Post on 28-Dec-2015
The Bible: God’s facebook
Prophets and losses
Ezra to Malachi
The Bible: God’s facebook
The Old Testament
The Jewish people
• Where they lived
The Bible: God’s facebook
The Jewish people
• Where they lived• What they believed
There are many nations on this earth, but he chose only Israel to be his very own. You were the weakest of all nations, but the Lord chose you because he loves you and because he had made a promise to your ancestors. Then with his mighty arm he rescued you from the King of Egypt, who had made you his slaves.
You know that the Lord your God is the only true God. So love him and obey his commands, and he will faithfully keep his agreement with you and your descendants for a thousand generations. But if you turn against the Lord, he will quickly destroy you. So be sure to obey the laws and teachings that I am giving you.
Leviticus7:6-11
The Jewish people
• Where they lived• What they believed
• Globally insignificant …but chosen by God
The Bible: God’s facebook
1. Lessons for us
• Size doesn’t matter to God
• What impresses us may not impress God
• God’s people are not lost in the crowd
The Bible: God’s facebook
Jewish literatureJob, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes,
Song of Solomon
• Great poetry, theatre and wisdom• All of life belongs to God and is
open to him• We struggle, we have questions …
but God remains
The Bible: God’s facebook
The Bible: God’s facebook
… and now the Jewish Prophets
Jewish history
The Bible: God’s facebook
Prophets and losses
The Bible: God’s facebook
The Bible: God’s facebook
The Bible: God’s facebook
What was a prophet?
How did they prophesy?
The Bible: God’s facebook
The Bible: God’s facebook
What is God looking for?
The Bible: God’s facebook
God’s people, because they are God’s people, are called to
love God and love othersIt’s always been like that!
He wants our hearts
The Bible: God’s facebook
2. Lessons for us
• Take God seriously• We neglect God at our peril
• Get on with the business of loving God and loving others
A disastrous history
The Bible: God’s facebook
3. Lessons for us
•Don’t take God for granted.
• Learn your lessons!
•The people of God are not immune from failure and mistakes …and
there are consequences.
•There are things that happen to us that are not of our making … our
hearts cry out to God.
The Bible: God’s facebook
4. Lessons for us
• Despite mistakes and tragedy there is always grace and hope
• God is faithful
The Bible: God’s facebook
The Jewish story
The word of God
In the words of men
Becoming the word of God to me