FORM THREE

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The teaching of Jesus on the role of the Holy Spirit

John 14:15-26, 16:5-15, Acts 1:7-8

In his farewell, Jesus assured his disciples that when he left this world, God would send them the
Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would play the following roles:

(i) Would act as a counselor and guide the disciples on the spiritual truth.

(ii) He would reveal to the disciples all truth about God.

(iii) He would remind the disciples everything Jesus Christ taught.

(iv) He will pronounce judgement/convict the world.

(v) He would glorify Jesus by opening the minds and hearts of people to His gospel.

(vi) He would be a companion to His disciples in all their mission and ministry.

(vii) He would strengthen the faith of the disciples and give them strength to face
persecution.

(viii) He would help the disciples to understand Jesus Christ as the son of God.

(ix) He would forgive sins through the Disciples of Christ.

(x) He would empower the disciples to become Jesus Christ’s witnesses all over the
world.

(xi) He would give the disciples wisdom to discern and expose the secret hearts of
sinful people.

(xii) He would enable the disciples to predict future events/prophesy.

PETER’S MESSAGE ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST (FEAST OF WEEKS)

Acts 2:1-40

 It was one of the Jewish annual feasts which was celebrated 50 days after Passover.
 It commemorated the receiving of the Mosaic Law on Mount Sinai.
 The Jews of Palestine and those of dispersion (Diaspora) usually went to Jerusalem to
celebrate this feast.

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  On the day of Pentecost, the disciples of Jesus were gathered together when they
receivedthe gift of the Holy Spirit. This was in fulfillment of Jesus Christ’s promise to
them.(Luke 24:49)

The Spirit manifested Himself in the form of:

(a) A strong wind.

(b) Tongues of fire.

(c) Disciples speaking in tongues.

(d) Peter’s empowered speech indefence of fellow disciples.

 The foreigners who were gathered were able to understand what the disciples
were saying in their own languages.
 However while some of them were amazed at what was happening, others
claimed the disciples were drunk.
 Peter as the disciples’ spokesman, stood up and explained what was happening.He
said the following;

(i) He told the people that the disciples were not drunk.

(ii) That they were filled by the Holy Spirit as a fulfillment of Joel’s prophesy.

(iii) That Jesus Christ was the son of God.

(iv) That God’s power was seen in the miracles/signs/wonders performed by Jesus
Christ.

(v) That Jesus had been killed by the Jews because of their wickedness.

(vi) That God raised Jesus back to life.

(vii) Jesus was a descendant of David.

(viii) That Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and he is at the right hand of God.

(ix) Jesus is Lord/Christ/Messiah.

(x) He called the people to repent their sins so as to be forgiven.

(xi) The disciples were living witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

About 3000 people accepted Jesus Christ and were baptized on this day. This marked the birth
of the Christian community.

Ways in which Peter’s life was transformed on the day of Pentecost

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 i. He was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.
ii. He spoke in tongues.
iii. He became courageous as his faith was increased.
iv. He preached the word of God.
v. He remembered the scripture of the Old Testament.
vi. He made wise decisions.
vii. He baptised new converts.
viii. He became the spokesman of other disciples.

Peter’s teaching about Jesus in his Pentecost Message

1) Jesus was from Nazareth.

2) He had a human nature.
3) He had a divine nature (son of God and Saviour).
4) He was attested by God in working miracles, signs and wonders.
5) His crucifixion and death was according to God’s plan.
6) God raised him from the dead.
7) He overcame death.
8) His death and ressurection fulfilled the prophecy of David.
9) He is a descendant of David.

QUALITIES OF GOOD LEADERSHIP LEARNT FROM PETER

(i) Boldness and courage.

(ii) Eloquence.

(iii) Pro-activeness.

(iv) Knowledgeable.

(v) Defended the disciples/loyalty.

(vi) Decisive.

(vii) Persuasive.A

(viii) Faithful. Believed in Jesus Christ the Messiah.

PAUL’S TEACHING ON THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

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1st Corinthians 12:13:14

 Spiritual gifts are special abilities/talents given to Christians by God.

 They are acts of power which come from God.
 They all come from the same source i.e. the Holy Spirit.
 They are a manifestation of the presence of the Holy Spirit in a believer.
 They are to be used for the services of others and for the building of the church.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit according to 1st Corinthians 12:4 – 11 are as follows;

(i) Wisdom.

(ii) Knowledge.

(iii) Faith.

(iv) Healing.

(v) Performing miracles.

(vi) Prophesy.

(vii) Distinguishing spirits.

(viii) Speaking in tongues.

(ix) Interpreting tongues.

The Christians in Corinth were treating some gifts as more important than others. E.g. the
gift of speaking in tongues was believed to be the greatest and made those who had it
more superior than others.

This situation was creating a division among Christians.

This prompted Paul to explain the role of each of the gifts. Paul then wrote to explain.

(i) Wisdom

- The gift enables Christians to understand the truth concerning God and his plan
for human beings.

- It is also important to Christians while making decisions concerning issues

affecting the church and the society.

(ii) Knowledge

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- Helps Christians understand issues without necessarily having been taught or
experienced.

(iii) Faith

- It’s about the trust Christians have in God. It helps them to face difficult
challenges and also perform miracles.

(iv) Healing

- It is the power to heal all forms of sicknesses in the name of Jesus Christ.

(v) Performing miracles.

- Enables Christians to perform extra-ordinary acts including healing by the power

of Jesus Christ’s name.

(vi) Prophesy

- Ability to receive God’s revelation and convey the message and deliver it to the
people.

(vii) Distinguishing

- Ability to differentiate between the gifts of the Holy Spirit and those of the evil
spirit.

(viii) Speaking in tongues

- This is the ability to speak in an unfamiliar language.

(ix) Intrepretation of tongues

- This is the ability to understand and interpret an unfamiliar language.

COMPARISON BETWEEN PROPHESY AND SPEAKING IN TONGUES

1st Corinthians 14:1 – 25

Paul teaches that the gift of prophesy is better than speaking in tongues because:

(i) Those who speak in tongues can’t be understood by the audience who can’t interpret the
message.

(ii) Those who speak in tongues communicate with God benefiting them.

(iii) When tongues aren’t interpreted, they cause confusion among the audience.

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(iv) Prophesy is intelligent preaching that speaks to Christians and makes them know God
better.

(v) A prophet’s message may touch a sinner who may repent and turn back to God.

(vi) Prophesy contributes to the common good of the church.

HOW TO USE THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

1st Corinthians 14:26-33, 39 – 40

Paul gives the following instructions on the use of spiritual gifts for the purpose of order to the
church.

I. The gifts of the Holy Spirit should be used for the common good of all.

II. They should be used to strengthen/ encourage and comfort others.

III. They should be used to bring unity but not to discriminate/ divide members.

IV. There is need to respect/appreciate all the gifts.

V. They should be used in an orderly way/ no confusion.

VI. The gifts should be used in love.

VII. The gifts of speaking in tongues should be minimised in public/worship.

VIII. There is need to have interpretation of tongues for them to be meaningful/helpful.

IX. Prophecies should be carefully evaluated.

CRITERIA FOR DISCERNING THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Mathew 7:15 – 20, 1st Corinthians 12:1 – 3, Galatians 5:16 – 26

One who is under the influence of the Holy Spirit will be able to:

(i) Recognize Jesus Christ as Lord and savior.

(ii) Act and behave in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ.

(iii) Cannot curse Jesus Christ.

(iv) Dispenses the gift freely.

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(v) Produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit i.e Love, peace & kindness

Joy, patience & goodness

Faithfullness & gentleness

Self-control.

(vi) The manifestation of the Holy Spirit should conform to the teaching of the
Bible/be in context of Biblical Truth.

(vii) Must be faithful to the authority of Jesus Christ.

(viii) A person who walks by the Holy Spirit will not gratify the desires of the flesh i.e.

Selfishness, dissension, party spirit, carousing, fornication, idolatory,

licentiousness, strife, impurity, sorcery, enemity, jealous,

(ix) Lives a victorious life over temptations or works of the flesh.

(x) Do not use the gifts of the Holy Spirit for selfish gains/enrich themselves.

THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Galatians 5:16 – 26

 Paul teaches about other gifts that last i.e Faith, hope and love.
 But the greatest is love.
 Faith and love are the guiding principles of the new life of Christians.
 Those that have faith in Jesus Christ do not need the Law of Moses to justify them.
 Those that live by the spirit through faith in Jesus Christ will produce the fruit of the
Holy Spirit, i.e. Love, peace, kindness, gentleness, self-control, joy, patience, goodness,
faithfulness.

MANIFESTATION OF THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN CHURCHES TODAY

Galatians 5:16 – 26

 Praying.
 Solving problems decisively.
 Faith healing.
 Speaking in tongues.
 Singing and dancing for the Lord.
 Teaching/preaching.
 Giving offertory/alms.
 Prophetic ministry of the church i.e. condemning sins.

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  Holding fellowship and Bible study.
 CelebrationLord’s supper.
 Bringing New converts to the church.
 Pastoral care and counsel.
 Helping the needy.
 Working together as churches.
 Writing Christian literature.
 Education and giving instructions.
 Confession of sins.

PAUL’S TEACHING ON LOVE

 It is a gift of the Holy Spirit.

 It is the most important gift.
 It is patient and doesn’t let down.
 It is kind.
 It is not envious.
 It is not boastful.
 It is not ill-mannered.
 It is not selfish/it is generous.
 It is not irritable.
 Doesn’t keep a record of wrongs.
 It is eternal.

HOW THE USE OF THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT BROUGHT DISUNITY IN
THE CHURCH OF CORINTH

 The people who had gifts of speaking in tongues dispised those who didn’t have.
 There was competition in speaking in tongues.
 There was no interpretation of tongues and hence messages were not understood.
 People didn’t show love to one another as they used the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
 There was disorder/confusion in worship as people with different gifts tried to out do one
another.
 People did not use their gifts for the growth/development of the church.
 Gifts i.e. prophecy/preaching/teaching were looked down upon.

WAYS IN WHICH THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ARE MISUSED/ABUSED IN

THE CHURCH TODAY

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  Some Christians pretend to have certain gifts of the Holy Spirit i.e. healing, speaking in
tongues, or false prophesy.
 Some ask for payment/money before healing.
 The gifts of prophesy and wisdom have been abused hence leading to false interpretation
of the Bible.
 Unfaithful Christians may impart demonic powers on innocent faithful Christians.
 Some Christians who posses the gifts of the Holy Spirit develop a sense of pride.
 Some disguise themselves as persons with special powers/gifts with the intention of
exploiting innocent people.
 Some use the gifts to bring a division in the church.
 The gift of speaking in tongues is used without an interpreter and also to attract followers.
 The gift of prophesyis miused when people give false messages.
 The gift of preaching has become a commercial enterprise.
 The gift of knowledge; Some use their wordly wisdom to judge others.

UNITY OF BELIVERS

Introduction: This refers to the oneness of those who have faith in Jesus Christ. The early
christians lived in unity as demonstrated in the following ways:

(i) Prayed together.

(ii) Shared meals.

(iii) Shared property.

(iv) Celebrated the Lord’s Supper.

(v) They met to receive apostolic messages/instructions.

The New Testament has used several images/analogies to illustrate the unity of belivers i.e.

(i) The people of God (1st Peter 2:9 – 10)

 In the New Testament, the people of God are those who follow Jesus Christ and
his teachings.
 Peter refers to Christians as God’s chosen race, a royal priesthood and a holy
nation.
 Christians have been chosen to proclaim the kingdom of God in the world
Christians from different backgrounds are united with God through Jesus Christ.
 Through baptism, Christians are set apart and share in the resurrection of Jesus
Christ Christians have received God’s mercy through repentance.

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(ii) The body of Christ (1st Corinthians 12:12 – 2, Ephesians 4:1 – 12)

 Paul uses the analogy of the human body to demonstrate the unity of believers.
 Christians form the many parts of the body of Christ, each with different functions
to perform just as the human body does.
 The believers are the body of Christ, in which everyone should work for the total
wellbeing of the church.
 Through baptism, believers become members of one body of Christ allempowered
by the spirit of God.
 The different gifts should be used to enrich the church and glorify God.
 Christians share the same rights and privileges as members of one body.
 Christians should remain united as they deliver different services to the
community.
 Paul encourages Christians to have the following virtues i.e.

 Gentleness.

 Patience in order to promote unity.

 Humility.

Christians should be concerned with the welfare of others.

He encourages Christians to live in unity because they are bound by:

(i) One body i.e. the universal church.

(ii) One spirit, which dwells in the church.

(iii) One Lord, Jesus who is the head of the church.

(iv) One faith in the Lord.

(v) One baptism.

(vi) One God who is the father.

(iii) The vine and the branches (John 15:1 – 10)

 God is the vine dresser/Jesus is the true vine.

 The followers of Jesus Christ/Christians are the branches.
 The unfaithful Christians are the unfruitful branches which are cut

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 away/ destroyed.
 Christians are related to God through Jesus Christ.
 The faithful Christians/fruitful branches are pruned so as to produce more fruit.
 For us to continue bearing fruit/doing good stuff if they remain united to Christ.
 Through Jesus Christ, all Christians are joined to one another.
 Christians should rely on God for all providence.
 Love is passed on to the Christians from God though Jesus Christ.
 Christians should keep/observe God’s commandments.

iv) The church (Ephesians 5:21 – 32)

The church refers to the Christian community. The members comprise people
drawn from different social and cultural backgrounds who recognize the lordship
of Jesus Christ. The metaphor has the following points to note:

(i) Paul illustrated the unity of the church using a divine marital relationship.

(ii) Just as wives were subject to husbands, Christians should be subject to

Jesus their Lord.

(iii) Christians should be subject to other members/ one another by sharing.

(iv) Christ is the head of the church just as a husband is the head of a family.

(v) Just as husbands love their wives so did Christ love the church and gave
his life for her.

(vi) Just as marriage is supposed to be a permanent union so is the union

between Christ and Christians.

(v) The bride (2nd Corinthians 11:2, Revelation 21:1 – 12)

The metaphor has the following points to note:

(i) Christians are the bride married to Christ.

(ii) Christ is the divine bridegroom who seeks his bride; the Christians to enter into a
covenant relationship.

(iii) The marriage would be a life-long union where there would be neither suffering nor
death.

(iv) Christians should prepare themselves to receive Christ who will return for his
bride, the church.

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(v) During the final establishment of the kingdom, God will take all the believers
(bride) to the new home, heaven where they would live in unity and love.

(vi) Christians must obey God and do his will in order to be rewarded with eternal life.

WAYS OF PROMOTING UNITY OF BELIVERS IN THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY

TODAY

(i) Preaching love and forgiveness to one another.

(ii) Organizing inter-denominational prayers.

(iii) Reconciling warring parties and encouraging peace agreements.

(iv) Forming ecumenical movements i.e. groupings of different churches i.e. National Council
of Churches of Kenya (NCCK).

(v) Promotion of youth movements/groups in schools and other educational institutions e.g.
Christian union (C.U) Young Christian Students (Y.C.S).

(vi) Encouraging and promoting dialogue among people in the society.

(vii) Condemning customs and practices which threaten unity in a society.

(viii) Living exemplary lives for other people to copy.

(ix) Promoting the socio-economic welfare of the society through:

- Employment creation. -Provision of social amenities.

- Providing relief aid. -Providing charitable services.

(x) Avoiding actions that may disrupt peace and unity.

(xi) Exposing those intending to causes disunity.

Causes of disunity in the church in Kenya today

(i) Formation of splinter groups.

- In some churches, members of the congregation get divided because some prefer
certain leaders to others.

(ii) Misunderstanding of the use of spiritual gifts.

- Christians may differ on the use of spiritual gifts i.e. speaking in tongues and
performing miracles.

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(iii) Discrimination against some members of the church.

- It could be based on economic status and manifestation of spiritual gifts, tribe,

race,or gender.

(iv) Settling disputes in civil courts.

- Some churches have differences and leadership wrangles to the extent of taking
each other to courts of law. This creates disunity while disputes should be
settled within the church.

(v) Misuse the freedom of worship.

- Some people have abused this right by breaking away from their mother churches
to form splinter groups. Some of them may not be doing so for the purpose of
evangelizing but for self interests.

(vi) Administration of sacrament.

- The attitudes towards sacraments vary from one church to another. e.g. Baptism.
Some churches practice it through complete immersion while others through
pouring of water on the forehead.

(vii) Differences in the belief of resurrection.

- There are different beliefs of the state of the resurrected/dead and in the manner
and nature of the resurrection.

SELECTED OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS AND THEIR TEACHINGS

Definition of terms:

Prophet: This is a person who speaks and acts on behalf of God. They have been given
different titles that illustrate the character and nature of a prophet. They
include:

- Man of God. - Messenger of God.

- Watchman of God’s word. - Servant of Yahweh.
- Man of spirit. - A seer.
- Interpreter of Gods word. - Nabii.

Prophets were mediators between God and the people.

Prophesy: This is the act/process of delivering the truth as revealed by God.

Is prophetic utterance which is inspired by the Holy Spirit.

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In the Old Testament and New Testament, prophesy was God’s way of guiding
his people to live according to his will and covenant way of life.

Involves predictions of future events.

CATEGORIES OF PROPHETS

(i) True prophets

- There are prophets who acted on behalf of God and their messages came to
pass/were fulfilled.

- These prophets upheld the covenant way of life.

(ii) False prophets

- These were prophets who claimed to speak in Yahweh’s name yet their messages
were never fulfilled.

(iii) Major prophets

- These are prophets whose work or writing is elaborate/detailed given to them by

God. i.e.

Isaiah, Daniel, Lamentations, Jeremiah, Ezekiel.

(iv) Minor prophets

- Their work is brief/short oracles e.g.

Hosea Obadiah Nahum Hagai

Joel Jonah Habakkuk Zephania

Amos Micah Zephania Malachi

(v) Canonical prophets

- These are prophets whose work has been recorded under their names. e.g.
Jeremiah.

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(vi) Non-canonical prophets

- These are prophets whose work has been compiled by other authors

e.g Nathan, Elisha, Elijah.

(vii) Cultic prophets

- These are prophets who were closely related to places of worship.

- They assisted priests in their duties.

IMPORTANCE OF PROPHETS

(i) They acted as mediators between God and man.

(ii) They communicated God’s messages to the people by revealing his plan.

(iii) Preached practical monotheism/yahweism.

(iv) They used to condemn evil in the society in the effort to restore justice in the society.

(v) They taught people about the nature of God.

(vi) They also anointed Kings (some of them).

(vii) They also acted as the conscience of Kings and the people in society.

(viii) Some of the Prophets acted as priests e.g. Isaiah.

(ix) They foretold and warned people of judgment for their disobedience to God.

(x) They gave hope of restoration to the people if they repented.

(xi) Prophets taught people about the covenant way of life and reminded them of their
responsibilities.

Qualities of true Prophets

(i) They heard God’s voice calling them to be his spokes-person through; Dreams,
Strange object andVisions.

(ii) They positively responded to the call with obedience.

(iii) They stood for the covenant way of life.

(iv) They spoke and acted with authority and courage regardless of the consequences.

(v) They condemned all types of evils in the society.

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(vi) They had faith in Yahweh.

(vii) They led righteous lives.

(viii) They also acted as mediators between God and the people.

(ix) They challenged the false prophets.

(x) They communicated God’s message to the people sometimes through strange symbolic
ways.

(xi) They were prayerful and always sought God’s kindness and revelation.

(xii) They faced rejection and persecution from the people.

(xiii) Their prophesies came to pass.

Characteristics of false prophets

i. They challenged the work of the true prophets.

ii. They gave messages full of untruth to please the kings and ruler of that time.
iii. They were self-appointed and cheated people and made them believe that they were
working for God.
iv. They challenged the law of God through Moses.
v. They led people to the worship of other gods and immorality.
vi. They promised peace while that was not true without demanding for obedience of God’s
law.
vii. They were not guided by Yahweh but by their own wisdom.
viii. They offered shallow optism which was devoid of moral conduct
ix. They demanded payment for their services.

THE WRITING OF PROPHETIC MESSAGES

There were various ways in which the prophetic messages were recorded. These are:

1. The prophets themselves may have wtitten the prophetic messages.

2. The prophets dictated messages to a sribe to write it down.

3. God dictated to the prophets what was to be put down.

4. The disciples of the prophets preserved their master’s teachings as oral traditions and
passed it over to the subsequent generations.

5. The disciples of the prophets treasured the recollections of the prophet’s life as well as
the oracles and incorporated them in the historical books of the Bible.

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 6. The scribes re-organised the prophet’s teachings according to the subject matter.

7. Prophetic messages were originally written on scrolls and stone tablets in Hebrew and in
continuos prose.

8. The chapters and verses were indicated by inspired authors to make it easier to read.They
also rearranged it chronologically to connect events.

CONTENT OF THE MESSAGES

There are generally three different types of messages in the prophetic books.

(i) The prophetic sayings.

- These are oracles/prophesies either by God or by the prophet in God’s name.

- Are also regarded as poetic passages conveying some teaching, prediction or a

promise, examples include: Isaiah 28, 29:13 – 14, Amos 1.

(ii) Narratives in the first person

- In the narrative, the prophet relates his won experiences for example Isaiah who
explains his experience of God’s presence in the temple of Jerusalem.

(iii) Narratives in the third person.

- These are narrative explaining events in the prophet’s life or the conditions under
which he worked.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE NEW

TESTAMENT

(i) The theme of salvation in the Old Testament becomes a reality in the New Testament, in
the Passion of Jesus Christ.

(ii) Jesus upheld the Law of Moses and argued that he didn’t come to abolish the law but to
fulfill it.

(iii) The prophets in the Old Testament condemned insincere worship. Similarly, Jesus
condemned outward observances of the law.

(iv) The coming of John the Baptist fulfilled the Old Testament prophesy of a fore runner of
the Messiah.

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(v) The Old Testament prophesies about the coming of a Messiah who would bring salvation
to Israel is repeated (echoed) by Simeon and Anna, in the temple; during the presentation
of Jesus Christ.

(vi) The Prophesy of the new Covenant found in the Old Testament is inaugurated by Jesus
Christ.

(vii) The prophesy of the suffering servant of God is fulfilled by Jesus through his Passion.

(viii) John the Bapist’s coming brought an end to the Old Testament and a beginning to the
New Testament eras, as the greatest of the prophets.

COMPARISON BETWEEN TRADITIONAL AFRICAN AND OLD TESTAMENT

PROPHETS

Similarities

(i) Both were mediators between God and the people.

(ii) Both were called by God to pass messages to the people.

(iii) Both had supernatural powers because they communicated to God through dreams,
visions and sometimes trances.

(iv) In both they were people with high integrity, moral standards and obedient to God’s call.

(v) In both cases, some prophets performed the roles of healers and political leaders.

(vi) They both condemned social evils and injustices.

(vii) Both felt some irresistible force to carry out God’s message.

(viii) In both cases, some prophets were consulted to settle disputes.

(ix) Both were consulted to interpret God’s message.

(x) In both cases, prophets led people in religious ceremonies.

(xi) They were both charismatic.

Differences

(i) The Old Testament prophets received their messages from God while some Traditional
Afrcan prophets received their messages from spirits and ancestors.

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(ii) In some Traditional African Communities, the prophetic office was hereditary whereas in
the Old Testament, it wasn’t.

(iii) In Traditional African communities, the prophets were concerned with personal,
individual and community issues, while in the Old Testament, the prophets were
concerned with issues affecting the nation and even international.

(iv) The Old Testament prophets were mostly rejected by their own people whereas the
Tradtional African prophets were liked and respected.

(v) The prophesies of the Old Testament prophets were written down while that of the
Traditional African prophets were preserved orally.

AMOS

BACKGROUND TO AMOS

Political background:
2 kings 14:23-29
 Amos was a herdsman and was called to be God’s prophet during the reign of King
Jeroboam II in Israel (78C BC to 746BC) and King Uzziah in Judah (799 BC to 740 BC)
 He prophesied at a time when there was political stability and peace.
 There was widespread corruption.The political rulers were bribed by the rich to let them
exploit the poor.The political structure did not serve the poor majority.
 The law courts were corrupt as cases were judged to favour the rich. The poor were
unfairly charged.
 The religious leaders did not play any political role instead of advising the rulers, they
protected them.

Socio-economic background

 Majority of the people were peasant farmers who practiced subsistence farming.
 There was plantation farming in large vineyards owned by the rich.
 Local trade existed and international trade between Israel and the neighbouring countries.
 International trade led to the emergence of rich merchants who dominated social structure
and the economies.
 The poor were exploited as their farm produce was bought out for low prices during the
international trade.
 The traders used false scales that allowed them to exploit the poor.
 Social classes emerged with the gap widening between the rich and the poor.
 The rich lived in Samaria in luxury compared to the poor who lived in the countryside.

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  The poor, who could not pay their debts, were enslaved and evicted from their land.
Their property was also confiscated by force. Some became squatters in their own land.
 There was sexual immorality in the form of temple prostitution, where a man and his son
could have sexual relations with the same woman.
 There was idol worship which involved worship of several gods.
 There was hypocrisy in the religious careers where despite preserving elaborate religious
practices such as giving tithes and offering sacrifices, people did not care about the poor.
 At this time there were several false prophets and priests who were trained on what to
prophesy. They were paid by the Kings to tell them what they wanted to hear. There
were very few true prophets and they were mistreated.
 Instead of the religious leaders protecting the poor by condemning evils, they kept quiet.

THE CALL OF AMOS

Amos 1:1, 3:8, 7:10 – 15

 Amos was a shephered from a village called Tekoa in Judah.

 He also tended sycamore trees.
 The call of Amos in 755BC two years before the earthquake was in the form of a vision.
 Amos was not a trained or professional prophet like others who existed during his time.
 Amos responded to Gods call in faith and obedience.
 God sent Amos to go and proclaim His message to the people of Israel (Nothern
Kingdom). He preached at the shrine in Bethel which was the centre of worship for
Kings and the people of Nothern Kingdom.
 Amos denounced:

(i) Public worship at Bethel because it was false.

(ii) Condemned social and economic injustice committed by a few
land owners who evicted the poor.
(iii) Idolatry and syncretism.

 As a result of these evils, Amos pronounced severe punishment from God on both the
King and the nation of Israel. He said that King Jeroboam II would die by the sword and
the nation of Israel would be sent to exile in Assyria.
 Amos’ preaching about God’s judgment on Israel and the King led to a sharp
confrontation between him and Arnaziah, the high priest. Amos 7:12 – 13.
 The priest worked closely with the King in the political affairs of the nation.
 He felt that Amos was interfering with the established order and was inciting the people
against the King.
 He sent a message to Amos ordering him to leave Israel and go back to Judah, his birth
place. (Amos 7:12 – 13)

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  The prophet responded to Amasiah’s by stating, clearly that he was not a professional
prophet, neither was he the son of one. He was a shepherd and a tender of sycamore trees
and that God had called and commanded him to prophesy to the Nothern Kingdom.
 God had decided to use a shepherd because true prophets could not be found in Israel.
They had all gone astray and failed to return the people to the covenant way of life.
 The call of Amos who was person shows that God can use anybody regardless of their
status to carry out his will.

THE VISIONS OF AMOS

(Amos 7:1 – 9, 8:1 – 3, 9:1 – 4)

What is a vision?
 Refers to power of seeing.
 Also refers to the ability to plan the future with wisdom.
 From religious view, a vision is an ecstatic experience and a medium of revelation.
 A vision is experienced powerfully in the imagination of the mind concerning the future.
 God revealed himself to the prophets of Israel in the form of visions in which he
communicated his divine plan for the people of Israel.
 A vision takes place when a person is awake while a dream occurs during sleep.

Prophet Amos received five visions. All the five visions were linked to his call.

1. The vision of the locusts. (Amos 7:1 – 3)

 Amos saw a swarm of locusts sent by God destroying all the crops and greenery in the
land of Israel.
 The vision refers to the disaster which God was going to send to Israel.
 Amos intervened and pleaded with God to forgive Israel and God forgave them (Amos
7:2 – 3).

2. The vision of fire. (Amos 7:4 – 6)

 God showed Amos a supernatural fire consuming all the creation on earth.
 Amos again pleaded for the people and God spared them (Amos 7:4 – 6).

3. The vision of the plumb line. (Amos 7:7 – 9)

 A plumbline is a cord with a weight attached to one end by building constructors to test
whether a wall is straight or not during construction.
 Amos saw a crooked wall being checked with a plumb line by God.
 The wall represents Israelites who had forsaken the covenant way of life (Amos 7:7 – 9).
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  Just like a crooked wall must be destroyed, God was going to punish Israel by destroying
high places of worship and Jeroboam IIs kingdom.
 In the vision Amos was silent while God’s judgement on Israel’s sin was being
pronounced. This meant that punishment is inevitable because Israel had remained
obstinate in her sins. She had refused to repent and avert God’s punishment.

4. The vision of a Basket of summer fruits. (Amos 8:1 – 3)

 Amos was shown a basket full of ripe summer fruits at the end of the fruit harvest.
 Yahweh told Amos that Israel was ripe for destruction.
 Just as one waits for time to harvest fruits, God had waited for the Israelites to repent.
 Since they had not, time had come for them to be punished. God’s judgment would not be
delayed any longer.
 Amos was silent and did not plead for God’s mercy.
 Punishment was therefore inevitable.

5. The vision of the destruction of the Altar. (Amos 9:1 – 4)

 Amos saw the Lord standing by the altar.

 God commanding an angel to strike the altar and destroy it completely.
 All the worshippers were being struck down.
 This meant that God would destroy everyone.No one would escape for God would follow
them into their hiding until they were destroyed.

TEACHINGS OF THE PROPHET AMOS

The following are the major teachings that Prophet Amos addressed;
i. Social justice and responsibility.
ii. Judgement against Israel and other nations (punishment and repentance).
iii. Israel’s election.
iv. The day of the Lord.
v. The remnant and restoration.
vi. Hypocritical religion in Israel.

1. Social justice and responsibility. (Amos 2:6 – 8, 3:9 – 12, 4:1 – 3, 5:10 – 15, 6:1 – 8, 8:4
– 6)

Social justice: - Refers to fair dealings in out interactions with people.

- Showing concern for the needs of others.

Responsibility: -Means being accountable for our actions towards others.

-Our actions affect the people we interact with.
- God gave the Israelites the law to guide them in their relationship with him and
their fellow human beings.

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- They were to realize that every person was created in God’s image and is equal in
his eyes. No Israelite was to despise or oppress his or her neighbor.
- Amos condemned social injustices that existed in Israel. These social injustices
were committed by a cross-section of the powerful people in Israel.
These evils that Amos condemned include:

1. Slavery. Amos 2:6, 4:1

The righteous, the needy and the afflicted were subdued by the rich and made slaves.
The poor got into debt which they could not repay the merchants and landowners therefore made
them work like slaves and treated them harshly, (Amos 2:6). In so doing they were breaking
God’s law which guided them on how to treat their fellow Israelites. The Law of Moses did not
allow an Israelite to use his fellow Israelite as a slave.

2. Sexual immorality and temple prostitution/ cultic prostitution. Amos 2:7 – 8

 A father and a son sharing the same temple prostitute or a servant taken as a concubine.
Amos 2:7b
 Temple prostitution was forbidden among the Israelites by Yahweh (Deut 23:17). It was
a grave sin for the Israelites to copy the pagan practice of their neighbouring nations and
bring it into the sanctuary of Yahweh. This was a sign of unfaithfulness to Yahweh.

3. Breaking God’s law on garments secured as pledges.

God gave the Israelites a law which placed restrictions on items that were to be
given out to the creditor as a guarantee for goods borrowed e.g.
 Millstone were not to be taken since they were needed for grinding grain
thus essential to sustain life (Deut 24:6)
 The garment of a poor man was not to be taken as a pledge overnight.
(Deut 24:10 – 13)
 The widows garment was not to be taken in pledge at all (Deut 24:17). If
taken for debt, they were to be returned to the debtor at sunset.
Yet Amos observed that the creditors failed to return the garments as per
the law. Instead they used them openly and shamelessly.

4. Robbery and violence Amos 5:10

Great disorder and oppression was taking place in the capital city of Samaria e.g.
 Panic
 Disintegration of the rule of law
 Violence
 Oppression of the poor
 The rich had acquired a lot of wealth through unfair means such as
exploiting the poor through threats and actual violence against them.
They no longer bothered to do what was right and just (Amos 3:10). For this
reason, God was going to punish Israel by sending a foreign nation to destroy her.

5. Bribery and corruption. Amos 5:7, 10:1

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  Prophet Amos observed the kind of legal injustices that were taking place in the law
courts in Israel.
 Law courts are places where one expects to find justice.
 In Israel the elders were unjust and corrupt.
 They took bribes and grew rich from heavy fines which they imposed on the
innocent.
 It was the duty of these elders to hear the cases of the needy without payments. However
they demanded bribes from them and those who could not offer bribes had no chance of
having their cases heard.
 The elders hated any righteous judge who condemned their injustice Amos 5:7, 10-15.
 They were breaking the covenant law that condemned bribery (Ex 23:8).

6. Greed and Excessive luxury Amos 4:1-3, 5:11 – 15.

 Amos condemned the rich and the selfish women of Samaria for oppressing the poor and
drinking too much wine. He compared them to the “cows of Bashan” (a breed of cattle
famous for being fat and good for beef because of being well-fed in the fertile valley of
Bashan).
 Amos accused and accused these rich women of Samaria. They insisted that their
husbands continually supplied them with intoxicating drinks. In so doing it was possible
for these husbands who could not meet their demands to turn to dishonest means in order
to meet them.
 The rich built expensive houses for summer and winter residence, slept in luxurious
coaches and feasted on delicacies. Amos 4:1–3, 5:11-15. Amos 6:4 – 6

7. Self-indulgence and false sense of security Amos 6:1-8

 Amos attacked on false confidence of the powerful leaders of Israel who sat “at ease,” in
their homes and felt “secure”.
 They expected the common people to come to them for help or advice.
 Amost condemned the leaders who thought that God could not punish them because they
were the chosen people of God. They also thought that Samaria, the capital city, could
not be attacked from outside because it had strong wall built around it.
 However Amos warned that God’s punishment would be upon the city and it would be
destroyed (Amos 6:1-8)

8. Cheating in business
Amos condemned cheating in business among the traders in Israel.
 The wealthy merchants hurried through the religious festivals so that they could get back
to their business.
 They were impatient because of the interruption caused by the monthly feast of new
moon and weekly observance of the Sabbath. (Amos 5:8)
 The business people tampered with the standard weighing scale so that customers get less
than what they paid for.
 They overcharged the prices of the goods they sold.
NB: This practice was a clear violation of the covenant law that advised the
business people not to be dishonest in their business (Lev. 1:35-36)

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  Merchants sold goods of low quality to the poor. They mixed good and bad grain together
with chaff and then sold it at exorbitant prices in order to make profits.
NB: By selling the goods unfit for human consumption, the merchants did not
regard the poor as human beings.
 The poor people who got into debt were sold as slaves even as little as the price of a pair
of sandals.
 This merchants charged high interest rates on the wheat that they sold.They broke the law
of Moses that forbade the Israelite to charge any interest.
9. Those who spoke the thruth were hated.
10. The Iraelites indulged in wine drinking and forced even those not supposed to drink, to
do so.
How the church is promoting social justice in Kenya today
i. Providing education to the public on social justice/ civic education.
ii. By respecting and following the laws of the country as laid down by the Government.
iii. By providing shelter to the needy.
iv. It preaches on social justice.
v. The church prays for social justice in the country.
vi. The church gives food/ clothing to the affected/ alms/ money.
vii. It advises the government on the need for the practice of justice oin the society.
viii. The church is preaching against/ condemns/ points out social injustice in the society.

Ways in which the rich oppressed the poor during the time of Amos

i. Merchants robbed the poor by overcharging them.

ii. Selling the poor for a piece of silver or pair of shoes showing that they were worthless.
iii. The rich the land from the poor.
iv. The rich cheating the poor in business deals by using false scales.
v. Selling goods to the poor that were unfit for human consumption.
vi. Making the poor work on land owned by the rich for very little pay.
vii. Selling the poor into slavery for payment of debts to the rich.
viii. Denying the poor justice in law courts because they could not bribe judges.
ix. Cases taken to court by the poor were being thrown out.
x. The poor being persecuted for challenging injustice and speaking the truth.
xi. Temple prostitutes being drawn from the poor families.
xii. The poor being robbed of their food and belongings.
HYPOCRITICAL RELIGION IN ISRAEL
Amos 4:4 – 5; 5:4 – 5; 5:21 – 27

Hypocrisy is pretending to have admirable principles, beliefs or moral standards.

A person who pretends is a hypocrite.

Amos concentrated on what true and false religion was. He condemned the following practices.

1. Empty sacrifices. Amos 4:4 – 5

Bethel and Gilgal were the most important places of worship in the Northern
Kingdom. Many of the Israelites thought that by going to these high places and

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 making elaborate offerings and sacrifices (to show off) they would please God.
For Amos true worship of God should mean living a life in accordance
with God’s law and offering him the true worship of praise and obedience.
2. Insincere worship. Amos 5:4-15.
The Israelites engaged themselves in a lot of religious rites at the temple of
Bethel.However; a majority of the people who took part in the rites were unjust, corrupt
and always oppressed the poor.As a result God was going to punish them by exiling them
because they did not live according to the covenant way of life.
3. Synccretism.This is the act of uniting or reconciling diverse practices or ideas especially
in religion.During the reign of King Jeroboam II, the Israelites combined the worship of
Yahweh and idolatry. Owing to this, Prophet Amos warned the Israelites that they would
fall and never rise again.
4. Idolatry.
This is the worship of human-made gods and goddesses. Idols can be made in the form of
images, symbols and objects. Due to the Israelite adoption of idolatry, God was going to
punish them. They would be taken into exile (Amos 5:26-27).

The relevance of the teaching of Amos against hypocritical/religion for Christians

Christians should face the danger of giving more importance to outward religious practices than
to inward piety and a life of obedience to God’s will.
Christians can avoid the danger of insincere worship by:
1. Worshipping in humility. Amos 4:13. He is the creator of heavens and earth and is able
to read peoples hearts. If they realize his fact then they will not think too highly of
themselves nor of their prayers and offerings. Instead concentrate on what God offers in
their worship – the word of God.

2. The Christians way of worship should be directly related to their way of life. Religion
cannot be divorced from life. Christians should not think of worship as feasts. Holy days
and visiting places of worship.

3. All Christians worship God in the name of Jesus Christ. Christians should study the
Bible more in order to understand how to live according to the teaching of Jesus which
stresses the worship of God in truth and spirit.

4. Christians learn that the worship is achieved when justice and righteousness are upheld.
They learn to fight insincerity in the churches.

5. Christians learn to deny themselves material possessions, power and money in order to
help the less fortunate.

6. Church leaders are encouraged to be at the fore front in fighting hypocrisy in the church.

7. Any external form of worship a Christian engages in should be a reflection of the inner
heart/self.

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8. The private life of a Christian should match his/her public life. They should reflect each
other.

9. True worship is achieved when justice and righteousness is upheld.

10. Christians should fight insincererity in churches/fight hypocrisy in churches.

Evils that Amos would have condemned in Kenya today

i. Oppression of the poor by the rich.
ii. Cheating in business.
iii. Drunkeness.
iv. Pride in material possessions.
v. Corruption and bribery.
vi. Sexual immorality.
vii. Profaning the name of God.
viii. Idolatry.

JUDGEMENT AGAINST ISRAEL AND OTHER NATIONS

Judgment to other nations


Judgment means making decisions on certain issues after careful consideration

In the history of Israel, God found and punished Israel for going against the covenant way
of life.
 In Old Testament the word judgment is used to refer to the punishment that God would
subject individuals and whole nations with a view to reforming them.
 Punishment is intended to correct the individual or nation and enable them to repent and
turn to God.
 Punishment was always as a result of people committing certain evils, both social and
religious.
Punishment - The act of making a person suffer because of a crime one has
committed.
Repentance - Being remorseful/sorry for the wrongs one has committed.
 Amos prophesied God’s judgment on Israel and other nations. This shows that God is
universal.
 The nations referred to were Israel’s neighbours and were her enemies.
 In his address to different nations, Amos uses the words, “for three transgressions and for
four…. I will not revoke the punishment…., to indicate indefinite quantity of the sins
committed (Amos 1:6)
SYRIA (DAMASCUS)
AMOS 1:3 – 5

God’s judgement is pronounced against Damascus which was the capital city of Syria or Aram.
The people of Syria were very wicked and committed the following evils:
1. They were accused of excessive cruelty in times of war.

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2. They brutally murdered their prisoners of war by running over them with sledges
which had iron teeth. This was a very harsh treatment to be meted out to fellow
human beings.
3. Syria had ill-treated the pregnant women of Gilead during their war with Israel.
They had committed a war crime because expectant mothers were not supposed to
be attacked by enemy during war.

- The Syrian soldiers failed to show any compassion to such prisoners and Syria was to
face God’s punishment.

Punishment
1. God would send divine fire upon them.
2. God would send them to exile to Kir.

PHILISTIA

The people of Philistia captured and sole their fellow citizens as slaves to Edom to work in their
expensive copper industry.

Punishment
1. Divine fire would burn down the wall of their city (Gaza) and destroy it.
2. God would have no association with the Philistines and they would perish.

TYRE (PHOENICA) (AMOS 1:9 – 10)

Crime
- The king of Tyre sold Israelites to Edom as slaves, hence breaking the covenant of
brotherhood. This pact had been sealed by Tyre and Israel for political purposes. The
covenant was entered between Hiram of Tyre and King Solomon and later through the
marriage between Ahab and Jezebel, princess of Tyre.

Punishment
- God would send fire to destroy Tyre.

EDOM
AMOS 1:11 – 12

Edom had plundered Jerusalem, killed its citizens and carried some into slavery (Obadiah 1:10 –
13). The Edomites were the descendants of Essau, Jacob’s brother and were therefore Israelites’
Kinsfolk. They were not supposed to wage war against the Israelites.

Punishment
- God was going to destroy the entire nation of Edom by fire.
MOAB
Crime

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The people of Moab had fought the nation of Edom. Thereafter raided the royal graves and burnt
the bones of the dead Kings. This was meant to signify the complete destruction of the royal
family. It was believed that when the bones of the dead are burnt their spirits are destroyed as
well.
This was rebellion against the sovereign Lord of the universe. It was an assault against God’s
image in human beings.

Punishment
1. The Kings and princess would be exiled
2. God would destroy them the divine fire.

AMMON (AMOS 1:13 – 15)

Crime
- The Ammonites were cruel to the pregnant women of Gilead during war with Israel.
- Attacked and killed their neighbours in Gilead brutally.

Punishment
1. God would send the divine fire to destroy the city wall.
2. The King, his princess and his subjects would be sent to exile.

ISRAEL AND JUDAH

Amos 2:4 – 16, 3:12

- After Yahweh passed judgment over the nations surrounding Israel, he then turned to
Judah and Israel.
- Being God’s chosen people the Israelites least expected that they would be judged and
punished like the other nations.
- Nevertheless, because of the sins committed during the reign of Jeroboam II, Israel would
be judged and punished as well.
- God wanted to show the Israelites that all nations are the same to him and he makes
moral claims on all of them irrespective of race, religion and nationality.
- Amos pronounced judgement on the people of Israel because of the social injustices and
religious sins they had committed. The people of God had broken their covenant with
God. The sins of Israel included:
 They practised idolatry which annoyed God.
 They practised insincere religion based on the external observances at the expense of the
inner piety.
 Sexual immorality was rampant especially at the temple.
 The rich sold the poor to slavery.
 The rich lived in luxuriuos life at the expense of the poor.
 There was cheating in business where the poor were exploited.
 There was robbery with violence.
 There was bribery and corruption in the courts of law.
 Political leaders put their trust in alliances with other nations than with God.
 They had pride caused by self-sense of security.

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NB: Because of their special relationship with God, Israel would get a heavier punishment
than other nations.

1. Before Amos pronounced God’s judgement on Israel, he reminded the people of Israel of
the events of their sacred history. Yahweh had brought them out of the land of Egypt.
2. He guided them in the wilderness
3. He enabled them to conguer and posses the Promised Land and
4. Had raised up prophets and Nazarenes to keep his people faithful to their God. Amos 2:1
- 11

Punishment for Israel and Judah

God was going to punish Israel and Judah in the following ways:

1. Invasion by foreign nation Amos 5:16 – 17, 8:3

- God was going to use Assyrians to attack and destroy the market places where
public assemblies were held.
- Even the rural areas would not be spared (farmers would share the sorrow)
- There would be wailing and cries of anguish throughout the cities and the fields
so many would be dead such that there would be no professional mourners to
wail.

2. Attack by a prestilence (epidemic) Amos 6:9 – 10

- Those who would escape the destroying crimes of Assyria would be struck by a
plague in which only a single person would survive when infected. Even this
survival would be haunted by silence. Amos 6:9 – 10

3. Earthquake Amos 4:11, 6:11

- God would use an earthquake to destroy the houses of both the rich and the poor.
- All that would remain would be a field of debris.

4. Eclipse Amos 8:9 – 10

- God would cover the land with darkness

5. Famine of the word of God Amos 8:11 – 13

- Since Israel had rejected Gods word through the prophets he would withdraw it
from them. There would be divine silence many would wonder from the Dead

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 sea to the Mediterranean sea, moving from sanctuary to sanctuary in
search of the word of God.
- Young men and women who were capable of persisting and enduring the search
of long periods would faint for lack of getting Gods word.

6. Exile Amos 9:2 – 4

- Those who survive killing would be exiled in Assyria. This happened in 72/ BC
when the entire population of Israel was deported into Assyria.

The relevance of Amos’ message on judgement for Christians

1. God is universal and expects his people to be morally and spiritually upright by obeying
his commandments. Leaders in every nation are expected to recognize the supremacy of
God. They are not above the law of God.
2. The behavior of God’s people should match their religious piety e.g. Christians should
visit the sick, the orphans and the widows.
3. Evil will be judged and eventually be destroyed. Christians are reminded to shun evil and
live according to God’s will. When they sin they should repent and seek forgiveness in
order to escape God’s judgement.
4. The exiles in Assyria and Babylon were in hopeless situation and no hope for future.
Christians today may find themselves in helpless and hopeless situations such as civil
wars, famine, displacement and violence. They should face such situations with courage
remembering God is in control of their lives.
5. Today we have religious leaders and people who claim to be Christians yet take part in `
evils. In private they do things which are contrary to God’s law. God will definitely
punish such people for they are hypocrites.
6. Some people today perform religious duties to enrich themselves and not to serve God.
They mislead Christians and God will hold them responsible for the actions.
7. God hates sin. He condemns the Israelites and other nations for being sinful.

REPENTANCE AND HOPE

Amos 5:14 – 15, 9:11 – 15

- Although Amos pronounced judgement and punishment to the people of Israel, he gave
them a message of encouragement to the people of Israel by inviting them to repent their
sins (Amos 5:14 – 15).
- God does not want the death of a wicked person but wants a person to change and live.
Amos predicted a glorious future for Israel after exile. The people of Israel would return
to their homeland after the period of exile. It would be a time of ideal prosperity for
God’s people. Amos 5:14 – 15, 9:11 – 15.

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The following is the message of hope Prophet Amos gave to Israel if they turned to God:
i. Both Israel and Judah will be reunited.
ii. Isarel will defeat her enemies.
iii. The towns will be rebuilt.
iv. A descendant of King David will rule God’s people.
v. Those in exile will be brought home.
vi. Their farms shall be productive.
vii. The people of Israel will have a close relationship with God.
viii. The people will settle in the Promised Land permanently.
ix. All people would not perish during punishment. There would be restorationof a remnant.
x. All nations would recognize Yahweh’s supremacy.

Why Christians repent their sins

i. It is obedience to Christ’s teachings.
ii. So as to lead holy lives.
iii. To be a good example to others.
iv. To be able to prepare for the Kingdom of God.
v. For their faith to be strengthened.
vi. In order to receive God’s blessings.
vii. To renew their relationship with God.

ISRAEL’S ELECTION
Amos 2:9 – 11, 3:1 – 2, 9:7

 Israel’s election refers to the act where God chose the Israelites out of the entire
humankind to fulfil his purpose for the human race.
 God chose the Israelites, Abraham’s descendants, and made a covenant with them at
Mount Sinai.
 If they obeyed God’s commandments, they would be His people and He would be their
God.
 Israel’s election was due to Yahweh’s love for her forefathers and not because she
merited it.
 They were a holy nation and had the obligation and responsibility of recognizing only
Yahweh as God, by keeping His commandments.
 Failure to meet this responsibility would bring a more severe punishment on Israel.
 The Israelites misunderstood the concept of divine election and became proud and had
unfounded assurance in Yahweh’s protection.
 God could have chosen any other nation for His self-revelation.
 God is active in the history of the nations even though they are not aware that He leads
and judges them. He is the God of all nations.
 Israelites were called to serve Yahweh rather than to manipulate Him to serve them.

The relevance of the teachings of Amos on election for Christians

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  Christians are the people of God, the new Israel. “A chosen race, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation and God’s own people” (I Peter 2:9)
 They are chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God.
 They should not presume on God’s election as a guarantee of getting into the Kingdom of
God like the Israelites during Amos’ time did.
 They should understand that they have entered into a special covenant relationship with
God through his son Jesus Christ.
 As disciples of Jesus they should implement Jesus commands through teaching, healing
and doing other works.

THE DAY OF THE LORD

Amos 5:18–20, 6:3–5, 8:7–13

- The concept of the day of the Lord originated from Israel’s political suffering. To them it
was a day when God would intervene and restore them back to the lost glory.
- The Israelites were confident that the day of the Lord would be:
 A day of Israel’s victory against their enemies.
 A day of rejoicing for all Israelites.
 Israel would be exalted.
 Establishment of God’s rule among his chosen race.
 Prosperity for Israel.
 When justice would prevail and wickedness defeated.
 A day of light and brightness.
However, Amos reversed the popular belief about the day of the Lord.
He declared that it would be a day of:
1. Darkness and not light – Darkness is used to stand for doom. It would be a day of
suffering for the people of Israel and no one would escape. Amos compared what
the Israelites would experience with a man who runs away from a lion only to
meet a bear. He manages to escape from the bear and runs to his house
rests his hand on the wall out of exhaustion and relief, but again meets a
poisonous snake that bites him (Amos 5:18-20)

2. It would be a day of terror against the rich landowners and rulers who had
developed their economic and political powers.
These people had continued to live in excessive luxury at the expense of the poor
and yet held false belief that nothing evil could befall them. (Amos 6:3–5)

3. It would be accompanied by cosmic signs such as eclipses. The sun would go

down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. (Amos 8:7-13)

4. God would send an earthquake throughout the land of Israel. There would be
mourning, wailing and weeping everywhere over their ruined farms and buildings
by the earthquake. Many people would die and the loss of life would be
so widespread that every family would grieve and every home would observe
rites of mourning e.g. God would cause everyone to:
 Wear sackcloth as a sign of mourning.

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  Shave their heads as a sign of sorrow
 The hymns of joy would turn into songs of mourning.

The Israelites would feel the intensity of the grief, which compared to the grief of
losing an only son in the family.

5. It will be a day of famine and drought when they would hunger for the word of
God.

6. It would be a day of God’s severe judgment on their Israel’s sins.

The relevance of Amos’ Teaching on the day of the Lord for Christians

1. According to Christians the day of the Lord is the second coming of Christ, Parousia,
when Jesus is expected to come back at the end of time. He will come back as Lord and
judge Christians belief that his world will come to an end.
2. Christians should prepare for the “Day of the Jesus Christ”. They should await, expect
and hope for it.
3. No one knows the exact day and time when Jesus will come back. Therefore Christians
are expected to be ready at all times.
4. On that day everyone will give an account of his or her actions in the light of our Lord’s
teaching.
5. It will be a day of judgement.
6. Each person should prepare for this day by living an upright life and establishing a good
relationship with God.

THE REMNANT AND RESTORATION

Amos 9:8-15

 The word remnant refers to a small number that survives destruction.

 In the teaching of the prophets, the term “remnant” is used to refer to the small number of
the faithful Israelites who would survive God’s punishment.
 Although Amos pronounced destruction on Israel due to their sins he, however, felt there
was some hope for those who would sincerely repent and turn to God.
 Amos announced that not all the descendants of Jacob would perish but only the sinners
(Amos (9:8c).
 God would sieve the house of Israel among all the nations the way a person shakes a
sieve that holds grain while the chaff is blown away (Amos 9:9).
 The grain represents the faithful Israelites while the chaff represents sinners.

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  Through the faithful remnant, the promises of God would be fulfilled and blessings
would come to the nations. (Amos 9:14).
 Amos gave a message of hope, not all would perish but the remnant would be restored in
the following ways.

1. There would be reunion of the kingdom of David.

2. Israel would conquer their enemies.
3. There would be prosperity in agriculture. Vs. 14.
4. The exiles would be restored back to their land.
5. The cities would be rebuilt. vs. 14.
6. They would settle in the Promised Land permanently. Vs. 15.
7. A descendant of King David would rule Israel forever. Vs. 11.
8. All nations would recognize the supremacy of God.
9. There would be a close relationship between God and his people.

The Relevance of Amos’ Teaching on the remnant for Christians

1. For Christians, the remnant is those who have turned to Christ through the grace of God.
(Rom 11:5).
2. Amos’ teaching on the remnant gives Christians hope that only unrepentant sinners will
perish but the righteous will be rewarded by God with eternal life.
3. God does not rejoice in the death of a sinner but he would like him or her to change and
return to him.
4. God always preserves a faithful remnant through whom he fulfils his promises to
humankind.
5. Christians are the remnant through whom God fulfils his purposes for the world.
6. In times when most people are inclined to do wrong things, Christians should always
stand for the truth and do the right things.

JEREMIAH

BACKGROUND TO PROPHET JEREMIAH

 Jeremiah was called by God when the kingdom of Judah was politically unstable.
 Socially there was moral decay as the people of Judah did not observe the laws of the
covenant.
 Religiously the people had taken God’s worship for granted and were not sincere in
worship.

(a) Political background

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Jeremiah prophesied for a period of 40 years during the reigns of 5 Kings of Judah from 626 –
587 BC.These kings were:
 Josiah 639 – 609 BCE
 Jehoahaz for 3 months in 609 BCE
 Jehoiakim 609 – 597 BCE
 Jehoaichin for 3 months in 597BCE
 Zedekiah 597 – 587 BCE (Josiah’s youngest son).

 Jeremiah began his ministry in the 13th year of King Josiah in 626 BC. At this time
Assyria was a super power in the region. They had conquered the Nothern Kingdom in
721 BC and remained a threat to Judah.
 14 years later after he began his prophecy, the Assyrian empire finally collapsed when
Nineveh the capital city was destroyed by the babyloniansans.
 In 609 BC Judah fought Egypt. Josiah was killed when an Egyptian army marched
through Judah. His son Jehoahaz ruled for three months as a puppet of the Egyptians.
 He had been installed by the Egyptian King for the purpose of collecting taxes on behalf
of the Egyptians. However he did not meet the Egyptians expectations and was therefore
replaced by his brother Jehoiakim.
 For several years, Judah was controlled by Egypt for Egypt was gaining greater power in
the Middle East.
 In 605 BC, Egypt was defeated by Babylon which was under King Nebuchadnezzar.
Consequently Judah came under Babylon.
 In 597 BC Babylon invaded Judah and destroyed her in 587 BC.
 Jeremiah prophesied during this time of political instability due to weak rulers.
 He went on with his prophecy even after the destruction of Judah and the temple and
during the exilic period.
 Jeremiah was the last of the Major Prophets in Judah before the destruction of Judah
(Southern Kingdom) by Babylonians.
 In 587 BC the city of Jerusalem was destroyed thus bringing the end to the Kingdom of
Judah.
 Judah experienced political instability because of not heeding Jeremiah’s warning against
political alliances with foreign nations.

Social background

 Jeremiah found that the people of Judah had forgotten the covenant way of life.
 They did not live as brothers and sisters as stipulated in the Mosaic Law.
 The people were morally corrupt and this promoted idolatry.
 Fifty years later, Jeremiah noted that the situation had become worse.
 Jeremiah identified the following social evils:
 Orphans, widows and the innocent were oppressed and denied their rights.
 People used dishonest means of acquiring wealth.
 They committed adultery.
 They murdered innocent people.
 They stole and told lies e.g. priests and false prophets cheated people that all was
well when it was not the case, this misleading them.

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  Rulers had failed to lead the people to the covenant way of life and therefore led
them astray.
 Sexual immorality was rampant.
 Bribery and corruption was widely practiced especially in the law courts.

Religious background

During the time of Jeremiah religious situation in Judah had deteriorated e.g.
1. The worship of idols was widespread. Idols were found everywhere including in the
temple of Jerusalem. The people of Judah were influenced by their neighbouring
countries who worshipped idols like: Baal, Asherah, Molech, Chemish, and the sun and
moon gods.
 Some kings like Manasseh and Solomon married foreign wives and instituted idol orship
as an official religion.
 Idol worship continued until the time of King Josiah who introduced religious reforms in
Judah. These reforms were supported by Jeremiah.
 Josiah’s reforms did not succeed in changing the hearts of the people.
 They stopped worshipping Canaanite gods in public but continued to worship them in
private. The people of Judah continued to worship Yahweh alongside pagan gods.
2. They practiced religious hypocrisy by stressing on outward observances like sacrifices.
3. The people offered human sacrifices which was an abuse to the sacredness of life.
4. There were false prophets who preached peace when there was no peace.
5. Divination and magic were practiced.
6. Worship was centred in the temple of Jerusalem
7. King Josiah’s attempt to carry out reforms had failed.

Thereligious reforms carried out by King Josiah

1. He banned the worship of idol gods.
2. High places for the worship of idols were demolished e.g Bethel.
3. Sacred prostitution was abolished.
4. Foreign objects found in the temple were destroyed.
5. The king led people in a covenant renewal ceremony.
6. The king issued a decree that Yahweh be worshipped.
7. The Passover feast was revived.
8. Worship was concentrated in the temple in Jerusalem.
9. Consultation of mediums was discouraged.

PERSONAL LIFE AND THE CALL OF JEREMIAH

Jeremiah 1

Personal life of Jeremiah

Jeremiah was born in a small village of Anathoth near Jerusalem.
Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, descended from a priestly family but he was not a priest.
 He had deep knowledge of the history, law of Moses and the teachings of earlier prophets
 He was very patriotic to his people whom he did not want to suffer God’s punishment.
 He was called by God to be a prophet while he was still a young man.

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  He was commanded by God not to marry or participate in social functions
 His message was mainly on the restoration of the covenant way of life through
repentance of sins.
 Jeremiah suffered rejection and opposition from his people.
 After the fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile, Jeremiah and a few Jews fled to
Egypt for refuge.
 Jeremiah had a scribe called Baruch who recorded his teachings and prophecies on the
scroll.
 In his prophetic ministry he faced stiff opposition from his people.
 He was persecuted, imprisoned and even abducted.
 Despite these difficulties he persevered with his prophetic task.
 God encouraged and gave him strength to face the challenges until the 11th year of the
reign of King Zedekiah when the people of Jerusalem were taken to exile.
 He preached against evils in society and prophesied about the coming punishment.
 His message also contained hope and the future restoration of people of Judah after exile.
 When Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 587 BCE, Jeremiah remained in Palestine but
later fled to Egypt. Jeremiah probably died in Egypt.

The call of Jeremiah

Jeemiah 1
 Jeremiah received his call as a young man.
 Jeremiah’s call is presented in the form of a dialogue
 God told Jeremiah that he had appointed him as a prophet to the nations before he was
born. (Jer. 1:5)
 Jeremiah was reluctant/ hesitant and said he did not know how to speak because he was
young.
 He was forewarned about the hostility he would encounter in his prophetic mission.
 However, God told him not to fear for he would be with him to protect him. Vs. 8.
 God touched Jeremiah’s mouth and put words in Him. Vs. 9.
 God was the source of the message Jeremiah was to deliver.
This message was:
“To uproot and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant. Jer. 1:10”
 From these words God would pass judgement on the nation of Judah and other nations.
 The judgement would come to the people of Judah because of their unfaithfulness.
 There was also hope and restoration of the people of Judah who would be exiled.
 During his call, Jeremiah saw two visions:

1. A branch of an almond tree Vs 11 – 12.

- The almond tree was bare
- The tree would produce leaves when the weather changed.
- The tree was “watching” for the time it would put forth its buds and leaves.
- In the same way God would be watching to see the fulfillment of the messages
that he would give his prophet.

2. A pot boiling facing away from the North and it was vs. 13 about to tip over towards
Judah.

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- This meant that God would use a nation from the North to bring judgement on the
people of Judah because of their wickedness.
- They had abandoned Yahweh and worshipped idols. They offered sacrifices to
them vs. 16.
- Everybody including the Kings, the priests court officials and ordinary people had
sinned against Yahweh vs. 18.
 Jeremiah was to face opposition from Judah’s kings, priests and kinsmen.
 However God told him not to be afraid because he was going to give him strength to
resist those who opposed him and protection vs. 19
God promised to make him like a “fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall”
(6:19)
 With this divine assurance, Jeremiah took up the task he was given and began his
prophetic ministry as God’s spokesman.

Jeremiah’s response to God’s call

 He was hesitant as he did not know how to speak.
 He was afraid.
 He was not ready.
 He felt immature because he was young.
 He ha a dialogue with God.
 He obeyed and did what God told him to do.

THE EVILS ADDRESSED BY PROPHET JEREMIAH

During this time of Jeremiah the people of Judah committed many social and religious evils i.e:

1. Necromancy (Jer. 14:14, 27:9, 29:8 – 9)

 Necromancy refers to the practice of predicting future events by invoking the dead by
using mystical powers.
 Other words related to necromancy are divination, magic and sorcery
 Also refers to the practice of consulting the spirits of the dead.
 Necromancy/divination was widely practices in ancient Mesopotamia and reached the
people of Yahweh in the Nothern and Southern Kingdoms.
 Divination was strictly forbidden in the Hebrew law. Those who practiced divination
magic or witchcraft were to be punished by death. e.g. (Lev. 19:31), (Deut. 18:10–11)
 Divination is a common practice among some traditional African communities.
 People consult diviners when sick or when they have other needs.
 God hates people who practice necromancy and will no longer consider them as “one of
my people” Lev. 20:6b
- Divination continued to be practiced by some Kings and leaders of Israel e.g.

1. King Saul consulted a medium after the death of Samuel when the
Philistines threatened to attack the people of Israel. (I Sam 28:3 – 25)
2. King Manasseh of Judah consulted fortune tellers and mediums (2 Kings
21:6)

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  The practice of necromancy made God angry with the people of Northern kingdom. God
turned against them and used the Assyrian power to defeat them and take them to exile.
 In the same way Judah was going to be punished for practicing necromancy and
consulting fortune tellers and mediums.
 Jeremiah condemned diviners, magicians, soothsayers and fortune tellers for telling lies.
 He advised King Zedekiah not to listen to those who claimed to predict the future through
dreams or by calling up the spirits of the dead or through magic. Jer. 29:8-9.
 God was angry with Judah and was going to banish the people from His sight.

2. Dishonesty/Deception. (Jer. 5:30 – 31, 9:4 – 11, 14:15 – 16, 23:16 – 22

 Jeremiah observed that the people of Judah were dishonest.

 People who are dishonest do not tell the truth. Their dishonesty is reflected in their
behavior.
 According to Jeremiah there was no single person who was faithful to Yahweh.
 Jeremiah observed dishonesty in the following ways:

1. Prophets and priests spoke nothing but lies (Jer. 23:16). These religious
leaders should have led people to God but instead they led them astray.
They also cheated people by telling them that God was not going to punish
them for their sinfulness. They told people all was well when it was not.
They spoke in God’s name and deceived people that God had given those
messages in their dreams.

2. The prophets of Jerusalem had become bad as the people of Sodom and
Gomorrah because of their evil deeds such as immorality. (Jeremiah.
23:14 – 15)
The people of Judah accepted the lies of priests and prophets without
question. They were encouraged to persist in their evil ways.
The people of Judah were deceitful in their relationship with one another.
No one was safe from the other. The society thrived in his and slander.
They were so entrenched in evil doing that they could not come out of it.
(Jeremiah 9:4-12)

3. The priests and the people of Judah were dishonest in the way they
worshipped God because their outward rituals did not match with their
inner piety. They worshipped him alongside the pagan gods.

4. The people of Judah offered sacrifices to pagan gods.

Yahweh would reject them because of their dishonesty in worship.
Jeremiah reminded them that it was better to obey God than to offer
meaningless sacrifice.
As a result of their dishonesty, Yahweh would punish them through an
invasion by a foreign nation and exile.

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3. False prophecy. (Hananiah)
Jer. 28

- Jeremiah’s prophecy was challenged by Hananiah who was a false prophet in the
Temple at Jerusalem.
Hannah spoke to Jeremiah in the temple in the presence of priests and the people
of Judah
- He told Jeremiah that God was going to:

1. Bring back all the Temple treasures that King Nebuchadnezzar took to
Babylon.
2. Bring back Jeconiah who was the son of Jehoiakim, the King of Judah and
all the people who had been exiled.
3. Break down the power of Babylon.

- Jeremiah as a true prophet of Yahweh held the opposite view, He proclaimed that
the Babylonians were being used by God as his instrument of punishment and
judgement over the people of Judah. He challenged Hananiah and told
him that he was a false prophet who could promise peace when there was
no peace.
- Hananiah then removed the wooded ox yoke that Jeremiah had put across his
shoulders and broke it to show how Nebuchadnezzar’s power would be destroyed.
- Jeremiah had walked around in public with the wooden ox yoke to symbolize that
Judah would be controlled by Babylon.
- This message was received with hostility by the people of Judah.
- As a true prophet of God, Jeremiah announced Hananiah’s death which came to
be fulfilled. (Deut. 18:21 – 22)

4. Human sacrifice (Jer. 7:30 – 35)

- Jeremiah condemned human sacrifices a practice which the Israelites had

borrowed from the Baal religions.
- Human sacrifices were carried out in the valley of Ben Hinnom.
- The Law of Moses forbids human sacrifice for life is sacred. Ex.20:3
- They sacrificed their sons and daughters to the pagan gods as burnt offerings.
Jeremiah 7:31.
- God was angry and as a result the people of Judah would face severe punishment
of God.

5. Idolatry (Jeremiah. 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 23, 28)

 Idolatry refers to the worship of idols.

 An idol is an image representing a god.
 Precious materials such as gold, bronze, stone or hard wood were used to make them.
 These images are kept in places of worship. People worshipped idols and prayed to them
for their needs. Those who worshipped believed that they caoiuld answer their prayers.

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  The people of Israel had been warned against idolatry in the Ten Commandments.
(Exodus. 20:3-5).
 When the Israelites settled in Canaan, they became farmers and their lifestyles changed
from nomadism to agriculture. As farmers they came face to face with the Canaanite
religion and were attracted to it. They began worshipping the Canaanite gods alongside
the worship of Yahweh.
 At the time of Jeremiah, idolatry was widespread.
 Jeremiah condemned idolatry which was demonstrated in the following ways:

(i) Building of altars for idol gods.

(ii) Keeping idol images in the Temple of Yahweh.
(iii) Offering human sacrifice.
(iv) Prophesying in the name of Baal.
(v) Practicing Temple prostitution.

 Jeremiah ridiculed idols that they were powerless to answer people’s prayers and it was
useless worshipping them.
 He described idolatry as:

(i) Abandonment of Israel’s first love. (Jer. 2:2)

(ii) Persuit of vanity. (Jer. 2:5)
(iii) Defilement of the holy land. (Jer. 2:20)
(iv) Rebellion against Yahweh. (Jer. 2:20)
(v) Moral corruption that led to human sacrifices. (Jer. 2:31)
(vi) Harlotry .(Jer. 2:20)
(vii) Impotent gods who could not save them in the times of trouble Jer. 2:27-
28


Jeremiah condemned the pride which was practiced by the rich, the wise and the rulers
who lived in the city of Jerusalem Jer. 9:23 – 24.
Other things condemned by Jeremiah
1. He spoke against murder where the innocent were killed
2. Condemned the worship of false gods
3. The neglect of the helpless like the orphans, widow and strangers.
4. Preached against adultery and advocated faithfulness in marriage.
5. He expected people to have mutual trust in one another.

THE TEMPLE SERMON

Jeremiah 7:1 – 8:1 – 3

 The sermon was delivered by Jeremiah at the gate of the temple court to address the
worshippers.
 He appealed to the worshippers to reform their ways and deeds so that God would remain
with them in the Temple.

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  He warned them against the false sense of security about the temple. They believed that
the temple and the city would not be destroyed. Vs. 4.
 He told the worshippers that God would remain with them in the temple if they stopped
committing evils such as.
i. Oppression of the aliens, orphans and widows.
ii. Murder of innocent people/ human sacrifice.
iii. Worship of false gods/idolatry.
iv. Stealing.
v. Adultery.
vi. Telling lies/ dishonesty/ giving false witness/ cheating.
vii. Swearing falsely.
viii. Burning incense to Baal.
ix. False belief about the temple vs.4.
x. False belief about the Temple vs. 4.
xi. Syncretism.
xii. Stubbornness and rebellion, refusal to repent despite prophetic warning.
xiii. Hypocrisy.
xiv. Defilement of the temple.
xv. Human sacrifice.

 He warned them that God would destroy the temple the way he had done to the shrine at
Shiloh, if they persisted in their evil ways. vs. 11-14.
 God asked Jeremiah not to intercede for the people because he had already made up his
mind to punish the people for the following sins: vs. 16

1. Worshipping false gods (Baals)

2. Practicing religious syncretism
3. Stressing external observance like sacrifice without inner piety.
4. Setting up idols in the temple of God.
5. Offering human sacrifice.
6. Stealing, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn, incense to Baal.
 He accused them of refusing to heed to the teachings of God’s prophets.
 Jeremiah foretold about God’s judgement and punishment when many people would lose
their lives and their corpses would be unburied and ravaged by vultures. vs. 33-34.
 The survivors who will be taken into exile would experience severe punishment and
would wish to have died. Jer. 8:1-3.

The relevance of Jeremiah’s teaching on Evils and false prophecy to Christians

 Christians should have absolute trust in God for his provision.

 Religious leaders should preach the truth about divine judgement on sinners instead of
preaching false hope.
 Christians should be honest in their dealings with others.
 Christians should be sincere in worship and avoid hypocrisy.

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  Christians should be aware of false prophets/preachers who may come in the name of
Jesus to lead people astray, preach on materialism, attractive idolatries and moral
permissiveness.
 Christians should condemn social evils in the society today e.g. stealing, murder,
adultery, swearing false, worshiping idols.
 They should lead exemplary lives for others to emulate i.e. holy lives.
 They should call sinners to repentance and forgiveness of sin to avoid divine judgement.
 Christians should avoid idolatrous practices such as witchcraft, sorcery, magic, devil
worship and divination.
 Christians need to have a personal relationship with God instead of mere outward show
of religion.
 Christians learn that human sacrifice is evil and does not wipe out their sins. Life is
precious to God and it is only God who can give and take it away. Human sacrifice does
not please God. This is a warning on those who are involved in devil worship.
 Christians are to be faithful to their faith and know that God will listen to their prayers if
they are sincere.
 Like Jeremiah Christians should have courage and be firm in their principles when faced
with opposition.
 They should stand firm against and evil forces such as divination, magic, devil worship
and necromancy, corruption, theft, adultery and other evils.
 Jeremiah warns priests and church leaders to be truthful and faithful to their
vocations.They should be firm in their faith and be good shepherds of their flock.

What is experienced in Kenya is not different from situation in Judah in the following ways:
1. There is alot of mistrust- people live in fear they cannot trust one another. One is never
sure whether they are walking or travelling with honest people.

2. Prostitution is common some people engage in sexual immorality in order to earn money.
NB: God is not happy with immorality and as Christians we need to guard against it.

3. There is neglect and oppression of the poor. In courts, bribery takes place meaning the
poor cannot win cases since they have no money for bribery.

4. Existence of devil worship. Many people are involved and people live in fear. Many
killings of children linked to ritual killings.

Christians should:
1. Help the suffering among them such as orphans, widows, the sick and the old.
2. Educate the youth against evils in out society.
3. As believers should stand united and live faithful lives of loving other fellow human
beings.
4. Christian rulers should not involve in necromancy. They should know that God is more
powerful than any diviner, witchdoctor or astrologer.
5. Leaders should learn to worship and trust God and not be like king Manesseh who
consulted fortune tellers and mediums.

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TEACHINGS ON JUDGEMENT AND PUNISHMENT
Jer. 5:12-18, 6:1-30, 7:30, 8:1-17, 10:17-25, 14:1-18, 15:1-9, 16:16-18, 17:1-13, 21:1-14, 25:1-
38, 39:1-10.

The theme of judgement and punishment has been discussed in various chapters of the book of
Jeremiah.

5:1-9 - The people of Judah could not believe that God would destroy Jerusalem despite
their sinfulness.
Jeremiah told the people of Judah that God would bring fire that would consume
them as punishment.
(vs. 14) - They would be invaded by a foreign country and taken to exile. The kingdom
would be destroyed but God promised restoration in future if they
repented.

Jer. 6:1-30 - Punishment would come from the north of Judah. They would be attacked by the
Babylonians.
- God would not accept any offering of incense from the people because they had
imported the practice from Sheba a foreign land. They also offered it insincerely.
- The invasion by the Babylonians would bring grief and mourning to the people.

Jer. 7:30 & 8:1-17

- Punishment was inevitable
- The people of Judah had defiled the house of God by sacrificing their sons and
daughters contrary to Gods commandments.
- The living could suffer and also those who had died in sin. Their bones would be
exhumed and laid on the ground as waste material.
- The people were accused of not repenting their sins when they backslid, instead
they continued to tell lies.
- Jeremiah further says that the punishment would be severe and the signs of the
impending judgement would be lack of peace, terror, the sound of an approaching
army and earthquakes. (Jer. 8:16)
- The attack of the Babylonians was compared to venomous snakes that would bite
the people of Judah.
- Many corpses would be burnt after the destruction and others would be eaten by
birds and other beasts.

Jer. 10:17-25
- Punishment of exile for Judah because of her continued idolatry.
- He linked to the fall of Jerusalem to a tent that had collapsed.
- The judgement of the people had been contributed by the failure of the Jewish
leaders to lead the people in the covenant way of life.
- They had left the flock to scatter without providing good leadership according to
Gods commandments.
- Jeremiah pronounced God’s judgement on the neighbours of Judah because they
had refused to recognize God as Lord.

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- They had also destroyed the people of the covenant.

Jer. 14:1 – 18
- Punishment depicted by drought which would bring a lot of suffering due to lack of water
and food.
- Although they would cry to God for deliverance, he would not answer their pleas for rain
God would behave like a traveler who had no concern for the country through which he
was just passing.
- God told Jeremiah that even though the people feasted and offered sacrifices, he would
not change his mind. (vs. 11)

Jer. 15:1 – 9
- The people had sinned beyond redemption.
- God could not alter the impending punishment even if righteous servants of God like
Moses and Samuel intervened on their behalf.
- Punishment would come through deaths by diseases, sword, starvation and finally
captivity.
- Jeremiah traced iniquities to the poor leadership of King Manasseh who polluted
Jerusalem with idolatry.
- During Manasseh’s reign, Judah embraced Baal worship as an official religion.

Jer.16:16 – 18
- Jeremiah continued to insist that deportation of the people of Judah would happen as
prophesied.
- He compared the Babylonians to fishermen who would catch the people of Judah like fish
in their nets. This would mark the beginning of captivity.
- Send for many hunters to hunt them.

Jer. 17:1 – 13
- He depicts idolatry being so entrenched in Judah as if it was written in people’s hearts.
- Idol worship was done in the open and even the children participated in them.
- Jeremiah warned the people that they would lose their land following their enslavement
in a foreign land.

Jer. 21:1 – 14
- King Zedekiah sent Pashhur an official in the king’s palace and Zephaniah a priest to
Jeremiah.
- He wanted Jeremiah to ask God to intervene and save Judah from Nebuchadnezzar king
of Babylon.
- God’s response through Jeremiah was that Nebuchadnezzar would succeed in conquering
Judah.

Causes of judgement and punishment

 Judah’s sinful life and failure to obey God’s commandments.

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  Failure by the Israelites to repent and turn to God.
 Priests and prophets spoke lies about peace when there was none.
 Worshipping Yahweh using foreign religious rituals e.g. burning incense.
 Practicing divination or witchcraft.
 Oppression of the poor by the rich worship of the idols and heavenly bodies.
 The rulers and the scribes leading people away from the covenant way of life e.g.
Manasseh making idolatry state religion.
 Offering human sacrifice contrary to God’s commandments.
 Defiling the temple by placing images of idols in it contrary to God’s commandments.
 People’s failure to heed the message of the prophets.

How God would punish Judah.

Jer. 25:1-38

 God would use foreign country from the worth to invade Judah i.e Babylon.
 He would destroy Jerusalem with fire contrary to the beliefs and expectations of the
people.
 The people would be taken to exile and Judah would remain without inhabitants.
 Judgment would be preceded by lack of peace, terror, starvation and earthquakes.
Judgment was inevitable.
 Judah would be severely attacked by her enemies from all directions.
 Bones of leaders would be exhumed and spread on the ground as a sign of humiliation.
 The attack would have many corpses unburied and others would be eaten by vultures and
beasts.
 There would be drought which would bring suffering to human beings and animals.
 Not even fasting and offering of sacrifices not intervention by righteous servants of God
would alter the impending punishments.
 Apart from destroying Judah, God would use Babylon to also destroy other nations for
disobedience by killing their leaders.
 After seventy years of captivity, God would punish the Babylonians who oppressed his
people.

THE FALL OF JERUSALEM AND THE EXILE OF THE ISRAELITES

Jeremiah 39

 Jerusalem was attacked and invaded by the Babylonians during the reign of King
Zedekiah in 587 BC.
 I n the eleventh year of King Zedekiah a breach was made in the city and all the
princes of Nebuchadnezzar and the officers sat in the middle gate.
 The Babylonians set up an administrative centre at Mizpah and appointed Gedaliah
to be governor of Judah.
 King Zedekiah and his court officials tried to escape to Arabbah.
 The army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of
Jericho.
 They took him to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah and he passed sentence on him.

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  Nebuchadnezzar ordered the killing of the sons of Zedekiah and his government
officials.
 The King had Zedekiah’s eyes gouged out.
 Zedekiah was frog-matched and dragged in humiliation to exile.
 The city was looted, houses burnt and the temple and its walls destroyed.
 The remnants, including the royal court officials, priests, army officers and
craftsmen were taken to captivity in Babylon.
 Nebuchadnezzar commanded the captain of the guard to treat Jeremiah well and do
what he wants.
 Jeremiah was entrusted to Gedaliah to take him home where he lived among his
people.
 The land and the city, including vineyards and the fields were given to the poor of
the land.

SYMBOLIC ACTS RELATED TO JUDGMENT AND PUNISHMENT

Jeremiah 13; 16; 18; 19; 24; 27

Prophet Jeremiah was commanded by God to present his prophecies of judgment and
punishment through symbolic actions. These were:

1. The parable of the waist cloth. (Jer. 13:1 – 11)

Jeremiah was instructed by God to buy a waist cloth and wear it.
- He was directed to hide it in crevices of rocks in the Euphrates.
- After some days he was instructed by God to retrieve it. He found the waist cloth
rotten and rendered useless hence it was ruined.
- The waist cloth around Jeremiah’s waist symbolized Judah and Israel who had
held a position of honour and praise in God’s kingdom.
- The ruined waist cloth reflects the state of idolatry in Israel. This meant that God
had already passed judgement in Israel and he would punish them.
2. The parable of the wineskins or jars. (Jer. 13:12-14)
- The parable was about wineskins (jars) that were empty then filled with wine.
- When the jars were hit against each other, they broke due to impact.
- The empty jars represented the people of Judah and her leaders.
- The wine that would fill the jars symbolized the instrument that God would use to
punish them due to their wickedness.

3. Jeremiah’s life (Jer. 16:1-4)

- God commanded Jeremiah not to marry or have children (16:2)
- Jeremiah was denied a normal relationship because of the coming catastrophe that
would disrupt all normal relationships.
- Jeremiah was not supposed to enter into any house where a funeral
was being held nor mourn or show any sympathy to the bereaved. Jer. 16:5-7.

This action had two significances.

1. It meant that God had completely withdrawn his blessings, love and pity
for the people of Judah.

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2. It referred to those who would die during the fall of Jerusalem.

- There would be no one to bury or to mourn them and the remnants would have no
one to comfort them.
- The suffering would be great like had never been before. Jer. 5-7
- Jer. 16:8-9. Jeremiah was instructed against entering a house where there was
feasting.
- This meant that time for feasting and happiness was over and it would be replaced
by suffering and grief. Jer. 8-9

4. The parable of the potter (The potter and his clay (Jer. 18:1-10)
- Jeremiah was instructed to go to a potter’s house where he observed a potter
moulding clay into pots.
- He observed that, whenever the pot had defects, the potter would press the clay
into a lump and mould another pot.
- The potter and his clay symbolized the relationship between God and his people.
- As the potter remoulds the clay into another pot so does, God have divine
authority to tear down or build a nation.
- After the destruction and exile, God would raise a new nation through who he will
fulfill his promises.

5. The earthen flask. (Jer. 19:1-15)

- Jeremiah bought earthen flask carrying water.
- He was to empty the flask and break it in the presence of the elders and senior
priests.
- The smashing of the flask symbolized the destruction of Judah.
- The city of Jerusalem, the royal palace and ordinary settlement would be
destroyed.

6. The vision of the two baskets of figs. (Jer. 24:1-10)

- Jeremiah saw a vision of two baskets of figs placed before the temple. One basket
had good fruits while the other had bad fruits.

 The good fruits represented the exiles that were to be protected and
restored back to their land and be made God’s people.
 The bad fruits symbolized the king of Judah and the people who went to
exile. For this group, time was coming when they would be destroyed like
the bad fruits.

7. The wooden ox yoke. (Jer. 27)

- Jeremiah put a yoke in his neck and walked around with it like an oxen.
- This act symbolized the burden that would be felt in the punishment that the
people would suffer.
- It affirmed that the people would be slaves in exile as God’s punishment.

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- It also symbolized the need for the king to surrender to the powers of Babylon so
that they would be restored back and treated with mercy.

Summary of Jeremiah’s acts related to judgement and punishment

1. The linen cloth which became useless after 1. Yahweh would break the pride of his people
it was left in the cleft of rocks by the Euprates by having them serve other nations and by
river. destroying their city and temple.

2. Jeremiah never married nor had children. 2. The Israelites people would become very
lonely after the siege of Jerusalem. There
would be no peace for their families

3. Jeremiah visited a potter and saw how the 3. God would remould a nation that did not
potter was remoulding vessels he was making conform to his plans.
when they got spoilt

4. Jeremiah broke an earthen flask in the 4. Yahweh would destroy Jerusalem, the
valley of Hinnom temple and all its inhabitants just as Jeremiah
had broken the pot.

5. Jeremiah made a yoke and put it on his 5. Oppression of the Israelites by the
neck. Babylonians.

6. Two baskets of figs. 6. Good figs represented the people in exile

that God would use to fulfil his promise. The
bad figs represented people who had remained
in Jerusalem. The Lord would destroy them all

SUFFERING AND LAMENTATIONS OF JEREMIAH

Jeremiah11:18-23; 12:1-6; 15:10-21; 17:14-18; 18:18-23; 20:1-6; 26; 27; 37; 38.

Jeremiah faced rejection, opposition and suffering from the leaders because of his prophecies
about judgment and punishment. Some of his sufferings and lamentations include;

1. The plot against Jeremiah’s life. (Jer. 11:18-23; 12:1-6)

- The people of Jeremiah’s hometown plotted to kill him.
- Jeremiah appealed to God to avenge for him and God promised to punish his
adversaries.
- When Jeremiah lamented why God allowed the wicked to prosper, God
encouraged him to stand firm and be ready for even more sufferings.

2. Jeremiah’s lament about his isolation. (Jer. 15:10 – 21)

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- He suffered isolation and loneliness from his own people because of his faith in
Gods work.
- He was filled with despair and felt that the work he had done was futile.
- He felt that God had abandoned him even after siding with him against his own
people.
- God challenged him to repent for thinking that he had been abandoned if he was
to continue to be God’s prophet. However he was assured by God that the wicked
would be punished.

3. Jeremiah’s lament on the People’s mockery. (Jer. 17:14-18; 18:18-23)

- The people mocked him because his prophecies were not being fulfilled.
- The people continued to mock him and plotted to kill him claiming that God
would raise other prophets and priests to replace him.
- Jeremiah lamented to God because of the mockery and conspiracy against him
and appealed for divine punishment against them.

4. Jeremiah’s torture by Pashur. (Jer.20:1-6)

- Pashur, the priest, rejected Jeremiah’s prophecy on punishment and had him
arrested, beaten, locked up and then chased away from the gates of the Temple.
- When Jeremiah was freed, he did not soften his message. He pronounced
punishment for Pashur’s family and the people of Judah who will be exiled in
Babylon.
5. Jeremiah’s arrest and trial. (Jeremiah 26)
- When Jeremiah prophesied destruction against the Jerusalem temple he was
seized by the false prophets and priests of Jerusalem. He had condemned
everything that the prophets and the priests were doing such as insincere
worship, social injustice and false prophecies.
- Jeremiah was brought before the princes and the people where he was accused of
blasphemy which carried a death sentence.
- He defended himself by declaring that the;
1. Message he spoke was from God and not his own. He was therefore a
true prophet of Yahweh.
2. His message was conditional if the people repented and reformed their
ways, God would not send disaster to them.
3. He warned them that if they put him to death they would bring guilt of
innocent blood on themselves. They would be guilty of the murder of an
innocent person.

- The princes and the people were convinced that Jeremiah’s message was from
God.
- His accusers had failed to prove that he was guilty of blasphemy and he was set
free.

6. Jeremiah’s imprisonment. (Jer. 37, 38)

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- Jeremiah tried to leave Jerusalem to go to Anathoth, his home area to claim his
share of family land. He was arrested by Irijah the watchman at the Benjamin’s
Gate. He was accused of deserting his people to join the Babylonians.
This amounted to charge of treason which was punishable by death.
- The princes beat him and demanded for his execution.
- He was put in an underground cell for many days
- When Zedekiah summoned him from the cell for advice, he remained firm on his
prophecy of the Babylonian attack.
- Jeremiah lamented to the King and wondered why he as God’s spokesman was
being treated as a traitor.
- Jeremiah pleaded to be released from the dungeon but the King was afraid of his
advisors. Instead he placed him in the palace courtyard under house arrest.
- Jeremiah continued to deliver God’s message to the people from the courtyard.
- The princes interpreted Jeremiah’s counsel of surrender as a means to weaken the
morale of the army and therefore demanded for his death.
- Jeremiah was put in a filthy cistern to ensure that he died.
- Jeremiah was rescued by Ebed-melech, an Ethiopian eunuch, who was an official
of the king to have him rescued from the well.
Ways in which Christians resolve conflicts among themselves
i. They pray over the issue/ problem.
ii. They offer guidance and counselling to the affected.
iii. Paying visits/ talking to the offender / fellowship.
iv. By involving church leaders as arbitrators.
v. Forgiving the one who has wronged the other/ asking for forgiveness.
vi. Willingness by the offender to accept the mistakes made/ accepting liability/ pay for the
damages.
vii. Withdrawing some privileges for a period of time so that one can reform.
viii. By sharing meals/ eating together.
ix. Through shaking of hands.

The relevance of Jeremiah’s suffering and lamentations to Christians

 Christians learn that not all they preach and teach will be accepted
 Christians need courage and willingness to proclaim the word of God without fear.
 Christians should be ready to be persecuted for the word of God. Hatred, mockery,
threats to their life, arrests and imprisonment should not dater them from proclaiming the
Gospel.
 Christians should be careful not to mislead by false and self-proclaimed preachers with
promises of prosperity.
 Christians should pray for God’s strength and seek his guidance during times of
difficulties.
 They should be confident in God’s power and tell the truth about his will.
 Christians should leave their vengeance against their enemies to God.
 Whenever the Christians are in problems, God’s divine intervention will rescue them.

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  Christians should forsake family ties for the sake of serving God.
 They should advise the political, leaders on various issues affecting the state.
 Christians should know that some of their messages will not always be accepted by all
people e.g. when they condemn social evils in society and criticize those in authority for
their misdeeds.
 Christian leaders must be ready and willing to proclaim the word of God at all costs e.g.
Jeremiah knew that talking about the destruction of Jerusalem could cost him his life; he
courageously pronounced the conquering of Judah as God’s punishment for her
sinfulness. Jeremiah remained obedient to God’s command.
 Christians must be aware of false prophets in their midst whose main goal is to mislead
them. The false prophets preached the opposite of Jeremiah’s message with the
intentions of pleasing the people.
 Christians should draw their strength from God in the face of temptations. When
Jeremiah was castigated and rejected by the people, he prayed to God who reassured him
of his protection.
 Christians should always tell the truth about God’s will regardless of the consequences.
Jeremiah was not afraid to tell the truth because he was confident of God’s power.
 Christians should remain faithful and firm to the word of God.

THE COVENANT
Jeremiah 23:5-6; 30 – 33

 The Israelites had failed to keep the covenant law despite the constant reminders by the
prophets to return to it. However God was faithful to his promises and wanted to
establish a new and everlasting covenant that was different from the Sinai
covenant.
 Jeremiah’s prophecy of the new covenant would give hope to the people of Judah after
exile.
 Jeremiah’s mission was:

“To pluck up, to break down, to destroy and to overthrow; to build and to plant. Jer.1:10”

 In this prophecy about the new covenant, Jeremiah planted seeds of hate which began to
take root during the long years of exile and found fulfillment at the last supper when
Jesus declared:

“This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood”. Lk 22:20.

The new covenant foreseen by Jeremiah had the following characteristics:

1. God’s law would be written in people’s hearts unlike the Old covenant where the
law was written on stone tablets. (Jer. 31:31-32)]

2. There would be personal knowledge of God. Each person from the least to the
greatest would know God. In the old covenant there were intermediaries such as

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 prophets and priests who taught the people about God. (Jer. 31:34, 32:39-
40)

3. There would be spontaneous forgiveness of sins. There is no mention of

forgiveness of sins in the old covenant.

4. Each individual would be responsible for his/her sins and the person who sins
would be the one who sins would be the one to be punished. This is unlike the
old covenant where there was collective responsibilities and punishment.

5. The new covenant would bring into being a new community, Yahweh’s people.
“………They shall be my people and I will be their God” Jer. 24:7b of 7:23; 11:4;
31-33; 32:39-40.
The “people” refer to the house of Israel and Judah.

6. Yahweh will bring about a change in human nature by giving Israel a new heart (a
new will). There will be harmony in Israel’s will and God’s will. Jer. 23:78

7. The Israelites would be brought back to their land from exile.

8. It would not be broken but would be an everlasting one.

9. God would initiate the covenant and each person would be expected to respond in
faith and obedience.

10. The restored community would be ruled by an everlasting and righteous king
from the house of David. God will restore the land and they shall rebuild the city
and plant vineyards. Jer. 23:5-6; 30:18-22; 31:4-6.

11. There would be justice and righteous in the land of Israel.

12. God would restore peace and security in the land and city of Jerusalem.

NB: The prophecy of the new covenant is fulfilled in the life and teaching of
Jesus Christ.

SYMBOLIC ACTS RELATED TO HOPE AND RESTORATION.

Jeremiah 24:10 – 32:1-14

The period of suffering in exile was meant to be a period of rejection, transformation and
readiness to turn to Yahweh.
Jeremiah presented messages of hope and restoration to the Israelites after exile in the following
symbolic acts:

1. The two Baskets of Figs (Jer. 24:1-10)

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- The good figs symbolized the people who submitted to the Babylonians and went
into exile.
- God was watching over them and would preserve them as a remnant and restore
them back to their land.
- They would be given new hearts to acknowledge him as their God and they will
be his people.

2. The wooden Ox Yoke. (Jer. 29)

- The wooden Ox yoke symbolized the perseverance of the Jews in the exile in
Babylon.
- After the period of exile, God would break the Babylonian yoke and restore his
people back to their land.

3. The letter to the Exiles. (Jer. 29)

- The exiles in Babylon were in a state of despair as they though that Yahweh had
deserted them or was powerless in the face of the Babylonian gods.
- Jeremiah therefore wrote a letter of encouragement to the exiles to counteract
against false prophecies of speedy return to their land.
- In his letter he encouraged them in the following ways/message of hope:

 To build houses and settle down.

 To plant gardens and eat their produce
 To marry and have children and increase in number
 To live in peace in the Babylonian cities and pray for the welfare of their
masters.
 Not to listen to false prophets who told them he is about the safety of the
city of Jerusalem and their quick return home.
 God would restore them back to their land only after 70 years of judgment
were over.
 The exiles were to trust in God and not to give up.
NB: Jeremiah informed them that Yahweh was still accessible to them even in
Babylon.

4. Jeremiah purchases land. (Jer. 32:1-15)

- Jeremiah purchased a piece of land from his cousin, Hanamel in Anathoth.
- This act signified his faith in God’s promises of restoration of his people.
- Jeremiah had the title deeds sealed by Baruch and kept them in a clay jar for
preservation for the future so that the land could be re-claimed.This symbolized
that even if the exiles stayed for a long time, they would return to reclaim
their and and property and lead a normal life.
The significance of the symbolic act of buying land by prophet Jeremiah
i. It showed that the people of Judah had a future despite the coming crisis/ Judah will
regain freedom after the conquest.
ii. It was an assurance that the people would be restored back to their homeland/would
reclaim their land.

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 iii. It demonstrated that the people would resume their normal lives/ construct homes/
cultivate land/ own property.
iv. Divine judgment was not an end in itself.
v. Restoration was to take place at God’s own time/ God was to determine when the people
would be restored back.
vi. The people had to wait patiently for their return from exile.
vii. It showed that God was loving/ faithful/was to keep His promise of restoration/ bring
them back to their ancestral aland.
viii. It made them feel secure/ they were not to lack anything.

Problems faced by the Israelites during Babylonian exile.

1. Lack of adequate food.

2. Family ties were cut.
3. They had homesickness.
4. They had to fit to a new environment.
5. They had to follow the Babylonian laws.
6. Diseases and various ailments.
7. Some were executed.
8. There were false prophets among them.
9. Lowered status due to low education.
10. Living in fear of Babylonian officials.
11. Loss of identity.
12. They lost their unity due to dispersion.
13. Loyalty to God was undermined.
14. Lack of places of worship and for religious festivals.
15. They were forced to work for their Babylonian masters/oppression
16. They were influenced by idolatry
17. Their children didn’t have faith in God and blamed their parents.
18. Some of them were executed.

Religious life of the Jews in exile

1. Worshipped in private homes.

2. Had little faith in God due to their circumstances.
3. Some prophets gave them hope of return.
4. They observed the Sabbath.
5. They had no sacrifices.
6. They sang Psalms in worship.
7. They practiced circumcision.
8. They observed dietary laws according to Mosaic Law.

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RELATING THE TEACHINGS OF JEREMIAH TO THE NEW TESTAMENT AND
CHRISTIAN LIFE TODAY

The teachings and prophecies of Jeremiah were fulfilled in the New Testament and many of
them are relevant to Christina life today e.g.

1. Jeremiah’s call. (Jer. 1:1-10)

- Jeremiah was called to be a prophet as a young man. He was given authority by
God over nations and kingdoms to “pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to
overthrow; to build and to plant.”
- In New Testament, Jesus Christ called the twelve disciples to prepare them to
preach the Good News. During their training, Jesus sent them out on a number of
missions to preach, heal and to cast out demons. Lk. 9:1-6, 10:1-16. On the day
of Pentecost, the Apostles were empowered by the Holy Spirit and they
went about preaching the Good News and healing the sick.
- St. Paul received a special call from Jesus on his way to Damascus (Acts 9:1-19).
He changed from a persecutor of Christians to an apostle. St. Paul is known as
the greatest preacher ever lived. He spread the Good News to the Gentile
world.
- Christians are also called by God to serve him. They are expected to respond to
God’s call in faith and obedience in every responsibility Christians undertake.
They are called to serve God e.g. Christian leaders are expected to
condemn all forms of evil and teach Christians to be the “light and salt” of the
world.

2. Jeremiah’s suffering
- Jeremiah lived a life full of challenges and difficulties.
- He suffered in the hands of kings, religious leaders and his own kinsfolk because
of exposing their sinfulness and pronouncing God’s judgement on them. He
suffered for speaking the truth.
- Jesus suffered during his ministry even to the point of being crucified for the sins
of humankind.
- Like Jeremiah, Jesus was rejected at Nazareth by his own people.
- When Jesus asked his disciples who they thought he was some send that he was
Jeremiah. (Math. 16:13-14)
- The apostles also suffered persecution at the hands of the Sanhedrin for preaching
the Gospel of Christ.
- St. Paul suffered during his missionary journeys e.g. was imprisoned flogged and
even stopped from preaching the gospel.
- Christian missionaries and evangelists continue to suffer persecution for the sake
of the Gospel.

3. Hypocrisy in worship

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- Jeremiah condemned insincere worship of the people of Judah. He told the
people that external religious practices were meaningless and useless in God’s
sight.
- Jesus condemned the hypocrisy of the Pharisees in their observance of the
religious obligations.
- Some Christians in the society pretend to be pious but are wicked in their actions.

4. Jeremiah’s call for repentance

- Jeremiah lamented about the sins of the people of Judah and called upon them to
repent to avoid God’s judgment and punishment.
- John the Baptist preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins as a
way of preparing people for the Messiah.
- Jesus taught about the need to repent and ask for God’s forgiveness
- On the day of Pentacost, peter invited those present to be baptized and to repent.
- Christians should preach the Good News of salvation and call upon people to turn
away from their sinfulness.

5. The New covenant

- Jeremiah’s prophecy of the new covenant is fulfilled in the life and ministry of
Jesus Christ
- During the last supper, Jesus inaugurated the new covenant which was to be
observed by a new community based on faith in Christ.
- The death of Jesus removed their barrier between God and human beings which
had existed in the Old covenant.
- Christians worship God in spirit and truth and have a personal relationship with
him.
- Those who repent their sins are forgiven and are promised eternal life.

6. Judgment and punishment.

- Because of sin, Jeremiah prophesied judgment and punishment for the people of
Judah. He prophesied that they would be exiled to serve their foreign masters.
Jerusalem, the religious and political centre and the temple would be
destroyed.
- In New Testament, Jesus condemned the Jewish religious leaders for their
hypocrisy and sinners for their failure to repent of their sinfulness.
- Jesus taught about the Day of Judgment when the righteous will be separated
from the unrighteous.
- Christians should know God will judge. They should shun evil and live
according to God’s will.
- When they commit sin, they should repent and forgiveness in order to escape
God’s punishment.

7. Hope and restoration

- Jeremiah prophesied about future hope and restoration of the kingdom of Judah
from exile.

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- Jesus gives Christians hope for the future through his resurrection, which affirms
that there is life after death. He will take the righteous to live with him in the
kingdom permanently.
- Christians are assured of eternal life if they believe in Jesus Christ and continue
doing what is right and just in the eyes of God.
8. The Temple of Jerusalem
- Jeremiah condemned the false sense of security in the Temple and the city of
Jerusalem.
- Jesus condemned the false hope and importance attached to the temple by the
Jews of his time. He prophesied its destruction.
- Jesus is the living temple in the New Israel, the Christian community.
- Christians should not trust and put their hope in material things but should trust in
Jesus Christ as their savior.

9. The righteous king

- Jeremiah prophesied about a new age when Israel would be restored and ruled by
a righteous king from the house of David.
- Jesus is the spiritual ruler descended from the lineage of David who ushers in the
messianic age.
- Christians acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah (righteous king) who establishes
God’s kingdom in their hearts.

NEHEMIAH

BACKGROUND TO NEHEMIAH

A. POLITICAL BACKGROUND

- During the conguest of Judah by the Babylonians, most of the people were taken
to exile in Babylon. The city of Jerusalem and the Temple were ruins yet these
had been symbols of unity and security.
- In 539 BCE the Persians conquered the Babylonians and liberated the Jews
allowing them to go back to Judah.
- Cyrus encouraged the Jews to return to Judah and offered those who returned grants in
aid and urged those who remained to contribute to the cost of those returning to Palestine.
- Nehemiah, Ezra and Haggai were among the Jews who returned to Judah.
- Nehemiah was a government official who worked for king Artaxerxes of Persia as a cup-
bearer.
- Ezra was a priest.
- Haggai was a prophet who encouraged people in the rebuilding of the temple.
- The three worked together with the Jews who returned in rebuilding Jerusalem and the
temple.
- The Jews who remained in Judah as others were taken captives were called the “people of
the land”.

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- The people of Judah who returned to rebuild Jerusalemand the temple did not help from
the “the people of the land” because:
i. The people of the land were descendants of the original Northern Kingdom
(Israel).
ii. They considered themselves as pure heirs of the Iraelite religious traditions
mandated by God to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple.
iii. The people of the land were not pure heirs of the Israelite religious traditions.
iv. Theyu believed the people of the land must have worshipped other gods while
they were in Israel.
v. They believed the people of the land would defile their sacrificial worship
because they were part of the exiled community.
- The return of the Babylonian exiles took place in three separate periods i.e.
a. The first group left immediately after the conquest of Babylon led by
Sheshbazzar.
b. The second came eighty years later led by Ezra.
c. The third group came thirteen years after the second led by Nehemiah.
- The people of the land wanted to join in the rebuilding and because they were refused, they
opposed the people of Judah. This halted rebuilding work for a while.

B. SOCIAL BACKGROUND

- The exiles lived a stressful life despite encouragement by prophets Jeremiah and
Ezekiel.
- They lived together in the areas allocated to them but were not mistreated by their
masters.
- Their elders did the local administrative work.
- Family units had been disrupted during the conguest.
- They worked for their masters in areas of irrigation, construction, fishing or
shepherding. A few held senior administrative jobs in Babylon like Nehemiah.
- After the period of captivity, some were to do Jews opted not to return to Judah
but remained in exile.
- The rich Jews who returned to Judah oppressed the poor that they found there.

C. RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND

- The religious life of the exiles was disrupted following the destruction of the
temple and city.
- In exile they worshipped in private homes and in rural congregations which
became synagogues.
- They doubted Yahweh as their God at this time of defeat.
- God sent prophets such as Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Deutro-Isaiah to comfort and
five them hope.
- They retained most of their form of worship and practices such as circumcision,
Sabbath observance and use of Psalms for worship. Sacrifices were not offered
due to lack of the Temple which was a centre for sacrifice.

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- After the rebuilding of the Temples the true worship of Yahweh was restored.
Ezra led the reformation and ensured that idol worship was not practiced in
Yahweh’s house.

OCCASSIONS WHEN NEHEMIAH PRAYED.

Nehemiah 1:4-11; 2:4-8; 4:4-9; 5:19; 6:9; 13:14; 22; 29 and 31.

a) When he learnt of the suffering in Judah and the ruined state of the city. It was a
confession prayer for the sins of the people.

b) Before requesting King Artaxerxes to be permitted to return to Judah he prayed to God to

grant him favour before the king.

c) When the Samaritans criticized the rebuilding of the wall he prayed for Yahweh’s
protection and the revenge against his enemies.

d) When the enemies conspired to attack Judah, he prayed for God to protect them against
the enemies.

e) During the exploitation of the poor by the rich he prayed for God to change their hearts.

f) When his enemies plotted to kill him so that he would not oversee the construction work
he prayed to God to give him strength.

g) When he was frightened by Shemiah to hide in the Temple following a plot to kill him to
punish his enemies.

h) During the cleansing of the Temple following its defilement by Tobiah, he prayed to God
not to destroy the Temple which he had built.

i) After warning the Jews who had violated the Sabbath law by carrying out trade, he was
given the strength to evict them from Jerusalem’s gate. He prayed for God’s mercy on
him.

j) After chasing away Sanbalat’s son-in-law who married a foreigner yet he was the priest
by background, he prayed God’s punishment over them.

k) Before assigning duties to the priests from the Levites following their consecration, he
prayed that God may remember him with favour.

Importance of Prayer in Christian life

a. Through prayer a Christian is able to express his/her faith in God.

b. Prayer enables one to glorify God for his greatness and goodness.
c. It strengthens one’s relationship with God/strengthens one’s faith.
d. Through prayer the needs of a Christian are met.

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 e. It enables one to seek God’s will and receive his revelations.
f. It enables one to face temptations with courage.
g. A Christian uses prayer to intercede for the needs of others.
h. Prayer promotes unity for believers as they fellowship together.
i. Their sins are forgiven through prayer.
j. Virtues of patience and persistence are acquired through prayer.
k. Through prayer Christians present their needs to God.
l. Through prayer Christians are able to enter into a personal relationship with God.
m. Prayer helps Christians express their faith and dependence on God.
n. Christians are able to withstand temptations, opposition and persecution through
prayer.
o. Prayer gives Christians courage to be able to continue with the work of preaching
the gospel.
GOOD LEADERSHIP QUALITIES THAT NEHEMIAH POSSESSED
Nehemiah 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6 and 7

Nehemiah demonstrated good leardership qualities which were demonstrated in his work of
rebuilding Jerusalem and restoring the Jewish community to the covenant way of life e.g.

1. Patriotism

When he heard the reports that the gates of Jerusalem were ruined and the people who had
turned to Judah were in greatest distress.

 He sympathized with the situation and wept. 1:4.

 He fasted and prayed to God to forgive all the people their inequalities which had
led them into exile 1:4-6.
 He prayed to God to fulfil his covenant promises and restore his people back to
the Promised Land.

2. Diplomacy

He used diplomatic skills to:

 Convince the king to allow him to go back to Judah and help in the reconstruction
of the nation.
 Be given letters of introduction in the region he was going to pass through and for
acquisition of timber.

3. Effective planner

 He planned how to travel back to Judah by putting in place security measures.

 He organized how to obtain construction materials.
 He inspected the walls of Jerusalem before reconstruction begun.

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4. Team builder

 He mobilized the workers and inspired team to work hard.

 He encouraged them to continue working despite the mockery.
 He worked and stayed with them.
5. Initiative

 Nehemiah initiated the idea of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and pursued it to
its completion.

6. Hardworking and Dedication

 He was able to complete the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem in a record time
of 52 days.
 His dedication to work enabled him not to give up despite the many threats he
received from the enemies.

7. Mindfulness

 He was able to listen to the problem of the poor.

 He contributed towards their basic needs e.g. gave land.
 He urged the rich and officials not to oppress the poor.

8. Reformist

 He improved the welfare of the poor.

 He reorganized the temple worship.

9. Wisdom

 He was able to judge the tricks of his enemies and act appropriately. e.g. when he
was tricked by Shemiah with a threat of being killed by enemies.

10. Courage

 He had courage and withstood threats of his life and attempts to stop work of
reconstruction of Jerusalem by the enemies.

11. Faithfulness

 He prayed to God for guidance in all situations.

 He trusted in God’s protection against his enemies.

12 Dependence of God

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  This is seen in his prayer life.

13. Tactful leader

 He called the leaders of the city together in order to win their confidence and
sympathy and generate enthusiasm.

14. Self-control

 Even in the face of threats ridicule and mockery, Nehemiah never tried to justify
himself but remained firm in his mission.
15. Focused leader

 Nehemiah aimed at restoring Jerusalem and the worship of God. Opposition did
not derail him from what he had set himself to accomplish.

16. A man of action

 Nehemiah did not just listen to the problems of his people, he acted in order to
help them and restore the city of Jerusalem.

17. Trustworthy

 This is seen in the position he held of being the King’s cup-bearer.

18. Just leader.

 As demonstrated in the way he solved the problem of the rich exploiting the poor
during the rebuilding work.

RELEVANCE OF NEHEMIAH’S LEADERSHIP TO CHRISTIANS TODAY

- As leaders they should be concerned with the welfare of others. They should use their
positions to improve the lives of those under them.
- Christians should learn from the planning and organizational skills of Nehemiah in order
to accomplish their tasks effectively.
- Christians should learn to lead by example like Nehemiah and work with people and not
just give the orders.
- Christians should emulate the hardworking spirit of Nehemiah. He continued
reconstructing the wall of Jerusalem even as he faced great opposition from the
Samaritans.
- Nehemiah worked selflessly. Many people would want to be paid for any small jobs they
do. Christians should learn to render their services for the good of God and the
community without expecting pay.

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- Christians should be patient and caring. Nehemiah listened to his people’s grievances
and gave them solutions.
- Nehemiah brought various reforms in Jerusalem. Likewise Christians should initiate
political, economic, social and religious reforms.
- Being a man of God, Nehemiah made sure that the Mosaic Law was adhered to.
Christians should emulate him and live upright lives.
- He practiced justice and honesty which all Christian leaders should practice.
- In society where people are losing hope because of poverty, political upheaval, diseases
and other social problems, leaders should encourage their people even when things do not
seem to as expected e.g. unemployment is a big problem in Kenya especially the young
people. Leaders need to encourage young people to be innovative and creative.
- In a country where there are many ethnic communities, political parties, various
denominations religious and other interest groups arising of conflicts may be common,
leaders should therefore try to emulate Nehemiah’s quality of being principled in doing
the right thing. They should reconcile the people together. A good leader must not
favour any person regardless of their ethnic, political or religious background.

PROBLEMS FACED BY NEHEMIAH

Nehemiah 3:5, 4, 5, 6

Nehemiah had to deal with the following problems.

1. Hostility from Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem and the Arabs concerning the rebuilding of the
wall. Nehemiah 4:1-9.

2. Oppression. The rich oppressed the poor who in turn launched complaints before
Nehemiah. The poor were enslaved, highly taxed, lacked food and their land grabbed.
Nehemiah condemned the action and asked the rich to return what they had taken from
the poor. Nehemiah 5:1-19

3. Plot to harm and kill him by Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem by use of tricks. Nehemiah
discovered their tricks and refused to accept their invitation to go to them or hide
in the Temple. Nehemiah 6:1-14

4. Intermarriage between Jews and foreigners which threatened the Jewish cultural identity.

5. Misuse of the Temple, abandonment of priestly duties, Levites, Musicians and

gatekeepers were not being paid. Nehemiah 13:10-14

6. Laxity in observing religious matters e.g.

(a) The temple was not being given honour it deserved e.g. Elishia the priest allowed
Tobiah to reside in the Temple. This was wrong because non Jews could not go
inside the Temple. They were to remain in the outer court.

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(b) Tithes and offerings which were supposed to take care f the levites and the singers
were not being collected. As a result the Levites and singers had stopped taking
care of the Temple and its services as they went to earn a living from their
land.

(c) The Jews who returned to Jerusalem from exile started breaking the Sabbath law
by trading with foreigners on a day that was supposed to be for resting.
Nehemiah. 13:15-20

(d) Some Jews had married women from Ammon, Ashdod and Moab (Neh. 13:23-
27). Nehemiah asked them to chase away such wives and their children as this
had defiled priesthood. (Neh. 13:23-31)

7. Disloyalty. (Neh. 3:5)

- Some nobles from Tekoa did not accept to serve under Nehemiah as the governor
of Jerusalem. They therefore did not undertake the work they were given
wholeheartedly.

8. Food shortage. (Neh.5:1-5)

- The people of Jerusalem faced the problem of food shortage. While famine was
taking its toll in Jerusalem, some of the officials were overtaxing the people to the
extent that the poor were borrowing money to pay the Kings tax. (Neh. 5:5)

9. Land grabbing
- The rich Jews who had come from exile were encroaching the land of the poor
people who were becoming slaves and even squatters on their own land. This is
one of the causes of Babylonian exile. God was not happy with the
oppression and exploitation of the poor by fellow Israelites.

10. False accusations by Sanballat and Tobiah

- Falsely accused that he was planning a rebellion against the king or Persia. Their
scheme was to make the king of Persia angry with Nehemiah and stop the
reconstruction of the wall.
However Nehemiah became courageous and told them that it was they who were
scheming evil and not him. If anything, the work he was doing had the approval
of King Artaxerxes of Persia.

11. Opposition from the indigenous people of Palestine who despised his reconstruction
work.

12. Fear among Jews due to constant threats and harassment from the foreign groups.
Nehemiah encouraged them through prayer and organized people to defend the city. He
advised them to trust God.

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RELEVANCE OF NEHEMIAH’S EXPERIENCES TO CHRISTIANS TODAY

1. Christians should trust in God in all their undertakings if they have to succeed.
2. They should work towards improving the welfare of their people.
3. They should be ready to face opposition with courage.
4. They should be committed to their work until they accomplish their goals
5. They should lead by example showing others what to do and by setting the pace.
6. They should condemn all evils in society so as to build a just society.
7. They should guard against external influences which may destroy Christianity e.g.
pornography and drug abuse.
8. Christians should be inspired to work for God.
9. They should demonstrate wisdom in solving issues that affect the society.
10. They should be aware of the forces against their efforts to serve God and the community
11. Christians should obey lawful authority.

THE RESTORATION OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY

1. The Renewal of covenant. (Nehemiah 8, 9, 10, 11, 12:1-26)

The teaching of the Mosaic Law had been forgotten by the Jews who returned from exile. The
Jews were anxious to live according to God’s will so as to avoid a repeat of God’s punishment
they had suffered. The people like Ezra, the scribe had to read and interpret to them the Mosaic
Law so that they could live according to its precepts. Ezra and the Levites led the people into
renewing the covenant in the following ways.

(a) Reading of the law. (Nehemiah 8:1-12)

- Ezra read the book of the law to the people as the Levites interpreted.
- The people praised and worshipped God.
- They were remorseful for their sins and wept bitterly
- Ezra explained to them that the ceremony should bring joy to them and not
sorrow.
- The people went away to celebrate as instructed.

(b) Celebration of the Feast of Booths. (Nehemiah 8:13-18)

- This feast had been forgotten for a long time after the Israelites went into
exile.
- Ezra led all the Jews to renew this feast
- The people made booths from olive branches and leaves, in which they
dwelt in for seven days.
- Each day the Law of Moses was read and there was great rejoicing.

(c) Holding the conference of the people (Nehemiah 9)

- The people of Judah held a national day of confession

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- The fasted and put on sack cloths as a sign of penitence
- The Jews separated themselves from all foreigners
- They spent the day reading the Torah and confessing their sins
- Ezra led the people in a prayer of confession in which he recounts God’s
love and faithfulness to his promises to the Israelites throughout their
history.
- Their rebelliousness led to God sending them to exile as a punishment but
he graciously spared a remnant.
(d) Sealing of the covenant (Nehemiah 9:32-38, 10:1-39)

- The leaders who included Nehemiah, the princes, priests and Levites
sealed the covenant through signing of the agreement.
- The people promised to live in accordance with the Mosaic Law e.g.
 To preserve the integrity of the community.
 Not to intermarry with foreigners.
 To avoid business dealings on the Sabbath and holy days.
 Let the land rest every seventh year.
 To cancel debts every seventh year.
 To contribute towards the maintenance of the Temple.
 To offer the first fruits of their harvest to God.
 To dedicate the first born sons and animals to God.
 To pay tithes in accordance with the law.

(e) Re-distribution of the inhabitants. (Nehemiah 11, 12:1-26)

- Nehemiah re-distributed the population of the Israelites in Jerusalem

because the city was sparsely populated. This was to ensure that the
Levites would easily access the Temple and to safeguard the city against
attacks by enemy.
- Community leaders were settled in Jerusalem.
- One family out of ten was settled in the city through the ballot.
- The rest of the population remained in the countryside where they had
settled.

DEDICATION OF THE WALL OF JERUSALEM

(Nehemiah 12:27-47
- The wall of Jerusalem had been rebuilt and completed in 52 days.
- The Levites were brought in from their respective places to Jerusalem.
- Singer also came from the surrounding villages.
- The priests and Levites purified themselves, the people, the gates and the wall.
- Nehemiah brought the leaders of Judah upon the wall and split people into two groups /
choirs.
- One group / choir matched clockwise around the wall led by Nehemiah.
- The other group matched anticlockwise led by Ezra.
- They converged in the temple square.

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 -
The two choirs took their positions in the temple under the direction of Jezraiah.
-
Some men were appointed to be in-charge of store rooms in the temple – for
contributions of tithes and first fruits.
- The priests, singers, gatekeepers and Levites performed their duties as required.
- The priests and Levites were allocated their portions of contributions as required by the
law.
- Sacrifices were made, with great rejoicing.
FINAL REFORMS
Nehemiah 13

- After Nehemiah dedicated the walls of Jerusalem to God, he introduced various reforms
to achieve the purity of the Jews and bind them into a closely knit community.
- This was carried out in the following ways:

(a) The separation of the Jews from the foreigners Nehemiah 13:1-3

- In Nehemiah 7:5-69, Nehemiah enrolled all the citizens in Jerusalem

according to geneology. This was meant to identify Jews. One had to be
able to trace one’s ancestry to Jewish parent or grandparent.
- In another public gathering the law was read to the Jewish people.
Nehemiah denounced relationships with Ammonites, Moabites and other
foreigners.
- The community responded immediately to the demands of the law.
- It set itself apart from foreign elements. They did this according to Deut.
23:4-7

(b) Reform of the Temple. Nehemiah 13:4-14

- Nehemiah expelled Tobiah and Sanballat from the Temple.

- He reorganized the stores in the Temple and had them cleansed.
- He reformed the tithing system.
- He condemned the temple officials for forsaking the house of God.
- He restored the Levites and the singers to their rightful positions.
- He arranged for equitable distribution of Temple resources under the
supervision of priests, musicians, Levites and the governor himself.

(c) Reforms on observing the Sabbath. Nehemiah 13:15-22

- Nehemiah discovered that the people were breaking the Sabbath law by
carrying out commercial activities.
He took the following measures to correct the situation:

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  He warned the people of God’s wrath if they continued with the
abuse of the Sabbath.
 He reminded the nobles of Judah that God had punished the nation
because of their ancestors’ failure to observe the Sabbath.
 He ordered the doors of the gates of Jerusalem to be shut until after
the Sabbath.
 He stationed his personal guards at the gates to prevent traders
from entering on the Sabbath.
 He commanded the Levites to protect the purity of the Sabbath by
purifying themselves the guarding the Temple gates.
 He threatened the traders who camped outside the wall to have
them arrested if they did not withdraw.

(d) Nehemiah’s policy on mixed marriages. Nehemiah 13:23-31

- Nehemiah was opposed to the Israelites who had married foreigners

because their children could not speak the Hebrew language.
- He cursed those who had intermarried, beat them and pulled their hair as a
way of humiliating them in public.
- He made the people to take an oath not to engage their children in foreign
marriages
- He banished Eliashib, the priest, from the office for having married the
daughter of Sanballat, the Samaritan governor.
- He reminded the people of how King Solomon intermarried with foreign
wives hence leading him into idolatry and invoking God’s punishment on
Israel.
According to Nehemiah, it was necessary for the Jews to separate themselves from
foreigners because of the following reasons:

 The Jews an ethnic minority which needed to preserve their identity and
culture.
 Judah was a small and vulnerable nation in the large Persian Empire which
needed to remain united.
 There were conflicts between the post exilic Jews and those who had
remained behind over the land ownership.
 The returned exiles needed to be isolated and united because the Jews who
had remained behind were defiled through inter-marriages.
 Inter-marriages posed the threat of lose of land through inheritance.
 Intermarriages would lead the Jews into idolatry due to influence of
foreign wives.
 The desire to keep the Jewish community pure after the exile through birth
and religious loyalty.

(e) Restored the Levites to their duties and the purification of priesthood.

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(f) He made sure the Jews were loyal to the Laws of Moses.
(g) Chased Eliashib’s grandson who had defiled the priesthood by marrying a
foreigner.
(h) Re-organized the tithing system.
(i) Re- arranged for equal distribution of Temple resources for priests, Levites and
Musicians.

RELATING THE TEACHINGS FROM NEHEMIAH’S EXEMPLARY LIFE TO ST.LUKE’S

GOSPEL AND CHRISTIAN LIFE TODAY

We shall compare Nehemiah’s exemplary life as a reformer and leader with the life and
teachings of Jesus Christ. We shall draw examples of Jesus’ life from the Gospel of Luke.

1. Prayerfulness.

- Nehemiah led a life of prayer. He always responded to problems affecting him by

consulting God.
- Jesus constantly prayed and even taught his disciples how to pray. He used the
parable of the friend of midnight to illustrate persistence in prayer.
- Christians should live a prayerful life if they are to succeed in life.

2. Being compassionate

- Nehemiah felt for the suffering Jews who had returned to Jerusalem. He came to
the rescue of the poor who were oppressed by the rich.
- John the Baptist taught about the need to share with the poor.
Jesus’ mission mainly targeted the poor and the suffering. He healed them,
provided food for them. He taught about visiting the prisoners, feeding the
hungry and clothing the poor.
- Christians should demonstrate compassion for the needy through sending relief
food to famine stricken areas, building homes for orphans and aged, rehabilitating
street children and prisoners.

3. Opposition in the Mission

- Nehemiah faced opposition from the Sanbalat and Tobiah during his
construction work but he never gave up.
- Jesus met opposition from the Jewish leaders but did not stop preaching the
gospel.
- Christians should be ready to suffer and face opposition for the sake of the
Gospel.

4. Reform of the Temple.

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- Nehemiah led the people in reforming their religious life. He carried out
cleansing of the temple so that the true worship of Yahweh could be restored.
- During his triumphant entry to Jerusalem, Jesus cleansed the temple by chasing
out merchants. His death on the cross illustrates the spiritual
renewal for his followers. He also forgave sinners.
- Christians should not misuse the church as means of acquiring wealth or for
political reasons.

5. Honouring the Sabbath.

- Nehemiah restored the observance of the Sabbath. The merchants had abused the
holy day by carrying out business.
- Jesus acknowledged the importance of the Sabbath and used it to promote the life
of the suffering by healing the sick.
- Christians should use the day of the Lord for prayers and to carry out works of
charity such as visiting the sick and praying with them.
6. Patriotism

- Nehemiah had deep feelings for his Jewish community. He championed for the
restoration of his community. He isolated them from foreign influence during his
reform.
- Jesus had great love for his fellow Jews and wept over Jerusalem for her failure to
recognize him as the Messiah.
- Christians should be patriotic to their country by participating in national issues
such as constitution review process and general elections.

7. Wisdom

- Nehemiah demonstrated wisdom by mobilizing and encouraging the Jews to

work. He could detect the false traps laid against him by his enemies.
- Jesus was able to read the minds of the religious leaders who wanted to trap him
e.g. on the issues of payment of taxes to the Roman Empire and the resurrection.
- Christians should apply life skills of critical thinking and decision-making when
handling challenging situations.

8. Repentance

- Nehemiah interceded for the sins of the people of Judah to God and asked for
their forgiveness. He also repented on their behalf.
- Jesus while on the cross interceded to God for those who had crucified him and
asked God to forgive them. He offered his life on the cross for the forgiveness of
the sins of humankind.
- Christians hold prayers of intercession to God for people’s sins.

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