Text: Jonah 4:6-11 God arranged for a leafy plant to cover Jonah’s head from the sun (v.6). The plant is not identified but most likely it was castor oil shrub, which grows rapidly especially in hot climates. The same God arranged for a worm that damaged the plant (v.7). Jonah is angered over the withering[…]
“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” 2 Cor. 10:4 A stronghold is defined as a place that has been fortified so as to protect it against attack. Another definition would be a place where a particular cause or belief is strong. Spiritual strongholds[…]
Text: Jonah 4:1-5 The people of Nineveh repented and the Lord forgave them (3:10). Jonah became angry (v.1). Why? Because in Jonah’s days, Jews never wanted to share God’s message with the Gentiles; the same resistance Paul got (I Thes. 2:14- 16). Yet God’s original plan was to make Israel a blessing to all nations[…]
Text: Jonah 3:1-10 Jonah who had run away from God was given a second chance (v. 1). He is to deliver the message he had run away from; the unedited message of impending destruction within forty days unless the people of Nineveh repent (vv.3-4). The people and the King immediately responded by repenting of their[…]
Text: Jonah 2:1-10. Jonah’s prayer to God was a prayer of thanksgiving and not for deliverance (vv. 2-9). Jonah was delivered in a miraculous manner and is therefore thanking God for not drowning. His response to God’s punishment is framed into thanksgiving. Jonah condemns those who put their trust in idols, somehow remembering the foolish[…]
Deliverance will only occur when the cry of Africa catches the attention of God. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help went up to God (Exodus 2:23). Psalms 107:13-16 similarly describes thebreaking free of oppression: “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved[…]
Text: Jonah 1:1-17 The Lord commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh and announce God’s judgement against it for the people’s wickedness had come before the Lord (vv.1-2). The wickedness of Nineveh included, but was not limited to: (1). Evil plots against God (Nah. 1:9); (2). Exploitation of the weak (Nah. 2:12); (3). Cruelty in war[…]
Text: Obadiah God is going to judge Edom because of several reasons: (1). Edom had rejoiced over the misfortunes of Israel and Judah, despite being occupied by close relatives (Gen. 25:19-26); (2). Edomites were proud because of their location which to them was unassailable by her enemies, and therefore gave them sense of self sufficiency[…]
Text: Amos 9:1-15 It is bad news that judgement is going to begin at the altar (v.1), the place where people expected blessings from God. People have refused to adhere to the Words of God through His prophets, now His anger has been kindled to the point of harsh confrontation with His people. And there[…]
Text: Amos 8:1-14 In his fourth vision, Amos sees a basket of summer fruit. In Hebrew, “summer fruit” and “end” are similar so the vision shows that Israel’s “end has come” (v.2). It can also mean that the summer sun has ripened the fruit, meaning that Israel was ripe or has reached a peak for[…]