DOCSLIB.ORG

Prophets Faithful to God's Covenant Studies in the Old Te S Ta M E N T ECHOES Adult Student Book Comprehensive Bible Study a Bible Study Quarterly for Adults

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Prophets Faithful to God's Covenant Studies in the Old Te S Ta M E N T ECHOES Adult Student Book Comprehensive Bible Study a Bible Study Quarterly for Adults ECHOES Adult Student Book Comprehensive Bible Study March-May 2021 Prophets Faithful to God's Covenant Studies in the Old Te s ta m e n t ECHOES Adult Student Book Comprehensive Bible Study A Bible Study Quarterly for Adults Creative Te a m Editor: Edward Stucky Contributing Editor: Victoria Johnson Designer: Dale Johnson Cover Photos: amygdala_imagery/monkeybusinessimages/CamilleTo ke r u d / Getty Images All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the King James Version or the New lInternational Version of the Bible. ECHOES cOMPREHENSIVE BIBLE STUDY 2021 David C Cook. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without permission. Echoes is a multicultural curriculum published by David C Cook, 4050 Lee Vance Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80918, U.S.A. Printed in South Korea. Lessons based on the International Sunday School Lessons: the International Bible Lessons for Christian Te a c h i n g . 1998 by the Committee on the Uniform Series. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV® Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. March, April, May 2021 Vol. 33, No.3 T A B LE OF Ontents Prophets Faithful to God's Covenant March, April, May 2021 (Studies in Deuteronomy, Lamentations, Joshua, 1&2Kings, Ezra, Nehemiah, Prophets) Unit 1: Faithful Prophets Mar. 7 Lesson 1 Moses: Prophet of Deliverance 5 Mar. 14 Lesson 2 Joshua: Prophet of Conquest p.12 Mar. 21 Lesson 3 Huldah: Prophet of Wisdom p. 19 Mar. 28 Lesson 4 Elijah: Prophet of Courage p. 26 Unit 2: Prophets of Restoration Apr. 4 Lesson 5 The Suffering Servant Brings Salvation p. 33 Apr. 11 Lesson 6 Ezra: Faith and Action Preacher p. 40 Apr. 18 Lesson 7 Nehemiah: The Captive Cupbearer Rebuilds a Nation . 47 Apr. 25 Lesson 8 A Plea for Restoration P. 54 Unit 3: Courageous Prophets of Change May 2 Lesson 9 Micaiah: Speaking Truth to Power p. 61 May 9 Lesson 10 Isaiah: Offering Hope for the Future p. 68 May 16 Lesson 11 Jeremiah: The Suffering Preacher of Doom p. 75 May 23 Lesson 12 Ezekiel: Street Preacher to the Exiles p. 82 May 30 Lesson 13 Jonah: Fiery Harbinger of Doom p. 89 Special Features What's Ahead p. 4 Personal Pages p. 96 Lesson Cycle p. 97 Coming Up Next Quarter . 98 LESSON WRITERS Patricia Meritt, St. Louis, MO (introductory anecdotes); Jonathan Brentner, Roscoe, IL (Bible material for lessons 1-2); Dave Skiver, Colorado Springs, CO (Bible material for lessons 3-4); Carl Simmons, Loveland, CO (Bible material for lessons 5-6); Dick Lentz, Niwot, CO (Bible material or lessons 7-8); Dan Lioy, Salem, OR (Bible material for lessons 9-11); Doug Schmidt, Eastlake, CO (Bible material for lessons 12-13); Daphne Myers, Upper Marlboro, MD (other material for essons 1-2); Sandra Obrecht, Dallas, TX (other material for lessons 3-4); Roslyn Yilpet, Downey, CA (other material for lessons 5-6):; Dick Lentz, Niwot, CO (other material for lessons 7-8); Jerry Yamamoto, Carol Stream, IL (other material for lessons 9-11); Crystal Green, San Ta n Valley, AZ (other material for lessons 12-13); Maralee Parker, Elgin, IL (teacher's devotionals). March, April, May 2021 Vol. 136, No. 3 Page 4 What's Ahead Quarterly Preview quarter explores the reasons prophets were necessary in hisIsrael's history. Unit 1 shows how Moses gave the people God's promise to give them prophets who would speak God's Word to them. Sto- ries about Joshua, Huldah, and Elijah illustrate the fulfillment of this promise. Unit 2 sessions from Ezra, Nehemiah, and Lamentations show the faith of God's messengers as they presented new hope to the Israelites. On Easter, Isaiah's prophetic writings portray Jesus as the Suffering Servant and the one through whom believers receive salvation. In Unit 3, the bold prophets Micaiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Jonah show that when the people strayed from their cov- enant with God, the prophets called them back. Tn this quarter, here are some biblical principles you will study lthat can apply to your own life situations: Pay attention! God still speaks. God's agenda is about Him, not us. .The Lordbrings His peace to the repentant. .Overcome your fears to do what God says. Receive salvation from the Servant, who redeems suffering. Actaccording to God's ways, no matter the cost. Build God's kingdom in spite of opposition. Cry to God in the midst of your suffering. Listen to God, not the lying world. SeektheGod who upends our expectations. Listen to God! Life will go better for you. Ta ke responsibility for your actions, good and bad. Call urgently on the Lord, who loves to turn in compassion. Lesson 2. March 7 Page 5 Moses: Prophet of Deliverance elissa plopped in the driver's side of the car and waited for her 15-year-old daughter to close M Lthe door. She turned on the car radio, knowing that Janell would put in her earbuds. However, she did not. What had been preoccupying Melissa's thoughts and prayers for the past two weeks was a job offer that had come quite unsolicited. It was more than twice her pay, and more than 2,000 miles away. Melissa did not know anyone in Los Angeles. In addition, she and her ex-husband (Janell's father) had been talking about reconciliation. Still, wouldn't Melissa have to be crazy to pass up such a great career move? Crowding in on her frantic thoughts were the words from the radio minister. He was talking about choosing God's way over fame and fortune. "God will speak to your heart about what He wants you to do," the minister was saying. "God has a plan for you. Do not be swayed by your flesh or the world. Listen to God." At that moment, Melissa heard the Holy Spirit whisper to her heart to stay where she was and watch Hinm do a new and glorious thing in her and her family's lives. "I don't want to go to Los Angeles, Mom," Janell said turning to her mother. "We're not going, sweetheart," Melissa said. "The Lord just told me to stay put!" 1. What are the means by which God speaks to us today? 2. Why is being sensitive to the Holy Spirit vital in paying attention when God speaks? 3. Why is listening to God essential in our walk with God? LESSON FOCUS: Pay Attention! God still speaks. Week of March 7 Page 6 The Promise of a Prophet Deuteronomy 18:15-16, KJV Deuteronony 18:15-16, NIV 15 The LoRD thy God will raise up SThe LoRD your God will unto thee a Prophet from the midst raise up for you a prophet like of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me from among you, from your me; unto him ye shall hearken; fellow Israelites. You must 16 According to all that thou listen to him. '"For this is what desiredst of the Lorv thy God in you asked of the LorRD your Horeb in the day of the assembly, God at Horeb on the day of the saying, Let me not hear again the assembly when you said, "Let voice of the LoRD my God, neither us not hear the voice of the let me see this great fire any more, LORD our God nor see this great that I die not. fire anymore, or we will die." In contrast to the "fortunetellers" the Israelites would find in the promised land, the Lord promised to raise up proph- ets from among His people. They would speak for Him, provide needed guidance for the Israelites, and reveal their future as a people. Moses' promise of a "prophet like me" in verse 15 finds its ultimate fulfillment in God's Son. At Pentecost, the apostle Peter recognized Jesus as the prophet that Moses spoke of in this text (Acts 3:22-23). Jesus may also have been thinking of this text when He challenged the Jews of His day with these words: "If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me" (John 5:46). Like Moses, Jesus also rose up from among the Israelites and became a mediator represent- ing God to the people, as well as interceding on our behalf to the Father (1 Tim. 2:5-6). Just as the people listened to Moses, so we must listen to the prophet who bridges the gap between us and the Father: the Lord Jesus. The fire, smoke, and darkness that accompanied God's presence and voice on the mountain when He gave them the Law terrified the people (Exod. 19:16-20). As a result, they requested that Moses hear God's message and then relay His words to them (Deut. 5:22-27). Moses knew his time with the Israelites was coming to Week of March 7 Page7 an end, but that would not signify the end of God revealing truth to His people. To fill this need, the Lord would send other prophets who would speak in the name of the Lord, culminating in Jesus, who would fully reveal the Father to us (John 1:17-18; 14:8-11). Jesus came as the ultimate revelation of God's message to not only the Jewish people, but to all of humanity. 4. Why wvere Moses' words in Deuteronomy 18:15-16 so timely for the Israelites? 5. Who ultimately fulfilled Moses' promise of a prophet? The Responsibility to Listen Deuteronony 18:17-19, KJV Deuteronomy 18:17-19, NIV 17 And the LorD said unto me, The LoRD said to me: They have well spoken that which What they say is good.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Micah Obadiah Joel and Jonah the Books of the Prophets Micah Obadiah Joel and Jonah
    WESTMINSTER COMMENTARIES EDITED BY WALTER LooK D.D. L"-I)y MARGARET PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY Iii THE U!iIVERSITY 011' OXFORD THE BOOKS OF THE PROPHETS MICAH OBADIAH JOEL AND JONAH THE BOOKS OF THE PROPHETS MICAH OBADIAH JOEL AND JONAH WITH INTRODUCTION AND NOTES BY G. W. WADE D.D. 8ENIOB TUTOR OF ST DAVID'S COLLEGE, LAXPETBJI, CANON OF BT ASil>H METHUEN & CO. LTD. 36 ESSEX STREET W.C. LONDON First published in 1925 l'BINT.11D IN GREAT BRITAIN DULCISSIMAE DILECTISSIMAE PREFATORY NOTE BY THE GENER.AL EDITOR HE primary object of these Commentaries is to be exe­ T getical, to interpret the meaning of each book of the Bible in the light of modern knowledge to English readers. The Editors: will not deal, except subordinately, with questions of textual criticism or philology ; but taking the English text in the Revised Version as their basis, they will aim at com­ bining a hearty acceptance of critical principles with loyalty to the Catholic Faith. The series will be less elementary than the Cambridge Bible for Schools, less critical than the International Critical Com­ mentary, less didactic than the Expositor's Bible ; and it is hoped that it may be of use both to theological students and to the clergy, as well as to the growing number of educated laymen and laywomen who wish to read the Bible intelligently and reverently. Each commentary will therefore have (i) An Introduction stating the bearing of modern criticism and research upon the historical character of the book, and drawing out the contribution which the book, as a whole, makes to the body of religious truth.
    [Show full text]
  • Manifestations of God: Theophanies in the Hebrew Prophets and the Revelation of John Kyle Ronchetto Macalester College, [email protected]
    Macalester College DigitalCommons@Macalester College Classics Honors Projects Classics Department 2017 Manifestations of God: Theophanies in the Hebrew Prophets and the Revelation of John Kyle Ronchetto Macalester College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/classics_honors Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, and the Classics Commons Recommended Citation Ronchetto, Kyle, "Manifestations of God: Theophanies in the Hebrew Prophets and the Revelation of John" (2017). Classics Honors Projects. 24. http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/classics_honors/24 This Honors Project is brought to you for free and open access by the Classics Department at DigitalCommons@Macalester College. It has been accepted for inclusion in Classics Honors Projects by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Macalester College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MANIFESTATIONS OF GOD: THEOPHANIES IN THE HEBREW PROPHETS AND THE REVELATION OF JOHN Kyle Ronchetto Advisor: Nanette Goldman Department: Classics March 30, 2017 Table of Contents Introduction........................................................................................................................1 Chapter I – God in the Hebrew Bible..............................................................................4 Introduction to Hebrew Biblical Literature...............................................................4 Ideas and Images of God..........................................................................................4
    [Show full text]
  • Ezekiel 14:9 Ezekiel Speaks of Those Who Abuse Their Prophetic Office
    1 Ted Kirnbauer God Deceives the Prophets In Ezekiel 14:9 Ezekiel speaks of those who abuse their prophetic office. There he states that the false prophets speak deceptive words because God has deceived them. This of course generates a lot of questions: If God deceives people, how can He be Holy? How do we know that the gospel isn’t a deception of God as well? How can people be responsible for believing a deception if God is the one deceiving them? Answers to these questions would take volumes to explore, but hopefully, the following work by DA Carson and the comments that follow will shed a little light on the subject. Excurses - Sovereignty and Human Responsibility The sovereignty of God and human responsibility is not an easy concept with a simple solution. D.A. Carson does a good job at explaining the relationship between the two. The following comments are taken from A Call To Spiritual Reformation under the chapter entitled “A Sovereign and Personal God.” He says: I shall begin by articulating two truths, both of which are demonstrably taught or exemplified again and again in the Bible: 1. God is absolutely sovereign, but his sovereignty never functions in Scripture to reduce human responsibility. 2. Human beings are responsible creatures – that is, they choose, they believe, they disobey, they respond, and there is moral significance in their choices; but human responsibility never functions in Scripture to diminish God's sovereignty or to make God absolutely contingent. My argument is that both propositions are taught and exemplified in the Bible.
    [Show full text]
  • Exploring Zechariah, Volume 2
    EXPLORING ZECHARIAH, VOLUME 2 VOLUME ZECHARIAH, EXPLORING is second volume of Mark J. Boda’s two-volume set on Zechariah showcases a series of studies tracing the impact of earlier Hebrew Bible traditions on various passages and sections of the book of Zechariah, including 1:7–6:15; 1:1–6 and 7:1–8:23; and 9:1–14:21. e collection of these slightly revised previously published essays leads readers along the argument that Boda has been developing over the past decade. EXPLORING MARK J. BODA is Professor of Old Testament at McMaster Divinity College. He is the author of ten books, including e Book of Zechariah ZECHARIAH, (Eerdmans) and Haggai and Zechariah Research: A Bibliographic Survey (Deo), and editor of seventeen volumes. VOLUME 2 The Development and Role of Biblical Traditions in Zechariah Ancient Near East Monographs Monografías sobre el Antiguo Cercano Oriente Society of Biblical Literature Boda Centro de Estudios de Historia del Antiguo Oriente (UCA) Electronic open access edition (ISBN 978-0-88414-201-0) available at http://www.sbl-site.org/publications/Books_ANEmonographs.aspx Cover photo: Zev Radovan/BibleLandPictures.com Mark J. Boda Ancient Near East Monographs Monografías sobre el Antiguo Cercano Oriente Society of Biblical Literature Centro de Estudios de Historia del Antiguo Oriente (UCA) EXPLORING ZECHARIAH, VOLUME 2 ANCIENT NEAR EAST MONOGRAPHS Editors Alan Lenzi Juan Manuel Tebes Editorial Board Reinhard Achenbach C. L. Crouch Esther J. Hamori Chistopher B. Hays René Krüger Graciela Gestoso Singer Bruce Wells Number 17 EXPLORING ZECHARIAH, VOLUME 2 The Development and Role of Biblical Traditions in Zechariah by Mark J.
    [Show full text]
  • The a Uthor and His Book. MICAH, Or Micaiah (Jer. 26: 18, R.V.), Was A
    CHAPTER VII MICAH THE STRUCTURE OF MICAH A. The Coming Destruct1,on of Samaria and Jerusalem­ Chs. 1·3. I-Ch.!. God's Anger against Samaria and Judah. 2-Chs. 2, 3. The Sins of Judah. B. The Messianic Period-Chs. 4, 5. I-Ch. 4. The Establishment of God's Kingdom. 2-Ch. 5. The Messianic King. C. The Controversy of Jehovah with Jerusalem-Chs. 6,7. The A uthor and His Book. ICAH, or Micaiah (Jer. 26: 18, R.V.), was a native of I' Moresheth-gath (1: I, 14), a small country town in the ML Shephelah, the low hills on the edge of the Philistine plain, near Gath. 1 While Isaiah depicts the social crimes of his time from the standpoint of the townsman in the capital, Micah shows us them from the standpoint of the suffering countryman. Nothing is known of him apart from his pro­ phecies and the reference in Jer. 26: 18. In the closing section of the book (chs. 6, 7) Micah's de­ nunciations pass from the leaders to the people as a whole, and the general tone is much more gloomy than in chs. 1-3. There is a general tendency on the part of those who do not restrict (as some do quite unnecessarily) Micah's work·to the first three chapters of the book to place the closing section in the dark days of Manasseh. This is quite probable, for the structure of the book suggests that these chapters are considerably later than 3: 12, which Jer. 26: 18 places in the reign of Hezekiah.
    [Show full text]
  • The Prophets Micaiah and Elisha
    BIBLE STUDY – “THE PROPHETS – MICAIAH & ELISHA” Page - 1 INTRODUCTION: The prophets Micaiah and Elisha were contemporaries to the prophet Elijah, living in the same time period (856 to 800 BC) and serving in the same area (the Northern Kingdom of Israel). Like Elijah, both spoke against the worship of Baal and against Ahab, the reigning king of Israel. Micaiah actually predicts Ahab’s death, while Elisha succeeds Elijah as a great worker of miracles attesting to the Lord’s presence with Him and validity of the messages he is speaking on behalf of the Lord. Consistent with the Spirit and presence of God witnessed through His Son, Jesus Christ, Elisha will demonstrate many miracles of compassion such as healings and raising people from the dead, and also miracles that defy the laws of nature such as floating an iron ax head on water. These miracles continue to bear witness of God’s compassion and power. MICAIAH: (Foretells death of Ahab) The name Micaiah means “who is like Yahweh?” Micaiah was a prophet, the son of Imlah. Being desired by king Ahab to concur in the favorable prediction given by the prophets of Baal regarding Ahab’s expedition against Ramoth-gilead, he did what was required of him, but with such transparent insincerity that he was adjured to speak the truth, on which, in the named of Yahweh, he predicted the death Ahab in the coming fight. The order was given to make him a prisoner until Ahab’s expected victory should prove his unfavorable pronouncement to be untrue (1 Kings 22:8-28; 2 Chronicles 18:6- 27).
    [Show full text]
  • The Minor Prophets
    The Minor Prophets by Dan Melhus A Study of the Minor Prophets Table of Contents Table of Contents INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................ 1 WHO ARE THE PROPHETS?................................................................................................................... 5 HOW CAN WE UNDERSTAND THE MESSAGE OF THE PROPHETS?.......................................... 7 OBADIAH..................................................................................................................................................... 9 BACKGROUND................................................................................................................................. 9 DATE............................................................................................................................................... 9 AUTHOR .......................................................................................................................................... 10 THEME ............................................................................................................................................ 12 OUTLINE ......................................................................................................................................... 13 QUESTIONS...................................................................................................................................... 15 LESSONS.........................................................................................................................................
    [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]
  • Prophetic Conflicts in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Micah
    Forschungen zum Alten Testament 2. Reihe Edited by Konrad Schmid (Zürich) ∙ Mark S. Smith (Princeton) Hermann Spieckermann (Göttingen) ∙ Andrew Teeter (Harvard) 121 Francesco Arena Prophetic Conflicts in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Micah How Post-Exilic Ideologies Created the False (and the True) Prophets Mohr Siebeck Francesco Arena, born 1987; BA in Ancient and Medieval Literature (University of Turin); MA in Religious Studies (University of Padua and University Ca’ Foscari – Venice); 2019 PhD in Hebrew and Old Testament Studies (University of Edinburgh). ISBN 978 3-16-159507-3 / eISBN 978-3-16-159508-0 DOI 10.1628/978-3-16-159508-0 ISSN 1611-4914 / eISSN 2568-8367 (Forschungen zum Alten Testament, 2. Reihe) The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliographie; detailed bibliographic data are available at http://dnb.dnb.de. © 2020 Mohr Siebeck Tübingen, Germany. www.mohrsiebeck.com This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form (beyond that permitted by copyright law) without the publisher’s written permission. This applies particularly to repro- ductions, translations and storage and processing in electronic systems. The book was printed on non-aging paper by Laupp & Göbel in Gomaringen, and bound by Buchbinderei Nädele in Nehren. Printed in Germany. To Elisa, For always being there. Superanda omnis fortuna ferendo est Preface This book is a revision of my doctoral dissertation, which was presented to the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh (UK) in 2019. When I was accepted as a candidate in Hebrew and Old Testament Studies at New College, my research ideas were quite nebulous (this, I am sure, will not come as a surprise to anyone familiar with doctoral research).
    [Show full text]
  • Micaiah and Ahab
    Sermon outline by Marc W. Gibson MICAIAH: PROPHET OF THE LORD Introduction 1) Some of the greatest prophets of the OT are not well known because not much is said about them and they did not have a book of prophecy preserved in the OT canon 2) One such prophet is Micaiah, who appears and then disappears abruptly from the scene 3) Micaiah did his work for the Lord during the time of Ahab, king of Israel, but only one incident is preserved for our learning and application – 1 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 18 I) Historical Setting A) Ahab, king of Israel – evil king with an evil wife, Jezebel (1 Kgs. 16:30-33) 1) Had a general bad attitude and response toward prophets who would tell him the true word of the Lord (18:10, 17-18; 21:17-20); did humble himself once (21:21-29) B) No war between Israel and Syria for three years (22:1) C) Ahab wants to regain Ramoth in Gilead from the Syrians (22:3) D) Asks Jehoshaphat, king of Judah who is visiting, for help; Jehoshaphat agrees (22:2, 4) 1) Allied to one another by marriage (2 Chron. 18:1; 1 Kgs. 22:44); Jehoshaphat’s son, Jehoram, married Ahab’s daughter, Athaliah (2 Kgs. 8:18, 26; 2 Chron. 21:6) 2) Jehoshaphat had a weakness in making alliances with those who were wicked (2 Chron. 19:1-3; 20:35-37) II) Inquiring about the Word of the Lord A) Jehoshaphat asks for an inquiry for the word of the Lord (22:5) 1) Instinctive reaction of a man who seeks God and His ways (2 Chron.
    [Show full text]
  • "To Speak for God: the Story of Micaiah Ben Imlah," Anvil 14.4
    243 WALTER MOBERLY To Speak for God: The Story of Micaiah ben lmlah Preaching the Old Testament has become a rarity. Preachers are put off by the narrative structure of so much of it, and by the theological difficulties it presents in the portrayal of God. Waiter Moberly invites us to rediscover the preacher's vocation through a re-reading of 1 Kings 22: Micaiah the prophet combines a penetrating grasp of the politics and diplomacy of his day with insight into the knowledge of God's will and God's ways. The result is electrifying preaching that speaks still. The task of the preacher is to speak on God's behalf. The preacher is so to speak to people's hearts and minds that they may recognize themselves as faced with the truth and love of the living God, and may change in the way they think and live, so that they may become more like the God who has met with them (and thereby also become more fully and truly human). Scripture (rightly understood!) gives the preacher access to the mind and will of God, and so constitutes the content of that which the preacher must, in one way or other, speak. This essay will not directly address questions of theory and principle. Rather I wish to exemplifY the conviction that theory and practice are inseparable and that theories of hermeneutics and homiletics are only truly understood when the biblical text comes alive. Instead of discussing 'how to do it'. I want to 'do it'. Having said that, I start with three related statements of principle which are basic to what follows.
    [Show full text]
  • Introducing and Reading Micah Stuart Love [email protected]
    Leaven Volume 17 Article 3 Issue 1 Micah 1-1-2009 Introducing and Reading Micah Stuart Love [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/leaven Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Love, Stuart (2009) "Introducing and Reading Micah," Leaven: Vol. 17: Iss. 1, Article 3. Available at: http://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/leaven/vol17/iss1/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Religion at Pepperdine Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Leaven by an authorized administrator of Pepperdine Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Love: Introducing and Reading Micah Introducing and Reading Micah! STUART LOVE Alas for those who devise wickedness and evil deeds on their beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in their power. They covet fields, and seize them; houses, and take them away; they oppress householder and house, people and their inheritance. 2.1-2 He has told you, 0 mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? 6.8 But as for me, I am filled with power, with the spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin. 3.8 Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed as afield; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.
    [Show full text]