THE BRIDEGROOM stands to attention as the music swells and the bride begins her long walk down the aisle, arm in arm with her father.   The smiling but nervous husband-to-be follows every step, his eyes brimming with love.   Then happy tears are shed, vows stated, and families merged.  A wedding is a joyous celebration of love.   It is the holy mystery of two becoming one, of beginning life together, and of commitment.  Marriage is ordained by God and illustrates his relationship with his people.   Thus, there is perhaps no greater tragedy than the violation of those sacred vows.

God told Hosea to find a wife, and told him beforehand that she would be unfaithful to him.   Although she would bear many children, some of these offspring would be fathered by others.   In obedience to God, Hosea married Gomer.   His relationship with her, her adultery, and their children became living, prophetic examples to Israel.

The book of Hosea is a love story – – real, tragic, and true. Transcending the tale of young man and wife, it tells of God’s love for his people and the response of his “bride”.   A covenant had been made and God had been faithful.   His love was steadfast and his commitment unbroken.   But Israel, like Gomer, was adulterous and unfaithful, spurning God’s love and turning instead to false gods.   Then, after warning of judgment, God reaffirmed his love and offered reconciliation.   His love and mercy were overflowing, but justice would be served.

The book begins with God’s marriage instructions to Hosea.   After Hosea’s marriage, children were born, and each given a name signifying a divine message (chapter 1).   Then, as predicted, Gomer left Hosea to pursue her lusts (chapter 2).   But Hosea (whose name means “salvation”) found her, redeemed her, and brought her home again, fully reconciled (chapter 3).   Images of God’s love, judgment, grace, and mercy where woven into their relationship.   Next, God outlined his case against the people of Israel – – their sins would ultimately cause their destruction (chapters 4; 6; 7; 12) and would rouse his anger, resulting in punishment (chapters 5; 8 – 10, 12; 13).  But even in the midst of Israel’s immorality, God was merciful and offered hope, expressing his infinite love for his people (chapter 11) and the fact that their repentance would bring about blessing (chapter 14).

The book of Hosea dramatically portrays our God’s constant and persistent love. As you read this book, watch the prophet submit himself willingly to his Lord’s direction; grieve with him over the unfaithfulness of his wife and his people; and hear the clear warning of judgment.  Then reaffirm your commitment to being God’s person, faithful in your love and true to your vows.

VITAL STATISTICS

Purpose:   To illustrate God’s love for his sinful people

Author: Hosea son of Beeri (“Hosea” means “salvation”)

To Whom Written: Israel (the northern kingdom) and God’s people everywhere

Date Written: Approximately 715 B.C., recording events from about 753-715 B.C.

Setting:   Hosea began his ministry during the end of the prosperous but morally declining reign of Jeroboam II of Israel (the upper classes were doing well, but they were oppressing the poor).   He prophesied until shortly after the fall of Samaria in 722 B.C.

Key Verse:   “The LROD said to me, ‘Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress.   Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes’ “ (3.1).

Key people:   Hosea, Gomer, their children

Key places:   The northern kingdom (Israel), Samaria, Ephraim

Special Features:   Hosea employs many images from daily life – – God is depicted as husband, father, lion, leopard, bear, dew, rain, moth, and others; Israel is pictured as wife, sick person, vine, grapes, early fruit, olive tree, woman in childbirth, oven, morning mist, chaff, and smoke, to name a few.

THE BLUEPRINT

HOSEA’S WAYWARD WIFE (1.1 – 3.5)   Hosea was commanded by God to marry a woman who was unfaithful in marriage and would cause him many heartaches.  Just as Gomer lost interest in Hosea and ran after other lovers, we too can easily lose appreciation for our special relationship with God and pursue dreams and goals that do not include him.   When we compromise our Christian life-styles and adopt the ways of the world, we are being unfaithful.

GOD’S WAYWARD PEOPLE (4.1 – 14.9)   God wanted the people in the northern kingdom to turn from their sin and return to worshipping him alone, but they persisted in their wickedness.  Throughout the book, Israel is described as ignorant of God, with no desire to please him.   Israel did not understand God at all, just as Gomer did not understand Hosea.  Like a loving husband or patient father, God wants people to know him and to turn to him daily.

MEGATHEMES

The Nation’s Sin

Explanation: Just as Hosea’s wife, Gomer, was unfaithful to him, so the nation of Israel had been unfaithful to God.   Israel’s idolatry was like adultery.  They sought illicit relationships with Assyria and Egypt in pursuit of military might, and they mixed Baal worship with the worship of God.

Importance:   Like Gomer, we can chase after other loves – – loves of power, pleasure, money, or recognition.  The temptations in this world can be very seductive.   Are we loyal to God, remaining completely faithful, or have other loves taken his rightful place?

God’s Judgment

Explanation:   Hosea solemnly warned Judah against following Israel’s example.  Because Judah broke the covenant, turned away from God, and forgot her Maker, she experienced a devastating invasion and exile.  Sin has terrible consequences.

Importance:   Disaster surely follows ingratitude towards God and rebellion.   The Lord is our only true refuge.   If we harden our hearts against him, there is no safety or security anywhere else.  We cannot escape God’s judgment.

God’s Love

Explanation: Just as Hosea went after his unfaithful wife to bring her back, so the Lord pursues us with his love.  His love is tender, loyal, unchanging, and undying.   No matter what, God still loves us.

Importance:   Have you forgotten God and become disloyal to him?   Don’t let prosperity diminish your love for him or let success blind you to your need for his love.

Restoration

Explanation:   Although God will discipline his people for sin, he encourages and restores those who have repented.  True repentance opens the way to a new beginning.   God forgives and restores.

Importance:   There is still hope for those who turn back to God.   No loyalty, achievement, or honour can be compared to loving him.   Turn to the Lord while the offer still stands.   No matter how fare you have strayed, God is willing to bring you back.

(c) by Kingsway – New International Version, Here.

Pushes us to conform to wrong values:

“ “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you have testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, and do not show favouritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.  –  Exodus 23.2-3

Justice is often perverted in favour of the rich. Here the people are warned against twisting justice in favour of the poor.  Justice should be impartial, treating rich and poor alike.  Giving special privileges to either rich or poor only makes justice for everyone more unlikely.  Withstand the pressure of the crowd to sway your decision about a person.  Let the fairness God shows to each of us guide your judgment.

(“Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness.  – Exodus 23.1 Making up or spreading false reports [U.S.] was strictly forbidden by God.  Gossip, slander, and false witnessing undermined families, strained neighbourhood co-operation, and made chaos of the justice system.  Destructive gossip still causes problems.  Even if you do not initiate a lie, you become responsible if you pass it on.  Don’t circulate rumours; quench them).

Speaking up against the majority:

“ Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored.  They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it.  All the people we saw there are of great size.  –  Numbers 13.30-32

Imagine standing before a crowd and loudly voicing an unpopular opinion! Caleb was willing to take the unpopular stand to do as God had commanded.  To be effective when you go against the crowd, you must: (1) have the facts (Caleb had seen the land himself); (2) have the right attitude (Caleb trusted God’s promise to give Israel the land); (3) state clearly what you believe (Caleb said, “We can certainly do it”).

“ All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honour to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honour.  – Esther 3.2

Mordecai’s determination from his faith in God. He did not take a poll first to determine the safest or most popular course of action; he had the courage to stand alone.  Doing what is right will not always make you popular.  Those who do right will be in the minority, but to obey God is more important than to obey people (Acts 5.29).

To abandon God:

“ Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt.  They followed and worshipped various gods of the peoples around them.  They provoked the LORD to anger because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.  In his anger against Israel the LORD handed them over to raiders who plundered them.  He sold them to their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.  Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the LORD was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them.  They were in great distress.  –  Judges 2.11-15

Baal was the god of the storm and rains; therefore, he was thought to control vegetation and agriculture. Ashtoreth was the mother goddess of love, war, and fertility (she was also called Astarte or Ishtar).  Temple prostitution and child sacrifice were a part of the worship of these Canaanite idols.  This generation of Israelites abandoned the faith of their parents and began worshipping the gods of their neighbours.  Many things can tempt us to abandon what we know is right.  The desire to be accepted by our neighbours can lead us into behaviour that is unacceptable to God.  Don’t be pressured into disobedience.

Obeying God vs. seeking others’ approval:

“ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. –  Matthew 1.24

Joseph changed his plans quickly after learning that Mary had not been unfaithful to him (1.19). He obeyed God and proceeded with the marriage plans.  Although others may have disapproved of his decision, Joseph went ahead with what is right because of what others might think.  Sometimes we avoid doing what is right because of what others might think.  Like Joseph, we must choose to obey God rather than seek the approval of others.

When it’s too embarrassing to do right:

The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted – Matthew 14.9

Herod did not want to kill John the Baptist, but he gave the order so that he wouldn’t be embarrassed in front of his guests. How easy it is to give in to the crowd and to let ourselves be pressured into doing wrong.  Don’t get into a situation where it will be too embarrassing to do what is right.  Determine to do what is right, no matter how embarrassing or painful it may be.

How it affects your decisions:

“ Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.  Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.”

With one voice they cried out, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!”  (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, “Crucify him!  Crucify him!”

For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed?  I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty.  Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”

But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. So Pilate decided to grant their demand.  He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.  –  Luke 23.13-25

Pilate wanted to release Jesus, but the crowd loudly demanded his death; so Pilate sentenced Jesus to die. No doubt Pilate did not want to risk losing his position, which may already have been shaky, by allowing a riot to occur in his province.  As a politician, he knew the importance of compromise, and he saw Jesus more as a political threat than as a human being [Tom Thumb] with rights and dignity.

Don’t let it control you:

“ through glory and dishonour, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything  –  2 Corinthians 6.8-10

What a difference it makes to know Jesus!  He cares for us in spite of what the world thinks.  Christians don’t have to give in to public opinion and pressure.  Paul stood faithful to God whether people praised him or condemned him.  He remained active, joyous, and content in the most difficult hardships.  Don’t let circumstances or people’s expectations control you.  Be fire as you stand true to God, and refuse to compromise his standards for living.

©Kingsway – New International Version, Here.

A computer can be programmed to respond to your command. And by conditioning a dog with rewards and punishments, you can teach it to obey.  But as every parent knows, children are not so easily taught.  People have wills and must choose to submit, to follow the instructions of their parents and leaders.  Surely discipline is part of the process – boys and girls should know the consequences of disobedience – but there is a choice to be made.  They are not machines or animals.

God’s children must learn to obey their heavenly Father. Created in his image, they have a choice, and God allows them to choose.

Ezekiel was a man who chose to obey God. Although he was a priest (1:3), he served as a Jewish “street preacher” in Babylon for 22 years, telling everyone about God’s judgment and salvation, and calling them to repent and obey.  And Ezekiel lived what he preached.  During the ministry God told him to illustrate his messages with dramatic object lessons.  Some of these acts included (1) lying on his side for 390 days during which he could eat only one eight-ounce meal a day cooked over manure, (2) shaving his head and beard, and (3) showing no sorrow when his wife died.  He obeyed and faithfully proclaimed God’s word.

The book of Ezekiel chronicles the prophet’s life and ministry. Beginning with his call as a prophet and commissioning as a “watchman for the house of Israel” (chapters 1-3), Ezekiel immediately began to preach and demonstrate God’s truth, as he predicted the approaching siege and destruction of Jerusalem (chapters 4-24).  This devastation would be God’s judgment for the people’s idolatry.  Ezekiel challenged them to turn from their wicked ways.  In the next section, he spoke to the surrounding nations, prophesying that God would judge them for their sins as well (chapters 25-32).  The book concludes with a message of hope, as Ezekiel proclaimed the faithfulness of God and foretold the future blessings for God’s people (chapters 33-48).

As you read this exciting record, watch Ezekiel fearlessly preach the word of God to the exiled Jews in the streets of Babylon and hear the timeless truth of God’s love and power. Think about each person’s responsibility to trust God, and about the inevitability of God’s judgment against idolatry, rebellion, and indifference.  Then commit yourself to obeying God, whatever, wherever, and whenever he asks.

VITAL STATISTICS

PURPOSE: To announce God’s judgment on Israel and other nations and to foretell the eventual salvation of God’s people.

AUTHOR: Ezekiel – the son of Buzi, a Zadokite priest

TO WHOM WRITTEN: The Jews in captivity in Babylonia, and God’s people everywhere

DATE WRITTEN: Approximately 571 B.C.

SETTING: Ezekiel was a younger contemporary of Jeremiah the people still in Judah. Ezekiel prophesied to those already exiled in Babylonia after the defeat of Jehoiachin.  He was taken there in 597 B.C.

KEY VERSES: “For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.  I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh”  (36.24-26).

KEY PEOPLE: Ezekiel, Israel’s leaders, Ezekiel’s wife, Nebuchadnezzar, “the prince”

KEY PLACES: Jerusalem, Babylon, and Egypt

THE BLUEPRINT

Messages of Doom (1.1-24.27)   While Jeremiah was prophesying in Jerusalem that the city would soon fall to the Babylonians, Ezekiel was giving the same message to the captives who were already in Babylon.  Like those in Jerusalem, the captives stubbornly believed that Jerusalem would not fall and that they would soon return to their land.  Ezekiel warned them that punishment was certain because of their sins and that God was purifying his people.  God will always punish sin, whether we believe it or not.

1. Ezekiel’s call and commission
2. Visions of sin and judgment
3. Punishment is certain

Messages Against Foreign Nations (25.1-32.32)   Ezekiel condemns the sinful actions of seven nations.  The people in these nations were saying that God was obviously too weak to defend his people and the city of Jerusalem.  But God was allowing his people to be defeated in order to punish them for their sins.  These pagan nations, however, would face a similar fate, and then they would know that God is all-powerful.  Those who dare to mock God today will also face a terrible fate.

Message of Hope (33.1-48-35)   After the fall of Jerusalem.  Ezekiel delivered messages of future restoration andhope to the people.  God is holy, but Jerusalem and the temple had become defiled.  The nation had to be cleansed through 70 years of captivity.  Ezekiel gives a vivid picture of the unchangeable holiness of God.  We too must gain a vision of the glory of God, a fresh sense of his greatness, as we face the struggles of daily life.

MEGATHEMES

God’s Holiness

EXPLANATION: Ezekiel saw a vision that revealed God’s absolute moral perfection.  God was spiritually and morally superior to members of Israel’s corrupt and compromising society.  Ezekiel wrote to let the people know that God was also present in Babylon, not just in Jerusalem.

IMPORTANCE: Because God is morally perfect, he can help us live above our tendency to compromise with this world.  When we focus on his greatness, he gives us the power to overcome sin and to reflect his holiness.

Sin

EXPLANATION: Israel had sinned, and God’s punishment came.  The fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile were used by God to correct the rebels and draw them back from their sinful way of life.  Ezekiel warned them that not only was the nation responsible for sin, but each individual was also accountable to God.

IMPORTANCE: We cannot excuse ourselves from our responsibilities before God.  We are accountable to God for our choices.  Rather than neglect him, we must recognise sin for what it is – rebellion against God – and choose to follow him instead.

Restoration

EXPLANATION: Ezekiel consoles the people by telling them that the day will come when God will restore those who turn from sin.  God will be their King and Shepherd.  He will give his people a new heart to worship him, and he will establish a new government and a new temple.

IMPORTANCE: The certainty of future restoration encourages believers in times of trial.  But we must be faithful to God because we love him, not merely for what he can do for us.  Is our faith in him or merely in our future benefits?

Leaders

EXPLANATION: Ezekiel condemned the shepherds (unfaithful priests and leaders) who led the people astray.  By contrast, he served as a caring shepherd and a faithful watchman to warn the people about their sin.  One day God’s perfect Shepherd, the Messiah, will lead his people.

IMPORTANCE: Jesus is our perfect leader.  If we truly want him to lead us, our devotion must be more than talk.  If we are given the responsibility of leading others, we must take care of them even if it means sacrificing personal pleasure, happiness, time, or money.  We are responsible for those we lead.

Worship

EXPLANATION: An angel gave Ezekiel a vision of the temple in great detail.  God’s holy presence had departed from Israel and the temple because of sin.  The building of a future temple portrays the return of God’s glory and presence.  God will cleanse his people and restore true worship.

IMPORTANCE: All of God’s promises will be fulfilled under the rule of the Messiah.  The faithful followers will be restored to perfect fellowship with God and with one another.  To be prepared for this time, we must focus on God.  We do this through regular worship.  Through worship we learn about God’s holiness and the changes we must make in how we live.

©Kingsway – New International Version, Here.

SIN runs rampant in society – daily headlines and overflowing prisons bear dramatic witness to that fact. With child abuse, pornography, serial killings, terrorism, anarchy, and ruthless dictatorships, the world seems to be filled to overflowing with violence, hatred, and corruption.  Reading, hearing, and perhaps even experiencing these tragedies, we begin to understand the necessity of God’s judgment.  We may even find ourselves wishing for vengeance by any means upon the violent perpetrators.  Surely they are beyond redemption!  But suppose that in the midst of such thoughts, God told you to take a gospel to the worst of the offenders – how would you respond?

Jonah was given such a task. Assyria – a great but evil empire – was Israel’s most dreaded enemy.  The Assyrians flaunted their power before God and the world through numerous acts of heartless cruelty.  So when Jonah heard God tell him to go to Assyria and call the people to repentance, he ran in the opposite direction.

The book of Jonah tells the story of this prophet’s flight and how God stopped him and turned him around. But it is a profound illustration of God’s mercy and grace.  No-one deserved God’s favour less than the people of Nineveh.  Assyria’s capital.  Jonah knew this.  But he knew that God would forgive and bless them if they would turn from their sin and worship him.  Jonah also knew the power of God’s message, that even through his own weak preaching, they would respond and be spared God’s judgment.  But Jonah hated the Assyrians, and he wanted vengeance, not mercy.  So he ran.  Eventually, Jonah obeyed and preached in the streets of Nineveh, and the people repented and were delivered from judgment.  Then Jonah sulked and complained to God, “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity” (4.2).  In the end, God confronted Jonah about his self-centred values and lack of compassion, saying, “But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well.  Should I not be concerned about that great city?” (4.11).

As you read Jonah, see the full picture of God’s love and compassion and realise that no-one is beyond redemption. The gospel is for all who will repent and believe.  Begin to pray for those who seem to be furthest from the kingdom, and look for ways to tell them about God.  Learn from the story of this reluctant prophet and determine to obey God, doing whatever he asks and going wherever he leads.

VITAL STATISTICS

PURPOSE: To show the extent of God’s grace – the message of salvation is for all people

AUTHOR: Jonah son of Amittai

TO WHOM WRITTEN: Israel and God’s people everywhere

DATE WRITTEN: Approximately 785-760 B.C.

SETTING: Jonah preceded Amos and ministered under Jeroboam II, Israel’s most powerful king (793-753 B.C.; see 2 Kings 14.23-25). Assyria was Israel’s great enemy, and Israel was conquered by them in 722 B.C. Nineveh’s repentance must have been short-lived, for it was destroyed in 612 B.C.

KEY VERSE: “But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?” (4.11).

KEY PEOPLE: Jonah, the ship’s captain and crew

KEY PLACES: Joppa, Nineveh

SPECIAL FEATURES: This book is different from the other prophetic books because it tells the story of the prophet and does not centre on his prophecies. In fact, only one verse summarises his message to the people of Nineveh (3.4).  Jonah is an historical narrative.  It is also mentioned by Jesus as a picture of his death and resurrection (Matthew 12.38-42).

THE BLUEPRINT

Jonah was a reluctant prophet given a mission he found distasteful. He chose to run away from God rather than obey him.  Like Jonah, we may have to do things in life that we don’t want to do.  Sometimes we find ourselves wanting to turn and run.  But it is better to obey God than to defy him or run away.  Often, in spite of our defiance, God in his mercy will give us another chance to serve him when we return to him.

1. Jonah forsakes his mission (1.1-2.10)
2. Jonah fulfils his mission (3.1-4.11)

MEGATHEMES

God’s Sovereignty

Explanation: Although the prophet Jonah tried to run away from God, God was in control.  By controlling the stormy seas and a great fish, God displayed his absolute, yet loving guidance.

Importance:  Rather than running from God, trust him with your past, present, and future.  Saying no to God quickly leads to disaster.  Saying yes brings new understanding of God and his purpose in the world.

God’s Message to all the World

Explanation: God had given Jonah a purpose – to preach to the great Assyrian city of Nineveh.  Jonah hated Nineveh, and so he responded with anger and indifference.  Jonah had yet to learn that God loves all people.  Through Jonah, God reminded Israel of their missionary purpose.

Importance: We must not limit our focus to our own people.  God wants his people to proclaim his love in words and actions to the whole world.  He wants us to be his missionaries wherever we are, wherever he sends us.

Repentance

Explanation: When the reluctant preacher went to Nineveh, there was a great response.  The people repented and turned to God.  This was a powerful rebuke to Israel, who thought themselves better and yet refused to respond to God’s message.  God will forgive all those who turn from their sin.

Importance: God doesn’t honour sham or pretence.  He wants the sincere devotion of each person.  It is not enough to share the privileges of Christianity; we must ask God to forgive us and to remove our sin.  Refusing to repent is the same as loving our sin.

God’s Compassion

Explanation: God’s message of love and forgiveness was not for the Jews alone.  God loves all the people of the world.  The Assyrians didn’t deserve it, but God spared them when they repented.  In his mercy, God did not reject Jonah for aborting his mission.  God has great love, patience, and forgiveness.

Importance: God loves each of us, even when we fail him.  But he also loves other people, including those not of our group, back-ground, race, or denomination.  When we accept his love, we must also learn to accept all those whom he loves.  We will find it much easier to love others when we love God.

(c)Kingsway – New International Version, Here.

TO PROTECT from harm, to guard from attack, to repulse enemies – for centuries rugged defenders have built walls, launched missiles, and waged wars, expending material and human resources in the battle to save nations and cities. And with total commitment and courageous abandon, individuals have fought for their families.  It is a rule of life that we fight for survival, defending with all our strength what is most precious to us, from every real or imagined attack.

God’s word and the gift of eternal life have infinite value and have been entrusted to Christ’s faithful followers. There are many people who live in opposition to God and his followers.  They twist God’s truth, seeking to deceive and destroy the unwary.  But God’s truth must go forth, carried and defended by those who have committed their lives to God’s Son.  It is an important task, an awesome responsibility, and a profound privilege to have this commission.

This was Jude’s message to Christians everywhere. Opposition would come and godless teachers would arise, but Christians should “contend for the faith” (verse 3) by rejecting all falsehood and immorality (verses 4-19), remembering God’s mighty acts of rescue and punishment (verses 5-11, 14-16) and the warnings of the apostles (verses 17-19).  His readers are to build up their own faith through prayer (verse 20), keeping close to Christ (verse 21), helping others (verses 22, 23), and hating sin (verse 23).  Then Jude concludes with a glorious benediction of praise to God (verses 24, 25).

How much do you value God’s word, the fellowship of the church, and obedience to Jesus Christ? There are many false teachers waiting to destroy your Christ-centred life, the credibility of God’s word, and the unity of the body of Christ.  Read Jude and determine to stand firm in your faith and defend God’s truth at all costs. Nothing is more valuable.

VITAL STATISTICS

PURPOSE: To remind the church of the need for constant vigilance – to keep strong in the faith and to oppose heresy

AUTHOR: Jude, brother of Jesus and James

TO WHOM WRITTEN: Jewish Christians, and all believers everywhere

DATE WRITTEN: About A.D. 65

SETTING: From the first century on, the church has been threatened by heresy and false teaching – we must always be on our guard

KEY VERSE: “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (verse 3).

KEY PEOPLE: Jude, James, Jesus

THE BLUEPRINT

Jude wrote to motivate Christians everywhere to action. He wanted them to recognise the dangers of false teaching, to protect themselves and other believers, and to win back those who had already been deceived.  Jude was writing against godless teachers who were saying that Christians could do as they pleased without fear of God’s punishment.  While few teach this heresy openly in the church today, many in the church act as though it were true.  This letter contains a warning against living a nominal Christian life.

1. The danger of false teachers (1-16)
2. The duty to fight for God’s truth (17-25)

MEGATHEMES

False Teachers

EXPLANATION: Jude warns against false teachers and leaders who reject the lordship of Christ, undermine the faith of others, and lead them astray. These leaders and any who follow them will be punished.

IMPORTANCE: We must staunchly defend Christian truth. Make sure that you avoid leaders and teachers who distort the Bible to suit their own purposes.  Genuine servants of God will faithfully portray Christ in their words and conduct.

Apostasy

EXPLANATION: Jude also warns against apostasy – turning away from Christ.  We are to remember that God punishes rebellion against him.  We must be careful not to drift away from a faithful commitment to God.

IMPORTANCE: Those who do not seek to know the truth in God’s word are susceptible to apostasy.  Christians must guard against any false teachings that would distract them from the truth preached by the apostles and written in God’s word.

(c)Kingsway – New International Version, Here.

Explanation of:

“ Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood – two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. –  Exodus 37.1

The ark (also called the ark of the Testimony or ark of the covenant) was built to hold the Ten Commandments. It symbolised God’s covenant with his people.  Two gold angels called cherubim were placed on its top.  The ark was Israel’s most sacred object and was kept in the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle.  Only once each year, the high priest entered the Most Holy Place to sprinkle blood on the top of the ark (called the atonement cover) to atone for the sins of the entire nation.

(“ They made the curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim worked into it by a skilled craftsman. – Exodus 36:35 Cherubim are mighty angels).

(These are the amounts of the materials used for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the Testimony, which were recorded at Moses’ command by the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest. – Exodus 38:21 In building the tabernacle, Moses laid out the steps, but Ithamar supervised the project.  We all have different talents and abilities.  God didn’t ask Moses to build the tabernacle but to motivate the experts to do it.  Look for the areas where God has gifted you and then seek opportunities to allow God to use your gifts).

After three days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before.  But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it.”  –  Joshua 3.2-4

The ark of the covenant was Israel’s most sacred treasure. It was a symbol of God’s presence and power.  The ark was a golden rectangular box with two cherubim (angels) facing each other on the lid.  Inside the ark were the tablets of the Ten Commandments Moses received from God, a jar of manna (the bread God miraculously sent from heaven during the desert wanderings), and Aaron’s staff (the symbol of the high priest’s authority).  According to God’s law, only the Levites could carry the ark.  The ark was constructed at the same time as the tabernacle (Exodus 37.1-9) and placed in the sanctuary’s most sacred room.

(“ So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall.  – Joshua 2:15 In Joshua’s day it was common to build houses on city walls.  Many cities had two walls about 12 to 15 feet apart.  Houses were built on wooden logs laid across the tops of the two walls.  Rahab may have lived in such a house with a window that looked out over the outside wall.)

(Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you. – Joshua 3:5 Before entering the promised land, the Israelites were to perform a consecration (purification) ceremony.  This was often done before making a sacrifice or, as in this case, before witnessing a great act of God.  God’s law stated that a person could become unclean for many reasons – eating certain foods (Leviticus 11), childbirth (Leviticus 12), disease (Leviticus 13, 14), touching a dead person (Numbers 19.11-22).  God used these various outward signs of uncleanness to illustrate man’s inward uncleanness that comes as a result of sin.  The consecration ceremony pictured the importance of approaching God with a pure heart.  Like the Israelites, we need God’s forgiveness before we approach him).

Used as good-luck charm:

When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the LORD bring defeat upon us today before the Philistines?  Let us bring the ark of the LORD’S covenant from Shiloh, so that it may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.  –  1 Samuel 4.3

The ark of the covenant contained the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses. The ark was supposed to be kept in the Most Holy Place, a sacred part of the tabernacle that only the high priest could enter once a year.  Hophni and Phinehas desecrated the room by unlawfully entering it and removing the ark.

The Israelites rightly recognised the great holiness of the ark, but they thought that the ark itself – the wood and metal box – was their source of power. They began to use it as a good luck charm, expecting it to protect them from their enemies.  A symbol of God does not guarantee his presence and power.  Their attitude towards the ark came perilously close to idol worship.  When the ark was captured by their enemies, they thought that Israel’s glory was gone (4.19-22) and that God had deserted them (7.1, 2).  God uses his power according to his own wisdom and will.  He responds to the faith of those who seek him.

(“ Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines at Aphek.  – 1 Samuel 4.1 The Philistines, descendants of Noah’s son Ham, settled along the south-eastern Mediterranean coast between Egypt and Gaza.  They were originally one of the “Sea Peoples” who had migrated to the Middle East in ships from Greece and Crete.  By Samuel’s time, these warlike people were well established in five of Gaza’s cities in southwest Canaan and were constantly pressing inland against the Israelites.  Throughout this time, the Philistines were Israel’s major enemy).

(“ So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.  – 1 Samuel 4:4 “The LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim” conveys that God’s presence rested on the ark of the covenant between the two golden cherubim (or angels) attacked to its lid.  The people believed that the ark would bring victory when Hophni and Phinehas carried it into battle).

Why Philistines wanted it:

“ After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. –  1 Samuel 5:1ff

Dagon was the chief god of the Philistines, whom they believed sent rain and assured a bountiful harvest. But the Philistines, like most of their pagan neighbours, worshipped many gods.  The more gods they could have on their side, the more secure they felt.  That was why they wanted the ark, thinking that if it helped the Israelites, it could help them too.  But when the people living nearby began to get sick and die, the Philistines realised that the ark was not a good omen.  It was a source of greater power than they had ever seen – power they could not control.

(“ His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near the time of delivery. When she heard the news that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labour and gave birth, but was overcome by her labour pains.  As she was dying, the women attending her said, “Don’t despair; you have given birth to a son.”  But she did not respond or pay any attention.  She named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel” – because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband.  She said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”  – 1 Samuel 4:19-22 This incident illustrates the spiritual darkness and decline of Israel.  This young boy, Ichabod, was supposed to succeed his father Phinehas in the priesthood, but his father had been killed because he was an evil man who desecrated the tabernacle.  The terror of God’s leaving his people overshadowed the joy of childbirth.  When sin dominates our lives, even God-given joys and pleasures seem empty.)

(“ The LORD’S hand was heavy upon the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation upon them and afflicted them with tumours. When the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us, because his hand is heavy upon us and upon Dagon our god.”  – 1 Samuel 5:6-7 Although the Philistines had just witnessed a great victory by Israel’s God over their god, Dagon, they didn’t act upon that insight until they were afflicted with tumours (possibly bubonic plague).  Similarly, today many people don’t respond to biblical truth until they experience pain.  Are you willing to listen to God for truth’s sake, or do you turn to him only when you are hurting?).

Why people were killed for looking into it:

“ But God struck down some of the men of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the LORD had dealt them  –  1 Samuel 6.19

Why were people killed for looking into the ark? The Israelites had made an idol of the ark.  They had tried to harness God’s power, to use it for their own purposes (victory in battle).  But the Lord of the universe cannot be controlled by humans.  To protect the Israelites from his power, he had warned them not even to look at the sacred sanctuary objects in the Most Holy Place or they would die (Numbers 4.20).  Only Levites were allowed to move the ark.  Because of their disobedience, God carried out his promise judgment.

God could not allow the people to think they could use his power for their own ends. He could not permit them to disregard his warnings and come into his presence lightly.  He did not want the cycle of disrespect, disobedience, and defeat to start all over again.  God did not kill the men of Beth Shemesh to be cruel.  He killed them because overlooking their presumptuous sin would encourage the whole nation of Israel to ignore God.

Why David brought it to Jerusalem:

They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart  –  2 Samuel 6.3

The ark of God was Israel’s national treasure and was ordinarly kept in the tabernacle. When the ark was returned to Israel after a brief Philistine captivity (1 Samuel 4.1-7.2), it was kept in Abinadab’s home for 20 years.  David saw how God blessed Abinadab, and he wanted to bring the ark to Jerusalem to ensure God’s blessing on the entire nation.  (See the notes on Exodus 37.1 and Joshua 3.2-4 for more information on the ark.)).

“ Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not enquire of it during the reign of Saul.” –  1 Chronicles 13.3

The ark of God had been in Kiriath Jearim for many years. The neglect of the ark symbolised Israel’s neglect of God.  Bringing the ark back to the centre of Israel’s life reflected David’s desire to remind the nation of its true foundation – God.  Neglecting those things that remind us of God – the bible, the church, and contact with Christians – will cause us also to neglect God.  We must keep God at the centre of our lives.

Why God was angry at Uzzah for touching it:

When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The LORD’S anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God.  –  2 Samuel 6.2-7

Uzzah was only trying to protect the ark, so was God’s anger against Uzzah just? According to Numbers 4:5-15, the ark was to be moved only by the Levites, who were to carry it using the carrying poles – they were never to touch the ark itself.  To touch it was a capital offence under Hebrew law (Numbers 4.15).  God’s action was directed against both David and Uzzah.  David placed the ark on a cart, following the Philistines’ example (1 Samuel 6.7, 8) rather than God’s commands.  Uzzah, though sincere in his desire to protect the ark, had to face the consequences of the sin of touching it.  Also, Uzzah may not have been a Levite.  As David sought to bring Israel back into a relationship with God, God had to remind the nation dramatically that enthusiasm must be accompanied by obedience to his laws.  The next time David tried to bring the ark to Jerusalem, he was careful to handle it correctly (1 Chronicles 15.1-15).

“ The LORD’S anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.  –  1 Chronicles 13.10

Why did Uzzah die? He touched the ark, and that offence was punishable by death.  God had given specific instructions about how the ark was to be moved and carried (Numbers 4.5-15), and those instructions were neglected.  The Levites were responsible to move the ark (there is no record that Uzzah was a Levite), and it was to be carried on their shoulders with poles through its rings (Number 7.9).  It was never to be touched.  Bringing the ark on a cart followed the Philistines’ example (1 Samuel 6:1ff).  Uzzah, though sincere in his desire to protect the ark, had to face the consequences of his sin, and David was reminded that his obedience to God’s laws was more important than his enthusiasm.

Moved into the temple:

“ The priests then brought the ark of the LORD’S covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and covered the ark and its carrying poles.  These poles were so long that their ends, extending from the ark, could be seen from in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today.  There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.

The priests then withdrew from the Holy Place. All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of their divisions.  All the Levites who were musicians – Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives – stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres.  they were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets.  –  2 Chronicles 5.7-12

HE SPOKE, and galaxies whirled into place, stars burned the heavens, and planets began orbiting their suns – words of awesome, unlimited, unleashed power. He spoke, and the waters and lands were filled with plants and creatures, running, swimming, growing, and multiplying – words of animating, breathing, pulsing life.  Again he spoke, and man and woman were formed, thinking, speaking, and loving – words of personal and creative glory.  Eternal, infinite, unlimited – he was, is, and always will be the Maker and Lord of all that exists.

And then he came in the flesh to a speck in the universe called planet earth. The mighty Creator became a part of the creation, limited by time and space and susceptible to aging, sickness, and death.  But love propelled him, and so he came to rescue and save those who were lost and to give them the gift of eternity.  He is the Word; he is Jesus, the Christ.

It is this truth that the apostle John brings to us in this book. John’s Gospel is not a life of Christ; it is a powerful argument for the incarnation, a conclusive demonstration that Jesus was, and is, the very heaven-sent Son of God and the only source of eternal life.

John discloses Christ’s identity with his very first words, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning” (1.1, 2); and the rest of the book continues the theme.  John, the eyewitness, chose eight of Christ’s miracles (or signs, as he calls them), to reveal Christ’s divine/human nature and his life-giving mission.  These signs are (1) turning water to wine (2.1-11), (2) healing the official’s son (4.46-54), (3) healing the invalid at Bethesda [joke] (5.1-9), (4) feeding the 5,000 with just a few loaves and fish (6.1-14), (5) walking on the water (6.15-21), (6) restoring sight to the blind man (9.1-14), (7) raising Lazarus from the dead (11.1-44), and, after the resurrection, (8) giving the disciples an overwhelming catch of fish (21.1-14).

In ever chapter Jesus’ deity is revealed. And Jesus’ true identity is underscored through the titles he is given – Word, the One and Only, Lamb of God, Son of God, true bread, life, resurrection, vine.  And the formula is “I am.”  When Jesus uses this phrase, he affirms his pre-existence and eternal deity.  Jesus says, I am the bread of life (6.35); I am the light of the world (8.12; 9.5); I am the gate (10.7); I am the good shepherd (10.11, 14); I am the resurrection and the life (11.25); I am the way and the truth and the life (14.6); and I am the true vine (15.1).

The greatest sign, of course, is the resurrection, and John provides a stirring eyewitness account of finding the empty tomb. Then he records various post-resurrection appearances by Jesus.

John, the devoted follower of Christ, has given us a personal and powerful look at Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God. As you read his story, commit yourself to believe in and follow him.

VITAL STATISTICS

PURPOSE: To prove conclusively that Jesus is the Son of God and that all who believe in him will have eternal life.

AUTHOR: John the apostle, son of Zebedee, brother of James, called a “Son of Thunder”

TO WHOM WRITTEN: New Christians and searching non-Christians

DATE WRITTEN: Probably A.D. 85-90

SETTING: Written after the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and before John’s exile to the island of Patmos

KEY VERSES: “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (20.30, 31).

KEY PEOPLE: Jesus, John the Baptist, the disciples, Mary, Martha, Lazarus, Jesus’ mother, Pilate, Mary, Magdalene

KEY PLACES: Judean countryside, Samaria, Galilee, Bethany, Jerusalem

SPECIAL FEATURES: Of the eight miracles recorded, six are unique (among the Gospels) to John, as is the “Upper Room Discourse” (chapters 14-17). Over 90 per cent of John is unique to his Gospel – John does not contain a genealogy or any record of Jesus’s birth, childhood, temptation, transfiguration, appointment to the disciples, nor any account of Jesus’ parables, ascension, or Great Commission.

THE BLUEPRINT

Birth And Preparation Of Jesus, The Son Of God (1.1-2.11) John makes it clear that Jesus is not just a man; he is the eternal Son of God.  He is the light of the world because he offers his gift of eternal life to all mankind.  How blind and foolish to call Jesus more than an unusually good man or moral teacher.  Yet we sometimes act as if this were true when we causally toss around his words and go about living our own way.  If Jesus is the eternal Son of God, we should pay attention to his divine identity and life-giving message.

Message And Ministry Of Jesus, The Son Of God (2.12-12.50) Jesus meets with individuals, preaches to great crowds, trains his disciples, and debates with the religious leaders.  The message that he is the Son of God receives a mixed reaction.  Some worship him, some are puzzled, some shrink back, and some move to silence him.  We see the same varied reactions today.  Times have changed, but people’s hearts remain hard.  May we see ourselves in these encounters Jesus had with people, and may our response be to worship and follow him.

Death And Resurrection Of Jesus, The Son Of God (13.1-21.25) Jesus carefully instructed the disciples how to continue to believe even after his death, yet they could not take it in.  After he died and the first reports came back that Jesus was alive, the disciples could not believe it.  Thomas is especially remembered as one who refused to believe even when he heard the eyewitness accounts from other disciples.  May we not be like Thomas, demanding a physical face-to-face encounter, but may we accept the eyewitness testimony of the disciples that John had recorded in this Gospel.

MEGATHEMES

Jesus Christ, Son of God

EXPLANATION: John shows us that Jesus is unique as God’s special Son, yet he is fully God. Because he is fully God, Jesus is able to reveal God to us clearly and accurately.

IMPORTANCE: Because Jesus is God’s Son, we can perfectly trust what he says. By trusting him, we can gain an open mind to understand God’s message and fulfil his purpose in our lives.

Eternal Life

EXPLANATION: Because Jesus is God, he lives for ever. Before the world began, he lived with God, and he will reign for ever with him.  In John we see Jesus revealed in power and magnificence even before his resurrection.

IMPORTANCE: Jesus offers eternal life to us. We are invited to begin living in a personal, eternal relationship with him that begins now.  Although we must grow old and die, by trusting him we can have a new life that lasts for ever.

Belief

EXPLANATION: John records eight specific signs, or miracles, that show the nature of Jesus’ power and love. We see this power over everything created, and we see his love of all people.  These signs encourage us to believe in him.

IMPORTANCE: Believing is active, living, and continuous trust in Jesus as God. When we believe in his life, his words, his death, and his resurrection, we are cleansed from sin and receive power to follow him.  But we must respond to him by believing.

Holy Spirit

EXPLANATION: Jesus taught his disciples that the Holy Spirit would come after he ascended from earth. The Holy Spirit would then indwell, guide, counsel, and comfort those who follow Jesus.  Through the Holy Spirit, Christ’s presence and power are multiplied in all who believe.

IMPORTANCE: Through God’s Holy Spirit we are drawn to him in faith. We must know the Holy Spirit to understand all Jesus taught.  We can experience Jesus’ love and guidance as we allow the Holy Spirit to do his work in us.

Resurrection

EXPLANATION: On the third day after he died, Jesus rose from the dead. This was verified by his disciples and many eyewitnesses.  This reality changed the disciples from frightened deserters to dynamic leaders in the new church.  This fact is the foundation of the Christian faith.

IMPORTANCE: We can be changed as the disciples were and have confidence that our bodies will one day be raised to live with Christ for ever. The same power that raised Christ to life can give us the ability to follow Christ each day.

©Kingsway – New International Version, Here.

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REAL heroes are hard to find these days. Modern research and the media have made the foibles and weaknesses of our leaders very apparent; we search in vain for men and women to emulate.  The music, film, and sports industries produce a steady stream of “stars” who shoot to the top and then quickly fade from view.

Judges is a book about heroes – 12 men and women who delivered Israel from her oppressors. These judges were not perfect; in fact, they included an assassin, a sexually promiscuous man, and a person who broke all the laws of hospitality.  But they were submissive to God, and God used them.

Judges is also a book about sin and its consequences. Like a minor cut or abrasion that becomes infected when left untreated, sin grows and soon poisons the whole body.  The book of Joshua ends with the nation taking a stand for God, ready to experience all the blessings of the promised land.  After settling in Canaan, however, the Israelites lost their spiritual commitment and motivation.  When Joshua and the elders died, the nation experienced a leadership vacuum, leaving them without a strong central government.  Instead of enjoying freedom and prosperity in the promised land, Israel entered the dark ages of her history.

Simply stated, the reason for this rapid decline was sin – individual and corporate. The first step away from God was incomplete obedience (1.11-2.5); the Israelites refused to eliminate the enemy completely from the land.  This led to intermarriage and idolatry (2.6-3.7) and everyone doing “as he saw fit” (17.6).  Before long the Israelites became captives.  Out of their desperation they begged God to rescue them.  In faithfulness to his promise and out of his loving-kindness, God would raise up a judge to deliver his people and, for a time, there would be peace.  Then complacency and disobedience would set in, and the cycle would begin again.

The book of Judges spans a period of over 325 years, recording six successive periods of oppression and deliverance, and the careers of 12 deliverers. Their captors included the Mesopotamians, Moabites, Philistines, Canaanites, Midianites, and Ammonites.  A variety of deliverers – from Othniel to Samson – were used by God to lead his people to freedom and true worship.  God’s deliverance through the judges is a powerful demonstration of his love and mercy towards his people.

As you read the book of Judges, take a good look at these heroes from Jewish history. Take note of their dependence on God and obedience to his commands.  Observe Israel’s repeated downward spiral into sin, refusing to learn from history and living only for the moment.  But most of all, stand in awe of God’s mercy as he delivers his people over and over again.

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VITAL STATISTICS

PURPOSE: To show that God’s judgment against sin is certain, and his forgiveness of sin and restoration to relationship are just as certain for those who repent

AUTHOR: Possibly Samuel

SETTING: The land of Canaan, later called Israel. God had helped the Israelites to conquer Canaan which had been inhabited by a host of wicked nations.  But they were in danger of losing this promised land because they compromised their convictions and disobeyed God.

KEY VERSE: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit” (17.6).

KEY PEOPLE: Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Abimelech, Jephthah, Samson, Delilah

SPECIAL FEATURE: Records Israel’s first civil war

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THE BLUEPRINT

The Military Failure of Israel (1.1-3.6) The tribes had compromised God’s command to drive out the inhabitants of the land.  Incomplete removal of evil often means disaster in the end.  We must beware of compromising with wickedness.

1. Incomplete conquest of the land
2. Disobedience and defeat

The Rescue of Israel By the Judges (3.7-16.31) Repeatedly we see the nation of Israel sinning against God and God allowing suffering to come upon the land and the people.  Sin always has its consequences.  Where there is sin we can expect suffering to follow.  Rather than living in an endless cycle of abandoning God and then crying out to him for rescue, we should seek to live a consistent life of faithfulness.

1. First period: Othniel
2. Second period: Ehud and Shamgar
3. Third period: Deborah and Barak
4. Fourth period: Gideon, Tola, and Jair
5. Fifth period: Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon
6. Sixth period: Samson

The Moral Failure of Israel (17.1-21.25) Despite the efforts of Israel’s judges, the people still would not turn wholeheartedly to God.  They all did whatever they thought was best for themselves.  The result was the spiritual, moral, and political decline of the nation.  Our lives will also fall into decline and decay unless we live by the guidelines God has given us.

1. Idolatry in the tribe of Dan
2. War against the tribe of Benjamin

MEGATHEMES

Decline/Compromise

EXPLANATION: Whenever a judge died, and people faced decline and failure because they compromised their high spiritual purpose in many ways.  They abandoned their mission to drive all the people out of the land, and they adopted the customs of the people living around them.

IMPORTANCE: Society has many rewards to offer those who compromise their faith: wealth, acceptance, recognition, power, and influence.  When God gives us a mission, it must not be polluted by a desire for approval from society.  We must keep our eyes on Christ who is our Judge and Deliverer.

Decay/Apostasy

EXPLANATION: Israel’s moral downfall had its roots in the fierce independence that each tribe cherished.  It led to everyone doing whatever seemed good in his own eyes.  There was no unity in government or in worship.  Law and order broken down.  Finally idol worship and man-made religion led to the complete abandoning of faith in God.

IMPORTANCE: We can expect decay when we value anything more highly than God.  If we value our own independence more than dedication to God, we have placed an idol in our hearts.  Soon our lives become temples to that god.  We must constantly regard God’s first claim on our lives and all our desires.

Defeat/Oppression

EXPLANATION: God used evil oppressors to punish the Israelites for their sin, to bring them to the point of repentance, and to test their allegiance to him.

IMPORTANCE: Rebellion against God leads to disaster.  God may use defeat to bring wandering hearts back to him.  When all else is stripped away, we recognise the importance of serving only him.

Repentance

EXPLANATION: Decline, decay, and defeat caused the people to cry out to God for help.  They vowed to turn from idolatry and to turn to God for mercy and deliverance.  When they repented, God delivered them.

IMPORTANCE: Idolatry gains a foothold in our hearts when we make anything more important than God.  We must identify modern idols in our hearts, renounce them, and turn to God for his love and mercy.

Deliverance/Heroes

EXPLANATION: Because Israel repented, God raised up heroes to deliver his people from their path of sin and the oppression it brought.  He used many kinds of people to accomplish this purpose by filling them with this Holy Spirit.

IMPORTANCE: God’s Holy Spirit is available to all people.  Anyone who is dedicated to God can be used for his service.  Real heroes recognise the futility of human effort without God’s guidance and power.

©Kingsway – New International Version, Here.

[Plate: Dusting off books]

TEARS are defined simply as “drops of salty fluid flowing from the eyes”. They can be caused by irritation or laughter but are usually associated with weeping, sorrow, and grief.  When we cry, friends wonder what’s wrong and try to console us.  Babies cry for food, and children cry at the loss of a pet; adults cry when confronted with trauma and death.

Jeremiah’s grief ran deep. Called the “weeping prophet”, his tears flowed from a broken heart.  As God’s spokesman, he knew what lay ahead for Judah, his country, and for Jerusalem, the capital and “the city of God”.  God’s judgment would fall and destruction would come.  And Jeremiah wept.  His tears were not self-centred, mourning over personal suffering or loss.  He wept because the people had rejected their God – the suffering or loss.  He wept because the people had rejected their God – the God who had made them, loved them, and sought repeatedly to bless them.  Jeremiah’s heart was broken because he knew that the selfishness and sinfulness of the people would bring them much suffering and an extended exile.  Jeremiah’s tears were of empathy and sympathy.  His heart was broken with those things that break God’s heart.

Jeremiah’s two books focus on one event – the destruction of Jerusalem. The book of Jeremiah predicts it, and Lamentations looks back on it.  Known as the book of tears, Lamentations is a dirge, a funeral song written for the fallen city of Jerusalem.

What makes a person cry says a lot about that person – whether he or she is self-centred or God-centred. The book of Lamentations allows us to see what made Jeremiah sorrowful.  As one of God’s choice servants, he stands alone in the depth of his depth of his emotions, his care for the people, his love for the nation, and his devotion to God.

What causes your tears? Do you weep because your selfish pride has been wounded, or because the people around you sin against and reject the God who loves them dearly?  Do you weep because you have lost something that gives you pleasure, or because people all around you will suffer for their sinfulness?  Our world is filled with injustice, poverty, war, and rebellion against God, all of which should move us to tears and to action.  Read Lamentations and learn what it means to grieve with God.

VITAL STATISTICS

PURPOSE: To teach people that to disobey God is to invite disaster, and to show that God suffers when his people suffer

AUTHOR: Jeremiah

DATE WRITTEN: Soon after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.

SETTING: Jerusalem had been destroyed by Babylon and her people killed, tortured, or taken captive.

KEY VERSE: “My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within, my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city” (2.11).

KEY PEOPLE: Jeremiah the people of Jerusalem

KEY PLACE: Jeremiah, the people of Jerusalem

SPECIAL FEATURES: Three strands of Hebrew thought meet in Lamentations – prophecy, ritual, and wisdom. Lamentations is written in the rhythm and style of ancient Jewish funeral songs or chants.  It contains five poems corresponding to the five chapters

THE BLUEPRINT

Jeremiah grieves deeply because of the destruction of Jerusalem and the devastation of his nation. But in the middle of the book, in the depths of his grief, there shines a ray of hope.  God’s compassion is ever-present.  His faithfulness is great.  Jeremiah realises that it is only the Lord’s mercy that has prevented total annihilation.  This book shows us the serious consequences of human sin and how we can still have hope in the midst of tragedy because God is able to turn it around for good.  We see the timeless importance of prayer and confession of sin.  We will all face tragedy in our lives.  But in the midst of our afflictions, there is hope in God.

Jeremiah mourns for Jerusalem (1.1-22)

God’s anger at sin (2.1-22)

Hope in the midst of affliction (3.1-66)

God’s anger is satisfied (4.1-22)

Jeremiah pleads for restoration (5.1-22)

MEGATHEMES

Destruction of Jerusalem

EXPLANATION: Lamentations is a sad funeral song for the great capital city of the Jews. The temple has been destroyed, the king is gone, and the people are in exile.  God had warned that he would destroy them if they abandoned him.  Now, afterwards, the people realise their condition and confess their sin.

IMPORTANCE: God’s warnings are justified. He does what he says he will do.  His punishment for sin is certain.  Only by confessing and renouncing our sin can we turn to him for deliverance.  How much better to do so before his warnings are fulfilled.

God’s Mercy

EXPLANATION: God’s compassion was at work even when the Israelites were experiencing the affliction of their Babylonian conquerors. Although the people had been unfaithful, God’s faithfulness was great.  He used this affliction to bring his people back to him.

IMPORTANCE: God will always be faithful to his people. His merciful, refining work is evident even in affliction.  At those times, we must pray for forgiveness and then turn to him for deliverance.

Sin’s Consequences

EXPLANATION: God was angry at the prolonged rebellion by his people. Sin is the cause of their misery, and destruction is the result of their sin.  The destruction of the nation shows the vanity of human glory and pride.

IMPORTANCE: To continue in rebellion against God is to invite disaster. We must never trust our own leadership, resources, intelligence, or power more than God.  If we do, we will experience consequences similar to Jerusalem’s.

Hope

EXPLANATION: God’s mercy in sparing some of the people offers hope for better days. One day, the people will be restored to a true and fervent relationship with God.

IMPORTANCE: Only God can deliver us from sin. Without him there is no comfort or hope for the future.  Because of Christ’s death for us and his promise to return, we have a bright hope for tomorrow.

©Kingsway – New International Version, Here.

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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 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.

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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

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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.

©Kingsway – New International Version, Here.