More than a Collection of Books Volume 4

Nahum prophesied against the great city of Nineveh

That the God of the nations the Assyrians disclaimed

Was the sovereign controller of all human destiny

And even the greatest world power must submit in shame.

Habakkuk, known for ”the just shall live by faith”

Is perplexed that Judah is not punished for her iniquity

The Lord uses the Babylonians to punish Judah

Whereupon Habakkuk questions God’s use of the enemy.

Zephaniah tells of God’s determination to execute judgment

On Judah and Jerusalem because of idolatry,

His message to Judah is a call to repentance

But woe is pronounced on Jerusalem for its treachery.

Haggai’s call was for the people to rebuild the temple

Instead they were taken up with their own affairs

Again he encouraged them giving assurance of God’s presence

The glory of the future temple will be greater he declared.

Zechariah using highly symbolic language in his visions

Predicted the overthrow of the Gentile world powers,

He speaks of Messiah’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem

And his return when he makes Mount Olive his tower.

Malachi like Nehemiah highlighted similar problems

Like withholding the Lord’s tithe and intermarrying,

He records Jehovah’s last pleading with His people

Then the prophetic is silent until the Baptist’s coming.

Matthew is a portrait of Jesus depicting him as King

Hence we find a link to King David in his genealogy,

Greater than Moses or Solomon, Lord of the Sabbath

He who was called King of the Jews is King eternally.

Mark is a portrait of Jesus portraying him as Servant

Unlike Matthew’s genealogy his references did attest

John the Baptist, God himself and God the Holy Spirit

To serve and not to be served was what he did the best.

Luke paints a portrait of Jesus much alike that of a Man

Hence another genealogy going right back to Adam,

He wept as he stood before the tomb of a very dear friend

And showed his humanness in Gethsemane as the Father planned.

John, most difficult for some, portrays him as fully God

Consider Thomas’ acknowledgement: my Lord and my God

Base on the miracles he did and the very words he spoke

One of two verdicts remains; Jesus is either God or a fraud.

The Acts of the Apostles as it is more appropriately called

Takes it from the life of our Lord in the Gospels

Through Pentecost and the miraculous birth of the church

And provides the link between the Gospels and the Epistles. 

Stewart Russell © 2017