her. This is a story of how God loves us and gave His Son to buy us from a life of sin.
Joel
While Hosea spoke of poisonous hemlock in a garden, Joel gives us the destruction of insects. I enjoy working in my garden, and I don't like to use bug poisons, so I fight a constant battle against the bugs. I can go to the store and buy food, but these people depended on their gardens to live. Look at these verses of woe from the book of Joel. They not only lost their produce to the bugs, and the lack of rain, but also to their enemies.
"2 Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?
3 Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.
4 That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten.
6 For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion.
7 He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.
10 The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth.
11 Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished.
12 The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men." (Joel 1)
In chapter 2 God tells His people to turn back to Him.
"12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
18 Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.
19 Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate,...
21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.
22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.
23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.
That brings us to chapter 3:14, "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision." Have you made the decision to follow Jesus?
Amos
Sometimes I ride with Mom to the beach to visit my younger sister. It is a long ride to make in a day, but it is always a joy to walk on the beach before we head back home in the afternoon. I like to walk in the edge of the water. I love the sound of the crashing waves and the birds flying overhead. In Amos 3:3 the question is asked, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" For us to walk together we must be on the same path and going in the same direction. To walk with the Lord we must be on the straight and narrow path, and going in the same direction. Another thing about walking together is going the same pace. I like to look for shells as I walk on the beach, so my pace is not very fast. When we walk with the Lord we often want to rush ahead of the plans He has for us, or we lag behind. And as Amos, says, we must be agreed. When Adam and Eve heard the voice of God coming to walk with them in the cool of the day they hid because of sin in their lives. I believe this is the point of the verse in Amos. We read in Isaiah 59:2, "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." Five times in the fourth chapter of Amos God says, "...yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD." (verses 6, 8, 9, 10, and 11) Amos pleads to the Lord for his people when he sees God's judgment, until God shows him a plumbline. Then Amos sees how far they have gone away from God's law. (Amos 7) After our devotionals on Hosea and Joel I found it interesting that Amos also mentions hemlock, "...for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:" (Amos 6:12) and grasshoppers, "...behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth;..." (7:1) God sent these three prophets during the same time period, along with Isaiah, to plead with them to return unto Him. "For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:" (Amos 5:4)
Obadiah
There is an old saying, "What goes around, comes around." Jesus said, "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." (Matthew 7:1-2) God told Edom, "as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head." (Obadiah 1:15) They had lifted themselves up in pride, but God said, "Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised." (1:2) We have heard of the judgment towards Israel and Judah by the previous prophets. Obadiah prophesied against Esau. Jacob and Esau were the sons of Isaac. The twelve tribes of Israel and Judah were descendants of Jacob. Edom was the country of the descendants of Esau. God's message through Obadiah was that Edom should not have rejoiced when Jerusalem was destroyed and one day Edom would be destroyed.
"1 The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.
2 Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised.
3 The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?
4 Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.
10 For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.
11 In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them.
12 But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress.
13 Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity;
14 Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress.
15 For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.
16 For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been.
17 But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.
18 And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it." (Obadiah 1)
Jonah
I believe the story of Jonah really happened, just like it says in the Bible. And although we often think of this as a Bible story for children, there are some things we can learn from it. Let's begin at the beginning.
"1 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD." (Jonah 1:1-3)
Verse 3 tells us "he paid the fare thereof..." When we try to run from God we will pay the price. I have often heard it said that sin costs you more than you want to pay, takes you farther than you want to go, and keeps you longer than you want to stay. Also notice that when Jonah ran from God he started on a downhill journey. He went down to Joppa and down into a ship. In verse 5 Jonah went "down into the sides of the ship...: After he was swallowed by the whale he said, "I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God." (2:6)
Another word that is used several times is "prepared."
"Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights." (1:17)
"And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd."
But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live." (4:6-8)
We may complain about all of the things that are happening in the world today, but I believe that God is preparing to take His children home. Just this week I have seen that there is a national shortage of change, and some businesses are going to a cashless system. For those who know the Bible prophecies, we see this pointing to the mark of the beast. "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." (Revelation 13:16-17) We have already seen news reports of those who have microchips planted in their hands. When Jonah reached the bottom, he looked up and called on the Lord. I feel like we are nearing the bottom, or end of life as we know it very quickly. We need to call on our Lord! "When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD." (Jonah 2:7-9)
Micah
My oldest grandson is named Micah, so I am accustomed to the name of this great prophet. We often hear Micah 5:2 in our Christmas plays. "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." He foretold the birthplace of Jesus some 700 years before He was born. Jesus came to die for us so that we might have mercy and salvation through Him. "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea." (7:18-19) Once we confess our sin and believe on Him our sins are cast into the depths of the sea. God bestows His mercy and grace to us, and we are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We are no longer under the law, but we are to live holy before our God. "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (6:8)
Nahum
Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, protected by the river and great walls around the city. God sent Jonah to prophesy, "... Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them." (Jonah 3:4-5) We move forward about 150 years and Nineveh had grown even more wicked. Nahum spoke the prophecy of God against Nineveh. As you read the introduction to the book of Nahum, look at the contrast of the first 6 verses and verse 7.
"1 The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
2 God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.
3 The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
4 He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth.
5 The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.
6 Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.
7 The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him." (Nahum 1:1-7)
Nahum declares the fierceness of God's anger, but then he says, "The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble..." We see a contrast, but not a contradiction. Look at the end of verse 7, "...he knoweth them that trust in him." That makes all the difference! God is good to those who put their trust in Him, but He is a righteous God and "will not at all acquit the wicked..." Nahum is descriptive in the destruction of the wicked city. "The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved." (2:6) Nineveh had great walls and seemed to be indestructible, but God sent the rain and the floods destroyed a portion of the wall and opened up the palace, and allowed the enemy to enter the city. "There shall the fire devour thee;..." When the king realized there was no escape, and to keep from falling into enemy hands, he gathered his wives and eunuchs into the palace and built a huge funeral pyre. People like to talk about God's love, and He is a God of love, but Psalm 7:11 makes it very clear, "God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day."
Habakkuk
God gave the Prophet Habakkuk dreadful news of the coming judgment.
"5 Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.
6 For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.
7 They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.
8 Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat.
9 They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand." (Habakkuk 1:5-9)
Habakkuk 2:4 is quoted three times in the New Testament. "... the just shall live by his faith." (Romans 1:17 , Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38) Another positive thought is Habakkuk 2:14, "For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea." My favorite part of the book is the end of his prayerful song. During these trials we are going through we can still trust in the Lord for our strength and find joy in the God of our salvation.
"16 When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.
17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments." (3:16-19)
Zephaniah
As we have seen with the other books of prohecy, Zephaniah also opens with a declaration of God's judgment. He does have a message of hope, "Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger." (Zephaniah 2:3) God also promised that He would turn their captivity and joy over them with singing!
"14 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
15 The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.
16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.
17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." (3:14-17)
Haggai
In the book of Ezra, Cyrus the King of Persia gave the Jews permission to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. Some of the people returned but the work was not done. The book of Haggai begins in the second year of King Darius, to encourage the people to build the temple.
"2 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD'S house should be built.
3 Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,
4 Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?
5 Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways." (Haggai 1:2)
"Consider your ways" is interesting here because in this short book of only two chapters, God uses the word, "Consider" five times. “Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.” (Haggai 1:6-8) God promised to bless them when they built God’s house.
In the New Testament, Jesus tells us to consider...
"22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?
27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Luke 12:22-31)
Zechariah
Zechariah begins his message by reminding the Jews that they had been in captivity because the Lord was displeased with their fathers, but he has a message of comfort to the remnant in Jerusalem. “Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Zechariah 1:3) Zechariah saw many visions about the future of the Jews. God told him that Jerusalem would one day be filled with old men and women and also children playing in the streets. Some of the prophecies were fulfilled when Christ came. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” (Zechariah 9:9) This was fulfilled when Jesus rode into Jerusalem in Matthew 21:1-11. Zechariah 13:6 also prophesied of the death of Jesus. “And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.” The book ends with prophesies of wars in the end of time and the new kingdom. “And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.” (14:9) Zechariah 4:6 can give us hope in the battles we will go through in the last days. "Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD... Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."
Malachi
We have come to the last book of the Old Testament. The Israelites were God's chosen people, and I wonder how they responded when they heard Malachi declare, "For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles;..." (Malachi 1:11) I am thankful that God sent His Son and opened up the way of salvation to the Gentiles. Without Him, I would be lost, with no hope. Malachi foretold the coming of John the Baptist. "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts." (3:1) The book is filled with questions, and then the answers.
"7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." (3:7-10)
I am weary, but the book of Malachi gives us the promise that God has "a book of remembrance" for those that fear the Lord and think on His name. You may be weary of all that is going on now, too. But don't quit. Keep on trusting the Lord. Keep on serving Him and you can make up part of His "jewels".
"16 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
17 And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not." (3:16-18)
