Bible perplexities, small group leadership
By Jean E. Jones. “10 Things You Want to Know About Heaven But are Embarrassed to Ask” first appeared on Crosswalk.com, August 2017.
Fighting back tears, a young woman confessed to my husband that she was afraid she didn’t want to go to heaven. Since then, as we’ve related that story to others, we’ve discovered many Christians have that fear.
And no wonder! Artists and movie makers depict heaven as a colorless place where the occupants sport wings and halos and have nothing better to do than strum harps and lounge on clouds. Furthermore, skeptics like Mark Twain denounce heaven as unbearably boring and full of hypocritical prudes.
Misconceptions about heaven abound. So let’s clear some of them up. Here are 10 questions that Christians are embarrassed to ask about heaven.
1. Is heaven in the clouds?
Comics and movies typically depict heaven’s occupants as lolling on fluffy, white clouds. But that’s not at all what the Bible depicts. Still, part of the confusion is that the word “heaven” has three meanings:
- The sky: “heaven gave rain” (James 5:18)
- The physical cosmos containing stars and planets: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1)
- The unseen spiritual realm where God’s throne and celestial beings such as angels reside: “The Lord’s throne is in heaven” (Psalm 11:4)
The Bible teaches that on the day of the Lord, the physical cosmos “will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (2 Peter 3:10). Then after the judgment, God will create new heavens and a new earth (Revelation 21:1). Finally, those whose names are in the Book of Life will dwell there with God (Revelation 21:3).
2. Will heaven be plain white?
Television, movies, and paintings often depict heaven as all white: occupants with white wings wear white robes and rest on white clouds. Consequently, everything looks sterile.
However, Revelation’s description of the new dwelling place is quite different. Yes, the city gates are of pearl. But the city’s wall is multi-colored jasper and the city itself is gold. Also, the wall’s foundation is bejeweled with jasper, deep blue sapphire, pale blue chalcedony, blue-green beryl, deep green emerald, apple-green chrysoprase, yellow-green chrysolite, yellow-brown topaz, orange-red jacinth, red-and-white striped sardonyx, dark red carnelian, and bright purple amethyst (Revelation 21:18-21). Additionally, in the city flows a river surrounded by a dozen types of fruit-bearing trees (22:1-2).
Moreover, I can’t imagine that the God who created our current heavens and earth with a magnificent rainbow of colors that blaze across the night and morning skies, dance in pansies and daisies, and flash from hummingbirds and orioles, has lost his love for color!
3. Do people become angels in heaven?
In Charles Dickens’ The Old Curiosity Shop, a child says to Little Nell, “Why, they say… that you will be an angel, before the birds sing again.” But is the idea that people who go to heaven become angels a biblical one?
Not at all.
God created the angels before he created the earth (Psalm 148:2-5; Job 38:6-7). Moreover, angels are ministering spirits who serve “those who are going to inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:13-14). People don’t turn into angels when they die; rather, at the end of the age, angels will “separate the evil from the righteous” people (Matthew 13:49).
Further, something more wonderful is in store for God’s children: “The Lord Jesus Christ… will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21). Indeed, it will be an imperishable body, raised in glory and power, a spiritual body that bears the image of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:42-49).
4. Will people have wings and halos in heaven?
Artists who show humans with wings in heaven are probably thinking that people turn into angels. Most artists give angels wings, although according to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, the Bible nowhere describes angels as winged, though they sometimes fly (Daniel 9:21).
However, the resurrected bodies of those entering the pearly gates will be like Jesus’ resurrected body (Philippians 3:21). When he appeared to his disciples after he rose from the dead, he had no wings. So resurrected humans won’t either.
As to halos, I used to think that came from Daniel 12:3, which says “those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” But I was wrong. It turns out ancient artists placed halos around paintings and etchings of important people and religious figures so they’d stand out. In fact, there’s no mention of halos anywhere in the Bible.
5. Will people in heaven lose their sense of taste, touch, or smell?
Indeed, that was the message of the movie City of Angels (1998). In it, Nicholas Cage stars as an angel named Seth. But Seth can’t taste, touch, or smell. He falls in love with a human (played by Meg Ryan) and gives up eternity so he can make love to her. She dies, but he concludes that smelling her hair and kissing her just once was better than anything an eternity in heaven had to offer.
Certainly, that’s an unappealing heaven! But it’s not what the Bible describes.
Instead, after Jesus was raised from the dead, the disciples touched and hugged Jesus and ate with him (Luke 24:39-43; John 20:17). Additionally, Philippians 3:21 says Jesus “will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body.” If Jesus could taste, touch, and smell, we’ll be able to, too. In fact, our reunion with Christ is called “the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9).
6. Will heaven be full of nerds and prudes?
In high school, I went with my then-boyfriend Clay to the youth group at his church. There, the pastor’s daughter said she wanted to go to hell because that’s where all her friends would be. Indeed, she echoed Mark Twain’s sentiment: “Choose heaven for the climate and hell for the company.”
Clay points out that in heaven, “There will be murderers (such as Moses), adulterers (such as David), and prostitutes (such as Rahab). But they will all be repentant. Hell, on the other hand, will also be full of rapists, whiners, cowards, liars, and many a Pharisee, but none of them will be repentant” (Why Does God Allow Evil?, 165).
Furthermore, C.S. Lewis explained that every person “may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would strongly be tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such that you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare” (The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses, 45).
7. Will we recognize loved ones in heaven?
People who have lost loved ones are often concerned about whether they’ll see and recognize those dear to them in heaven. Certainly, part of this concern arises from misunderstanding Isaiah 65:17: “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.”
But the prior verse says that God says “the former troubles are forgotten and are hidden from my eyes.” In the Bible, when God says he will no longer remember something, he doesn’t mean he gives up his omniscience. Rather, he means he will no longer remember it for the sake of punishing it. So Isaiah 65:17 is saying God won’t remember our past sins against us in the new heaven and earth.
Also, Revelation 14:13 says our deeds will follow us, which can’t be done if we don’t remember them! Moreover, other passages show the dead remembering their earthly life: Luke 16:25; 2 Corinthians 1:4; Revelation 6:9-11.
8. Will there be sadness in heaven over unsaved loved ones?
Won’t knowing unsaved loved ones are in hell make heaven miserable? Philosopher Adam Pelser argues that the saved may at times feel somberness over the lost, but that will not diminish joy (Paradise Understood, 131). For instance, even on earth, somberness and joy can coexist (James 1:2).
Also, at the judgment, God will expose every deed, thought, and motive of those who refuse to turn from wrongdoing and turn to Jesus Christ as Lord. When we see how those who have rejected Jesus’ gift of eternal life “really are,” we won’t miss being with them.
Additionally, the unsaved won’t exist as we knew them. For example, C.S. Lewis wrote, “What is cast (or casts itself) into hell is not a man: it is ‘remains’… To be an ex-man or ‘damned ghost’—would presumably mean to consist of a will utterly centred in the self and passions utterly uncontrolled by the will” (The Problem of Pain, 113-114). If Lewis is right, then seeing ex-humans with uncontrolled wills will do much to help us understand why they are lost.
9. Will shame keep us from enjoying heaven?
Some people worry that remembering terrible things they did on this earth would be too painful. Although they know the Bible says that those who believe Jesus is the Son of God who died for their sins will receive eternal life, they still feel ashamed.
But God wants us to let go of shame after we repent from and confess our sin. To not accept his forgiveness suggests that we think our standards are higher than God’s! Yet Scripture assures us that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). It also tells us if we forget God has cleansed us, we won’t mature spiritually (2 Peter 1:9).
Those overcome with shame often think they’re worse than other people. But at the judgment, they will see that many others shared their sins, just as 1 Corinthians 10:13 says. So if they never succeeded in fully realizing God’s complete forgiveness and cleansing on this earth, they will see it with their own eyes in heaven.
10. Will heaven be boring?
![Bored cherubs in heaven in Sistine Madonna by Rafael [Public Domain]](https://i2.wp.com/www.jeanejones.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/RAFAEL_-_Sistine-Madonna-Cherubs.jpg?fit=1030%2C430&ssl=1)
For instance, in Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer said that Miss Watson “went on and told me all about the good place. She said all a body would have to do there was to go around all day long with a harp and sing, forever and ever. So I didn’t think too much of it. But I never said so.”
The idea that we’ll do nothing in heaven but sing comes from a misunderstanding of Revelation 4:8, which describes “four living creatures” with six wings who “day and night… never cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’” But “never cease” means they sing this regularly, not that they sing forever in a loop. Indeed, they give commands (Revelation 6:1-2), sing different songs (14:3), and distribute bowls to angels (15:7).
Of course humans will worship God. But our primary occupation will be reigning with Christ forever in the magnificent new heavens and earth (Revelation 22:5).
10 Things You Want to Know About Heaven But Are Embarrassed to Ask Share on XIf difficult days have ever left you discouraged, this interactive 11-week journey will help you engage creatively with God’s Word and establish habits that lead to greater joy and peace.
An earlier form of this article on the Minor Prophets first appeared on Crosswalk.com on 1/19/2017.
By Jean E. Jones
Many Christians find the last 12 books of the Old Testament—known as the Minor Prophets—well, boring! Why? First, they don’t see how the books relate to today. Second, they don’t know what was going on at the time. And third, the prophets address a lot of unfamiliar people and places.
“Prophet Malachi” by Duccio di Buoninsegna
Some Christians even skip reading the Minor Prophets. That’s a shame because they tell us a lot about social injustice and what God thinks about the rich and powerful taking advantage of the poor and weak—a topic certainly relevant to our times! Plus, they give us insights into what everyday life was like during Old Testament times. They also show us how God deals with evil—then, now, and still to come.
Here I’ve put together some interesting facts about the Minor Prophets that will help you make sense of them.
1. “Minor” means short, not unimportant.
In ancient days, the books of the Bible were copied onto scrolls. The longer prophetic books required their own scrolls, but the 12 shorter prophetic books fit together on a single scroll. So the Major (“long”) Prophets were grouped together first, and the Minor (“short”) Prophets followed them.
2. The Minor Prophets are also called the Book of Twelve.
Twelve writers wrote the books in the Minor Prophets, the same number as there were tribes of Israel and apostles of Jesus. Four writers wrote the five books in the Major Prophets, the same number of writers who wrote the Gospels.
3. A prophet prophesies prophecy.
“Prophesy” is a verb meaning to communicate a message from God. “Prophecy” is a noun referring to a divine message.
4. The Minor Prophets are clustered around three events.
“Jonah and the Whale” by Pieter Lastman [Public domain]
The Background to the Minor Prophets
The Old Testament is the story of God calling the Israelites to be his people so they could show all nations how to come to him. When Moses rescued the Israelites from Egyptian enslavement and brought them to the promised land, he warned them that if they ever forsook God, God would drive them out of the land into exile.
The kingdom was at its greatest under the reigns of David and his son, Solomon. But after Solomon died, the united kingdom of Israel split into two kingdoms: Israel to the north and Judah to the south. Israel abandoned God right away, descending into violence, injustice, oppression of the poor, sexual promiscuity, idolatry, and child sacrifice (horrific, but true). Judah had times of faithfulness but eventually turned to the same corruption.
“Prophet Hosea” by Duccio di Buoninsegna [Public domain]
The 3 Time Periods of the Minor Prophets
Chronologically, the Minor Prophets come after the reforms of Elijah and Elisha (which ended about 800 BC). They’re clustered around three time periods:
- Israel’s end (722 BC): The first six books (except perhaps Joel and Obadiah) are from the time leading up to and surrounding Israel’s exile. Isaiah also prophesied in this time period.
- Judah’s end (586 BC): Books seven to nine are from the time around Judah’s fall. Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel also prophesied in this time period.
- The restoration (538-430 BC): The last three books are from the building of the second temple to the end of Ezra’s and Nehemiah’s reforms.
5. The Minor Prophets call Israel and Judah by many names.
Most of the prophecies in the Minor Prophets are poems that use figures of speech, including large doses of synecdoche. Synecdoche is using a part of something to represent the whole or vice versa (for example, newscasters saying “Moscow” may be referring to all of Russia). Here are names the Minor Prophets use for Israel and Judah:
Names that refer to Israel
- Samaria (capital city)
- Ephraim (major tribe)
- Bethel (temple site)
- Jacob, Joseph (prominent people)
- House of Jeroboam, Omri, Ahab, Jehu (prominent kings)
Names that refer to Judah
“Micah Exhorts the Israelites to Repent” engraving by Gustave Doré [Public domain]
- Jerusalem (capital city)
- Judah (major tribe)
- Zion (temple site)
- House of David (prominent king)
After the northern kingdom fell in 722 BC, the prophets sometimes used the names “Israel” and “Jacob” to refer to both kingdoms. After Judah fell, neither kingdom existed—only provinces under various foreign emperors—and the names “Israel” and “Jacob” often referred to all Jews.
6. Here are interesting facts about the Minor Prophets.
Every Christian should know at least one interesting fact about the Minor Prophets! Here are 12 from which to choose.
The Time of Israel’s End
- In Hosea, God commands the prophet to marry a prostitute and likens their relationship to his relationship with Israel.
- Joel’s prophecy about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (2:28-32) was fulfilled on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came on Jesus’ followers (Acts 2:17-21).
- Martin Luther King, Jr., quoted Amos 5:24 in his “I Have a Dream” speech: “No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until ‘justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.’”
- Obadiah is the shortest Old Testament book (292 Hebrew words).
“Zechariah” watercolor by James Tissot [Public domain]
- Jesus likens his temporary burial in the earth to Jonah’s temporary burial in the belly of a huge fish (Matthew 12:40). Bonus fact: the huge fish that swallowed Jonah is never identified as a whale.
- The U.S. Library of Congress uses Micah 6:8 over its religion alcove: “What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
The Time of Judah’s End
- In Jonah’s day, the Ninevites (Assyrians) repent, but by Nahum’s time they’ve returned to cruelty. So, God tells them through Nahum that their destruction is certain and imminent.
- Habakkuk asks why God allows evil and God tells him punishment is on the way. But Habakkuk initially protests the means. Later he understands God’s plan to eradicate evil and responds by rejoicing in the Lord.
- Zephaniah was probably written by a black Jew (his dad’s name is Cushi, suggesting dad’s mom was from Cush—modern day Sudan).
The Time of the Restoration
- Haggai encouraged rebuilding the temple, which ushered in the time period known as Second Temple Judaism. (That era ended when Rome destroyed the temple in AD 70.)
- The Gospel accounts of Jesus’ suffering and death quote Zechariah six times (that’s second only to Psalms). Here are the stories: Jerusalem’s king riding on a donkey; 30 pieces of silver; looking at him whom they pierced; strike the shepherd and the sheep scatter.
- Malachi reads like a courtroom trial about broken contracts. The people are restored to the land, but are still breaking their contracts with God. Therefore, they shouldn’t expect God’s blessings till they hold up their part of the agreement.
A prayer to learn from the Minor Prophets:
Lord, may we learn from your Word the importance of following you closely and embracing your ways. May we comprehend how you are ending evil and bringing your people into your Kingdom, where evil cannot exist. Thank you for the Minor Prophets that teach us these things. May we learn to respond to your plans as Habakkuk did:
“Though the fig tree does not bud And there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stall, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (Habukkuk 3:17-18)
Amen.
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I used Prismacolor Premier pencils first in this Psalm 51 Scripture art, and then added a silver metallic gel pen on “clean” and “God,” a green pen on “right spirit,” and a red pen around the outside of the heart.
Many people are asking what to use to color the gorgeous Scripture art that Karla Dornacher created for Discovering Hope in the Psalms. I’ve followed the advice of Karla and other artists on what to buy, and I like the results.
Karla recommends the Prismacolor Premier Soft-core Pencils 72-count. These run around $25 today. You can get as many as 150, or as few as 24. Prices change often, especially before Christmas. I started with 24 and mixed colors (the lavender in the Psalm 51 Scripture art is a mix of pink and blue). Later I bought a bigger set–no more mixing required. The light grays and multiple blues in the Psalm 23 Scripture art are from the new set and weren’t possible in the small set.
Karla offers a terrific free color chart here: www.karladornacher.com/free-colored-pencil-color-chart-and-coloring-tips. I started out keeping a color chart at the back of my book, but when I bought more pencils, I downloaded and used her chart. I love it.
The pencils require a pencil sharpener made for soft cores. A sharpener that holds the shavings and has two hole sizes runs about $5 (I could find only two packs when I wrote this). Many sellers bundle the pencils with an eraser and sharpener, but the bundles often aren’t a good deal. Plus, sometimes they combine Premier pencils with Scholar sharpeners, and vice-versa. (The Prismacolor Scholar pencils have a harder core.)
There’s also a nice Prismacolor 7-piece Accessory Kit. This includes a small sharpener, two erasers, a colorless blender, a solvent blender, an ebony pencil, and a pencil extender. It’s usually under $7. Note that color pencil marks can’t be fully erased, so use erasers to lighten marks. The colorless blender allows you to put down one or more colors lightly and then blend them so that the color goes into the little valleys in the paper. The solvent blender dissolves pencil marks so they look like watercolors (see the water on the Psalm 23 picture).
I used a solvent blender on the water in this Psalm 23 Scripture art. Gel pens outline “Lord” and “my Shepherd.” Everything else is Prismacolor Premier pencils.
Coloring over the words in Scripture art washes them out, but you can use gel pens to trace the words and make them stand out again. You can see what I mean in the Psalm 23 picture, where I left most of the words muted so they looked like they were part of the water and grass. I bought 100 GelWriter gel pens at Costco before Christmas and like them. Many are metallic and glitter–see the Psalm 51 picture. They’re running $30-$40 on Amazon, but 140 Smart Color gel pens are $20 today. I haven’t tried them, but the reviews look good. Be sure to let the page dry when you use these.
Or you can go over the words with Pigma Micron pens. This set has 6 colors for $11. I use them in my Bible because they don’t bleed. Karla uses the black ones for outlining her illustrations.
For applying watercolors, water brush pens are easy to use. A set of 3 are about $9. The brushes work with watercolor pans, watercolor pencils, and inks. Use as little water as possible to keep the paper from warping.
For instructions and ideas, the book, Complete Guide to Bible Journaling, features Karla Dornacher and other Christian artists. It has lots of examples of Scripture art, art and words to trace, and stickers. Finally, the book’s website has lots of links to free tutorials: www.DiscoveringHopeInThePsalms.com/Extras.
So what are your favorite supplies for Scripture art? Comment below and share photos in the Facebook group, Discovering Hope in the Psalms.
In my last post, I offered seven free tools to help you understand the Old Testament. Here I’ll review Bibles, books, and study guides that help with that, too. Some are for those who are new to reading the Bible, and some are for seasoned Bible readers.
I end each review with an excerpt that shows how each explains Isaiah’s promise to King Ahaz to trust God to deliver him, and Ahaz’s refusal (Isaiah 7). That should let you know if the depth is what you’re looking for.
Bibles
If you’ve read the New Testament before and are ready to dive into the Old Testament, these two Bibles will help you understand it.
Review: NIV Zondervan Study Bible
Edited by D. A. Carson
Audience: Thoughtful Christians wanting historical, archaeological, and theological insights
Reading level: college
If you want a Bible with articles, charts, timelines, color photos, book introductions, and notes, this five-pound beauty is the way to go. This is the third edition of the NIV Study Bible that I own, and it’s the best of the three. It includes two dozen articles covering overarching topics such as “The Story of the Bible: How the Good News About Jesus Is Central” and “Prophets and Prophecy.” The introductions to each book are fabulous. (The link above is for leather, but there are less expensive options. I don’t recommend the Kindle version–I purchased that for version 2 and regret it. The pictures are too small and the hyperlinks overlap, making some unworkable.)
This Bible would overwhelm a new Christian. But for the thoughtful Christian wanting depth, this is the Bible to invest in. Here’s an excerpt from the Introduction to Isaiah (1308):
In ch. 7 Isaiah issues King Ahaz a challenge to trust Yahweh, not Assyria’s power. Ahaz refuses the challenge, and much of Judah’s history between that point (734 BC) and the destruction of Sennacherib’s army in 701 BC revolves around the results of Ahaz’s refusal. A burning question unites chs. 7-39: Will Israel trust Yahweh or the surrounding nations? Chs. 7-12 not only give the answer (no) but also give the answer’s implications.
Review: The One Year Chronological Bible NIV
Edited by Steve Benson
Audience: Anyone wanting to read the Old Testament and New Testament chronologically
Reading level: high school
The One Year Chronological Bible: New International Version
I read the Bible in chronological chunks fairly often, so I made things easier by buying a chronological Bible. In the table of contents, I color coded the prophets so I could see at a glance how they relate (see figure). I seldom read from this Bible, but I use its table of contents to guide my reading in other Bibles. The editors provide short italicized segues when switching between texts, but not a lot of historical notes. Here’s the transition from histories (2 Kings and 2 Chronicles) to Isaiah 7 (799):
Isaiah encouraged King Ahaz to trust in the Lord when Rezin and Pekah marched against Jerusalem. Through these prophecies of Isaiah, the Lord also gave Ahaz a sign of coming salvation—the coming of the Messiah.
Books
Review: Kingdom of Priests: A History of Old Testament Israel
By Eugene H. Merrill
Audience: Thoughtful Christians wanting to understand Old Testament history
Reading level: graduate
This superb book is my number one recommendation for thoughtful Christians who have read and studied the entire Bible and aren’t put off by academic works. Merrill divides Old Testament history into 15 parts and examines each thoroughly, weaving in historical documents from surrounding nations and archaeological finds. He keeps the overarching purpose of God establishing a kingdom of priests clearly in mind. His analysis of the ministry of the prophets is illuminating.
This is an academic work that carefully examines dating problems and apparent contradictions. His goal for this second edition was “to take on the task of bringing the narrative up to date so that the message of the Old Testament as not only a theological but also a historical work can resonate more clearly and relevantly with a new generation of readers” (11).
The book contains numerous chronological tables and maps, as well as both Scripture and subject indexes. Here’s an excerpt (420):
Ahaz had paid a staggering price for survival not only in monetary terms but especially in the moral and spiritual compromises his bargaining had required. As the Chronicler notes, in the final analysis, Tiglath-pileser gave Ahaz trouble and not help (2 Chron. 28:21). Ahaz had had to loot the temple to pay the heavy protection fees that Tiglath demanded, and as an act of thanksgiving, Ahaz offered sacrifices to the gods of Assyria, whom he credited for his salvation. He also installed their shrines throughout the land. It is little wonder that Isaiah the prophet chastised Ahaz in the bitterest terms and predicted the day when Judah also would come to know the awful Assyrian scourge (Isa. 7:17).
Review: The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People
Selections from the New International Version
Audience: Churches desiring to teach the entire congregation the main story of the Bible and willing to use supplemental supporting material
Reading level: youth and adult versions are available
The Story divides selections of text from the NIV Bible into 31 chapters arranged mostly chronologically. Short italicized segues summarize skipped material and add a few historical notes. Simple timelines begin the book; some use increments of thousands of years, others decades. The back material includes discussion questions and a character list.
Zondervan intended for churches to use The Story as part of Sunday sermons, adult small group studies, youth studies, and children’s materials. They provide DVDs, curriculum to go with the DVDs, and other support materials, including a church resource library. I offer a companion study guide (see below).
The Story highlights a dozen or so kings and includes only five excerpts from Isaiah. It skips King Ahaz and Isaiah 7, so here’s the first transition between histories and Isaiah (224):
The greatest of the writing prophets, Isaiah, began his work in Jerusalem (capital of Judah, the southern kingdom) in 740 BC, shortly before King Uzziah died. Isaiah achieved prominence during Hezekiah’s reign, helping the king to stand-down the Assyrian threat by relying on God alone. Such a strategy must be founded on rock solid faith, and this kind of faith Isaiah clearly practiced and developed. His call to service came in a powerful vision—an apt start to a prophetic vocation that would span nearly 60 years.
Study Guides
The first of these is ideal for new Christians; the second is good for those who have read a bit of the Bible already and are willing to put in 31 weeks of daily study.
Review: Seamless: Understanding the Bible as One Complete Story
By Angie Smith
Audience: Women’s Bible study groups with a mix of new and mature Christians wanting to understand how the Old Testament and New Testament relate
Reading level: high school
The women at my church just finished going through Seamless: Understanding the Bible as One Complete Story, by Angie Smith. It’s terrific, funny, and touching. Those who had never read the Old Testament before felt it made sense of the Bible. Those who have read the Bible many times loved the clarifying way Smith laid out the stories. I had a brand new Christian in my group who had never gone to church until a few months ago, and she kept up fine.
Icons that represent major events adorn the footer and make the story easy to follow and review. The back cover folds out with the icons in order and linked by a thread. My group loved turning to the back cover to review the icons together. In the margins, Smith provides a dozen-word summary of every book of the Bible.
The women loved the book and videos, and they had tons of questions every week (which shows how engaging they found the material, but also shows the need to have someone around to answer questions). Some had trouble following the chronology of Week 4: The Kingdoms & the Prophets, so I recommend supplying a few timelines (feel free to use the ones I provide in 7 Free Tools for Understanding the Old Testament).
Covering the entire Bible in six chapters, Smith broadly summarizes Israel’s history. In this excerpt, she introduces some of the prophets, including Isaiah (104):
Several prophets preached in Judah before and during its destruction: Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Jeremiah, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah. Isaiah and Micah overlapped our division of times. They lived and preached in Judah both during the Divided Kingdom—the same time as Hosea and Amos—and after the Northern Kingdom was destroyed. See how this all fits together?
Review: The Story Personal Journal and Discovery Guide
By Jean E. Jones
Audience: Thoughtful Christians with some Old Testament understanding who want an in-depth Bible study guide to accompany The Story
Reading level: high school; languages: English & Korean
Free Download here
The Story: Personal Journal & Discussion Guide
I wrote this companion to The Story for my church and later updated it for Zondervan’s church resource library. It explains historical details and has ten timelines to keep the events in perspective. Practical application questions apply the Bible’s message to the reader’s life. It’s written so that people can read a chapter in The Story, and then answer questions from their Bible. Headings summarize what’s happening, and there are plenty of footnotes with additional details for those who want them. You can get it free from my website (see the link above) or Zondervan’s church resource library.
This excerpt is on Isaiah approaching King Ahaz:
God sent the prophet Isaiah to encourage Ahaz king of Judah not to be afraid, for he wouldn’t let [the kings of Israel and Aram] overthrow him. He told Ahaz to ask for any sign as proof. But Ahaz refused and instead sought Assyria’s help. He voluntarily became a vassal to Assyria’s king, paid him a large tribute, and set up shrines to Assyria’s gods in Jerusalem.
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6 Bibles, books & study guides to help you understand the Old Testament Share on X
My church’s women’s Bible study just completed Angie Smith’s Seamless: Understanding the Bible as One Complete Story. It was perfect for small groups that have a mix of new believers and mature Christians (more on that next week). Several women told me they’d love to understand the Old Testament even better, especially where the prophetic books fit in with the histories. They also wanted to dive deeper into their understanding of the entire story of the Bible. So I’m offering a two-part series on tools to help you do just that.
Timeline: Daniel in Exile 620 to 530 BC
Here I offer
- A link to a free downloadable Bible outline
- A link to six timelines to help you understand the Old Testament
- Tips on using those tools to read the Old Testament chronologically
- A short explanation of how the Old Testament prophetic books fit with the books of history
Old Testament and New Testament Outline
The Bible’s books are arranged by genre. You need to know a book’s genre to understand what you’re reading. If your Bible’s table of contents doesn’t outline the books for you, go to my Free Resources page and click the link to Subscriber Specials. There you’ll find a downloadable Bible outline you can use to add headings to your contents page.
Bible Outline
As the Bible Outline shows, the Old Testament books of Joshua through Esther are histories. Reading the histories chronologically gives us a better understanding of what happened. The histories are listed chronologically with three exceptions:
- Ruth takes place somewhere within Judges.
- 1,2 Chronicles were written around the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, but they chronicle King David’s reign and the reigns of his descendants.
- Chapters 1-9 are genealogies starting with Adam. Part of chapter 9 goes with Nehemiah 11.
- The rest of 1,2 Chronicles goes with 1 Samuel 31 to the end of 2 Kings.
- Esther goes with Ezra 4:6.
How to Read 1,2 Chronicles Chronologically
Saul, David, and Solomon reigned over all of Israel. After Solomon, the kingdom split into two kingdoms: Israel to the north and Judah to the south. David’s descendants ruled over the south. While 1,2 Kings summarizes the reigns of both kingdoms, 1,2 Chronicles summarizes only the reigns of David and his descendants. Therefore, to read Kings with Chronicles, use two bookmarks. When you finish reading about David, Solomon, and any king of Judah, hop over to Chronicles and read about the same king.
Timelines for Reading the Old Testament Prophets with the Histories
Timelines that show historical events and when the prophets ministered will help you understand what events the prophets were talking about. They’ll also help you coordinate reading the histories and prophetic books together.
How the Prophetic Books are Arranged
The books of the prophets are divided into two groups:
- The Major Prophets ministered over decades so their books are longer (“major” means long)
- The Minor Prophets ministered for shorter times so their books are shorter (“minor” means short).
How to Read the Prophetic Books with the Histories
NIV Timeline showing the prophets’ ministries (Zondervan)
To read the prophetic books with the histories, keep timelines at hand. My NIV Zondervan Study Bible has timelines that show key historical events, the kings’ reigns, and the ministries of the major prophets and half the minor prophets. I wrote five additional minor prophets’ names on the timeline approximately where they go (see figure). Two prophetic books are missing from this timeline: Lamentations, which Jeremiah wrote so it belongs with Jeremiah’s ministry on the timeline, and Joel, whose date is unknown. If your Bible has timelines, use the figure to the right to fill in any missing prophets.
Free Timelines
I often create additional timelines that zoom in on time periods that have a lot of related material. Over on the Free Resources page, click the link for Subscriber Specials to find six timelines I created for The Story: Personal Journal and Discussion Guide (the guide is there, too). The timelines show you at a glance where the main prophets fit within the histories.
- 1 Kings Of Israel and Judah 930 to 850 BC
- 2 The Beginning of the End 750 to 680 BC: The fall of Israel and the prophetic ministries of Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah
- 3 The Kingdoms Fall 655 to 570 BC: The fall of Judah and the prophetic ministries of Jeremiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel
- 4 Daniel in Exile 620 to 530 BC: Shows Daniel’s chapters chronologically
- 5 The Return Home 540 to 470 BC: The return from Exile, Esther, and the prophetic ministries of Daniel, Haggai, and Zechariah
- 6 Rebuilding the Walls 480 to 430 BC: Esther, rebuilding the walls under Ezra and Nehemiah, and the prophetic ministry of Malachi
Understanding How the Prophetic Books and Histories Relate
- When Moses brought the Israelites to the Promised Land, he warned them that if they ever turned away from God and started committing the sins of the current inhabitants (such as sacrificing children to idols), God would drive them out of the land.
- Whenever the people went astray, God sent prophets to call them to repent and return to God lest God drive them out of the land.
- Eventually the people quit listening to the prophets, so the prophets’ message changed to one of impending judgment via exile followed by grace; the messages of grace talked about a new King who would one day rule righteously.
The northern kingdom of Israel quit listening to the prophets first, so God sent Assyria to deport them from the land. Later, the southern kingdom of Judah quit listening to the prophets and God sent Babylon to deport them. After 70 years, God allowed the people to return to the land, but they were ruled by foreign powers. There they awaited the new anointed King, the Messiah. The New Testament tells us about him: Jesus Christ.
Tips About the Major Prophets
NIV Zondervan Study Bible (affiliate link to Amazon)
Here are a couple helpful points about the major prophets.
- All the major prophets are from Judah (the southern kingdom)
- Isaiah prophesied around the time of the fall of Israel (the northern kingdom); the rest prophesied around the time of the fall of Judah
- Judah’s exile happened in three stages, resulting in 3 prophets speaking from diverse places
- Daniel went to the Babylonian king’s palace in the first deportation; he served in government and showed God was in charge
- Ezekiel went to Mesopotamia in the second deportation; ministered to exiles
- Jeremiah stayed in Jerusalem until the third deportation and Jerusalem’s fall; he helped the people who ignored his warnings mourn
- Only Ezekiel is chronological
Tips About the Minor Prophets
- The Minor Prophets are clustered around 3 events:
- The time leading up to and surrounding Israel’s exile: The first 6 books except Obadiah and perhaps Joel (Joel’s date is unknown)
- The time leading up to Judah’s exile: Books 7-9 plus Obadiah
- Between Judah’s restoration and the end of Ezra’s and Nehemiah’s reforms: The last 3 books
- They tell us a lot about social injustice and what God thinks about the rich and powerful taking advantage of the weak
- Want to know more? Here’s an article I wrote for Crosswalk: 6 Things Every Christian Should Know About the Minor Prophets
Next week I’ll review Bibles, books, and study guides that are helpful for understanding the Old Testament.
The key to understanding how the Old Testament prophetic books relate to the histories Share on X
Free Bible outline and timelines Share on X
How to read the Old Testament chronologically (not as hard as you think!) Share on X
Today guest blogger, Janet Thompson, shares about the importance of mingling generations in both small groups and mentoring relationships. I reviewed her terrific book, Mentoring for all Seasons, last week. Enjoy!
My husband and I met in a small group at Saddleback Church. We’ve been small group leaders since the early days of our marriage. Our first group to lead together was a Gary Smalley Making Love Last Forever couples group. While the couples were all married longer, we were the spiritually and chronologically older couple in the group.
We’ve gone on to lead Parents of Prodigals groups, small groups, couples groups, and Bible studies. Now we live in a rural mountain town, attend a small community church, and lead a couples small group. So we’re firm believers in small groups.
But here are some things I’ve learned about groups:
- Someone can get lost in a group. They may be dealing with issues they’re not comfortable talking about in a group so their problems stay hidden; but they’ll be open and vulnerable in a one-on-one mentoring relationship.
- There must be a spiritually older and mature Christian in the group, preferably leading.
- A group consisting of everyone at the same spiritual level, especially new in their faith or less spiritually mature, may become dissuaded and confused about the truth in the Bible.
- If the group is spiritually older Christians, they may not challenge each other to grow in their faith. They need to take their knowledge, wisdom, and experience and join or start a group of spiritually younger believers or seekers. This is biblical and part of God’s plan for the church.
When the young pastor Titus was starting a church plant in Crete and knew he couldn’t run the church by himself, Paul gave him instructions regarding the men and women in the church . . . I like The Message translation. Notice what Paul says is the “job” of every Christian:
Your job is to speak out on the things that make for solid doctrine. Guide older men into lives of temperance, dignity, and wisdom, into healthy faith, love, and endurance. Guide older women into lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness. By looking at them, the younger women will know how to love their husbands and children, be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives. We don’t want anyone looking down on God’s Message because of their behavior. Also, guide the young men to live disciplined lives.
But mostly, show them all this by doing it yourself, incorruptible in your teaching, your words solid and sane. Then anyone who is dead set against us, when he finds nothing weird or misguided, might eventually come around. (Titus 2:1-8 The Message, emphasis added)
These are foundation verses for mentoring and for the first men’s and women’s ministry in the church! Every ministry should have the same mission statement and focus of spiritually older men and women teaching and training the godly life to the spiritually younger in all areas of the church. But over the years, ministry has drifted away from this focus, and sadly, the generations often segregate rather than learning from each other.
To understand the full impact of Titus 2:1-8, we need to read the issues Paul was addressing in the previous verses. It sounds a lot like our world today:
Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted. Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good. (Titus 1:15-16 NLT)
Titus 2:1-8 was Paul’s antidote for guiding the next generation of believers to discern between corrupt, detestable, disobedient mistruths of deceivers and the true teachings of obedient followers of Jesus Christ and His Word, the Bible.
6 Ways Mentoring Brings the Generations Together
- Recognize that women and men are always experiencing a new life season. How is your men’s and women’s ministry reaching each person in his or her season?
Incorporating an aspect of mentoring into all ministries allows a person who has gone through a life season to mentor those experiencing something similar. We’re always coming out of a season where we can mentor and going into a new one where we need a mentor. Mentors aren’t always chronologically older, but they’re always spiritually older. Maybe not by very much, but they should have more experience walking with the Lord than their mentee.
- Every ministry team should include younger and older members. In The Team That Jesus Built, I point out that a healthy, well-balanced team will have members representing:
- A wide age range
- All seasons of life
- Varied personalities
- Different spiritual gifts
- Also in the Team That Jesus Built, I stress the importance of every ministry and team leader mentoring an apprentice. A leader’s responsibility is to develop the next generation of leaders.
- Every facet of ministry should include spiritually older mentors—wherever the congregation is meeting. Be careful not to let ministries divide into “identity groups.” For example, a “moms group” should welcome all moms in all stages of motherhood—older, empty nest, stay-at-home, moms-in-waiting, working, adoptive, and grandmothers who can provide wisdom to younger moms.
- New believers need to know how to live the Christian life as a man or woman in all life seasons. They need a mentor.
- I would be remiss not to include a Mentoring Ministry. Matching a spiritually older mentor who has experienced a life season that the mentee is now experiencing is invaluable, as many of the sixty-five mentors and mentees share in my new book, Mentoring for All Seasons: Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness.
Young people are crying out for spiritually older Christians to come alongside them, but they may not know how to ask or find one who will take the time. We must do everything possible to bring the generations together in our churches, not separate them. The older generation should know how much the younger generation needs their wisdom and experience. God wants that “One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts” Psalm 145:4.
6 ways mentoring brings generations together by @AHWministries Share on X
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Mentoring for All Seasons: Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness is available now on Amazon, Kindle, and Signed by the Author at her website.
Author Bio
Janet Thompson is an international speaker, freelance editor, and award-winning author of 19 books. Her latest release, Mentoring for All Seasons: Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness, is available at all Christian bookstores, online book stores, Amazon, and signed by Janet at her website store, where you can see more of her books.
She is also the author of Forsaken God?: Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten; Team That Jesus Built; Dear God, Why Can’t I Have a Baby?; Dear God They Say It’s Cancer; Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter; and Woman to Woman Mentoring: How to Start, Grow, & Maintain a Mentoring Ministry Resources.
She is the founder of Woman to Woman Mentoring and About His Work Ministries.
Visit Janet and sign up for her Monday Morning Blog and online newsletter at womantowomanmentoring.com
You can also visit Janet at:
- www.facebook.com/Janetthompson.authorspeaker
- http://www.linkedin.com/in/womantowomanmentoring/
- www.pinterest.com/thompsonjanet
- https://twitter.com/AHWministries
- Instagram: Janetahw
Scripture art—art based on Scripture—is a powerful way to interact with God’s Word. Here’s a little historical background followed by six ways Scripture art enhances both personal and group Bible study.
Biblical Imagery and Art
Detail of Book of Life in “Last Judgement” by Michelangelo (Web Gallery of Art: Public Domain, Wikimedia)
The Bible tells us that God often gave messages to prophets in images, not just spoken words. The books of Genesis, Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Revelation are filled with detailed descriptions of visions and dreams that paint pictures in our mind’s eye and inspire artists to create works such as The Last Judgment by Michelangelo.
Art in the Bible
God at times inspires gifted artists to serve him. Moses said this of the craftspeople in charge of constructing the tabernacle (Exodus 35:30-35):
See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel … and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft.… He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer.
In his book, Word Pictures: Knowing God Through Story and Imagination, screenwriter Brian Godawa says of this passage that “It is not insignificant that this is the very first passage in the Bible in which God fills a person with his Spirit, and that person was an artist” (51, emphasis his). He concludes, “Art is not merely a calling, but creativity is shown in Scripture to be a gift from God. The Lord is described as ‘putting skill’ into the artisans and ‘filling them with skill’” (53).
Art in Church History
A wayward son finds forgiveness and his father’s embrace in “Return of the Prodigal Son” by Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn (circa 1668)
It is no wonder, then, that the church has always used art in worship. Stained glass windows in spired cathedrals tell Bible stories in ways even children can understand. Great artists such as Rubens and Rembrandt portray Bible passages using paint on canvas and help us see details we may have missed.
For example, Craig Hazen in his novel, Five Sacred Crossings, describes how people from different backgrounds react to Rembrandt’s The Return of the Prodigal Son. Some relate to the son, others to the father, still others to a ghostly background image. People see themselves and loved ones all represented in the single painting.
6 Ways Scripture Art Enhances Bible Study
In our book, Discovering Hope in the Psalms, Pam Farrel, Karla Dornacher, and I encourage women to go further than completing the in-depth Bible study. We offer options for creatively interacting with Scripture. No, we’re not expecting Rembrandt-level works. But we hope the creative options will help God’s messages of hope settle deeply in readers’ hearts. The book’s merging of in-depth study, details for seasoned Christians, devotions for newer Christians, and creative options is the reason Kay Arthur of Precept Ministries wrote this about it: “What an incredibly unique and creative Bible study Pam, Jean, and Karla have created! It’s multilayered, dimensional, theologically rich, touching the senses—enlightening the mind, capturing the heart.”
Psalm 23 by Karla Dornacher. Used by permission.
In the two months the book has been out, readers have posted photos of their endeavors in the book’s Facebook group. Today I’d like to share with you six ways we’ve seen Scripture art—art based on Scripture—help people hide God’s words in their hearts.
1) Scripture Art Deepens Understanding
When artist Annie Magee from Victoria, Australia, began going through Discovering Hope in the Psalms, she challenged herself to create art to go with every daily lesson. That’s right: every lesson! That’s 40 artistic creations. Here I share three of her creations.
Chapter 1 – Psalm 1: The Hope of God’s Blessing
Psalm 1 by Annie Magee. Used by permission.
She didn’t tell us right away what it meant, but you may have guessed the basic back story: Her husband of 19 years abandoned both God and her, wounding her heart with rejection.
Chapter 4 – Psalm 23: The Hope of the Lord’s Good Care
Psalm 23 by Annie Magee. Used by permission.
She didn’t know when she painted it what the cord around Jesus’ wrist symbolized. But as she prayed over what it might mean, she realized it was Jesus saying, “I will never forget you.” As she portrayed Psalm 23 creatively, layers of meaning came forth. God’s gift of art helped her understand his abiding love and heal her heart.
Chapter 8 – Psalms 30 & 146: Hope Fulfilled
Annie wrote this:
I have … been going through a type of mourning for almost 2 years now, and as I completed Chapter 7 on Sunday just gone, the Lord responded to my Psalm prayer, He told me I can lay that to rest now. When I heard Him whisper this to me, a little joy returned, and I felt as though I have begun to live again. He has shown me so many incredible things throughout this study. Now, as I begin the final chapter, He has shown me that my mourning is turning to dancing. Blessed be the Lord.
Psalm 30 by Annie Magee. Used by permission.
Studying God’s messages of hope in the Psalms gave Annie the foundational understanding she needed. But when she creatively expressed the verses, their hope poured more deeply into her heart and healed her wounds. My heart sings for joy at how God has given his daughter hope in his unfailing care.
Scripture art deepens understanding of Scripture #DiscoveringHopeInThePsalms Share on X
2) Scripture Art Increases Learning
In Brain Rules, John Medina, a developmental molecular biologist, quotes research that shows “Students learn better from words and pictures than from words alone” (175). He cites studies that show involving two or more senses increases learning by 50% to 75% (171 ff.).
This is why Scripture art is so effective. It engages the senses of sight, touch, and (if painting) smell. It provides additional layers of learning. Here’s how my co-author, Pam Farrel, interacted with Psalm 51.
Pam Farrel studies Psalm 51
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3) Scripture Art Increases Meditating
Psalm 1 says that the righteous person meditates on God’s instructions day and night. Interacting with Scripture creatively is a means of meditating on it.
One creative option is coloring Karla Dornacher’s illustrations with colored pencils, gel pens, or paints. The illustrations have a verse written in them with key words emphasized. Coloring Scripture art takes some time, but that’s time spent meditating on a verse’s words.
Psalm 51 bookmark traced and colored. By Karla Dornacher. Used by permission.
Many display their finished Scripture art, thus fulfilling the gist of Deuteronomy 6:9: “You shall write them [God’s commands] on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” This helps them continue to meditate on the verses even after they’ve finished the study.
Scripture art increases meditating on God's words #DiscoveringHopeInThePsalms Share on X
4) Illustrations to Color Make Scripture Art Doable
Few have Karla Dornacher’s or Annie Magee’s skills. So Karla’s illustrations make art doable for the rest of us. Coloring the Scripture art in the book is entirely optional. But women who don’t consider themselves artistic are buying pencils, giving it a try—and liking it. After all, this isn’t the Crayola coloring we did when we were five (in fact, there’s even a Colored Pencil Society of America for professional artists). For those who want to grow artistically, Karla offers free videos, such as this one on making key words stand out: Colored Pencil Gradient Letters. Here’s my coloring of the Psalm 2 opening page.
Psalm 2 bookmark colored by Jean E. Jones
Virginia Thompson of San Juan Capistrano, California, says she wasn’t interested in coloring when she got the book, but thought she might as well give it a try. She found herself praying for people as she colored. I’ve been coloring the bookmarks through embroidery and find I have the verses memorized by the time I’m finished.
Illustrations to color make Scripture art doable #DiscoveringHopeInThePsalms Share on X
5) Scripture Art Starts God Conversations
My friend Diane Smith of Resort Living Interiors in California encourages Christians to use decorative items that can start conversations about God around the house. The bookmarks in Discovering Hope in the Psalms are one way to start conversations. Marliese Grace Jackson in Garrison, Texas, made a container garden to prompt conversations about Psalm 1.
Psalm 1 by Marliese Grace Jackson. Used by permission.
Deborah Lewis Boutwell of First Baptist Pinewood in Tennessee invited her niece to show her small group how to put a verse from chapter 3 on mugs, a terrific way to invite conversations about God.
Psalm 51 by Deborah Lewis Boutwell. Used by permission.
Judy Webb of Aliso Viejo, California, created a journal for illustrating psalms and taking notes. She takes her art journal with her on a home visits to the elderly to help start conversations.
Psalm 51:10 notes and art by Judy Webb. Used by permission.
Scripture art prompts conversation #DiscoveringHopeInThePsalms Share on X
6) Scripture Art Enhances Group Study
The five Scripture art benefits above apply to personal Bible study. But Scripture art also enhances group Bible studies. Here are three ways.
a) Scripture art is inviting
Karla Dornacher’s illustrations invite women in, even those who might normally be intimidated at the thought of “study.” Here are two reasons. First, pages with art are friendly. See, for example, the approachable opening page of the chapter on Psalm 23 beneath Karla’s Bible:
Psalm 23 by Karla Dornacher. Used by permission.
Second, a bookmark that illustrates the key verse adorns the opening page of every chapter, and that means women can grasp the main point immediately. This draws them into the study. In other words, the Scripture art makes in-depth study more approachable for women not used to it.
b) Scripture art encourages friendships that spans generations
Small groups that span generations easily bond over doing Scripture art together. Debbie Rothrock’s Discovering Hope in the Psalms study group in Shelton, Washington, has women from 18 to 72 attending and learning together. When they discussed chapter 1, they learned how to trace and frame art.
Psalm 1 by Debbie Rothrock’s small group. Used by permission.
Tausha Vollbrecht Love attends the evening Discovering Hope in the Psalms Bible study at Holly Springs Baptist Church in Garrison, Texas. Then she babysits for the morning group, which is also going through the book. She taught the children about Psalm 1 and helped them make simple fruit trees planted by water.
Psalm 1 by Tausha Vollbrecht Love. Used by permission.
c) Scripture art allows people to use their gifts
Encouraging artists to share their creations and teach others in our small groups allows more people to use their gifts and talents.
Scripture art enhances group Bible study #DiscoveringHopeInThePsalms Share on X
Conclusion
God’s Word is powerful. Let’s engage with it in every way we can.
See also
- Learn more about Discovering Hope in the Psalms and the authors
- Join the Discovering Hope in the Psalms Facebook group
- See more of Annie Magee’s art by friending “Winterberry Art” on Facebook
Psalm 2 addresses the reality that those who want to live according to God’s word dwell among those who don’t. Some people rebel against the laws God gives to protect and bless us, and their rebellion causes suffering.
Our newspapers display the evidence daily. Terrorists murder and maim. Con artists bilk the elderly. The rich exploit the poor. Abusers scar children. Liars lock the innocent behind bars. Each of us has our own stories of wrongs perpetrated against us and our loved ones. And we know in our hearts we’ve hurt others.
When discouragement starts settling in my heart over all the icky things of this world, I turn to Psalm 2. There I find the hope of King Jesus’ return to bring all who trust in him into his kingdom forever. Sin, temptation, and anyone who rejects Jesus’ rule cannot pass its gates.
But Psalm 2 presents a few challenges on a first read-through. So here are seven tips for interpreting Psalm 2.
Tip 1: Read the Entire Psalm
Figure 1: Psalm 2
First we need to get the big picture by reading the whole psalm at least once through. Figure 1 shows Psalm 2 with the background color changing at stanza breaks. (Click Figure 1 to open in a new tab.)
If you’re familiar with the Old Testament historical books, you’ll recognize that it’s about kings descended from King David. If you’re familiar with the New Testament’s teachings about Jesus, you’ll realize it’s also about one particular King: Jesus.
Tip 2: Identify Psalm 2’s Type
We call psalms about kings descended from David royal psalms. This one declares that God gave David’s descendants authority to rule. That makes it perfect for coronations, which was its main use for four centuries.
The New Testament applies Psalm 2 to Jesus, a descendant of David through Mary (Revelation 19:13-16). Since the psalm foretells the crowning of Jesus the Anointed One (“Messiah”), it is also a messianic psalm.
Tip 3: Look Up Unfamiliar Terms
If there are any unfamiliar words or historical references, check those out next. A study Bible with cross-references helps. My book, Discovering Hope in the Psalms, covers Psalm 2’s background in detail, showing how it applied to Solomon and his rebellious brother, to Jesus and the plotting Jewish and Gentile leaders, and to Jesus in the kingdom of heaven. So here, I’ll just briefly explain a few terms.
- Decree: Psalm 2:7 begins, “I will tell of the decree,” and the stanza following summarizes the decree poetically. What it’s talking about is God’s promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:5-16. God decreed that King David would have a dynasty in which his “throne shall be established forever,” beginning with his son Solomon (2 Samuel 7:16; 1 Chronicles 28:6).
- Anointed: As part of the coronation ceremony, a priest and/or prophet anointed the new king with oil, so he was called the “Lord’s anointed.” Messiah comes from the Hebrew for “anointed one” and Christ comes from the Greek for it. God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:18; Acts 10:38).
- Zion: The Davidic kings ruled from Jerusalem on Mount Zion. When applied to Jesus, Zion refers to the “heavenly Jerusalem” (Hebrews 12:22).
- Son: In 2 Samuel 7:14, God decreed that he would be a father to all the kings descended from David, and they would be his sons. Some translations don’t capitalize “son” so readers catch this reference. Others capitalize “Son” to make sure readers see it also applies to Jesus, who descended from David through Mary and was also the only begotten Son of God.
- Kiss: “Kiss the Son” in verse 12 means submit to him as ruler. Think of the way people might bow and kiss Queen Elizabeth’s hand.
7 Tips for Interpreting Psalm 2 and Uncovering its Message of Hope Share on X
Tip 4: Identify the Participants in Psalm 2
The first two verses name all the participants: the psalmist, the Lord, the Lord’s anointed king, and the people who rebel against the Lord and his king.
Tip 5: Identify the Arrangement of Psalm 2
This is something I didn’t have room to include in the chapter on Psalm 2 in Discovering Hope in the Psalms.
It helps to identify a psalm’s arrangement by looking for related elements. Psalm 2’s arrangement is straightforward. We can divide it into five stanzas by main speaker. The psalmist is the main speaker in the first stanza. God is the main speaker in the second stanza. The king being crowned speaks in the middle. The king quotes God in the fourth stanza, making God the main speaker there, too. The psalmist is again the main speaker in the last stanza. So this is the order of the main speakers:
Psalmist / God / New King / God / Psalmist
We call this layout (A B C B’ A’) a chiasm (pronounced “KEY-azm”). If we put each speaker on a separate line and indent related stanzas equally, we get this:
Psalmist
God
New King
God
Psalmist
See how that makes it easy to compare related parts? Figure 2 summarizes Psalm 2’s stanzas in this kind of layout. I added the addressees and summarized each speech for you. Notice how easy it is to see the message flow now.
Figure 2: Psalm 2 Arrangement
Tip 6: Identify Links in Psalm 2
Figure 3: How the 4 participants view God, his King & rebels
Once we discover that a psalmist arranged a psalm in a chiasm, finding links becomes easy. In a chiastic psalm, the theme is in the center. Often, stanzas equal distance from the center are linked and share elements. That’s clearly the case in Psalm 2. Look back at Figure 2 above and compare stanzas equal distance from the center (I gave them the same background color to make comparison easier).
While Figure 2 shows the main links, this psalm has so many repeated elements that I put them in a chart to make them clearer. Figure 3 compares how each speaker views God, the King, and the rebels. (Since the psalmist quotes the rebels, I list them on a separate line for clarity. Click Figure 3 to open in a new tab.)
Tip 7: Look up How the New Testament Uses the Psalm
The New Testament quotes Psalm 2 quite a bit. For example, Acts 4:24-25 says the Lord spoke this psalm through the mouth of David by the Holy Spirit. Acts 4:25-27 and 13:33 say Jesus’ crucifixion was a plot to reject Jesus’ rule, but it was in vain because God raised Jesus from the dead. Revelation 12 symbolically describes Satan initiating this plot. Revelation 19 depicts Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords in the same words as Psalm 2, and the next three chapters describe how he ends all rebellion and takes his throne in the new heavens and earth.
So how does this psalm bring me hope when I see the world has run amok? It reminds me that Jesus denies entrance into his kingdom to the unrepentant terrorists, con artists, oppressors, abusers, and liars. Their place is the lake of fire, and they can’t harm God’s children ever again. He’s resurrecting the repentant sinners into bodies that have never sinned and have never been sinned against. He’s rewarding us for all that we did of eternal worth, for no one can take from us anything of eternal value from us. He’s bringing us into his kingdom, where there will be no more mourning or sin or death. We’ll live with him forever.
This world is but a stepping stone to eternity. The kingdom of God awaits. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
When plots of terrorists, con artists, oppressors & liars succeed, Psalm 2 gives hope Share on X
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Related Posts
If you’d like to learn more about Psalm 2, including how its message worked out in Solomon’s coronation, Jesus’ life on this earth, and in the end times, see Discovering Hope in the Psalms or click the Amazon affiliate link below (Harvest House, 2017).
