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Class notes & slides on Hosea

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HoseaHosea is the prophet of compassion. He prophesied to Israel shortly after Amos, but unlike Amos who preached a message of condemnation and judgment for a short time, Hosea preached a message that not only challenged people to repent from their sins, but one filled with God’s love and compassion for over 50 years–until the time Israel was conquered.

Not only did Hosea preach about God’s love, he lived it. God told him to marry a woman who would be unfaithful to him. He married Gomer and she was unfaithful–but that did not change his love, just as Israel’s unfaithfulness did not change God’s love.

Gomer left her husband and her life deteriorated to the where she was to be sold as a slave. God told Hosea what was happening and he went to the slave market, bought her and brought her home.

Hosea print copy handouts
Here is a copy of the class handouts, just click on the image to download.

 

Israel and all of us–we are like Gomer–going our own way from the God who loves us. But like Hosea, God purchased us when we were worthless–loved us and brings us home to be with Him forever.

Click on the image to download the full size PowerPoint slides. Note especially the Assyrian archeological images that confirm the Bible accounts.

The best commentary I’ve found for the Minor Prophets by Homer Hailey

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Commentary on Minor Prophets
This book, a Commentary on the Minor Prophets by Homer Hailey is available through www.amazon.com. Click on the image to go to the amazon page.

Homer Hailey went home to be with the Lord in 2000, but his book still teaches in a scholarly and yet very gentle way about God’s truth found in the minor prophets.

I’m reading lots of books and online materials in preparation for teaching our Live Life by the Book class, but many of the sources either go over the minor prophets very quickly or bury them in enthusiastic or scholarly detail.

Homer Hailey was a Bible teacher and his clear intention is to teach. For each book he gives a concise overview, then a clear outline and finally commentary on the entire book. Many cross-references and a deep knowledge of the entire Bible fills under scores his words.

For anyone who wants an in-depth, yet accessible study tool, I strongly recommend this book.

Amos, a commentary from Christian lawyers on justice

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BiblicalLaw-and-Justice
Justice isn't just for Old Testament times, but a continuing challenge for concerned Christians today.

Godly Justice – Amos 5

This is an excellent commentary on justice that goes along well with Amos. The issues talked about in this ancient book are just as applicable today.

It was a time of peace and plenty. The northern kingdom of Israel in 770-750 BC, under the rule of King Jeroboam II had risen to the pinnacle of her prosperity. Dramatic social change had taken place, predominantly brought about by, as Marsh writes: “…the cynical opportunism of the nouveaux riches in expropriating the small peasant farmer whenever occasion presented itself, as it would, for instance in a year of bad harvest. The Israel that Amos came to know was thus a state where large fortunes were being quickly made, great estates being developed, summer houses and winter residences being built in fabulous luxury for the wealthy, and where, at the same time, there was quite a new class of poor, who were virtually, and sometimes actually, slaves of their rich landlords.”

The wealthy elite believed that if they continued to offer sacrifices, God would not allow them to be overthrown and their privileged position would be preserved. The reality of course was that these religious formalities were no substitute for genuine worship of God.Continue Reading

Class notes from Lesson on Obadiah and Jonah

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Jonah & Obadiah notes
Click on the image to download the PDF of the notes.

Though most people are familiar with Jonah, you may not have thought about his story in  in combination with Obadiah, but both books are about how God expects us to treat people who are unkind to us.

He wants us to treat them with mercy and leave the vengeance to Him.

Of course it isn’t easy,  but when we do this, it is a powerful witness that Jesus is Lord. Anyone can be hateful to enemies, to be at peace and allow God to bring justice (and perhaps not in this life)–to live like that is what takes the power of God.

On this page are both notes for you to download and a PDF that is a full 8.5 x 11 reproduction of the PowerPoint presentation. Click on either image to download them.

Obadiah & Jonah Power Point
Click on image to download the full-size PowerPoint presentation

Pride, the root cause of destruction of individuals and nations

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Cliff_Dwellings_in_Petra
Some of the cliff houses in Petra, ancient home of the Edomites. In their pride they thought their dwellings could never be conquered. But today, it's an empty tourist attraction. Human pride never wins against God's judgment.

In this and last week’s readings, two passages show the dangers of pride. One describes Edom, the nation that descended from Esau and the other, the fate of King Uzziah, a good and godly king initially, but one whose pride God judged with leprosy.

C.S. Lewis described pride as “the essential vice, the utmost evil.  He went on to say, “Pride is essentially competitive….Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man.” It was not enough for Edom to see Israel punished, they wanted to crush the survivors. It wasn’t enough for Uzziah to have great wealth, victory and blessing, he wanted to do the job of the priests.

Following are the examples and then some thoughts and application.

The Biblical examples of  pride for Edom and Uzziah

Obadiah 1: 3 The pride of your heart has deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks
and make your home on the heights,
you who say to yourself,
‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’
4 Though you soar like the eagle
and make your nest among the stars,
from there I will bring you down,”
declares the LORD.

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