(REFLECTIONS ON Haggai 2:1-23) 3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison? There were those that had witnessed the temple built by Solomon in all its’ glory. What they saw now, paled in […]
(REFLECTIONS ON Haggai 1:1-15) Some quick background. After Israel was split into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, many kings came and went. However, because of their unfaithfulness to God, Israel was eventually destroyed by Assyria, and Judah was exiled to Babylon. The exile to Babylon began in the late 7th […]
(REFLECTIONS ON Zephaniah 3:1-20) Who will remain? 1 Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled,The tyrannical city!2 She heeded no voice,She accepted no instruction.She did not trust in the Lord,She did not draw near to her God.3 Her princes within her are roaring lions,Her judges are wolves at evening;They leave nothing for the morning.4 Her […]
(REFLECTIONS ON Zephaniah 2:1-15) North, south, east, west, the judgment of the Lord upon the nations surrounding Judah named in today’s Scripture. And yet, in the midst of this judgment, there is a promise of restoration for the remnant of Judah, “For their God will care for them and restore their fortune.” Yes, there is a […]
(REFLECTIONS ON Zephaniah 1:1-18) 2 “I will completely remove all thingsFrom the face of the earth,” declares the Lord.3 “I will remove man and beast;I will remove the birds of the skyAnd the fish of the sea,And the ruins along with the wicked;And I will cut off man from the face of the earth,” declares the […]
(REFLECTIONS ON Habakkuk 3:1-19) When we read that we should fear the Lord in Holy Scripture, do we too quickly explain it away as not really meaning fear, like being scared, but rather awe and reverence? Or is the fear of the Lord more complicated and more profound than that? Is the fear of the Lord […]
(REFLECTIONS ON Habakkuk 2:1-20) In Habakkuk, we read of Habakkuk the prophet looking for answers to why the Lord has not come to the help of His people and will let them suffer at the hands of the Chaldeans or Babylon. Habakkuk says, “How long, O Lord?” As Habakkuk waits, the Lord responds, 3 “For the […]
(REFLECTIONS ON Habakkuk 1:1-17) The cry of Habakkuk the prophet reflects our heart doesn’t it? We wait for the Lord, but then we don’t see anything happening and we blame God asking “How long, O Lord, will I call for help, and You will not hear?” It reminds us that we are oh so limited in […]
(REFLECTIONS ON Nahum 3:1-19) The great city of Nineveh, the center of the mighty Assyrian Empire is the predator. Yes, Nahum describes Nineveh as the predator where their prey never departs. Nineveh is the harlot, enticing, manipulating, seducing those around them and then once they are within its grasp, they bring destruction upon those trapped by […]
(REFLECTIONS ON Nahum 2:1-13) Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, the great city of a great nation. The same Nineveh that God sent the reluctant Jonah to, to proclaim a message of repentance. Repent they did, but apparently this repentant heart did not last. Nahum’s prophecy against Nineveh was directly aligned with God’s heart and plan to […]