Have you ever seen something like this?  Two teams are lined up on the field.  The ball is placed between them.  Each player is poised to spring into the game.  The referee raises his hand and a shrill whistle pierces the air.  Suddenly there are players surrounding the ball and clamoring over one another until one player emerges with the prize and heads for the goal line.  Half of the crowd is cheering wildly but the other half is frantically yelling, "No!!  Turn back!  You're going the wrong way!!"  The opposing team is stunned while the player's teammates attempt to tackle the confused player who plows down the field thinking he is about to win one for the team.  It is only after he scores that he realizes in his enthusiasm to score points he has run the wrong way and scored for the opposing team!

     Jonah was much like the hapless player who ran without being aware of his bearings and scored for his opponent.  But Jonah was not only running in the wrong direction, he was running from the wrong Person as well.  Jonah's book is unlike any other prophetic book.  It focuses on one particular mission that God gave to Jonah.  The reference to Jonah in 2 Ki. 14:25 gives us some insight as to the messages he brought to Israel while Jeroboam II was on the throne.  But the message God gave Jonah to bring to the great pagan city of Ninevah caused Jonah to do something we have no record of any other prophet doing- disobey!  Instead of heading southeast to Ninevah, Jonah boards a ship and heads in the opposite direction to Tarshish (Jon. 1:3).  Some have speculated that Jonah had a good reason to fear going to Ninevah.  The Assyrians had quite a reputation!  They were powerful and aggressive, showing no mercy to their captives or nations who rose up against them.  It appears that Jonah had also succumbed to the general mindset that God's only concern was toward Israel. It was hard for him to understand that God's mercy could be extended to anyone outside the Covenant community.  But as Jonah learned, you can't run from God, nor can you change the recipients of His message.  When He says, "Go to Ninevah!" it's best to go!

     Many have portrayed Jonah as a whimpering and distraught man as he spends three (most likely gruesome) days and nights in the stomach of the fish.  But a careful reading of chapter 2 shows that Jonah understood exactly why he was there and that it was God's way of saving him.  The situation seemed hopeless, but Jonah's prayer is full of hope and he is resolved to follow through with the mission God has set before him (Jon. 2:1-9).  God calls Jonah a second time to go to Ninevah and Jonah obeys (Jon. 3:1-3).  Jonah is shocked to see the Ninevites respond to his message.  Some historical factors may have attributed to this.  A series of weak and ineffective kings had removed some of Assyria's glory and might, a serious plague swept through the land in 765 B. C. killing many, and a total eclipse of the sun occurred on June 15, 763 B. C. causing more fear and panic.  In ancient times all these components would have been considered to be connected to the spiritual world.  Jonah's appearance and message made sense in light of all these factors and the people responded.  True to human nature and still clinging to the last of his narrow way of thinking about God's compassion, Jonah is bothered that the Ninevites actually repent (Jon. 3:4-4:1) and God forgives them!  Once again, God teaches Jonah about Himself through the natural world (Jon. 4:5-11) and the story of Jonah comes to a quick and unexpected end. 

     We know that Jonah must have been a gifted speaker to have had such a great impact on the city of Ninevah.  But we do not have a record of anything else he said.  However, Jesus makes mention of Jonah in reference to Himself (Matt. 12:30-41) and confirms that Jonah's preaching did indeed have a tremendous impact on the people of Ninevah.  I think we have a tendency to focus on Jonah's faults and by-pass how greatly God used him in spite of them.  I like what Leon Wood wrote in this regard, "God means His call when He gives it; He even provided a special "submarine" ride for Jonah to bring him to respond to the call properly".  How well do we listen to God's call?  How well do we obey His commandments?  Personally, I don't think I fare any better than Jonah!  But oh how I would love to be like Paul, who when given a vision by God to go in a direction different than the one he had planned, listened and obeyed (Ac. 16:5-12).  Jonah is a great encouragement to me.  I know I don't always listen to God.  I know I often limit Him in the way He works in people's lives.  But Jonah's story demonstrates to me that God loves me enough to get me back on track when I'm not listening to Him.  I hope Jonah's story encourages you in that way too!  Now, go to Ninevah!

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
Week of 6/28/2015

     The story is told of two brothers who were twins and were often at odds with one another.  The older was a sportsman, brash and impulsive; the younger cerebral, sneaky and headstrong.  While the older was prone to act first and think later, the younger had the ability to manipulate any situation to his advantage.  The older was favored by his father.  The younger was most certainly a "mama's boy".  Their relationship was a rocky one, but the last record of them encountering one another has them departing in peace.  Have you figured out who I'm talking about?  If you guessed Jacob and Esau, you would be right!

     The Bible records that once they parted ways, Jacob remained in Canaan (and this land eventually became known as Israel after Jacob's name was changed- Gen. 35:9-15) while Esau moved on and settled in Seir (Gen. 33:1-20) which later took the name Edom.  The territory of Edom was located south of the Dead Sea and northeast of the Gulf of Aquaba (modern day Jordan).  It prospered from the copper mines in its mountains which were also an advantageous place to live.  Whoever controlled Edom, had access to its wealth.  Both Egypt and Assyria dominated this region at one time or another.

     The prophet we are considering this week is Obadiah.  After the lengthy collections of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, Obadiah's succinct one-chapter message is a nice break!  But don't let its length fool you; Obadiah's message has just as much punch as the others.  Obadiah's main concern is the treatment Edom has given to Israel.  A survey through the Old Testament would certainly have us wondering whether or not Edom was a friend to Israel, or a foe (Gen. 33:4; Dt. 2:2-8; 2 Ki. 3:9; Am. 1:11-15; Ob. 1:10).  Edom's relationship with Israel was tumultuous from the start (Gen. 25:23), continued to be antagonistic through the days of Israel's settlement (Num. 20:14-21) and eventually escalated to all-out animosity and oppression.  Biblical history documents that Edom attacked Israel twice.  The first time was during the reign of Jehoram (853-831 B.C.) during a revolt (2 Ki. 8:20-22; 2 Chr. 21:8-10).  The second time was during the reign of Ahaziah (743-715 B.C.).  Although technically "brothers" (Ob. 1:10), Edom disregarded its family ties with Israel and chose to loot Jerusalem and enslave the people (Ob. 1:12).  And while Edom did not take part in the sacking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (825 B.C.), they apparently demonstrated their pleasure in some way over the city's demise.  This behavior provoked the Lord's anger.

     Obadiah, whose name means "Servant of Yahweh", is virtually unknown.  The book can be divided into three segments: vv. 1-9 (which depict several geographic characteristics of Edom: homes built in the mountains, marauding band of thieves and vineyards on the mountainsides), address God's retribution for Edom's maltreatment of Israel; vv. 10-14 explain God's forthcoming judgment; and vv. 15-21 speak about a future "day" when God will judge all the nations in the same way and by the same standards as He did Edom.  At that time the exiles will be able to posses the land with the territory of Judah taking center-stage.  All these details are proclaimed with the confidence that they are God's word and not those of anyone else, including Obadiah (vv. 1, 4, 8, 18) so they will most assuredly come to pass. 

     The times that Obadiah spoke in were turbulent.  Just preceding Obadiah's ministry, the good king Jehoshaphat had brought about peace and piety in Israel.  However his son Jehoram did not continue on in his father's footsteps.  This seems to be due to the fact that he married Jezebel's daughter Athaliah who was a carbon copy of her mother.  Murder and treachery dominated the courts of Jerusalem.  The chaotic destruction of the power-hungry queen was mirrored in the chaotic relationship with Edom.  And yet Obadiah's closing verses indicate that God was determined to rectify this situation.  It must have been difficult for Obadiah to speak forth God's word in this kind of environment.  Yet his book shows that he was a devoted follower of God and therefore carried His message to the people who needed to hear it.

     God's desire for His people to speak out during turbulent and corrupt times has not changed.  It may be even more important today considering the turbulence and corruption we are experiencing on a global scale!  Before His death and resurrection Christ told His disciples to expect opposition to the Gospel message (Matt. 10:16-33; Lk. 12:8-12) but never to fear the consequences of speaking out.  And during His last time with them, Jesus encouraged them not to be afraid to speak out on His behalf for the power of the Holy Spirit would enable them to be His witnesses wherever they were (Ac. 1:8).  That is encouraging news for me!  I know I am timid when it comes to declaring God's truth even in the smallest of circles.  I know I must speak out for Jesus but am I able to do it?  Yes!  If I rely on the Holy Spirit to give me the words to say as the disciples did, the outcome of my words may make a huge impact (Ac. 17:16-34).  So I will strive to be an Obadiah from now on.  What will you do?

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
Week of June 21, 2015 

He was a passionate and fiery performer and personality.  If you saw him in concert (whether live or recorded) you would never forget the intensity with which he sang or spoke.  If you knew anything about him beyond his albums or writing, you knew he always "practiced what he preached".  Keith Green's legacy is amazing considering the short span of time in which God used him.  Many have called him a modern day prophet, and although I think Keith may have shied away from this label and preferred "a believer sold-out for Jesus" more, in the true form of a prophet his message is as powerful and pertinent today as it was when he first spoke it.  "I want people to realize it's not about just being a Christian on Sunday but all week long", he said in an interview.  The word compromise did not exist in Keith's vocabulary.  You were either all-in, or not in at all.  Keith's most powerful exhortation to live fully for Christ and not for oneself came through in the song Asleep in the Light.  It is just convicting today as when it was first written, perhaps even more so!

The prophet Amos was also a man of conviction.  While we do not know much about him personally, we are given a time-frame of Amos' ministry with the identity of those who were on the throne at the time.  Jeroboam II is king of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and Uzziah is king of the Southern Kingdom (Judah).  Although Amos was a resident of Judah, God sent him to prophesy in the courts of Jeroboam II.  At the time Israel is experiencing a renaissance.  Jeroboam has taken advantage of the power vacuum created by the death of Benhadad III of Syria and has taken control of Damascus (2 Ki. 14:28) thereby controlling the trade routes.  Many took comfort in thinking that since life was secure and prosperous that these physical blessings were God's stamp of approval.

The gap between the wealthy and the poor also widened at this time due to changes in Israel's demographics.  As less wealthy families lost their land they became victims of oppression.  Even if a family was able to stay on their land, they most likely had to supply a "landlord" with a portion of whatever the land produced, usually to the detriment of their family's needs.  We must keep in mind that "the poor" of Biblical times were nothing like what we call "poor" in the United States.  Our "poor" can seek help from benevolent organizations and the government if they want to, but the "poor" of the Bible had none of that.  If they had lost everything, they were utterly destitute.  Women and children were particularly vulnerable if found in this situation.  And the survival options for them were bad (begging) or worse (prostitution).

The structure of Amos' book makes a bee-line to the heart of the matter behind all these components.  After the introduction 8 nations are judged (including Israel and Judah) with the repeated phrase, "For three sins...and for four" meaning the sins against God were too numerous to list individually (Am. 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13; 2:1, 4, 6).  Three sermons which explain the judgments coming upon Israel follow, all beginning with the phrase, "Hear this word" (Am. 3:1; 4:1; 5:1).  The prophet then shares 5 visions of judgment (7:1-9:10) which emphasize the difference between God's grace, which is allowing the current affluent conditions (7:1-6) and His blessing (which is NOT the cause of the current situation).  Israel is forewarned: God's judgment is certainly coming (Am. 7:7-9; 8:1-14) and it will be devastating (9:1-10).  However, Amos finishes his message on a positive note with a declaration of hope (9:11-15).  Judgment for failure to uphold the Mosaic Covenant is severe, but God's promise to Abraham and his descendants (Gen. 12:1-3) will be remembered and upheld (Am. 9:15).

We can easily look across the pages of the Bible and history and take note of Israel's failure.  It is not hard to see (and archaeology has even proved it) how the insensitive attitude of some led to the demise and deportment of the nation.  Sadly we fail to realize that we have done the same.  We go to church, sing songs and raise our hands in worship and ask God to bless us and then we ignore the needs of our neighbors when we know they're struggling and hurt.  It's too messy to speak truth into someone's addiction, divorce, or the actions of a rebellious child.  It's inconvenient to open our mouths and share the Gospel with a co-worker who is struggling with depression so instead we drop and extra $5 in the mission fund at church thinking that will cover our obligation.  Do we ignore the commands of Jesus to "preach the gospel" because someone might argue with us or make us feel uncomfortable?  How is this behavior any different from oppressing the poor in Amos' day?  We like to logically explain how it is different, but are we ignoring what God wants us to do when we act this way?  Is Amos speaking to us?  I believe in the timeless fashion of Scripture that he is.  So what are you and I going to do about it?

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
Week of 6/14/2015