At age 12, I discovered a television soap opera called Dark Shadows. It spellbound me with its tales of witches, vampires, ghosts, and werewolves. I watched it every day after school, drawn to the witches’ power to protect themselves. I didn’t know if witchcraft was real, but I wanted to find out. After all, my mother spoke well of witchcraft and claimed her grandmother in Mexico was a witch.
But after a couple years of watching Dark Shadows, my girlfriend Linda told me she thought I was too obsessed with it. She said I was starting to act like one of the witches. Also, she wasn’t sure whether witchcraft was compatible with Christianity. Hence, she suggested I give it up for Lent as a sign that God was more important to me than the show.
He was, so I did. I wasn’t a Christian yet, but I was searching for God and wanted to please him.
What I Discovered
By the end of the 40 days, I was surprised at how free I felt. Free from the enticing aroma of promised power, security, and granted wishes. Free from the tantalizing scent that captured and kept my attention. And free from murky haze that arose from a bubbling caldron of agitation, one-upmanship, and revenge.
Later, Linda gave me a New Testament. I came to Christ while reading the Gospel of John. Still later, I discovered that the Bible explains that people cannot approach God in their own way. Among the unacceptable worship practices, I found this:
Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.
Deuteronomy 18:10-11
Linda was right to warn me away from witchcraft!
What Is Lent?
Lent commemorates the 40 days that Jesus fasted in the wilderness. So many observe the time by starting with a day of repentance and continuing by giving up one luxury for 40 or so days, ending around Easter. Some churches have Scripture readings for Lent to help focus believers on the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.
The churches that observe Lent include Anglican, Eastern and Oriental Orthodox, Lutheran, Methodist, Moravian, Reformed, United Protestant, and Roman Catholic. Even some Anabaptist, Baptist, and nondenominational Christian churches observe it.
Lessons from Lent
After I became a Christian, the churches I attended didn’t observe Lent. Nonetheless, observing it twice under Linda’s guidance taught me some valuable lessons.
1. Preparing Our Hearts for Easter Benefits Us
Remember how John the Baptist came baptizing to prepare people’s hearts for the coming of Jesus? And remember how Jesus said to take communion in memory of his crucifixion and resurrection?
Preparing our hearts to commemorate the greatest event in earth’s history is highly beneficial. I usually prepare for Easter by reading a Gospel in such a way that the crucifixion falls on Good Friday. This annual focus on Jesus’s gift to us prepares my heart to worship as I commemorate Good Friday and celebrate Resurrection Day.
2. Fasting Benefits Us
I’m glad Linda didn’t suggest giving up a luxury either year that we observed it together. Both times I gave up something that was consuming time and leading me away from God.
My experience giving up a gripping soap opera was so positive that I’ve continued to incorporate fasts in my life, though not necessarily at Lent or for 40 days. For example, Clay and I sometimes do a 24-hour media fast. We substitute reading the Bible and praying during the time we would have watched the news or a movie. (I’ve encouraged others to try this too. Some who have say they initially found this difficult because they weren’t used to being alone with their thoughts—thoughts they needed to pray through and get comfortable with in Jesus.)
A 24- or 48-hour complaining fast can break that joy-robbing habit. I plan these whenever I notice a grumbling attitude taking hold. Every time I’m tempted to gripe, I give praise and thanks instead.
A 12- or 24-hour food fast is ideal when I need direction or am interceding for a loved one. I use hunger pangs as a reminder to pray for what I’m seeking. If you’re young and healthy, go for a zero-calorie fast. If you’re not, or if you want to go longer than a day or two, consider the fast the elderly Daniel chose:
I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.
Daniel 10:3
3. Fasts Can Break Joy-Killing Habits
Giving up something that has been taking time and attention away from God for 40 days can be freeing. It’s a way to refocus on God and step away from things that rob us of joy and peace.
Consider what things are robbing you of joy and peace now. Might you fast from one for 40 days to transition to a calmer, more God-focused life?
Is social media stirring a boiling pot of anger, resentment, jealousy, or sense of failure?
Are magazines and catalogues a dark skillet of discontent in which envy and lusts after people, positions, possessions, or pleasures sizzle?
Has Internet research become a hot oven in which bakes a steaming casserole of succulent morsels of slander and gossip mixed with the heady spice of self-righteousness?
If so, take a break. Fast from concoctions that taste sweet to the tongue but are bitter to the spirit. Use the time you would have spent on what you’re breaking from to draw close to God. See if at the end of the fast you feel free, peaceful, and renewed in your walk with the Lord.
Conclusion
Lent is an ideal time to prepare for commemorating Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection. Scripture reading is particularly rewarding. But, as I learned from Linda, fasting from one thing that’s got an unhealthy grip on us can free us and make room for peace and joy to grow again.
But if you suspect you have a joy-killing habit and Easter is a long way off, don’t wait for Lent. Give it up for a predetermined period. You’ll reap the benefits!
https://i0.wp.com/www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Lent.png?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=16301200Jean E. Joneshttps://www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Logo-340x340-1.gifJean E. Jones2022-03-22 09:00:002022-03-21 13:44:48What Evangelicals Can Learn from Lent
Who doesn’t love feasts? God gave the people feasts they could enjoy before him. Indeed, God commanded the Israelites to gather together at seven sacred assemblies every year involving feasts. Leviticus 23 describes them:
Passover (verse 5)
Feast of Unleavened Bread (6-8)
Feast of First Fruits (9-14)
Feast of Weeks (15-22)
Feast of Trumpets (23-25)
Day of Atonement (26-32)
Feast of Booths (33-43)
The people gathered at the tabernacle (later, the temple). Not only did these festivals ensure that people remembered God’s mighty works, but they pointed to something significant about Jesus. In fact, Jesus fulfilled the first four on holy days!
What do I mean by “fulfilled”?
The apostle Paul wrote that the festivals “are a shadow of the things that were to come; thereality, however, is found in Christ” (Colossians 2:16-17). In other words, the feasts and what they commemorated foreshadowed some reality about Jesus. Thus, Jesus fulfilled the feasts when he completed that which they foreshadowed.
With that in mind, let’s look at the four holy days Jesus fulfilled and then consider the three he didn’t fulfill—and why.
The Four Feasts Jesus Fulfilled
The Jewish religious calendar begins in spring on Nisan 1, the month that the people escaped from Egypt (Exodus 12:1-2). That day is called Rosh Chadesh Nisan. Two weeks later come the year’s first three sacred assemblies, which overlap. In fact, they’re so closely related that they are often collectively referred to by the name of the first: Passover.
For Detail Lovers
The Jewish calendar is lunar, unlike the Gregorian calendar used by most of the world today. That causes Nisan 1 to fall on different dates in March or April each year. Most people think the Jewish new year is in the fall. That is because around the third century AD, many Jews started celebrating the new year in the fall (more on that later).
Passover celebrated God’s deliverance. For it, God commanded Israelite families to sacrifice alamb each year on Nisan 14, without breaking any of its bones. This was the Passover sacrifice. That night, they ate the lamb with bitter herbs. This was the Passover feast.
The annual sacrifice and feast commemorated how the Destroyer passed over homes protected by lamb’s blood so the inhabitants would not die and could instead begin the journey to the promised land.
For Detail Lovers
Here’s what happened. The Lord sent Moses to Pharaoh with a message: Let my people go! This was because the Egyptians had enslaved the Israelites. Nine times Pharaoh refused, and nine times the Lord brought plagues as a sign that he was more powerful than Pharaoh’s gods.
Then the Lord announced the tenth plague: The Destroyer would come that night and kill the Egyptian firstborn males. But he commanded the Hebrews to sacrifice a lamb and paint its blood on the top and sides of the doorframe. When the Destroyer came, he would pass over homes protected with lamb’s blood.
According to Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld, since the temple’s destruction in AD 70, no Passover lambs have been sacrificed. He says that Jews today consider Nisan 14 a minor holiday and refer to Nisan 15 to 21 as Passover.
Jesus’s Feasts Fulfillment
On Thursday, Jesus ate the Passover Feast with his disciples. The Jewish leaders arrested him that night and Rome crucified him the next day. Soldiers did not break his legs when they broke the legs of those crucified with him so “that the Scripture” regarding the Passover lamb “might be fulfilled” (John 19:33,36).
The New Testament declares, “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Just as Passover commemorated God delivering his people from slavery to Egypt so they could journey to the earthly promised land, so Jesus’s sacrifice delivers God’s people from slavery to sin so that they can journey to the heavenly promised land. Just as the first Passover lambs’ blood protected from death, so Jesus’s blood protects from the second death (hell), granting eternal life.
“The Last Supper” by Giampietrino (public domain)
For Detail Lovers
Because Jewish days began at sunset, Jesus was crucified on the same religious calendar day as the feast, Nisan 15. Thus, when he gave his disciples bread and wine at the Passover feast and said, “This is my body” and “This is my blood of the covenant,” he linked the Passover feast to his sacrifice (Matthew 26:26,28).
2) The Feast of Unleavened Bread: Chag HaMatzot
Nisan 15-21 (sunset March 27 to sunset April 3 or 4, 2021)
The Feast of Unleavened Bread celebrated God’s continued deliverance with a week of feasts. Each year before the feasts began, Jewish families completely emptied their homes of leaven (Exodus 12:19). Then for seven days, they ate nothing with yeast. They also made daily food offerings. On the first and last days of the week, they held sacred assemblies at the temple and did no work.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread recalled that the Hebrews fled from Egypt quickly onNisan 15, without time to let bread rise. Leaven often symbolized corruption and could not be used on the altar.
Jesus’s Feasts Fulfillment
Just as the festival’s bread was without yeast, so Jesus was without corruption. Just as Jewish families purged yeast from their houses, so today followers of Christ purge sin from their lives:
Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
1 Corinthians 5:8
3) Feast of Firstfruits
Sadducees: Sunday after Sabbath after Passover (April 4, 2021); Pharisees: Nisan 16 (March 29, 2021)
“The Angel and Women at the Empty Tomb” by Gustave Doré (public domain)
The Feast of Firstfruits celebrated the first of the grain harvest. This was because the first sheaf of barley was a sign that God was about to bless his people with more. So Jews brought a sheaf of barley to the temple to wave before the Lord and give thanks for the harvest to come. They could not eat any barley until they performed this ritual.
The Hebrews began celebrating this holy day after they arrived in the promised land. Thus, it reminded families that their harvests were God’s gift and there was more to come.
Jesus’s Feasts Fulfillment
Jesus rose from the dead on the Feast of Firstfruits. His resurrection promises that he will resurrect those belonging to him when it is time to enter the new promised land. Just as the first sheaf of barley anticipated a greater harvest of barley, so Jesus’s resurrection anticipates a greater harvest of souls.
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep… For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:20–23
For Detail Lovers
The Sadducees celebrated the Feast of Firstfruits on the day that followed the Sabbath that followed Passover (always a Sunday). The Pharisees celebrated Firstfruits on the second day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 16). According to Harold W. Hoehner in Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ, Nisan 16 fell on the Sunday following the Sabbath that followed Passover in both AD 30 and AD 33. These are the two years most scholars place the crucifixion.
Loaves of bread, courtesy of Adobe Stock
4) Feast of Weeks (Pentecost): Shavuot
7 weeks after Firstfruits (Sadducees, May 23, 2021; Pharisees, May 17, 2021)
The Feast of Weeks celebrated the end of the wheat harvest. It was also called Pentecost because it came 50 days after the Sabbath of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Then on this day, worshipers presented two loaves of wheat bread made with leaven to the Lord.
For Detail Lovers
In preparation for the festival, people made provision for the poor. In time, the celebration also commemorated the giving of the law at Sinai not long after the Israelites escaped Egypt. If Jesus was crucified in AD 30 or 33 as most scholars think, the Sadducees and Pharisees celebrated Pentecost on the same day the year of the crucifixion.
Jesus’s Feasts Fulfillment
On this sacred day, Jesus baptized his followers with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4). Just as the wheat harvest had produced loaves of bread, so the resurrection produced the church. Just as the loaves contained leaven, so the church contains imperfect people.
“The Holiday Series: Rosh Hashana” by Arthur Szyk, courtesy of The Arthur Szyk Society (www.szyk.org)
The Three Feasts Jesus Has Not Fulfilled
The seventh month of the year held three more celebrations, and their final fulfillments are yet to come. For Jesus said, “I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:3).
5) Feast of Trumpets: Rosh HaShanah
Tishri 1 (sunset September 6 to sunset September 7, 2021)
The Feast of Trumpets celebrates God’s providence. Trumpets call people to gather before God in rest from all harvests, including grapes and citrus. Priests blew trumpets from morning to night. This feast began a time of spiritual renewal.
For Detail Lovers
Today, the celebration extends over two days and includes a celebration of the civil new year. This change may have happened around the third century AD. Exodus 12:1-2 commands that the Jewish year begin on Nisan 1, so that remains the new year on the Hebrew religious calendar.
Jesus’s Future Feasts Fulfillment
Just as the trumpet sounded to call people to the temple after all harvests were complete, so when the earthly harvest of souls is complete, another trumpet will sound to call for the ingathering of souls:
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
The Feast of Trumpets was followed by the Hebrews’ holiest day of the year, the Day of Atonement. This was not a feast, but prepared the people spiritually for the feasts to come.
On this day, the people prepared themselves by ceasing all work, fasting, denying themselves comforts, and confessing and repenting from sins. Meanwhile, the high priest presented sacrifices to cleanse the people and all the holy things from the year’s accumulated defilement of sin. He also took two goats and sacrificed one to make atonement for sin. Then he laid his hands on the head of the other, confessed the people’s sins, and sent the goat into the wilderness as a sign that their sins had been carried away.
Jesus’s Future Feasts Fulfillment
In Jesus’s first coming, he atoned for sin on the cross, completing the work of the first goat. But the Judgment follows his second coming, after which he will remove all sin and causes of sin, fulfilling what the second goat pointed to (Matthew 13:41; Revelation 20:10-15). What the Day of Atonement pointed to will be fully and finally complete.
7) Feast of Booths: Sukkot
Tishri 15-22 (September 21-28, 2021)
The Feast of Booths celebrates the journey to and arrival in the promised land. It was the final festival of the year and provided another week of feasts. The people brought fruit and tree branches to rejoice before the Lord. For seven days, they dwelt in temporary booths constructed from branches. This commemorated the Lord’s good care as the Hebrews journeyed through the desert. Then on the eighth day, they entered homes, commemorating arrival in the promised land.
“Examining the Lulav” by Leopold Pilichowski (public domain) shows tree branches and citron fruit used in the Feast of Booths
For Detail Lovers
By Jesus’s day, water and light ceremonies took place during the Feast of Booths (John 7-8). People bound together a palm frond, myrtle, and willow (called a lulav) to carry with citron fruit in a procession during the water ceremony.
Jesus’s Future Feasts Fulfillment
Just as the Hebrews lived in temporary booths until they reached the earthly promised land, so our souls dwell in temporary shelters—our earthly bodies—while we journey to the new promised land. When Jesus returns, he will raise our bodies into glorious, imperishable bodies. We will bring to him the fruit his Holy Spirit has grown in our lives.
For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
1 Corinthians 15:52–53
Another feast awaits: the wedding feast of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-9). The Lord God will bring us to the new heavens and earth. There he and Christ, our Passover Lamb, will dwell in our midst forever (Revelation 21:1-3). There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. Our journey ends. We will arrive.
https://i0.wp.com/www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/640px-Giampietrino-Last-Supper-ca-1520.jpg?fit=640%2C244&ssl=1244640Jean E. Joneshttps://www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Logo-340x340-1.gifJean E. Jones2021-03-17 20:00:112021-03-17 20:03:483 Feasts Jesus Didn’t Fulfill (and 4 He Did)
“We will not fear,” the Psalms tell us. Yet these are difficult times. My girlfriend just texted me for prayer—her sister has surgery today for breast cancer, but their widowed mother can’t visit because she’s at high risk for coronavirus. My brother-in-law has an inoperable brain tumor, and out-of-state family can no longer visit. At the same time, his ability to use technology is fading. Additionally, my husband is losing his job for reasons unrelated to COVID-19, but so are millions of others due to shelter-in-place mandates.
So what is our hope during a worldwide crisis? How do we not fear?
Psalm 46 tells us.
We Will Not Fear
God is our refuge and strength
an ever-present help in trouble
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
(Psalm 46:1-3)
Nestled in the first three verses are reasons to reject fear even when the earth gives way to a virus’s ravages.
We Will Not Fear Because God Is Our Refuge
We can go to our heavenly Father whenever danger nears. The psalms often describe God as a rock of refuge—a mountainous rock covered in caves and clefts that conceal us from risk. While we take refuge in homes from COVID-19, let us also take refuge in our God.
The apostle Paul says God’s “power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). For when we’re weak but rely on God, then we are strong. He knows our days and he’s counted the hairs on our heads.
We Will Not Fear Because God Is an Ever-Present Help in Trouble
His presence is with us. His Holy Spirit is in us. He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
Because God is our refuge, our strength, and our ever-present help, we can choose to not fear.
We Will Not Fear Because the City of God Awaits
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
(Psalm 46:4-6)
Earth’s Jerusalem is often called the city of God. But that Jerusalem has no river. What city of God does this speak of then?
This holy habitation is the heavenly Jerusalem of which the earthly city was but a type: “You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem… and to Jesus” (Hebrews 12:22,24). In the new heavens and earth, the river of life flows from the throne of God through the city’s center (Revelation 22:1-2). And the tree of life grows on its banks.
We Will Not Fear Because God Appoints Our Time
Humans lost access to the tree of life at the fall, leaving death to reign. But Jesus died and rose again to open the way to eternal life for all who believe in him.
Each of us has an appointed time to die (Hebrews 9:27). Indeed, doctors have told some of us that our day is near. The rest of us await such notice with eyes averted in the hope that it’s still far off. But the new virus’s spread reminds us that our time comes, perhaps even soon.
But coronavirus can’t change our assigned time to die. Either it’s our moment or it’s not. Does that mean we should act foolishly? Of course not! Rather, reckless behavior merely suggests that our preset time may be close.
Yet death is not our end. It is our new beginning.
We Will Not Fear Because We Know Our Future
Here on earth, nations rage and kingdoms totter. The cursed earth spews pestilence and plague. The sea roars in devastating power. But a day comes when God “utters his voice” and “the earth melts” (Psalm 46:6). “The heavens will be set on fire and dissolved” (2 Peter 3:12).
But that is not cause for despair, for “we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). We are coming to the holy city of God that “shall not be moved” within which flows “a river whose streams make glad the city of God” (Psalm 46:4,5). There those who belong to the Lamb will see God’s face and dwell with him forever more.
That is why we must heed these words: “set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2). Yes, we have an appointed time to die—but death for the Christian merely means moving into the presence of God.
We Will Not Fear Because the Lord Is with Us
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
(Psalm 46:7,11)
Psalm 46’s refrain says the One who commands angelic armies is with us. Not only that, but he is our fortress. Picture tall towers and walls too high to scale. Hosts of angels and an impenetrable fortress convey this message: We are safe. And indeed we are, for “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4).
Imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. Selah. Pause and ponder.
We Will Be Still and Know that God Is God
Come, behold the works of the LORD,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
(Psalm 46:8-10)
Remembering that the LORD of hosts is with us and that he is our fortress encourages us to turn our eyes to grander things. Yes, God cursed the earth bringing desolation. But he is also ushering us into this age’s finish when he will end all wars and judge all people. Then he will bring those who belong to him to the new heavens and earth where death is no more.
God himself says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” When fear assails us, this is what we do. We turn to him, still ourselves, and repeat these words from him. We can do it because God has told us the end of our story. We will be with him, and he will be exalted. He is God.
We Will Remember the Lord Is with Us
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
(Psalm 46:7,11)
Again, he is with us even now, and he is our fortress. Selah. Pause, ponder, and pray. Hear his words: “Be still, and know that I am God.”
A Prayer
A prayer based on Psalm 46.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though pandemic fills the earth, though world economies plunge into the heart of the sea, though media roar and foam, and people tremble at the news.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Come, behold the works of the LORD, the heavens and earth are stored up for fire. He will make war cease to the end of the earth; he will break all weapons of war; he will destroy the subs, silos, and tanks. He will bring us to his holy habitation.
“Be still, and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
These books are especially good for difficult times. The links are affiliate links, meaning I receive a tiny commission if you use them to buy a book at no extra cost to you.
https://i0.wp.com/www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/512px-Meteoras_monastery_2.jpg?fit=512%2C342&ssl=1342512Jean E. Joneshttps://www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Logo-340x340-1.gifJean E. Jones2020-04-02 09:01:222020-08-24 18:51:01We Will Not Fear
Need peace? Here are 14 verses to help. Adapted from Discovering Joy in Philippians.
Assurance of Salvation
It’s common for new Christians to doubt their salvation, but these verses can bring peace.
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
John 1:12
John 1:12 gives peace by assuring us of salvation
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
John 3:16-17
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
John 5:24
Assurance of Forgiveness
Here are verses to repeat after going to our heavenly Father to confess sin.
Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
Isaiah 1:18
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9
Doubt
When we face doubts, these verses can help bring peace.
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
2 Corinthians 10:5
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Temptation
These peace-giving verses help when we face temptation.
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Matthew 5:6
Discouragement
We all face discouraging times. These verses can bring peace to discouraged hearts.
Philippians 1:6 is a verse that gives peace when we’re discouraged
And 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.
Philippians 1:6
For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Philippians 2:13
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:37-39
Fear
Here are verses that calm us when fears disturb our peace.
Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
https://i0.wp.com/www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Bible-Study.jpg?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1600800Jean E. Joneshttps://www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Logo-340x340-1.gifJean E. Jones2020-02-18 09:00:002020-08-24 18:51:4614 Verses That Will Give You Peace
I took oil painting lessons from my mother-in-law, Rae, who was a former Disney artist. (The painting displayed in this post is her work. Sadly, we lost my paintings in a move.) Each week she critiqued my progress and told me what to work on next. One week I added complementary under layers to my canvas. Because the butter leaf green background needed red for depth, I squirted red ochre onto my palette and swirled it with dabs of other pigments. The odors of linseed oil and turpentine permeated the air as I leaned close to my aluminum easel so I could meticulously merge the muddy maroon into the mossy background.
Close-up of Rae’s painting shows colors used in sky
As I carefully brushed and delicately blended, my husband walked in the door, stopped, and declared, “You gave the painting measles!”
“No, I didn’t,” I said, frowning. “It’s depth.”
“Come over here and look at it,” he said, laughing.
None too pleased over his lack of appreciation for my artistic enhancements, I walked over to where he stood and looked back at the painting. Sure enough: measles. What up close looked like subtle gradations of color, at a distance looked like leopard skin.
When I took my polka dotted canvas to Rae, she showed me how to meld undertones by standing back to see what the painting as a whole needed, coming in close for precise brush strokes, and then stepping back again to view the overall affect. It didn’t take long before the reds and greens not only looked as if they belonged together, but showed they needed each other for depth and balance.
The Need for Big Picture Bible Studies
Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament
Reading the Bible is like painting a picture in our minds and souls. While it’s important to come in close to study passages and books, it’s also important to step back and see how the individual parts explain and deepen our understanding of the whole. Then we can see how all the parts of the Bible belong together and how they need each other for depth and balance—for the whole picture.
In the Bible studies I write with Pam Farrel and Karla Dornacher, the book Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament gives the big picture. Every chapter starts with Genesis and ends with Revelation as it displays an aspect of what the Old Testament promises, prophecies, and types tell us about Jesus. For instance, the chapter “Jesus the King Forever” starts with God’s mandate to humankind to reign over the earth, looks at God’s promise to King David of a descendant whose throne will last forever, sees how the prophets say David was a type of a future righteous King who will reign forever, notices what the New Testament says about Jesus fulfilling these OT passages, and rejoices in what is to come: Jesus reigns forever and humankind reigns under him in the new heavens and earth.
The Need for Close-up Bible Studies
Discovering Joy in Philippians
Just as Rae taught me to come in close when painting detail, so we do best when we alternate stepping back for the big picture and moving in for the detail in studying the Bible. That’s why we also write books that move in close, too. For instance, Discovering Joy in Philippians looks with great detail at the apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians. It starts in Acts with Paul preaching the gospel in Philippi and being thrown in prison. But we see that wonderful things happen when he and Silas sing praises to God. Then the Discovering book delves deeply into Philippians and all Paul says about discovering joy in any circumstance.
Discovering Hope in the Psalmsis a close-up look, too. It examines ten psalms about the hopes God’s people share. These psalms show us how to pray in a way that helps our hope in God soar, even–or especially–when we encounter disappointment or evil. The psalms point us to the One who gives us hope for now and eternity.
What Are You Looking For?
If you haven’t studied the Bible’s big picture for some time, consider Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament. If you’ve recently finished a big picture study, one of our close-up studies may be a fit for you.
https://i0.wp.com/www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Grapes-againt-sky-2.jpg?fit=193%2C44&ssl=144193Jean E. Joneshttps://www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Logo-340x340-1.gifJean E. Jones2019-11-19 08:00:392021-02-08 18:49:20Christians Need the Bible’s Big Picture
https://i0.wp.com/www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/BooksOnPrayer.png?fit=600%2C518&ssl=1518600Jean E. Joneshttps://www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Logo-340x340-1.gifJean E. Jones2019-06-26 11:15:052020-08-24 18:54:16Books to Encourage and Embolden Your Prayers
One morning I tried and tried to twist open the pump top of a new shampoo bottle, but couldn’t do it. I called Clay over to help. When he couldn’t open it either, he looked more closely and discovered transparent shrink-wrap covering the pump. Once he removed the shrink-wrap, opening the pump was a breeze.
Especially in my early years as a Christian, I’d try to understand and apply a scripture, but I’d fail because an invisible shrink-wrap of false beliefs got in my way. These false beliefs killed joy in God’s promises and care. I needed to peel off those false beliefs to get to the Bible’s truths. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit is great at revealing and unpeeling false beliefs.
Over the years, I’ve discovered five ways to peel away false
beliefs.
1) Believe Scripture Over Feelings
Although I’d made Jesus Lord of my life and I’d confessed my sins, at first, I didn’t feel forgiven. But my feelings contradicted 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” The belief that my feelings were more reliable than Scripture was a false belief shrink-wrapped around the verse. I needed to place my faith in Scripture, not my feelings. As I did so, my feelings followed my faith.
Bill Bright, the founder of CRU, put it this way:
Let us call the train engine “fact”—the fact of God’s promises found in His Word. The fuel car we will call “faith”—your trust in God and His Word. The caboose we will call “feelings.”
As fuel flows into the engine, the train runs. It would be futile and, of course, ridiculous to attempt to pull the train by the caboose. In the same way you, as a Christian, should not depend upon feelings or emotion [to] live a Spirit-filled life. Rather, God wants you to simply place your faith in his trustworthiness and the promises of His Word.
Feelings are like the caboose—they are important but are designed to follow a life of faith and obedience.
Once Clay removed the shrink-wrap from my shampoo bottle
and twisted it open, I had to pump it many times to draw the shampoo into the
spout so it would flow. Likewise, when we’ve removed a false belief, we may need
to repeat the truth we want to take its place many times until it flows freely
in our lives.
In Joshua 1:8, God says to meditate on Scripture “day and
night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.” Biblical
meditation includes saying the words aloud and thinking about them so we understand
and apply them. When I find a verse with a message I need, I underline it in my
Bible with brightly colored pens. I read it daily or post a copy of it on my
computer screen.
3) Illustrate Scripture
Studies show that people learn better from words and pictures than from words alone.[i] That’s a great excuse to use colored pens to draw symbols and sketch stick figures in my Bible’s narrow margins. Sometimes I embroider and cross-stitch favorite verses. Artist Karla Dornacher illustrates verses in a wide-margin Bible and creates cards and wall-hangings.
Psalms 30 & 73
4) Act Out Scripture
Here’s a fun way to absorb a new truth: Act it out. For
instance, when I realized that God forgave all my sin, joy bubbled over in me.
But later I doubted whether forgiveness meant acceptance. That doubt stole my
joy. One day my then boyfriend Clay asked a group of us to try an exercise:
List sins on a sheet of toilet paper, write 1 John 1:9 in red across the list,
shred the paper into a toilet, and flush the paper to visualize our sins being
washed away. That simple action eradicated my doubts. Thereafter when I
confessed sins and doubt appeared, I visualized the flushed water washing them away.
It made me smile and thanksgiving replaced doubt.
5) Create a Truth Journal
Most if not all of us grow up believing lies of some sort:
“You’re only valuable if…”; “You’ll always be a failure”; “No one will ever
believe you”; “You’re nothing but trash”; “You can’t be happy without a
spouse.” Yuck. Additionally, crises such as health scares can bombard us with
new fears.
Some lies and fears are like shrink-wrap we can’t get a
fingernail under to remove. When that happens, I create a truth journal. In a notebook
or journal, I list truths, numbering each one. I add comforting scriptures as I
find them. I sketch rough pictures that encapsulate ideas.
I don’t write any lies, fears, or doubts because they’ve
already had too much play in my mind. I avoid “positive thinking” statements
that may not be true.
I read the truth journal first thing in the morning, last thing at night, and any time between that I want more peace. The truths break the shrink-wrap free.
https://i0.wp.com/www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Shrink_Wrap.png?fit=450%2C600&ssl=1600450Jean E. Joneshttps://www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Logo-340x340-1.gifJean E. Jones2019-06-12 08:12:062024-11-01 12:08:40Rip Off Joy-Killing False Beliefs!
https://i0.wp.com/www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/BiblicalTheologyBible.jpg?fit=499%2C375&ssl=1375499Jean E. Joneshttps://www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Logo-340x340-1.gifJean E. Jones2019-06-05 08:37:012020-08-24 18:55:16How I Study the Bible
https://i0.wp.com/www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/White-Clouds.jpg?fit=2044%2C1187&ssl=111872044Jean E. Joneshttps://www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Logo-340x340-1.gifJean E. Jones2019-05-21 09:15:542020-08-24 18:55:4310 Scriptures about Heaven That Will Answer Your Deepest Questions
By Jean E. Jones. “10 Things You Want to Know About Heaven But are Embarrassed to Ask” first appeared on Crosswalk.com, August 2017.
Fighting back tears, a young woman confessed to my husband that
she was afraid she didn’t want to go to heaven. Since then, as we’ve related that
story to others, we’ve discovered many Christians have that fear.
And no wonder! Artists and movie makers depict heaven as a colorless place where the occupants sport wings and halos and have nothing better to do than strum harps and lounge on clouds. Furthermore, skeptics like Mark Twain denounce heaven as unbearably boring and full of hypocritical prudes.
Misconceptions about heaven abound. So let’s clear some of them
up. Here are 10 questions that Christians are embarrassed to ask about heaven.
1. Is heaven in the
clouds?
Comics and movies typically depict heaven’s occupants as lolling on fluffy, white clouds. But that’s not at all what the Bible depicts. Still, part of the confusion is that the word “heaven” has three meanings:
The sky:“heaven gave rain” (James 5:18)
The physical cosmos containing stars and planets: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1)
The unseen spiritual realm where God’s throne and celestial beings such as angels reside: “The Lord’s throne is in heaven” (Psalm 11:4)
The Bible teaches that on the day of the Lord, the physical cosmos “will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (2 Peter 3:10). Then after the judgment, God will create new heavens and a new earth (Revelation 21:1). Finally, those whose names are in the Book of Life will dwell there with God (Revelation 21:3).
2. Will heaven be plain
white?
Will heaven be plain white?
Television, movies, and paintings often depict heaven as all white: occupants with white wings wear white robes and rest on white clouds. Consequently, everything looks sterile.
However, Revelation’s description of the new dwelling place is quite different. Yes, the city gates are of pearl. But the city’s wall is multi-colored jasper and the city itself is gold. Also, the wall’s foundation is bejeweled with jasper, deep blue sapphire, pale blue chalcedony, blue-green beryl, deep green emerald, apple-green chrysoprase, yellow-green chrysolite, yellow-brown topaz, orange-red jacinth, red-and-white striped sardonyx, dark red carnelian, and bright purple amethyst (Revelation 21:18-21). Additionally, in the city flows a river surrounded by a dozen types of fruit-bearing trees (22:1-2).
Moreover, I can’t imagine that the God who created our current heavens and earth with a magnificent rainbow of colors that blaze across the night and morning skies, dance in pansies and daisies, and flash from hummingbirds and orioles, has lost his love for color!
3. Do people become
angels in heaven?
In Charles Dickens’ The Old Curiosity Shop, a child says
to Little Nell, “Why, they say… that you will be an angel, before the birds sing
again.” But is the idea that people who go to heaven become angels a biblical one?
Not at all.
God created the angels before he created the earth (Psalm 148:2-5; Job 38:6-7). Moreover, angels are ministering spirits who serve “those who are going to inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:13-14). People don’t turn into angels when they die; rather, at the end of the age, angels will “separate the evil from the righteous” people (Matthew 13:49).
Further, something more wonderful is in store for God’s children: “The Lord Jesus Christ… will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21). Indeed, it will be an imperishable body, raised in glory and power, a spiritual body that bears the image of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:42-49).
4. Will people have
wings and halos in heaven?
Rembrandt: The Ascension of Christ
Artists who show humans with wings in heaven are probably thinking that people turn into angels. Most artists give angels wings, although according to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, the Bible nowhere describes angels as winged, though they sometimes fly (Daniel 9:21).
However, the resurrected bodies of those entering the pearly gates will be like Jesus’ resurrected body (Philippians 3:21). When he appeared to his disciples after he rose from the dead, he had no wings. So resurrected humans won’t either.
As to halos, I used to think that came from Daniel 12:3, which says “those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” But I was wrong. It turns out ancient artists placed halos around paintings and etchings of important people and religious figures so they’d stand out. In fact, there’s no mention of halos anywhere in the Bible.
5. Will people in heaven
lose their sense of taste, touch, or smell?
Indeed, that was the message of the movie City of Angels (1998). In it, Nicholas Cage stars as an angel named Seth. But Seth can’t taste, touch, or smell. He falls in love with a human (played by Meg Ryan) and gives up eternity so he can make love to her. She dies, but he concludes that smelling her hair and kissing her just once was better than anything an eternity in heaven had to offer.
Certainly, that’s an unappealing heaven! But it’s not what the Bible describes.
Instead, after Jesus was raised from the dead, the disciples touched and hugged Jesus and ate with him (Luke 24:39-43; John 20:17). Additionally, Philippians 3:21 says Jesus “will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body.” If Jesus could taste, touch, and smell, we’ll be able to, too. In fact, our reunion with Christ is called “the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9).
6. Will heaven be full
of nerds and prudes?
In high school, I went with my then-boyfriend Clay to the youth group at his church. There, the pastor’s daughter said she wanted to go to hell because that’s where all her friends would be. Indeed, she echoed Mark Twain’s sentiment: “Choose heaven for the climate and hell for the company.”
Clay points out that in heaven, “There will be murderers (such as Moses), adulterers (such as David), and prostitutes (such as Rahab). But they will all be repentant. Hell, on the other hand, will also be full of rapists, whiners, cowards, liars, and many a Pharisee, but none of them will be repentant” (Why Does God Allow Evil?, 165).
Furthermore, C.S. Lewis explained that every person “may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would strongly be tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such that you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare” (The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses, 45).
7. Will we recognize
loved ones in heaven?
People who have lost loved ones are often concerned about whether they’ll see and recognize those dear to them in heaven. Certainly, part of this concern arises from misunderstanding Isaiah 65:17: “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.”
But the prior verse says that God says “the former troubles are forgotten and are hidden from my eyes.” In the Bible, when God says he will no longer remember something, he doesn’t mean he gives up his omniscience. Rather, he means he will no longer remember it for the sake of punishing it. So Isaiah 65:17 is saying God won’t remember our past sins against us in the new heaven and earth.
8. Will there be sadness
in heaven over unsaved loved ones?
Won’t knowing unsaved loved ones are in hell make heaven miserable? Philosopher Adam Pelser argues that the saved may at times feel somberness over the lost, but that will not diminish joy (Paradise Understood, 131). For instance, even on earth, somberness and joy can coexist (James 1:2).
Also, at the judgment, God will expose every deed, thought, and motive of those who refuse to turn from wrongdoing and turn to Jesus Christ as Lord. When we see how those who have rejected Jesus’ gift of eternal life “really are,” we won’t miss being with them.
Additionally, the unsaved won’t exist as we knew them. For example, C.S. Lewis wrote, “What is cast (or casts itself) into hell is not a man: it is ‘remains’… To be an ex-man or ‘damned ghost’—would presumably mean to consist of a will utterly centred in the self and passions utterly uncontrolled by the will” (The Problem of Pain, 113-114). If Lewis is right, then seeing ex-humans with uncontrolled wills will do much to help us understand why they are lost.
9. Will shame keep us
from enjoying heaven?
Some people worry that remembering terrible things they did on this earth would be too painful. Although they know the Bible says that those who believe Jesus is the Son of God who died for their sins will receive eternal life, they still feel ashamed.
But God wants us to let go of shame after we repent from and confess our sin. To not accept his forgiveness suggests that we think our standards are higher than God’s! Yet Scripture assures us that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). It also tells us if we forget God has cleansed us, we won’t mature spiritually (2 Peter 1:9).
Those overcome with shame often think they’re worse than other people. But at the judgment, they will see that many others shared their sins, just as 1 Corinthians 10:13 says. So if they never succeeded in fully realizing God’s complete forgiveness and cleansing on this earth, they will see it with their own eyes in heaven.
10. Will heaven be boring?
Rafael: Bored cherubs in Sistine Madonna
For instance, in Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer said that Miss Watson “went on and told me all about the good place. She said all a body would have to do there was to go around all day long with a harp and sing, forever and ever. So I didn’t think too much of it. But I never said so.”
The idea that we’ll do nothing in heaven but sing comes from a misunderstanding of Revelation 4:8, which describes “four living creatures” with six wings who “day and night… never cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’” But “never cease” means they sing this regularly, not that they sing forever in a loop. Indeed, they give commands (Revelation 6:1-2), sing different songs (14:3), and distribute bowls to angels (15:7).
Of course humans will worship God. But our primary occupation will be reigning with Christ forever in the magnificent new heavens and earth (Revelation 22:5).
https://i0.wp.com/www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/RAFAEL_-_Sistine-Madonna-Cherubs.jpg?fit=1493%2C624&ssl=16241493Jean E. Joneshttps://www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Logo-340x340-1.gifJean E. Jones2019-02-27 09:09:222020-08-24 18:56:0110 Things You Want to Know About Heaven But are Embarrassed to Ask
In my last post, I offered seven free tools to help you understand the Old Testament. Here I’ll review Bibles, books, and study guides that help with that, too. Some are for those who are new to reading the Bible, and some are for seasoned Bible readers.
I end each review with an excerpt that shows how each explains Isaiah’s promise to King Ahaz to trust God to deliver him, and Ahaz’s refusal (Isaiah 7). That should let you know if the depth is what you’re looking for.
Bibles
If you’ve read the New Testament before and are ready to dive into the Old Testament, these two Bibles will help you understand it.
Audience: Thoughtful Christians wanting historical, archaeological, and theological insights
Reading level: college
If you want a Bible with articles, charts, timelines, color photos, book introductions, and notes, this five-pound beauty is the way to go. This is the third edition of the NIV Study Bible that I own, and it’s the best of the three. It includes two dozen articles covering overarching topics such as “The Story of the Bible: How the Good News About Jesus Is Central” and “Prophets and Prophecy.” The introductions to each book are fabulous. (The link above is for leather, but there are less expensive options. I don’t recommend the Kindle version–I purchased that for version 2 and regret it. The pictures are too small and the hyperlinks overlap, making some unworkable.)
This Bible would overwhelm a new Christian. But for the thoughtful Christian wanting depth, this is the Bible to invest in. Here’s an excerpt from the Introduction to Isaiah (1308):
In ch. 7 Isaiah issues King Ahaz a challenge to trust Yahweh, not Assyria’s power. Ahaz refuses the challenge, and much of Judah’s history between that point (734 BC) and the destruction of Sennacherib’s army in 701 BC revolves around the results of Ahaz’s refusal. A burning question unites chs. 7-39: Will Israel trust Yahweh or the surrounding nations? Chs. 7-12 not only give the answer (no) but also give the answer’s implications.
Audience: Anyone wanting to read the Old Testament and New Testament chronologically
Reading level: high school
The One Year Chronological Bible: New International Version
I read the Bible in chronological chunks fairly often, so I made things easier by buying a chronological Bible. In the table of contents, I color coded the prophets so I could see at a glance how they relate (see figure). I seldom read from this Bible, but I use its table of contents to guide my reading in other Bibles. The editors provide short italicized segues when switching between texts, but not a lot of historical notes. Here’s the transition from histories (2 Kings and 2 Chronicles) to Isaiah 7 (799):
Isaiah encouraged King Ahaz to trust in the Lord when Rezin and Pekah marched against Jerusalem. Through these prophecies of Isaiah, the Lord also gave Ahaz a sign of coming salvation—the coming of the Messiah.
Audience: Thoughtful Christians wanting to understand Old Testament history
Reading level: graduate
This superb book is my number one recommendation for thoughtful Christians who have read and studied the entire Bible and aren’t put off by academic works. Merrill divides Old Testament history into 15 parts and examines each thoroughly, weaving in historical documents from surrounding nations and archaeological finds. He keeps the overarching purpose of God establishing a kingdom of priests clearly in mind. His analysis of the ministry of the prophets is illuminating.
This is an academic work that carefully examines dating problems and apparent contradictions. His goal for this second edition was “to take on the task of bringing the narrative up to date so that the message of the Old Testament as not only a theological but also a historical work can resonate more clearly and relevantly with a new generation of readers” (11).
The book contains numerous chronological tables and maps, as well as both Scripture and subject indexes. Here’s an excerpt (420):
Ahaz had paid a staggering price for survival not only in monetary terms but especially in the moral and spiritual compromises his bargaining had required. As the Chronicler notes, in the final analysis, Tiglath-pileser gave Ahaz trouble and not help (2 Chron. 28:21). Ahaz had had to loot the temple to pay the heavy protection fees that Tiglath demanded, and as an act of thanksgiving, Ahaz offered sacrifices to the gods of Assyria, whom he credited for his salvation. He also installed their shrines throughout the land. It is little wonder that Isaiah the prophet chastised Ahaz in the bitterest terms and predicted the day when Judah also would come to know the awful Assyrian scourge (Isa. 7:17).
Audience: Churches desiring to teach the entire congregation the main story of the Bible and willing to use supplemental supporting material
Reading level: youth and adult versions are available
The Story divides selections of text from the NIV Bible into 31 chapters arranged mostly chronologically. Short italicized segues summarize skipped material and add a few historical notes. Simple timelines begin the book; some use increments of thousands of years, others decades. The back material includes discussion questions and a character list.
Zondervan intended for churches to use The Story as part of Sunday sermons, adult small group studies, youth studies, and children’s materials. They provide DVDs, curriculum to go with the DVDs, and other support materials, including a church resource library. I offer a companion study guide (see below).
The Story highlights a dozen or so kings and includes only five excerpts from Isaiah. It skips King Ahaz and Isaiah 7, so here’s the first transition between histories and Isaiah (224):
The greatest of the writing prophets, Isaiah, began his work in Jerusalem (capital of Judah, the southern kingdom) in 740 BC, shortly before King Uzziah died. Isaiah achieved prominence during Hezekiah’s reign, helping the king to stand-down the Assyrian threat by relying on God alone. Such a strategy must be founded on rock solid faith, and this kind of faith Isaiah clearly practiced and developed. His call to service came in a powerful vision—an apt start to a prophetic vocation that would span nearly 60 years.
Study Guides
The first of these is ideal for new Christians; the second is good for those who have read a bit of the Bible already and are willing to put in 31 weeks of daily study.
Audience: Women’s Bible study groups with a mix of new and mature Christians wanting to understand how the Old Testament and New Testament relate
Reading level: high school
The women at my church just finished going through Seamless: Understanding the Bible as One Complete Story, by Angie Smith. It’s terrific, funny, and touching. Those who had never read the Old Testament before felt it made sense of the Bible. Those who have read the Bible many times loved the clarifying way Smith laid out the stories. I had a brand new Christian in my group who had never gone to church until a few months ago, and she kept up fine.
Icons that represent major events adorn the footer and make the story easy to follow and review. The back cover folds out with the icons in order and linked by a thread. My group loved turning to the back cover to review the icons together. In the margins, Smith provides a dozen-word summary of every book of the Bible.
The women loved the book and videos, and they had tons of questions every week (which shows how engaging they found the material, but also shows the need to have someone around to answer questions). Some had trouble following the chronology of Week 4: The Kingdoms & the Prophets, so I recommend supplying a few timelines (feel free to use the ones I provide in 7 Free Tools for Understanding the Old Testament).
Covering the entire Bible in six chapters, Smith broadly summarizes Israel’s history. In this excerpt, she introduces some of the prophets, including Isaiah (104):
Several prophets preached in Judah before and during its destruction: Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Jeremiah, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah. Isaiah and Micah overlapped our division of times. They lived and preached in Judah both during the Divided Kingdom—the same time as Hosea and Amos—and after the Northern Kingdom was destroyed. See how this all fits together?
I wrote this companion to The Story for my church and later updated it for Zondervan’s church resource library. It explains historical details and has ten timelines to keep the events in perspective. Practical application questions apply the Bible’s message to the reader’s life. It’s written so that people can read a chapter in The Story, and then answer questions from their Bible. Headings summarize what’s happening, and there are plenty of footnotes with additional details for those who want them. You can get it free from my website (see the link above) or Zondervan’s church resource library.
This excerpt is on Isaiah approaching King Ahaz:
God sent the prophet Isaiah to encourage Ahaz king of Judah not to be afraid, for he wouldn’t let [the kings of Israel and Aram] overthrow him. He told Ahaz to ask for any sign as proof. But Ahaz refused and instead sought Assyria’s help. He voluntarily became a vassal to Assyria’s king, paid him a large tribute, and set up shrines to Assyria’s gods in Jerusalem.
https://i0.wp.com/www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/OT_Tools.jpg?fit=4329%2C2987&ssl=129874329Jean E. Joneshttps://www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Logo-340x340-1.gifJean E. Jones2017-11-07 09:00:362021-02-08 18:54:156 Bibles, Books and Study Guides for Understanding the Old Testament
My church’s women’s Bible study just completed Angie Smith’s Seamless: Understanding the Bible as One Complete Story. It was perfect for small groups that have a mix of new believers and mature Christians (more on that next week). Several women told me they’d love to understand the Old Testament even better, especially where the prophetic books fit in with the histories. They also wanted to dive deeper into their understanding of the entire story of the Bible. So I’m offering a two-part series on tools to help you do just that.
Timeline: Daniel in Exile 620 to 530 BC
Here I offer
A link to a free downloadable Bible outline
A link to six timelinesto help you understand the Old Testament
Tips on using those tools to read the Old Testament chronologically
A short explanation of how the Old Testament prophetic books fit with the books of history
Old Testament and New Testament Outline
The Bible’s books are arranged by genre. You need to know a book’s genre to understand what you’re reading. If your Bible’s table of contents doesn’t outline the books for you, go to my Free Resources page and click the link to Subscriber Specials. There you’ll find a downloadable Bible outline you can use to add headings to your contents page.
Bible Outline
As the Bible Outline shows, the Old Testament books of Joshua through Esther are histories. Reading the histories chronologically gives us a better understanding of what happened. The histories are listed chronologically with three exceptions:
Ruth takes place somewhere within Judges.
1,2 Chronicles were written around the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, but they chronicle King David’s reign and the reigns of his descendants.
Chapters 1-9 are genealogies starting with Adam. Part of chapter 9 goes with Nehemiah 11.
The rest of 1,2 Chronicles goes with 1 Samuel 31 to the end of 2 Kings.
Esther goes with Ezra 4:6.
How to Read 1,2 Chronicles Chronologically
Saul, David, and Solomon reigned over all of Israel. After Solomon, the kingdom split into two kingdoms: Israel to the north and Judahto the south. David’s descendants ruled over the south. While 1,2 Kings summarizes the reigns of both kingdoms, 1,2 Chronicles summarizes only the reigns of David and his descendants. Therefore, to read Kings with Chronicles, use two bookmarks. When you finish reading about David, Solomon, and any king of Judah, hop over to Chronicles and read about the same king.
Timelines for Reading the Old Testament Prophets with the Histories
Timelines that show historical events and when the prophets ministered will help you understand what events the prophets were talking about. They’ll also help you coordinate reading the histories and prophetic books together.
How the Prophetic Books are Arranged
The books of the prophets are divided into two groups:
The Major Prophets ministered over decades so their books are longer (“major” means long)
The Minor Prophets ministered for shorter times so their books are shorter (“minor” means short).
How to Read the Prophetic Books with the Histories
NIV Timeline showing the prophets’ ministries (Zondervan)
To read the prophetic books with the histories, keep timelines at hand. My NIV Zondervan Study Bible has timelines that show key historical events, the kings’ reigns, and the ministries of the major prophets and half the minor prophets. I wrote five additional minor prophets’ names on the timeline approximately where they go (see figure). Two prophetic books are missing from this timeline: Lamentations, which Jeremiah wrote so it belongs with Jeremiah’s ministry on the timeline, and Joel, whose date is unknown. If your Bible has timelines, use the figure to the right to fill in any missing prophets.
Free Timelines
I often create additional timelines that zoom in on time periods that have a lot of related material. Over on the Free Resources page, click the link for Subscriber Specials to find six timelines I created for The Story: Personal Journal and Discussion Guide (the guide is there, too). The timelines show you at a glance where the main prophets fit within the histories.
1 Kings Of Israel and Judah 930 to 850 BC
2 The Beginning of the End 750 to 680 BC: The fall of Israel and the prophetic ministries of Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah
3 The Kingdoms Fall 655 to 570 BC: The fall of Judah and the prophetic ministries of Jeremiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel
4 Daniel in Exile 620 to 530 BC: Shows Daniel’s chapters chronologically
5 The Return Home 540 to 470 BC: The return from Exile, Esther, and the prophetic ministries of Daniel, Haggai, and Zechariah
6 Rebuilding the Walls 480 to 430 BC: Esther, rebuilding the walls under Ezra and Nehemiah, and the prophetic ministry of Malachi
Understanding How the Prophetic Books and Histories Relate
The key to understanding how most of the prophets and histories relate is this cycle:
When Moses brought the Israelites to the Promised Land, he warned them that if they ever turned away from God and started committing the sins of the current inhabitants (such as sacrificing children to idols), God would drive them out of the land.
Whenever the people went astray, God sent prophets to call them to repent and return to God lest God drive them out of the land.
Eventually the people quit listening to the prophets, so the prophets’ message changed to one of impending judgment via exile followed by grace; the messages of grace talked about a new King who would one day rule righteously.
The northern kingdom of Israel quit listening to the prophets first, so God sent Assyria to deport them from the land. Later, the southern kingdom of Judah quit listening to the prophets and God sent Babylon to deport them. After 70 years, God allowed the people to return to the land, but they were ruled by foreign powers. There they awaited the new anointed King, the Messiah. The New Testament tells us about him: Jesus Christ.
Tips About the Major Prophets
NIV Zondervan Study Bible (affiliate link to Amazon)
Here are a couple helpful points about the major prophets.
All the major prophets are from Judah (the southern kingdom)
Isaiah prophesied around the time of the fall of Israel (the northern kingdom); the rest prophesied around the time of the fall of Judah
Judah’s exile happened in three stages, resulting in 3 prophets speaking from diverse places
Danielwent to the Babylonian king’s palace in the first deportation; he served in government and showed God was in charge
Ezekiel went to Mesopotamia in the second deportation; ministered to exiles
Jeremiah stayed in Jerusalem until the third deportation and Jerusalem’s fall; he helped the people who ignored his warnings mourn
Only Ezekiel is chronological
Tips About the Minor Prophets
The Minor Prophets are clustered around 3 events:
The time leading up to and surrounding Israel’s exile: The first 6 books except Obadiah and perhaps Joel (Joel’s date is unknown)
The time leading up to Judah’s exile: Books 7-9 plus Obadiah
Between Judah’s restoration and the end of Ezra’s and Nehemiah’s reforms:The last 3 books
They tell us a lot about social injustice and what God thinks about the rich and powerful taking advantage of the weak
https://i0.wp.com/www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Daniel-in-Exile-620-to-530-e1509476154741.jpg?fit=2200%2C1700&ssl=117002200Jean E. Joneshttps://www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Logo-340x340-1.gifJean E. Jones2017-11-01 09:00:382020-08-24 18:57:437 Free Tools for Understanding the Old Testament
We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.
Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.
Essential Website Cookies
These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.
Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.
We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.
We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.
Google Analytics Cookies
These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience.
If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here:
Other external services
We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.
Google Webfont Settings:
Google Map Settings:
Google reCaptcha Settings:
Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:
Other cookies
The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them:
Privacy Policy
You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page.
![Bored cherubs in heaven in Sistine Madonna by Rafael [Public Domain]](https://i2.wp.com/www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/RAFAEL_-_Sistine-Madonna-Cherubs.jpg?fit=1030%2C430&ssl=1)
The key to understanding how most of the prophets and histories relate is this cycle: