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Series: Unveiling the Bible Story - Seeing Glory & Walking in Grace Today: Reformation & Revival, Pt 5; A Heart That Listens to “The Prophets” (Micah 6:6-8 & many other passages)
Intro:
** * What are the OT prophets all about? Why do we have “The Prophets”?
I “The Prophets” give us, with__________ authority & full____________, actual________________of God,
II. which compellingly draws us to______________ the beauty, grace, & glory of_________Himself,
III. & powerfully strengthens, motivates, & directs us for a ______________that enjoys _____________ God.
Concl:
Digging Deeper Into “The Book of the Prophets” There is no better way to dig deeper into the OT prophets (the 17 OT books, known as “The Prophets”) than to read them. Again & again. Book by book. Pray for God to teach you & speak to you as you read them. Notice how often Jesus & the Apostles quote them. These books which can seem so irrelevant to us at 1st - so focused on Israel & ancient nations (Babylonians, Assyrians & the like) & ancient practices (what really is “Baal worship”) - are actually amazingly relevant & up to date. Here are a few central passages that that help us to understand “The Prophets”. Like all good Bible study this can be hard work, but it is worth the effort.
• The prophets again & again & again claim to be speaking the very Word of God. They ask us to listen to them if we are going to listen to God! Here are a few of the 100’s of examples: Hos 1:1-2; Joel 1:1; Mic 1;1 & 6:1; Am 1:3; Nah 1:1 & 12; Hag 1:2-7; Mat 1:1. Note the persistence of God giving us His Word thru His prophets & our tendency not to listen in Jer 7:13, 11:7-8, 23:21-22, 25:3-4, 26:5, 28:15-23, 29:8-9, 19, 32:33, & 35:14 • The prophets again & again have visions & special encounters with God. These are only a few of scores of examples: Is 6: 1-6ff; Jer 32:38-41; Eze 1; Eze 37; Nahum 1; Micah 7:18-20. The prophets point us to the one & only awesome God. • The prophets again & again call us to live in a distinctive way. They call us to want to have a lifestyle that glorifies God. Some of the qualifies of this new lifestyle that flows from encountering the real God include “humility”, “righteousness”, “justice”, & “loving kindness”. Often 2, 3 or all 4 of these qualities are mentioned together in the Prophets. Here are a few of those examples: Amos 5:6-15, 2 1-24; Micah 6:6-8; Zech 7:8-14 & 8:16-23; Jer 9:23-24; Is 5:1-7: Hos 4:1-3; 6:6 (Mt 9:13, & 12:7) (to learn more read the larger contexts of all these passages). This lifestyle often includes caring for the poor & marginalized of society (often referred to as “widows, orphans, the fatherless & sojourners”). See Is 1:17 & 23; Jer 5:28; 2 1:12; Note: these qualities are also common in other parts of the Bible as in Dt 10:12-13 & 16-22; Ex 22:21-22; & Pr 22:22 • Perhaps the most common word of the prophets is to “repent” or “turn”. See Zech 1:1-6; Jer 23:21-22; 2K 17:13 & 2 Chron 36:5-16 • Notice how Jesus sums up “The Prophets” in Mt 7:12; 22:40 & Lk 24:27 |