Let the Prophets Speak

Ephraim stepped up to lead Israel, but led the Northern tribes in exactly the wrong direction. God's anger with the people is vicious, "Let your kings lead you now!," says God. Through God's benevoleance, they grew wealthy, but then they used that wealth to rebel. Worshipping yourselves is what idol worship is. It is worship of wealth, power, and meaningless forms,

God continues to lament the deceiptful behavior of Israel, and asks them to be more like their ancestor Jacob. He fought with the angel, overcame obstacles, and came closer to God. However, you think you can accomplish everything by ignoring God, deceiving others, and making false alliances. The path is easy though, Kindness, Justice, and trust in God is all you really need.

In a stirring prophecy, God remembers His love for His child Israel, and laments how Israel went astray. However giod does not want to destroy them, and promises that one day He will roar like a lion and they will fiollow Him back to their land.

God bemoans the people that had so so much potential, and they squandered it. Like two beautiful oxen, the people came to the lanbd of Israel. God directed them to plow righteosuness, to sow kondness, to seek God and bring Justice. But in their arrogance they instead ploughed corruption, lies and deceipt.

"Do not celebrate with the corrupt and immoral nations with whom you have associated yourselves," the prophet begs Israel. How tragic it is that after abandoning God for immorality, you will no longer be able to enjoy the beauty of celebrating with God on His holidays.

God tells Israel, I taught you my Torah, I am here for you, but instead you look everywhere else. even when you turn to me, you do it with useless sacrifices.

Hosea continues to criticze the people for their lies and deceipt, their pretending to be righteous and the corruption of their leaders. He compares the people of Israel to a baker who prepares his flames and his ovens and then presents it to the people only when it is ready to bake. so to the people in private they sin and lie and steal, but in public they present themselves as if they are righte...

Hosea beseeches the people to turn to God for help, as God is the One who brings the suffering, He is the one who can heal it. What does God want? Kindness and knowledge of God. As simple as that. But the people have chosen to follow their corrupt leaders to dishonesty and depravity.

The people of Israel are so entrapped by their arrogance and corruption, that they will not listen to rebuke. Always looking in the wrong places for help, never listenming to those who would teach them the right path. One day God says, they will finally turn to Me and I will listen then.

God has a problem with the people of Israel. When there is no hinesty, no kindness, and no knowledge, all that is left is arrogance and corruption. When people are arrogant, thgey will no longer listen to rebuke. Sadly God says, when they are this depraved, we will have to leave them to their idols.

God advises Hosea , as the bond of love between you and your wife remains, recommit yourselves deespite the unfaithfulness. Sometimes there needs to be a period of seperation to rebuild the trust and faith that a relationship requires. As long as the love remains string. So to the people of israel will have atime of exile, but the essential love between God and His people remain, and the physical...

In one of the most beautifully written prophecies, God "seduces" his unfuathul wife, Israel, and brings them back to Him. No longer will God be viewed as a burden, but the love of their youth shall return. God will restore nature to its pristine, peaceful state, and all war will end. God will then betroth the entire world with a relationship based on Justice, righteousness, Kindness, and Mercy.

The prophet starts by telling the people what they CAN be, if only they cooperate together. But God berates the nation for turning to all of her other "lovers" while abandoning God Himself.

We are introduced to the prophet Hosea, who was a contemporary of the more famous prophet Isaiah. However, Hosea mostly directed his prophcies to the people of the northern kingdom of Israel. In a most unusual discussion, God directs Hosea to marry a promiscuous woman named Gomer, and to raise a family with her. He has two sons and a duaghter, and through their names, Hosea delivers an ominous mes...

Boaz proves that he is a man who keeps his word. He redeems the family property, marries Ruth, and restores the family of Naomi to its' land and heritage. Ruth, once a stranger and foreigner who was rebuffed, becomes the matriarch of the Kings of the Jewish people.

Naomi asks Ruth to pull a highly dangerous stunt, fraught with potential problems. Ruth is to sneak up on Boaz in the middle of the night, and ask him to marry her. so many things could've gone wrong, and ruth had the most to lose. However, she obeys her mother-in-law, and Boaz once again proves what a real man he is.

In an extraordinary "coincidence", Ruth goes to glean barley in the fields of Bethlehem, and happens to land in the field of Naomi's relative, Boaz. While the people harvesting barely take notice of this foreign Moabite girl and treat her as an outsider, Boaz recogizes her as a special person who has been through so much in order to join the people of Judah. Boaz asks her to stay in his field and...

Naomi pushes her daughters-in-law to go back to their families in Moab. Orpah eventually turns around around heads back yo her family, but Ruth stays with Naomi. While Naomi is focused on worldy things such as finding a husband and financial security, Ruth is in it for something more. She is ready to embrace a new identity, a new God, a new people, and a new way of life. Although the people of Jud...

In the first portion of this chapter, we read how Elimelech and his family abandoned Judah, and settled in Moab. Disaster strikes the family as all the men die, leaving Naomi and her two Moabite daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah bereft of their husbands. They hear good news from Judah, and set out on a journey to return to Judah.

We read how Jonah is so upset that God had mercy upon the enemies of the Jewish people, as he complains that people are never sincere. They repent one day, and then the next they return to their old ways! God send Jonah a message through the Kikayon plant. You are happy with it today, even though tomorrow it will dry up! I, says God, am happy with my children when they deserve it, because they are...

After being told a second time by God, Jonah finally goes to Nineveh to carry God's message. The people of Nineveh hear the message and repent of their evil ways, and God's decree of destruction is averted.

Jonah prays to God as he is drowning, and promises to worship God in the Temple. God saves Jonah by sending a fish to swallow him within which he miraculously survives for three days and three nights. Astoundingly, Jonah still does not tell God that he is ready to fulfill the mission upon which God is sending him.

We answer the questions posed in 1a to explain the true message of chapter one of the book of Jonah. We all run from our God given missions and skills and potential. When we don't live the life we could live, everyone around us pays the price

God sends Jonah on a mission, and Jonah runs to Tarshish to avoid doing his calling. God sends a storm and the sailors determine through lots that God is angry with Jonah, and Jonah asks to be thrown in the sea to save the entire ship. The sailors attempt to save the ship without doing what he asked, but ultimately only throwing him into the sea to certain death will save the ship. Many questions...

God again reminds us of the message isaiah started with in chapter one. I am not interested in your sacrifices, your Temples, your worship. I am the creator of everything! What use do I have of your little buildings? I want you to care for the poor, and heal the broken-hearted. I sent out the Jewish people to bring my message to all corners of the Earth, and I will bring all nations together, inde...