Through the Bible in 66 Days - Obadiah

 

Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament. The name Obadiah means "servant or worshiper of the Lord," and was the name of thirteen men in the Old Testament.

Edom was a nation whose ancestry traced back to Esau, the twin brother of Jacob (sons of Isaac and grandsons of Abraham). They should have been friendly nations, but over time, they became sworn enemies. The Edomites were a thorn in Israel's side, even though they enjoyed special protection under the Law. Herod the Great, who lived in New Testament times, was an Idumaean (a descendant of the Edomites). After Jerusalem's fall in a.d 70, the Edomites vanished from history. Some, however, suggest that there will be a future resurgence of the Edomites.

This one-chapter book records Edom's antagonism toward its neighbour, Judah. Edom not only disliked Israel, but their hatred ran so deep that they were thrilled to see them in trouble. Instead of helping them, they stood and watched as their capital city, Jerusalem, was ransacked and destroyed by the invading enemy.

 

Key Lessons from the Prophecy of Obadiah

1. God Judges Pride

Obadiah exposes Edom's arrogance—its trust in its strength, position, and alliances. Pride is the root of their downfall.

Pride is a universal human problem; to enjoy the blessings of the gospel, every human being has to humble themselves before God.

New Testament Verses

• "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6)

• "Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled." (Luke 14:11)

Through the Bible in 66 Days - Amos

 

The Message of Amos: A Call to Justice, Truth, and Genuine Faith

Amos was possibly the first prophet to write down his prophecy; up until then, the prophets had delivered their messages verbally. He was called to prophesy during the reign of Uzziah in the southern kingdom of Judah and Jeroboam II in the northern kingdom of Israel.

The Political and Moral Conditions

During this time, both kingdoms enjoyed political stability, which in turn brought prosperity. Sadly, it was also a time of idolatry, extravagance, and corruption. The rich and powerful were oppressing the poor. God sent Amos to denounce the people of Israel for their social injustice and turning away from Him. He warned them that disaster would fall upon them for breaking God’s covenant. He urged them to leave the hypocrisy of their public religious events (chapter 5, verse 21). Nevertheless, Amos reminded them that God would remember His covenant with Israel and would restore those who were faithful (chapter 9, verses 11-15).

Changing the Clocks

 

At the weekend, our clocks go forward an hour, and we move into British

Summer Time, notes Bert Cargill of St Monans Gospel Hall. It is called

British Summer Time, but British summer is a more distant prospect at

the moment!

We will get many reminders to adjust our timepieces before it is officially

due. Still, some folk manage to overlook it, and the next day they find out

that they are out of step with everyone else. Because different people’s

lifestyles are affected in different ways by the change, the need to go

from Greenwich Mean Time to British Summer Time in March and back

again in October is often questioned. But in the meantime, we do it.

Although we can change the time on our clocks, we cannot change time

itself, nor change the regularity of the seasons of the year. These are

linked to the movements of the Earth in its orbit around the sun, 93 million

miles away, just the right distance for life to exist here. Closer to the sun

and everything would roast and expire; farther away and everything

would literally freeze to death. This did not come about by chance. The

God who created the whole universe at the beginning designed Earth to

support life in all its variety.

Through the Bible in 66 Days - Joel

 

There are moments in Scripture when the voice of a prophet seems to ring across the centuries with startling clarity. Joel is one of those voices. His message is ancient, but its relevance is painfully modern. His burden was for Judah, just as Hosea’s burden was for guilty Israel. Hosea preached toward the end of the Northern Kingdom; Joel’s prophecy relates to the closing days of Judah, probably spanning the final seven years of Zedekiah’s reign. If that’s the case, Joel began his ministry in the fifth year of Jehoiachin’s captivity—the very year Ezekiel started—and roughly 100 years after Isaiah’s ministry ended.

We know very little about Joel the man. He is introduced as “the son of Pethuel” (Joel 1:1). But what we do know is enough: he preached to Judah, he loved Jerusalem, he understood the temple, he felt the spiritual pulse of the nation, and he saw—clearly and painfully—that they had turned to idolatry. His prophecy is full of natural imagery: sun, moon, grass, locusts, drought, and fire. Joel sees the spiritual and physical worlds as deeply connected. When God speaks, creation trembles.