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The Scriptorium

The Word of God to the Nations

The nations are not outside the reach of God's covenant.

The Heart of God: The Decline and Fall of Israel (3)

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
Luke 24.27

Read and meditate on Jonah, Nahum, and Obadiah.
Part of the great tragedy of Israel’s decline and fall was the effect it had – or failed to have – on the surrounding nations. The blessings of God, which He intended for all the nations (Gen. 12.1-3), were bottled up in Israel’s rebellion. Yet God continued to demonstrate His rule over all peoples. In our readings for today, three more prophets reinforce the message of God’s covenant, but also help us to remember the vast scope of the promises God made to Israel.

For reflection
1.  God sent Obadiah to the nation Edom, a Gentile neighbor of Israel and Judah. What was the prophet’s message to Edom? How does this message reinforce the grace of God toward Israel?

2.  How would you summarize the message of the book of Jonah? How does this differ from Obadiah’s message to Edom? In what ways does Jonah represent God’s hope for Israel?

3.  What is the message of Nahum? Does God’s judgment against Nineveh differ from His judgment against Israel, as we have seen it in the readings for this week? How does this help us in understanding the scope, privileges, and obligations of God’s covenant? Meditate on Romans 1.18-32. How should the reality of God’s judgment today motivate us in our covenant callings?

4.  Why was it important that those to whom these Old Testament books were originally addressed should understand that God has concern for the Gentile nations? But Israel was not in the least concerned for the salvation of the Gentile nations. Quite the contrary. Are we more like the faithful prophets of Israel or the people and rulers of Israel, when it comes to our concern for lost people? Explain.

5.  What do we learn about God from these five prophets (Elijah, Elisha, Jonah, Nahum, and Obadiah)? What do we learn from them about knowing the Lord?

Summary
God’s covenant is intended for all nations, and all the earth. Part of the tragedy of Israel is that she failed to be the witness to the nations which God intended (recall Deut. 4.5-8). What would you say is the primary message about being the people of God that we should derive from these five prophets?

Closing Prayer
O my God, make them like the whirling dust,
Like the chaff before the wind!
As the fire burns the woods,
And as the flame sets the mountains on fire,
So pursue them with Your tempest,
And frighten them with Your storm.
Fill their faces with shame,
That they may seek Your name, O LORD.
Let them be confounded and dismayed forever;
Yes, let them be put to shame and perish,
That they may know that You, whose name alone is the LORD,
Are the Most High over all the earth.

Psalm 83.13-18

T. M. Moore

Two books can help you gain a fuller understanding of the terrain we will be covering in this series. Kingdom Documentsprovides a concise overview of the primary teaching of the Old and New Testaments, and shows, through early Church creeds, how our forebears understood the primary teachings of God’s Word. (click here to order). I Will Be Your Goddevelops more fully the idea of God’s covenant and leads us to consider the practical implications of our covenant relationship with God (click here).

Visit The Ailbe Seminary, where our course,
Introduction to Biblical Theology, offers a parallel study of our theme in this series, using brief video presentations and the workbook God’s Covenant: An Introduction. All courses at The Ailbe Seminary are available without charge.

We are happy to be able to offer each week’s Scriptorium studies in a free weekly PDF, suitable for personal or group use. You can download all the studies in this series by clicking here. Please prayerfully consider sharing with The Fellowship of Ailbe through your giving. You can contribute to The Fellowship by clicking the Contribute button at the website or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

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