In the next three postings, we will scan through the ministry of the final trio of prophets in the post-exilic period of the Jews - Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. They mark not only the closing of the Old Testament canon but also the beginning of a 400 year period of silence with no prophetic voice. Hence, the words from these three prophets are worth paying attention to. It is not surprising then, when John the Baptist appeared as "the voice of one crying in the wilderness" (Mk 1:2), "all the country of Judea was going out to him." (Mk 1:5).  Before the exile, the prophets speak of warnings and impending disasters. However, the post-exilic prophets like Haggai and Zechariah spoke mainly words of comfort and encouragement, especially in the rebuilding of the temple at Jerusalem after they returned in the six century BC from their exile in Babylon (Ezra 5:1, 6:14).  Connecting the dots Haggai consists of four messages headed by the phrase "the word of the LOR

Both Esther and Daniel lived during the period of the exile and just like Joseph in Egypt, they thrived and were mightily used by Yahweh for the purpose of fulfilling His covenant promises to the nation of Israel. Despite being in a foreign land and serving under pagan rulers, both Esther and Daniel were instrumental in carrying out Yahweh's sovereign will. God is at work in and through history, He is not only the God of Israel but also the Lord of all nations! In Esther, we observe the preservation of the Jews which is part of the covenantal promises made by Yahweh to His people that can find their origins as far back as Genesis 3:15, the promise that the seed of the woman would come to crush the head of the Serpent. That seed would come through the line of the Jews. Daniel on the other hand, served various kings in Babylon through the 70 years of the Jewish captivity and predates Esther by a few generations (she rose to prominence during the post-Babylonian exile under Persian ru

For the coming week, both of Ezra and Nehemiah will be read one after another because they represent a different season in Israel's life as a nation. Up till Ezekiel, the emphasis was on the exile and repentance, now it is about the return from exile with restoration is the goal. Israel as a nation has faced various consequences for their failure in keeping their obligations to the covenant but none was as severe as the exile, the very promised land which was their dream since the exodus from Egypt is now taken forcefully away from them! Read Leviticus 26:31-35 which outlined the exile as a penalty for disobedience. Here's what's interesting - do you know why the Babylonian exile was for 70 years? Connecting the dots The Jews had been in the promised land for roughly 800 years, and for 490 years, they disobeyed his Sabbath rest and based on the law that the land is to be "rested" every 7th year (Lev 25:2-4; 26:33-35), there is an accumulated 70 years of "unfu

Ezekiel is one of those books which may evoke feelings of apprehension rather than comprehension, filled with incredible, even distasteful acts and perplexing symbolism. Furthermore, with the first 24 chapters focusing on messages of doom and gloom, it can be a difficult read. 48 chapters may seem like a lot but instead of reading to gain "a devotional lesson for the day," read it to gain a deeper understanding of who God is, both His goodness and also His severity. Romans 11:22 - "Behold then the kindness and severity of God..." It is important that we do not limit God to any one-sided plane of understanding but to allow the book of Ezekiel to speak for itself and examine the prophet based upon his calling and ministry.  Furthermore, the context of Ezekiel living in Babylon, witnessing the displacement of his people, and the destruction of Jerusalem certainly paints a situation of desperateness. Ezekiel's vision and mannerism may seem eccentric to us now but we

The Greek translation of the title to Lamentation is called "tears." You cannot read this book without having your heart drawn into the experience of the physical and spiritual trauma caused by the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 586 BC. The fact that it is written as a structured poem reveals that there is a sacred dignity to human suffering. When my wife and I visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in DC last week, we witnessed not only just the memory of the suffering of the Jews but also the need to memorialize their sufferings so that it is not forgotten especially in this age of instant gratification and quick forgetfulness. Read Lamentations aloud because the cry of suffering of the people of Jerusalem is not to be experienced in silence. This pain needs to be articulated. Connecting the dots Lamentation is not a work of passive resignation. Although the author understands the justice of God, the agony and bewilderment of the event can be free

The book of Jeremiah is quite an emotional roller-coaster experience, especially when you hit chapter 30. In Yahweh's dealings with His people, His chosen possession, there is the intermingling of the language of consequences with covenantal language. In other words, the lovingkindness of Yahweh is constantly in the background, while meting out acts of justice, there is the holding out a future hope of restoration. When Judah was suffering under Babylonian attack, the city endured great terror (30:4–7, 12–15), but Jeremiah offered new hope in God’s compassionate plans of restoration (30:8–11, 16–24). God loved them and covenanted with them in the past, so if they would repent of their sins, God would build them up and plant them (31:1–14). In chapters 46-52, Jeremiah warned that judgment is not limited to the nation of Judah only because Yahweh sovereignly control the destiny of all nations. Creating alliances with stronger surrounding nations is no security for Judah. The solution