検索キーワード： 著者 "King James Bible" すべてのカテゴリー

Edom was at odds with Israel ever since its forefather, Esau, had struggled in the womb with his twin brother, Jacob, the patriarch of Israel. After Edom played a role in the destruction of Jerusalem, the prophet Obadiah gives warning to the nation of their coming judgment, fulfilling God's promise from hundreds of years earlier: "I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curseth thee" (Gen. 12:3).

A plumb line and a basket of ripe fruit: two things the prophet Amos sees in visions. But what could these things symbolize? Listen to Amos, a lowly shepherd, as he warns the wealthy and religious Israelites about their idolatry and injustice to the poor. Could God be giving this prophet signs of the coming judgment?

While there is suffering, evil, sickness, and death in this world, the book of Joel reminds us that we have an everlasting hope through it all. Joel warns the people of Judah as a horrifying locust plague has come upon them. He urges the people to repent and return to God, predicting that this is just the beginning of their judgment. Thankfully Joel's prophecies do not end there.

The prophet Hosea has much to say about the sinfulness of Israel, but he also has much to say about the faithfulness of God. As the Israelites worship other gods and move further away from their Creator, God's judgment comes upon them. After judgment, however, God displays acts of mercy as he acts tenderly to his people, like a loving parent would. Listen to Hosea as he reminds Israel of God's faithfulness and speaks prophesies concerning the redemption to come in latter days.

Do you ever feel like evil is prevailing in your life and that God is silent? The life of Daniel proves that God is more powerful than we often assume he is. While under the Babylonian rulers, Daniel and his three fellow Judeans are being challenged for their faith. In the middle of every trial, however, God always comes through. In the final chapters of this book, Daniel prophesies about the endtimes, including the "seventy weeks prophecy".

Filled with allegories and themes of the awesome majesty of God, the book of Ezekiel is both painful and rewarding. The difficulties in reading this book derive from Ezekiel’s prophecies of judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem. The comfort, however, exceeds the painful parts. The book closes with a glimmer of hope for the Jews as the prophet depicts the restoration that is to come.

Israel has not repented from their ways, and in turn God has punished them. Lamentations refutes any idea that suffering must be passive and private. This book contains poems filled with deep sorrow in response to the capture of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple. Listen to the speaker as he refuses to be silent in the face of suffering and as he waits on the Lord to bring restoration.

Many called Jeremiah the "Weeping Prophet" and, as shown in this book, he has every reason to mourn. Jeremiah's ministry is primarily concerned with preaching the word of God to an idolatrous people. When he comes to realize the Israelites' refusal to repent, Jeremiah begins to describe a future judgment. Interestingly enough, even today the words of this prophet provide us with a study of our own sinfulness.

In this popular Old Testament book, we learn that God will unleash judgment on a rebellious Israel but also that he will redeem his people with deep compassion. The prophet Isaiah encourages the Israelites to repent from their sinful ways and to live a life of obedience to the Lord.

Job is what everyone would consider a "good" person. So why are so many terrible things happening to him? The real question may be: Why does Job continue to give praise to God in the midst of his terrible circumstances? Although he laments and suffers, Job ultimately understands that God is good and is worth praising no matter what.

God’s providence always comes through, even in the worst of situations. This is something we learn in the life of Queen Esther. A woman of strength and humility, Queen Esther endures the struggles that come with living a life of obedience to God. She knows that God’s hand is on her and that his plans are not moved, not even by the actions of evil men.

Imagine a diverse group of people joining together to build a wall. Follow Nehemiah as he leads the building of a wall and teaches the Israelites what it means to live a life of obedience and love for God. This will not be an easy feat, but it will be a fruitful one.

The Israelites are returning to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. In many ways this story resembles the life of a Christian who repents from sin and rebellion and turns around to find God welcoming them into his unfailing love. The Book of Ezra is a record of hope for those who are weighed down with discouragement. No sin is too big for God’s grace.

If you could ask God for anything in the world, knowing it would be given to you, what would you ask for? Solomon asked for wisdom. For many this sounds like a silly request, but Solomon knew wisdom was everything he needed in order to successfully carry out the assignment God gave him. In this book we can learn the importance of habitually looking to God, the giver of all good things.

God is faithful and always keeps his promises. In 1 Chronicles, God's promise to David is fulfilled when David becomes king over all of Israel. The genealogies in this book remind us that every one of God's children plays a role in his redemption plan. We can rest assured that we are each playing a vital role in this plan as well.

Idolatry, rebellion, disobedience, pride. Second Kings illustrates the collapse of a divided nation that turned its back on God. This, however, does not change the fact that God is faithful. Like any good father, he does not allow his children's sinfulness to carry on without discipline.

David is dead, and Solomon takes the throne. First Kings begins with a united kingdom and ends with division. This is a story of a monarchy's breakdown, but it is also a story of God's tireless desire to maintain a relationship with his people.

The second book of Samuel paints a portrait of Israel's greatest king. King David had many military triumphs and was richly blessed by God. Despite this, even David was prone to fall into temptation. In this book we can grow in knowledge of sin and its consequences. More importantly we can better understand how our merciful God still wants to use us in his redemption plan.

The Israelites are becoming a unified nation under a king. The first two kings, Saul and David, are anointed by Samuel. Take a look into the lives of Samuel, Saul, and David as they experience struggles and reveal the many faults of the human condition, giving us a picture of our own humanity.

Humans are prone to amnesia. We easily forget what God has done for us because of an inward focus on ourselves. The Israelites did just this. They forgot about the miraculous things God had done to unite them to himself. In turn they abandoned God's way: "...Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 17:6). In Judges we learn that God keeps his promises despite the sinfulness of his people.