Need for Just Leaders

March 29, 2020 Background Scripture: Malachi 2, 3 Lesson Passage: Malachi 2:1 – 9; 3:5, 6 Malachi is a fitting end to the writings of the Old Testament and the preparation for the New Covenant. In this prophecy, God summarizes Israel’s response to the covenant He made with them. God remained faithful but Israel continued to backslide. The leaders of Israel were to blame for much of it. The people took their cue from their leaders. Corrupt and unrighteous leaders cannot lead righteous people. People follow the examples that leaders demonstrate much more than they follow instructions. Leadership is more than instructions in righteous; it is also providing examples of how to live out those instructions. It is because of this that God directly addressed the priests of Israel. First and foremost, the priests failed to teach the precepts of God to the people impartially. The word of God must be taught just as God has given it. The priests were not doing that. Then God addressed His people for breaking covenants even among themselves. God pointed towards divorce among His people as a clear example of it. The covenant of marriage was given to mankind as a covenant of commitment. Over time, we have conveniently fashioned it into an agreement revolving around romance and physical attraction. No marriage is likely to survive with guidelines such as that. God intended for marriage to be a covenant ended only by physical death. The marriage of a man and a woman was the basis God used to fill the earth with people. Marriage provided the environment for healthy families to rear healthy children who would be taught to reverence God even as their parents did. With the breakdown of marriages among God’s people, God’s plan was abandoned. God’s response was clear, “I hate divorce.” So, God reiterated the commitment that was supposed to be the basis of the marriage covenant. God also rebuked the people for refusing to honor His call for them to provide material support for His house of prayer. He called it robbery for His people to receive His blessings but not acknowledge it by bringing tithes and offerings to His house. They had become arrogant against the Lord. God called their actions robbery. God’s answer to these and other issues that are identified in this prophecy is that He would come and fix things Himself. Since the leaders He had set aside to lead the people were not just, God was coming to put things back on track. He was going to send John the Baptist as His personal messenger to prepare the people to receive Him. The Lord was coming to personally rebuke the priests. He was going to start with the leaders, but He was not going to stop there. He made it clear that He was eavesdropping on conversations that people were having with each other. He would know who was righteous and who was not by those conversations. The righteous He would claim as His own and the unrighteous He would reject. After this, God’s people would also judge even as He judges. They would distinguish between the righteous and the wicked. Robert C. Hudson March 21, 2020

An Argument Against Corruption

March 22, 2020 Background Scripture: Micah 3 – 6 Lesson Passage: Micah 3:1 – 3, 9 – 12; 6:6 – 8 Like the other Minor Prophets, Micah did not write a lengthy dissertation. However, there are some major revelations from God in what he did write. The prophet Micah cried out in Judah for social justice at a time when his message was not always popular. Especially since no one was exempt from God’s rebuke contained in his message. He warned all, the leaders in their society as well as the citizens. The corruption in society started at the top and filtered down to others. Matters were made worse because the judges, priests, and prophets were all accused of performing their duties for money. So-called “justice” in the courts could be bought for a price. Put another way, those with money could commit crimes and not suffer the consequences while the poor could not expect to receive a fair trial—since they had nothing to bribe the judge with. The priests were supposed to go before God on behalf of the people, and the prophets were called of God to speak to the people on behalf of God. However, the priests who instructed the people in the ways of God only did so for money. The prophets prophesied based on the compensation they received for it. For the right price, they would gladly proclaim that all was well. It was during the time of this spiritual and social confusion that Micah cried out for social justice and for the people to return to righteous living. There is evidence in Israel’s recorded history to suggest that many of the leaders in Judah ignored Micah’s message. The common people, on the other hand, paid closer attention. Many of the commoners lived in the outlying villages of Judah. Those areas were vulnerable and subject to be attacked. They were constantly plagued by raids by the Assyrians and other enemies of Israel. During Micah’s years of prophesying, the Assyrians besieged Samaria, the northern kingdom’s capitol, and carried into captivity the people of Israel. After that, the Assyrians continued to harass the villagers in the southern kingdom of Judah and even attempted to overthrow Judah’s capitol city of Jerusalem. Micah’s message that proclaimed God’s judgment would have been welcomed news to the common people and troubling to those who were living on bribes. Even more so, what God required of them was within reach compared to what their corrupt leaders required. The corrupt leaders required money, but God required social justice, kindness, and humility. In other words, what God demanded did not require money or resources. In fact, every person in society could meet God’s requirement. It was a matter of a changed and repentant heart that was evidenced by how they lived. Rather than do that, the people responded by performing meaningless religious rituals in an effort to appease God. Unfortunately, as is so often the case, even the common people acted as the wealthy and well-positioned in society. They were reminded that God was not satisfied with any amount of offering or sacrifice that was not accompanied by the worshipper living righteously. God knows the difference between the intentions of a person’s heart and their actions. A life lived in sincere humility and kindness towards others was and is pleasing to God. Robert C. Hudson March 7, 2020

Consequences for Injustice

March 15, 2020 Background Scripture: Habakkuk 2 Lesson Passage: Habakkuk 2:6 – 14 Actions have consequences. Positive actions have positive consequences. Negative actions have negative consequences. To not show justice towards the least among us is a very negative action. When God described the calamity that He was sending to His people, Habakkuk was shocked by the violence of it. Therefore, he asked God to enlighten him. Today’s lesson is a continuation of God’s dialog with Habakkuk. The Background Scripture opens with Habakkuk anticipating God’s response to his second question, “Will there be a limit on the bloodshed wrought by heathens against the wicked among the people of God?” How will this disaster ever end given the spiritual condition of man’s heart? Habakkuk believed that he had misunderstood something about this, and therefore God would correct his thinking. God answered by instructing the prophet to write the vision that He was going to give him. God wanted others to read the vision and respond based on it. Central to their understanding of the calamity was knowing that God would spare the just based on their faith in Him. The just will not be made perfect at that time. Nor would God overlook the unrighteousness of the just during the execution of punishment upon wickedness. However, God’s protection of the just would be based on their faith in Him. If the just has faith in God, God would spare them destruction at the time of punishment. This was a major revelation that was heretofore unknown. Out of the writing of a Minor Prophet came a major revelation to the people of God. God again affirmed a central theme of His revealed will, “The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God.” Furthermore, all who trust in idols with be brought to naught. There will be a day of judgment for the wicked. Although the wicked may be used by God to punish unrighteousness, God will destroy the wicked afterwards. Injustice will never be allowed to go on without end. However, the time of retribution is controlled solely by God. God will always ensure that His will is accomplished regardless of evil’s apparent domination of the powerless. God indeed was going to use wicked and vicious people to punish His people for their unrighteousness. When the people of God refused to deal with the powerless in a just manner, God was going to avenge the powerless. Injustice cannot last forever. There are consequences that must occur according to God’s divine will. When the wicked are used to punish the people of God, it does not exonerate the wicked. The wicked will receive the just end of their deeds, and it will come without mercy. The godless make idols that they speak to and command, but those idols have no life in them and cannot respond back. God makes all men and He will not respond to their instructions for Him, but instead He tells them to hush! Although the lifeless idol made by man cannot speak, God made man, who is capable of speech, but commands him to speak only when God desires for him to. How foolish it is for man to not worship the God who created him and gave him the power of speech but would rather make a mute idol and submit himself to it as a servant. God refuses to allow this abomination. So, He simply tells man to hush! Robert C. Hudson March 4, 2020

A Prayer for Justice

March 8, 2020 Background Scripture: Habakkuk 1 Lesson Passage: Habakkuk 1:1 – 4, 12 – 14 Today’s lesson is a continuation of the series that examines some of the messages of the Minor Prophets. Habakkuk is the author of today’s text. The prophet had questions that he knew only God could answer. Habakkuk acknowledged that God had opened his eyes and allowed him to behold the atrocities that were taking place among the people of God. The first question Habakkuk posed to God was, “How can You allow such injustice to happen among Your people with no end in sight?” (Sometimes God will allow us to see sin through His eyes that we may become offended by it just as He is.) God answered Habakkuk’s question by warning him that he was going to be in shock as to how God was going to address the plight of His people. The prophet knew that God’s way of judging the sin of His people can be just as confusing to us as not judging it at all. God was going to allow a vicious heathen nation to come in and wreak havoc over His people. The heathens would show no mercy and execute punishment quickly. They would besiege the people of God and then overrun them. They would be as vicious as wild animals when they attack the people of God. There would be no defensive measures that would protect the people—even those within fortified cities. However, the heathen’s downfall will come because they would ascribe their battlefield success to their heathen god(s). Although they will be used by God to punish His people, they would not give God glory or honor for the victories they secure. By this action, they will greatly offend God. Their offense will be more so than the offenses of the people of God. This prompted Habakkuk to ask God a second question, “Since God is eternal, the people of God must also be everlasting. Why then would God allow heathens to punish His people when the wickedness of the heathens exceed the unrighteousness of the people of God? Why wouldn’t God restrain the wicked and not allow them to show no pity upon the people of God?” As the dialog pressed on, God answered all of Habakkuk’s questions. Today’s lesson focuses on the nature of the dialog between God and Habakkuk. First and foremost, the dialog is happening because God allowed the prophet to view the spiritual condition of His people through His eyes. If the prophet could not see things through the eyes of God, he might have put limitations on his assignment to prophesy to the people of God. Because God allowed Habakkuk to see the sins of the people, Habakkuk would not hesitate to tell the people what “thus said the Lord”. Knowing that God’s punishment of His people was going to be very harsh, the urgency of warning the people of God became a priority for him. Secondly, although the prophet pleaded with God for justice for the righteous, God’s answer to his plea was harsher than the prophet could have imagine. If God used the heathen to punish and restrain the wicked among His people, will He also set limits on the heathen to prevent them from plundering the people unchecked? In other words, Habakkuk’s prayer was for God to rescue the righteous from the deeds of the wicked but don’t allow heathens to hurt God’s people without restraint. God’s response to Habakkuk’s second question will be in next week’s lesson. Robert C. Hudson February 24, 2020

A Call to Accountability

March 1, 2020 Background Scripture: Amos 5 Lesson Passage: Amos 5:18 –24 If there is one characteristic that should be evident in a mature person, it is accountability for one’s words and actions. It can be a harsh rebuke to accuse a mature person of not taking accountability for their words or behavior. This is even more so the case when the rebuke comes from a person who is unknown to the one who is being rebuked. Such was the case in our lesson text today—to a great extent. Amos, the prophet, was placed in a most peculiar position by the Lord. Amos was a resident of the southern kingdom of Judah, but the Lord sent him to prophesy to the residents of the northern kingdom of Israel. The residents of Israel were about to experience severe punishment by God for their unholy living. To make matters worse, their Prophets were allaying their concerns by telling them what they wanted to hear. In other words, they were not hearing words of condemnation concerning their unholy actions from the prophets of Israel. The Lord sent Amos to rebuke them and warn them of impending judgment against them. They were rebuked for their religious rituals because their lifestyles did not align with God’s will. God made it clear that He had no desire for empty acts of worship that accompanied their lives of disobedience. Amos was sent to Israel to name specific transgressions that God had taken note of in Israel. Their religious rituals were meaningless to God. Therefore, God requested that they cease to make offerings to Him or to assemble themselves together in the name of sacredness. God’s desire for Israel was holy living. One aspect of holy living is reflected by the way one treats the least among them. The wealthy in Israel were perverting justice and taking advantage of the poorest. They were taking more and more from the poor and treating them harshly. The poor could not find justice before their leaders. All manner of unholy living was taking place among the people of God. The Lord’s solution to Israel’s problem was simple, God wanted justice and righteousness to overrun the kingdom like a flood. The rich and powerful were being called to execute justice fairly among the people. Both the wealthy and the poor were being called to live righteously in the presence of God. In short, the residents of the northern kingdom were being summoned by God to take accountability for their actions. God was preparing to bring judgment against them because of their unholy actions. Their empty acts of devotion and worship would not be enough to prevent the judgment of God—in fact, it was causing God to hasten His judgment against them. Again, accountability is a mark of maturity. Israel, through her actions, was demonstrating spiritual immaturity. Israel was doing the kinds of things that those who don’t know God were doing. Their acts of worship were mere gestures of formality. These were the types of actions pagans offered to idol gods. Yet, God had made Himself known to Israel by delivering them out of Egypt and leading them to conquer people much greater than themselves. The inhabitants of Canaan had fallen before Israel because of the hand of the Lord. However, Israel was now acting more and more like the Canaanites God destroyed and gave their land to Israel to inhabit. As God had done to the Canaanites, He would now do to Israel. Israel would build houses and not be allowed to live in them. They would plant vineyards and not be allowed to enjoy the fruit of them. God's blessings were available, but Israel would not be allowed to enjoy them unless they repented when they received this call to accountability. Robert C. Hudson February 12, 2020