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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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Obadiah 1:1, Romans 8:28

God Deals with Bullies!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
December 16, 2022

The message that Obadiah brings to Judah, the southern kingdom, comes to him in a vision. He speaks for God here. The message concerns Edom. Edom is the name of the descendants of Esau. I always remember that this is a prophecy of judgment on Edom by the saying, “Edom was bad, so God sent Obadiah.” The emphasis is the saying in on the word “bad.” Esau was Jacob’s twin brother. Their struggle began in Rebekah’s womb. They contended with each other having different interests in life, and Jacob tricked their father Isaac into bestowing on him the family blessing, which generally would have been Esau’s. Jacob fled from his brother for his life to Haran, where he married Rachel and Leah and brought the twelve patriarchs into the world. Their animosity kept them apart even when Jacob moved back to the promised land. There seems to have been a continual struggle between Judah and Israel against their distant relatives, the Edomites. Ogilvie describes the Edomites, “They were a hard, earthy people, proud, cruel, and fierce. There is no evidence that they had any religion. Their problem was not syncretism with other gods; they had no gods at all. The only thing that bordered on religious fervor was their concentrated, persistent, bitter hatred against Israel. They fostered and perpetuated an implacable feud with the descendants of Jacob that was expressed repeatedly throughout the evolving history of the two nations.”[1]

Edom was bad throughout the history of their relationship with Israel. This specific time most likely refers to Jerusalem’s destruction and the Temple’s dismantling. The Babylonians were instruments in God’s hands in judging Judah, just as the Assyrians were instruments in God’s hands in judging the northern kingdom of Israel. But while the Babylonians were killing and enslaving the Judeans, some were fleeing for their lives. A contingent escaped into Egypt before the Babylonian Army enslaved them. But Edom would attack those fleeing Jerusalem and kill the stragglers. The Apocryphal book of Esdras says that the Edomites even helped destroy the Temple. This moved God to bring similar judgment on Edom. They would not be excused from their cruelty to those fleeing for their lives. Edom would be held accountable. As descendants of Esau, Edom were relatives of Judeans, the descendants of his brother Jacob. God thought it particularly appalling that a brother would attack another brother when they most needed help. Kicking your enemy when they are down is not pleasing to God. God sent Obadiah to tell Edom they had not escaped God’s judgment. “The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom: We have heard a report from the Lord, and a messenger has been sent among the nations: ‘Rise up! Let us rise against her for battle!’”

God is truly sovereign over all nations. Bridger says, “God is not at work in some things in history but in all of history; in all its events, processes, agents and actors.” All the nations are tools He uses to accomplish his will, “in war and peace, in the rise and fall of Empires, in the powerful and the powerless, in all things both good and bad. The decisive thing however is that it is God acting always in his own character; the One who is holy and just, wise and good.”[2] We do not always understand what God is doing and why, but we are called to live by faith. We are called to trust God to be working all “things together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose,” as Paul says in Romans 8:28.

[1] Ogilvie, Lloyd J., and Lloyd J. Ogilvie. 1990. Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah. Vol. 22. The Preacher’s Commentary Series. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

[2] Bridger, Gordon. 2010. The Message of Obadiah, Nahum and Zephaniah: The Kindness and Severity of God. Edited by Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball. The Bible Speaks Today. Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press.

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Amos 1:1, Zechariah 14:5

Amos and the Earthquake!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
December 15, 2022

Amos was a shepherd and a farmer. He was not a trained religious leader. He was not a recognized prophet, and he did not sit with the elders or the sons of the elders. He had no credentials that might make others listen to him. Amaziah, the King of Judah, challenged him, and he answered, “Amos answered and said to Amaziah, ‘I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’” Guzik comments, “The way God used Amos reminds us of the way He used the twelve disciples of Jesus—common, workingmen used to do great things for God.”[1] Amos, the keeper of sheep and the dresser of fig-trees, did what God told him to do and said what God told him to say. The opening verse introduces him and the time of his ministry. It says, “The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.”

It looks like Amos is speaking to the northern kingdom, Israel, with its capital in Samaria. But the Septuagint suggests it was written to Jerusalem which is the capital of the southern kingdom. There is a lot we could say on both sides of that issue, but it seems to me that if the writer goes out of his way to mention the kings at the time of both Israel in the north and Judah in the south, we can easily conclude that it was for both kingdoms. The message is relevant to both nations as well as to us in the 21st Century. He spoke during the reign of Uzziah in the southern kingdom of Judah and during the reign in the north of Jeroboam II, who was Joash’s son. Their reigns overlapped for fifteen years, from 767 BC to 753 BC. He spoke to them soon after a catastrophic event occurred that was remembered by all.

Amos’ message is dated two years before the earthquake. Zechariah, the prophet concludes his warning on the coming of the day of the Lord with the picture of a great earthquake that will split the Mount of Olives in half. Then in Zechariah 14:5, he says, “And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.” Bentley helps put this in perspective for us. He writes, “On 11th September 2001 a man-made disaster changed the modern world. On that day a group of evil terrorists flew two airliners into the Twin Towers of New York. When that awful thing happened the whole world knew about it—and many people even watched these dreadful events unfolding before their eyes.” He goes on to say that the news media did a survey and found that 73% of those surveyed admitted that this event “has changed everything forever.” This must have been the effect that the earthquake had on Judah and Israel. It was etched in the memory of the people of the region.

Bentley goes on to say the earthquake “…also served as a ‘divine reinforcement of the words of judgment.’”[2] In 2004 an earthquake that reached 9 on the Richter scale brought massive tsunamis in its aftermath and killed 230 thousand people in 14 different countries in Indonesia. There have been lesser earthquakes around the world all the result of sin. Let me explain. Sin brought God’s curse upon the whole earth. Hayford explains, “All aspects of the curse are the result of man’s fall and not the design of God’s original creation order. God cannot be blamed for what mankind has allowed to invade an originally perfect order. The whole spectrum of fallen-brokenness is due to the impact of sin, which separated this planet and its inhabitants from our Creator. Harmful things are judgments, because they are a part of sin’s tragic impact on what God made.”[3]

[1] Guzik, David. 2000. Amos. David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible. Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik.

[2] Bentley, Michael. 2006. Opening up Amos. Opening Up Commentary. Leominster: Day One Publications.

[3] https://www.jackhayford.org/teaching/articles/are-earthquakes-natural-disasters-or-the-result-of-judgment-for-sin/

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