Matthew

It is good to be reading in the New Testament.

I have never really read the Bible before, not like this. Yes, I am familiar with many passages, but there is so much that never makes the Sunday sermons, the Sunday Scripture readings or the Children’s Bible stories. Based on my limited knowledge, here are some my observations, or I didn’t know that moments.

I did not realize that Matthew had so many references to Old Testament prophecy. This book is a proof, of sorts, aimed at those who knew what was prophesied about the coming of the Messiah. (I appreciated the footnotes in my Bible.) It really looked at Jesus from an angle I had not given much thought about…all of this was predicted long before Jesus was ever born.

Matthew talks briefly about Jesus birth, but only in reference to what was prophesied. Most of the book is about Jesus after he began to teach, emphasizing his teachings. Jesus used a lot of parables and, like his disciples, I needed to have some explained (or at the very least, reread a few times). 

Jesus in Matthew is not the calm, collected Jesus of my Sunday school classes. He had a temper (and I am not just talking about the incident at the temple). He got frustrated with his disciples. He was mad at a fig tree that had no fruit and cursed it. He was very human in some ways.

I did not realize that Jesus talked about the second coming in Matthew. I thought that was what Revelations was about. Surprise! Maybe it is in both? Maybe the other gospels talk about it, too? Well, now I know where the Left Behind book series came from. 

I must admit, much of what I thought l knew came from movies, books, and other peoples interpretations. It is good to read for myself, directly from the source.

Malachi

Malachi - the last book of the Old Testament, the last prophecy before Jesus.

The people ask God why he doesn’t love them anymore. God asks the people why they don’t love him anymore. They know what they need to do. The laws and commandments are clear. Why do they not obey? Why do they not honor?

God has not given up on his people, despite the fact that they seem to have given up on him.

God loves us…and will send his Son to prove it.

Zechariah

Zechariah, one more prophet.

I don’t know if I see more references to Jesus’s coming because I know what comes next or if that is what is truly being referenced. Am I getting better at seeing the meaning or am I reading more into the book than was intended?

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, ‘Let us go at once and entreat the Lord and seek the Lord Almighty’…In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’”

See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey…

He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.

They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him…

Is that Jesus he is referring to? I think so.

And the word of God, as heard by Zechariah…

Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.

Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against each other, and do not live to swear falsely.

Yes.

In the end, I believe Zechariah is a book of hope. 

Haggai

Instead of focusing on your own lives, focus on Me. 

That is the message God seems to be sending through Haggai.

The people say, The time is not right to rebuild the Lord’s house. God says, Do you really think the time is right for you to have a fine house, but you leave My house in ruins?

Burn! 

God is with his people and they need to rethink their lives, starting with honoring the Lord by rebuilding His house.  Follow God’s laws better. It will be okay.

Oh, and one more thing - all the foreign kingdoms will fall. When that happens, Zerubbabel will be like God’s signet ring, for he has been chosen by the Lord. (Does that mean God authorizes Zerubbabel to put the stamp of approval on the Lord’s projects?)

Zephaniah

Zephaniah is yet another prophet who warns of destruction.

He warns all the nations of nonbelievers of their impending doom. He warns Jerusalem and Judah that all, except for those truly faithful to the Lord, will be destroyed. And then he gives hope for the survivors.

Do all these prophets say the same thing to give the warning more credibility, more power?

Maybe…

Habakkuk

Habakkuk complains (asks questions) that I think a lot of us wonder about. 

And God replies.

Complaint number one: How long, Lord, must I call out for help… why do you tolerate wrongdoing?

God replies with one of my favorite verses, Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.

God offers Habakkuk hope.

Complaint number two: Your eyes are too pure to look on evil, you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?

Again God says be patient, …for the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come…

More hope. 

So Habakkuk prays. 

He will wait patiently. 

God is his strength, and ours, too.

Nahum

I am a little confused.

This is a recording of Nahum’s vision. He tells, in detail, how horrible Nineveh is (no wonder Jonah didn’t want to go) and of it’s upcoming destruction. Is this before or after God gave Nineveh a second chance? If before, shouldn’t it have been placed before the book of Jonah in the Bible? If after, does it mean God gave them a second chance and they messed up again?

See, confusing. 

I may need to check with someone who who has actually studied the Bible and has more insight than a novice like me.

Micah

They say hindsight is twenty-twenty.

At first, Micah appeared to be just another prophet who was warning of disaster because of terrible behavior. He warned of calamities and ridicule. He warned of false prophets whose sole purpose is to just tell people what they want to hear - not the truth.

And then the twist.

Micah prophesies about Jesus. He tells of the man who will come from lowly Bethlehem, …out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times. And …his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. 

Sounds like Jesus to me.

A final wisdom takes us home; And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Yes. Very nice. Show mercy to others as God shows mercy to us. Be humbly like God.

Jonah

I can relate to Jonah.

God tells Jonah he has a job for him. Go to Nineveh and preach to them, tell them of their destruction, all because they have become wicked in their ways. What does Jonah do? Runs the other way.

Jonah tries to hide by sailing on a ship heading far away. You can’t outrun God. Jonah ends up being thrown overboard to calm God and the seas. He ends up in the belly of a fish for three days, praying to God; telling God he will not disobey again; he will do what God asks. The fish spits Jonah out on land and God says, Go to Nineveh. This time Jonah goes.

After listening to Jonah, the people of Nineveh repent (this is a good thing, right?) and God decides to forgive them. He does not bring on their destruction. And what does Jonah do? Is he happy for them? Is he thrilled his God is so loving and merciful? Nope. Jonah pouts. He is mad that God sent him to tell the people of Nineveh they were going to be destroyed only to have God forgive. Why did he have to go then? (Aren’t we that way when things don’t happen as we planned or expected?)

God tries another tactic. He has a plant grow to shade Jonah…and then he sends worms to kill it. Jonah is upset about the poor plant. God asks why Jonah is so upset about a plant he had nothing to do with, but he has no compassion for all the people of Nineveh? Think about it…

Compassion people! Feel some compassion for those you don’t know or understand.

Obadiah

I am reading a series of short books in the Bible about several minor prophets - this one is named Obadiah.

Obadiah has a vision that the country of Edom will be destroyed. Bad news again. I think it is because Esau was violent with his brother Jacob, gloated over Jacob’s misfortune, was cruel to the survivors of disaster, and Edom is his kingdom. Payback time. As you have done, it will be done to you.

In the end, it reaffirms that the exiles of Israel will possess all the land again, in time.

On to Jonah…

Amos

Who was Amos?

He was not a prophet or the son of a prophet. Amos was a shepherd and a farmer, a nobody; and yet God chose to speak through him. Why? Because the people who should have been guiding the Israelites were neglecting their duties. Instead of leading the people of Israel toward the Lord, they just did whatever they pleased, whenever they pleased, to whomever they pleased. This did not please God.

The fate of Israel would be no different than that of the nations around them. God was out to punish.

God asked for repentance, but received none. People had become selfish and complacent. The Lord was tired of it, tired of them. Let justice roll like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream. The time had come to set the nations straight.

“Surely the eyes of the Sovereign Lord are on the sinful kingdom. I will destroy it from the face of the earth. Yet I will not totally destroy the descendants of Jacob,” declares the Lord. God said all the sinners would die by the sword, and the chosen few would go into exile.

The books ends with the promise of a brighter day and the restoration of God’s people. Thank goodness God forgives and provides second (and third, and fourth, and fifth, and…) chances.