“HELLO, how are you?” “Fine”.  Not exactly an “in-depth” discussion, this brief interchange is normal as friends and acquaintances pass and briefly touch each other with a cliché or two.  Actually, clichés are a way of life, saturating sentences and permeating paragraphs.  But if this is the essence of their communication, the relationship will stall on a superficial plateau.  Facts and opinions also fill our verbiage.  These words go deeper, but the true person still lies hidden beneath them.  In reality, it is only when honest feelings and emotions are shared that real people can be known, loved, and helped.

Often, patterns of superficial communication spill over into our talks with God. We easily slide through well-worn lines recited for decades, or we quickly toss a cliché or two at God and call it prayer.  There is no doubt that God hears and understands these feeble attempts, but by limiting the depth of our communication, we become shallow in our relationship with him.  But God knows us, and he wants to have genuine communication with us.

At the centre of the Bible is the book of Psalms. This great collection of songs and prayers expresses the heart and soul of humanity.  In them, the whole range of human experiences is expressed.  There are no clichés in this book.  Instead, David and other writers honestly pour out their true feelings, reflecting a dynamic, powerful, and life-changing friendship with God.  The psalmists confess their sins, express their doubts and fears, ask God for help in times of trouble, and praise and worship him.

As you read the book of Psalms, you will hear believers crying out to God from the depths of despair, and you will hear them singing to him in the heights of celebration. But whether despairing or rejoicing, you will always hear them sharing honest feelings with their God.  Because of the honesty expressed by the psalmists, men and women throughout history have come, again and again, to the book of Psalms for comfort during times of struggle and distress.  And with the psalmists, they have risen from the depths of despair to new heights of joy and praise as they also discovered the power of God’s everlasting love and forgiveness.  Let the honesty of the psalmists guide you into a deep and genuine relationship with God.

VITAL STATISTICS

PURPOSE: To provide poetry for the expression of praise, worship, and confession to God

AUTHORS: David wrote 73 psalms; Asaph wrote 12; the sons of Korah wrote nine; Solomon wrote two; Herman (with the sons of Korah), Ethan, and Moses each wrote one; and 51 psalms are anonymous. The New Testament ascribes two of the anonymous psalms (Psalms 2 and 95) to David (see Acts 4.25; Hebrews 4.7).

DATE WRITTEN: Between the time of Moses (around 1440 B.C.) and the Babylonian captivity (586 B.C.)

SETTING: For the most part, the psalms were not intended to be narrations of historical events. However, they often parallel events in history, such as David’s flight from Saul and his sin with Bathsheba.

KEY VERSE: “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD” (150.6).

KEY PERSON: David

KEY PLACE: God’s holy temple

THE BLUEPRINT

Book I Psalms 1.1 – 41.13 While the psalms are not organised by topic, it is helpful to compare the dominant themes in each section of the psalms to the five books of Moses.  This first collection of psalms, mainly written by David, is similar to the book of Genesis.  Just as Genesis tells how mankind was created, fell into sin, and was then promised redemption, many of these psalms discuss humans as blessed, fallen, and redeemed by God.

Book II Psalms 42.1-72.20 This collection of psalms, mainly written by David and the sons of Korah, is similar to the book of Exodus.  Just as Exodus describes the nation of Israel, many of these psalms describe the nation as ruined and then recovered.  As God rescued the nation of Israel, he also reaches us.  We do not have to work out solutions first, but we can go to God with our problems and ask him to help.

Book III Psalms 73.1-89.52   This collection of psalms, mainly written by Asaph or Asaph’s descendants, is similar to the book of Leviticus.  Just as Leviticus discusses the tabernacle and God’s holiness, many of these psalms discuss the temple and God’s enthronement.  Because God is almighty, we can turn to him for deliverance.  These psalms praise God because he is holy, and his perfect holiness deserves our worship and reverence.

Book IV Psalms 90.1-106.48 This collection of psalms, mainly written by unknown authors, is similar to the book of Numbers.  Just as Numbers discusses the relationship of the nation of Israel to surrounding nations, these psalms often mention the relationship of God’s overruling kingdom to the other nations.  Because we are citizens of the kingdom of God, we can keep the events and troubles of earth in their proper perspective.

Book V Psalms 107.1-150.6 This collection of psalms, mainly written by David, is similar to the book of Deuteronomy.  Just as Deuteronomy was concerned with God and his word, these psalms are anthems of praise and thanksgiving for God and his word.  Most of the psalms were originally set to music and used in worship.  We can use these psalms today as they were used in the past, as a hymnbook of praise and worship.  This is a book that ought to make our hearts sing.

MEGATHEMES

Praise

EXPLANATION: Psalms are songs of praise to God as our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. Praise is recognising, appreciating, and expressing God’s greatness.

IMPORTANCE: Focusing our thoughts on God moves us to praise him. The more we know him, the more we can appreciate what he has done for us.

God’s Power

EXPLANATION: God is all-powerful; and he always acts at the right time. He is sovereign over every situation.  God’s power is shown by the ways he reveals himself in creation, history, and his word.

IMPORTANCE: When we feel powerless, God can help us. His strength can overcome the despair of any pain or trial.  We can always pray that he will deliver, protect, and sustain us.

Forgiveness

EXPLANATION: Many psalms are intense prayers asking God for forgiveness. God forgives us when we confess our sin and turn from it.

IMPORTANCE: Because God forgives us, we can pray to him honestly and directly. When we receive his forgiveness, we move from alienation to intimacy, from guilt to love.

Thankfulness

EXPLANATION: We are grateful to God for his personal concern, help, and mercy. Not only does he protect, guide, and forgive us, but his creation provides everything we need.

IMPORTANCE: When we realise how we benefit from knowing God, we can fully express our thanks to him. By thanking him often, we develop spontaneity in our prayer life.

Trust

EXPLANATION: God is faithful and just. When we put our trust in him, he quiets our hearts.  Because he has been faithful throughout history, we can trust him in times of trouble.

IMPORTANCE: People can be unfair and friends may desert us. But we can trust God.  Knowing God intimately drives away doubt, fear, and loneliness.

A single bomb devastates a city, and the world is ushered into the nuclear age. A split atom… power and force such as we have never seen.

At a launch site, rockets roar and a payload is thrust into space. Discoveries dreamed of for centuries are ours as we begin to explore the edge of the universe.

Volcanoes, earthquakes, tidal waves, hurricanes, and tornadoes unleash uncontrollable and unstoppable force. And we can only avoid them and then pick up the pieces.

Power, strength, might – we stand in awe at the natural and man-made display. But these forces cannot touch the power of our omnipotent God.  Creator of galaxies, atoms, and natural laws, the sovereign Lord rules all there is and ever will be.  How silly to live without him; how foolish to run and hide from him; how ridiculous to disobey him.  But we do.  Since Eden, we have sought independence from his control, as though we were gods and could control our destiny.  And he has allowed our rebellion.  But soon the day of the Lord will come.

It is about this day that the prophet Joel speaks, and it is the theme of his book. On this day God will judge all uprighteousness and disobedience – all accounts will be settled and the crooked made straight.

We know very little about Joel – only that he was a prophet and the son of Pethuel. He may have lived in Jerusalem because his audience was Judah, the southern kingdom.  Whoever he was, Joel speaks forthrightly and forcefully in this short and powerful book.  His message is one of foreboding and warning, but it is also filled with hope, Joel states that our Creator, the omnipotent Judge, is also merciful, and he wants to bless all those who trust him.

Joel begins by describing a terrible plague of locusts that covers the land and devours the crops. The devastation wrought by these creatures is but a foretaste of the coming judgment of God, the “day of the LORD”.  Joel therefore urges the people to turn from their sin and turn back to God.  Woven into this message of judgment and the need for repentance is an affirmation of God’s kindness and the blessings he promises for all those who follow him.  In fact, “everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved” (2.32).

As you read Joel, catch his vision of the power and might of God and of God’s ultimate judgment of sin. Choose to follow, obey, and worship God alone as your sovereign Lord.

VITAL STATISTICS

PURPOSE: To warn Judah of God’s impending judgment because of their sins, and to urge them to turn back to God

AUTHOR: Joel son of Pethuel

TO WHOM WRITTEN: The people of Judah, the southern kingdom, and God’s people everywhere

DATE WRITTEN: Probably during the time Joel may have prophesied, from about 853 to 796 B.C.

SETTING: The people of Judah had become prosperous and complacent. Taking God for granted, they had turned to self-centredness, idolatry, and sin.  Joel warned them that this kind of lifestyle would inevitably bring down God’s judgment.

KEY VERSES: “ ‘Even now,’ declares the LORD, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting, and weeping and mourning.’ Rend your heart and not your garments.  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” (2.12, 13).

KEY PEOPLE: Joel, the people of Judah

KEY PLACE: Jerusalem

THE BLUEPRINT

The locust plague was only a foretaste of the judgment to come in the day of the Lord. This is a timeless call to repentance with the promise of blessing.  Just as the people faced the tragedy of their crops being destroyed, we too will face tragic judgment if we live in sin.  But God’s graceis available to us both now and in that coming day.

1. The day of the locusts (1.1-2.27)
2. The day of the Lord (2.28-3.21)

MEGATHEMES

Punishment

Explanation: Like a destroying army of locusts, God’s punishment for sin is overwhelming, dreadful, and unavoidable.  When it comes, there will be no food, no water, no protection, and no escape.  The day for settling accounts with God for how we have lived is fast approaching.

Importance: God is the one with whom we must all reckon – not nature, the economy, or a foreign invader.  We can’t ignore or offend God for ever.  We must pay attention to his message now, or we will face his anger later.

Forgiveness

Explanation: God stood ready to forgive and restore all those who would come to him and turn away from sin.  God wanted to shower his people with his love and restore them to a proper relationship with him.

Importance: Forgiveness comes by turning from sin and turning towards God.  It is not too late to receive God’s forgiveness.  God’s greatest desire is for you to come to him.

Promise of the Holy Spirit

Explanation: Joel predicts the time when God will pour out his Holy Spirit on all people.  It will be the beginning of new and fresh worship of God by those who believe in him, but also the beginning of judgment on all who reject him.

Importance: God is in control.  Justice and restoration are in his hands.  The Holy Spirit confirms God’s love for us just as he did for the first Christians (Acts 2).  We must be faithful to God and place our lives under the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.

EVERY parent knows the shrill whine of a young child – a slow, high-pitched complaint that grates on the eardrums and aggravates the soul. The tone of voice is difficult to bear, but the real irritation is the underlying cause – discontentment and disobedience.  As the “children” of Israel journeyed from the foot of Mount Sinai to the land of Canaan, they grumbled, whined, and complained at every turn.  They focused on their present discomforts.  Faith had fled, and they added an extra 40 years to their trip.

Numbers, which records the tragic story of Israel’s unbelief, should serve as a dramatic lesson for all of God’s people. God [Wall] loves us and wants the very best for us.  He can and should be trusted.  Numbers also gives a clear portrayal of God’s patience.  Again and again he withholds judgment and preserves the nation.  But his patience must not be taken for granted.  His judgment will come.  We must obey.

As numbers begins, the nation of Israel was camped at the foot of Mount Sinai. The people had received God’s laws and were preparing to move.  A census was taken to determine the number of men fit for military service.  Next, the people were set apart for God.  God was making the people, both spiritually and physically, ready to receive their inheritance.

But then the complaining began. First, the people complained about the food.  Next, it was over Moses’ authority.  God punished some people but spared the nation because of Moses’ prayers.  The nation then arrived at Kadesh, and spies were sent into Canaan to assess its strength.  Ten returned with fearful stories of giants.  Only Caleb and Joshua encouraged them to “group and take possession of the land” (13.28).  The minority report fell on deaf ears full of the ominous message of the majority.  Because of their unbelief, God declared that the present generation would not live to see the promised land.  Thus the “wanderings” began.  During these desert wanderings there was a continuous pattern of grumbling, defiance, discipline, and death.  How much better it would have been to have trusted God and entered his land!  Then the terrible waiting began – waiting for the old generation to die off and waiting to see if the new generation could faithfully obey God.

Numbers ends as it begins, with preparation. This new generation of Israelites were numbered and sanctified.  After defeating numerous armies, they settle on the east side of the Jordan River.  Then they faced their greatest test: to cross the river and possess the beautiful land God promised them.

The lesson is clear. God’s people must trust him, moving ahead by faith, if they are to claim his promised land.

VITAL STATISTICS

PURPOSE: To tell the story of how Israel prepared to enter the promised land, how they sinned and were punished, and how they prepared to try again

AUTHOR: Moses

TO WHOM WRITTEN: The people of Israel

DATE WRITTEN: 1450-1410 B.C.

SETTING: The vast desert of the Sinai region, as well as lands just south and east of Canaan

KEY VERSES: “Not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times – not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No-one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it”  (14.22, 23).

KEY PEOPLE: Moses, Aaron, Miriam, Joshua, Caleb, Eleazar, Korah, Balaam

KEY PLACES: Mount Sinai, promised land (Canaan), Kadesh, Mount Hor, plains of Moab

THE BLUEPRINT 
Preparing for the Journey (1.1-1.10)  As part of their preparations, the Lord gave strict guidelines to the Israelites regarding purity in the camp.  He wanted them to have a lifestyle distinct from the nations around them.  He wanted them to be a holy people.  Similarly, we should concern ourselves with purity in the church.

1. The first census of the nation
2. The role of the Leviticus
3. The purity of the camp
4. Receiving guidance for the journey

First Approach to the Promised Land (10.11-14.45) The Israelites were prevented from entering the promised land because of their unbelief.  Throughout history, God’s people have continued to struggle with lack of faith.  We must prevent unbelief from gaining a foothold in our lives, for it will keep us from enjoying the blessings that God has promised.

1. The people complain
2. Miriam and Aaron oppose Moses
3. The spies incite rebellion

Wandering in the Desert (15.1-21.35) When the people complained against God and criticised Moses they were severely punished.  Over 14,000 people died as a result of rebellion against Moses.  As a result of Korah’s rebellion, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and their households died, along with 250 false priests.  Dissatisfaction and discontent, if allowed to remain in our lives, can easily lead to disaster.  We should refrain from complaining and criticising our leaders.

Second Approach to the Promised Land (22.1-36.13) The Moabites and Midianites could not get Balaam to curse Israel, but they did get him to give advice onhow to draw the Israelites to idol worship.  Balaam knew what was right, but he gave in to the temptation of material rewards and sinned.  Knowing what is right alone is never enough.  We must also do what is right.

1. The story of Balaam
2. The second census of the nation
3. Instructions concerning offerings
4. Vengeance on the Midianites
5. The Transjordan tribes
6. Camped on the plains of Moab

MEGATHEMES

Census

EXPLANATION: Moses counted the Israelites twice. The first census organised the people into marching units to better defend themselves.  The second prepared them to conquer the country east of the Jordan River.

IMPORTANCE: People have to be organised, trained, and led to be effective in great movements. It is always wise to count the cost before setting out on some great undertaking.  When we are aware of the obstacles before us we can more easily avoid them.  In God’s work, we must remove barriers in our relationships with others so that our effectiveness is not diminished.

Rebellion

EXPLANATION: At Kadesh, 12 spies were sent out into the land of Canaan to report on the fortifications of the enemies. When the spies returned, 10 said that they should give up and go back to Egypt.  As a result, the people refused to enter the land.  Faced with a choice, Israel rebelled against God.  Rebellion did not start with an uprising, but with gripping and murmuring against Moses and God.

IMPORTANCE: Rebellion against God is always a serious matter. It is not something to take lightly, for God’s punishment for sin is often very severe.  Our rebellion does not usually begin with all-out warfare, but in subtle ways – with griping and criticising.  Make sure your negative comments are not the product of a rebellious spirit.

Wandering

EXPLANATION: Because they rebelled, the Israelites wandered 40 years in the desert. This shows how severely God can punish-sin.  Forty years was enough time for all those who held on to Egypt’s customs and values to die off.  It gave time to train up a new generation in the ways of God.

IMPORTANCE: God judges sin harshly because he is holy. The wanderings in the desert demonstrate how serious God considers flagrant disobedience of his commands.  Purging our lives of sin is vital to God’s purpose.

Canaan

EXPLANATION: Canaan is the promised land. It was the land God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – the land of the covenant.  Canaan was to be the dwelling place of God’s people, those set apart for true spiritual worship.

IMPORTANCE: Although God’s punishment for sin is often severe, he offers reconciliation and hope – his love is truly amazing. Just as God’s love and law led Israel to the promised land.  God desires to give purpose and destiny to our lives.

OVERWHELMING grief, prolonged distress, incessant abuse, continual persecution, and imminent punishment breed hopelessness and despair. “If only”, we cry as we search our minds for a way out and look to the skies for rescue.  With just a glimmer of hope we would take courage and carry on, enduring until the end.

Hope is the silver shaft of the sun breaking through the storm-darkened sky, words of comfort in the intensive care unit, a letter from over-seas, the first spring bird perched on a snow-covered twig, and the finish line in sight. It is a rainbow, a song, a loving touch.  Hope is knowing God and resting in his love.

As God’s prophet, Zephaniah was bound to speak the truth – this he did clearly, thundering certain judgment and horrible punishment for all who would defy the Lord. God’s awful wrath would sweep away everything in the land and destroy it.  “ ‘I will sweep away both men and animals; I will sweep away the birds of the air and the fish of the sea.  The wicked will have only heaps of rubble when I cut off man from the face of the earth,’ declares the LORD” (1.3).  No living thing in the land would escape.  And that terrible day was coming soon: “The cry on the day of the LORD is near – near and coming quickly.  Listen!  The cry on the day of the LORD will be bitter, the shouting of the warrior there.  That day will be a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness (1.14, 15).  We can sense that oppression and depression his listeners must have felt.  They were judged guilty, and they were doomed.

But in the midst of this terrible pronouncement, there is hope. The first chapter of Zephaniah’s prophecy is filled with terror.  In Chapter two, however, a whispered promise appears.  “Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands.  Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD’S anger” (2.3).  And a few verses later we read of a “remnant of the house of Judah” (2.7) who will be restored.

Finally in chapter three, the quite refrain grows to a crescendo as God’s salvation and deliverance for those who are faithful to him are declared. “Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel!  Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem!  The LORD has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy.  The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm” (3.14, 15).  This is true hope, grounded in the knowledge of God’s justice and in his love for his people.

As you read Zephaniah, listen carefully to the words of judgment. God [Wall] does not take sin lightly, and it will be punished.  But be encouraged by the words of hope – our God [Wall] reigns, and he will rescue his own.  Decide to be part of that faithful remnant of souls who humbly worship and obey the living Lord.

VITAL STATISTICS

PURPOSE: To shake the people of Judah out of their complacency and urge them to return to God [Wall]

AUTHOR: Zephaniah

TO WHOM WRITTEN: Judah and all nations

DATE WRITTEN: Probably near the end of Zephaniah’s ministry (640-621 B.C.), when King Josiah’s great reforms began

SETTING: King Josiah of Judah was attempting to reverse the evil trends set by the two previous kings of Judah – Manasseh and Amon. Josiah was able to extend his influence because there wasn’t a strong superpower dominating the world at the time (Assyria was declining rapidly).  Zephaniah’s prophecy may have been a motivating factor in Josiah’s reform.  Zephaniah was a contemporary of Jeremiah.

KEY VERSE: “Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD’S anger” (2.3).

KEY PLACE: Jerusalem

THE BLUEPRINT

Zephaniah warned the people of Judah that if they refused to repent, the entire nation, including the beloved city of Jerusalem, would be lost. The people knew that God [Wall] would eventually bless them, but Zephaniah made it clear that there would be judgment first, then blessing.  This judgment would not be merely punishment for sin, but also a process of purifying the people.  Though we live in a fallen world surrounded by evil, we can hope in the perfect kingdom of God [Wall] to come and we can allow any punishment that touches us now to purify us from sin.

1. The day of wrath (1.1-3.8)
2. The day of hope (3.9-20)

MEGATHEMES

Day of Judgment

Explanation: Destruction was coming because Judah had forsaken the Lord.  The people worshipped Baal, Molech, and the starry hosts.  Even the priests mixed pagan practices with faith in God [Wall].  God’s punishment for sin was on the way.

Importance: To escape God’s judgment we must listen to him, accept his correction, trust him, and seek his guidance.  If we accept him as our Lord, we can escape his condemnation.

Indifference to God

Explanation: Although there had been occasional attempts at renewal, Judah had no sorrow for her sins.  The people were prosperous, and they no longer cared about God [Wall].  God’s demands for righteous living seemed irrelevant to Judah, whose security and wealth made her complacent.

Importance: Don’t let material comfort be a barrier to your commitment to God [Wall].  Prosperity can produce an attitude of proud self-sufficiency.  The only antidote is to admit that money won’t save us and that we cannot save ourselves.  Only God can save us and cure our indifference to spiritual matters.

Day of Cheer

Explanation: The day of judgment will also be a day of cheer.  God [Wall] will judge all those who mistreat his people.  He will purify his people, purging away all sin and evil.  God [Wall] will restore his people and give them hope.

Importance: When people are purged of sin, there is great relief and hope.  No matter how difficult our experience now, we can look forward to the day of celebration when God [Wall] will completely restore us.  It will truly be a day of cheer.

“I DON’T CARE what anyone says, I’m going to do it!” he yells at his mother as he storms out of the house.

This is a familiar scene in our society. The words change, but the essential message is the same… the person is not open to advice because his mind is closed.  Some advice may be sought, but it is heeded only if it reinforces the decision already made or is an easier path to take.  It is human nature to reject help and to do things our way.

A much wiser approach is to seek, hear, and heed the advice of good counsellors. Solomon, the world’s wisest man, urges this in Proverbs (see 11:14; 15:22; 24:6).  How ironic that his son and successor, Rehoboam, listened instead to foolish advice, with devastating results.  At Rehoboam’s inauguration, he was petitioned by the people to be a kind of generous ruler.  The older men counselled him to “be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favourable answer” (12:7).  But Rehoboam agrees to the cruel words of his peers who urge him to be harsh.  As a result, Rehoboam split the kingdom.  Learn from Rehoboam’s mistake.  Commit yourself to seeking and following wise counsel.

The main events of 1 Kings are David’s death, Solomon’s reign, the division of the kingdom, and Elijah’s ministry.  As Solomon ascended the throne, David charged him to obey God’s law and to walk “in his ways” (2:3).  This Solomon did; and when given the choice of gifts from God [Wall], he humbly asked for discernment (3:9).  As a result, Solomon’s reign began with great success, including the construction of the temple – his greatest achievement.  Unfortunately, Solomon took many pagan wives and concubines who eventually turned his heart away from the Lord to their false gods (11:1-4).

Rehoboam succeeded Solomon and had the opportunity to be a wise, compassionate, and just king. Instead, he accepted the poor advice of his young friends and attempted to rule with an iron hand.  But the people rebelled, and the kingdom split with ten tribes in the north (Israel) ruled by Jeroboam, and only Judah and Benjamin remaining with Rehoboam.  Both kingdoms wove a path through the reigns of corrupt and idolatrous kings with only the clear voice of the prophets continuing to warn and call the nation back to God.

Elijah is surely one of the greatest prophets, and chapters 17-22 feature his conflict with wicked Ahab and Jezebel in Israel. In one of the most dramatic confrontations in history, Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel.  In spite of incredible opposition, Elijah stood for God and proves that one plus God is a majority.  If God is on our side, no-one can stand against us (Romans 8:31).

VITAL STATISTICS

PURPOSE: To contrast the lives of those who live for God and those who refuse to do so through the history of the kings of Israel and Judah

AUTHOR: Unknown. Possibly Jeremiah or a group of prophets

SETTING: The once great nation of Israel turned into a land divided, not only physically, but also spiritually

KEY VERSES: “As for you, if you walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne over Israel for ever, as I promised David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel’ “ (9:4, 5).

KEY PEOPLE: David, Solomon, Rehoboam, Jeroboam, Elijah, Ahab, Jezebel

SPECIAL FEATURE: The books of 1 and 2 Kings were originally one book.

THE BLUEPRINT

The United Kingdom (1:1-11:43) Solomon was a botanist, zoologist, architect, poet, and philosopher.  He was the wisest king in the history of Israel, but his wives led to the introduction of false gods and false worship in Israel.  It is good for us to have wisdom, but that is not enough.  The highest goal in life is to obey the Lord.  Patient obedience to God should characterise our lives.

Solomon becomes king

Solomon’s wisdom

Solomon builds the temple

Solomon’s greatness and downfall

The Divided Kingdom (12:1-22:53)   When the northern kingdom of Israel was being led by wicked kings, God raised up a prophet to proclaim his messages.  Elijah single-handedly challenged the priesthood of the state religion and had them removed in one day.  Through the dividing of the kingdom and the sending of Elijah, God dealt with the people’s sin in powerful ways.  Sin in our lives is graciously forgiven by God.  However, the sin of an unrepentant person will be handled harshly.  We must turn from sin and turn to God to be saved from judgment.

Revolt of the northern tribes

Kings of Israel and Judah

Elijah’s ministry

Kings of Israel and Judah

MEGATHEMES

The King

EXPLANATION: Solomon’s wisdom, power, and achievements brought honour to the Israelite nation and to God. All the kings of Israel and Judah were told to obey God and to govern according to his laws.  But their tendency to abandon God’s commands and to worship other gods led them to change the religion and government to meet their personal desires.  This neglect of God’s law led to their downfall.

IMPORTANCE: Wisdom, power, and achievement do not ultimately come from any human source; they are from God. No matter what we lead or govern, we can’t do well when we ignore God’s guidelines.  Whether or not we are leaders, effectiveness depends upon listening and obeying God’s word.  Don’t let your personal desires distort God’s word.

The Temple

EXPLANATION: Solomon’s temple was a beautiful place of worship and prayer. This sanctuary was the centre of Jewish religion.  It was the place of God’s special presence and housed the ark of the covenant the Ten Commandments.

IMPORTANCE: A beautiful house of worship doesn’t always guarantee heartfelt worship of God. Providing opportunities for true worship doesn’t ensure that it will happen.  God wants to live in our hearts, not just meet us in a sanctuary.

Other Gods

EXPLANATION: Although the Israelites had God’s law and experienced his presence among them, they became attracted to other gods. When this happened, their hearts become cold to God’s law, resulting in the ruin of families and government, and eventually leading to the destruction of the nation.

IMPORTANCE: Through the years, the people took on the false qualities of the false gods they worshipped. They became cruel, power-hungry, and sexually perverse.  We tend to become what we worship.  Unless we serve the true God, we will become slaves to whatever takes place.

The Prophet’s Message

EXPLANATION: The prophet’s responsibility was to confront and correct any deviation from God’s law. Elijah was a bolt of judgment against Israel.  His message and miracles were a warning to the evil and rebellious kings and people.

IMPORTANCE: The Bible, the truth in sermons, and the wise counsel of believers are warnings to us. Anyone who points out how we deviate from obeying God’s word is a blessing to us.  Changing our lives in order to obey God and get back on track often takes painful discipline and hard work.

Sin and Repentance

EXPLANATION: Each king had God’s commands, a priest or prophet, and the lessons of the past to draw him back to God. All the people had the same resources.  Whenever they repented and returned to God, God heard their prayers and forgave them.

IMPORTANCE: God hears and forgives us when we pray – if we are willing to trust him and turn from sin. Our desire to forsake our sin must be heartfelt and sincere.  Then he will give us a fresh start and a desire to live for him.

FROM innocent childhood queries to complex university discussions, life is filled with questions. Asking how and why and when, we probe beneath the surface to find satisfying answers.  But not all questions have answers wrapped and neatly tied. These unanswered problems create more questions and nagging, spirit-destroying doubt.  Some choose to live with life.  Others become cynical and hardened.  But there are those who reject those options and continue to ask, looking for answers.

Habakkuk was a man who sought answers. Troubled by what he observed, he asked difficult questions.  These questions were not merely intellectual exercises or bitter complaints.  Habakkuk saw a dying world, and it broke his heart.  Why is there evil in the world?  Why do the wicked seem to be winning?  He boldly and confidently took his complaints directly to God.  And God answered… with an avalanche of proof and prediction.

The prophet’s questions and God’s answers are recorded in this book. As we turn the pages, we are immediately confronted with his urgent cries, “How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen?  Or cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not save?”  (1.2).  In fact, most of the first chapter is devoted to his questions.  As chapter two begins, Habakkuk declares that he will wait to hear God’s answers to his complaints.  Then God begins to speak, telling the prophet to write his answer plainly so that all will see and understand.  It may seem, God says, as though the wicked  triumph, but eventually they will be judged, and righteousness will prevail.  Judgment may not come quickly, but it will come.  God’s answers fill chapter two.  Then Habakkuk concludes his book with a prayer of triumph.  Without questions answered and a new understanding of God’s power and love, Habakkuk rejoices in who God is and in what he will do.  “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Saviour.  The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights” (3.28, 19).

Listen to the profound questions that Habakkuk boldly brings to God, and realise that you can also bring your complaints and enquiries to him. Listen to God’s answers and rejoice that he is at work in the world and in your life.

VITAL STATISTICS

PURPOSE: To show that God is still in control of the world despite the apparent triumph of evil

AUTHOR: Habakkuk

TO WHOM WRITTEN: Judah (the southern kingdom), and God’s people everywhere

DATE WRITTEN: Between 612 and 588 B.C.

SETTING: Babylon was becoming the dominant world power and Judah would soon feel Babylon’s destructive force

KEY VERSE: “LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy” (3.2).

KEY PEOPLE: Habakkuk, the Babylonians

KEY PLACE: Judah

THE BLUEPRINT

When Habakkuk was troubled he brought his concerns directly to God. After receiving God’s answers, he responded with a prayer of faith.  Habakkuk’s example is one that should encourage us as we struggle to move from doubt to faith.  We don’t have to be afraid to ask questions of God.  The problem is not with God and his ways, but with our limited understanding of him.

1. Habakkuk’s complaints (1.1-2:20)
2. Habakkuk’s prayer (3.1-19)

MEGATHEMES

Struggle and Doubt

EXPLANATION: Habakkuk asked God why the wicked in Judah were not being punished for their sin. He couldn’t understand why a just God would allow such evil to exist.  God promised to use the Babylonians to punish Judah.  When Habakkuk cried out for answers in his time of struggle, God answered him with words of hope.

IMPORTANCE: God wants us to come to him with our struggles and doubts. But his answers may not be what we expect.  God sustains us by revealing himself to us.  Trusting him leads to quiet hope, not bitter resignation.

God’s Sovereignty

EXPLANATION: Habakkuk asked God why he would use the wicked Babylonians to punish his people. God said that he would also punish the Babylonians after they had fulfilled his purpose.

IMPORTANCE: God is still in control of this world in spite of the apparent triumph of evil. God doesn’t overlook sin.  One day he will rule the whole earth with perfect justice.

Hope

EXPLANATION: God is the Creator; he is all-powerful. He has a plan, and he will carry it out.  He will punish sin.  He is our strength and out place of safety.  We can have confidence that he will love us and guard our relationship with him for ever.

IMPORTANCE: Hope means going beyond our unpleasant daily experiences to the joy of knowing God. We live by trusting in him, not in the benefits, happiness, or success we may experience in this life.  Our hope comes from God.

©Pockets, Trinket.