Struggling through reading the lesser-known Old Testament passages and long prophetic oracles may seem to have little relevance to everyday 21st-century life. But there are important things we can learn from the Old Testament. First, the New Testament is based on the Old Testament. Second, the Old Testament reveals the character of God. Third, the Old Testament has transformational power. Its message transcends time, geography, and culture. It speaks to everyone, everywhere, in every situation.
As painful as it is to let go of God’s good gifts, the process of releasing opens our hands to receive the greatest reward—the Giver Himself! As we internalize this biblical account, let’s anchor in our hearts the faithfulness of God who is our Provider.
Biblical poetry may at first seem repetitive, but it forces us to engage both heart and head. Read it slowly. Imagine the experience from different angles. Feel what the poet felt.
A proverb is a short, straight-to-the-point statement about moral truth or general observation on life designed to direct readers toward right and away from wrong.
The Bible’s wisdom literature was different from that of Israel’s neighbours because it was rooted in the theology that God has created an orderly universe with both a natural and moral law. God has wired his creation according to those laws.
In his study of Jonah 3:1-4, Chuck Swindoll teaches us about the riches of God's grace and abundance of mercy from that quaint phrase, “the Lord came to Jonah a second time.”
Some people are much older at 40 than others are at 70. Why? Attitude! To build up attitude muscles, forget your age, focus on your goals, and remember to follow your God.
Both Judaism and Christianity have the same Old Testament. The essential difference is that Christians accept Jesus as the Messiah and their personal Saviour while Jews do not.
When we consult the Scriptures further we see that God does not explicitly command against war or against the taking of another’s life. Murder, which is different than killing, is explicitly condemned.
We may take God as He really is or reject Him on the same basis, but the one opinion not open to us is to create Him as we’d like Him to be. He is and has always been the God of love and justice in both the Old and New Testaments.
As we reach the end of our study of the book of Jonah, it's fitting that we really let it sink in. It's one thing to go through the book of Jonah but quite another to have that divine word go through us.
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