Amos was a prophet like no other. He describes his former lifestyle as, “…I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit” (Amos 7:14). Specifically Amos identifies himself as having been of the herdsmen of Tekoa, a small village about twelve miles south … Read more…

Joel’s book of prophecy is known for the devastation that is described in its narrative. In fact, at least six times in the book the word devastation is used in addition to words such as devour, destruction, recompense, lament, weep, mourn, judge, and tremble. The prophet employed these terms in his attempt to convict his … Read more…

The book of Hosea is the first book in the final section of the Old Testament called the Minor Prophets. It is a most unique narrative because of its arrangement and message. All of the prophets wrote with the same general theme, but it is the way God chose to have Hosea illustrate this theme … Read more…

Most often expectation is not very high. The lower the expectation the less effort required to succeed, and the easy road is often the one most traveled. No this may not be the norm in most jobs, schools, hobbies, or activities, but it is the predominant religious message being heard today. It seems that the … Read more…

Watching, reading, and listening to the news, it is not hard to see that there are many things wrong with society at large. It is in fact quite disheartening at times to think about where the world might be in another fifty years. Some have even gone to the extent of wondering how humane it … Read more…

The context of Daniel’s prophetic book is exactly comprised of what the title suggests, God’s power over all of mankind, individually and nationally. It is the source of much wisdom, but also the root of many questions. There are many topics viewed to be controversial because of the many interpretations attributed to it, but in … Read more…

Ezekiel’s prophetic work was some of the most profound to be recorded in the scriptures, but his book is often overlooked and under appreciated. A possible reason as to its neglect is the effort required to fully understand some of the signs and symbols about which Ezekiel writes. There are many prominent uses of non-literal … Read more…

With Jeremiah’s depiction as “the weeping prophet,” is his book of lamentations. In fact in English Bibles the title given to it is “The Lamentations of Jeremiah.” In the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures) this preface was given along with the title “Tears of Jeremiah”: “And it came to pass, after Israel was … Read more…

What do you think about the Bible? The question might quickly be answered with a positive remark, but understand that our usage of the Bible dictates what we think of it. In principle one might consider the verse “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). Similarly, as a man considers … Read more…

Never had a writer invoked so much emotion into a book of the Bible, but emotion is just what Jeremiah is known for. He is often referred to as “the weeping prophet” and upon reading his book it is evident why. “Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that … Read more…