The Bible by David Alley

Nahum prophecies the fall of Nineveh, down to the colour of the attacking armies, who wore red battle attire. The Lord in his everlasting patience had given the Assyrians an extra one hundred years from the time of Jonah's warnings, but Nahum comes to declare that the end is near. That great city of 600,000 people was soon gone.

God has a complaint and takes Israel and Judah to court. In the process the question is asked... what does God actually want from his people. And the answer is to "Act Justly, Love Mercy and to Walk Humbly with your God." A famous passage.

This chapter is divided into two parts. The first is for the ungodly Israel and the second for the godly Israel. One the one hand they are both Israel, but on the other hand only the godly is true Israel.

This chapter of Micah continues with the Messianic and gospel prophecies and here the location of the birthplace of the Saviour is identified. This was quoted by Matthew in his gospel and was the reason why Herod the Great sent soldiers to try to kill infant Jesus at Bethlehem.

In this Chapter Micah Prophecies that Zion will be a plowed field. That reference makes an appearance in the book of Jeremiah about 100 years later. It is there that we discover that Micah was listened too, and appears to have played a part in sparking a revival in Jerusalem, because this word was heard. But later generations failed to heed, and Micah's prophecy ultimately came true. How did this...

In this chapter, which is very similar to Isaiah 2, Micah prophecies a time coming which seems idyllic. It is gospel times - in the days after the Messiah has come. In this video David explains how in fact these days are here right now and tells a story from the Solomon Islands to illustrate.

Micah prophesies that the Lord is preparing a disaster for Judah. There was extortion and a lack of justice in the land, and God was not happy. He planned on teaching a lesson. More precisely the Lord decided he was going to take the land back from the people He had originally promised it to. And the reality is that from that point until today, the inheritance system of land ownership that was set...

Micah of Moresheth is an otherwise unknown prophet from a small town near the border of the land of the Philistines. But his message is not a small message. The Lord bears witness against Israel and Judah. In a regular Bible, the Lord had just spoken of his mercy to the ruthless foreigners at Ninevah in Jonah chapter 4, and now just words later in Micah 1, the Lord is tough on his own people. But...

Jonah was a prophet and a gospel preacher, but why did he want those he preached to, to end up in Hell. This chapter delves into the very bad attitudes and values of Jonah the prophet.

After Jonah's miraculous deliverance he does in fact go to preach at Nineveh, and the weirdest thing happens. The people of Nineveh repent and receive the word of the Lord - there is a great old testament revival.

God wants Jonah to preach at Nineveh - the biggest city in the world at the time. Jonah struggles with prejudice against Ninevites and doesn't want to go, so he flees the opposite direction, by boarding a ship for Spain. But you can't really run away from God, can you?

Jonah was swallowed by a big fish and in that place prays a desperate prayer. In his prayer he "prays from hell." Is he in fact dead? Is Jonah a death and resurrection miracle.

After 8 chapters of judgement, the last chapter of Amos contains hope, and the Lord is going to restore the fallen tent of David. But what is that tent, and what does it mean? This is a messianic prophecy about Christ, and about the inclusion of the Gentiles into the plans of God.

Amos sees a vision of fruit - ripe and ready to be eaten. This fruit is a picture of Israel - ready to be consumed. The sins of Israel had gone before it and in some ways we are just the same.

In this chapter the priest at Bethel, Amaziah, commands him to leave. Bethel was the site of the golden calf worship and Amos took advantage of this location to declare the words of the true God. But now he must go. And meanwhile Amos has five visions from the Lord and we find out he is a farmer of sycamore figs.

Are you a "fat Christian" enjoying the goodness of God? Are you "secure in Zion" while not considering the needs of others? Or are you looking forward to the punishment and judgement of others becase "they deserve it." There were people going through all of these types of scenarios in Israel and Judah. But we must not fall into the same trap

"Off you go to Bethel, and sin. Go to Gilgal, and sin more." (Amos 4:4) Since when does the Lord actually tell people to sin. In this chapter the Lord gets sarcastic against the people of Israel and in reality his message is a message of Judgement through the prophet Amos. What does it mean for us?

Amos writes a lament for Israel - a very sad poem. "The virgin of Israel has fallen, she shall rise no more." We see in this chapter that while the Lord judges, he is also sad and sorrowful. God is emotional - he cares a great deal.

In chapter 1 of Amos, there were judgement prophecies against Tyre, Edom, Syria and the Philistines. But now the prophecies circle in closer and closer to Israel, and she gets the toughest judgement of them all.

God chose Israel, but they received it like a spouse in marriage that wants all the benefits but none of the responsibility. Can two walk together unless they be agreed, says the Lord? And so Israel deserts the Lord, and there are implications of this, which the prophet Amos reveals.

God had enough of Edom - that is the descendants of Esau - and he determined that there would be nothing left of them. Esau/Edom has featured prominently in the Bible, but the Lord decides to remove them. In this chapter we consider why, and thier marvellous city of Petra.

Amos is a prophet, a shepherd, and a man who grew figs, from the small town of Tekoa. He is quite unknown, but his declarations of Judgement from the Lord, are not just for Israel and Judah but for all the surrounding nations. The Lord has decided there will be wrath. What does it all mean? And, have you ever heard a sermon on Amos before?

When you hear that God is going to juge all nations you think He is going to wipe them out, but it turns out he rescues them. And When you hear that he is going to restore Israel - it means something different too.

In Joel's day he witnesses a locust plague so severe that even the bark on trees was eat back. Joel tells the Lord's people to get themselves into church and start praying NOW. There is real urgency. This is a serious matter indeed.

The most famous quote from Joel, preached by Peter on the Day of Pentecost is in this chapter. It gives us context to unerstand what the Lord was really thinking when he said to "Blow the Trumpet in Zion." The chapters starts with an "air raid siren" warning the people to get to their spiritual bunkers and get right with God.