Humility - Zephaniah Introduction

One of my best friends is a deacon that has served several years faithfully and has proven to have great concern for the welfare of the church. I vividly remember that he and his wife visited with me regarding his nomination to become a deacon. He had several reservations at that time and almost declined the request of the church—not because he thought he was too good to serve but because he was humbled by the opportunity the church was offering him to serve. He believed in the importance of the deaconship in the life and ministry of the church. He was hesitant to accept the offer because he was not sure he could serve well enough to be a credit to the church and to our Lord. I told him that he had nothing to worry about as long as he accepted and continued to serve with that kind of humble spirit. The reasons he gave for his hesitancy were actually his strong points as a qualified and deserving servant.
Last Sunday, Brother JR announced that the church would be entering another search for deacons to serve our church. I approached another member of our church that has a flawless record of service to our church and the community. He told me that he just did not feel qualified to accept the nomination of deacon. My response to him was that he had just given me one of the best reasons for me to believe he is qualified to serve—and that was his humility in his response.
I have served as a deacon in five different churches for over fifty years. I felt humbled when the first church ordained me and have never considered the call in any other way. Strong churches depend on members that serve with humility and our cornerstone, Jesus Christ, can accomplish great things through our lives when we seek his will in humility. We must remember that every circumstance has both a positive and a negative side. Humility is the positive post in the battery of life and the negative post is pride. Pride in the life of any church member is both destructive and obstructive; it not only prevents positive results but it tears down the good that has already been accomplished. I have offered these examples showing the need for humility in the development of strong leaders as an introduction to the study of Zephaniah which is a study of the destructiveness of pride in the life of any person…Christian or not.
From what I have read concerning this book, it appears that it was written for a specific purpose and that was to shake the people of Judah out of their complacency and urge them to return to God. It was written by Zephaniah and addressed to Judah and all other nations concerned. Misery, devastation and eventual total destruction was sure if they continued in their prideful ways and failed to show the HUMILITY that is required of all who will serve as successful leaders of God’s people. You have heard it said that “Pride goes before a fall”—there-fore, as a Christian leader, you can either serve humbly or fall…fail, stumble and usually this results in your taking others with you.
Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of King Josiah of Judah who was attempting to solve problems that had arisen under the evil reign of both Kings Manasseh and Amon. It will help you remember the time and sequence of this study if you will remember that Zephaniah became a profit in the same year that Josiah became King of Judah—in 640 BC. Zephaniah was a contemporary of Jeremiah and the two strong leaders may have furnished the motivation for King Josiah to seek the return of his people to the way of the Lord.
Under the two previous Kings there had been grief and distress because of the abuse that prevailed. The prediction was that the Day of Judgment and destruction was coming because Judah had forsaken the Lord. They were worshiping Baal, Molech and the heavenly host of stars. The prophet predicted that in the end there would be happiness among the people because God would bring justice to his mistreated people and there was hope for the future. Under the leadership of King Josiah a short revival broke out. If you will remember in the study of 2-Kings, in chapters 21 through 23…the book of the law was found in the temple, and the people repented for a time. This only lasted a short time because twelve years after Josiah died, Judah was invaded by Babylon and many were taken captive.
The key verse in this study is found in the 2nd chapter, 3rd verse and it sets the tone for the topic of our lesson today—HUMILITY. “Seek the Lord, all you HUMBLE of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek HUMILITY; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.”
Salvation, redemption, forgiveness, and security in our relationship with Jesus are all wonderful and are to be enjoyed and trusted as conditions that God has promised to all who believe, trust and obey. However, the Bible, especially the OT is loaded with examples that profoundly state that there is a condition that applies called OBEDIENCE—and the first requirement for one to be obedient is HUMILITY. Zephaniah was a prophet of God and was therefore bound to speak the truth even though his message was one of doom and destruction. He boldly spoke clearly, pronouncing certain judgment and horrible punishment for all who would defy the Lord. He said that God’s wrath would sweep away everything in the land and destroy it. He quoted God as saying—“I will sweep away both men and animals; I will sweep away the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. The wicked will have only heaps of rubble when I cut off man from the face of the earth” declares the Lord [1-3]. This was his announcement or pronouncement against Judah.
Although there had been occasional attempts at renewal, Judah had no sorrow for her sins. The people were prosperous, and they no longer cared about God. God’s demands for righteous living seemed irrelevant to Judah because her accumulation of wealth had caused complacency among the people.
1: Zephaniah prophesied during the years of [640-609 BC]. Josiah was a good King, and tried to follow God. He found the book of the Law in the temple and began a religious revival in Judah 2 Kings 22: 1 to 23:25]. His warnings were his way of trying to help the revival to last. Even the revival did not fully eliminate idolatry and it only lasted a short time because only twelve years after Josiah’s death, Judah was invaded by Babylon and many were taken into exile. They were clearly warned, but either did not believe Zephaniah or maybe they doubted God. Today we have God’s word and if we refuse to listen to his word, then we are as shortsighted as Judah proved to be, and like them, we will be punished for our disobedience.
4: This charge against Judah and Jerusalem was the result of their disobedience. When the Israelites arrived in the Promised Land, God told them that the first thing they should do was to completely rid the land of all pagan inhabitants—all who worshipped idols. The Jews failed to do what he had ordered. [I remember when we studied the lesson last year and this order was given—some seemed to think that it was rather harsh…even cruel to uproot citizens out of their homes.] But when the Jews failed to rid the land of the remaining Canaanites…inter marriage took place…and soon the Israelites were worshiping the Canaanite’s gods. Their chief god was Baal which they said symbolized strength and fertility. God was angry and told Zephaniah to warn them of their punishment…v. 4.
4: to 6: The channels of history are littered with idols and their worship. We should be aware that idols are more than statutes of stone and wood…American idols are wealth, power, games, fine homes and big cars…an idol is an idol no mater what shape it takes…if it replaces God in our lives it is our idol. Is your wife first in your life? Do you place your children first in your line of love? Are you deeply in love with one that you wish to marry? Is she first in your life? Or, can you truthfully say that God comes first in your life? You may think that I am being too explicit…but the fact is that God must come first in the life of any Christian, and when He has his rightful place there is always room for love of family, love of country and love of THINGS. Read Exodus 20: 1-5. Although sin is sin in the eyes of God—this just has to be one of the people’s most horrible mistakes—at least in our sight. Some of the Israelites joined the Ammonites in the worship of the god known as “Molech” and the form of worship included child sacrifice—one of the most abominable sins of worship.
8: The reference to the day of the Lord could be referring to the Babylonian capture and subsequent destruction that followed; however, some commentators feel that it also could be referencing other destruction that will come at the end of this age…when Christ returns. Any clothing worn as a symbol of worship; or markings on the body such as tattoos that represent or indicate a false worship is condemned.
3: 11-12 All through the book we find God’s wrath being poured out on those who are disobedient. Idol worshipers lead the list; however we find here that both humility and pride affect the response from God. The prideful fall…the humble endure and are usually awarded with a meaningful life. God promises the humble that the day will come when the prideful will be removed from the city…they will cease to be a thorn in the flesh of the humble. The meek and humble are the only ones that are promised to be left in the end.
Our study for next week will deal with what “Commitment” really means in the life of a Christian. Study the book of Haggai, both chapters. See you then.

Await God's Timing - Habakkuk Intro (continued)

I am back. Got the shower and a rain—down power! What a day! God blessed. Had I completed the lesson…this is what it would have said to you. Hope I am back on track and will see you next Sunday. JLV.

The Heber Springs area offers retirees one of the most beautiful areas in the entire world in which they can spend the latter days of their life this side of heaven. This is not a Chamber of Commerce advertisement; it is a fact proven as you look at the color of the hair of most of the people in the sanctuary of First Baptist Church each Sunday morning. Juanita and I moved here in 1975 and decided to remain here when we retired in 1986. It is absolutely unbelievable at the number of our dear friends in this church that have gone to be with God in the past thirty-two years. It is also heart-lifting and amazing at the number of our dear friends that have been at death’s door, with seemingly no hope for recovery, but they are still with us and serving our Lord with greater zeal than seems humanly possible.

The question that haunts each of us is why some must go seemingly before their time while others remain with poor health or other conditions that prevents quality life. The number of prayers offered is not the answer—so it must be that we have difficulty in knowing the true will of God for each of us. There is a God reason…and we must accept this by faith and continue to obey Him to the best of our ability.

The church body has been enlisted in intercessory prayer in each and every case. Selfishly, we pray for healing and recovery in each case. Some of our prayers are answered according to our clock…while some are answered according to God’s will for each person. Sometimes it is difficult for us to accept God’s answer to our prayers. There are even times when we wonder if he answered our prayers or ignored them. This kind of attitude can only be strengthened and satisfied when we have grown in faith to the point that we truly believe that God does hear our prayers and he does answer each one in his time and in his own way. Do you believe? Do you fully trust God to always do what is best for you and yours? Stop! Wait a minute! Think hard. Do you…through a strong and abiding faith…always accept the answers you get for your prayers?

I might not recognize some of our people who are most deserving, so will not attempt to mention names, but if you have been in the church during the past thirty-two years, you will have no problem remembering some of the people of whom I write. There are some that have suffered long and devastating illnesses and then passed on. Some have suffered long and seemingly insurmountable health problems and are still with the church body, serving God and proving that God’s timing comes from a special clock. If you truly believe—you will AWAIT GOD’S TIMING and you will accept it with a merry heart. Habakkuck did!

There is a second world wide problem facing us today that makes the writings in this book even more relevant to us than the examples mentioned above. Allow me to start here at home in Heber Springs. As great as this place is to live in as a family…times and events are changing rapidly in many ways—and not for the best. Juanita and I moved here 32 years ago. The by-weakly police report now tells us that crimes of all magnitude are increasing at a rapid pace. The murder rate in Little Rock has skyrocketed. Arrests for manufacture and use of drugs in Cleburne County have risen each year. Horrible crimes against families and children are not unusual any more. The number of hard criminals has risen until available space in the prisons to accommodate those deserving incarcerations is now inadequate.

I do not want to sound like a pessimist, but it sometimes appears that the criminal receives the benefit of the law more often than does the honest citizen. Listen to me! I am not talking about skid row in Kansas City, Harlem in NY, or Bourbon Street in New Orleans. This applies to our little quiet town in the Ozarks; and terrorist attacks have leveled our government buildings abroad; sunk our ships at sea, and destroyed the twin towers in NY and a part of the Pentagon in DC. These acts of terrorism have driven us into a war that has made us unpopular and cost us billions of dollars and loss of far too many lives. Following the 9/11 day of horror our nation seemingly turned to God prayerfully calling for God’s help and for some reason the help has not come. We have no choice…we must keep our faith…and continue to pray that we can survive until God’s plan is complete and his time clock says that enough is enough.

The prophet Habakkuk [pronounced as [huh...Bak…kuk] faced some bleak circumstances just as we face today. Just as we are tested, so was he. One of his problems was that he saw wickedness throughout the land going seemingly unchecked by the God he knew to be all-powerful. Prayers were seemingly unanswered. This was simply because God’s timing was kept on a different clock. By this I mean that the prayers were answered, but at a different time and in a different way than was expected by the prophet.

Look at verse two. The prophet prayed, “How long, Lord, must I call for help and You do not listen, or cry out to You about violence and You do not save?” Have you ever felt just like this question indicates that Habakkuk must have been feeling about his unanswered prayers? During the past few years, either you or someone you love has been suffering from some kind of special pain, or life threatening condition. You have prayed. Others have prayed with you or for you and to date the answer you expected has not come. Just like Habakkuk, you are asking…”How long. Lord, must I call for help and You do not listen?”

There may be some in our church and in this extended Sunday school class that have wondered about the Old Testament being relevant to us and our problems under the New Covenant. My challenge to you is that you study the message of this prophet and see for yourself that almost every verse is directly relevant to life in Heber Springs in the year of our Lord 2007.

YOU MUST READ VERSES 1-4. This passage, almost word for word, could easily be the prayer of our pastor on any Sunday morning. This was a list of complaints that were in the oracle that Habakkuk the prophet received.

YOU MUST NOW READ THE LORD’S ANSWER IN VERSES 5 THROUGH 11. Remember that the good King Josiah who had fought to bring God’s rule back to Jerusalem died in 609, Daniel was taken captive into Babylon in 605; Habakkuk’s ministry ended in 588; and the fall of Judah and the destruction of Jerusalem came in 586. No one could have been happy about what God said he would do. He allowed Babylon to conquer Judah and destroy Jerusalem. Why? Destruction came to his own people because of their disobedience.

Here is a scary thought. God described Babylon as a dreaded enemy—ruthless and impetuous; who seize places owned by others; feared and dreaded; thy fly like vultures, swooping to destroy; whose own strength is their god. BUT THEY WILL BE VICTORIUS.

Now think of the three major powers that are involved in our problems today. [There are others, but three is enough to make my point] Think first of America whom we believe to be the do-right nation. Second, think of the communist who have determined to conquer all. Third, include the Islamic nations who hate Christians and Jews. Could it be that God would treat us as he did Judah? Because of our disobedience…could he allow one of the other two [or someone else] to succeed for a time as he allowed Babylon to do?

When we think about the title of our lesson today AWAIT GOD’S TIMING, it is easy to see that God is telling us that life in filled with mysteries that man is not supposed to understand. [Why do some live and some die? Why does God allow nations to terrorize? Why is crime more prevalent?] God has a reason for this—and it is to see that we come to the point that we can and will trust our holy and just God to treat us fairly and faithfully. This prophecy by Habakkuk was an important message from God, not just to Judah, but to our nation which will help us to better understand the mysteries of life and God’s time clock.

Even this prophet from God could not understand how a holy God could permit wickedness in the land of Judah. We do not understand why God allows the followers of Islam to continue on their bent to destroy Christianity. God assured the prophet that he will punish sin where ever it is found and Habakkuk has passed this knowledge on to us. There will be a pay-day some-day. The second mystery that puzzled Habakkuk was how God could use the wicked, undeserving land of Babylon to judge Judah, defeat and destroy the nation. Then God explains that after using Babylon, or allowing Babylon to judge Judah…He will then punish Babylon. We can be sure that even if God is allowing the ungodly Islamic terrorist to judge America…he will then punish them for their disobedience.

Brief outline and review…or book in a nut-shell NOTE: {If you are time limited but want the core of his message, at least read these selected passages.}

I. The title [1:1]

1. The prophet’s problems [1:2 to 2:4]

2. The prophet’s cry [1: 2-4]

3. Jehovah’s answer [1: 5-11]  

4. The new problem [1:12-17]

5. The prophet’s attitude [2: 1]

II. The prophet’s proclamations [2; 6 to 3: 19]

1. The vision of destruction in five woes [2: 6-20]

2. The prophet’s prayer and psalm [3: 1-19]

Await God's Timing - Habakkuk Intro

The Heber Springs area offers retirees one of the most beautiful areas in the entire world in which they can spend the latter days of their life this side of heaven. This is not a Chamber of Commerce advertisement; it is a fact proven as you look at the color of the hair of most of the people in the sanctuary of First Baptist Church each Sunday morning. Juanita and I moved here in 1975 and decided to remain here when we retired in 1986. It is absolutely unbelievable at the number of our dear friends in this church that have gone to be with God in the past thirty-two years. It is also heart-lifting and amazing at the number of our dear friends that have been at death’s door, with seemingly no hope for recovery, but they are still with us and serving our Lord with greater zeal than seems humanly possible.

The question that haunts each of us is why some must go seemingly before their time while others remain with poor health or other conditions that prevents quality life. The number of prayers offered is not the answer—so it must be that we have difficulty in knowing the true will of God for each of us. There is a God reason…and we must accept this by faith and continue to obey Him to the best of our ability.

The church body has been enlisted in intercessory prayer in each and every case. Selfishly, we pray for healing and recovery in each case. Some of our prayers are answered according to our clock…while some are answered according to God’s will for each person. Sometimes it is difficult for us to accept God’s answer to our prayers. There are even times when we wonder if he answered our prayers or ignored them. This kind of attitude can only be strengthened and satisfied when we have grown in faith to the point that we truly believe that God does hear our prayers and he does answer each one in his time and in his own way. Do you believe? Do you fully trust God to always do what is best for you and yours? Stop! Wait a minute! Think hard. Do you…through a strong and abiding faith…always accept the answers you get for your prayers?

I might not recognize some of our people who are the most deserving, so will not attempt to mention names, but if you have been with us during the past thirty-two years, you will have no problem recognizing some of the people of whom I write. There are some that have suffered long and devastating illnesses and then passed on. Some have suffered long and seemingly insurmountable health problems and are still with the church body, serving God and proving that God’s timing comes from a special clock. If you truly believe—you will AWAIT GOD’S TIMING and you will accept it with a merry heart. Habakkuck did!

The prophet Habakkuk [pronounced as huh...Bak…kuk] faced some bleak circumstances just as we face today. Just as we are tested, so was he. One of his problems was that he saw wickedness throughout the land going seemingly unchecked by the God he knew to be all-powerful. Prayers were seemingly unanswered. This was simply because God’s timing was kept on a different clock. By this I mean that the prayers were answered, but at a different time and in a different way than was expected by the prophet.

Look at verse two. “How long, Lord, must I call for help and You do not listen, or cry out to You about violence and You do not save?” Have you ever felt just like this question indicates that Habakkuk must have been feeling about his unanswered prayers? During the past few years, either you or someone you love has been suffering from some kind of special pain, or life threatening condition. You have prayed. Others have prayed with you or for you and to date the answer you expected has not come. Just like Habakkuk, you are asking…”How long. Lord, must I call for help and You do not listen?”

I HAVE ERRORED, SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME! Juanita and I had planned to be with our extended family on a week-end when our soon-to-be first Great Grand Boy was going to be rained on…hu, I mean it is going to shower on him and his parents and we wanted to be there. I have tried to do some essential chores and lost my timing. Sorry, but just do not have time to complete these thoughts about Habakkuk.

This is a Bible event in the prophet’s life that is relevant to our conditions in today’s world. Hope you will spend some time and study it to show thyself approved. See you next time. John.

Accept God's Lordship - Obadiah 1:1-21

As I picked up the Book and read through the lesson for today it was the first time in my life that I was reminded that I am envious of Obadiah. “Why?” You ask. Because it is the first time that I remember that I have taken the time to read the briefest book in the OT and realize what was happening. When there is power in a message…that is great. When there is extra power in a brief message that is the ultimate in writing. I have always enjoyed teaching. I have always realized that it takes me too long and requires too much writing for me to totally cover a subject to my satisfaction. My admission is simply this: “I talk too much and say too little.”

History records an incident where one of our fore-fathers was invited to speak on some special occasion. Someone asked him how much time he would need to prepare his speech. His answer went something like this. “If you have in mind a subject that is technical or life threatening, I will need at least thirty days to research and prepare to bring you a thirty minute message. If the subject is not a technical one, and really does not have the possibility of serious consequences, I can probably be ready to speak in three days to a week and should be able to cover the subject in less than an hour. But if it is just about politics or religion, I am ready to speak right now, and there will be no time limit because I can go on and on for hours.

The point that I am trying to establish is that some of the writers that brought us the Word of God brought some powerful messages in very few words. The book of Obadiah is no exception. Class members will remember that during our discussion of the lesson we mentioned the fact that the bible actually is very brief in number of words written when we consider the number of topics covered and the degree to which each is explained for our understanding. It is truly an amazing book! Think again about the subject of history as taught in colleges today. In order to gain a major in American History, a scholar would have to cover at least eight to ten major text books. The same is true for a major in Chemistry, Math, Biology, or philosophy. And each of these texts would be equal in size to a good study bible. But one bible covers all the major issues that face man kind and answers all of the major problems that any of us can possibly encounter.

Some would ask; “How is this possible?” The answer is easy and without any doubt it is the only answer. The bible is the “inspired word of God” and there is no other such book on the press.

This is the shortest book in the OT, but it is explicit, meaningful, has a purpose and offers a warning that can affect any member of society. This book warns any and all that God will surely judge those who have harmed his children in any way. The warning is—don’t mess around with true Christian people—because you can’t win. The author is not famous, not even well known, but because of his name Obadiah, which means servant or [worshiper of the Lord] one can know that the message is true and should be heeded.

The exact time of the writing of this book and the problems that it covers probably came after the division of the nation into the northern and southern kingdom and sometime before the conquering of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. It was written to the Edomites and the key verse is No. 15, which says, “The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head.” This warning was given to the Edomites—the key people in this study. It is fairly easy to narrow the picture to the area and people being instructed…they were the Edomites in Edom and the Jews in Jerusalem.

Remember that in OT days God spoke to his people in many ways, and in this case, verse one says that there was a vision from God. The message was that God would bring his judgment against the nation of Edom. This war between two nations started when Esau and Jacob were born with Esau holding on to Jacob’s heel as recorded back in Genesis 25. Later Esau sold his birth right and his blessing to Jacob, Esau became ruler in Edom and Jacob in Israel and the conflict continued.

The two nations descended from two brothers but there was always conflict. Edom had always rejoiced over the misfortunes of both Israel and Judah. Edom and Judah shared a common boundary with Judah on the north and Edom in the south rough mountainous country which they used as a military stronghold. The two brothers had fought each other and now the two countries continue to fight each other. God placed a curse on Edom because of their malicious actions toward his people.

In the third verse there is reference to the terrain of their country as being rough, with clefts and rocks in a place hard to penetrate. God tells them that they will be brought down…they will be defeated. The Edom capitol was Sela or Petra that was high up and could only be reached through some canyons beyond clefts that would remind us of some of the old western hide–outs shown in some of the bad western movies. [Note] let me digress here for one moment to say that many of the wars that we read about in the bible would resemble some of the “Western-shoot –outs more than what we think of as war today. These people were feeling secure because of their position, but the profit tells them that thy will be humbled.

Verse 4 tells them they will not escape their high places with strongholds that made them feel secure. The main thought that applies to us today is that they were depending on their position and self pride, and pride will not carry us through the hard times.

In verse six Esau was named was named here because he was considered the father of the nation of Edom. This is the bible way that demands an eye for an eye and tooth for tooth. The Edomites were getting what they deserved. Because they killed, they would be killed; because they robbed they would be robbed.

Edom must have been much like some of the leaders in our nation today because in verse eight, the prophet talks about the destruction of the wise men of the country. They were noted for their wise men; however there is a difference in human wisdom and Godly wisdom. They may have been worldly wise but they ignored and even mocked God and in the end it was their downfall. In fact, the central theme of this book deals with the punishment of Edom for its cruel and un-brotherly conduct toward Judah at the time of some great national calamity.

At least one of these hostile treatments is recorded in the Exodus when the Edomites refused to permit the Israelites to pass through their territory and then the continued the state of hostility even after the occupation of the land of Canaan. Look again at verse three and four where we find the description of their pride. They were a people that were irreligious, proud and self-centered. They were dwellers of the mountains and they lived in houses that had been hewn into the rocky mountain sides. This is where the author gets his idea about the eagles. Their dwelling places were like the nests of the eagles in the clefts of the highest rocks and almost inaccessible to an enemy. Their capitol city, Petra, lay completely hidden in a rocky defile about two miles long; and it could easily be defended by a handful of men stationed at the entrance. Again, you can vision this picture by thinking of some of the “hide –outs portrayed in the western movies of the John Wayne era.

You should not be discouraged as you study this book and wonder just how it applies to us today as we serve God here in First Baptist Church, of Heber Springs. There are several important lessons in the book for us:

The first one is the lesson of the family feud which has always been hard to deal with, bitter and most difficult to settle. It started with two twin brothers…with one hanging on to the others heal as they were born.

Then there is the lesson of the dangers of pride and arrogance, truly we know that “Pride goeth before the fall.” The third danger lies in one having a false confidence. These people believed in their security in their mountainous hide-away which may have been solid against man, but no problem for God to penetrate. There is another lesson that warns us to be careful of the problems of false confidence. Any time we place our confidence in any person, place, or power other than God we are sure to be brought down…and great will be our fall.

We see a beautiful picture of God dealing with his wrath—his mill-wheels grind slowly…they grind very small…and in this case Edom received what she had given. We can also see that there is hope for a dark hour in our life. God’s plan and purpose in our lives are not accomplished immediately—not on our time scale, but on God’s time clock. We will eventually receive our just reward…the important thing is that we be prepared to accept what God has for us…place our complete trust in him, and know that he will deal fairly with us in comparison to our dealing with his people.

This book tells us that God’s judgment comes on proud, overconfident people; and that friends turn against proud, uncaring people. It also tells us that if we turn our brother in is time of dire need—God’s wrath is aroused…and he will eventually establish his kingdom and bring down the deeds of the wicked on their heads.

Think seriously about these things: 1. Pride goes before a fall and brings God’s wrath. 2. Turning traitor against your own people is always wrong. 3. Attacking people who are down-and-out is wrong. 4. Working to help the enemy is always wrong. 5. We are to do –right by others if we are to expect God to do-right by us.

Oh, Holy and almighty Lord, forgive all of us that fit the description that Obadiah has described as the proud, self-reliant greedy traitors who break agreements for momentary gain. Help us, oh God, to develop the constant desire to always do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

Appropriate God's Mercy - Joel 1:1-3

The reading of God’s word is an intriguing and always a rewarding experience. One must simply keep their eyes open and heart receptive in order to soon learn that the Bible is the true recording of the greatest love story ever written. In John 3: 16 we are introduced to the central purpose that God provided and every other verse in the Bible refers to some part of his plan to extend his mercy to us

It is noteworthy that the closing lesson in 2 Peter last Sunday was devoted to “Hope for the growing Christian” and the author of the International Version added a sub topic to the chapter which read: “The day of the Lord.” With no known intended connection between 2 Peter and Joel, it is intriguing to me that we find that this book is referring to a period of rebellion and strife that causes the prophet Joel to warn his people that “The day of the Lord” will come soon and preparation is necessary.

Joel became a prophet during the reigns of Jehu, King of Israel and while Joash was king of Judah—841 B. C. and 835. This was one of the several periods of economic growth and mounting prosperity and sin abounded to the extreme. You may remember that Old Jehu was the wicked king in charge during the time covered in the famous sermon “Pay Day Some Day.”

The purpose for which this book was written was to warn Judah [southern kingdom] of their sinful living and a sincere urge for them to return to God for forgiveness and a new chance. Joel wrote the book especially to the people in the southern kingdom, but also to Christians everywhere. Most historians think the book was written during a period of about 29 years—835 to 796. The setting for the book is much like that of other days of extravagant sin in the Jewish nation. The people of Judah had become prosperous and complacent; they were living high and cared little for the provider that made this easy life possible. This Bible story leads us to realize that when God has had enough of our rebellious ways it is easy for him to find ways to bring us back to our knees. One thing sure…a swarm of locusts did the job well and in a hurry in this case.

In recent years we have seen several scenes of destruction move over some parts of our land. Florida seems to bear the blunt of destructive hurricanes…guess we can now add New Orleans and parts of the gulf coast in Mississippi. Tornado alley catches parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri. The earthquake has been most devastating in California. However, Oklahoma alone holds the record in dust storms and swarming locusts. I can remember seeing pictures of cars wrecked along highways because of the build up of grease or [bug juice] on the highways. Windshield washers clogged and smeared until vision was impaired. However, the most devastating and lasting results were the destroyed crops.

Someone has already asked if the locust plague in Oklahoma came as a punishment from God, as did this one in Judah, where Jerusalem was the main city affected. I do not know the answer. I just believe that it could be a punishment; or it could also be a warning that brings a wake-up call—and then it could be that God stands aside an allows the Devil to tempt us just to see where our faith stands.

It is interesting that the phrase “Day of the Lord” is use in several ways in the Bible. It has been used here to refer to the day of the locusts that will come; or the day when God’s wrath will be witnessed in a special way. We can be assured that it has also been used in conjunction with the second coming of our Lord. The new copy of Holman Commentary quotes Duane A. Garrett as saying that “The day of the Lord refers to a decisive action of Yahweh to bring his plans for Israel to completion…The day to the Lord is more of a theological idea than a specific event. As a theological idea it can manifest itself in human history many times and in many forms.”

It is amazing to me that our people will get caught up in the needs we have for mutual understanding and cooperative action in time of great need. We have had several disasters recently…bombing of twin towers on 9/11, Katrina, the Oklahoma bombing, school tragedies, the college massacres and the list goes on. We hear the cry of people wondering if these tragedies may have a deeper meaning that we are not able to comprehend. I believe that these disasters are calls from God asking us to devote ourselves to prayer and fasting as we seek the purpose and meaning in the disaster. We are shocked and ask ourselves why? Why? And evidently we are not finding the true answer. Somewhere, there is a deeper meaning than that someone up there is mad.

Joel is taking a long way around this subject of final punishment for sin and letting us know that no one will escape judgment day. Our day of the Locust will come and he is warning that we should be ready. I found one commentary while studying this subject who said that “Facing God’s dreadful judgment day, God’s people need to turn to him in repentance, hoping that God will refrain from the judgment he has planned.” I do not agree with this statement. We need to face the judgment day ready to comply with whatever God commands. He will not change his plans.

Let us go back to the beginning of this lesson for one minute and look again at what the Life Way author thought we should get from the lesson. We are challenged as Christian People to APPROPOPRIATE GOD’S MERCY. What does this mean? It means that we must know how to set his mercy aside for our own use. Or, we must take part in his mercy…accept it, and apply his mercy to our condition.

Saved people must understand, acknowledge and admit that their salvation is a free gift…unmerited…and without price. When we willfully and intentionally sin against God’s principles this sinful action will invite the locusts into our life. I do not want to sound like a dooms-day advocate, but America has had far too many swarms cropping up all around during the last few years. I can not feel as safe as I once did, and it is simply because that I do not believe that the every day American is as honest and dedicated to God and Country as we once were.

When God’s people lose their way—when they stray from the course, God will find a way to encourage us back into his fold. Sometimes the encouragement does not come in a positive way. Your call to repentance may not be a happy experience—but just remember that the results of your repentance will never bring unhappiness. Amen

Note: Our study time will become demanding over the next three months, as we change books, authors and subjects almost every week. You can help the teacher greatly if you will do more homework…study so you can show yourself approved…and help by participating more. Thanks!