Today’s passage plops us right into the middle of some dense prophetic imagery. Zechariah, a post-exilic prophet involved in the rebuilding of the temple after its destruction nearly 70 years earlier, receives a striking vision: “the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel,” Judah’s Davidic governor at the time.
The symbolism in this passage is incredible. The lampstand that is at the center of these verses evokes light imagery. This is a recurring Old Testament motif for God’s presence, as well as God’s commission to the Israelites that they be a light to all the nations. From the recalling of this symbol, we see that the restored temple community is being reconstituted as Yahweh’s light-bearing people. Zerubbabel is to be encouraged by this as he heads this work of rebuilding.
The lampstand also takes us back to Exodus 25, where the Lord instructs a similar lampstand to be crafted and placed in the tabernacle. This lampstand, according to Exodus 27, was to be tended daily by priests who were tasked with manually supplying olive oil.
By contrast, the Zechariah 4 lampstand is provided with its own intricate oil supply system, fed by two olive trees. These olive trees most likely represent Zerubbabel, the governor, and Joshua, the high priest. The Lord is here declaring that, though it is Zerubbabel and Joshua who will stand tall for the nation, it will be His Spirit flowing from and through them (signified by the perpetual oil supply) that will sustain the lampstand of Israel’s Second Temple. The manual, finite supply of Exodus 25’s lampstand is intensified into a perpetual, God-fixed supply. This is an elevation.
Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.
The Hebrew word translated here as “might” carries connotations of dominance and overpowering strength. It is the kind of militaristic strength possessed by an organized human power. The word translated as “power” brings a unique accent of vigor and productivity. The negation of these qualities assures Judah’s men that this work will be completed, despite whatever reservations they may have about their own abilities to undertake such a work. It will be completed simply because the Lord wishes it to be so.
Although Zechariah’s vision is primarily concerned with the historical rebuilding of the Second Temple, it is also proper to apply its framework to the Church today. Yahweh’s Church shines because Christ supplies light through the Spirit. Zechariah’s vision teaches that God’s work is completed from beginning to end by His grace, so that when the top stone is finally set in place, the only fitting cry is:
‘Grace, grace to it!’
- Kidus Kebede

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit” is not an anti-action statement. Zerubbabel and company still do quite a bit of work after this episode. How, then, does the Lord want Zerubbabel to understand this proclamation of support?
+ How does the central thesis of this passage compare to what Paul tells us about his ministry in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess to clear the way for God to use me in his perfect purpose?
+ Cyril of Alexandria, commenting on this passage, says the following: “The mind of the saints is very anxious to learn; accordingly, the prophet passes over nothing revealed in the vision, instead being very curious, and he asks precisely about each item as to its meaning.” How eager are you to learn about the things of God? Are you curious? Do you hunger for understanding when you come across a confusing passage in the Word, or do you cast your questions to the side as inconveniences?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step? The Lord is still building today, in your life and in mine. Philippians 1:6 continues to ring true: I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
+ Where might you proclaim “Grace, grace to it!” today? Where is God building, restoring, or completing a work in your life or the lives of those around you?

A Call to Return to the Lord
1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying, 2 “The Lord was very angry with your fathers. 3 Therefore say to them, Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. 4 Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. 5 Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? 6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? So they repented and said, ‘As the Lord of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us.’”
Zechariah 1:1-6

The book of Zechariah opens with a message of challenge for those Jews who have returned from exile in Babylon. Return to God and God will return to you. Repent, and God will respond.
It is a beautiful and good thing to receive such a call. Repentance is sweet and is even sweeter when you know God’s response. This challenge to the Jews is also a challenge to us. If there is any way that you need to return to God, then do so. God will return to you as well. There is no gray area. No maybes. God will respond to repentance. He will draw near to those who draw near to him. If you have doubts that he will, recognize those doubts as a lie from the enemy, misconstruing the very character of God.
Repenting and returning to God is sweet because it means returning to the very source of life. God loves life, and his commands are always designed to preserve and allow life to flourish. The call to return to God can be restated as a call to return to life. It means jettisoning all that God calls an activity or instrument of death. It asked the Jews then, and it asks us now, will you lay down all that is in opposition to God? Will you clear your life of death, so that the author of life may have his way? Ironically, sometimes clearing our lives of death feels more like dying than moving toward life. Sometimes, laying down the thing that God says will kill us is unintuitive, scary, or even painful. Even so, it is still sweet and a pathway to life.
The Jews in Zechariah's day initially responded well to God’s call, and God promised that he would inherit Judah as his portion once again. For us, the day has come. God has inherited us, and the mark of this is his Holy Spirit. Let’s live in communion with the Spirit and in a state of sweet response to God.
- John Barzal

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ How does this passage fit into the context of the story of the Bible? Where does this passage find itself in the history of Israel?
+ What does this passage demonstrate about the character of God?
+ How does this passage relate to God’s desire for restoration and his need to punish covenant unfaithfulness?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ How do you need to change your view of repentance?
+ Do you need to change how you believe God responds to you when you sin?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step?

The temple they were building looked nothing like the one they remembered. The older ones in the crowd knew it. They had seen Solomon's temple before it fell, and what stood before them now was a fraction of what once was. Haggai doesn't pretend otherwise. God doesn't either. The question God asks is honest: Does it not seem like nothing to you?
That's a hard thing to sit with. There's a particular grief in working hard on something and still feeling like it falls short. These people had returned from exile, rolled up their sleeves, and started rebuilding the house of God. And still, the gap between what was and what is felt enormous. God sees that. He doesn't minimize it or rush past it.
What he says next is worth everything: "Be strong. Work. I am with you." The glory ahead isn't measured by what you can see right now. The promise isn't that this moment will be impressive. It's that God's presence holds the work together, and he finishes what he starts. Sometimes the most faithful thing you can do is keep building when it looks like nothing.
- David Bempong

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ What does God ask the people in verse 3, and why might that question matter before he says anything else?
+ Three times in verses 4-5, God says "be strong." What does that repetition suggest about what the people were actually feeling?
+ What does God say is the basis for their courage? What does he point to rather than the visible state of the building?
+ How does verse 9 reframe the discouragement of verse 3?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess to clear the way for God to use me in his perfect purpose?
+ Where in your life does the gap between what you hoped for and what exists right now feel most discouraging? Bring that honestly before God today.

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step?
+ Who could you share this passage with and ask the question: "Where do you need to hear 'be strong' right now?"

The book of Haggai opens with a problem: the covenant people’s priorities are out of whack. The context of Haggai is that the remnant return from Babylonian captivity and begin to rebuild Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerrubabel. The book begins with a rebuke; the covenant people have abandoned their covenant priorities and are experiencing hardship because of it.
The Lord calls the people to put Him first. The people were building their own homes before building God’s dwelling with them. It’s easy to find ourselves in the same place as God’s people, focused on building our own lives in our own strength and considering God as an afterthought.
Haggai’s words are also for us, “Consider your ways.” Re-evaluate your priorities. Consider what comes first in your life. For God’s people, the answer is that God comes first. He should always take first place in our lives and our hearts. He is God; he is sovereign; he rescued us and restored us. Let us live in that truth, offering ourselves first and fully to Him.
- Monica Godfrey

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ What does God say has happened to the people since they have prioritized building their own houses first?
+ Why does God say they are struggling?
+ Why does God want his house built first?
+ How do the people respond to this prophecy?
+ How does God respond to their choice?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess to clear the way for God to use me in his perfect purpose?
+ Consider your ways. Where are you building your house before the Lord’s? Confess and consider the ultimacy of God.

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step?
+ Is there a way to practically apply this passage, with your time, worship, money, or effort?

Although Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament, it sure packs a punch! It delivers a message that each of us have probably heard in some form or fashion growing up from a Grandmother or a teacher or a parent. “Get along with your brother.” “Don’t rejoice in your brother’s misfortune.” “Family is family, regardless of your feelings, you stick by them.” Finally, surely you can think of someone who shared this piece of wisdom from Obadiah verse 15b, “As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.”
Scholars aren’t exactly sure when it was written because Jacob and Esau and their descendants have had such tumultuous relationships over the generations.
This hasn’t changed in our day. We, too, have tumultuous relationships. We would like to think that we would rejoice when our “brother” rejoices and mourn when he mourns and that we would be the  “friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24.
But the truth is jealousy and pride creep in over time. If they go unchecked we might start to think that our brother’s misfortune is a win for us. We might like the feeling of being “better” more “well-liked” more “responsible” more “financially stable” more “godly!” Idols come in all forms. What puffs you up? What makes you feel secure in the clefts of a rock you have built for yourself?
There could be so many things. You and I worship something. The descendants of Esau felt “untouchable.” They worshiped their lofty and protected location, their strong army and their wise men who led well. In their pride they looked down upon their brother and did not help, they actually rejoiced in their brother’s time of trouble.
In whom or in what do you and I find our security?
God has a message for us today. He alone is worthy of our worship. He alone will bring security. He alone is the one we will answer to about the daily choices we make to either honor God as we love our neighbor, our brother, or dishonor God as we love ourselves in our pride.  
- Kim Williams

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ In a world with a lot of loud voices, what do you notice in verse 1? Who spoke clearly into the situation in Obadiah’s time? Who has a message for us today?
+ What “deceives” in verse 3? What do you think the tone of the speaker is at teh end of verse 3? How does the Lord Himself answer the speaker in verse 4?
+ What was the reason for the Lord’s judgement on Esau according to verse 10-11? What will the Lord’s judgement look like according to verse 10?
+ What can The house of Esau expect according to verse 15?
+ How does the book of Obadiah (and God’s whole story!) end according to the last verse (21) of this short “book?”

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess to clear the way for God to use me in his perfect purpose?
+ Where has pride gotten in the way of your relationships? Has God given you a specific message about this issue? How have you responded?
+ Which “brother” came to mind as you read the Daily this morning? Is there a way to love this brother well today?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step?
+ What might be getting in the way of my obedience to the message?

Today, we close out the Book of Joel. The message is very similar to what we found in the last chapter of the Book of Amos and it is summarized by the title of this submission; The Lord Judges But He Also Restores.
Also like Amos, the prophecy spoken has both a present and a future connotation. The judgement God gives here can be aimed at those nations (Tyre, Sidon and Philista) who surrounded Israel & Judah at that time and treated His covenant people so poorly. But the chapter opens with the phrase “in those days and at that time” referring back to what was written at the end of Chapter 2 which points to a future timeframe. Many scholars believe verses 9-16 speak to the Battle of Armageddon as described in Revelation 16:12-16.
What the Book of Joel makes very clear is that the Holy God will judge and punish those who oppose Him and who have and will come against His people (Joel 3:16).  Verses 17-21 details the glorious future that is in store for all those who call on the Lord to be saved (Joel 2:32).  
- Chris Adomanis

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ Read verse 2 carefully.  What does this tell you about the Lord’s character?
+ How would you describe the Lord’s “tone” in what is said in verses 4-16? Read Psalm 2:1-6. How would you answer someone who read these passages and accused God of being “arrogant and vindictive”?
+ Compare Joel 3:17-21 with Ezekiel 47:1-12 and Revelation 22:1-2. Do you ever contemplate what living in the New Jerusalem will be like?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess to clear the way for God to use me in his perfect purpose?
+ Wrath is defined as intense, violent anger, fierce indignation, or deep resentment, often accompanied by a desire for vengeance or punishment.  It’s a word not heard much in today’s church; however, just a quick research shows it appears 209 times in the Bible.  In a majority of those instances, it’s being uttered by God Himself describing His “feelings” towards something and/or someone. Have you overlooked or taken for granted the holiness of God? If so, repent and plead for mercy and forgiveness from the One who promises to forgive and restore!

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step?
+ Who in your circles of influence needs to hear about the God who is High and Mighty, yet loves and protects those who call upon Him like a Father?

Wondrous (adjective):
That is to be marveled at; extraordinary.

Oh, how I could write a novel about this book. This is my first time having read through Joel start to finish (like many of these prophets), and I am struck with such awe and wonder.
In case you don’t stop to remember from time to time, you are Israel. So am I. We all are, and not simply because we are saved in Christ. But if you have ever taken a stroll down Old Testament lane more than once or twice, you have probably found yourself thinking Are y’all serious? You’re doubting God AGAIN? or You were freed from Egypt and worshiped a golden calf? or He provides you new manna EVERY MORNING and you’re still trying to hold on to yesterday’s rations?

Cue: I would never do that if God did all that for me.

Except what about the last time you tried to rely on yesterday’s prayer and worship to get you through today so you didn’t have to make the time? Do you remember when the Lord made sure you had that one bill paid when you never should have had the money, but the next time money looked tight you thought you alone could provide for yourself and fix it?
I’m not trying to jog your memory to beat you up, but to show you that you are exactly who the Lord remembers in verse 19 when He “answered and said to His people, ‘Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.’”
This is one of my favorite verses in this book, because the Lord does not say “I hope what I send satisfies you”, and He does not say “you’ll need to earn your place in my eyes among the nations”. He says you will be satisfied. I love that the same God who spoke the mountains and seas into existence speaks our satisfaction into existence because He loves us and wants us to “be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things!”
This brings me to my last point in verses 26-29. Once again, the Lord says “‘You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you.’” To be marveled at, extraordinarily. Our Lord chooses to deal with us with marvel and wonder, rather than how we deserve, because we are the people of God that surely deserve thoughts of “Are you serious? You’re doubting Me AGAIN?”
Instead He says that “it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.” No matter your gender, your age, your station in life. You are adopted, and He will pour out His spirit.

Rejoice and be glad that our Lord deals so wondrously with us.
- Danielle Parker

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ Go back and just read the promises of these chapters. Why does God emphasize satisfaction and rejoicing so much?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess to clear the way for God to use me in his perfect purpose?
+ Do you choose to be satisfied when the Lord commands it? Or have you told God recently that what He’s provided isn’t enough through your actions?

One of the beauties of the Bible is how it uses nature to describe a host of God’s attributes. Nature is terrifying and beautiful, overwhelming and comforting, deadly and healing.
In a way, it makes perfect sense why we see so many nature-led analogies between God and the world around us.
God is both beautiful and terrifying. He’s comforting yet overwhelming. He’s the One True Healer and the Final Judge.
It’s no coincidence that most people, myself included, “feel God” the most when out in nature. Whether that’s the pull of an ocean current or the cool breeze rushing through a thick forest. God is in those places not just because He created them … but because He is them.
He’s the Fig Tree, the Olive Branch, the Raging Sea, the West Wind.
- Brandon Beylo

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ This text shows that God is all around us, all we have to do is look to nature to see His Beauty, His Creation, and His image.

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess to clear the way for God to use me in his perfect purpose?
+ In what ways have you made God smaller than your “natural” surroundings? What boulder in your life feels too big for God to remove? And why have you diminished God to that position?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step?
+ Go into nature this week and sit for 10-15 minutes. And pray.

At the end of the last chapter, Habakkuk dropped a second complaint on the Lord: “God… this whole thing with Babylon destroying your people doesn’t feel like justice…”
While it feels a bold thing to complain to the Lord, Habakkuk does so humbly and with complete trust that God will answer him and reveal to him true justice. He looks out from his watchpost and waits.
God responds. He doubles down: “write the vision, make it plain.” In other words, what I just told you, you can take to the bank. Not only that, but I need you to relay it to my people.
At this point, Habakkuk is likely getting nervous. “I’ve got to tell my countrymen that the Chaldeans are about to take them out?” Indeed. But then Yahweh says reveals the real answer that Habakkuk was seeking; an answer to a question that has been asked countless times across the millenia: what must we do to be made righteous or approved by God?
The righteous shall live by faith.
This simple statement that we know to be true from the story of Abraham (Genesis 15:6), Paul’s letters (Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11), among others, had been forgotten by Habakkuk’s contemporaries. In fact, their faith had been replaced by something else – pride. “Behold, his soul is puffed up!” As it turns out, pride is one of those sins that affects all of humanity, and it can slowly drift us away from the one thing that actually makes us right with God. Where pride reigns and faith falters, the enemy gains a foothold. And just as was the case in Judah before the Babylonian attack and exile, so too are we subject to the detriment of pride.
Your encouragement today is to exchange pride for faith. Humble yourself before God and trust Him to do what you cannot.
- Hayden Van Dyke

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ What might be the significance of God’s command to “write the vision… and make it plain” (v2)?
+ What can we learn from Habakkuk’s standing at his watch post (v1)?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess to clear the way for God to use me in his perfect purpose?
+ Am I holding onto something that might be in the way of truly living by faith?
+ We all struggle with pride from time to time. What in my life do I need to let go of so that I can truly rely on God?
+ When I call on the Lord, do I expect an answer? What does it look like for the Lord to respond to my prayers?

It is a struggle old to man: how to understand God’s actions in the world, while calling us to faith in God’s good purposes.
The book of Habbuk opens with a dialogue between Habukkuk and the Lord in two sections.  Each is a complaint by the prophet followed by the Lord’s answer.
In his intimate talk with the Lord; Habukkuk asks: “How long must I call for help and you do not listen or cry out to you about violence and you do not save?
The Lord answers him in a shocking way: “Look at the nations and observe - be utterly astounded!..Look! I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter, impetuous nation that marches across the earth’s open spaces to seize territories not its own…their horses are swifter than leopards and more fierce than wolves of the night…their hordes of faces moves forward..they gather prisoners like sand.”
As context,Habakkuk, many scholars believe, was of the tribe of Levi, possibly a musician, a prophet given an oracle (often judgments) by God. He was not a soldier, so how the words from God must have hit him so sharply. Babylon was the greatest military power at that time and had great confidence in their own power (whose strength is their god). So what was the real issue here?  That God would use the Babylonians to punish the wickedness of Judah.
Even when Habakkuk cries to the Lord with his second complaint, he begins his response by acknowledging the eternal character of God. Are you not from everlasting, O Lord, My God, My Holy One?
Then Habakkuk poses the central question of the book: Why are you silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they?
It is a central question we wrestle with today.  With such evil and madness in our world, why are those who are righteous suffering so? Yet God is not mocked.  He will avenge and judge those who hurt his people.  Until then, we are called to be light in the darkness, quiet strength to those who are suffering, to be the truth tellers with the real story of life and life abundantly to those who are lost and ultimately, without hope.
- Eileen Dowd

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ As you read this first chapter of Habukkuk, do you also wrestle with: “Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong?” Take time to reflect on this passage with your community group or fellow believers.
+ The passages are written with such amazing descriptions of the Chaldeans: “Their horses are swifter than leopards, more fierce than the evening wolves. Their horsemen press proudly on”.  Please take time to see the picture painted here; then put yourself in the picture.  What do you see?  How do you feel? Explore what God is saying and then read how Habukkuk responds.

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess to clear the way for God to use me in his perfect purpose?
+ Take a moment to reflect on how deeply and dearly Habukkuk spoke to the Lord.  Do you have that kind of relationship with Jesus?  Would you like him to be more in your life than He has been - and not because the Lord hasn’t been there all the time, but because you and I  have drifted from Him through hurry, worry and life’s many distractions?  If so, now is a good time to quietly reaffirm and recommit to longer stretches of time with the King of Kings, our Lord and Savior.
+ Why not set aside 30 minutes each morning and begin the day with the Bible? How about a Bible app for study?  Just a few ideas to get you started!

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ Dear Father, as I read the words of your prophet, Habukkuk, I am struck by my, at times, indifference,  toward my own sin.  Please help me see the way you see me and change my heart.  I want to be the one that follows you no matter what the world does.  

What do you think of when you read that passage? Do you instinctively distance yourself because “that was ancient Jerusalem”? Or do you recognize patterns that feel uncomfortably close?
In this passage, the city is judged as a whole because its corruption is embodied in its leaders and institutions. The officials, judges, prophets, and priests are named because they are not passive observers; they shape and sustain the direction of the community.
Because leaders shape direction and people follow, communities inevitably reflect what they love, echoing Augustine’s insight that a people is defined by what it loves most (ordo amoris).
So does God hold cities accountable for their deeds? Or individuals for theirs? The answer to both is yes. The city is addressed as a corporate reality, and individuals within it are personally responsible. This is seen in John’s record of the seven churches in Book of Revelation chapters 2–3, and in Paul’s reminder in his Epistle to the Romans 14:12 that each of us will give an account to God.
What, then, should we take from this passage?
We hold fast to the unchanging core in verse 5: “The Lord within her is righteous; he does no injustice; every morning he shows forth his justice; each dawn he does not fail.” In contrast to corrupt leadership and distorted justice, God remains present, righteous, and consistently just.
So how do we live in response to that reality? We receive biblical correction rather than resist it. We draw near to God rather than drift from him. We uphold righteousness in daily life rather than compromise it. And we pursue justice in our community rather than merely talk about its absence.
- Jason Rimmer

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ Have I prayed to the Lord to show me where I can affect the city through my interactions with family, neighbors and colleagues?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess to clear the way for God to use me in his perfect purpose?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step?
+ What friend or mentor could I discuss this passage with?

I know reading prophecies of destruction and justice can be a little intense. It is humbling to know we serve a God who commands the mountains, seas, and skies. Our God is awesome in power and He is jealous of our hearts and attention. I want to point out Chapter 1 verses 4-6. This is written about a people who bow down to God, but have their eyes set on the wrong thing. This should sound familiar. I know in my life I have done the things, put my hands up in worship, prayed the prayers, but still allowed other false gods to captivate my attention and my heart. My flesh still pursues other gods, and that's why our repentance is daily. This should put our eyes on Calvary and the wrath of God’s justice that has been satisfied. Let us encounter Jesus at the cross and allow Him to captivate everything we do. (1 Corinthians 10:31).
- Quentin Parker

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ What is being said when the text talks about the names of the priests and the priests?
+ See Matthew 6:24. What is similar between that passage and today’s reading?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ What are one or two distractions you have from your obedience to God?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step?
+ How can you cut your distractions away?

The highlighted passage that we’ve just read holds together two great Truths about God that we often separate.
Firstly, our Great God is just, and powerful. He does not overlook sin, nor leave evil unaddressed. His patience is not weakness; He is slow to anger, yet He will by no means clear the guilty. His power is absolute, and extends over all creation.
At the same time, God is Good, and our Refuge. Verse 7 stands in the middle of this passage as a steady reminder that God not only passes judgment, but He is also a place of safety for His beloved. He knows those who take refuge in Him—not in a distant or general way, but personally.
Together, these verses show us a fuller picture of God’s character: He is both righteous in judgment and faithful in care. His justice does not cancel out His goodness, and His goodness does not diminish His justice.
- Jenna Connor

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ Do I need to challenge myself on how I think about God? Do I see Him primarily as Just, yet distant? Do I think of Him as loving, and yet not serious about sin? Does the passage allow for this kind of thinking, or does it call me to both reverence and trust?
+ Do I take God too lightly? Can I remember that He is Holy, and Just, and Loving? Do I remember that I have a place of refuge in Him?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Do I choose every day to run toward God’s refuge when I’m anxious, stressed, or uncertain about my circumstances? Or do I remain distant and afraid to deepen my relationship with our Almighty God?
+ What would it look like this week to trust God as my refuge instead of trying to manage everything on my own?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step?
+ Could I ask members of my church and small group to pray with me and for me to press in on revering and trusting in God, specifically because He is just, righteous, holy and good?
+ Use this prayer below or create your own, focusing on the awesome characteristics that God displays.
 
God, thank You that You are both just and good.
Thank you that you do not ignore sin, and that you are also a refuge for those who come to you.
Help me to hold both of these truths together—to fear you rightly and to trust you deeply.
Teach me to run to you in every circumstance, knowing that you are both powerful and good.
Amen.

After detailing the injustice and corruption of those who should be leveraging their resources for good, Micah offers a poetic verse on how to walk out the Good News of God's redemption plan. In a world of endless self-improvement advice and competing demands, his words cut through the noise with stunning clarity: God's requirements aren't mysterious or complicated. He's already shown us what matters.
Act Justly. Justice begins with small choices. Today, you'll face moments where you can speak truth or remain silent, treat someone fairly or take advantage, honor your commitments or cut corners. Justice operates at checkout lines, in family discussions, and in workplace decisions. Where might God be calling you to act justly today?
Love Mercy. Notice the verb: love mercy, not just show it occasionally. This means developing an appetite for compassion, craving opportunities to extend grace. Who in your life needs mercy today? The colleague who made a mistake? The family member who disappointed you? The stranger whose story you don't know? Mercy transforms both giver and receiver.
Walk Humbly. Walking suggests an ongoing daily journey rather than a single destination. Humility isn't self-deprecation but honest self-awareness before God. It's recognizing that every breath is a gift and, every day, an opportunity for grace. Walking humbly means staying in conversation with God, not just in morning prayer but throughout your entire day.
- Mary Gunther

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ Which of the three requirements—acting justly, loving mercy, or walking humbly—is easiest for you to understand? Which is hardest to grasp?
+ Why do you think Micah emphasizes that God has "already shown" us what is good? What does this reveal about God's character and His expectations?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Where have you recently chosen convenience or self-interest over justice? What would it look like to act justly in that specific situation today?
+ Who needs your mercy right now, someone you've been withholding forgiveness from or judging harshly? What concrete step could you take to extend grace to them today?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step?
+ What is my next step to walk more humbly with God throughout my entire day, not just in designated "spiritual" moments?
+ How can I invite someone else, a family member, friend, or community group, to help me grow in acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly this week?

Today’s passage brings a message of hope from the center of the book of Micah.  Surrounding this central beacon are justifications for God’s judgment (Micah Chapters 1-3 and 6-7) on both the leaders and people of Israel who were oppressing the poor and pursuing false gods. What is this hope?  That there is a coming Ruler who will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD. He will be great, be their peace, and bring security not only to Israel, but to the ends of the earth.
By the days of King Herod, the chief priests and scribes had correctly discerned from Micah 5 that the coming Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, see Matthew 2. We also learn that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, fulfilling this prophecy. As we add Micah’s prophecy to those of other prophets, we see these all point to Jesus.
- Gary Gunther

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ What is the significance of Jesus being our peace?
+ Why was Jesus born in an obscure town?
+ What is the significance of Jesus ruling as a shepherd rather than a political or military leader?
+ Micah 5:2 says that the coming ruler would come forth from the days of eternity.  What insight does this give us in our concept of Jesus?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ How can I experience Jesus being my peace?
+ Is there a step for me to take in service or humility?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step?
+ Is there someone I can join to help me see Jesus more clearly?
+ Where do I lack peace, and am I willing to invite Jesus in to bring peace?

“Is not the Lord in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us.”
That’s a bold claim. “God is on our side,” these leaders say. Now, Scripture shows that God’s favor for Israel is covenantally conditioned according to Deuteronomy 28 – “All these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God… but if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.”
So, instead of taking these leaders at their word, let’s place their actions in verse 11 up against the measuring stick of Scripture to see how well they hold up.
The “heads” – civic and judicial authorities – desecrate the legal system. Justice is sold. This is in direct violation of Deuteronomy 16:19 – “you shall not pervert justice…and you shall not accept a bribe”.
The “priests” – the official teachers of Torah and religious order – are no better. They desecrate the practice of teaching God’s Word, selling what they were bound to give faithfully despite the abundant provisions that the Lord already sets aside for priests in Numbers 18.
The “prophets” are not really prophets at all. They practice “divination” for money. Micah’s use of that particular verb is intentional. He does not use the neutral verb for prophecy, instead choosing an exclusively negative verb that recalls exactly the sort of soothsaying that is outlawed in Deuteronomy 18:10 – “There shall not be found among you…anyone who practices divination”.
“Is not the Lord in the midst of us?”
How dangerous this is. These leaders dress their apostasy in the shiny garments of religious rhetoric, lulling the people – and themselves – into a false belief that their morally distorted agendas are God-backed. But God does not identify himself with corrupt institutions simply because they dress their actions in His name. Once we look beyond their deceptive religious assurances and hold Scripture up as God’s holy standard, the truth becomes clear.
Let the true words of God guide us – not man dressed in God-language. Hold everything up to the measuring stick of Scripture. Let us be like Micah, who says the following just three verses prior: “But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.”
- Kidus Kebede

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ Read Jeremiah 26:18-19. The passage tells us about how Hezekiah, king of Judah at the time, responded to Micah’s prophetic warnings. How does this inform your understanding of the prophetic office and its purpose?
+ Micah 3:11 is NOT telling us that the modern-day teachers of God’s Word should not receive remuneration. In fact, Paul argues the opposite in 1 Corinthians 9. The laborer truly deserves his wages. So what is it that Micah is condemning here regarding the priests’ actions?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Micah sets an incredibly high standard for us when it comes to holding the world around us accountable to God’s Word. How can you and I better reflect his example today?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step?
+ One of the incredible things that takes place when we uncompromisingly witness to the world, as Micah does, is that the world notices. Our dedication to God’s holy standard sets us apart. It’s different, and it carries intuitive moral weight. What opportunity do you have to talk to someone about God’s holy standard and how it applies to our broken world – yours, mine, and theirs – today?

This passage is both full of judgment and hope. Hosea uses the Exodus story to give background to God and Israel’s relationship and why they should expect both judgment and future restoration. To briefly summarize: Israel has turned away from God, and there is judgment coming. This judgment finds its logic in the fact that God is the one who rescued Israel from Egypt. Afterwards, they pledged themselves to be his people. As a result, it is God alone who has the right to Israel’s allegiance, but they have forgotten him and turned to serve other gods. As a result, there is injustice and evil living in their midst. Now God will destroy them. But there is a day that is coming when God will ransom his people from death itself and heal their hearts. They will no longer go after vain idols but serve and love the Lord.
What Hosea is describing is a new exodus. A time where God actively works to bring life to his people, redeeming them from an oppressive power that has ownership of them. The very idea of redemption carries with it the idea of a transfer of ownership. The Israelites were owned by Pharaoh, but God took them, brought them to himself, and made them his own. A redemption from death, as described in chapter 13, verse 14, would imply that they are owned by death and need a new passover and new exodus out of death and into new life.
This brings us to Jesus, who specifically picked up the Passover and redemption language when describing his mission here on earth. We are invited to join him in an exodus from death since he has made a way out of being owned by death through his own death as the passover lamb. The world is passing away and is even under judgment, but there is an opportunity to paint the blood of the lamb over the doorpost of our lives, follow God out of slavery, become his people, and set course for the promised land. We are living in the days of the new exodus.
- John Barzal

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ Can you summarize this passage in your own words?
+ What is Hosea saying to his audience?
+ What is the meaning of redemption? Why is it key to understanding the biblical story?
+ What are the different images that Hosea uses to convey his message? What are their significances?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ The exodus story forms a core identity for the Israelites in the Old Testament and for the people of God more broadly. How can you begin to live within the narrative of the exodus?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step?
+ Who would benefit from hearing that God is in the business of redeeming people from death?

Hosea 9–11 is a heavy section. There’s warning, loss, and the mess that comes when people keep drifting from God. But right in the middle of it, we get something surprising, we get God’s heart.
In chapter 11, God talks like a parent remembering a child He raised. He taught them to walk. He picked them up when they fell. He bent down to feed them. He cared for them in ways they barely noticed.
Honestly, that sounds like a lot of our lives. We tend to notice God when things go wrong, but miss how often He has carried us all along. The help that showed up at the right time. Protection we didn’t even see. Strength we didn’t know we had. Grace we took for granted.
Before you ever thought much about Him, He was already caring for you.
- David Bempong

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ What pictures of love do you notice in 11:1–4?
+ What do these verses show you about God?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step?

Hosea prophesies both the judgment of Israel’s faithlessness, but also the mercy of God. Like Hosea’s faithless wife, Israel has gone after other gods (Baal), sought alliances with other nations (Egypt and Assyria) for security, and abandoned the covenant they made with God. According to the terms of the covenant, there are consequences for their disobedience; they will face the justice and wrath of the Lord, but they will not be totally destroyed.
Our passage begins with a hopeful promise, that the Lord will restore, He will heal those who have been chastened and turn to Him truly (6:1-3). But for now, because they have sown wickedness, they will reap the harvest of the judgment that they deserve (8:7). In this passage, we see both the holiness of God, which cannot abide our sin, and God’s faithful love to His people, even when we are faithless. Praise God that in Christ’s rising on the third day, we too are raised and healed as Hosea foretold!
- Monica Godfrey

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ Why do the Israelites deserve judgment? What does God desire of the Israelites?
+ What is evident about the character of God in these passages?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ In what ways are we like Israel? How do you view your sin?
- Are you turning from it and seeking God truly?
- Do you still love your sin and are unrepentant?
- Do you believe that the Lord gives mercy for your sins and healing for your soul?
- Spend some time honestly with the Lord in prayer about this.
+ Is there someone you need to confess to and ask forgiveness from?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step?
+ Is there someone you know who needs to hear of the mercy and judgment of our God?

The book of Hosea is radically different from any other of the other 12 minor prophets. Here we see a man who is called by God to do something that is unbelievable to our modern ears and certainly would have been equally unbelievable in Israel during the time of the Divided Kingdom. Hosea was called to marry a woman who would be unfaithful to him. God had set apart a wife for Hosea who would squander his love, chase after other men, and think that the security Hosea afforded through God came from her adulterous lovers. Yikes! Impossible! This is too big of an ask, God. How can one love another when known betrayal at the deepest level stood squarely in the near future?
As we read this book so soon after Easter, we remember one who was asked to do a similar thing. Jesus was to go to a people who would not believe nor receive Him. These people had no righteousness of their own, but grace and love still came to them in a person. Grace and love came through Jesus as He took on flesh, lived the sinless life no one else could, paid the price for every unfaithful sinner, took every sin to the grave, and rose again to a new life so each relationship with God could be restored.
Romans 5:8 reminds us, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
God asked Hosea to do a “Jesus thing” in the Old Testament. Hosea is one of many Old Testament “types” that point us to who the prophesied Jesus would be and what He would do when He came. Jesus does in fact come in the New Testament to rescue and redeem the lost, the sinner, the Gomer’s like you and me. He restores broken relationships. He brings beauty from the ashes.
In this age, the Spirit now empowers you and I to invite Jesus into spaces that need to be rescued and redeemed. We are to be like Jesus in our relationships, in our work places and in our homes. It’s a big ask. It feels impossible. Yet all things are possible with God. Hosea knew it. He lived it. Will we?
- Kimberly Williams

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ What was “the land” guilty of according to Hosea 1:2?
+ What were the names of Hosea and Gomer’s three children? What was the meaning of their names? What surprises you about these name choices?
+ What happens in Hosea 1:9 that reverses the naming curse? How does this reflect God’s character/attributes?
+ What will happen to the Divided Kingdom and the divided household and the divided heart according to Hosea 1:10? What will unify them? Who might be in view here?
+ What was “the mother” guilty of according to Hosea 2:5, 8, 13?
+ What did God do as “the mother was going astray"?
+ What action did God take even as “the mother,” and “the land” were actively sinning? See Hosea 1:9-10 and 2:14-23

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Paul quotes David in Romans 4:7-8. He links God’s grace between Testaments.+ Have you accepted God's own gift of grace to you? If so, are you walking in freedom?
+ How is God calling you and I to extend grace, this free, undeserved gift to someone else in our life today?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step?
+ Who in your life needs to remember today that nothing can separate them from the love of God? Ask the Lord for a name today and reach out to them directly.

Today, we close out our look at the Book of Amos by examining the last three chapters, Amos 7-9.  In Chapter 7, the Lord shows the coming judgement of the nation of Israel to Amos by revealing a series of visions to him.  However, after each of the first two “warning visions” (swarming locusts and unquenchable fire), Amos prays for the Lord to forgive and to cease from carrying out His just wrath on the people and the Lord relents.  But in the third vision, Amos sees the Lord Himself holding a plumb line in His hand, showing Amos the “crookedness” of the people, especially that of King Jeroboam II.  The Lord declares that His judgement will be held back no longer and Israel will be laid to waste and the people led into exile.  Amos shares this word from the Lord to Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, who wants no part of this message and demands Amos leave Israel.  
In Chapter 8, Amos is shown another vision; that of a ripe bowl of summer fruit, signifying the “readiness” of Israel to receive God’s judgement for their sinful ways, which included worshipping other gods and living extravagantly while neglecting and taking advantage of the poor.
A final vision of judgement is revealed in the beginning of chapter 9, where the Lord is seen standing at the altar in Bethel, the center of Israel’s idolatrous worship. He makes clear that His judgement of the nation is inescapable and that the people will be scattered into exile.  However, the book ends with God’s promise to restore His relationship with Israel, to permanently return them to their land, and to abundantly bless them.  He further states this promise will be available to “all the Gentiles who are called by my name”, a prophecy fulfilled with the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ (Acts 15:6-18).

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ In Chapter 7, twice the Lord holds back His judgement upon Israel after supplication offered by Amos.  For a similar account, read Genesis 18 and Abraham interceding over the city of Sodom.  What do you make of these encounters and what does it tell you about the character of God and the power of prayer?
+ What sins led God to release His judgement upon the people of Israel?  What role did Israel’s leadership play in this?  What is the “penalty” God promises to bring in Amos 8:11-14 and what do you think it means?
+ Reread Amos 9:1-10.  Do you find God’s words harsh?  How do you explain verses like these to unbelievers who say they want nothing to do with a “vengeful, wrathful God”?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Amos has been a very convicting book to read.  According to one commentary, God brings harsh judgment on Israel for “rampant economic injustice, exploitation of the poor and insincere worship” offered to God.  Let’s all examine our own lives to see if we are sinning in ways described in Amos 8, knowing forgiveness and restoration can be found as detailed in Amos 9!  Praise the Lord for His long suffering love for His people!

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step?
+ Who in your circles of influence needs to hear about a holy God who loves enough to punish and correct His people but always with the goal of rebuilding and restoring them to blessing in abundance?

Amos is an emotional read for me. Maybe it is for you, too.
Pastor David and I have had a few very memorable conversations where we’ve discussed the idea that people have of “the God of the old testament” versus “the God of the new testament”. Have you ever viewed Him that way?
What people typically mean is that throughout the old testament, Jesus had not yet been born, so the effect is God the Father choosing wrath, anger, vengeance, keeps score against Israel, and so forth; and then when Jesus is born, God the Son (as if suddenly coming into existence, having not been the Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End [Revelation 21:6]) is suddenly a new and improved Lord Almighty 2.0. As if the birth and death of Christ transformed the person and character of Yahweh. But if we can all agree and confess that the Word of God has the final say, that it is the authority and truth over all, then we must believe Him when we read in Hebrews 13:8.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Can I get an amen? Praise the Lord that we serve such a compassionate, merciful and loving God!
Here in these chapters of Amos, we read the Lord calling out the sin, the idolatry, and the hypocrisy of Israel. A people who “‘Go to Bethel and sin; go to Gilgal and sin yet more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three years. Burn leavened bread as a thank offering and brag about your freewill offerings – boast about them, you Israelites, for this is what you love to do.’” Amos 4:4-5 NIV 
Of course, this is not His permission to go and sin, but to highlight their desires and patterns of choosing what they know is sin and “balancing the scales” with enough offerings to keep sinning. How often do we do the same? Maybe it’s knowing we’re going to go out and indulge a little bit too much on a Saturday night, “but I’m going to church tomorrow so it’s fine.” Maybe it’s losing our temper and self control at our loved ones, or even a stranger, “but if I just pray, God will still love and forgive me.”
Let us not grieve the Holy Spirit with premeditated sin, taking advantage of the compassion He has promised us. He calls us into repentance, and new life. Amos 5 says it three (yes, 3!) times!

5:4-5 …Seek me and live; but do not seek Bethel, and do not enter into Gilgal or cross over to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Bethel shall come to nothing.
5:6 Seek the Lord and live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel
5:14-15 Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said. Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

To hate evil is not to plan it and to hope, or even know, that we will be forgiven for it. It is to flee from it. It is to run from it– and not aimlessly toward something less sinful. To Jesus!
The lifegiver! The living water! The bread of life! The One who loves you so much that He saw every sin, every loss, every difficulty, every victory, every joyful moment, and everything in between before your very conception, and called you by name. The One who saw your struggles, addictions, and failures, and says that you were worth dying for. Before you were born.
He is worthy to be praised. He is the same God who was, and is, and is to come. Let us rejoice by running after Him, seeking good, and seeking the One who is good.

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ What does the Lord want Israel to see here? Beyond their choice to sin?
+ Why do you think the people of Israel still haven’t learned yet? Do you see yourself in the answer?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ What does it mean to seek the Lord and live?
+ What is one way you personally can seek good and live today?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life:
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step?
+ Ask God to reveal where you haven’t sought to bring Him in to your choices.

Amos, the shepherd-turned-prophet from the southern kingdom of Judah is as about direct as one can be when he speaks Yahweh’s indictments against the nations surrounding Israel. If you were familiar with the geography of the Middle East circa 850BCE (are they still teaching that in our schools?), you notice a pattern as he rattles these off. In chapter 1 and the beginning of chapter 2 Amos slowly spirals in, pronouncing the transgressions of Israel’s neighbors. But then, in Amos 2:6-16 (and the rest of the text, really) he centers in on Israel… God’s chosen people. His words are not soft or vague – they are direct and intense. His first accusation?

“They sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals…”

Can righteousness be bought? Are the needy as worthless as a pair of shoes? “Of course not…” you’re probably thinking. So to are Amos’ listeners likely aghast at this claim. What is the standard Yahweh is holding them to? Is it unreasonable?

God is omniscient and sees the plight of the poor as well as he sees the leisure of the wealthy. In Luke’s gospel, Jesus will pronounce blessing to the poor and woe to the rich. Israel would eventually be exiled for their transgressions against God’s covenant, and even though He restores them to their land, only a few centuries later do they crucify the Christ who was likewise poor. We are called to love our neighbors – consider your neighbors today. Are they poor and needy? If so, can you offer them hope? Can you meet a basic need? If not, perhaps pray and ask the Lord to open your eyes to the needs of your neighbors.

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ What are the charges against Israel? Does the covenant law that condemns Israel apply to you today?
+ What does it mean to “trample the poor and turn aside the way of the afflicted” (v7)?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ How can love my neighbors better today? Is there a need I can meet?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life:
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step?
+ Is there someone who comes to mind when I consider the poor and the destitute?
+ Who needs to hear the message that Jesus came to “bring good news to the poor”?

Most folks are familiar with Jonah and the whale, but how about Jonah and the plant? And how about that king of Nineveh? It looks like both he and Jonah had a change of heart. This is almost like a parable you might hear from Jesus… the person you expect to have a heart for others, the one willing to extend grace and have mercy is… not Jonah the prophet, but instead, it’s the Gentile king!
Jonah is so frustrated with God and his circumstances that he wishes he were dead. He was so close to being the good guy in the story – but instead his pride results in the death of a very needed plant! Contrastingly, the king of Nineveh seems to repent (see Jonah 3:7-9). Know this: God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy, and He will judge whom He will judge. He is sovereign – slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love! He honors the repentant heart, and disdains the pitiless. Which are you?

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ What do Jonah’s actions tell us about his heart? What about the king of Nineveh?
+ What does this passage tell us about God?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ How should we respond to God’s commands? Does compliance equal obedience?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life:
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step?
+ Who needs to hear the word of the Lord in your life? How might you walk with them as they digest the good news?

3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.
Jonah 1:3

Jonah's Prayer
1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying,
“I called out to the Lord, out of my distress,
    and he answered me;
out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
    and you heard my voice.
3 For you cast me into the deep,
    into the heart of the seas,
    and the flood surrounded me;
all your breakers and your waves
    passed over me...

6 To the roots of the mountains I went down,
    to the land whose bars closed upon me forever.
Yet you brought up my life from the pit,
    O Lord my God...

9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving
    will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
    Salvation belongs to the Lord!”
Jonah 2:1-3, 6, 9

Wow, that Jonah, a prophet from Galilee, pays his way aboard a ship to flee God!  He was so angry at the Nineveh people and how they blasphemed and trampled God.
Yet God chose this (sometimes we think) unlikely man to tell Nineveh to repent or be annihilated by the King of Kings.
Think of Nineveh like a large cosmopolitan city like New York, or London, or Paris.  It was huge and so prosperous.  Evil lured on every corner, and God had had enough.
So our man Jonah, a really important man - he prophesied after Elisha and was a contemporary of Micah,wasn’t having any of it.
Thus, the large fish swallows him up after he gets tossed from the ship because it’s going down if he stays in - so much drama!
Then, and here’s the part we can sit and ponder::  Jonah not only repents but writes a beautiful, stunning, image-filled poem.
Jonah KNOWS God.  His God, the one who he calls out to in his distress; while the floods surround him and the waters break over him, and weeds were wrapped around him, God brought him out of the pit.  Then, with a voice of thanksgiving, Jonah ends with: Salvation belongs to the Lord!
And with that, the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ Is the main theme of the Book of Jonah God’s sovereignty over all people? So today, do we acknowledge this? If so, how; if not, why do we back away from God-filled conversations with others?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Do I often look out upon the world and see such evil and misery that I want to flee? Live in my own bubble of those who think like me, walk and talk like me?  Discuss.

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step?
+ We teach the story of Jonah to our children, but do we take the time to reflect on how we walk out our anger at the world and how so many folks attack our God?  Take time to write your own poem to God, honoring Him for what he has given you. You can then use your prayer time to let the Holy Spirit guide you to a person who is hurting and needs our Jesus.  Today would be a wonderful day to share the Gospel with them!