Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

Just after the people of Nineveh declared that they will repent from their sins, Jonah became very upset. This chapter reveals why Jonah ran away from his assignment earlier on. He knew that God was merciful and gracious and so Job could not stand the people not facing his kind of justice.

So Jonah went out of the city and sulked. He was still waiting to see if Nineveh would get destroyed. God, in his grace and loving patience comforted Jonah in his misery. God tried to show Jonah how much He cared for the people of Nineveh by example of creating a plant to protect Jonah from the sun.




Jonah 4
Jonah’s Anger and God’s Kindness

1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. 2 So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”

4 Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

5 So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. 6 And the Lord God prepared a plant[a] and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. 7 But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. 8 And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”

And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!”

10 But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?”

And He Relents from Doing Harm

Here is a description of the Day of the Lord. It will be a spectacular event, heralded by trumpets, and people will tremble. It appears that some kind of heavenly army will come with chariots and horses and warring angels. The mighty men on earth would be terrified.

God calls for repentance even at this very last stage. He urges people to fast, weep and mourn. Instead of tearing their garments to show they are mourning, God suggests that they tear their hearts instead. The grace and mercy of God is emphasised. He does not want to harm anyone, He is slow to anger, people still have a narrow chance to repent even at that time.

The judgment is followed by a renewal. This process of rebirth is described of the restoration of the land and nature which will become fruitful and abundant again. The people will be able to enjoy the blessings that God intended. The chapter ends with the well known prophecies of the last days where God will pour out His Spirit on the remnant and the old men shall dream dreams, and the young men shall see visions. Again it is repeated that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.



Joel 2
The Day of the Lord

1 Blow the trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm in My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;
For the day of the Lord is coming,
For it is at hand:
2 A day of darkness and gloominess,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains.
A people come, great and strong,
The like of whom has never been;
Nor will there ever be any such after them,
Even for many successive generations.
3 A fire devours before them,
And behind them a flame burns;
The land is like the Garden of Eden before them,
And behind them a desolate wilderness;
Surely nothing shall escape them.
4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses;
And like swift steeds, so they run.
5 With a noise like chariots
Over mountaintops they leap,
Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble,
Like a strong people set in battle array.
6 Before them the people writhe in pain;
All faces are drained of color.[a]
7 They run like mighty men,
They climb the wall like men of war;
Every one marches in formation,
And they do not break ranks.
8 They do not push one another;
Every one marches in his own column.[b]
Though they lunge between the weapons,
They are not cut down.[c]
9 They run to and fro in the city,
They run on the wall;
They climb into the houses,
They enter at the windows like a thief.
10 The earth quakes before them,
The heavens tremble;
The sun and moon grow dark,
And the stars diminish their brightness.
11 The Lord gives voice before His army,
For His camp is very great;
For strong is the One who executes His word.
For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible;
Who can endure it?


A Call to Repentance

12 “Now, therefore,” says the Lord,
“Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
13 So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
14 Who knows if He will turn and relent,
And leave a blessing behind Him—
A grain offering and a drink offering
For the Lord your God?
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion,
Consecrate a fast,
Call a sacred assembly;
16 Gather the people,
Sanctify the congregation,
Assemble the elders,
Gather the children and nursing babes;
Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber,
And the bride from her dressing room.
17 Let the priests, who minister to the Lord,
Weep between the porch and the altar;
Let them say, “Spare Your people, O Lord,
And do not give Your heritage to reproach,
That the nations should rule over them.
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’”


The Land Refreshed

18 Then the Lord will be zealous for His land,
And pity His people.
19 The Lord will answer and say to His people,
“Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil,
And you will be satisfied by them;
I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations.
20 “But I will remove far from you the northern army,
And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land,
With his face toward the eastern sea
And his back toward the western sea;
His stench will come up,
And his foul odor will rise,
Because he has done monstrous things.”
21 Fear not, O land;
Be glad and rejoice,
For the Lord has done marvelous things!
22 Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field;
For the open pastures are springing up,
And the tree bears its fruit;
The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.
23 Be glad then, you children of Zion,
And rejoice in the Lord your God;
For He has given you the former rain faithfully,[d]
And He will cause the rain to come down for you—
The former rain,
And the latter rain in the first month.
24 The threshing floors shall be full of wheat,
And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.
25 “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,
The crawling locust,
The consuming locust,
And the chewing locust,[e]
My great army which I sent among you.
26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
And praise the name of the Lord your God,
Who has dealt wondrously with you;
And My people shall never be put to shame.
27 Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel:
I am the Lord your God
And there is no other.
My people shall never be put to shame.


God’s Spirit Poured Out

28 “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.
29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth:
Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
32 And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.
For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance,
As the Lord has said,
Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.

Woe to the Rebellious Children

This chapter first warns against the reliance on worldly allies. Not exactly sure about the exact time this passage was written, but it would have been around the same time that Israel, and later Judah were threatened by the new empire of Assyria and Babylon. It was also recorded that the actual kings of Israel or Judah made and alliance with Egypt for protection against the new powers. This alliance, rather than dependence in God, would be futile as this chapter reveals.

The description of the level of rebelliousness of the people was such that they shut up the prophets and seers, not willing to know or hear anything God delivers to them. This became their iniquity which God had to deal with by breaking up the nation.

But God being patient, merciful, just and gracious waited for them as the faithful waited for Him. Although there will be affliction for them, God will again be with them, leading their teachers to guide them. They will cast away their idols and God will bless their land to be plentiful. But this is followed mysteriously by the revelation of a 'great slaughter' and where the Moon and Sun shines much brighter than normal. The last paragraph describes a furious as well as glorious God coming down in judgment and to punish the nations. The nation named here is Assyria.





Isaiah 30
Futile Confidence in Egypt

30 “Woe to the rebellious children,” says the Lord,
“Who take counsel, but not of Me,
And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit,
That they may add sin to sin;
2 Who walk to go down to Egypt,
And have not asked My advice,
To strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh,
And to trust in the shadow of Egypt!
3 Therefore the strength of Pharaoh
Shall be your shame,
And trust in the shadow of Egypt
Shall be your humiliation.
4 For his princes were at Zoan,
And his ambassadors came to Hanes.
5 They were all ashamed of a people who could not benefit them,
Or be help or benefit,
But a shame and also a reproach.”
6 The burden against the beasts of the South.

Through a land of trouble and anguish,
From which came the lioness and lion,
The viper and fiery flying serpent,
They will carry their riches on the backs of young donkeys,
And their treasures on the humps of camels,
To a people who shall not profit;
7 For the Egyptians shall help in vain and to no purpose.
Therefore I have called her
Rahab-Hem-Shebeth.[a]


A Rebellious People

8 Now go, write it before them on a tablet,
And note it on a scroll,
That it may be for time to come,
Forever and ever:
9 That this is a rebellious people,
Lying children,
Children who will not hear the law of the Lord;
10 Who say to the seers, “Do not see,”
And to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us right things;
Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits.
11 Get out of the way,
Turn aside from the path,
Cause the Holy One of Israel
To cease from before us.”
12 Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel:

“Because you despise this word,
And trust in oppression and perversity,
And rely on them,
13 Therefore this iniquity shall be to you
Like a breach ready to fall,
A bulge in a high wall,
Whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant.
14 And He shall break it like the breaking of the potter’s vessel,
Which is broken in pieces;
He shall not spare.
So there shall not be found among its fragments
A shard to take fire from the hearth,
Or to take water from the cistern.”
15 For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:

“In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”
But you would not,
16 And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses”—
Therefore you shall flee!
And, “We will ride on swift horses”—
Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift!
17 One thousand shall flee at the threat of one,
At the threat of five you shall flee,
Till you are left as a pole on top of a mountain
And as a banner on a hill.


God Will Be Gracious

18 Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you;
And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
Blessed are all those who wait for Him.
19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem;
You shall weep no more.
He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry;
When He hears it, He will answer you.
20 And though the Lord gives you
The bread of adversity and the water of affliction,
Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore,
But your eyes shall see your teachers.
21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
“This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left.
22 You will also defile the covering of your images of silver,
And the ornament of your molded images of gold.
You will throw them away as an unclean thing;
You will say to them, “Get away!”
23 Then He will give the rain for your seed
With which you sow the ground,
And bread of the increase of the earth;
It will be fat and plentiful.
In that day your cattle will feed
In large pastures.
24 Likewise the oxen and the young donkeys that work the ground
Will eat cured fodder,
Which has been winnowed with the shovel and fan.
25 There will be on every high mountain
And on every high hill
Rivers and streams of waters,
In the day of the great slaughter,
When the towers fall.
26 Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun,
And the light of the sun will be sevenfold,
As the light of seven days,
In the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people
And heals the stroke of their wound.


Judgment on Assyria

27 Behold, the name of the Lord comes from afar,
Burning with His anger,
And His burden is heavy;
His lips are full of indignation,
And His tongue like a devouring fire.
28 His breath is like an overflowing stream,
Which reaches up to the neck,
To sift the nations with the sieve of futility;
And there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people,
Causing them to err.
29 You shall have a song
As in the night when a holy festival is kept,
And gladness of heart as when one goes with a flute,
To come into the mountain of the Lord,
To the Mighty One of Israel.
30 The Lord will cause His glorious voice to be heard,
And show the descent of His arm,
With the indignation of His anger
And the flame of a devouring fire,
With scattering, tempest, and hailstones.
31 For through the voice of the Lord
Assyria will be beaten down,
As He strikes with the rod.
32 And in every place where the staff of punishment passes,
Which the Lord lays on him,
It will be with tambourines and harps;
And in battles of brandishing He will fight with it.
33 For Tophet was established of old,
Yes, for the king it is prepared.
He has made it deep and large;
Its pyre is fire with much wood;
The breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone,
Kindles it.

What Shall I Render to the Lord

The psalmist expresses his close relationship with God. He knows that the LORD hears him whenever he prays. Although he feels he is at the lowest point of life, even like death, he knows the LORD will lift him up again.

In response to this, the psalmist is full of thanks to God. He has experienced God's wonderful salvation and mercy and knows that there is nothing that he can pay God with. And so he declares himself to be a servant to God. He will praise and give thanks to God.


Psalm 116
Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Death

1 I love the Lord, because He has heard
My voice and my supplications.

2 Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.

3 The pains of death surrounded me,
And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me;
I found trouble and sorrow.

4 Then I called upon the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!”

5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
Yes, our God is merciful.

6 The Lord preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.

7 Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

8 For You have delivered my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
And my feet from falling.

9 I will walk before the Lord
In the land of the living.

10 I believed, therefore I spoke,
“I am greatly afflicted.”

11 I said in my haste,
“All men are liars.”

12 What shall I render to the Lord
For all His benefits toward me?

13 I will take up the cup of salvation,
And call upon the name of the Lord.

14 I will pay my vows to the Lord
Now in the presence of all His people.

15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
Is the death of His saints.

16 O Lord, truly I am Your servant;
I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant;
You have loosed my bonds.

17 I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And will call upon the name of the Lord.

18 I will pay my vows to the Lord
Now in the presence of all His people,

19 In the courts of the Lord’s house,
In the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!

Blessed is the Man who Fears the LORD

Starting off like one of the beatitudes, this psalm specifically details the blessings on those who are upright, in other words, those "who fear the LORD".

The characteristics of such a person are:
- delights greatly God's commandments
- gracious, compassionate, righteous
- deals graciously
- lends to people
- not be shaken
- not be afraid of evil
- solid trust in the LORD

The blessings are:
- descendants will be mighty on Earth
- wealth and riches in his house
- there is light even in darkness
- in everlasting remembrance

What seemed to be a list of blessings is rather a list of the characteristic of a person described as righteous. The Word of God, through this psalm at least, is driving us to consider such characteristics for ourselves. Then the blessing will come and the enemies will fall away.


Psalm 112
The Blessed State of the Righteous

 1 Praise the LORD!
         Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
         Who delights greatly in His commandments.
       
 2 His descendants will be mighty on earth;
         The generation of the upright will be blessed.
 3 Wealth and riches will be in his house,
         And his righteousness endures forever.
 4 Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;
         He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
 5 A good man deals graciously and lends;
         He will guide his affairs with discretion.
 6 Surely he will never be shaken;
         The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
 7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings;
         His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
 8 His heart is established;
         He will not be afraid,
         Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.
       
 9 He has dispersed abroad,
         He has given to the poor;
         His righteousness endures forever;
         His horn will be exalted with honor.
 10 The wicked will see it and be grieved;
         He will gnash his teeth and melt away;
         The desire of the wicked shall perish.

Because You, LORD, Have Helped Me and Comforted Me

The psalmist calls on the LORD to hear him, preserve him, be merciful to him, knowing that God is good and forgiving. He praises God that there is none like Him, and all nations would one day come and worship and glorify Him. The psalmist shows his genuine desire for God by requesting God to teach him God's ways so that he can walk in Truth.

The psalmist describes his challenges including people wishing to harm him. But he continues to call on God, depending on God's character of compassion, gracious, longsuffering, mercy and truth. He trusts that God will strengthen him and comfort him.


Psalm 86
A Prayer of David.

 1 Bow down Your ear, O LORD, hear me;
         For I am poor and needy.
 2 Preserve my life, for I am holy;
         You are my God;
         Save Your servant who trusts in You!
 3 Be merciful to me, O Lord,
         For I cry to You all day long.
 4 Rejoice the soul of Your servant,
         For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
 5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
         And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
        
 6 Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;
         And attend to the voice of my supplications.
 7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon You,
         For You will answer me.
        
 8 Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord;
         Nor are there any works like Your works.
 9 All nations whom You have made
         Shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
         And shall glorify Your name.
 10 For You are great, and do wondrous things;
         You alone are God.
        
 11 Teach me Your way, O LORD;
         I will walk in Your truth;
         Unite my heart to fear Your name.
 12 I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
         And I will glorify Your name forevermore.
 13 For great is Your mercy toward me,
         And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
        
 14 O God, the proud have risen against me,
         And a mob of violent men have sought my life,
         And have not set You before them.
 15 But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious,
         Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.
        
 16 Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me!
         Give Your strength to Your servant,
         And save the son of Your maidservant.
 17 Show me a sign for good,
         That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
         Because You, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.

The Waters Saw You, They Were Afraid

A few psalms that we have seen already include prayers in the format of describing God and His characteristics and then praising Him for them. This psalm continues with this pattern where the psalmist tells us that God hears him as he calls out to God. The psalmist describes his anguish where his soul refused to be comforted, his spirit overwhelmed, he cannot speak, but he did meditate in his heart.

He asks rhetorically has the Lord stopped showing favour and his mercy ceased? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Then he remembers God and His wonders. He meditates on it. God is the One who has redeemed His people. There is no one greater than God. Finally he describes God's total control of the seas, the sky, the thunder and lightning.

In particular, the psalmist describes "The waters saw You, they were afraid;". This is certainly fulfilled by Jesus's display of His powers as He commanded the seas and the storms to be calm.


Psalm 77
To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.

 1 I cried out to God with my voice—
         To God with my voice;
         And He gave ear to me.
 2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
         My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing;
         My soul refused to be comforted.
 3 I remembered God, and was troubled;
         I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed.  Selah
       
 4 You hold my eyelids open;
         I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
 5 I have considered the days of old,
         The years of ancient times.
 6 I call to remembrance my song in the night;
         I meditate within my heart,
         And my spirit makes diligent search.
       
 7 Will the Lord cast off forever?
         And will He be favorable no more?
 8 Has His mercy ceased forever?
         Has His promise failed forevermore?
 9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
         Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies?  Selah
       
 10 And I said, “This is my anguish;
         But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
 11 I will remember the works of the LORD;
         Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
 12 I will also meditate on all Your work,
         And talk of Your deeds.
 13 Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary;
         Who is so great a God as our God?
 14 You are the God who does wonders;
         You have declared Your strength among the peoples.
 15 You have with Your arm redeemed Your people,
         The sons of Jacob and Joseph.  Selah
       
 16 The waters saw You, O God;
         The waters saw You, they were afraid;
         The depths also trembled.
 17 The clouds poured out water;
         The skies sent out a sound;
         Your arrows also flashed about.
 18 The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
         The lightnings lit up the world;
         The earth trembled and shook.
 19 Your way was in the sea,
         Your path in the great waters,
         And Your footsteps were not known.
 20 You led Your people like a flock
         By the hand of Moses and Aaron.

People Confess Their Sins and Reaffirm Covenant with God

The revival in Judah continues as described in this chapter. On this occasion, the Israelites fasted, wore sackcloth and put dust on their head - a ritual of repentance. They did this separately from the foreigners, who were then numerous in Israel. They read out from Scriptures in public, confessed their sins and worshipped together.

Below is the actual prayer and worship on that occasion being read out by the Levites, Jeshua, and others. It starts with the history of themselves as children of Abraham who was called by God, in this way they were acknowledging God being with them from the beginning. The prayer was an honest revelation of how God provided for them, how they rebelled and disobeyed, how God continued to show mercy until they were taken captives. One such verse is:
 33 However You are just in all that has befallen us;
      For You have dealt faithfully,
      But we have done wickedly.
Finally, it ends by reaffirming the covenant between themselves and God.


Nehemiah 9

The People Confess Their Sins

 1 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads.[a] 2 Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. 3 And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for one-fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the LORD their God.
4 Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the stairs of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to the LORD their God. 5 And the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said:

      “Stand up and bless the LORD your God
      Forever and ever!

      “ Blessed be Your glorious name,
      Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
 6 You alone are the LORD;
      You have made heaven,
      The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
      The earth and everything on it,
      The seas and all that is in them,
      And You preserve them all.
      The host of heaven worships You.

 7 “You are the LORD God,
      Who chose Abram,
      And brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans,
      And gave him the name Abraham;

 8 You found his heart faithful before You,
      And made a covenant with him
      To give the land of the Canaanites,
      The Hittites, the Amorites,
      The Perizzites, the Jebusites,
      And the Girgashites—
      To give it to his descendants.
      You have performed Your words,
      For You are righteous.

 9 “You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt,
      And heard their cry by the Red Sea.

 10 You showed signs and wonders against Pharaoh,
      Against all his servants,
      And against all the people of his land.
      For You knew that they acted proudly against them.
      So You made a name for Yourself, as it is this day.

 11 And You divided the sea before them,
      So that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land;
      And their persecutors You threw into the deep,
      As a stone into the mighty waters.

 12 Moreover You led them by day with a cloudy pillar,
      And by night with a pillar of fire,
      To give them light on the road
      Which they should travel.

 13 “You came down also on Mount Sinai,
      And spoke with them from heaven,
      And gave them just ordinances and true laws,
      Good statutes and commandments.

 14 You made known to them Your holy Sabbath,
      And commanded them precepts, statutes and laws,
      By the hand of Moses Your servant.

 15 You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger,
      And brought them water out of the rock for their thirst,
      And told them to go in to possess the land
      Which You had sworn to give them.

 16 “But they and our fathers acted proudly,
      Hardened their necks,
      And did not heed Your commandments.

 17 They refused to obey,
      And they were not mindful of Your wonders
      That You did among them.
      But they hardened their necks,
      And in their rebellion[b]
      They appointed a leader
      To return to their bondage.
      But You are God,
      Ready to pardon,
      Gracious and merciful,
      Slow to anger,
      Abundant in kindness,
      And did not forsake them.

 18 “Even when they made a molded calf for themselves,
      And said, ‘This is your god
      That brought you up out of Egypt,’
      And worked great provocations,

 19 Yet in Your manifold mercies
      You did not forsake them in the wilderness.
      The pillar of the cloud did not depart from them by day,
      To lead them on the road;
      Nor the pillar of fire by night,
      To show them light,
      And the way they should go.

 20 You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them,
      And did not withhold Your manna from their mouth,
      And gave them water for their thirst.

 21 Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness;
      They lacked nothing;
      Their clothes did not wear out[c]
      And their feet did not swell.

 22 “ Moreover You gave them kingdoms and nations,
      And divided them into districts.[d]
      So they took possession of the land of Sihon,
Heshbon,
      And the land of Og king of Bashan.

 23 You also multiplied their children as the stars of heaven,
      And brought them into the land
      Which You had told their fathers
      To go in and possess.

 24 So the people went in
      And possessed the land;
      You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land,
      The Canaanites,
      And gave them into their hands,
      With their kings
      And the people of the land,
      That they might do with them as they wished.

 25 And they took strong cities and a rich land,
      And possessed houses full of all goods,
      Cisterns already dug, vineyards, olive groves,
      And fruit trees in abundance.
      So they ate and were filled and grew fat,
      And delighted themselves in Your great goodness.

 26 “ Nevertheless they were disobedient
      And rebelled against You,
      Cast Your law behind their backs
      And killed Your prophets, who testified against them
      To turn them to Yourself;
      And they worked great provocations.

 27 Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies,
      Who oppressed them;
      And in the time of their trouble,
      When they cried to You,
      You heard from heaven;
      And according to Your abundant mercies
      You gave them deliverers who saved them
      From the hand of their enemies.

 28 “But after they had rest,
      They again did evil before You.
      Therefore You left them in the hand of their enemies,
      So that they had dominion over them;
      Yet when they returned and cried out to You,
      You heard from heaven;
      And many times You delivered them according to Your mercies,

 29 And testified against them,
      That You might bring them back to Your law.
      Yet they acted proudly,
      And did not heed Your commandments,
      But sinned against Your judgments,

      ‘ Which if a man does, he shall live by them.’[f]
      And they shrugged their shoulders,
      Stiffened their necks,
      And would not hear.

 30 Yet for many years You had patience with them,
      And testified against them by Your Spirit in Your prophets.
      Yet they would not listen;
      Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

 31 Nevertheless in Your great mercy
      You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them;
      For You are God, gracious and merciful.

 32 “Now therefore, our God,
      The great, the mighty, and awesome God,
      Who keeps covenant and mercy:
      Do not let all the trouble seem small before You
      That has come upon us,
      Our kings and our princes,
      Our priests and our prophets,
      Our fathers and on all Your people,
      From the days of the kings of Assyria until this day.

 33 However You are just in all that has befallen us;
      For You have dealt faithfully,
      But we have done wickedly.

 34 Neither our kings nor our princes,
      Our priests nor our fathers,
      Have kept Your law,
      Nor heeded Your commandments and Your testimonies,
      With which You testified against them.

 35 For they have not served You in their kingdom,
      Or in the many good things that You gave them,
      Or in the large and rich land which You set before them;
      Nor did they turn from their wicked works.

 36 “Here we are, servants today!
      And the land that You gave to our fathers,
      To eat its fruit and its bounty,
      Here we are, servants in it!

 37 And it yields much increase to the kings
      You have set over us,
      Because of our sins;
      Also they have dominion over our bodies and our cattle
      At their pleasure;
      And we are in great distress.

 38 “And because of all this,
      We make a sure covenant and write it;
      Our leaders, our Levites, and our priests seal it.”

Hezekiah Reinstates Passover

Hezekiah reintroduced the Passover and send messengers throughout all Judah and Israel to join in the Passover. This is especially significant since it calls upon the people of Israel too, even though Israel and Judah had hostilities between them at various times. It is a true call to repentance to the people to return to God and reminding them that God is gracious and merciful, whose wrath can be turned away.

Imagine the excitement of the people being called to renew a tradition that has long been forgotten. Although many from various parts of Israel did not attend, there were many from Israel who did come to Jerusalem. Also most people in Judah supported their king in this initiative. Having so many people attend the festivities, which had not practised for some time, some of the purification customs were not followed exactly. However, we glimpsed Hezekiah's character when he prayed to God for forgiveness for the people who did not perform the celebrations in the correct way. God accepted this and healed the people.

The Passover Feast of Unleavened Bread was practised for seven days. There were much confession, much singing and praising, much offerings, and teaching by the Levites on the knowledge of the LORD, and Hezekiah's encouragement to the Levites and priests. It was written that these celebrations was like those in the days of David and Solomon and that the priests' and Levites' blessings on the people rose to heaven.



2 Chronicles 30

Hezekiah Keeps the Passover

 1 And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to the LORD God of Israel. 2 For the king and his leaders and all the assembly in Jerusalem had agreed to keep the Passover in the second month. 3 For they could not keep it at the regular time,[a] because a sufficient number of priests had not consecrated themselves, nor had the people gathered together at Jerusalem. 4 And the matter pleased the king and all the assembly. 5 So they resolved to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem, since they had not done it for a long time in the prescribed manner.
6 Then the runners went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the king and his leaders, and spoke according to the command of the king: “Children of Israel, return to the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel; then He will return to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 And do not be like your fathers and your brethren, who trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, so that He gave them up to desolation, as you see. 8 Now do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD; and enter His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you. 9 For if you return to the LORD, your brethren and your children will be treated with compassion by those who lead them captive, so that they may come back to this land; for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face from you if you return to Him.”
10 So the runners passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun; but they laughed at them and mocked them. 11 Nevertheless some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12 Also the hand of God was on Judah to give them singleness of heart to obey the command of the king and the leaders, at the word of the LORD.
13 Now many people, a very great assembly, gathered at Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month. 14 They arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and they took away all the incense altars and cast them into the Brook Kidron. 15 Then they slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought the burnt offerings to the house of the LORD. 16 They stood in their place according to their custom, according to the Law of Moses the man of God; the priests sprinkled the blood received from the hand of the Levites. 17 For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves; therefore the Levites had charge of the slaughter of the Passover lambs for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them to the LORD. 18 For a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good LORD provide atonement for everyone 19 who prepares his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he is not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.” 20 And the LORD listened to Hezekiah and healed the people.
21 So the children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness; and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing to the LORD, accompanied by loud instruments. 22 And Hezekiah gave encouragement to all the Levites who taught the good knowledge of the LORD; and they ate throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers.
Levites, all the assembly that came from Israel, the sojourners who came from the land of Israel, and those who dwelt in Judah. 26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27 Then the priests, the Levites, arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard; and their prayer came up to His holy dwelling place, to heaven.

Eliphaz accuses Job of Wickedness

Eliphaz gives more description of the alleged wickedness of Job in the passage below, though there is no other reason to believe this is true from what we know of Job. His scathing accusations of Job include showing no kindness to the thirsty, hungry, widows and fatherless. Interestingly these are the group of disadvantaged people that God keeps mentioning for us to take care of.


Eliphaz explains that the wickedness of Job brought about the disasters, v10-11. He describes Job and the wicked as having turned away from God. In fact, Eliphaz pleads with Job to repent. From v21-30, Eliphaz gives an excellent encouragement for people to turn back to God. He mentions about putting away our earthly treasures, praying to God and He will hear us, God will exalt the humble, and above all God is a Gracious God that he will even deliver those who are not innocent. Though this advice is mis-directed to Job, which wasn't his wickedness that brought the disasters, we can still take heed of God's grace and goodness.

Job 22

 ¹ Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

 ² “Can a man be profitable to God,
      Though he who is wise may be profitable to himself?
 ³ Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous?
      Or is it gain to Him that you make your ways blameless?
 ⁴ “Is it because of your fear of Him that He corrects you,
      And enters into judgment with you?
 ⁵ Is not your wickedness great,
      And your iniquity without end?
 ⁶ For you have taken pledges from your brother for no reason,
      And stripped the naked of their clothing.
 ⁷ You have not given the weary water to drink,
      And you have withheld bread from the hungry.
 ⁸ But the mighty man possessed the land,
      And the honorable man dwelt in it.
 ⁹ You have sent widows away empty,
      And the strength of the fatherless was crushed.
 ¹⁰ Therefore snares are all around you,
      And sudden fear troubles you,
 ¹¹ Or darkness so that you cannot see;
      And an abundance of water covers you.
 ¹² “Is not God in the height of heaven?
      And see the highest stars, how lofty they are!
 ¹³ And you say, ‘What does God know?
      Can He judge through the deep darkness?
 ¹⁴ Thick clouds cover Him, so that He cannot see,
      And He walks above the circle of heaven.’
 ¹⁵ Will you keep to the old way
      Which wicked men have trod,
 ¹⁶ Who were cut down before their time,
      Whose foundations were swept away by a flood?
 ¹⁷ They said to God, ‘Depart from us!
      What can the Almighty do to them?’^[a]
 18 Yet He filled their houses with good things;
      But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
 ¹⁹ “The righteous see it and are glad,
      And the innocent laugh at them:
 ²⁰ ‘Surely our adversaries^[b] are cut down,
      And the fire consumes their remnant.’
 ²¹ “Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace;
      Thereby good will come to you.
 ²² Receive, please, instruction from His mouth,
      And lay up His words in your heart.
 ²³ If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up;
      You will remove iniquity far from your tents.
 ²⁴ Then you will lay your gold in the dust,
      And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
 ²⁵ Yes, the Almighty will be your gold^[c]
      And your precious silver;
 ²⁶ For then you will have your delight in the Almighty,
      And lift up your face to God.
 ²⁷ You will make your prayer to Him,
      He will hear you,
      And you will pay your vows.
 ²⁸ You will also declare a thing,
      And it will be established for you;
      So light will shine on your ways.
 ²⁹ When they cast you down, and you say, ‘Exaltation will come!’
      Then He will save the humble person.
 ³⁰ He will even deliver one who is not innocent;
      Yes, he will be delivered by the purity of your hands.”