Biblefaktor

Like Esther and Ruth, Jonah is a delightful short narrative by a master writer; its spiritual implications are powerful and obvious. You can easily read it at one sitting. As you read Jonah, notice the changes that the city of Nineveh goes through. Try also to trace the changes that occur in Jonah, and observe how God pushes him to make these changes. Then ask yourself; What did this book say to its original Jewish readers? What does it say to me? You may also be interested in following Nineveh’s entire history. Though the Ninevites repented in Jonah’s time, they latter returned to old patterns. Later prophets (Nahum and Zaphaniah) predicted Nineveh’s downfall for “endless cruelty” (Nahum 3 :19) and in 612 B.C. that city was destroyed, never to be inhabited again. A Bible dictionary can summarize Nineveh’s long history as a world power; look under “Assyria.” Is Jonah a “fish story”? Interpreters differ over whether it should be read as a parable (not necessarily factual) ...

The shortest book in the Old Testament, Obadiah can easily be read and understood in one sitting. Many readers, however, have a hard time seeing the importance of this ongoing border feud between blood relatives. A bible dictionary can summarize the centuries of violence. Look under “Edom.” Perhaps, though, you can only fully appreciate Israel’s feelings by reflecting on your own when a close relative treats you cruelly. A family betrayal is uniquely offensive to God and humanity. Obadiah reminds us that justice will be done.

Perhaps because he was a farmer, Amos used a plan writing style, filled with strong country language. The organization of his book is clear too: chapters 1-2 line up the Middle Eastern nationsfor trial, chapters 3-6 give a series of messages from God (usually beginning with "Hear this word"), and the last three chapters convey God's judgement through five graphic visions. Throughout, Amos sticks close to his main concern: cruelty and inhumanity between people. The injustices Amos condemns often sound familiar today. As you read ask yourself, " What would Amos say about me and about my people?" It is a good idea to read Amos and Hosea together, for they give two views of the same situation. A visitor from the South, Amos was shocked by the injustices he saw in every market place. Hosea emphasized the inner dimension, an abused relationship to a loving God. Amos predicted that Israel would be punished, and his prediction proved right. After King Jeroboam,...

Joel breaks naturally into two parts. Up to 2:28, it talks about a locust invasion and the response of God's people to such a natural disaster. From that verse on, however, Joel's view rises above local situation and deals with the far-off future. Joel rarely refers to unfamiliar people, places, or events, so you can read it fairly easily without using any outside reference like a Bible dictionary. The challenge is to connect his understanding of a natural disaster-alocust plague-with his fission of the future. The Bible often offers to "the day of the Lord" as the time when God will completely take charge of our world. But Joel seems to see "the day of the LORD" partly revealed in the disasters of his days. As you read, try to see the similarities Joel draws between the locust invasion and the final consummation of history. Ask yourself: How do I respond to disaster? How would Joel want me to respond?

Hosea is one of the most emotional books in the Bible, an outpouring of suffering love from God's heart. This shows in the writing, which jumps impulsively from one thought to the next. Read a chapter dramatically aloud, and you will get this sense. It is almost like listening in on a husband-and-wife fight. The book divides into two parts. In the first three chapters, the prophet Hosea briefly describes his marriage to an adulterous woman and makes the connection to Isreal's unfaithfulness to God. From chapter 4 onward this dramatic, personal beginning is not mentioned again. But it has set the stage. God's deep love, his disappointment and anger, and his determination to persevere with his unfaithful wife pour out in a series of vivid speeches. For a historical perspective on Hosea's times, read from 2 Kings 14:23 to 17:41, noting that some sections describe Judah, the southern nation, while the rest relate to the deteriorating Isreal Hosea knew. The prophet Amo...

Daniel breaks into two parts, each quite different from the other. The first six chapters tell the “famous” Daniel stories-including the stories of three men thrown into a fiery furnace and Daniel in the lions’ den. Any of these chapters would make a script for a thriller. As you read them, reflect on the principles Daniel can teach you about faithfulness to God in similarly “alien” circumstances. Most people find chapters 7-12 far more difficult. They record Daniel’s visions about the future of world history. Such symbolism was a familiar mode of expression in the ancient world, but it reads very strangely now-almost like science fiction. Look for broad impressions of how God’s people can live, caught in the jaws of brutal world politics. Let the visual symbols engage your emotions and imagination. If you seek a more detailed understanding of these visions, a commentary on Daniel will be a great help. In some passages, background information on ancient world history is essential...

The special difficulty in reading Ezekiel is the dizzying variety of forms he used to get his message across. The book is like a multimedia package-a mix of visions, messages, dramas, poems. But three remarkable visions of God bracket the package, beginning, middle, and end (1:1-3:15; 8:1-6 and 11:16-25; 40:1-4 and 43:1-9). And throughout, one line is repeated: "Then they will know that I am the LORD." All God's messages are meant to shock his people into restoring a living relationship with him. As you read Ezekiel, note down when each prophecy was made and its dominant image-Jerusalem as a prostitute, as a spreading grapevine, as a shaved head, etc. Remember that the book of Ezekiel compresses messages God gave over 22 years. Try to imagine the impact of each message on the people who first heard or saw it. Most of what Ezekiel said in Babylon concerned a dramatic military situation hundreds of miles away from Jerusalem. His message changed from doom to hope in chap...