There are few things that seem to fuel the anger of HaShem more than strife, discord, and disloyalty within families. It’s an abomination when people within families turn on each other. And that is exactly what we see in Ovadiah regarding Edom toward Israel.
Amos reminds us that God roars when there is injustice. And if He sends us correction, it’s best that we listen closely. But even when there is judgment, restoration will eventually come!
Thumbnail copy: Returning to God begins with the heart. And it is a heart that is broken and determined to change its ways that leads to blessing for the Jewish people. I believe that path of blessing still holds true for the world today.
Two big words characterize this navi. Mishpat (judgment) and teshuvah (repentance/return). And Yoel gives us a powerful vision of what teshuvah can do for individuals and, ultimately, the world – even when judgment seems close.
So many people today think God has given up on them and they can’t return to Him. That’s not the message of Hosea and the rest of the Trei Asar. If we have breath, it’s not too late to return to our Heavenly Father!
When it comes to Hosea, the Talmud goes so far as to call him the greatest prophet of his generation. That’s a remarkable statement when you consider who his contemporaries were. Hosea lived at the same time as Amos, Isaiah, Micah, and Joel. Yet the rabbis singled him out. Why? Well, there are some good reasons…
The lack of emphasis and familiarity with the Trei Asar is unfortunate, because their message is every bit as relevant today as it was when these prophets first announced their words to the Jewish people.
The Bible was written in a world very different from our own. Its authors lived in cultures that thought, spoke, and viewed the world differently from how we do today. Yet many of us instinctively approach Scripture as though it were written directly to twenty-first-century readers. As a result, we sometimes miss important details and occasionally misunderstand the author’s intended message. The good news is that there is a way to read Scripture that can greatly enhance our understanding.
Many believers have been taught to think of the Bible as a story about rules and requirements. Yet when we step back and look at the larger biblical narrative, a different picture emerges. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture tells the story of a God who desires a relationship with the people He created. The Bible is not primarily the story of humanity searching for God. It is the story of God pursuing humanity.
Despite how frequently the Bible speaks about sin, many believers struggle to define it. Ask a group of Christians what sin is, and you’ll likely hear a variety of answers. Some describe it as breaking God’s rules. Others define it as moral failure or disobedience. While those answers contain truth, the biblical picture is richer and more profound.
