Humility is considered a mark of spiritual maturity. The US emphasis on self esteem has resulted in a society whose spiritual growth has been short circuited. We are seeing the fruits in things like the various pride movements which wash over us from month to month, each with its own flag and logo. We are seeing the fruits in the push to change one's gender - by violent surgery if necessary. Stupidity is not a good national survival strategy - God will eventually intervene if we do not change direction ourselves.

Paul's letter appears to be a theological corrective for something going on within the church in Colossae. The exact nature of the problem is not made clear, but it has to do with the person of Christ and with competing philosophies. In this first chapter he makes it very clear who the Messiah is and what He has done and is doing.

In the spiritual realm, just like in the physical world, when something is set into motion it keeps going until it is stopped. In Jacob's life he set deceit into motion when he stole the blessing from Esau. We see that it is a major theme in his life. Laban deceives him about his bride. His sons deceive Shechem about Dinah, and his sons deceive him when the sell Joseph into slavery. The reason this was set into motion and what it took to stop it has application for our lives today.

If one believes in God and Angels, he must also believe in demons, since all three are integral to the Bible's narrative. This is a discussion of what demons are, how they behave, how to recognize their influence and how to defend against them.

The Bible has a number of stories about servants left to manage the estate while the master is away. In order to manage the estate, the steward must be entrusted with access to the master's goods. Sometimes the absence is short sometimes extensive, but the master always expects an accounting of the servant's stewardship. So too with our Master who has been away for some 2000 years so far. He has left us the Holy Spirit as the key to His goods on this earth. He will expect an accounting of how we used that key when He returns.

Jerusalem, the city of gold, is no more. Everything appears hopeless. The final plea of the book is that God restore His people to Himself.

God says that He preferred Jacob over Esau. While all of His reasons are not clear, one character trait of Esau's that stands out is his lack of gratitude. His behavior closely mirrors what Moses warns about in Dt 8. He seems to believe that it is his own skill and effort that have given him success and has not given thanks to God for his talents. In this we can see the prevalent attitude in the United States today.

This central chapter of the book provides a ray of hope in the sea of trouble. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases and He will not cast off Israel forever.

Making good decisions can lead to life and blessing; bad ones to calamity or death. What does the Bible have to say about how to make decisions and how to inquire of God in difficult circumstances?

Jerusalem lies in ruins and the joyful throngs who went up for the feasts are no more. God has driven Judah into exile for her transgressions of the Covenant.