DOCSLIB.ORG

DO WE HAVE a FUTURE? Amos 9:5-15

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
DO WE HAVE a FUTURE? Amos 9:5-15 -----,-----Hl1Jire:---------------------~ec-..:-z~,,-.:=-=.,.::-':"~~·-,-------. SUBJECT O T c'1 f 1V-(.A?!(t1S) ~ :::::> E.F-~'----- Amos 9:5-15 CLASSIFICATION: TEXT--------------------- --EXPOSITORY "00 WE HA VE A FUTURE?" - -BIOGRAPHICAL TITLi::--------------------- - -TEXTUAL --TOPICAL SCRIPTURE READIN,---------------- ---DEVOTIONAL DELIVERIES: Date Hour Place Results and Comments: F.B.C. 09-18-96 WEDS. San Angelo, TX xxx+++ ); BIBLIOGRAPHY---------------------------------- £/3C. fA I DO WE HAVE A FUTURE? Amos 9:5-15 (Sixth in a series of six messages on the book and prophecy of Amos) A young man in a wheel chair, The Basis of Hope discouraged by his condition, asked his :5-7 physical therapist, "Do you think I have a future?" The therapist replied, "As a pole­ As Amos struck this positive note of vaulter, no! As a man, yes!" hope-, he firm) )( ooted this hope in God. Israel In light of the dire predictions of the could have hope, not because of who they prophet Amos, his contemporaries might have were but because of who God is. Hope was asked, "Do we have a future?" Amos replied, rooted in the sovereignty and the providence '' As a continuation of the way things are now, of God. no! As a remnant, sifted by the judgment of Amos highlighted od's sovereignty God and purified into a new people, yes!" by referring to Him as ' e ord Almighty," That was the word of (9: Sn. Then, he described hope with which Amos God's control over all concluded his prophecy Man's sinfulness cannot thwart creation. Reading this God's plan for man's description of God from the --o - -- redemption. In the darkest of prophet Amos brings to mind times, the light of God's grace the declaration of the Psalmist: ' The heavens J breaks through to give us hope , Hope for the future. 8eclare the glory of God; the in the midst of utter despair skies proclaim the work of was the common prophetic His ands' (Ps. 19: . stance, because they spoke not from the Earlier in his prophecy, Amos perspective of man's problems but from the accented the sovereignty of God to confirm perspective of God's eternal plan. Man's God's ability to seek out those who might try sinfulness cannot thwart God's plan for man's to escape His judgmen (9: l-4.). Now, Amos redemption. In the darkest of times, the light focused on the sovereignty of God to confirm of God's grace breaks tbroug to give us hope God's ability to seek out those whom He for the future. wanted to preserve. Brian's Lines 14 November/December, 1995 Amos highlighted God's providence by The prop_het had already predicted describing His guiding hand, not just in the Israel would be taken into exile. Now, he history of Israel but in the history of other reveals that the exile will not result in the nations as well (2::7). He was the God of ~~*"'._.,,. oflsrael but in the dj5cjplioin2 of israel. Yes, agreed the prophet, but He is also srael. The exile will be a time of sifting out of 14 ......_.~<.&.1111 ·he God of thf-Cushites (9:7). He brought which will come a purified Israel. Israel out of Egypt. Yes, agreed the prophet, Old Testament scholar Kyle Yates but He also brought "the Philistines from explains the meaning of the sieve. "At least ~Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir" (9:7). two types were used for sifting grain in This sovereign God who created and ancient times. One type allowed.the chaff to controls the world and by whose providence pass through, retaining the grain while another all nations are guided · s the foundation fo and permitted the grain to fall, keeping pebbles in the source of the prophet's message of hope. the sieve. A family, consisting of a father and mother and a young son and an even younger daughter, visited the Carlsbad Cavern on their - vacation. -while exploring the cavern on their Regardless of the method, the result is the guided tour, the guide turned out the lights to same: A remnant composed of the faithful show how dark it was beneath the surface of servants of God, is separated and spared from the earth. Out of the darkness came two destruction." sounds, the gasp of the little girl who was The idea of the .w:n,nant runs caught by surprise at the sudden darkness, and throughout the Old Testament. ~-- who the comforting words of her older brother, survived the flood in which all of mankind "Don't worry, §is, there's som~one here who was destroyed Gen. b) d !L,g,t who survived knows how to turn on the lights." the destruction of Sodom in which all the That was Amos' word to his inhabitants of the city were destroyed ?Gen. contemporaries in the shadow of his message 18) ere forerunners of the remnant idea. The of judgment. "Dark days are ahead," the idea of the remnant appears in Isajah 7·l and prophet declared. But then he added this word: is alluded to in God's assurance to Elijah that "Don't worry, there is someone here who 7,000 had remained faithful (LKings 19:17- knows how to tum on the lights." .!22· Perhaps the clearest expression of it is in :Zephaniah 2:3:_ " eek he ORD, all you he Instrument of Hope lfumble of the land, you who do what he 9:8-10 co ands. Seek rig teousness, seek humilit);'., perha s ou will be sheltered on the day of the lHow could srael have hope in the ace ORD's anger:." of the prophet's essage oi irrevocable Amos used the idea of the ~1~ to judgment? The prophet explained in verse 8. offer hope to Israel. u gmen will not be The message of judgment, "I will destroy it complete. Some of God's people will be from the face of the earth" is countered with spared, not because of their goodness but the message of hope: "Yet I will not totally because of God's grace. They will be the aestroy the house of Jacoli " nucleus of the future people o · God. Brian's Lines 15 November/December, 1995 God has repeatedly used small, rfhe glory of the future is further seemingly insignificant people to further His expressed with a series of hyperboles kingdom. symbolizing productivity, prosperity, and Gideon gathered 32,000 men to carry p ermanence. out God's assignment. God said, "You have What a vivid picture of{f) roductivity in too many men. ' Through a process of ;verse 13 I The land would be so productive elimination, God reduced Gideon's force from that the workers in the field would overlap 32,000 to 300 men. With that small group--a each other. One set of workers would still be remnant of the initial army--God delivered gathering in the harvest when the next set of Israel. workers began plowing for the next season Saul gathered him 3000 of the (9: 13). best troops of Israel to confront the What an inviting picture of prosperity Philistines. God chose not to use this army to in verse 141 This was the ancient version of win the victory. Instead, he sent out fonathan "a chicken in every pot and two cars in every and his armor bearer in one instance to defeat garage." Cities would be rebuilt. The the Philistines 1 Sam. 14 and Ue used young essentials of life would once more be enjoyed. David with his sling shot in another instance Life would once more be enjoyable. to conquer the Philistines (i Sam. 17). With What a comforting picture of those two individuals--a remnant of the larger permanence in ers 15 ! The exile would army--God delivered Israel. remove Israel from their land. However, the ffhat \.Vas Amos' word to his remnant would be restored to the lan "never contemporaries. Their hope for the future did again to be uprooted." not reside in their strength as a nation. Instead, What does this mean for us today? It their hope for the future rested in a remnant o reminds us of two basic truths. the people who would be protected and ~ Amos reminds us that '.IiQ..d. empowered by God. controls the future. "We don't know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future." That has become a cliche in our day. However, it became a cliche because it is true. This is God's world. He cr_eated it e controls As a result of God's grace and with the it. And, because of His control, He will bring aid of this remnant, Israel would be restored. it to His predetermined end. How could this future hope be visualized? Second, Amos reminds us that ~ Amos described the glory of the future by future is bright. "The future is as bright as the recalling the glory of the past. Israel thought promises of God." That has also become a of DaYid's rule as their time of greatest cliche in our day, for the same reason as the prosperity. Consequently, David became the cliche mentioned above, because it is true. symbol of greater things to come. The picture Our God is a God of grace. He created us. He of the throne of David being reestablished and loves us. And, because of His compassion, the land being restored would stir hope once He will eventually create an environment in more in the hearts of the people of Israel which we can enjoy all of the blessings for 9:1 l-l2).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Old Testament Order of Prophets
    Old Testament Order Of Prophets Dislikable Simone still warbling: numbing and hilar Sansone depopulating quite week but immerse her alwaysthrust deliberatively. dippiest and sugar-caneHiro weep landward when discovers if ingrained some Saunder Neanderthaloid unravelling very or oftener finalizing. and Is sillily? Martino And trapped inside, is the center of prophets and the terms of angels actually did not store any time in making them The prophets also commanded the neighboring nations to live in peace with Israel and Judah. The people are very easygoing and weak in the practice of their faith. They have said it places around easter time to threaten judgment oracles tend to take us we live in chronological positions in a great fish. The prophet describes a series of calamities which will precede it; these include the locust plague. Theologically it portrays a cell in intimate relationship with the natural caution that. The band Testament books of the prophets do not appear white the Bible in chronological order instead and are featured in issue of size Prophets such as Isaiah. Brief sight Of Roman History from Her Dawn if the First Punic War. He embodies the word of God. Twelve minor prophets of coming of elijah the volume on those big messages had formerly promised hope and enter and god leads those that, search the testament prophets? Habakkuk: Habakkuk covered a lot of ground in such a short book. You can get answers to your questions about the Faith by listening to our Podcasts like Catholic Answers Live or The Counsel of Trent. Forschungen zum Alten Testament.
    [Show full text]
  • Notes on Amos 202 1 Edition Dr
    Notes on Amos 202 1 Edition Dr. Thomas L. Constable TITLE AND WRITER The title of the book comes from its writer. The prophet's name means "burden-bearer" or "load-carrier." Of all the 16 Old Testament writing prophets, only Amos recorded what his occupation was before God called him to become a prophet. Amos was a "sheepherder" (Heb. noqed; cf. 2 Kings 3:4) or "sheep breeder," and he described himself as a "herdsman" (Heb. boqer; 7:14). He was more than a shepherd (Heb. ro'ah), though some scholars deny this.1 He evidently owned or managed large herds of sheep, and or goats, and was probably in charge of shepherds. Amos also described himself as a "grower of sycamore figs" (7:14). Sycamore fig trees are not true fig trees, but a variety of the mulberry family, which produces fig-like fruit. Each fruit had to be scratched or pierced to let the juice flow out so the "fig" could ripen. These trees grew in the tropical Jordan Valley, and around the Dead Sea, to a height of 25 to 50 feet, and bore fruit three or four times a year. They did not grow as well in the higher elevations such as Tekoa, Amos' hometown, so the prophet appears to have farmed at a distance from his home, in addition to tending herds. "Tekoa" stood 10 miles south of Jerusalem in Judah. Thus, Amos seems to have been a prosperous and influential Judahite. However, an older view is that Amos was poor, based on Palestinian practices in the nineteenth century.
    [Show full text]
  • A Theological Reading of the Gideon-Abimelech Narrative
    YAHWEH vERsus BAALISM A THEOLOGICAL READING OF THE GIDEON-ABIMELECH NARRATIVE WOLFGANG BLUEDORN A thesis submitted to Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education in accordance with the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts & Humanities April 1999 ABSTRACT This study attemptsto describethe contribution of the Abimelech narrative for the theologyof Judges.It is claimedthat the Gideonnarrative and the Abimelechnarrative need to be viewed as one narrative that focuseson the demonstrationof YHWH'S superiority over Baalism, and that the deliverance from the Midianites in the Gideon narrative, Abimelech's kingship, and the theme of retribution in the Abimelech narrative serve as the tangible matter by which the abstracttheological theme becomesnarratable. The introduction to the Gideon narrative, which focuses on Israel's idolatry in a previously unparalleled way in Judges,anticipates a theological narrative to demonstrate that YHWH is god. YHwH's prophet defines the general theological background and theme for the narrative by accusing Israel of having abandonedYHwH despite his deeds in their history and having worshipped foreign gods instead. YHWH calls Gideon to demolish the idolatrous objects of Baalism in response, so that Baalism becomes an example of any idolatrous cult. Joash as the representativeof Baalism specifies the defined theme by proposing that whichever god demonstrateshis divine power shall be recognised as god. The following episodesof the battle against the Midianites contrast Gideon's inadequateresources with his selfish attempt to be honoured for the victory, assignthe victory to YHWH,who remains in control and who thus demonstrateshis divine power, and show that Baal is not presentin the narrative.
    [Show full text]
  • Gideon the Fearful
    LESSON FIVE LESSON NOTES FOR STD VI JOSHUA AND THE JUDGES. – Gideon the Fearful AIM : General: 1) To tell the story of the call of Gideon: the raids of the Midianites; the angel appearing to Gideon, his hesitant and fearful response; the food offering which is burnt; destruction of Baal's altar; the laying of the fleece. 2) To dwell on Gideon's fear and timidity; how God encouraged him, strengthened him and gave him faith. Personal: To encourage the children to draw on the power of the Holy Spirit when they feel afraid or timid to do what God asks of them. STARTER: 'The Turning Wheel' Puzzle (10mins) (First explain the puzzle to the children and then let them do it in pairs. It is better to give each child a copy, to keep as a record. Instruct them as follows: 1. Fill in the missing words in the wheel- the 5 stages. 2. In each grid, start in the place shown and go in a continuos line, as indicated by the arrows. Fill in the names, as you find them, in the space given below. The first letter of each name is given to help you. 3. Try and memories the names - a prize will be given to anyone who can remember the most names. (After the puzzle is over let the children attempt to name as many as possible. (all papers should be put away). Do not spend more than 3 minutes on this.) INPUT: (20mins) Today we are going to read how God called another man to be a 'judge' to, help his people in their difficulties.
    [Show full text]
  • The Chronology of the Events in Zechariah 12-14
    Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Honors Theses Undergraduate Research 3-28-2016 The Chronology of the Events in Zechariah 12-14 Won Jin Jeon Andrews University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/honors Part of the Biblical Studies Commons Recommended Citation Jeon, Won Jin, "The Chronology of the Events in Zechariah 12-14" (2016). Honors Theses. 134. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/honors/134 This Honors Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Undergraduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in the Andrews University Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses. Please honor the copyright of this document by not duplicating or distributing additional copies in any form without the author’s express written permission. Thanks for your cooperation. ABSTRACT J. N. Andrews Honors Thesis Andrews University College of Arts & Sciences Title: THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE EVENTS IN ZECHARIAH 12-14 Author’s Name: Won Jin Jeon Advisor: Rahel Schafer, PhD Completion Date: March 2016 In current scholarship, there is a lack of consensus on the timing of the specific events in Zechariah 12-14, with a focus on eschatological or sequential chronologies. Preliminary exegetical research has revealed many connections between the three chapters. For instance, the occurs 17 times (versus four times in the rest of Zechariah). This (ביום־ההוא) ”phrase “in that day concentrated usage closely interconnects the three chapters and suggests that the timeliness of all of the events is in close succession.
    [Show full text]
  • Gideon a Brave Deliverer Judges 6:12 Introduction I. Accept the Call
    051809 God’s Superhero’s – Gideon A Brave Deliverer Judges 6:12 Introduction During the time of the Judges the people of Israel would come to the place where they could no longer tolerate their circumstances, so they would cry out to God for help. God would again and again come to their rescue and deliver them. It is a story we all can identify with. This time Israel had enjoyed forty years of prosperity and once again they had become self sufficient and self centered. The people had returned to worshipping idols --the one thing that always seemed to be their final downfall. So God allows the Midianites to oppress Israel for seven years. The Midianites were very oppressive and confiscated the crops and herds and destroyed what they didn’t take. The people hid in fear whenever they would come to pillage their villages. To demonstrate His compassion to save Israel, God chooses the least likely candidate to become their leader. His task is to defeat the armies of the Midianites. The story of Gideon demonstrates how God can take a person with very little faith and turn them into great faith warrior that overcomes oppressive circumstances. In our lesson today we see Gideon questioning God about His compassion. He basically asks, "Where are You God? All I know about You is what I’ve heard through the hand me down legends of events that occurred years ago. But what have You done lately?” Let’s read our text today beginning with Judges Chapter 6 verse 1 (Read Text) What a great story of bravery and deliverance.
    [Show full text]
  • Counseling Center Newsletter September 2017 SENIORS
    Jason Gosnell A-E Counseling Center Newsletter Meggan Coghill F-K Kyan Kingston L-Rn September 2017 Steve Patras Ro-Z On the web, there are two places to obtain information on academic, career and college planning. The counselors use these links as important communication tools for students and parents. http://www.elkhornweb.org/schools/eshs This site contains information for all students. http://connection.naviance.com/elkhorn Naviance is our college and career planning tool, complete with personality inventories, career information, college search tools, and more. Students can access their ac- counts by using their user name and passwords used to log into Turn It In and Moodle. Interested in National Honor Society???? AP Classes & College Credits: AP tests are given in We often answer questions about what it takes to gain ac- May. Visit www.collegeboard.org for information about AP college credit transferability. ceptance into NHS. All juniors and seniors with a 3.5 cumu- lative GPA are invited to apply. Visit www.elkhornweb.org -ESHS-Activites-NHS for the application, which includes Dual Credit Offerings: These classes are offered for documenting activities, awards, and service hours. Service college credit. Students are responsible for registra- hours must be verified with a signature of the person in tion and tuition and will receive information during charge of the event. We encourage students to collect signa- the first few weeks of school if they are in a class that tures as they complete their service hours rather than trying qualifies for dual credit. Students must have a 3.0 cu- to collect them later.
    [Show full text]
  • Ethical Implications of the Collusion of Prophets and Priests in Micah 3:5–7, 111
    630 Boloje, “Trading Yahweh’s Word,” OTE 31/3 (2018): 630-650 Trading Yahweh’s Word for a Price: Ethical Implications of the Collusion of Prophets and Priests in Micah 3:5–7, 111 BLESSING ONORIODE BOLOJE (UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA) ABSTRACT Trading Yahweh’s word for a price is an attempt to articulate the implications of the mercenary attitude of prophets and priests in Micah 3:5–7, 11, in discharging their duties as religious functionaries. The article examines Micah’s indictment of charismatic and cultic Judeans’ self-centred leadership in commercialising Yahweh’s word. This exploration is done against the background of the functions and responsibility of prophets and priests in the HB/OT. Prophets and priests both functioned in the religion of Ancient Israel and Judah as channels for the transmission of Yahweh’s word to their people and nation. However, Micah presents a charismatic and cultic Judean leadership that was bereft of ethical standards of responsibility, reliability, constancy and integrity. Rather than embodying ethical character that could inspire confidence and commitment, they traded Yahweh’s word for symbols of wealth and power and thus became stumbling blocks to genuine orthodoxy. Such attempts to lower the standard of God’s demand on people so as to gratify oneself in a religious function that is designed to embody integrity, honesty, reliability and accountability constitute an affront to Yahweh. Additionally, it is an abuse of privilege and position, and amounts to religious deception and economic idolatry and creates a false sense of security. KEYWORDS: Micah, prophets and priests, inverted oracles and commercialised teachings, Yahweh’s word, wealth and power, economic idolatry.
    [Show full text]
  • Priscilla Shirer
    JONAH Navigating a Life Interrupted Sample Chapter PRISCILLA SHIRER Published by LifeWay Press®. © 2010 Priscilla Shirer. Permission is granted to store, print, and distribute this document for its intended use. Distribution for sale is strictly prohibited. Address requests for additional permissions in writing to Leadership and Adult Publishing; One LifeWay Plaza; Nashville, TN 37234-0175. Week One I am Jonah Day 1 I Am Jonah “The word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying.” Jonah 1:1 I am Jonah. I want to serve God … as long as it is convenient. I desire to do His will … until it is a tad uncomfortable. I want to hear His Word … as long as its message is one I’m supposed to pass on to someone else. I don’t want to have my plans interrupted. Oh yes. I am Jonah, and I suspect that in one way or another, you are too. The story of Jonah has been a tale too extravagant and too outlandish for many people to believe as truth. They can’t wrap their minds around the storm, the big fish, the city’s revival, the sun, the east wind, and the plant that all play a role in this compelling narrative. Were it not for my own firm belief in the inerrancy and validity of Scripture, I might doubt its veracity as well. Yet with all its unique qualities, I am drawn to the prophet and his true-life saga for one critical reason: Jonah was the only prophet who ever ran from God.
    [Show full text]
  • The Narrative Call Pattern in the Prophetic Commission of Enoch Moses 6
    the narrative call pattern in the prophetic commission of enoch moses 6 stephen D ricks introduction in his luminous examination of the book of ezekiel walther zimmerli distinguishes between two types of prophetic call in the bible the narrative type which includes a dialogue with god or other divine interlocutor and the throne theophany type which introduces the prophetic commission with a vision of the heavenly throne ofofgodgodi1 blake ostler in his study on the throne theophany and prophetic commission in 1 nephi 2hasahas2 has demonstrated in detail the presence of the throne theophany type of prophetic call in the bible the apocrypha the pseudepigrapha and the book of mormon there is a similarly striking example of a narrative type call in the prophetic commission of enoch in moses 623 36 this study considers the elements of the narrative call pattern those elements of this form found in the prophetic commission of enoch are examined and compared with the biblical narrative call passages among the first to isolate and examine in detail the elements in the narrative call pattern in the bible was norman habel in a 1965 article he distinguished six characteristic features of the pattern 1 the divine confrontation 2 the introductory word 3 the commission 4 the objection 5 the reassurance and 6 the sign 3 habel sees this pattern embracing the prophetic commissions of the throne theophany type for example isa 61 13 ezek 11 311 as well as the narrative variety ex 31 12 moses judg 611 27 gideon andeerandjerand jer 14 10 jeremiah the jeremiah
    [Show full text]
  • A Bible Reading Plan for the Minor Prophets
    A Bible Reading Plan for the Minor Prophets August 20-December 2 Mountain Brook Baptist Church www.mbbc.org The Minor Prophets ! ! ABOUT PROJECT 119 Project 119 is a Bible reading initiative of Mountain Brook Baptist Church. Our hope is that every member of our church family would be encouraged in his or her relationship with Jesus Christ through the regular reading of God’s Word. This reading plan will guide you through the minor prophets The plan provides you a devotional thought and Scripture reading for each day of the week. On the weekends, we suggest that you catch up on any missed reading from that week or reread the Scripture passages that you have been working through during the past week. To receive email updates when devotionals are added to the blog, go to www.mbbc.org/blog, click on “Subscribe to Mountain Brook Blog by Email” and follow the instructions. To learn more about Project 119 and to access previous plans, visit www.mbbc.org/project119. INTRODUCTION Who are the minor prophets, and why are they called minor? Although the word “minor” might have a derogatory connotation to us, as if the title means to insinuate that they are insignificant, they are actually called the minor prophets simply because they aren’t quite as lengthy as some of the longer prophetic works like Isaiah and Jeremiah. So, the term “minor" speaks simply of their length; certainly we’ll see as we read through these prophets that they focus on major themes found throughout Scripture! In the Hebrew Bible, these prophets all appear in one work (in the same order we have in our English Bibles) called “The Book of the Twelve” (because there are twelve minor prophets).
    [Show full text]
  • Amos at a Glance
    Scholars Crossing The Owner's Manual File Theological Studies 11-2017 Article 30: Amos at a Glance Harold Willmington Liberty University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/owners_manual Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, Practical Theology Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Willmington, Harold, "Article 30: Amos at a Glance" (2017). The Owner's Manual File. 16. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/owners_manual/16 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Theological Studies at Scholars Crossing. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Owner's Manual File by an authorized administrator of Scholars Crossing. For more information, please contact [email protected]. AMOS AT A GLANCE This book records the sermons, visions and predictions of Amos, a herdsman and gatherer of sycamore fruit. In it he warns both Israel and surrounding Gentile nations of soon and severe divine judgment because of their sin, concluding his book with a glowing prediction of Israel’s eventual restoration in the millennial kingdom. BOTTOM LINE INTRODUCTION FIRE AND BRIMSTONE PREACHING – THE BETHEL CRUSADE. The book of Amos was named after the prophet Amos, the “Billy Sunday” of the Old Testament. The name Amos means “burden.” As Middle Eastern names are usually meaningful, this name may have referred to his unwelcome birth, or been given as a prophecy of his future ministry to describe his burdened heart over Judah and Israel’s sin. He was from the little town of Tekoa, some five miles from Bethlehem in Judea.
    [Show full text]