Highland Views

The book of Zephaniah is the 7th least popular book based on internet searches and readings. One of the minor prophets, the book of Zephaniah focuses on the "Day of the Lord" which will see God visiting on the disobedient people, both God's chosen people and the enemies that harass them. The ending concerns the conversion of repentant nations and the song of joy after restoration to God's blessings.

The New Testament book of Jude is another in the series focused on the least popular books of the Bible. This book is the 8th least popular books, the letter written by Jude which is in the New Testament in the section known as General Epistles or Letters. 

Palm Sunday falls in March this year. Levi examines the lessons we can learn from the story of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem as his public ministry and (indeed) his very life draw to an end. This event ushered in the final week of Jesus' life. 

The sermon for this day (Easter 2021) is based on Joel. Joel is one of the UnWandered Books (least popular for reading and study based on internet usage). The book is from the Old Testament and is one of the shorter (minor) prophets. There are only 3 chapters. He quotes from other minor prophets. This book begins with Joel's review of the actual events of their lives in the country of Israel. They have been plagued by drought, locusts, and famine. Chapter 2 switches to prophetic poetry and announces "the Day of the Lord" is near. In 2:12, he writes, "Yet even now" come back to the Lord, who is always near and waiting for repentance.

Are you surprised that Jonah is one of the internet's least researched, read, and studied books in the Bible? We were! The general story of Jonah and the great fish that swallowed him is very well known even among non-bible scholars. There are several surprising details that most folks aren't aware of in this little book in the Hebrew Bible. Levi digs into the details of this amazing journey and adventure of the prophet Jonah.

Malachi is the 11th least popular book of the Bible based on digital use and searches. This final book in the Old Testament is a dialog between God and the priests and people of Israel. Malachi is basically a back and forth about how many things displeased God about the Israelites and their worship and their lives. 

God (through Malachi) tells the people that they are not worshipping in the heart, they are not living faithfully. God says, "I am mercy. I don't change."  He calls for repentance and notes that He is patient.  Building the temple back didn't fix it. Observance of rules doesn't soften the heart. Beautiful but empty worship does not please God. God challenges them (and us) to change and see if He doesn't open a window from heaven to rain down blessings in return.

The beautiful and impactful parable of the Good Samaritan reveals a message that is needed in our world today: care for needy people without evaluating their similarity or difference from me.

Zechariah is a challenging book to read due to the structure of dreams that are not necessarily chronological and loop in reference to each other. Chapter 7 at first seems to be the end of the book, but it isn't. The book is outlined as: 1) Turn back to God, 2) 8 dream-visions, 3) Exiles in Grief, 4) Messiah's Kingdom, 5) New Jerusalem. Try to read the book in sweeping messages, not trying to ferret out meaning in each scary description. The higher message was this:  STOP sinning and turn to God. Do Not repeat the mistakes of the past, but realize what God teaches us!

Habakkuk is the next Unwandered Words we will study. He is categorized among the Minor Prophets (those who wrote shorter books) in the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible.

The book of Amos is another minor prophet (called minor because their writings were much shorter than the more verbose "major" prophets). The book was often quoted by Martin Luther King, including his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. The book begins with detailed and scathing judgment from the Lord against Israel. Amos 4:12 “Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, Israel, prepare to meet your God.” Amos 6: 12 has the Lord's assessment of  Israel’s sins: “But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness.” One of the more famous lines from Amos tells of a king who was annoyed with Amos' prophecies of doom. The leader told Amos to “go south and eat bread,' meaning. "They will like your preaching, Amos, and they’ll pay you for speaking." Amos 8:11 “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Then, as the book concludes, there is an offer of forgiveness. Amos 9:11-15 shows the repentance and restoration of Israel. "I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God.