1. The Prophets 1 Kings 15-2Kings 17
#15 The Messengers
The Prophets
1 Kings 15-2Kings 17
The Prophets
1 Kings 15-2Kings 17

2. Upper Story/Lower Story:
From Abraham on, Israel stopped being fully devoted to God.
They no longer showed God’s plan to the surrounding nations.
If God continued to bless them under those conditions it would send the wrong message to the Israelites and to the surrounding nations about who God is.
~~From Abraham up till now, we see progressively that Israel stopped being fully devoted to God.
~~They no longer showed God’s plan to the surrounding nations.
~~~~If God continued to bless them under those conditions it would send the wrong message to the Israelites and to the surrounding nations about who God is.
God does not have to work with all twelve tribes of Israel to accomplish his upper story plan to bring the Messiah into the world. He just needs to keep his word to Abraham and to David to use their offspring as the lineage of the Messiah. That explains why the ten tribes are allowed to separate from the southern tribes, and why God preserves the kingdom of Judah, because it is the lineage of Judah that carries God’s covenant promise. The northern tribes can always change their mind. In fact, God gives them 208 years to change their mind, and gives them prophets to help change their minds. If they were to turn their hearts to God, God would utilize them in the unfolding of his upper story.
Hosea’s relationship with Gomer mirrored God’s relationship with Israel. God and Israel have a covenant, and Israel is unfaithful to God, serving pagan gods. For years, God has been blessing and funding Israel, even though Israel stayed unfaithful. They never acknowledged that it was God who was blessing them and funding their expansion and endeavors. Finally, God comes to Israel and says, “I still love you. Come back home.”

3. God’s message to Israel
Answer it or send to voice mail
God is trying to get His message to Israel
Messengers are the prophets 
Bible is not arranged chronologically but topically
Black hole of the Bible seems to be the prophets
~~Answer it or send to voice mail
Phone call—Megan—Don’t forget Betty Crocker to Megan
~~God is trying to get His message to Israel
~~Messengers are the prophets 
~~Bible is not arranged chronologically but topically
~~~~~Black hole of the Bible seems to be the prophets
Next Slide—Time Line

4. Look at Time Line 10. Nation split
a. Conflict between Jeroboam and Rehoboam
b. Upper Story—God wants to show Himself to all
c. Why did God divide the nation?

5. The nation rebelled from God,
God divided the nation because His people were sending a wrong message.
God wanted His people to be blessed by Him so that others would be drawn to their God.
The nation rebelled from God.
 In disobedience,
God’s people were sending a wrong message
Wrong message to themselves and to the surrounding nations.
God wanted his people to be blessed by him so that others would be drawn to their God.
The nation rebelled from God,
Becoming complacent in devotion
Disobedient to God’s commands
Worshipers of pagan gods.
 In disobedience,
God’s people were sending a wrong message
Wrong message to themselves and to the surrounding nations.

6. God divided the nation so that he could purify the message regarding God’s character.
God does not need all 12 tribes to fulfill his promises to Abraham and David.
From the offspring of David from the tribe of Judah God will bring the Messiah. This promise is fulfilled in Jesus.
~~God does not need all 12 tribes to fulfill his promises to Abraham and David.
~~~~From the offspring of David from the tribe of Judah God will bring the Messiah. This promise is fulfilled in Jesus.

7. God sent prophets to the Northern Kingdom to call His people back to obedience.
God sent 9 prophets to the 19 kings in Israel over a period of 208 years.
The only prophet to the northern kingdom heard and obeyed was Jonah and that was by the pagan Ninevites, not Israel.
~~God sent 9 prophets to the 19 kings in Israel over a period of 208 years.
~~~~The only prophet to the northern kingdom heard and obeyed was Jonah and that was by the pagan Ninevites, not Israel

8. Two of the nine prophets were Elijah and Hosea.
Elijah and his encounter with the 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Caramel is well-known. 1 Kings 17-18
Israel’s God answered by fire.
Is there a God in Israel
 Jezebel is extremely dangerous
 Hosea, under Jeroboam II, was commanded by God to marry, Gomer, a prostitute and to love her.
~~Elijah and his encounter with the 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Caramel is well-known. 1 Kings 17-18
~~Israel’s God answered by fire.
Famine in the Land
No Rain for 3 ½ years
Elijah hidden from Ahab
Fed by Ravens, then Widow,
Raises Widow’s son from dead
God sends Elijah to Ahab-Obadiah
~~Is there a God in Israel
450 Prophets of Baal
God who sends fire—He is God
 450 Prophets of Baal killed
 Ahab-Go eat, rain is coming
 Elijah goes and prays
7 Times looking for cloud
 Cloud the size of a man’s hand
 Run—Rain is coming
~~ Jezebel is extremely dangerous
~~~~ Hosea, under Jeroboam II, was commanded by God to marry, Gomer, a prostitute and to love her.

9. God through Hosea is demonstrating by life and by word that he deeply loves Israel and he wants Israel to turn from idols and come back to him.
Hosea 1 – 3 shows the life message to God’s people
Marry Gomer, the prostitute
Have children
“Jezreel”—God will stop Israel and destroy them
“No Mercy”-Girl-No Mercy on Israel-They will be destroyed
“Not my people”-You are not my people
Hosea 1 – 3 shows the life message to God’s people.
Marry Gomer, the prostitute
Have children
“Jezreel”—God will stop Israel and destroy them
“No Mercy”-Girl-No Mercy on Israel-They will be destroyed
“Not my people”-You are not my people

10. Hosea 4 – 14 reports the prophetic message to God’s people.
Condition of the Land
Hosea 4:1–2 (NLT) — 1 Hear the word of the Lord, O people of Israel! The Lord has brought charges against you, saying: “There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land. 2 You make vows and break them; you kill and steal and commit adultery. There is violence everywhere— one murder after another.
~~Condition of the Land
~~~~Hosea 4:1–2 (NLT) — 1 Hear the word of the Lord, O people of Israel! The Lord has brought charges against you, saying: “There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land. 2 You make vows and break them; you kill and steal and commit adultery. There is violence everywhere— one murder after another.

11. God’s great heart to call them back
Hosea 14:1–2 (NLT) — 1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for your sins have brought you down. 2 Bring your confessions, and return to the Lord. Say to him, “Forgive all our sins and graciously receive us, so that we may offer you our praises.
~~~~Hosea 14:1–2 (NLT) — 1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for your sins have brought you down. 2 Bring your confessions, and return to the Lord. Say to him, “Forgive all our sins and graciously receive us, so that we may offer you our praises.

12. Do What? God speaks today through his word and by his Spirit.
Who is on the phone? It’s God and he wants to talk to you.
Will you take the call or will you put God through to voic ?
Time of reflection to listen to God’s Spirit speak to each person.
~~God speaks today through his word and by his Spirit. [PHONE RINGS
[CELL PHONE RINGS, answer the call.]
I’m so sorry – I forgot to put it on silent. Hello? Oh. It’s God. He wants to talk to you. What should I tell him? Are you available? He wants to speak to you. Are you going to send him to voic , or are you going to take his call?
~~Who is on the phone? It’s God and he wants to talk to you.
~~Will you take the call or will you put God through to voic ?
~~~~Time of reflection to listen to God’s Spirit speak to each person.

13. Understand this
Out of the nine Prophets, only one had people listen to him and that was Jonah and Nineveh, not Israel listened
Amos and Hosea could not get through to them.
The people who had the most opportunities to listen to God are the ones who turned a deaf ear to God.
With Jonah, pagans listened to God immediately
~~Out of the nine Prophets, only one had people listen to him and that was Jonah and Nineveh, not Israel listened
~~Amos and Hosea could not get through to them.
~~The people who had the most opportunities to listen to God are the ones who turned a deaf ear to God.
~~~~With Jonah, pagans listened to God immediately

14. God is still speaking today.
Will we listen, or will we ignore his message l
God speaks to us through is word, the Bible
God has given us his Holy Spirit
to speak to us
convict us
comfort us
To illuminate God’s words to us so we understand it.
~~ Will we listen, or will we ignore his message l
~~God speaks to us through is word, the Bible
~~God has given us his Holy Spirit
~~ to speak to us
~~ convict us
~~ comfort us
~~~~ To illuminate God’s words to us so we understand it.

15. What is God saying to you today?
Is he telling you to stop doing something?
To go somewhere?
To stop going someplace?
To start something?
To join something?
To give up?
To charge on?
~~Is he telling you to stop doing something?
~~To go somewhere?
~~To stop going someplace?
~~To start something?
~~To join something?
~~To give up?
~~To charge on?