Nahum 1-3

“The Lord is slow to anger but great in power” (1:3). Ninevah was the capital of the oppressive Assyrian Empire, known for their “endless cruelty” (3:19). Nahum calls Ninevah the “city of blood”, filled with war sounds: “the crack of whip, the clatter of wheels, galloping horses and jolting chariots” (3:2). The “piles of dead” grieved God and provoked judgment. Nahum reminded Judah that God is a “refuge” for those who trust Him, but He will not “leave the guilty unpunished” (1:3,7).

“Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace!” (1:15). God abhors the world’s violence and sin, and He will bring judgment. He looks for those who long for and welcome His kingdom of peace.

Revelation 13

“And ... they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?’” (4). John saw “a beast” rising from the sea with horns, crowns, and blasphemous names; the dragon (Satan) had given it power, position (a throne), and great authority (2). John saw another “beast” encouraging people to follow the first creature who was miraculously healed, and together they opposed God (6), made war on the saints (7), and deceived humanity (11-18).

In a chaotic world, leaders with great authority, power, and miraculous signs seem like the answer. But our King, “the Lamb who was slain”, won salvation through His loving sacrifice, so that our names could be in His book of Life (8).

Revelation 12

“Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down” (11). Using images of stars and dragons – “signs” (1) – John’s vision depicts the great Biblical narrative in which God’s purposes are opposed by evil powers. God’s people can be confident because the “dragon” has already been defeated (8). We can look beyond current troubles and know Jesus has secured the final victory.

“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (10-11). Jesus’ death and resurrection gives us power against the sin and evil seeking to destroy the world. In Him, we are secure now and forever.

Psalm 147

“He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name” (4). The same Creator who calls billions of stars by name, makes grass grow, and causes rain to fall (8) is the One who “builds up Jerusalem” (2). Our infinite God is not far off; He “heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (3). Full of power and mercy, He does not want us to put our confidence in human strength or weapons of war (horses and warriors, 10), but in His unfailing love.

“Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit” (5). Through Christ, we can go straight to the Source of power, love, and wisdom and find the help we need.

Micah 6-7

“What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (6:8). Through Micah, God reminded Israel that He had rescued them from Egypt not because He needed sacrifices (6:7), but because He wanted their hearts, for them to be a transformed people who followed His ways. In mercy, He promised to make a way to deal with their failures. He promised to hurl their sins “into the depths of the sea (7:15,19).

“Who is a God like you, who pardons sin ...?” (7:18). God so loved Israel and the world, including us, that He sent Jesus to provide a sacrifice for forgiveness. Through Him, we can be transformed and walk in God’s ways.

Micah 4-5

“In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains ... and peoples will stream to it” (4:1). Micah prophesied far beyond Israel’s coming conflict and exile; he saw that one day, the Lord would do something remarkable for the whole earth through a special “ruler” from Bethlehem (5:2). Unlike the failed human kings and corrupt priests, this good Shepherd would bring true righteousness and security (5:4).

Micah’s good news was that this Shepherd would open God’s kingdom not to the winners of the worldly race for success and power, but to the humble, the least, and the lost: “I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles” (4:6).

Micah 3

“Hear this, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right; who build Zion with bloodshed, and Jerusalem with wickedness” (3:9-10). Micah had harsh words for Jerusalem’s leaders who wanted to “build Zion” – God’s kingdom – with the world’s methods of violence and injustice. Shockingly, Israel’s priests and prophets profited from telling lies, yet they felt safe and said, “Is not the Lord among us?” (3:11). Micah warned that disaster was coming (3:12).

“But as for me, I am filled with power” (3:8). Ungodly actions and methods will not build God’s kingdom. Instead, like Micah, God gives power for His own purposes – so that we live faithfully and glorify Jesus.

Micah 1-2

“Look! The Lord is coming from his dwelling place; he comes down and treads on the heights of the earth” (3). The prophet Micah warned Israel (the north) and Judah (the south) that God would not ignore their sins; He was coming to judge both capital cities, Samaria and Jerusalem. They had forsaken God to worship idols (1:7), and their greed had caused them to steal houses and land (2:2,9). When godly prophets like Micah spoke up, people turned away to listen to those who falsely promised blessings (2:11).

“I will surely gather all of you ... like a flock” (2:12). God calls us to reject the idolatries of money and self and to trust our Shepherd. His voice is the one we obey.

Revelation 11

“Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here” (12). John’s vision of the two prophets recalled the Old Testament stories. These faithful witnesses had power to “shut up the heavens” so it would not rain, like Elijah did. As they declared God’s truth, these prophets were mocked and killed, just like the Old Testament prophets (Acts 7:2). However, in John’s vision, the end of the story is different: God resurrects his prophets (11).

Through Christ, we are citizens now of God’s kingdom, but our world is still affected by sin and darkness. We look forward to the great day when “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah” (15).

Revelation 10

“The mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets” (7). John’s visions brought hope to believers suffering under the Roman Empire’s oppression. Just as the “mystery of God” prophesied in the Old Testament was revealed at the right time in Jesus Christ, the church could trust that God would complete His work. The One who “lives for ever and ever” and created everything (6) cares about our world: “peoples, nations, languages, kings” (11).

The struggles and injustices of this world are not the end. One day, the mystery” already at work in us by faith - “Christ in you, the hope of glory” – will shine out over the entire earth.

Psalm 146

“Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation” (v3). In every generation, confronted with challenges and conflicts, people are tempted to put their trust in charismatic individuals or in human plans for re- making the world. But the psalmist said, “Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob” (v5). Rather than our own limited (or even misguided) efforts, we have the privilege of leaning on the Creator, who “executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry … sets the prisoners free” (v7-8).

Human self-salvation fails, and powerful leaders disappoint us. But we can wholly trust in our Lord who loves us perfectly and “keeps faith forever” (v6)

Jonah 3-4

“When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented ...” (3:10). When Nineveh’s king heard Jonah’s warning, he proclaimed a fast and called on God (3:9). God showed mercy, but to Jonah, “this seemed very wrong” and he was furiously angry (4:1,9). Jonah wanted God to be “gracious and compassionate” in his own case – rescuing him from the fish’s mouth – but not for the Ninevites (4:2-3). Yet God revealed his heart of concern for the thousands of people without knowledge of him (4:11).

God is “slow to anger and abounding in love” (4:2), even when we are not. He calls us to act as His sons and daughters by extending his love to those we consider undeserving

Jonah 1-2

“But Jonah ran away from the Lord ...” (1:3). Jonah the “anti-prophet” was called to preach to the great pagan city of Nineveh, but he ran away from God His presence on a ship caused a terrible storm, and the non-Israelite sailors demonstrated more faith than he did. Jonah was rebelling against God, but they tried to avoid throwing Jonah overboard and “cried out to the Lord” (14). Inside the fish, Jonah confronted his self-made disaster and cried out to the Lord himself (4-7).

“Salvation comes from the Lord” (2:9). Jonah needed the Lord as much as the “pagans” did. We must be convinced of our own need for God’s love and mercy before we can be a true light for others.

Obadiah

“In that day,” declares the Lord, “will I not destroy the wise men of Edom, those of understanding in the mountains of Esau?” (8). Obadiah prophesied against “Edom”, the nation descended from Esau whose land bordered Israel’s. They had “gloated” over Israel’s misfortunes (12) and thought themselves secure (3). But Obadiah looked forward to a day when God would turn the world’s assumptions upside-down, and those secure in their power and worldly wisdom would come to nothing (16,19), while exiles would return home.

“But on Mount Zion will be deliverance; it will be holy” (17). Reaching out for God’s deliverance – Mount Zion - means letting go of false sources of security, so that our refuge in is Him alone (Hebrews 12:22-24).

Amos 6-9

“Woe to you who are complacent in Zion” (6:1). Amos prophesied to northern Israel (“Mount Samaria”) that they had misunderstood God’s covenant. God had blessed them with His Word and an invitation to belonging, but it was no excuse for idolatry or mistreatment of the poor. “You strum away on your harps like David ... but do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph” (6:5-6). God detested their pride (6:8) and declared that they, like all nations, would encounter the “shaking” of his judgment (9:7,9).

“I will repair its broken walls and restore its ruins” (9:11). Jesus lived out true obedience to the Father, and on the cross, he bore the cost of repairing our ruins. Through him, we all can experience restoration.

Revelation 9

“The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk” (20). John’s visions showed scenes of terrible judgment, and tragically, people experiencing these plagues were not turning to God in repentance. While suffering can drive men and women to seek God, in this case, amid chaos and confusion, John saw that people continued to live in violence and immorality (21).

Rather than following the world’s obsession with the idols of wealth, power, and human glory, John’s visons urge us to “take to heart what is written” and worship Jesus (Rev 1:3).

Revelation 8

“When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour” (1). This dramatic silence introduced something seemingly ordinary: the prayers of God’s people. An angel was given incense and “the prayers of all God’s people” to offer together on the heavenly altar. “The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God” (4). Then the angel took the fire of this same altar and threw it down to earth, and it produced “thunder ...lightning and an earthquake” (5), and judgment (6-13).

Our prayers are significant. Though we don’t understand how, they play a part in mountains being thrown into the sea (8) and God putting things right in His universe (13).

Psalm 145

“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love” (8). “Every day” the psalmist participated in praising the God who is rich in love. According to the psalmist, praise and exaltation are active; God’s people proclaim, tell, speak of, meditate on, and celebrate His “mighty acts” of deliverance and redemption (4). When we speak of God’s goodness, we encourage the next generation (4) and witness to those who don’t yet know Him, encouraging “all people” to “call on him in truth” (12,18).

“The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down” (14). If we are “bowed down”, recounting God’s past goodness strengthens our own faith, reminding us He will lift us up again.

Amos 4-5

“There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts” (5:12). The rich women of Samaria oppressed the poor and lived for entertainment and comfort (4:1), and yet they bragged about their religious rituals. Through Amos, God told Israel that He rejected their meaningless sacrifices and offerings (4:5). The God who “made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns midnight into dawn” cared for the vulnerable in Israel (5:8).

“Seek good, not evil, that you may live” (5:14). God is not interested in empty religious activity. He calls us to know His heart and love people made in His image, imitating His ways of justice, mercy, generosity, and compassion.

Amos 1-3

“You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your sins” (3:2). The prophet Amos began with declarations of judgment against Israel’s neighbors - Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, etc. - because of their terrible war crimes (1:6,13). Amos then condemned Judah (the southern kingdom) for idolatry and Israel (the northern kingdom) for selling “the needy for a pair of sandals” (2:6) and sexual abuse (2:7). Called to be light, God’s people had instead become like everyone else.

“I brought you up out of Egypt ...” (2:10). God rescued Israel and called them to live differently, just as He saves us for a purpose: that we flee sin and walk in love and holiness.