Posts Tagged ‘Amos’

You Are Here

Posted: March 1, 2011 in Bible
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Hey since you’re here, why not check out the “Current Teaching” tab on my homepage?

You’ll find dozens of audio lessons that will walk you through the prophetic books of the Old Testament.

I recommend using these lessons as an audio commentary any time you’re reading Bible prophecy.

Each lesson provides you with vital background information on the historical, political and religious environment that each of the prophets is addressing & will help you identify the key themes at the heart of each prophetic book.

Think you already know it all?

You may be SURPRISED by what you DISCOVER when you LEARN how to UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF BIBLE PROPHECY.

So check it out!

It’s only a click away & it’s FREE!

Minor Prophets vs. Major Prophets

Posted: August 19, 2010 in Bible, prophecy
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Up until this point we’ve been looking at the “minor” prophets from the Assyrian Crisis (Jonah, Amos, Hosea & Micah). Next week we’ll cover our first “major” prophet and the final prophet from this era in history: Isaiah.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

The difference between “minor” and “major” prophets is quantity NOT quality. The minor prophets are NOT inferior nor are their messages less important. They are simply shorter books (i.e., With 14 chapters to his name, Hosea wrote the longest book among the minor prophets; Isaiah, by contrast, is 66 chapters long).

Is a long prophecy better than a short prophecy?
Hint: Most prophetic books are really collections of multiple prophecies preached over the lifetime of each prophet.

Don’t ignore the minor prophets. The minor prophets are just as important, just as inspired, just as relevant, and just as helpful as the major prophets. Many people (including preachers) neglect these books because they mistakenly think they aren’t important.

Short on time?
Hint: You can easily read entire books from the minor prophets in a single sitting.

Don’t be intimidated by the major prophets. Some people steer clear of the major prophets because of their length. Read the major prophets the same way you eat an elephant: one bite at a time. What’s your hurry, anyways?

Bored easily?
Hint: Most prophets give the names of the kings who reigned during their ministry. Use a tool like biblegateway.com to search for other passages about those kings & their historical settings.

I cannot tell it all. Because of the length of the major prophets, I will have to summarize large blocks of material (like skipping a rock across the surface of the water). Do yourself a favor and dive into the deep end — read them for yourself!

Looking forward to my post about your favorite verse?
Hint: I’m going to intentionally skip the popular passages. Ha! ;)

Micah (part 1: Backstory)

Posted: August 5, 2010 in Bible, Christ, Christianity, prophecy
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Micah was a prophet in Judah (the southern kingdom) from 731 to 701 B.C. and was a contemporary of Isaiah (our next prophet).

Isaiah quotes Micah in Isaiah 2:2-4

(or)

Micah quotes Isaiah in Micah 4:1-3.

Like Hosea and Amos, both Micah and Isaiah spoke about the destruction of Samaria (Israel’s capital city) and the end of the northern kingdom; but unlike their predecessors, Micah and Isaiah lived to witness the fall of Israel to Assyria in 722 B.C. and the subsequent deportation of their northern cousins.

Judah was overrun by Assyrian troops in 701 B.C. and might have suffered the same fate as its northern neighbor but Jerusalem itself was not taken. Judah was let off the hook by paying tribute to Assyria and losing part of its territory to the Philistines.

Assyria would continue to dominate the ancient Near East for more than a century before being eclipsed by the Babylonian Empire.

Judah’s judgment was delayed, at least in part, because of the spiritual reforms instituted by King Hezekiah. This godly king accepted prophetic critique and was greatly used by the Lord (2 Chron 29:1-31:30).

Hezekiah’s reign explicitly demonstrates God’s willingness to refrain from judgment when His people repent.

This is the core purpose of prophecy.

Judah limped along for another 100 years or so (after Hezekiah’s reign) before God’s warnings through Micah fully materialized.

In 586 B.C. Jerusalem fell and the Judeans (“Jews”) were deported to Babylon.

Though rejected by his original audience, Micah’s prophecies became a source of hope for the exiles living on the receiving end of God’s judgment. If Micah’s prophecies of judgment were reliable, so were his prophecies of restoration.

So what has God been dealing with you about?

If your answer is “Nothing,” you haven’t been paying attention (1 John 1:8-10). Is it possible you’ve ignored the voice that’s trying to guide you into God’s blessings?

You can save yourself a lot of heartache if you’ll learn to listen closely, repent of your sins, and turn to Christ in faith.

Both Israel & Judah would tell you … SOONER is BETTER than LATER.

The Crash Course

Posted: August 2, 2010 in Bible, Christ, Christianity, church, culture, prophecy
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If you’re just joining me (or if you missed anything) here’s a crash course on this series so far:

  • The rise & fall of nations follows a predictable pattern. (Think Again)
  • The Old Testament writing prophets have a message relevant to us today. (Rediscovering the Prophets)
  • You need to understand the cultural, historical and spiritual contexts of the prophets to fully appreciate their messages. (Context)
  • I’m not trying to write a Bible commentary; I’m just going to hit the highlights of each OT prophet. (Disclaimer)
  • The Old Testament [writing] prophets lived during three specific times in Israel’s history: (1) The Assyrian Crisis, (2) The Babylonian Crisis, and (3) The Rebuilding Crisis. (The Triple Whammy)
  • Israel was divided into two kingdoms after the reign of Solomon: Judah (the southern kingdom) & Israel (the northern kingdom). Both were morally & spiritually corrupt. God sent the prophets to preach repentance & proclaim judgment if they refused to return to covenant faithfulness. (God Doesn’t Wink at Sin)
  • Assyria was the global superpower God allowed to discipline Israel (the northern kingdom). Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Micah and Isaiah were prophets during the time of the Assyrian crisis. (The Calm Before the Storm)
  • God sent a stubborn prophet to preach repentance to Israel’s enemies in Assyria. God is gracious and offers salvation to all who turn to Him in faith. (Jonah: Bigger Than a Whale)
  • The Lord always takes notice of those who are devoted to Him. Amos was a”nobody” that God made a “somebody.” (Amos (part 1: Devotion))
  • We must never allow our allegiance to the flag to be confused with our devotion to Jesus Christ. They are not the same. They are not equal. (Amos (part 2: Patriotism))
  • When people reach the point where they simply refuse to turn from their wickedness, God allows them to suffer the consequences of their rebellion. (Amos (part 3: Judgment))
  • The challenge for believers in a culture that has rejected God and His Word is to remain faithful to the Lord when hell breaks loose all around us. (Amos (part 4: Hope))
  • It was unanimous, you asked me to take my time & break down each of the prophets rather than rush through them. (I’m Torn)
  • The prophetic message is never popular among the masses. Their words are only received by the godly remnant. (Talk to the Hand?) (UPDATE: As expected, my blog traffic has dropped drastically since starting this series on June 28th. CHECK IT OUT: April: 3,907 views; May: 4,120 views; June: 3,520; July: 1,445 views. To God be the glory! I must be doing something right!)
  • God gave Israel everything she needed; He continually showed her grace despite her adultery; He begged her to remain faithful; He wept over her indiscretions and loved her though she was unlovable. (Hosea (part 1: Prostitution))
  • Even God’s discipline is an act of LOVE, designed to bring people back into the blessings of the covenant relationship. (Hosea (part 2: Love | Hate)
  • The ancient rabbis found their full doctrine of repentance in the book of Hosea. (Hosea (part 3: Repentance))
  • God, the faithful lover, promised He would one day renew His love for His people with even greater zeal and commitment than before. That promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. (Hosea (part 4: Renewal))
  • My posts about the Scriptures are not the equivalent of the actual Scriptures. You need to read them for yourself! (No Cheating!)

 

Well…there you have it. You are now officially caught up!

Are you still with me??

I double-dog-dare-you to forward this post to a friend.

UP NEXT: Micah.

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