Hitting the Minor Prophets

 Finished Hosea and Joel today. You know, I didn't realize how much prophecy Joel contained. It is a small book in the Old Testament. There are only 3 chapters in the whole book. And it gets rather dark. 

Joel 3:14  Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. 

I'll move to Amos next, and it's nine chapters. Obadiah follows, with one chapter. I suspect the minor prophets are going to be a fast read. Then, my goal is to start the poetic books. I am not using a "plan". Instead, I'm working through the shortest books in order of my interest. 

Once those are done, I intend to start on the longer major prophets. I was thinking this morning that I might pull out my chronological Bible for the New Testament but decided not to. I'll get bogged down with all the notes included in that version. There's history, archeology, and statistics throughout that Bible, and I have to read every single thing on every page. 

So, that's where things stand now. 

The Charlie Kirk murder has knocked me down. I've also been dealing with a lot of physical pain. So, it's been a terrible week all the way around. 

I hope the coming week will bring a positive outlook and changes. 

Hosea, Can You See?

 Today I began reading Hosea. I've read the minor prophets before, and I kind of enjoy reading them. They're to the point and very clear. Not bogged down with a lot of kings and wars like the other OT books. 

Over the years, I've heard a lot of teaching on Hosea. That's likely because of the harlot wife, who may or may not have been real. In the Thompson Chain, there is a book summary before each book, and I've found that very helpful for a variety of reasons. For Hosea, there is a question of whether or not the book is allegorical or fact. I don't think it's important because the actual point of the book is how it reflects the behavior of Israel and God's judgement of them because of it. 

The book describes the nation of Israel as corrupt, a harlot who has failed to remain faithful to her husband. He points out that there is no truth, mercy, or knowledge of God left in the land. The level of sin has literally polluted the land. Because of their sin, everything in the land will waste away. He says the land will mourn and that all the animals and bird life and life in the sea will die. 

That sounded quite familiar to me. We're seeing this happen to the planet now. And from scripture, we know that the earth is suffering under man's evil. Don't think for one second you can hide your actions. The earth will testify against you. 

When I reached chapter 4 of Hosea, I had a revelation of sorts, in fact, a couple of them. In this chapter, Hosea is recounting the lack of faithfulness in the nation of Israel. He details how they have prostituted themselves with pagan gods. And that even the Hebrew priests are corrupt because of this mess. 

When the people sin, they must present offerings in repentance. These are for the priests to consume. When they commit more sins, they have to bring more offerings to the priest. The priests don't condemn them because that would stop the flow of offerings, and they wouldn't be getting rich off the sins of the nation. The priests profit from more sin.

This too sounded familiar to me. As long as you bring those offerings, you are going to be just fine. God forgives you. And He wants you to prosper. So, the more you give, the more God will bless you. 

Oh. My.

I do not believe in the prosperity doctrine. All my life I paid tithes and supported building funds and missionaries. I've never gotten rich. In fact, I've had times when I could barely pay the bills. There have been times we couldn't go to the doctor because we couldn't pay the copays. 

 Hosea was warning Israel about their lack of obedience and faithfulness to God in their daily living. That would be their downfall and bring about the destruction of the nation. They were bringing offerings to the temple, but it didn't matter. 

I believe God blesses faithfulness in our walk with him. I believe that worship and honoring God are the highest praise. Hosea was warning Israel about their lack of obedience and faithfulness to God. This was what would be their downfall and bring about the destruction of the nation: swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery, and murdering. 

My final insight from Hosea was in 4:13. Hosea claims the people chose mountains because trees gave them shadows to sin in. I also found this suggested in other places. "Men love darkness because their deeds are evil." Darkness, in the minds of men, can hide the sins they commit. 

It's ironic because Exodus 20:21 says: "And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was."

There is no protection in the darkness. God is there, watching you. He brings light to the darkness and exposes everything.  

It's High Time

Daniel 2
Courtsey Pixabay.com

 I started the Book of Daniel this past week but couldn't read every day as I usually do. I had to go to my sister's to help her and take her to her infusion appointment every day. This will go on until September. 

Today I finished the eighth chapter and will start on nine tomorrow if all goes well. Daniel is an interesting book. If you've read it, you know the story of the Hebrew children in the fiery furnace and of Daniel in the lions' den. But for me, it's the visions Daniel has that fascinate. 

The image at right depicts the sort of statue mentioned in Daniel 2. His other visions were even more complex. They all relate to the same historical events that happened over centuries. They're all connected, but you don't get that at first. The Medes and Persians, Grecians, Romans, and modern Europe. The return of Jesus will shatter the feet and bring down the statue. I always get confused about the interconnectedness of the visions until I read them. 

Today in Chapter 8 I realized that what I'd heard all my life was here. I mean, I realized what the elders had spoken of for over 100 years was here, and I was now witness to the unfolding of an ancient prophecy. Come on. You've always known it, but have you truly realized it? It's more than 1000 years since Daniel saw it. 

I thought about it for a few minutes, and then I remembered something else. I remembered how all of us had prayed for God to save our loved ones. How we've asked for just more time for them to come to him and turn their lives over to him. We've prayed for more time to make things right within ourselves, too. Just a little more time, Lord! Please. Not yet! Just a little more time. 

Every day, every year, very decade of our lives we've prayed this. You haven't? Well, I'm honest enough to tell you I have. Today I had a revelation. 

Time is not the problem. We have plenty of time. Really, we do. We have just enough time to make our hearts right with God. There's just enough time to fix our problems and create a sanctified life. We have just enough time to create a better world, to reach a broken and dying world. Time abounds. 

The problem isn't time. The problem is me and you and them. We are the problem. Our lives are mapped out before we ever arrive. Every potential ability and gift is in place for us to make an impact. Even scripture records that a special clock plots our lifetime. Psalms 90:10 says that our life is 70 years or, if we're strong, 80 years. We know people who live much longer, but that's the exception, not the rule. So you have at the least 70 years to make an impact. We can both admit that life is not perfect and that many people die before the promised time. Health, accidents, and murder are life events. However, it takes only a moment to fix a soul. 

So, why do we need more time to find God? Why do our loved ones need more time? What makes us think there has not been enough time?

I've had plenty of time to find God and live a life pleasing to him. Micah 6:8 in the Amplified Bible says:

He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you Except to be just, and to love [and to diligently practice] kindness (compassion), And to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness]?

That's under the law. Once Jesus came, he gave us a plan. It's outlined in the New Testement. On the day of Pentecost, the Jews ask Peter in Acts 2:37.

 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

They realized that their time had arrived. Jesus gave Peter the keys to the Kingdom, and he used them right then to open the Kingdom doors.

 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

 The clock for the Jews' salvation started that instant. Your clock started the day you first heard the Gospel message. It's ticking. You have time. 

Romans 13:11 (NKJV) says:

"And do this, understanding the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed"

But time will end. We're almost there. If you can't see it, pray for revelation. If you are afraid, you should be. If you're not ready. Time is running out. Get dressed. 

There's going to be a party afterward.