Walter Spires - Minutes For Men

We have completed our time in the Old Testament looking into the lives of more than three dozen men in more than 100 episodes.  What did you learn about their lives and relationships with God through their successes and failures?  

Bible References:  "Then God said..." (Genesis 1);  "Then the Lord God commanded (Adam) saying..." (Genesis 2: 16);  "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets," (Hebrews 1: 1)

Key Bible Verses:   John the Baptist is coming.  Malachi 3: 1a Jesus Messiah is right behind him:  Malachi 3: 1b - 3  The Great Day of Judgment awaits:  Malachi 4: 1 Final words of hope to the faithful believers: Malachi 4: 2

Key Verse(s):  "Because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.  But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit...Take heed then to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth.  “For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel, "  Malachi 2:  14-16

Key Bible Verse:  "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?' says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name..."   Malachi 1: 6 (also 2: 7-8)

Key Verse(s):    For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, "They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen my hands.  Nehemiah 6: 9

Key Verse:  So I answered and said to them, "the God of heaven will give us success, therefore we His servants will arise and build..."  Nehemiah 2 :20

This week we focus on one of the greatest leaders in the Bible.  God did not call him out as He did Moses and others.  This man saw (and felt) a great need and took it to God.   Key Verse:  "O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man."  Now I was the cupbearer to the king.  Nehemiah 1: 11

Key Verse:  Ezra 8: 22  "For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, "The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him." Bible References:  Ezra 8: 1 - 32

Key Verse:  "For had Ezra set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel."  Ezra 7: 10 Bible References:  Ezra 7 : 1-28 

After 70 years of captivity, the Jews were given the freedom to return to Israel and Jerusalem to rebuild the temple.  They all jumped at the chance...right?  Bible References: Ezra 1: 1 - 4: 24

This is perhaps the most beloved of all children's Bible stories (and men who have child-like faith).  We close the book of Daniel with one more amazing demonstration of the faith of a man of God in and through deadly circumstances brought on by the betrayal of jealous men.  Bible References: Daniel 6: 1 - 28

IMHO, this is the greatest "faith in action" testimony in all of the Bible.   Hanniah, Mishael, and Azariah (aka Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) were  men of great faith who possessed an even greater understanding of their God.   Bible References:  Daniel 3: 1 - 4: 3

The death penalty sends a lot of men to their knees.   However these four men were accustomed to that "lofty" position in good times and bad.  Bible References:  Daniel 2

Key Verse:  “But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice of food or with the wine which he drank...”  Bible References: Daniel 1: 1 - 21

Key Verse:  O Lord, I have become a laughingstock...everyone mocks me." (from Jeremiah 20: 7) Chameleon Christian or obedient man of God like Jeremiah...no matter what the cost.   Bible References:  Jeremiah 20, 37, 38

Key Verse:  "And the fear of Me is not in you. " (from Jeremiah 2: 19) Bible References:  Jeremiah 2: 5, 13, 17 - 3: 1

Isaiah responded, "Here am I. Send me."  Now it was Jeremiah's turn and he did not disappoint.  He had not idea the severity of this call and what lay ahead.  But he apparently believed strongly in the One Who called him.   Bible References:  Jeremiah 1:  4 - 19

This is never a good idea.  But it particularly bad (and stupid) when the signs come from God Himself.  Bible References:  I refer you to all the key verses from this "prophet" part of the MITB series.  Each includes just a few of the many warnings God gave because He loved His people so much. 

Micah.  There was nothing "minor" in the powerful words the Lord gave him to speak to His people.  Exhortation followed by encouragement! Bible References:  Micah 5: 2-5a; 6: 8; 7: 7-8