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Malachi 1:1-2a, John 3:16, Romans 5:*

The Most Powerful Motivation

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
December 24, 2022

Zechariah opens with the expression of God’s anger at the children of Israel who broke the covenant with Him. God’s anger resulted in the destruction of Israel first, then Jerusalem, and even God’s own house, the temple. The temple represents God’s presence with His people. God dwelt in the temple but in Ezekiel’s vision, the Gory of God departs from the temple. When the period of exile is over, the remnant of Israel returns to the land and rebuilds the temple but it’s not what it used to be.  Returning to their land, the Israelites face opposition from within and without. There is financial hardship. There is civil unrest. The surrounding nations have attacked them and the task of rebuilding a nation seemed overwhelming for the returning exiles under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. Now, Malachi comes telling the people that God loves them! Amid life’s trials, disappointments, hardships, pain, and severe losses, it’s hard to see God’s love. As God’s messenger, Malachi wants the people to know that regardless of life’s struggles and difficulties, God loves them. The book of Malachi opens, with “The oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. ‘I have loved you,’ says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have you loved us?’”

Zechariah speaks of God’s anger. Malachi speaks of God’s love. How do we reconcile the two? God’s anger is his disposition toward evil. God’s love is his disposition toward the good. “The church father Lactantius (last half of the third century) put the question in a more biblical perspective: ‘He who loves the good also hates the evil, and he who does not hate the evil does not love the good because, on the one hand, to love the good comes from hatred of evil and to hate the evil rises from the love of the good.’ Our difficulty in accepting that anger is part of the character of God is related to our improper association of anger with ‘the desire for retaliation,’ or the desire to ‘get even.’ Anger, properly defined, however, is the legitimate emotion of a person rising up to resist evil. Anger need not be unchecked or uncontrolled. God’s anger is certainly never explosive, unchecked or uncontrolled. In fact, in comparison to His love, His anger passes quickly while His love endures.”[1]

On the one hand, I might agree with Blaising who says, “The words I have loved you are not a general statement about God’s love for all people.”[2] He is speaking specifically to Israel in the post-exilic world to motivate them to live well and worship God even amidst trying situations. But I agree with Ross’s statement on this verse. He writes, “If people are in any way open to the word of God, the constantly repeated message of God’s faithful love for his people should inspire greater devotion and service. But the appeal of Malachi will be even wider than that, for the object of God’s love in this passage is the whole nation—some unbelievers and some believers. Even the unbelievers would have to acknowledge that they were part of a special people whom God loved and desired to use if they would only believe and follow his word. So Malachi began with the most powerful motivation that he could use to appeal to the people: the love of God.”[3] The apostle John appeals on the same basis. He writes, “For God so loved the world, that whosoever would believe in Him, will not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16) Paul appeals on the basis of God’s love as well, “But God demonstrates His love for us in this, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

[1] Kaiser, Walter C., and Lloyd J. Ogilvie. 1992. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. Vol. 23. The Preacher’s Commentary Series. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

[2] Blaising, Craig A. 1985. “Malachi.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, 1:1575. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

[3] Ross, Allen P. 2016. Malachi Then and Now: An Expository Commentary Based on Detailed Exegetical Analysis. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

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Zechariah 1:1-2

The Wrath of God

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
December 23, 2022

The book of Zechariah begins, “In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying, ‘The Lord was very angry with your fathers.’” Of Zechariah himself, we know little. Clark writes, “He is described in 1:1 as ‘the son of Berechiah and grandson of Iddo’.  In Ezra 5:1 and 6:14 he is called the son of Iddo, but it was not unusual for a generation to be omitted in Hebrew genealogies. A priest named Iddo is mentioned in Nehemiah 12:4 as among those who returned from exile with Zerubbabel and Joshua in 537 b.c. If this man was the grandfather of Zechariah, then Zechariah himself would have been a priest, and this fits well with his interests as shown in his writings. He would also have been a relatively young man in 520 when he began to prophesy. He is probably the same Zechariah who is mentioned in Nehemiah 12:16 as a head of a family in later years.”[1]

The blessings that God promised the Israelites if they obeyed his commands in the book of Deuteronomy were followed by cursings. Although Solomon turned bad by the end of his career, he had a heart for God like his father, David, and reaped the rewards. Israel under Solomon was the greatest kingdom on earth. It was at peace with all the nations for the most part and had gathered great wealth and accomplished great feats and built the temple for God. Those living under Solomon’s reign thrived in the land that God had given them. But then at the end of his life, Solomon turned away from God to worship idols and gather to himself many wives and concubines that drew his heart away from God. Although there were revivals under several kings, the result for both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms was destruction and slavery. This is why Zechariah begins by reminding the people that God was “angry” with their fathers. That’s why they ended up in slavery. But now, according to his promise, God was bringing the Israelites back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and resettle the land. Zechariah is reminding them of what befell their fathers because of their rebellion. Hopefully, the reminder of God’s anger will help motivate them to live well in the land after the exile.

The biblical writers did not balk at attributing “anger” to God. We need to be careful in associating this biblical “anger” of God with our anger. It’s not the same thing. God’s wrath is against the persistent and irreconcilable rebellion. Our anger is an immediate response to some offensive affront. God is long-suffering. Baldwin explains it well. Regarding God’s anger, she writes, “It was the revulsion of his whole being to the rebellion of those whom he had created and resulted in acts of judgment. In the case of the flood all mankind was involved (Gen. 6:5–7), but after that, whenever nations thwarted God’s purpose for man’s salvation, their perversity provoked his anger (Ps. 110:5; Zech. 1:15). Yet it was the privileged nation of Israel that most often became the object of God’s displeasure. The whole career of the chosen nation veered away from God’s purpose, for social injustice, apostasy, and self-seeking became endemic, so that there was no remedy (2 Chr. 36:15, 16). Destruction and exile were the outworking of God’s anger (Isa. 60:10; Jer. 21:5), or rather of the Lord’s anger, for it is in the covenant name that these statements of divine wrath against Israel are made. There is an association between the wrath of God and the historical election covenant, which still stands in spite of all. God’s intention is still salvation, hence Zechariah’s call to repentance. ‘For God has not destined us for wrath’ (1 Thess. 5:9).”[2]

[1] Clark, David J., and Howard A. Hatton. 2002. A Handbook on Zechariah. UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies.

[2] Baldwin, Joyce G. 1972. Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 28. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

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Haggai 1:1

Don’t Forget God

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
December 22, 2022

Because of how the book of Haggai opens, we see it is a post-exilic prophet. Most commentators think he is the first to write to Israel after the fall of Jerusalem. Israel, in the north, had been scattered by Assyria in 722 BC. Judah, in the south, had been destroyed along with the temple in Jerusalem in 586 BC. The first verse says, “In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest.” Scholars agree that the date of Haggai’s first sermon in the book puts it at about 520 BC. There are only two chapters in this book, but it’s full of messages from God. “No less than 25 times in his two short chapters Haggai affirmed the divine authority of his messages. Not only did he introduce his sermons with, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says,’ but also he concluded them with a similar formula (‘declares the Lord Almighty’), and sprinkled those expressions throughout his messages. He was fully aware he was God’s messenger.”[1]

The message from the Lord that Haggai brought was addressed specifically to two people: Zerubbabel and Joshua. They had been commissioned by Cyrus the Great, King of Persia, who preceded Darius, to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. They had taken up to 50 thousand exiles back to Jerusalem with them. But, because of opposition from the Samaritans that lived in the land, they became discouraged and ceased rebuilding the temple and focused on building their own houses. God then sent Haggai to tell them to get back to work on the temple. Zerubbabel was the son of Shealtiel, a grandson of Jehoiachin, one of the last kings of Judah. He was therefore a descendant of David and a legitimate heir to the throne of Judah. Jeshua was the High Priest mentioned in Nehemiah chapter 7. Some translations call him Joshua, but that might confuse him with the more famous Joshua of the book with that name.

Darius had just succeeded Cyrus the great who had magnanimously sent the Israelites back to their land to restore their nation. Boda says, “Haggai speaks into a community still feeling the aftershocks of a recent Persian political earthquake. The prophetic work of Haggai, the political work of Zerubbabel, and the priestly work of Joshua must be seen against the backdrop of these recent events as the new emperor moved to restore peace to the edges of his empire.” Egypt revolted the next year (521 BC) and Darius had to invest in a major war effort to maintain peace in the Persian Empire.  “There are signs of economic hardship during Darius’s early years as emperor because of economic “reforms” (i.e., taxation resulting in inflation). Any financial resources of those who returned from exile in the waves of people accompanying Zerubbabel and Jeshua would have been rendered worthless in the early years of Darius.”[2] There is evidence of a lack of food, the harvest was not good, and the economy was bad. In today’s economy, gas prices would double, store shelves would be sparse and sometimes empty, prices would soar and people would worry about their own livelihood. Opposition from without, the Samaritans, and opposition from within, the economy, led the returning exiles to focus on their own needs and neglected the worship of God. I suppose we call all relate to such a situation in some way. But Haggai tells them not to forget God amid their hardships. Haggai’s message is relevant for us too.

[1] Lindsey, F. Duane. 1985. “Haggai.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, 1:1536–37. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

[2] Boda, Mark J. 2004. Haggai, Zechariah. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

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Zephaniah 1:1

The God of Hope

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
December 21, 2022

The opening verse says, “The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.” Zephaniah came from a long line of leaders in Judah. His father was Cushi. This name is usually used as an ethnic label referring to a person from Cush, which today makes up modern Sudan and Ethiopia. Clark says this means, “Zephaniah’s father was an African, and Zephaniah himself was a black man. This possibility gains some support from the fact that in his short prophecy Zephaniah twice mentions the land or people of Cush. A Cushite dynasty had ruled Egypt 715–663 b.c., and this no doubt led to increased familiarity with Cushites in Judah, and perhaps to some intermarriage with them.”[1] Zephaniah’s grandfather, Gedaliah, is even more interesting. A seal impression was discovered near Lachish carrying Gedaliah’s name as the head of a household. Thus, in his early career, Gedaliah appears to have held a high position in the Judahite royal court. There’s also a reference in the Septuagint that Gedaliah was one of the men that protested the burning of one of Jeremiah’s scrolls. He’s found in 2 Kings and Jeremiah as a head of a household that supported Josiah’s reform and the prophet Jeremiah. He was also placed in charge of the remnant of the Jews left behind in Judah when most were transported to Babylon. According to one website, “Gedaliah established his administration in Mitzpah, north of Jerusalem, and initially, his control over Judah was strong enough to induce refugees who had fled east of the Jordan River to Ammon, Moab, and Edom, to return to Judah.”[2] His grandfather Amariah could have been the high priest who participated in the reforms Jehoshaphat initiated.

Hezekiah was his grandfather. “In the ranking of the kings of Judah, Hezekiah ranks as one of the good ones. He has a heart devoted to the Lord. Yet when he is given an extra 15 years of life, he shows off to the leaders of Babylon his ‘blessings.’ He is then told that Judah will eventually go into exile, but not in his lifetime. Such a prophecy doesn’t bother him because it won’t happen in his lifetime. That’s not the response of a strong leader. Strong leaders look to legacy, they look to the long-term health of their church, their company, or their country.”[3] Hezekiah is followed by his son Manasseh who was the worst king of Judah. According to Swindoll, “This all means that Zephaniah grew up under the reign of Josiah’s predecessors: Josiah’s grandfather, the evil king Manasseh, and Manasseh’s son, the young and evil Amon. As a young man, the prophet-to-be would have been surrounded by the trappings of idolatry, child sacrifice, and unjust killings—strong influences on a young mind. But Zephaniah grew into a man of God, able to stand before the people and proclaim God’s message of judgment and hope to a people that had gone astray.”[4]

Zephaniah warns everyone of the dangers of turning from God to idols. He confronts his own people who have made a mockery of worship. I wonder if we, too, don’t do that sometimes by making our religion a set of rituals to observe rather than cultivating a relationship with God. We sometimes think that just being part of a church or serving in some capacity will exempt us from a genuine connection with God. The good news for those in Judah during Zephaniah’s day and for us today is seen in Chapter three, where we find God is always a God of forgiveness, restoration, and hope.

[1] Clark, David J., and Howard A. Hatton. 1989. A Translator’s Handbook on the Book of Zephaniah. UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies.

[2] https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/who-was-gedaliah/

[3] https://richardburkey.wordpress.com/2011/06/13/good-hezekiah-bad-hezekiah/

[4] https://insight.org/resources/bible/the-minor-prophets/zephaniah

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Habakkuk 1:1

The Just Shall Live by Faith

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
December 20, 2022

Habakkuk only appears here in the Protestant Old Testament. If you’re a Catholic, you would have an additional chapter (14) in the book of Daniel that mentions Habakkuk. It’s interesting, so I’ll quote the whole thing, verses 34-39. It says, “Now, the prophet Habakkuk was in Judaea: he had been making a stew and breaking up bread into a basket. He was on his way to the fields, taking this to the harvesters, when the angel of the Lord spoke to him, ‘Take the meal you are carrying to Babylon, and give it to Daniel in the lion pit.’ ‘Lord,’ replied Habakkuk, ‘I have not even seen Babylon and know nothing about this pit.’ The angel of the Lord took hold of his head and carried him off by the hair to Babylon where, with a great blast of his breath, he set Habakkuk down on the edge of the pit. ‘Daniel, Daniel,’ Habakkuk shouted, ‘take the meal that God has sent you.’ And Daniel said, ‘You have kept me in mind, O God; you have not deserted those who love you.’ Rising to his feet, he ate the meal, while the angel of God carried Habakkuk back in a moment to his own country.” Since this Apocryphal addition to Daniel has him slaying a dragon, I’ll have to remain Protestant in my understanding and reject this story as legitimate scripture. Yet, we must acknowledge that Habakkuk was not an unknown prophet outside of this small Old Testament record. It simply begins, “The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.”

 We really don’t know who Habakkuk was. There are many speculations. Blue recounts an early Jewish tradition, “It has been suggested by Rabbinic tradition that Habakkuk was the son of the Shunammite woman mentioned in 2 Kings 4, whom Elisha restored to life. This is apparently based solely on the meaning of Habakkuk’s name, ‘embrace,’ and Elisha’s words to the Shunammite, ‘You shall embrace a son’ (2 Kings 4:16).”[1] One other point: The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered at Qumran in 1947 (and later) had a commentary on the first two chapters of Habakkuk. I’ll consider the content of that commentary during my study of Habakkuk.

 I really like the way Blue explains the central message of Habakkuk. He writes, “Habakkuk is a unique book. Unlike other prophets who declared God’s message to people, this prophet dialogued with God about people. Most Old Testament prophets proclaimed divine judgment. Habakkuk pleaded for divine judgment. In contrast with the typical indictment, this little book records an intriguing interchange between a perplexed prophet and his Maker. This is not merely a little on-the-street interview with God, however. Habakkuk went beyond that.” The book is full of “why” questions addressed to God. We can all remember times when we’ve asked God, “why?” I think of the school shootings, the terrorist attacks, the invasion of Ukraine, and many personal, painful experiences during which I ask God, “why?” Blue concludes, “The ever-present ‘Why?’ is best answered by the everlasting ‘Who!’ Though the outlook may elicit terror, the uplook elicits trust. The prophet’s complaints and fears were resolved in confidence and faith. This is the heart of the message of Habakkuk: ‘The righteous will live by his faith’ (2:4).” This is the heart of the message for you and I as well.

[1] Blue, J. Ronald. 1985. “Habakkuk.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, 1:1506. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

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Nahum 1:1, Psalm 143:12

Comfort for God’s People

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
December 19, 2022

Jonah brought a message to Nineveh, called for their repentance, and gave them 40 days to repent. They did! God spared the city, which went on for some time because of their repentance. But the change of heart and life did not last long, so God sent the Assyrians and their capital city, Nineveh, another prophet. Verse 1 gives us the title of this prophecy and the author. It says, “An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh.” Nahum brings an “oracle” concerning Nineveh. The word for “oracle” is often translated as “burden.” When used to describe the messages from the prophets, it usually means a warning of coming destruction. In this case, its focus is on the capital city of Assyria, Nineveh. Assyria destroyed the northern nation of Israel in 722 BC. Nahum’s oracle against Assyria came about a hundred years later. Their wickedness had reached the level where God was about to act. The prophecy primarily concerns Assyria’s treatment of Judah and Jerusalem, where God dwelled with His people.

We often refer to the old testament writings and scriptures as “books.” We even call the Psalms “The Book of Psalms.” It is better to call it the “Psalter” or a “collection” of the 150 Psalms sung in holy worship in the practice of Israel. But it is not a “book.” “Nahum’s is the only prophecy which calls itself a book, and this is rather unexpected because the prophecy is so short.”[1] I can’t help but relate this to the thought that Nahum “closed the book on Nineveh.” Whereas many of the cities destroyed in the Mideast and surrounding areas have been rebuilt, Nineveh was never rebuilt. Nahum predicted that. Verse 9 of chapter one says, “What do you plot against the Lord? He will make a complete end.” Verse 14 repeats the end of Nineveh’s existence as a city. Indeed, Nahum’s oracle closes the book on Nineveh.

We do not know where the city of Elkosh was. There are many suggestions, but I think most commentators see it as in the south area of Judea because it speaks to the people of Judah as well as Nineveh.  Nahum’s name means “comfort” in Hebrew. Whereas the oracle is a “burden” against Assyria, the message is a great comfort to those in Judah. Assyria was dedicated to the destruction of Judah and had made several attempts to destroy her, but God had always intervened to save his people. It’s not that God hated the Assyrians. After all, he had sent two prophets to move them to repent. They did under Noah but did not repent at Nahum’s message. Their hearts were set on Jerusalem’s destruction, and God intervened to stop it. Even though God’s people sin, turn their backs on Him, and face the consequences of their rebellion, God will still stand up for them against their enemies. Psalm 143:12 says, “And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies, and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul, for I am your servant.” We, too, have an enemy whose entire purpose in living is our destruction. He prowls around like a roaring lion trying to find any that he may devour. But the final book in the Bible, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, puts an end to that enemy once and for all. He’s thrown into the lake of fire, never again to torment the children of God. God’s steadfast love endures forever. “So the purpose of Nahum’s book is to announce the fall of Nineveh and thereby comfort Judah with the assurance that God is in control.”[2] We, too, should find comfort in Nahum’s book.

[1] Clark, David J., and Howard A. Hatton. 1989. A Translator’s Handbook on the Book of Nahum. UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies.

[2] Johnson, Elliott E. 1985. “Nahum.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, 1:1496. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

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Micah 1:1

A Poor Man Can Make a Difference

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
December 18, 2022

A Poor Man can make a difference (Micah 1:1)

20 kings reigned over the nation of Judah after Solomon’s death. Zedekiah was the last one. During his reign, Babylon destroyed the city of Jerusalem and dismantled the temple. These kings were all descendants of David for the most part and it’s through this line that the Messiah is said to have come. During this period of Judah’s history, most of the kings “did what was evil” in the sight of the Lord and God raised prophets to confront them and call them back to righteousness. The prophets are usually identified by who was on the throne during their ministries to the country. Micah prophesied during the days of the 11th, 12th, and 13th kings; Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Jotham is said to have been a good king overall. Ahaz was bad and Hezekiah was good. The first two reigned for 16 years each, but Hezekiah, another good king, reigned for 29 years. Now, Micah’s message, however, although delivered during the reigns of these three kings of the south, was not just concerning the capital city of Jerusalem. It was also concerning the capital city, Samaria, of the northern kingdom of Israel. Of the 19 kings that reigned in the north, none of them were said to have been good kings. They all “did what was evil” in the sight of the Lord. Hezekiah was the reigning king in Judah in 721-722 BC, when Samaria fell to the Assyrians. Micah’s prophecy begins, “The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.”

Micah was from Moresheth. “Moresheth was a small and obscure place in the foothills of southwestern Judah, and this probably means that Micah himself was a peasant farmer typical of the area. He would thus be one of the poor and oppressed groups who were ill-treated by the rich.”[1] He will speak about this abuse later in his prophecy. The UBS (United Bible Society) handbook suggests the phrase “concerning” might best be translated as “what was going to happen to Jerusalem and Samaria.” Micah is going to address their future of course, but he’s also going to point out “why” this is going to happen. I think the “why” is the most important part of Micah’s prophecy. Martin says, “These cities obviously represented all 12 tribes of the nation. The prophet denounced evil which was rampant throughout the nation. The Northern Kingdom had long before strayed from the covenant given through Moses. And the people in the Southern Kingdom were acting like their brothers and sisters to the north, failing to live according to the covenant.”[2]

The thing about Micah’s prophecy is that it concerned the fall of Samaria but was mostly addressed to the southern kingdom of Judah. Samaria, and the ten tribes of the north, were scattered. That kingdom would be no more because it did not keep the covenant God made with Israel. Judah was still in existence and it continued to live on as its own kingdom for another century. That happened because they listened to Micah’s message from God. I believe this might be the reason Hezekiah’s reign is considered to be one of the best ones. He listened to Micah. This is a bright spot in the history of Judah. While most of the other prophets were ignored, Jerusalem listened to Micah. Boice says the encouraging part is that “In Micah’s case the message of judgment was heeded, repentance followed, and the disaster was postponed for a century. Hosea and Amos were ignored. Jeremiah was imprisoned. But here was one prophet who was listened to and whose preaching, therefore, changed history. In coming to Micah we should be encouraged to learn that one man did make a difference.”[3]

[1] Clark, David J., and Norm Mundhenk. 1982. A Translator’s Handbook on the Book of Micah. UBS Handbook Series. London; New York: United Bible Societies.

[2] Martin, John A. 1985. “Micah.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, 1:1477. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

[3] Boice, James  Montgomery. 2002. The Minor Prophets: An Expositional Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

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Jonah 1:1-2, 2 Kings 14:24-26

Salvation for all the People

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
December 17, 2022

God calls on his prophet, Jonah, and gives him a particular assignment regarding the wicked nation of Assyria, Israel’s enemy. The book opens with, “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.’” We met this prophet in the book of 2 Kings, chapter 14. It appears he had a hand in helping a wicked king of the northern kingdom of Israel. Jeroboam II has a poor reference in the King’s passage. In verse 24 it says of him, “And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin.” Yet the text goes on to tell us that he reigned for 41 years. That’s a long reign for a wicked king of the north. It’s also said that he restored much territory to Israel that had been taken from them. This accomplishment had something to do with Jonah. We read in the 2 Kings passage, verses 25-26, “He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher.  For the Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter, for there was none left, bond or free, and there was none to help Israel.”

We can’t know the exact relationship that Jonah had with Jeroboam II, but it most likely was like that of other prophets and their kings. Nathan challenged David to repent of his sin. He did. Jehu challenged Baasha likewise without the best of results. Elijah always confronted Ahab and Jezebel regarding their evil actions. Elisha followed in his footsteps in dealing with kings. Amos, Isaiah, and Jeremiah were also involved with the ministry to wicked kings. Nixon summarizes the relationship between Jeroboam II and Jonah. She writes, “Set within this broader context of continuous conflict outlined for us in 1 and 2 Kings, the Israelite king Jeroboam II was asserting his power in the face of external threat and internal weakness by strengthening Israel’s national borders. Israel stood alone, bitterly afflicted, and without a helper. The willingness of a compassionate God ‘to save Israel’ by restoring her borders, despite the habitual wickedness of King Jeroboam II, shines through in the story in 2 Kings 14. Israel is delivered by the word of the Lord through the hand of Jonah and by the hand of Jeroboam.”[1]

Jonah’s prophecy as seen in 2 Kings was one of God’s plans of salvation for His people. As Knight observes, “His prophecy shows him to be a prophet of salvation for Israel and, by implication, one of judgment for the nations.”[2] God has always wanted it to be known that he was the faithful savior of all the people. God extends an offer of salvation before he brings judgment. Not only was this the case with those who perished in the days of Noah, but it was also the case with the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Before God scattered the tribes of Israel throughout the world and allowed the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, he sent prophet after prophet to make the clear offer of salvation to all who would repent. But God’s offer of salvation extends even to Israel’s enemies. God is going to send this prophet of salvation to the capital city of Israel’s enemy to offer an opportunity for salvation before judgment. To Jonah’s dismay, as well as the nation of Israel itself, Nineveh will repent.

[1] Nixon, Rosemary A. 2003. The Message of Jonah: Presence in the Storm. Edited by Alec Motyer, Derek Tidball. The Bible Speaks Today. England: Inter-Varsity Press.

[2] Knight, George Angus Fulton, and Friedemann W. Golka. 1988. Revelation of God. International Theological Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Edinburgh: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.; Handsel Press.

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