Kingdom Divided Lesson 15 – Hosea

 

Note:  For clarity the Kings of Israel are coded in Orange and Kings of Judah are coded in Blue.

Hosea is a minor prophet.  His name means ‘salvation’.  Again we know little about this prophet just like we know little about the other minor prophets.  He lived and worked in the northern kingdom of Israel, but his messages also concerned the southern kingdom of Judah.

Hosea 1-3 – Hosea’s Wayward Wife

God instructed Hosea to marry an adulterous woman named Gomer.  It’s hard to understand why a holy God would want one of His servants to marry a woman living in sin.  Hosea obeyed God’s instructions which brough him grief and pain.  God doesn’t promise an easy path for those who follow Him.

God assigned names for Gomer’s children with prophetic significance.  She had two sons named Jezreel and Lo-Ammi and a daughter named Lo-Ruhamah.  The daughter was named Lo-Ruhamah, because God will no longer show love to the house of Israel.  The boy was named Jezreel, because God will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel (capitol city of northern kingdom of Israel) and will put an end the kingdom of Israel.  The second son was named Lo-Ammi, because God no longer knew Israel as His people and they no longer knew Him as their God.

But wait.  Didn’t God command Jehu to avenge His prophets by destroying the house of Ahab in 2 Kings 9?  God told Jehu to destroy the house of Ahab, but Jehu went too far killing by massacring all Ahab’s men, his acquaintances, and priests.  He also slaughtered a large gathering of Baal worshipers.  God never told him to do this.  God seemed to be upset with Jehu’s bloodthirstiness.  In his zeal in carrying out God’s command he didn’t have the right motives for doing so.

Jehu’s actions are an example for us today.  Many think they are serving the Lord, but their hearts aren’t right before the Lord.  It doesn’t matter how hard we work for Him if we aren’t truly obedient.  We are to do His work in His way and in His strength.

After God’s promised judgment there will come a day of prosperity and blessing.  He promised a restoration of the Judah and Israel.  This is a wonderful example of grace.  God continues to welcome underserving sinners into His kingdom.

Gomer like Israel refused to give up her sin.  She continued to reject Hosea as her provider.  In the same way, Israel failed to acknowledge God as their provider.  Both Gomer and Israel committed adultery and prostitution – Gomer against Hosea and Israel against God.

God commanded Hosea to seek and to love Gomer, despite her betrayal.  He was to love her as God loves Israel.  Hosea obeyed God.  He found her on an auction block and bought her back just as Jesus bought us back.  He invited her back to live as his wife and pledged his faithfulness to her.  Like Gomer and Hosea, God promised to redeem Israel.

Hosea 4 – 14 – God’s Wayward People

Hosea said with Israel there is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgement of God.  They refused to acknowledge God.  They had forgotten Him.  Hosea promised that God’s purposeful judgment would fall upon Israel.  God will do whatever is necessary to deliver His people from their sinful ways no matter how much suffering they have to go through.

Hosea begged Israel to confess their sins to the Lord.  If they would turn to G0d and turn away from idols, God promised to turn away His anger and restore them.  He longs to bring people to Himself and He continues to pursue His wayward people.

God will do the same for us.  God doesn't give up on us.  If we turn to God and turn away from sin and follow Him, He will restore His relationship with us.  It does matter what we’ve done in the past.  He longs to bring us into His kingdom to live with Him forever.

Principle:  God relentlessly pursues wayward people.

Hosea ends the book in Hosea 14:9 - “Who is wise? He will realize these things.  Who is discerning?  He will understand them.  The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.”  May we be wise and discerning and walk upright all the days of our lives.

Lessons from Hosea:

The marriage of Hosea and is wayward wife Gomer parallel to the covenant relationship between God and His wayward people.

Sin leads to confusion, forgetfulness, and destruction.

Personal and private sin does not stay personal or private for very long.

God disciplines His people when they are unfaithful, but He is faithful even when they are unfaithful.

Only God can redeem and restore.

God has deep love and affection for His people.

This week’s attribute of God is He is Love.  His love never fails.  He shows love to those who do not deserve it.  He sent Hosea to be a living example.  Jesus showed us just how much He loves us when He went willing to the cross to pay the debt our sin caused.  “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.” – Hosea 14:4

Next time we will continue our study of Kingdom Divided by going back to the book of 2 Kings 15. Hope to see you here. – I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

_________________________________________

 

If you have enjoyed my post and have found if helpful, please leave a comment or share this post with the buttons below.

 

Kingdom Divided Lesson 14 – Joel and Obadiah

 

Joel

We consider Joel to be a minor prophet, but there is nothing minor about his message.  The term minor is used to classify smaller books from the longer writings like Isaiah and Jeremiah.  Nothing is really known about this prophet other than in this book of Joel.  But what we know about him is less important than his actual ministry and message. 

Joel outline:

Chapter 1 – Invasion of locust and a call to repentance. 

Joel compares the destruction and judgment of God like a plague of locust.  This is the warning and penalty for disobedience and evilness.

Chapter 2-3 – God’s warnings, promise, final judgment, and rule. 

God calls His people to repent and return to Him, if not, they will all be judged.  The day of the Lord will be like no other, but the promise and deliverance of the Lord is waiting and He will restore the land.

Joel’s theme and purpose in writing this book was to call people to repentance and to prepare for the coming judgment - ‘The Day of the Lord’.  He warns people about the dangers of turning from God and tells them to warn others.  He described what God’s judgment looks like - destruction, pain, wailing, fire, drought, and with death not far behind.  Only returning to God can fix the situation.

He gave us a detailed description of the severe locust plague followed by a severe famine that hit throughout the land of Judah.  He saw this as a sign for the final judgment and warned the people to turn to God.  He announced that the day of the Lord was coming and would bring even greater judgment.  He shared how God often uses nature and events to get our attention.  National or even personal disaster can either turn our hearts and focus back to God or can blind us from the truth.  What is important is that we need to be aware that these events pale to God’s judgment to come for those who continue to reject Him and refuse to repent.

When is the Day of the Lord?  This is not a specific date.  It is a time in the future when the Lord Himself will bring judgment on all man’s sin.  It’s a period of judgment and restoration.  It consists of the judgement of God’s people, the judgment of foreign nations, and the purification and restoration of God’s people.  It will be a day of terror bringing bad news against evil and also of blessing with the good news of God’s promised deliverance.  We are to return to the Lord for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love and He may even relent and have pity and leave a blessing instead (Joel 2:13-14).

“Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust” – Joel 2:25.  Joel prophesied that judgment can be averted if people repent, fast and return to the Lord (Joel 2:13-17).  He gives a promise of hope, restoration, blessing, prosperity for the righteous, and those who call on the name of the Lord (Joel 2:32).

Joel said the day is coming and we should all look to the physical signs and wonders of the earth as a reminder of God’s sovereignty.  For those who seek the Lord and turn from their sinful ways, the day of the Lord will be a day of great joy, not terror.  

The Bible gives us some of these signs:

“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars ….. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  All things are the beginning of birth pains.” – Matthew 24:6-8

“And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” – Matthew 24:12    

“There will be terrible times in the last days.  People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited lovers of pleasure rather than lover so God.” – 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Does all this sound familiar to you?  We are seeing this now.  There are nations who are trying to receive great military power causing unrest and wars.  Have you noticed the outbreaks of violence – random shootings, murders, and mass killings?  Our TV and movies, and internet is full of sex, drugs, violence, and brutality.  We see droughts, wildfires, floods, famines, and even diseases.   We are going through covid, flu, RSV, and we should not forget HIV and Aids. 

Our society in becoming increasingly hostile toward Christians and there is persecution of Christians in many countries and even in America.  All this will get much worse in the Day of the Lord.  We can read more about this day in the book of Revelation.   

Joel spoke of God’s Spirit being poured out on all people bringing hope for the future.  The new work of the Holy Spirit began at Pentecost, fulfilling part of Joel’s prophecy.  He says a number of things must happen before this prophecy can be complete.  This prophecy will continue to be fulfilled and will be complete when Jesus returns to earth. 

We are all sinners, but God did not leave us without help.  His Spirit was active then and continues to be active and unstoppable today.  The Holy Spirit awakens our dead hearts and minds.  If you are a believer, you know the amazing gift of His Spirit.  He convicts us of sin and guides us how to live.   

We learn about the Holy Spirit from the following verses.

John 16:7-15 – When Jesus left this earth, He sent His Spirit to convict the world of guilt and to guide us to all truth.

Acts 1:8 – We receive the power of the Holy Spirit so we can be His witness to the ends of the earth.

Romans 8:9-16 – If Christ is in us, the Spirit of God lives in us and our body is dead because of sin, yet our spirit is alive because of righteousness.  The Spirit testifies that we are God’s children and heirs of God.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 – Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  We reflect the Lord’s glory and are being transformed into His likeness.

Galatians 5:22-23 – The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Joel prophesied that all nations will gather against Israel and Jerusalem in the last great battle, but God will be victorious.  There will be restoration of the Jews and final victory of true religion.

There is no time to lose.  God’s judgment will come swiftly as a thief in the night.  “for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:2.  Today is the day of salvation, “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” – 2 Corinthians 6:2b.  Without repentance, judgment will be harsh and certain.  We should not trust in our possessions and status but in Jesus.  Only by seeking, trusting, and believing in Jesus’ salvation can we escape His wrath on the Day of the Lord.

Lessons from Joel:

The Day of the Lord is still coming.

God uses physical suffering to get our attention.

The promise of God’s presence is our ultimate hope.

God’s judgment is great for those who don’t belong to Him.

God’s judgment is not something to dread for those who belong and believe in Jesus.

Principle:  The Day of the Lord is the day of judgment on all sinners and the rescue of all God’s faithful.

Obadiah

Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament.  Obadiah is another minor prophet of God.  His name means ‘servant of the Lord’.  Nothing is known about him other than in this book.   This book is a prophesy against the nation of Edom.  The Edomites were descendants of Esau.  The Israelites are descendants of Esau’s twin brother, Jacob.  The quarrel between the brothers affected their descendants for over 1,000 years.

Obadiah announced God’s judgment against Edomites and prophesied that their kingdom would be destroyed.  This book gives hope to Judah by the promise of God’s judgment on this enemy nation and the promise of restoration of God’s people.  The theme of Obadiah is “The Day of the Lord”.  The purpose is to declare that God will judge the pride of the Edomites and all nations who share their hostility toward the Lord.

The book opens with the vision of Obadiah about Edom.  The Edomites had been found guilty of pride.  “Pride goes before destruction.” – Proverbs 16:18.  They thought themselves greater than they actually were.  They were proud of their hidden treasures, their allies, their men of wisdom, their military power, and their pride in the persecution of God’s people.  They did nothing to help when Judah was attacked and even rejoiced in their distress.  They plundered their wealth and joined in the violence against God’s people.

Would others say you are prideful?

Do you struggle to set aside your own wants and desires for those of God and others?

Are you guilty of doing nothing when you see others in distress?  Sometimes doing nothing is a sin.

He warned against pride, revenge, and bitterness.  He reminds us that we serve the powerful, sovereign God who loves and protects His children.  Obadiah spoke about the day of judgment.  He wanted them to know that day is near.  God gave reasons for His judgment of the Edomites – they did nothing to help Judah and they laughed at Judah’s destruction.  He warned, “The day of the Lord is near for all nations.  As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head.” – Obadiah 15.  There would be judgment, but also deliverance for those who trust in God.  “But the Mount Zion will be deliverance; it will be holy, and the house of Jacob will possess its inheritance.” – Obadiah 17. (Mount Zion is Jerusalem which will be the capitol of the Kingdom of God.)  The people of God will rule with the King and the Lord’s eternal Kingdom will be established.  “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever” - Revelation 11:15.

Obadiah’s prophesy is final and sure.  The kingdom of Edom will be destroyed completely, because they had been arrogant and prideful toward Israel.  Israel will receive punishment, but God will not completely destroy them. 

God will overcome on our behalf if we stay true to Him.  We must be willing to help others in times of need and not be like Edom.  Pride is a sin.  We have nothing to be proud of except for Jesus and what He’s done for us.

Esau and the Edomites made their choice and suffered the consequences.  Each person will also make their own choices and will suffer the consequences.  “They will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.” – 1 Peter 4:5.  We make choices daily and are responsible for the choices we make.  We will have to stand before the Lord and give account of our choices.  Christians will not be condemned like the unbelievers (Romans 8:1).  But we will have to give an account of how we spent our lives.

Obadiah spoke of God’s ultimate victory for His people.  He would bring them home to the promised land and deliver the lands of their enemies into Israel’s hands.  “And the kingdom will be the Lord’s.” – Obadiah 21.  God will prevail, no matter how things look today.  He gives hope to everyone in the salvation in Jesus Christ.

Lessons from Obadiah:

God has the right and authority to choose whomever He wills, for whatever purpose He wills. (Obadiah 1-2).

God hates pride because it always deceives us and leads us astray (Obadiah 3).

God’s righteous judgment will always overcome any physical strength or mental craftiness (Obadiah 4-9).

God loves His children and will protect them (Obadiah 10-11).

God holds us accountable when we gloat over our enemies (Obadiah 12-16).

Principle:  God’s judgment is coming, but He offers hope and restoration.

This week’s attribute of God is He is Patient.  His plan is to restore creation and reconcile all people to Himself.  He waits patiently for everyone to repent.  God warns of judgment but offers hope.  “Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.” – Joel 2:13b.  “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:9b

Key verses:

“I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” – 2 Corinthians 6:2b.

“The day of the Lord is near for all nations.  As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head.” – Obadiah 15.

“Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.” – Joel 2:13b.

Next time we will continue our study of Kingdom Divided in the book of Hosea.  Hope to see you here. – I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

If you have enjoyed my post and have found if helpful, please leave a comment or share this post with the buttons below.

Jesus, Christmas, What’s It All About?

 

Christmas is December 25^th and is a time we celebrate the birthday of the Lord Jesus, but many think Christmas has lost its true meaning.  It seems we are all about decorating our houses and Christmas trees, Santa and reindeers, throwing parties, giving and receiving expensive gifts.  It has become a profitable holiday for many businesses.  Have we become greedy?  Have we lost sight of the true meaning of Christmas?                                   

We have many Christmas traditions which vary in significance and symbolic meaning.  We exchange gifts because God sent us the most precious gift:  His only Son.  Also the three wisemen visited Jesus and brought gifts as well.

We put our gifts under a decorated Christmas tree.  The Christmas tree started as a common pagan custom, but survived conversion to Christianity.  We use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands to symbolize eternal life.  In Germany wafers were hung of the tree symbolizing the eucharistic host, the Christian sign of redemption.  Later candles were added symbolizing Christ as the light of the world.  The custom spread and the Christmas tree became one of our holiday traditions.

Jesus’ birth probably didn’t happen exactly on December 25th, but that is the day Christians chose to celebrate.  The important thing is to remember you’re celebrating a real event that happened about 2,000 years ago when God sent His Son into the world as a Christmas present for everyone!

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God chose a virgin to give birth to Jesus (Luke 1:34-34).  He was born in poverty to a virgin called Mary in Bethlehem of Judea and grew up in Nazareth in Galilee.  His earthly father was Joseph who was a carpenter.  Jesus’ name means ‘God with us’.  He is the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Messiah, and Savior of the World.

We don’t know what He looked like, but we know He was a Jew and probably had dark skin.  He wasn’t tall, dark and handsome, but His appearance drew people to Him.  He didn’t speak English; He spoke Greek, Arabic, and Hebrew. 

Jesus didn’t go to high school or college.  He never traveled more than 100 miles from His home.  He was not destined for greatest, never wrote a book, never held a government office, and never had a TV show or movie.  The only property He owned was the clothes He wore.  When He became an adult, He was rejected by most people and even His closest friends abandoned Him.  He was arrested by enemies, was tried and convicted, and nailed to a cross like a common criminal.

We learn in the Old Testament that God had planned His birth, life, death, and resurrection for a long time.  It was prophesied that the Messiah would be born of a virgin, born in Bethlehem, would be brought gifts, and would flee to Egypt for a time for safety.  He fulfilled over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament.  There are too many details to not be true.  He was truly the Messiah.

He didn’t come to earth in a powerful way, but in a humble way.  The King of the universe came as an infant, born in an animal shelter, set aside all His heavenly privileges to live a selfless obedient life and then die a selfless obedient death for our sins.

Philippians 2:5-11 tells us the Father revealed to the entire world that Jesus was God. “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!  There God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  

Jesus is God.  John wrote about Him in John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  Jesus is the Word.  John 1:3 – “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made”.

Jesus said of Himself:

“I and the Father are one.” – John 10:30.

“I am the light of the world.” – John 9:5

“I am the good shepherd.” – John 10:14

“I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live.” – John 11:25

“I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6

So why did He come?  He came for the cross!  His story is one of truth, love, and hope.  God sent His Son because He loves us.  He was born so one day He could pay the price for the things we have done that are wrong.  We all are born with a sin nature and do things that don’t please God.  Through the sins of Adam and Eve we all have inherited that sin nature and have a broken relationship with God. 

Jesus came because we needed a Savior.  He could pay the price for our sins by dying on the cross.  He brought salvation to all of us; without him we would all die in our sins.  He is the Savior of the world.  Only through Him can our sins be forgiven and our relationship with God be restored.  Because He lived a life without sin, only He was qualified to pay for our sins by His death on a cross.  After dying on the cross, He then demonstrated His power over death when He rose from the grave three days later.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

After Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended to heaven to the place where He was before becoming human and from there He is able to hear our prayers (Romans 8:34).  He promised to return and when He returns He will separate those who will live with Him forever in heaven from those who will be punished for their sins (Matthew 25:31-33).

He came to earth to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10).  He offers eternal life for those who believe in Him.  It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, Jesus still wants you to come to Him.  He waits patiently for you to accept and follow Him.

Jesus is humble, approachable, courageous, and full of love.  He changes lives.  He lives in heaven at father God’s right hand and will return to judge all humanity.  He is the Son of God. He and God are One.  Jesus forgives sin as only God can.  He is the only Savior and the only Way for us to spend eternity with Him.

Principle:  The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of the Savior, Jesus Christ.

It’s important that we all know Jesus and His love for all of us.  What matters is what happens when you die.  He is your only hope.  Christmas celebrates this amazing love and is really about the cross.  Jesus is not only the reason for the season, we are the reason!  Christmas is for us!

Merry Christmas! -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

__________________________________________

 

If you have enjoyed my post and have found if helpful, please leave a comment or share this post with the buttons below. 

Kingdom Divided Lesson 13 – Amos

 

Amos 1-2 – Judgment of Nations

Amos was a shepherd farmer from a small Judean village of Tekoa.  He had no formal training. His name means burden or burden bearer.  He is not mentioned by name in any other books of the Bible, but his work is quoted two times in the New Testament in the book Acts.  His message, however, was important.  God called him to be a prophet to Israel, but he spoke to many nations.  When he served the people of God had been divided into two nations for 150 years.  The southern nation was known as Judah and the northern nation was known as Israel.

Amos wasn’t a prophet or a priest.  He was just a shepherd from Judah.  So who would listen to him?  But instead of making excuses like most of us do, he obeyed and became God’s powerful voice for change.  God has used ordinary people like shepherds, carpenters, and fisherman all throughout the Bible.  So whatever you are in this life, God can use you.

Amos’ mission was directed to his neighbor to the north, Israel.  It was a message of impending doom and captivity for the nation because of her sins.  Israel neglected God’s Word, worshipped idols, were greedy, had corrupt leadership, and oppressed the poor.  He pronounced judgment upon all the surrounding nations, then on his own nation of Judah, but the hardest judgment was given to Israel.

These first  two chapter describe the judgment of the Lord, first against the Gentile nations then against Judah and Israel.   He said six foreign nations would be judged for their brutally of the people.  They enslaved captives, murdered pregnant women, and desecrated human bones.  They would receive back what they had inflicted on others.

God sees all and judges according to His holy standards.  His is fair and just and His judgments come out of His holy and just character.  He is patient with sinners, but He will finally judge them for their disobedience to Him.  He is always willing to pardon those who repent and place their trust in Jesus.

Amos warned Judah and pronounced judgment on them for rejecting God’s law and seeking false gods.  Because Judah sinned like the other nations, they would be judged like the other nations.   God is fair and just treating all sinners alike.  Amos warned Israel and pronounced judgment on them because they violated natural law and God’s holy law that was entrusted to them.  God gives us warnings today and we often disregard them.  We then receive the consequences of our rejection of God’s mercy.

Principle:  God judges according to His holy standards.

Amos 3-4 – Refusal to Repent

Amos made it clear the great privilege God had given Israel and the great responsibility this privilege brings.  He spoke with the authority of God who had rescued them from Egypt.  When God brings judgment against the cities, everyone should know that it was the hand of the Lord who did it.  They had every opportunity for years and years to repent.  He invited nations to see the sin of Israel so they could understand the judgment.  The altars of idols will be destroyed.  His judgment would extend to places built and enjoyed through oppression and robbery, but offered hope.  God would preserve a remnant of His people showing mercy by not destroying them completely.

Amos reminded Israel several times that God had called them to repent.  Israel sinned through pride, self-reliance, greed, and self-righteousness.  They sinned through injustice and oppression.  They sinned toward God by disobeying His laws and rejecting Him as God.

Israel had more privileges and prosperity than any other nations, but this privileged position would not save her from judgment.  People today are just like Israel.  We have many privileges, but still reject and disobey God.  Our privileged position won’t save us either unless we turn from sin and turn to Jesus for salvation.  Just like Israel, we are hard-headed.  God is disregarded and even forbidden to be mentioned in schools and governmental bodies.  The truth is suppressed.  The truth of God is exchanged for a lie.  The world is filled with unrighteousness. There is pride, hate, greed, self-righteousness, injustice, oppression, idolatry, murder, deceit, violence, and immorality everywhere. 

Principle:  Our God is a God of love and mercy, but also a God of justice.

Amos 5-6 – The Verdict

God didn’t enjoy the coming judgment.  He grieved because of their refusal to repent.  He said of 1,000 only 100 would remain in a city and only 10 would remain out of a town of 100.  He grieves our sin and rebellion, too.  He wants us to trust Him for salvation.  He longs to restore all sinners and for them to have a relationship with Him.

God tells them to, “Seek the Lord and live” – Amos 5:6.  “Seek good, not evil.” – Amos 5:14.  “Hate evil, love good” – Amos 5:15.  If they did these things, maybe God would change his mind like He did in Nineveh.  But they chose evil over good and His judgment over salvation.  Now they would face judgment.  The only source of life is God Himself. 

Is your life a reflection of God’s heart? 

Do you love the things God loves?

What is keeping you from seeing people the way God does?

Are you looking for ways to share His mercy and grace with others.

Principle:  The way we live our lives matters to God.

Amos 7-9 – Future Judgment and Restoration

God gave Amos five visions of the coming judgment. Each showed God intended to completely destroy the kingdom of Israel if the people didn’t repent.

The vision of locust (Amos 7:1-3).  God would send locust swarms to destroy Israel’s crops. 

The vision of fire (Amos 7:4-6).  Fire would consume the land.  Amos prayed and begged God to spare Israel and God relented.

The vision of a plumb line (Amos 7:7-9).  Amos saw the Lord holding a plumb line by a straight wall.  He measured Israel against His plumb line and they failed His holy standards.

The vision of a basket of ripe fruit (Amos 8:1-14).  Israel’s sin had made them ripe for judgment.

The vision of the Lord by the altar (Amos 9:1-10).  The Lord stood beside the altar and declared there was no escape for His judgment.

Amos ends the book with a message of hope.  He promised a blessing after the impending doom.  He described how miraculous and amazing God’s blessing and restoration would be.  God would continue to build up the faithful remnant of Jacob and rebuild the house of David.  He also promised to preserve a remnant of Israel.  God will establish a kingdom at Jesus’ return to earth.

Principle:  God justly judges all who persist in sin, but provides the way to salvation through His Son Jesus.

Lessons from Amos:

God calls and commissions ordinary people.

God’s calling cannot be easily ignored.

Worship must be on God’s terms, not ours.

God is sovereign over all nations.                                                                                              

Key verses:

“Seek the Lord and live.” – Amos 6.

“Seek good, not evil.” – Amos 5:14. 

“Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts.  Perhaps the Lord God almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph” – Amos 5:15.

This week’s attribute of God is He is Just.  He told Israel how to be saved from evil, but they didn’t listen.  Still, God never stopped loving them.  His justice is perfect because it’s based on His righteous character.  He never will punish His children for their sins because Jesus already paid the price on the cross.  He is a just judge who offers life to those who repent.  “Seek the Lord and live.” – Amos 5:6.

My next post will be after Christmas – around January 9th.  See you then when we will continue our study of Kingdom Divided in the books of Joel and Obadiah.  Until then have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

__________________________________________

 

If you have enjoyed my post and have found if helpful, please leave a comment or share this post with the buttons below.

Kingdom Divided Lesson 12 – Jonah

 

Note:  For clarity the Kings of Israel are coded in Orange and Kings of Judah are coded in Blue.

The small book of Jonah is just four chapters.  They reflect what happens when we run from God, run to God, run with God, and run ahead of God.  We can learn a lot from this book, because it demonstrates to us that these are the seasons of our own lives. 

Jonah 1 – Jonah Runs from God

Jonah was a prophet to Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II.  2 Kings 14:25 tell us that Jeroboam II did evil in the eyes of the Lord.  But the Lord showed great mercy to the evil king and the disobedient Israel so He allowed the boundaries of Israel to be restored.  Jonah had prophesied that Israel would expand her boundaries and it happened just as he said it would.   So Jonah was respected and had God on his side.

God came to Jonah asking him to go to Nineveh and preach against its wickedness. Nineveh was an Assyrian city located in the modern-day city of Mosul in northern Iraq.  Jonah didn’t want to go so he immediately ran away.  Scripture doesn’t tell us the reasons he ran.  Perhaps he didn’t want to go because Nineveh was a large violent evil city and their sins repulsed him, it was a Gentile city, or he was simple afraid of what they might do to him.  This is an understandable response when God asks us to do something difficult. 

Jonah got on a ship sailing for Tarshish.  Then God sent a violent storm with a great wind that even the expert sailors aboard the ship where terrified and they threw their cargo overboard so the ship wouldn’t sink.  They cried out to their gods for deliverance.  What was Jonah doing while all this was going on?  He was down in the bottom of the ship asleep.  It seemed he doesn’t care and wanted to die.

Jonah was singled out as the one whose God was responsible.  Jonah finally confessed and admitted his guilt choosing to protect the others rather than himself.  His solution was for them to throw him into the sea; then the sea would become calm.  The logical solution should have been for Jonah to say, “Turn around and take me to Nineveh.  That’s were God wants me to go.”  Jonah was willing to sacrifice his own life to save the others.  Why a change of heart?  Maybe he saw their fear and he took compassion on them; maybe he had the desire to serve God; maybe he felt anything was better than resisting and running from God; maybe he had now truly repented.

They didn’t want to throw him into the sea, because they believed his God was real and they feared the consequences.  Finally they did what Jonah had asked, but before they did, they did something surprising.  They prayed to the Lord because they knew He was in control.  The sailors feared the Lord and offered a sacrifice to him and took vows.  They threw Jonah overboard.  Then the storm became calm and the ship and sailors were saved.

God saw Nineveh’s wickedness.  Nothing is hidden from God.  God knew what Jonah’s reaction would be.  He knew all Jonah’s rebellious plans.  He had prepared a great fish to swallow up this fleeing prophet so His plans and purposes would be carried out.  God had a job for Jonah and He wasn’t going to let him get off that easy.  So by God’s grace He sent a miracle to keep him alive and give him a second chance.  Jonah was swallowed by the great fish and stayed inside the fish three days and three nights.

God sent the fish to punish Jonah and also to save him.  Three days and nights in the dark of the belly of a fish is too disgusting and disturbing not to be a punishment.  But without God sending the fish, Jonah would probably have drowned in the sea.  God saved him despite him running away and despite his disobedience.  God still wanted to use him.

If God wanted to, He could have saved Jonah from the sea without the fish.  His life preserved in the belly of the fish is like the burial of Jesus in the tomb.  Jonah was in the fish for three days and Jesus was in the tomb for three days.  The fish represented the grave of Christ and the spitting of Jonah represented the revival of Christ.

Principle:  God patiently seeks us even when we rebel and run away.

Jonah 2 – Jonah’s Prayer

Jonah was rebellious and resistant, but still a believer and God wasn’t finished with him yet.  So From inside the fish Jonah repented and prayed to God.  During the three days and three night Jonah boldly prayed to the Lord.  He praised God for His deliverance for by faith he knew God would deliver him.  He knew that the Lord heard his prayer and he knew that he was never out of God’s hands.  In his prayer he declared his commitment to God.  He had a new heart of gratitude and gave glory to God.  God spoke to the fish and the fish expelled Jonah onto dry land.

The three days and nights point to the Messiah to come, Jesus Christ.  We see that Jonah’s deliverance came after laying down one’s life.  Jonah gave his life for others just as Jesus did.  But death did not hold him; after three days and night of imprisonment, he was alive and free.

Principle:  God always hears our prayers.

Jonah 3 – Jonah Goes To Nineveh

God wanted obedience from Jonah and reminded him that there was an undone task.  So for the second time God told Jonah, “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” – Jonah 3:1.  He was to tell them that God was coming to judge them for their evil ways.  Having learned that resisting God doesn’t work, this time Jonah obeyed.  He went to the city and proclaimed that in forty days Nineveh would be overturned in judgment if they didn’t repent.  Overturned means destroyed and annihilated like that of Sodom and Gomorrah.

There is an important lesson here.  God frequently asks us to do things we really don’t want to do and like Jonah, we run in the other direction.  Storms of life may come and most of the time God allows us to continue in disobedience.  But like Jonah we want to return to God and be used by Him.  We want to hear God’s voice, but we’re not reading our Bibles.  We don’t pray and we attend church only some of the time.

The people of Nineveh believed God.  The king called for national repentance.  A leader makes a nation what they are.  You may be the leader in your home, in your work, in your church, or in your community.  It is a leader’s responsibility to lead in vision and direction and also in repentance and holiness. 

The people fasted and prayed.  They had genuine repentance.  True repentance is to change one’s way of living.  God saw their repentance.  They were more than just sorry; they turned from their wicked ways so God changed His mind and didn’t destroy Nineveh at this time.  Even though they turned from their sins, it was not long before they returned to their wicked ways.  About 100 years later, the prophet Nahum pronounce judgement upon Nineveh.  This time they didn’t repent and God destroyed Nineveh.  Ultimately Jonah’s prophesy did come true.

Jonah 4 – Jonah’s Anger

Jonah didn’t understand the depth of God’s grace and compassion.  He still didn’t understand how wrong he was.  He resented God’s mercy toward the people of Nineveh.  He was full of pride and thought he knew better than God.  He was angry and upset that God granted repentance to the Ninevites.  He wanted God to bring judgment upon these people he hated.  Jonah had been saved from a storm, drowning, and death in the fish’s belly.  But prejudice blinded him to God’s mercy on him and Nineveh. 

He prayed to God in anger.  He became depressed and prayed for God to take his life.  He criticized God’s wisdom of grace and mercy.  He was defeated by his own selfishness, hate, and pride.  So much that he wanted to die.  The devil had gotten a foothold into Jonah’s life by using discouragement, which led to depression, defeat and then to a death wish.  

God responded to him by asking him simple question, “Have you any right to be angry?” – Jonah 4:4.  Of course the answer is no!  He had no right to question God’s ways and purposes for mankind.  The Creator has the right to do whatever he wants.  Jonah was so upset that he never answered.  Jonah left Nineveh.  He made a shelter and sat in its shade and waited to see if God would bring judgment on the city.

This chapter’s lessons are simple.  Jonah is like many people who think the gospel is only for deserving people.  We harbor anger, prejudice, and hatred toward others because they are different.  But like Jonah, we have been shown God’s love and mercy.  God’s mercy is for everyone.  We learn that God is compassionate, slow to anger, and has abounding love and patience.

Are you selfish thinking of only yourself?

In what ways do you harbor anger and prejudice toward others?

Are you like Jonah and rather die than obey God?

Do you think you know better than God?

Do you run from God when He asks you to do something?

Principle:  God lovingly extends mercy to all people.

Lessons from Jonah –

God’s mercy is extended to all people.

You can’t hide from God.

You can’t rush God.

Everyone deserves compassion.

God’s love can change people. 

 

I hope we all understand we are living in days of mercy.  Christ will return one day.  When He does, It will be to judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42; 2 Timothy 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5).  We are living in ‘Jonah days’ – days when God longs for us to repent. These ‘Jonah days’ won’t go on forever.  If we haven’t turned to Him by the time the Lord returns, we will not find ourselves with God’s mercy.  We will find ourselves in His judgment.

This week’s attributes of God: He is Impartial and Merciful.  He can save all people regardless of who they are or what they have done.  He showed mercy to the Ninevites, to the sailors, and to Jonah.  He offers His mercy to us, too.  He doesn’t show favoritism.  “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” – Titus 3:5a

Next time we will continue our study of Kingdom Divided by going back to the book of Amos.  Until then I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

__________________________________________

 

If you have enjoyed my post and have found if helpful, please leave a comment or share this post with the buttons below.