And the Lord said, “The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave.” Genesis 18:20 NASB Sin – What is sin? According to the Hebrew word, hatta’h, sin means “to commit an offense against someone with whom one stands in an institutionalized community relationship.”[1] Notice that sin assumes a set…
to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, Psalm 149:7-8 NIV To bind – We discovered that naqam, the Hebrew word for “vengeance,” is an essential element in the holiness of God. We realized that this idea, even if it seems…
“You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” Amos 3:2 NASB Will punish – OK, so tell me honestly. If I offered you membership in a great club but the condition of membership was punishment every time you violated the agreement even in…
“I will winnow them with a winnowing fork at the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy My people; they did not repent of their ways. Jeremiah 15:7 NASB Winnow – How much chaos do you find in your life? Do you think that it might be chaos on purpose? Do…
“I will winnow them with a winnowing fork at the gates of the land;” Jeremiah 15:7 NASB Winnow – The Hebrew word is zarah. This verb captures a daily event in the life of the people. Just as they threw grain into the air to separate the good from the bad, God throws His people…
“Therefore, see, I am alluring her, and shall lead her into the wilderness, and shall speak to her heart, Hosea 2:14 (Institute for Scripture Research) Therefore – Israel is a mess. God sends Hosea to pronounce His verdict. Israel has become an idolatrous, disobedient nation filled with violence, abuse and perversion (sounds like other nations,…
You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. Amos 3:2 Therefore – When will we finally forsake the populist idea that God saves us in order to make our lives prosperous? How foolish can we be? In a world that hates God,…
“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; . . .” Jonah 1:2 Cry Out Against It – Jonah knew the heart of God. That’s why he ran in the opposite direction. Jonah knew the power of God’s word. That’s why he refused to preach the message. But if you thought…
