Biblefaktor

Zephaniah will seem more interesting if you grasp the historical situation in which he wrote. For the decadence that led to King Josiah’s reforms, read 2 Kings 21. Josiah’s history is told in chapters 22 and 23. Second Chronicles 33-35 tells the same story with slightly different details. Zephaniah is easily understood. It has a clear and symmetrical structure, opening (after a brief introduction) with a warning of judgment for Judah and its capital of Jerusalem, then extending the judgment to Judah’s neighbors, and closing in chapter 3 with good news about Jerusalem. Beyond Darkness (A worldwide catastrophe and a shining light) Z EPHANIAH WROTE NOT LONG AFTER Manasseh had ended his 50-year reign in Judah. One of the worst Kings on record, Manasseh had idol worship and child sacrifice as common practice. He had built altars for star worshippers of God’s temple and had encouraged male prostitution as part of the religious rituals. He had also “shed so mu...

One of the shortest books in the Bible, Haggai can easily be read at one sitting. Haggai’s words came at a critical time in the life of the nation of Israel. They mark one of the few times in all history when God spoke and his people quickly and unquestioningly obeyed. For the historical background, read Ezra 1-6. Haggai’s crucial message is mentioned in Ezra 5:1-2. There is a progression to God’s warnings and his promises through Haggai. Study each of Haggai’s messages, and note what encouragement, what warning, and what hope God offered Israel. How did god motivate them to obey.  SOMETIMES AT CRUCIAL MOMENTS, A single voice can stir a directionless mass of people to action. Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s inspiring oratory may have saved Britain in World War II. American clergy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King’s sermons and speeches captured America’s conscience in the 1950s and 60s. Haggai’s words, similarly, rang clear in a time of confusion. The Jews...

Other prophets carried messages from God to humankind; Habakkuk addressed God alone. He pondered deep riddles of life while wrestling with two terrible realities: the degeneration of his own nation and the certainty that it was about to be overrun by another, worse nation. How can a just God allow, even use, such evil? To fully delve into Habakkuk’s questions, you may want to read the book of Job and Psalm 73, which explore related issues. The first two chapters of Habakkuk tell of two “complaints” and two answers. As you read, try to imagine the emotional changes Habakkuk experienced as he talked with God. Then read the joyful psalm of chapter 3 (set to music, either by Habakkuk or someone else) and ask yourself: where did this joyful confidence come from?

Nahum stands out from the other short prophetic books in two ways. He addressed a foreign city-Nineveh-instead of his own home nation, and he used unusual vivid language. You can read more background on Judah and its relationship to Nineveh in the following historical accounts: 2 Kings 17-19 and 2 Chronicles 32-33:13. The background will help you understand why God was so angry at Nineveh. As you read Nahum, pay special attention to the vivid imagery. Some of the best examples are the following: Descriptions of warfare: 2:3-7; 3:1-3 Nineveh like a pool with its water draining out: 2:8 Nineveh like a lions’ den, full of bones: 2:11-12 Nineveh like a prostitute shamed in the streets: 3:5-6 Nineveh’s fortresses like fig trees, with fruit shaken into the mouth of their attacker: 3:12 Nineveh’s numerous citizens like grasshoppers: prolific, voracious, and quickly disappearing: 3:15-17.

Micah had the big view of history, and thus he covered a lot of grounds. His book, only seven chapters, is loaded with pronouncements on the events of several thousand years. Because so much is jammed into so short a space, reading Micah can be confusing. A fragment may deal with the Messiah, for instance, and without warning the next few verses shift to the battle against Assyria. To grasp Micah’s message, think of his book as a collection of short speeches. One speech doesn’t necessarily lead to the next. Instead of reading quickly from start to finish, pause after each short section to see whether you fully understand what it says. Try to understand who is speaking. Sometimes God speaks, sometimes Micah, sometimes the rebellious people. In general, Micah follows this outline: chapters 1-3 indict both Northern and Southern Kingdoms, with their leaders, chapters 4 and 5 turn to the wonderful future God is planning; the last two chapters give the trial, punishment, and hop...

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.. When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.  About a month later, just before Christmas, There was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands..  He said, 'Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly... He often talked about you, and your love for art.' The young man held out this package. 'I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.' The father opened ...

"An eight-year-old child heard her parents talking about her little brother. All she knew was that he was very sick and they had no money left. They were moving to a smaller house because they could not afford to stay in the present house after paying the doctor's bills. Only a very costly surgery could save him now and there was no one to loan them the money. When she heard her daddy say to her tearful mother with whispered desperation, 'Only a miracle can save him now', the little girl went to her bedroom and pulled her piggy bank from its hiding place in the closet. She poured all the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Clutching the precious piggy bank tightly, she slipped out the back door and made her way six blocks to the local drugstore. She took a quarter from her bank and placed it on the glass counter. "And what do you want?" asked the pharmacist. "It's for my little brother," the girl answered back. "He...