GOD’S JUDGMENT on Israel and Judah was not going to be pleasant, but it was not to last forever. This week, we read prophecies of Isaiah and Micah on the coming destruction of the northern kingdom by Assyria and the southern kingdom by Babylon.Continue Reading
HE HADN’T intended to be a prophet, but that’s the work to which the Lord called him. Amos, a contemporary of Isaiah, was a shepherd from south of Jerusalem in the kingdom of Judah. However, he devoted most of the nine chapters of his book to warning the northern kingdom of Israel about its imminent doom — a judgment decreed by God.Continue Reading
PROPHESYING DURING a time just before a calamity has to be one of the worst jobs ever. Isaiah was called to be a prophet during a visit to the throne room of God, but his orders were to make sure the people of Judah didn’t listen to God.Continue Reading
PRIDE AND repentance are the themes of this week’s Old Testament study.Continue Reading
IRON AGE history is a bloody business, and the history of the kings of Israel and Judah is no different. This week’s Old Testament study looks at transfers of power — somewhat less than peaceful — in the generation following Ahab and Jehoshaphat.Continue Reading
THE CONCEPTS of holy ground and cosmic geography are behind most of the stories in today’s Old Testament study. As we saw in the life of Elijah, God often did things to teach a lesson and/or send a message. In this case, it was the clear message that Israel belongs to Him.Continue Reading