A Descendant of David and an Ancestor of Jesus As we read the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1, we read many familiar names in the first eleven verses. After the nation is exiled to Babylon, we see many unfamiliar names. But one name pops out. It is Zerubbabel, whom the Bible identifies as the […]
Daniel and a Den of Hungry Lions When Darius becomes king in place of Belshazzar, he establishes a hierarchy to help him rule, with Daniel as one of three administrators overseeing 120 province governors. Daniel conducts himself so well that the king plans to set him over the entire kingdom. The other two administrators and […]
The Writing on the Wall Belshazzar succeeds his father Nebuchadnezzar as ruler over Babylon. Once established, he throws a grand party for one thousand of his nobles. While drinking wine—perhaps too much—he orders that the goblets taken from the temple in Jerusalem be brought out to serve his guests. In doing so, they praise their […]
See God at work in the Babylonian King’s Life When I consider Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, I think of an evil man who killed countless people and plundered the nations he conquered. Yet, despite his many shortfalls, I wonder if God views him differently. Jeremiah quotes the Lord as calling Nebuchadnezzar “my servant.” God […]
Daniel’s Three Friends When Babylon conquers Judah, Daniel and his three friends—Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah—are seized. They’re deported to Babylon. Their names may be unfamiliar to you. That’s because this trio is better known by the names given to them by their captors: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. We read of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego only […]
Two Complaints to God and a Prayer Following Zephaniah by a few years is Habakkuk. He is the only person named Habakkuk in the Bible, and he only appears in his book of prophecy. His ministry overlaps Jeremiah’s and most of Obadiah’s. He prophesies just before Judah’s fall to Babylon. Unlike the other prophets’ writings, […]
Criticizes Edom for its Pride The Bible has nine men with the name Obadiah, but the prophet is the best known among them. Overlapping Habakkuk and following him is Obadiah. His one-chapter book in the Bible records what God reveals to him in a vision. He likely lives in Judah. His prophecy addresses the nation […]
A Prophecy that Ends with Hope Following Nahum is the prophet Zephaniah. The only information the Bible gives us about Zephaniah is his parentage and that he prophesies during the reign of King Josiah. Zephaniah is the son of Cushi, grandson of Gedaliah, great-grandson of Amariah, and great-great-grandson of Hezekiah. But knowing his lineage gives […]
Prophesies Destruction Against Nineveh Following closely after Micah and Isaiah is Nahum (1). Nahum is an Elkoshite. He only appears once in the Bible, so we know nothing else about him from Scripture. We do, however, know his message. He prophesies destruction against the city of Nineveh and the nation of Assyria, just like Jonah […]
The People Don’t Want to Hear His Message The prophet Micah (5) is a contemporary of Isaiah. Micah’s ministry overlaps and follows Hosea’s. We know little else about Micah from the Bible except that he comes from Moresheth, but Scripture doesn’t reveal where it is. Micah prophesies to the nations of Israel and Judah during […]