Come Follow Me with Sam

 Welcome! Daniel, Daniel, Daniel. Daniel is a prophet in a foreign land. He has a gift of prophesy that is more famous than perhaps any old testament prophet. the book is only 12 chapters but almost every chapter has a prophecy of some sort tied into it.  Daniel was also able to withstand great adversity in a foreign land. He created Zion in the midst of Babylon. There is a lesson here that in the midst of adversity, some of the most beautiful flowers arise. When Judah was its own sovereign country, would they have raised up a Daniel? If such a person had walked among them, would anyone have listened. If anyone had listened, would anyone have understood? Like in the parable of the vineyard in Jacob, when Israel was scattered, it could be planted on other trees, and there draw nourishment so that one day when it was gathered again, it could produce good fruit. Daniel is also many times overlooked as an apocalyptic writer, despite the renown of his 'stone cut without hands' visi...

 Welcome! I mentioned that Jeremiah was a transitory prophet; at the point of Ezekiel, the Israelites are in captivity. Ezekiel's message has parallels with Jeremiah's in the sense that there is fall and redemption. Jeremiah was the one warning this would happen. Now it happened and the Israelites are wrestling with what this cataclysmic event meant and why it happened and what it means for them. There are also many parallels to what Christ would say during his earthly ministry. imagery of seeking that which was lost, watching over a flock, and caring for those in need. Chapter 33 grabbed my attention the most. There are some specific and important understandings as to the obligations of those commissioned with a message, and those to whom the message should be delivered.

 Welcome! This week, we are finishing out Jeremiah and getting into lamentations. The stark feeling you get with the reading is that this is the end of the party. Jerusalem is doomed. The king is willfully blind. The people will not (cannot?) turn from their path. This is the end of Israel. In this sense, Jeremiah is a transitional prophet. He is transitioning from the kingdom of Israel to captive Israel. From now on, Israel will never experience true freedom from then all the way up until 1948 AD (or further for covenant Israel?). Jeremiah uses many types of language that we saw in Isaiah. It is like Jeremiah is saying that Isaiah's prophecies are being fulfilled in his time. Jeremiah also talks of Israel as doomed for the present, but that there will be redemption, and he points toward the last days as the time of that redemption. After the captivity, many prophets hinge their hopeful message in the same way; that Judah is captive now but will at last be redeemed with Israel.

 Welcome! Finally out of the Isaiah chapters! Jeremiah was a contemporary of Lehi, and in a sense, a capstone to Isaiah. Isaiah was around 100 years earlier and warned of all the things that would happen. Israel then had some ups and downs, mostly downs, to the point where we get to Jeremiah and Zedekiah. Jeremiah was basically the last Prophet before Jerusalem was destroyed and the kingdom came to an end. Here are a couple keys from Jeremiah. Jeremiah's humility at not being able to speak is reminiscent of Isaiah 6. Both prophets suffered the same challenge that they knew they had weaknesses that would come out into the open if they opened their mouths. Both times, albeit in different ways, God reminded them that it is the call that sanctifies the word, not the person. When God commissions you to speak, it is good to speak whatever the consequences. Like Isaiah, Jeremiah speaks directly to the terrible hypocrisy and neglect of the leaders to follow the gospel. There were ups and d...

 Welcome! Finishing out Isaiah below! This is actually from a couple weeks back when I thought Isaiah was over (HA!).  A tentative way to view the organization of Isaiah I also feel like I can put together a tentative shot at how I think about the organization of Isaiah. Keep in mind that there are lots of ways to organize Isaiah in your mind. Some are better, some are worse. This one is sure to have mistakes but it should highlight some important parts as well. Keep in mind that although I speak a lot  in terms of which dispensation, epoch, or time Isaiah is talking about, I believe Isaish looks at this more spiritually and that is why his words represent multiple times and places. He is describing spiritually what is happening in the hearts of men, and as men are falling into the same traps, and need the savior in the same way across time, hiis words apply across those places. Chapters 1 - 5 (6) chapters 1 through 5 are an introduction and summary to Isaiah's main messa...