Burunche’s Blog

It all started because Jesus walked by the seaside early that morning. Those first disciples were about to get the shock of their lives. That morning, four fishermen were completing an unfulfilling night’s work and hoping for better things the next night. By evening of that same day, they had left their businesses and their families to follow Jesus. But the accounts differ.

Matthew 4:18-22 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him.

A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too. They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.

Luke 5:1-11 One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”

“Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.

When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed.

Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.

John 1:35-51 The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus.

Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them.

They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

“Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day.

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”).

Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”).

 Four different Gospel writers have four different accounts of Jesus calling his first disciples. I have omitted Mark’s account because it is so similar to that of Matthew. But which one is the correct account? The answer is all of them. John was a partner or at least a colleague of Andrew and Peter in the fishing business, so they likely told him the story of Andrew introducing Peter to Jesus. That doesn’t preclude Jesus later requesting Peter to push out from land so that Jesus could sit in Peter’s boat and preach without being trampled by the crowds. And if James and John were sitting repairing nets, they would certainly have responded eagerly to Peter’s frantic calls for help as his overburdened nets threatened to sink his boat.

How frequently do eyewitnesses agree? An AI internet search reveals the following: Eyewitnesses rarely agree on all the details of an event. Studies and legal experience show that when multiple people witness the same incident, they usually provide slightly different versions, largely due to variations in perspective, attention, memory, and cognitive filtering. 

Cold Case Christianity

Here is a breakdown of how many witnesses agree, based on psychological research and legal statistics:

• Rare Absolute Agreement: It is almost unheard of for multiple witnesses to agree on every single detail, even in simple scenarios.
• Contamination (71% Agreement): A major risk in multiple-witness scenarios is “co-witness contamination,” where witnesses discuss the event afterward. Research indicates that 71% of witnesses may change their accounts to include false information that their co-witnesses mentioned.
• High Error Rate (1 in 3): The American Psychological Association estimates that roughly one in three (33%) eyewitnesses make an erroneous identification.
• Multiple Wrong Witnesses (38% of Cases): In cases of wrongful conviction, studies have found that in 38% of cases, multiple eyewitnesses wrongly identified the same innocent person.
• The “3-Witness Rule” (General Rule of Thumb): In practice, if three different witnesses tell the exact same, perfect story, it can actually be a sign of contamination or coaching, as normal human perception is too varied for perfect consensus. 

Cold Case Christianity +4

Factors Affecting Agreement:

• Stress and Violence: High-stress events, such as violent crimes, lead to less accurate, inconsistent, and lower-quality recall.
• Post-Event Discussion: 86% of eyewitnesses discuss the event with others, which can align their stories—but often by creating a shared false memory rather than confirming the truth.
• Time and Memory Decay: Memory fades rapidly immediately following an event, causing more discrepancies as time passes. 

ScienceDirect.com +1

Conclusion:
While having multiple witnesses is generally better than one, it is normal and expected for them to disagree on specific details. When they do agree, it is sometimes due to memory contamination rather than accurate, independent recollection. 

So, four different writers vary in their descriptions, but the one salient fact is this: Jesus called four Galilean fishermen as his first disciples, and they left everything behind to follow him. If these men had regrets, they never spoke about it. There were some questions, though. When a rich young ruler turned away after Jesus advised him to sell everything and follow him, Peter spoke up. Peter said, “We’ve left our homes to follow you.”

“Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come.” (Luke 18:28-30)

When Jesus spoke, these men heard God calling them so compulsively that they felt they must follow Jesus, even though it cost them everything-wealth, standing in the community, safety, and security. Eventually, eleven of the disciples died as martyrs while John was the only one to die of old age, and even he had been boiled in oil in an attempt to kill him.

What kept these men going? Why were they willing to commit so completely? Saint Paul would later give an answer in Romans 8:35-39. Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Those fishermen followed Jesus and never looked back. If you could interview Andrew or Peter or James or John today, they would simply say, “It was worth it! We lost earth to gain heaven.” Today, what choice will you make? Will you follow Jesus, losing earth to gain heaven?

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, please speak to the hearts of all who read these words, that they may know You as Savior and Lord. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Kings 19:15-21

Then the Lord told him, “Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram. Then anoint Jehu grandson of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet. Anyone who escapes from Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and those who escape Jehu will be killed by Elisha! Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!”

When Elijah fled from wicked Queen Jezebel, he wound up in a cave at Mount Horeb. There God encouraged Elijah and gave him specific orders to anoint three men to continue the work God had started through him. The first person Elijah anointed was Elisha the son of Shaphat, a wealthy landowner from the village of Abel-Meholah in the Jordan Valley. Elisha was to succeed Elijah in his prophetic ministry.

So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away. Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, “First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!”

Elijah replied, “Go on back, but think about what I have done to you.”

So Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant.

Elisha was working in the field when Elijah walked up and threw his cloak over Elisha’s shoulders. Elisha immediately slaughtered his oxen, fed the meat to the neighbors, bade farewell to his parents, and followed Elijah. But God was about to dramatically confirm Elisha’s call.

2 Kings 2:1-14 Elijah Is Taken into Heaven and Elisha Receives his Call from God

When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal. And Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to Bethel.”

But Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you!” So they went down together to Bethel.

The group of prophets from Bethel came to Elisha and asked him, “Did you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you today?”

“Of course I know,” Elisha answered. “But be quiet about it.”

Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to Jericho.” But Elisha replied again, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you.” So they went on together to Jericho.

Then the group of prophets from Jericho came to Elisha and asked him, “Did you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you today?”

“Of course I know,” Elisha answered. “But be quiet about it.”

Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to the Jordan River.”

But again Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you.” So they went on together.

Fifty men from the group of prophets also went and watched from a distance as Elijah and Elisha stopped beside the Jordan River. Then Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided, and the two of them went across on dry ground! When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.”

And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.”

“You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah replied. “If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won’t.”

As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!” And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress.

Elisha picked up Elijah’s cloak, which had fallen when he was taken up. Then Elisha returned to the bank of the Jordan River. He struck the water with Elijah’s cloak and cried out, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” Then the river divided, and Elisha went across.

Elisha had one of the most dramatic calls recorded. First, Elijah threw his cloak over Elisha’s shoulders and then Elisha watched as Elijah was taken up into heaven in a fiery chariot. Elisha’s persistence earned him a double portion of Elijah’s spirit and anointing, setting him up for a magnificent future ministry.

One of the most important things Elisha did was to shadow Elijah, observing Elijah’s every move. From the day that Elijah threw his cloak over Elisha, Elisha copied Elijah’s prayer practices and his behavior as a prophet. Elisha’s humility and his servant’s heart gained him the spiritual power he desired.

What can we learn from Elisha’s call? First, ask God to show you the person whose ministry you are to study. Second, be humble and learn as much as possible. Third, keep praying! Even if you are learning from someone else, God will still give you your own ministry; God never does anything the same way twice. And finally, give God the chance to do miracles; after all, He’s the One who empowers us.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to seek Your Will for our lives and to remain humble so that we can learn as much from fellow believers as possible. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Kings 17:1 Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!”

Here is what Encyclopedia Britannica tells us about Elijah and Ahab:

The Israelite king Omri had allied himself with the Phoenician cities of the coast, and his son Ahab was married to Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of Tyre and Sidon. Jezebel, with her Tyrian courtiers and a large contingent of pagan priests and prophets, propagated her native religion in a sanctuary built for Baal in the royal city of Samaria. This meant that the Israelites accepted Baal as well as Yahweh, putting Yahweh on a par with a nature-god whose supreme manifestations were the elements and biological fertility, celebrated often in an orgiastic cult. Jezebel’s policies intensified the gradual contamination of the religion of Yahweh by the Canaanite religion of Baal, a process made easier by the sapping of the Israelites’ faith in Yahweh.

 We never hear how God has called Elijah to prophesy; all we know is that Elijah appears suddenly, announcing to wicked King Ahab that there will be a drought lasting several years. This prophecy marks the beginning of one of the most amazing prophetic careers documented in the Bible. Elijah is such a towering figure spiritually that he appears with Moses, meeting with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration.

God appoints Elijah to be His voice at a time when Baal worship is sweeping the Northern Kingdom. After Elijah’s announcement of the drought, God hides him near a brook in a place called Kerith, assigning ravens to bring food until the brook dries up. Then sends him to Zarephath near the coast to a poor widow and her son who are nearly starving to death. God multiplies their food, preserving all of them until the time comes for Elijah to confront prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. When the boy suddenly sickens and dies, Elijah raises him from the dead.

On Mount Carmel, Elijah confronts 450 prophets of Baal, decisively proving that Baal is no god while Yahweh is the One True Living God. 1 Kings 18:22-24 Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only prophet of the Lord who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets. Now bring two bulls. The prophets of Baal may choose whichever one they wish and cut it into pieces and lay it on the wood of their altar, but without setting fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood on the altar but not set fire to it. Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!” And all the people agreed.

Baal fails to respond, despite his prophets gashing themselves with knives and generally going crazy trying to elicit a response.

1 Kings 18:30-38 Then Elijah called to the people, “Come over here!” They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. He took twelve stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel, and he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the Lord. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons. He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood.

Then he said, “Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood.”

After they had done this, he said, “Do the same thing again!” And when they were finished, he said, “Now do it a third time!” So they did as he said, and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench.

At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”

Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”

When the Holy Spirit comes on Elijah, he performs miracles and confronts wicked rulers. Given the chance, most of us might be willing to perform miracles if we were assured that the miracles would take place; however, we would far rather let someone else handle dangerous confrontations. Why does God choose Elijah? We have no idea of Elijah’s appearance, whether he is tall, muscular, and handsome or short, squat, and cross-eyed. But God knows Elijah will obey Him diligently and consistently. Obedience is Elijah’s most important virtue. In the end, perhaps God calls Elijah because God knows Elijah will follow orders, something any of us can do is we only will.

Today, is God calling you to do something? You might feel a holy nudge, but because it’s something so small, you doubt whether or not that’s really God.

 In the early 1950s, an evangelist named Everett Swanson flew from Chicago to South Korea to speak, sing and play for the American troops. Everett came in contact with hundreds of orphans who lost their parents in the war and now lived on the street and were abandoned.

One morning, he saw some cleaning workers picking up piles of something that Everett thought was clothes rags in a truck. He curiously walked up to the truck to take a closer look and was completely terrified when he saw that the “heaps” were not just clothes rags but there were also frozen little bodies, children who died on the street during the night.

Swanson returned to the United States and at home, people started giving him donations to help the children who needed the most help. This was the start of a unique program that enabled people in the West to provide these Korean children with food, clothing, lodging, Bible teaching and medical assistance. Compassion started in 1952 and today we collaborate with more than 8,000 local churches in 29 countries, we help over 2.3 million sponsored children. https://www.compassionfi.fi/history/#:~:text=1952%20Compassion%20International%20is%20founded%20by%20evangelist,the%20plight%20of%20orphans%20in%20South%20Korea.

What began with one man’s shock and horror at the deaths of street children in war-torn South Korea became a huge movement, something beyond its founder’s wildest dreams. Everett Swanson was just a believer with a tender heart who saw needs. What might God do with you if you will let Him?

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, some of us are feeling Your calling but we are terrified! Please speak to those fearful hearts and assure them that You are the One calling and the One responsible for results. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Jonah 1:1-17Jonah Runs from the Lord

1 The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.”

But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish (Spain).

But the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart. Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship.

But all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold. So the captain went down after him. “How can you sleep at a time like this?” he shouted. “Get up and pray to your god! Maybe he will pay attention to us and spare our lives.”

Then the crew cast lots to see which of them had offended the gods and caused the terrible storm. When they did this, the lots identified Jonah as the culprit. “Why has this awful storm come down on us?” they demanded. “Who are you? What is your line of work? What country are you from? What is your nationality?”

Jonah answered, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.”

The sailors were terrified when they heard this, for he had already told them he was running away from the Lord. “Oh, why did you do it?” they groaned. And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, “What should we do to you to stop this storm?”

“Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault.”

Instead, the sailors rowed even harder to get the ship to the land. But the stormy sea was too violent for them, and they couldn’t make it. Then they cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. “O Lord,” they pleaded, “don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.”

Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.

Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights

“Nineveh? Lord, you want me to go WHERE?” At first when the call of God came, Jonah tried to ignore it, hoping God would call someone else or at least let him stay home and prophesy to the Israelites. Why should God care about the people of Nineveh? Those people were horrible idolaters, vicious warriors who would skin their captives alive while they screamed in agony. As far as Jonah was concerned, God could send fire and brimstone to consume Nineveh and Jonah would be thrilled. And the sooner, the better!

But the call wouldn’t go away. Each morning, Jonah would wake up, knowing that God wanted him to leave for Nineveh. While Jonah was trying to pray in the middle of the day, the Holy Spirit would keep pounding the word “Nineveh” into his mind and heart. It reached the point that Jonah could scarcely eat or sleep because God’s call bothered him so much. Finally, in desperation, Jonah booked a voyage on a ship to Tarshish, going in the opposite direction from Nineveh. Too bad Jonah was trying to run from the Creator of the earth, the One who controlled the weather. Once Jonah’s ship was out in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, a vicious storm blew up. In a last-ditch effort to save the ship, the sailors began examining themselves to see which deity they might have offended, and that’s when Jonah revealed his rebellion against God. Realizing he was the cause of the storm, Jonah urged the sailors to throw him overboard. God appointed a large fish to swallow Jonah, and he survived the ordeal.

With nowhere else to go and nobody else to turn to, Jonah finally repented, chanting a song that sounds like one of the psalms and ending with these phrases: I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O Lord my God, snatched me from the jaws of death! As my life was slipping away, I remembered the Lord. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies. But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.”

Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach. (Jonah 2:6-10)

So, Jonah trudged off to Nineveh. What must Jonah have looked like after three days of exposure to gastric juices? Certainly, his skin and hair might have been bleached. At any rate, Jonah preached, and Nineveh thoroughly and completely repented, infuriating Jonah. Even as Jonah was preaching, he was secretly hoping that nobody would repent and that God would destroy Nineveh while he watched and gloated. But God had compassion on the Ninevites and acknowledged their repentance. Finally, God asked Jonah, “But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?” (Jonah 4:11)

For my husband and me, Jonah’s story has special significance. In the fall of 1985, we found ourselves in a state of holy restlessness. Our lives were comfortable. I had completed pediatric surgery training and had taken a temporary job working in minor emergency clinics, doing general practice on a walk-in basis. My husband was working at a local ambulance service as an EMT. Everything was fine….only it wasn’t. Then one Sunday, our pastor preached a sermon on Jonah, stating that God would build His call into our lives, and we needed to see if there was anything God had given us that required our action. Earlier that week, my husband had seen a doctor friend who worked with one mission in Nigeria. The friend had sent us applications for his mission group; however, we had not done anything with those applications. Now we completed the applications and submitted them, subsequently interviewing with representatives from the group.

That first mission group refused to accept us because of doctrinal differences; however, God used that process to get us to begin exploring possibilities. Eventually, we connected with the group that sent us to Ghana, arriving in Ghana eighteen months later. That sermon helped launch a career in missions that has extended for nearly 38 years.

The message of Jonah’s call is simple: you can run but you can’t hide. When God calls you, He is relentless about it. Stifling the call will only result in misery. Today, is God calling you to do something? Pray and ask God to reveal His perfect Will, for God is a good Father and He does not play guessing games with his children.

PRAYER:  Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to answer when You call, realizing that Your Will is best for our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Amos 1: 1 The words of Amos, who was among the sheep breeders of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

It’s the period between 760-755 B.C. Uzziah is king of Judah and Jeroboam II is king of Israel. Both nations are reveling in prosperity. Amos is quietly caring for sheep and sycamore trees in Tekoa, south of Jerusalem, when God suddenly calls him to prophesy. But God is calling Amos to prophesy to the Northern Kingdom, not to his own people. Why doesn’t God let Amos stay home? Centuries later, Jesus will give this insight: A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country. (Matthew 13:57, Mark 6:4) And God wants to use this sheep herder/sycamore tree farmer to shame and scandalize the religious professionals of the Northern Kingdom. Forget professional advertisers! God is the original Publicist, grabbing people’s attention by any means necessary. Making matters even worse, God has Amos prophesying against Bethel. Why?

When the ten tribes split off from Rehoboam, leaving only Judah and Benjamin, Jeroboam, the first ruler of the Northern Kingdom was terrified to have his people returning to Jerusalem regularly for worship as God had ordered. So Jeroboam erected two enormous altars with golden calves, one at Bethel and the other at Dan in the far northeast. Then Jeroboam convinced his people that there was no need for them to suffer that LOOOOOONG journey to Jerusalem when they could SIMPLY travel to Bethel or Dan and practice his pseudo religion. Now Jeroboam II is ruling the Northern Kingdom, and idolatry is rife. Most priests claiming to serve Yahweh are faking it, and Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, is one of the biggest fakers.

Amos 7:10-17 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said: ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive from their own land.’”

Then Amaziah said to Amos: “Go, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah. There eat bread, and there prophesy. But never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is the royal residence.”

Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah: “I was no prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet,
but I was a sheepbreeder and a tender of sycamore fruit. Then the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’

Now therefore, hear the word of the Lord: You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, and do not spout against the house of Isaac.’

“Therefore, thus says the Lord: ‘Your wife shall be a harlot in the city; your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword; your land shall be divided by survey line; you shall die in a defiled land;
and Israel shall surely be led away captive from his own land.’”

OUCH! Amaziah, are you listening at all? Amaziah recognizes that Amos is a seer; however, he hopes that if he sends Amos packing, Amos will take all his gloomy prophecies with him. Sorry, Amaziah! It doesn’t work that way. Once more, we have the example of someone who was quietly working when God suddenly picked him, pulling him out of his comfortable rut and dropping him into a hostile environment.

Amos pronounces God’s judgement on numerous nations, including Judah. But why has God sent Amos to Israel? How bad have things gotten? Amos 2:6-16 gives us the answer:
Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals.
They pant after the dust of the earth which is on the head of the poor, and pervert the way of the humble. A man and his father go in to the same girl, to defile My holy name.
They lie down by every altar on clothes taken in pledge and drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.

According to the Law of Moses, Israelites were not to sell other Israelites as slaves, nor were they to oppress the poor. In addition, clothes taken in pledge were to be returned to the owner each night so that he would not suffer from the cold by sleeping naked. Idol worship was expressly and repeatedly forbidden.

“Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was as strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath. Also, it was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.

I raised up some of your sons as prophets, and some of your young men as Nazirites. Is it not so, O you children of Israel?” Says the Lord.
“But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink, and commanded the prophets saying, ‘Do not prophesy!’

“Behold, I am weighed down by you, as a cart full of sheaves is weighed down. Therefore, flight shall perish from the swift, the strong shall not strengthen his power, nor shall the mighty deliver himself; he shall not stand who handles the bow, the swift of foot shall not escape, nor shall he who rides a horse deliver himself. The most courageous men of might shall flee naked in that day,” says the Lord.

Amaziah doesn’t know it, but eventually, the citizens of the Northern Kingdom will curse his name because he has interfered with God’s warnings to them. Galatians 6:7 tells us, “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.”

What can we learn from Amos’ call? First, God is not impressed with our social standing or our education, or lack thereof. Further investigation indicates that Amos is likely a businessman owning a large number of sheep, some of which might have been bred for temple sacrifices in Jerusalem. Amos obviously is a true believer and a worshiper of the One True Living God and has a sound grasp of the fundamentals of the Mosaic Law.

Compare Amos’ story with that of Prophet William Wade Harris of Liberia in 1910 and Babalola of Nigeria in the 1930’s. A Methodist missionary taught William Wade Harris to read and write English and his Grebo language. After working on ships cruising along the West Coast of Africa, Harris returned home, becoming a brick mason and raising a family. But Harris later became an evangelist, preaching against fetish huts and other abuses, converting more than 100,000 people, and urging his converts to burn all their fetishes.

And then there’s Joseph Ayodele Bablola, the African Christian who sparked a massive, Pentecostal-style revival in West Africa—specifically Nigeria—in the 1930’s.

Known as a Prophet and Apostle, Babalola was a key figure in the Aladura Movement (meaning “praying people”), and his 1930 revival at Oke-Oye in Ilesa, Nigeria, is considered a landmark event in African Christianity. 

Key Details of the 1930s Revival:

• The Catalyst (1928-1930): Babalola, formerly a steam roller driver for the Public Works Department, claimed a direct call from God in 1928 to abandon his job and preach.
• Miracles and Healing: In September 1930, the revival began in earnest after Babalola was credited with raising a dead child. He became known for healing sicknesses, destroying idols, and using “life-giving water”.
• Impact: The revival caused thousands to convert, drawing people from across Nigeria and neighboring countries, and resulted in the founding of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC).
• Spread: The revival movement spread from Ilesa to Ibadan, Lagos, and other regions, with some gatherings reportedly reaching 40,000 people.
• Influence in Ghana: In 1936, Babalola carried this revival to the Gold Coast (now Ghana), following earlier, related movements. (This information comes from an internet search.)

God isn’t worried about our ability; He is more interested in our availability. Amos said “Yes” to God and wound up prophesying in the Northern Kingdom. Prophet Harris and Prophet Babalola said “Yes” to God and sparked revivals that changed the face of much of West Africa. What might God do with you if you say “Yes?”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to say “Yes” to your call, no matter how difficult that might be. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Actions have consequences! Repeatedly, God has warned the Israelites of the consequences if they renounce Him and worship idols. Deuteronomy 28:15-24 embodies one of those warnings.

Curses for Disobedience

15-24 “But if you refuse to listen to the Lord your God and do not obey all the commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overwhelm you: Your towns and your fields will be cursed. Your fruit baskets and breadboards will be cursed. Your children and your crops will be cursed. The offspring of your herds and flocks will be cursed. Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be cursed.

“The Lord himself will send on you curses, confusion, and frustration in everything you do, until at last you are completely destroyed for doing evil and abandoning me. The Lord will afflict you with diseases until none of you are left in the land you are about to enter and occupy. The Lord will strike you with wasting diseases, fever, and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, and with blight and mildew. These disasters will pursue you until you die. The skies above will be as unyielding as bronze, and the earth beneath will be as hard as iron. The Lord will change the rain that falls on your land into powder, and dust will pour down from the sky until you are destroyed.

Now it’s 835 B.C. Joel, “Yahweh is God,” son of Pethuel, from a priestly family in Jerusalem, finds himself in a dilemma. The Israelites have lusted after every pagan deity they can find, giving only lip service to the One True Living God who has delivered their ancestors out of slavery and has blessed their land abundantly. Actions do have consequences, and now the Israelites find that God means it when He warns about the curses in Deuteronomy 28. The land is under attack by several different kinds and sizes of locusts. In addition, a harsh drought further complicated by bush fires is also afflicting the land. As a worshiper of the true God, Joel is appalled at the lack of faith and excesses of his countrymen. Now Joel feels impelled to speak out against the evil he has witnessed, calling his people to account for their sins.

Joel 1:1-20 The Lord gave this message to Joel son of Pethuel.

Mourning over the Locust Plague

Hear this, you leaders of the people. Listen, all who live in the land. In all your history, has anything like this happened before? Tell your children about it in the years to come, and let your children tell their children. Pass the story down from generation to generation.
After the cutting locusts finished eating the crops, the swarming locusts took what was left!
After them came the hopping locusts, and then the stripping locusts, too!

Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you wine-drinkers! All the grapes are ruined, and all your sweet wine is gone. A vast army of locusts has invaded my land, a terrible army too numerous to count. Its teeth are like lions’ teeth, its fangs like those of a lioness.
It has destroyed my grapevines and ruined my fig trees, stripping their bark and destroying it,
leaving the branches white and bare.

Weep like a bride dressed in black, mourning the death of her husband. For there is no grain or wine to offer at the Temple of the Lord. So the priests are in mourning. The ministers of the Lord are weeping.

The fields are ruined, the land is stripped bare. The grain is destroyed, the grapes have shriveled, and the olive oil is gone. Despair, all you farmers! Wail, all you vine growers! Weep, because the wheat and barley—all the crops of the field—are ruined.
The grapevines have dried up, and the fig trees have withered. The pomegranate trees, palm trees, and apple trees—all the fruit trees—have dried up. And the people’s joy has dried up with them.

Dress yourselves in burlap and weep, you priests! Wail, you who serve before the altar! Come, spend the night in burlap, you ministers of my God. For there is no grain or wine to offer at the Temple of your God.
Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting. Bring the leaders
and all the people of the land into the Temple of the Lord your God, and cry out to him there.
The day of the Lord is near, the day when destruction comes from the Almighty. How terrible that day will be!

Our food disappears before our very eyes. No joyful celebrations are held in the house of our God.
The seeds die in the parched ground, and the grain crops fail. The barns stand empty, and granaries are abandoned. How the animals moan with hunger! The herds of cattle wander about confused, because they have no pasture. The flocks of sheep and goats bleat in misery.

Lord, help us! The fire has consumed the wilderness pastures, and flames have burned up all the trees. Even the wild animals cry out to you because the streams have dried up, and fire has consumed the wilderness pastures.

Sometimes God’s calls are dramatic, as in the case of Ezekiel and Isaiah. But sometimes the message embodies the call, as in the case of Joel. It’s likely that as Joel prays several times daily, he begins receiving God’s warnings about the tragic events overtaking the land and God’s call to national repentance. Perhaps Joel first shares these insights with a few priestly friends, only to find himself proclaiming these messages in the outer courts of the temple. From there, Joel finds himself walking the streets of Jerusalem, crying out this message of the need for national repentance.

If you want to be popular, don’t become a prophet! Once God has hold of you, He won’t let go, and you will never be the same again. It’s likely that Joel has never sought the role of prophet, that he has been content to quietly worship God, remaining true while others slip away to fertility cult celebrations and demonic shrines. But the problem with worshiping God is that if you truly worship Him, you are giving Him permission to change your heart and your mind. We frequently fail to realize how the object of our worship will change and mold our hearts. Those worshiping demons will continue to progressively degenerate while those worshiping God will be transformed by His Holiness. God can never meet with sinful people and leave them unchanged.

Just look at Joel: Joel comes quietly into the temple one morning and leaves with a message that he feels impelled to proclaim. Jeremiah described the call of God as a fire burning in his bones, and now Joel feels that same fire.

How does Joel feel about being a prophet? Joel leaves no record about himself or his personal feelings; he only passes on the messages God has given him. An old poem speaks of those God has used as simply being suits of clothing that God puts on to accomplish His purposes. Blessedly, Joel will later give encouraging words. Joel 2:25 tells us, “The Lord says, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts.^” Other older versions say, “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.”  Countless believers have claimed this promise of redemption and have seen God work mightily in their lives as they have seen marriages healed, relationships renewed, and lives completely transformed by the power of the One True Living God.

Joel 2:28-29 tells us, “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.” This prophesy was fulfilled at the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended on 120 people praying in the Upper Room in Jerusalem.

What can we learn from Joel? When we worship, God can shape us, making us into instruments for His purposes. The highly successful Korean pastor David Yonggi Cho once told an American pastor, “I pray and I obey.” Joel prays, and Joel obeys, and his life is never the same.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to pray and then to obey, even if it means we must deliver unpopular messages from You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Hosea 1 Hosea’s Wife and Children

1-11 This is the word of the LORD that came to Hosea, son of Beeri in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and of Jeroboam son of Jehoash, a king of Israel.

When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, He told him, “Go, take a prostitute as your wife and have children of adultery, because this land is flagrantly prostituting itself by departing from the LORD.”

So Hosea went and married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

Then the LORD said to Hosea, “Name him Jezreel, (God sows) for soon I will bring the bloodshed of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”

Gomer again conceived and gave birth to a daughter, and the LORD said to Hosea, “Name her Lo-ruhamah, (She has not received mercy) for I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel, that I should ever forgive them. Yet I will have compassion on the house of Judah, and I will save them—not by bow or sword or war, not by horses and cavalry, but by the LORD their God.” (Not My People) for you are not My people, and I am not your God. (Hebrew-I am not yours)

Yet the number of the Israelites will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted. And it will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’ (cited in Romans 9:26) Then the people of Judah and of Israel will be gathered together, and they will appoint for themselves one leader, and will go up out of the land. For great will be the day of Jezreel.

Hosea ministered from 750-722 B.C., about 200 years after the Northern Kingdom broke off from the Southern Kingdom of Judah. When King Solomon died, his son Rehoboam succeeded him; however, Rehoboam foolishly attempted to lord it over the Israelites. Led by Jeroboam, ten of the twelve tribes split off to form the Northern Kingdom, generally referred to as Israel or Ephraim, after the name of the largest tribe. God had made promises to Jeroboam; however, rather than trust God, Jeroboam established fake religious shrines at Bethel and Dan with golden calves and then told his people, “Jerusalem is too far. Why suffer the long trip to Jerusalem when you can worship at Bethel or Dan?” Jeroboam left a horrible spiritual legacy, for he actively led his new nation into idolatry from its conception. It didn’t take long for the Israelites in the Northern Kingdom to add Baal worship and fertility cults, plus a pantheon of other pagan demons to their worship choices. When Jeroboam rejected God, God rejected Jeroboam.

Who was Jehu and what was his sin? Jehu’s story is told in 2 Kings 9-10. The prophet Elisha anointed Jehu as king over Israel, and Jehu immediately eliminated the current king, Queen Jezebel, and all wicked King Ahab’s descendants. Jehu also slaughtered the prophets of Baal and the Baal worshipers. But Jehu failed miserably despite all these triumphs, for he left the golden calves in Bethel and Dan, leaving the Israelites worshiping the idols established by Jeroboam. Jehu PARTIALLY obeyed God, and partial obedience is essentially no obedience at all. The valley of Jezreel was a very fertile valley; however, it was also a prime spot for battles, hence the reference to defeating Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

Although there were many idolaters in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, there were still many worshipers of the One True God. That is why God tells Hosea that He will rebuild Israel using people from Judah. But what about Hosea’s marriage?

Traditionally, Hosea’s father would have tried to find the best, most industrious, most reverent, and most virtuous young woman possible for Hosea to marry. No right-thinking parent would ever welcome a prostitute as a daughter-in-law! Were Hosea’s parents still alive when he married Gomer, and if so, what must they have thought? Poor Hosea! How do you convince your parents that God wants you to marry the town slut when sexual misconduct is grounds for divorce without any arguments? And what about Hosea himself? As a young man, Hosea has undoubtedly cherished dreams of a peaceful stable household with a loving, caring wife and obedient children. Now all those dreams are shattered by the call of God. And what must Hosea’s friends have commented? “Man, you have GOT to be a special kind of stupid to marry that woman! You know what she is; she won’t stay with one man any longer than the length of a pregnancy. And what do you mean, “God told me to marry her?” Are you really sure this was God’s will for you? Why would God force a reverent worshiper into a loveless, perverted marriage?

When we think of the sacrifices made by various prophets, we are drawn to the dramatic scenes such as Jeremiah sinking into the muck at the bottom of a well. But daily Hosea would have sunk into spiritual and emotional muck, for there’s never any indication that Gomer cared for him at all. Gomer may have been one of those women who chase the thrill of a new relationship, abandoning her current partner as soon as someone else more appealing showed up. And Gomer was likely enticed by presents of jewelry or beautiful clothes.

God wanted to use Gomer’s fickle nature to illustrate how fickle the inhabitants of Israel and Judah had become toward Him. God wanted Hosea to name his children prophetic names so that each time anyone saw them, they would remember God’s statements and His promises. What must Hosea’s kids have thought? The name Jezreel is all right, but what about “Lo-ruhamah?” Can you imagine having your mother call you, “Here, Lo-ruhamah? Here, “Not my people?” Hosea wasn’t the only member of this family to suffer.

The story of Hosea’s call reminds us that the call of God is neither comfortable nor safe, not for us, nor for our family members. But consider the alternative: failure to answer that call will mean discouragement, disappointment, and a nagging knowledge that we have refused God’s perfect will for our lives. The only safe choice is to say “Yes.”

There’s an old hymn that graphically expresses the dilemma of a difficult call and its consequences:

1 They cast their nets in Galilee
just off the hills of brown;
such happy, simple fisher-folk,
before the Lord came down.

2 Contented, peaceful fishermen,
before they ever knew
the peace of God that filled their hearts
brimful, and broke them too.

3 Young John who trimmed the flapping sail,
homeless, in Patmos died.
Peter, who hauled the teeming net,
head-down was crucified.

4 The peace of God, it is no peace,
but strife closed in the sod.
Yet let us pray for but one thing-
the marvelous peace of God.

William Alexander Percy

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to follow Your call wherever it leads, ignoring the dangers or distresses. Help us to remain true to You, no matter what. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Daniel 1 Daniel in Nebuchadnezzar’s Court

1-5 During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God. So Nebuchadnezzar took them back to the land of Babylonia and placed them in the treasure-house of his god.

Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives. “Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,” he said. “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon.” The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service.

6-16 Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names:

Daniel was called Belteshazzar.
Hananiah was called Shadrach.
Mishael was called Meshach.
Azariah was called Abednego.

But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods. Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel. But he responded, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded.”

11-16 Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.” The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days.

At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others.

God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.

18-21 When the training period ordered by the king was completed, the chief of staff brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and no one impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the royal service. Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom. Daniel remained in the royal service until the first year of the reign of King Cyrus. (Daniel operated as an official and a prophet between 605 B.C. and 539 B.C. The name “Daniel” means “God is my judge.”)  

Sometimes we seek a calling but sometimes the calling finds us. Daniel is a teen-ager from a noble family in Jerusalem when he is carried off to Babylon with some of his friends. There is nothing recorded to indicate that God specifically calls Daniel; however, Daniel has obviously dedicated his life to God and God responds by using him effectively as an administrator as well as a prophet. Daniel’s three friends also remain true to God, eventually enduring one of the most harrowing trials of faith recorded in the Bible.

In contrast to Ezekiel’s dramatic call, Daniel’s call is never recorded at all. Sometimes God uses our circumstances to call us, and this is what has happened with Daniel. Why is Daniel’s story so important? Most of us will never witness the kinds of visions Ezekiel experienced, but many of us might find ourselves in the same situation as Daniel-our situation becomes our calling, and God begins to bring people and events to us, expecting us to fulfill His Will.

When Abraham sent out his chief servant to find a wife for Isaac, the servant began the description of his journey by saying, “I, being on the way, the Lord led me.” God led that man to find Rebekah and then led Rebekah to agree to launch off into the unknown. But the servant had to get going before God could lead him. In the same way, we must get going, for if we are going in a wrong direction, God can steer us. But God can’t steer a stationary object. If you are waiting for a call, look around you and ask God what He wants you to do with what He has built into your situation. You might find that your calling is sitting immediately in front of you. Do the first thing, and God will guide you to the next thing.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to look at the possibilities You have already given us and begin to work, trusting that You will guide us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Ezekiel 1:1-3 On July 31^st of my thirtieth year, (July 592 B.C.) while I was with the Judean exiles beside the Kebar River in Babylon, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. This happened during the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity. (The Lord gave this message to Ezekiel son of Buzi, a priest, beside the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians, and he felt the hand of the Lord take hold of him.)

Imagine you are a relatively young man from a priestly family, now in exile. Your friends and relatives have gradually abandoned worship of the One True Living God; in fact, these people weren’t exactly observant in the first place. As you worship God, you wonder if He has forgotten your relatives and you. You are gathered with others on the bank of the Kebar River. God sends visions and nothing ever will be the same.

4-9 As I looked, I saw a great storm coming from the north, driving before it a huge cloud that flashed with lightning and shone with brilliant light. There was fire inside the cloud, and in the middle of the fire glowed something like gleaming amber. From the center of the cloud came four living beings that looked human, except that each had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight, and their feet had hooves like those of a calf and shone like burnished bronze. Under each of their four wings I could see human hands. So each of the four beings had four faces and four wings. The wings of each living being touched the wings of the beings beside it. Each one moved straight forward in any direction without turning around.

10-14 Each had a human face in the front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle at the back. Each had two pairs of outstretched wings—one pair stretched out to touch the wings of the living beings on either side of it, and the other pair covered its body. They went in whatever direction the spirit chose, and they moved straight forward in any direction without turning around.

The living beings looked like bright coals of fire or brilliant torches, and lightning seemed to flash back and forth among them. And the living beings darted to and fro like flashes of lightning.

15-18 As I looked at these beings, I saw four wheels touching the ground beside them, one wheel belonging to each. The wheels sparkled as if made of beryl. All four wheels looked alike and were made the same; each wheel had a second wheel turning crosswise within it. The beings could move in any of the four directions they faced, without turning as they moved. The rims of the four wheels were tall and frightening, and they were covered with eyes all around.

19-25 When the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. When they flew upward, the wheels went up, too. The spirit of the living beings was in the wheels. So wherever the spirit went, the wheels and the living beings also went. When the beings moved, the wheels moved. When the beings stopped, the wheels stopped. When the beings flew upward, the wheels rose up, for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.

Spread out above them was a surface like the sky, glittering like crystal. Beneath this surface the wings of each living being stretched out to touch the others’ wings, and each had two wings covering its body. As they flew, their wings sounded to me like waves crashing against the shore or like the voice of the Almighty or like the shouting of a mighty army. When they stopped, they let down their wings. As they stood with wings lowered, a voice spoke from beyond the crystal surface above them.

God sends Ezekiel a vivid vision of His glory and majesty, revealing the appearance of mysterious beings who surround the throne and who perpetually worship Him. But Ezekiel is about to see God.

26-28 Above this surface was something that looked like a throne made of blue lapis lazuli. And on this throne high above was a figure whose appearance resembled a man. From what appeared to be his waist up, he looked like gleaming amber, flickering like a fire. And from his waist down, he looked like a burning flame, shining with splendor. All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining in the clouds on a rainy day. This is what the glory of the Lord looked like to me. When I saw it, I fell face down on the ground, and I heard someone’s voice speaking to me.

Ezekiel 2 Ezekiel’s Call and Commission

2:1-10 “Stand up, son of man,” said the voice. “I want to speak with you.” The Spirit came into me as he spoke, and he set me on my feet. I listened carefully to his words. “Son of man,” he said, “I am sending you to the nation of Israel, a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me. They and their ancestors have been rebelling against me to this very day. They are a stubborn and hard-hearted people. But I am sending you to say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ And whether they listen or refuse to listen—for remember, they are rebels—at least they will know they have had a prophet among them.

“Son of man, do not fear them or their words. Don’t be afraid even though their threats surround you like nettles and briers and stinging scorpions. Do not be dismayed by their dark scowls, even though they are rebels. You must give them my messages whether they listen or not. But they won’t listen, for they are completely rebellious! Son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not join them in their rebellion. Open your mouth and eat what I give you.”

Then I looked and saw a hand reaching out to me. It held a scroll, which he unrolled. And I saw that both sides were covered with funeral songs, words of sorrow, and pronouncements of doom.

Ezekiel 3:1-9 The voice said to me, “Son of man, eat what I am giving you—eat this scroll! Then go and give its message to the people of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he fed me the scroll. “Fill your stomach with this,” he said. And when I ate it, it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

Then he said, “Son of man, go to the people of Israel and give them my messages. I am not sending you to a foreign people whose language you cannot understand. No, I am not sending you to people with strange and difficult speech. If I did, they would listen! But the people of Israel won’t listen to you any more than they listen to me! For the whole lot of them are hard-hearted and stubborn. But look, I have made you as obstinate and hard-hearted as they are. I have made your forehead as hard as the hardest rock! So don’t be afraid of them or fear their angry looks, even though they are rebels.”

10-14 Then he added, “Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself. Then go to your people in exile and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ Do this whether they listen to you or not.”

Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a loud rumbling sound behind me. (May the glory of the Lord be praised in his place!) It was the sound of the wings of the living beings as they brushed against each other and the rumbling of their wheels beneath them.

The Spirit lifted me up and took me away. I went in bitterness and turmoil, but the Lord’s hold on me was strong. Then I came to the colony of Judean exiles in Tel-abib, beside the Kebar River. I was overwhelmed and sat among them for seven days.

Prior to the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 597 B.C., Ezekiel was a priest serving in Jerusalem. Ezekiel was carried off to Babylon with others from Judah. Ezekiel then prophesied from 592 B.C. to 570 B.C.

Poor Ezekiel! God calls Ezekiel, and Ezekiel can only obey. God sends Ezekiel visions that are more vivid and more extensive than any of the other prophets, but why? It’s likely that God knows that even though Ezekiel himself is obedient, it’s going to take unmistakable visions for Ezekiel to carry out his ministry. Look at how God describes those in exile: “Son of man, go to the people of Israel and give them my messages. I am not sending you to a foreign people whose language you cannot understand. No, I am not sending you to people with strange and difficult speech. If I did, they would listen! But the people of Israel won’t listen to you any more than they listen to me! For the whole lot of them are hard-hearted and stubborn. But look, I have made you as obstinate and hard-hearted as they are. I have made your forehead as hard as the hardest rock! So don’t be afraid of them or fear their angry looks, even though they are rebels.”

Then he added, “Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself. Then go to your people in exile and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ Do this whether they listen to you or not.”

There’s never any indication that Ezekiel falters or refuses this call. Ezekiel obeys God, but God warns him at the beginning that the Israelites will refuse to listen. But Ezekiel must prophesy anyway. Why? God gives Ezekiel prophecies that transcend centuries. Eventually, Ezekiel’s prophecies will help inspire the Zionist Movement that will eventually result in the establishment of the State of Israel. We must remember that God is always doing a variety of new things, many of which span centuries and even millenia. This is why God is referred to as the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. Only God knows how many people have been awe-struck, encouraged, inspired, and strengthened by the difficult prophecies of Ezekiel.

What can we learn from Ezekiel’s call? Sometimes the call of God is so compelling that argument is unthinkable. But the call of God is neither safe nor comfortable. In the end though, Ezekiel’s name shines as one of those blessed to deliver God’s messages. And we can be sure that when Ezekiel dies, he will hear God saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Heavenly Father.”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You, even when it means we lose friends and family to serve You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Jeremiah 1:1-3 These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests from the town of Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. The Lord first gave messages to Jeremiah during the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah.[627 B.C.] The Lord’s messages continued throughout the reign of King Jehoiakim, Josiah’s son, until the eleventh year of the reign of King Zedekiah, another of Josiah’s sons. In August of that eleventh year the people of Jerusalem were taken away as captives.

Jeremiah’s Call and First Visions

4-10 The Lord gave me this message:

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born, I set you apart
and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

“O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”

The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said,

“Look, I have put my words in your mouth!

Imagine that you are seventeen. You love God, but you really don’t have a clue what you want to do with your life. You assume that you will soon marry and have a nice quiet life in your hometown of Anathoth. WRONG!!!WRONG!!!WRONG!!! While you, Jeremiah, are hoping for something calm and ordinary, God is planning something far different. Jeremiah has no idea what God is about to do with his life. God is calling Jeremiah to be one of the last prophets to the Southern Kingdom before the Babylonians overrun it, carrying some people off to Babylon while others remain in Jerusalem. The clock is ticking for the Israelites, for despite all God’s warnings, they have persisted in worshiping every pagan deity they can find, including demons demanding they burn their children as live offerings. God has selected Jeremiah to sound one of the desperate final warnings.

Why does God choose Jeremiah? Evidently, Jeremiah whole-heartedly follows God and is one of the few true believers left in Judah. God knows that Jeremiah will have a career spanning more than forty years, during which time he will be beaten, thrown in prison, dumped in a well full of muck where he nearly drowns until one of the court eunuchs saves him. Eventually, Jeremiah will even reluctantly accompany those from Judah when they insist on fleeing to Egypt, despite Jeremiah’s predictions that Nebuchadnezzar will conquer Egypt as well. And God knows that He has put more into Jeremiah than Jeremiah believes, for Jeremiah will endure through all this suffering, continuing to faithfully proclaim God’s word.

11-16 Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms. Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow. Others you must build up and plant.”

Then the Lord said to me, “Look, Jeremiah! What do you see?”

And I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.”

And the Lord said, “That’s right, and it means that I am watching,[the term in Hebrew for almond and watching sound similar] and I will certainly carry out all my plans.”

Then the Lord spoke to me again and asked, “What do you see now?”

And I replied, “I see a pot of boiling water, spilling from the north.”

“Yes,” the Lord said, “for terror from the north will boil out on the people of this land. Listen! I am calling the armies of the kingdoms of the north to come to Jerusalem. I, the Lord, have spoken!

“They will set their thrones at the gates of the city. They will attack its walls and all the other towns of Judah. I will pronounce judgment on my people for all their evil—for deserting me and burning incense to other gods. Yes, they worship idols made with their own hands!

17-19 “Get up and prepare for action. Go out and tell them everything I tell you to say.
Do not be afraid of them, or I will make you look foolish in front of them.
For see, today I have made you strong like a fortified city that cannot be captured, like an iron pillar or a bronze wall. You will stand against the whole land—the kings, officials, priests, and people of Judah. They will fight you, but they will fail. For I am with you, and I will take care of you. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

And if you think the professional religious people will accept Jeremiah gladly, think again! Jeremiah 20 tells the story of Pashhur, the high priest’s son, and a self-styled prophet who’s been busily telling people what they want to hear. As the Northern Kingdom falls to Assyria and the Babylonians approach, the citizens of Jerusalem are desperate for someone, anyone, to reassure them that despite all their disobedience, despite their gross blasphemies, despite their egregious neglect of God, God will give them a free pass and withhold His anger. Never mind all the warnings in the Book of Deuteronomy.

20:1-6 Now Pashhur son of Immer, the priest in charge of the Temple of the Lord, heard what Jeremiah was prophesying. So he arrested Jeremiah the prophet and had him whipped and put in stocks at the Benjamin Gate of the Lord’s Temple.

The next day, when Pashhur finally released him, Jeremiah said, “Pashhur, the Lord has changed your name. From now on you are to be called ‘The Man Who Lives in Terror.’ For this is what the Lord says: ‘I will send terror upon you and all your friends, and you will watch as they are slaughtered by the swords of the enemy. I will hand the people of Judah over to the king of Babylon. He will take them captive to Babylon or run them through with the sword. And I will let your enemies plunder Jerusalem. All the famed treasures of the city—the precious jewels and gold and silver of your kings—will be carried off to Babylon. As for you, Pashhur, you and all your household will go as captives to Babylon. There you will die and be buried, you and all your friends to whom you prophesied that everything would be all right.’”

OOF! Well! Guess that indicates what God thinks of Passhur and all other false prophets. Then Jeremiah goes on to complain about the force of his call. Jeremah 20:9 But if I say I’ll never mention the Lord or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it!

Finally, Jeremiah is so terrified, exhausted, and fed up that he concludes, “Why was I ever born? My entire life has been filled with trouble, sorrow, and shame.” (Jeremiah 20:18)

Reading the story of Jeremiah, we might wonder why anybody would answer that call and follow the Lord faithfully for more than forty years. The answer is simple: Jeremiah committed his life to the Lord and never turned back, even while he was lamenting bitterly. Abused, misunderstood, denigrated, stripped of everything, Jeremiah persisted in obeying God. When Gedaliah, the governor appointed by the Babylonians, was murdered, the remaining Israelites insisted on going to Egypt, despite Jeremiah’s admonitions to the contrary. Did Jeremiah die in Egypt? Did Jeremiah quietly find his way back to Anathoth? We don’t know. We only know that Jeremiah lived to see all his predictions come true, those predictions so loathed by the Israelites.

What can we gain from Jeremiah’s story? God designs our callings before we are ever born. God does not change His mind when we complain. As long as we will be faithful to God, He will continue to guide us. God does not change; we are the ones whose opinions shift with the wind. May God help us so that we will remain as faithful as Jeremiah did, even in the face of extreme opposition.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to trust that if You call us, You will keep us, even in the face of adversity. Help us to remain true to Your calling, no matter what. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.