In today’s Bible reading* God begins to speak through Amos the shepherd. He condemns people in the Eighth Century BC for oppressing the poor and promises that God will not relent in the punishment and exile of His people. While God condemns surrounding nations, He specifically calls out His people, Israel and Judah. He says,…
In today’s Bible reading* we read through the book of Jonah. For many of us, it’s a familiar story. God tells Jonah to preach against Nineveh. Jonah runs away in the opposite direction and catches a boat sailing for Tarshish. A great storm tosses the boat and the sailors toss Jonah from the boat. God…
In today’s Bible reading* we see Elijah do some pretty awesome things. But James tells us that Elijah was a man like we are. (James 5:17) Those are comforting words. But I’ve never seen anyone call down fire from heaven to consume a sacrifice. I’ve never seen anyone call down fire to destroy people. (2…
In today’s Bible reading* Ahab (evil king) and Jehoshaphat (good king) form an alliance. Ahab wants to go to war against Ramoth-gilead. Jehoshaphat agrees to join him in fighting, but he tells Ahab to first ask what God’s will is. All of the prophets told Ahab to go to war. But there was one hold-out…
Today’s Bible reading* is one of my favorite stories in the Bible: the showdown between Elijah and the Prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. The story is a familiar one for those of us who have been around church for very long. In it, Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal (the fertility god) to accept…
In today’s Bible reading* we read about two men who didn’t have staying power. One was a prophet who delivered a hard word to Jeroboam. The other was King Rehoboam, a wavering king. After delivering the hard word to Jeroboam, the prophet obeyed God and went back home, not stopping to eat or drink, according…
