The Bible Book by Book Part 18

I. The Condemnation of the Nations. Chs. 1-2.

1. Introduction, 1:1-2.

2. Israel's neighbors shall be punished for their sins. 1:3-2:5.

3. Israel's sins shall he punished, 2:6-16.

II. The Condemnation of Israel, Chs. 3-6.

1. For civil iniquities, Ch. 3.

2. For oppression of the poor and for idolatry, Ch. 4.

3. Repeated announcements of judgment with appeals to return and do good, Chs. 5-6.

III. Five Visions Concerning Israel, Chs. 7:1-9:10.

1. The locusts, 7:1-3.

2. The fire, 7:4-6.

3. The plumb line (a testing), 7:7-9, a historical interlude (the conflict with Amaziah), 7:10-17.

4. A basket of summer fruit (iniquity ripe for punishment), Ch. 8.

5. The destruction of the altar (No more services), 9:1-10.

IV. Promised Restoration and Messianic Kingdom, 9;11-15.

For Study mid Discussion, (1) Gather from the book a list of ill.u.s.trations, sayings, etc., that are taken from the rustic or agricultural usages. (2) Make a list of the different nations against which he prophesies and point out the sin of each and the nature of the punishment threatened. (3) Make a list of the different ill.u.s.trations used to show the greatness and power of G.o.d. (4) The sin of wrong inter-relation of nations. (5) The responsibility of national enlightenment. (6) Repentance as seen in this book. (7) The book's evidence of the luxury of the time.

Obadiah.

The Prophet. His name means "servant of the Lord," but we know nothing of him except what we can gather from his prophecy.

The Time. It was doubtless written after the fall of Jerusalem under Nebuchadnezzar, 587 B. C. and before the destruction of Edom, five years later, which would make the date about 585 B. C. This would make him a contemporary of Jeremiah.

The Occasion of the prophecy is the cruelty of the Edomites in rejoicing over the fall of Judah.

The Jews. It is said to be a favorite book with the Jews because of the vengeance which it p.r.o.nounces upon Edom, their brother. Its chief importance lies in its predictions of doom upon Edom the descendants of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob and the type of the unchangeable hostility of the flesh to that which is born of the spirit.

The Teachings. (1) Jehovah is especially interested in Israel. (2) He will establish a new kingdom, with Judea and Jerusalem as the center and with holiness as the chief characteristic.

a.n.a.lysis.

I. Edom's punishment, 1-9.

1. She must fall, 1-4.

2. Her allies will desert her, 5-7.

3. Her wisdom will fail her, 8-9.

II. Edom's sin, 10-14

III. Guilt of the nations, 15-16.

IV. Judah shall be restored,

For Study and Discussion. (1) The sin of pride. (2) The sin of rejoicing in another's misfortune. (3) Punishment according to our sin and of the same kind as was our sin.

Chapter XX.

Jonah and Micah.

Jonah.

The Prophet. His name means "done," and he is the son of Amittai. His home was Gath-hepher, a village of Zebulun, and he, therefore, belonged to the ten tribes and not to Judah. He is first mentioned in 2 Kings 14:28, where he prophesied the success of Jeroboam II, in his war with Syria, by which he would restore the territory that other nations had wrested from Israel. He very likely prophesied at an early date, though all attempts to determine the time of his prophecy or the time and place of his death have failed.

The Prophecy. It differs from all the other prophecies in that it is a narrative and more "the history of a prophecy than prophecy itself".

All the others are taken up chiefly with prophetic utterances, while this book records the experiences and work of Jonah, but tells us little of his utterances. The story of Jonah has been compared to those of Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings 17-19, and 2 Kings 4-6).

Although full of the miraculous element, the evident purpose is to teach great moral and spiritual lessons, and it is unfortunate that its supernatural element has made this book the subject of infidel attack. But the facts, though extraordinary, are in no way contradictory or inconsistent. Indeed, Mr. Driver has well said that "no doubt the outlines of the narrative are historical." Christ spoke of Jonah and accredited it by likening his own death for three days to Jonah's three days in the fish's belly.

It is the most "Christian" of all the Old Testament books, its central truth being the universality of the divine plan of redemption.

Nowhere else in the Old Testament is such stress laid upon the love of G.o.d as embracing in its scope the whole human race.

a.n.a.lysis.

I. Jonah's First Call and Flight from Duty, Chs. 1-2.

1. The call, flight and punishment, 1:1-16.

2. The repentance and rescue, 1:17-2:10 (end).

II. Jonah's Second Call and Preaching at Nineveh, Ch. 3.

1. His second call. 1-2.

2. His preaching against Nineveh. 2-4.

3. Nineveh repents, 5-9.

4. Nineveh is spared, 10.

III. Jonah's Anger and G.o.d's Mercy, Ch. 4.