Posts by Christian Worker

Posts by Christian Worker

From the Director’s Desk (October 2024) – Trent Kennedy

It is amazing what a little understanding of the textual background (history, context, and geography) can do to help us see the Word of God with more clarity. One example of this is found in the famous Old Testament passage of Joshua 24:15. “And if it seem evil unto you to serve Jehovah, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in…

The Book of Malachi – Bryan Hodge

Malachi is a post-exilic book (Mal. 1:3 cf. Jer. 49:7-22; Eze. 25:12-14).  The children of Israel have returned from captivity.  The temple has been rebuilt (Mal. 1:6-ff).  Time has passed, perhaps 100 years. Problems existed. Certain issues in this book seem to line up with the book of Nehemiah, e.g. marriage (Mal. 2:10-11, cf. Neh. 13:23ff), care of the poor (Mal. 3:5, cf. Neh. 5:1ff), and giving (Mal. 3:8; Neh. 10:32-39; 13:10ff). The book of Malachi is written to motivate…

The Book of Haggai – Jordan Moore

As the short, two-chapter book of Haggai opens, we don’t read of God’s people being condemned for worshipping false gods. Nor do we read of them being given over to sexual deviance, intermarrying with foreign nations, or casually practicing divorce. Still yet, they aren’t found to be committing heinous crimes against one another, stealing from one another, or even so much as just being generally unkind to one another. No – after Cyrus, King of Persia, had declared that the…

The Book of Zephaniah – Johnie Scaggs, Jr

The book of Zephaniah contains many Biblical principles that we should learn. The name Zephaniah means “Jehovah shall protect.” It comprises three chapters and only has fifty-three verses. Still, the power behind these few chapters and verses ought to shake the very foundations of one’s soul as you read about the Lord’s anger because of Judah’s unrighteousness. “That day is a day of wrath, A day of trouble and distress, A day of wasteness and desolation, A day of darkness…

The Book of Zechariah – Neal Pollard

The author of the longest book in the library of the Minor Prophets is identified in the first book of his prophecy as “the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo” (1:1). Only Zephaniah’s lineage is more exhaustively traced than Zechariah’s. His name means “God remembers,” and this takes on significance when the message of the book is considered. Studying Ezra and Nehemiah, one can deduce that Zechariah is of a priestly lineage (Ezra 5:1; 6:14; Neh. 12:4,16). Matthew 23:35 reveals…

The Book of Habakuk – Chase Green

Little is known about the prophet Habakkuk, whose name is only mentioned twice in Scripture (Hab. 1:1 and 3:1) and of whom no biographical information is given. His prophecy, set shortly before the time of the Babylonian captivity, is unique and interesting in that it includes a questioning of God and also a song in its final chapter. The book opens in chapter 1 with Habakkuk questioning God: “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear?…

The Book of Micah – Cliff Goodwin

Dark times prevail, spiritually speaking, when God’s people allow themselves to become distracted and preoccupied with economic prosperity and political maneuvering.  Goals and priorities become increasingly temporal in nature—tied to this present life and all the circumstantial trappings of it.  Mix in military threats from surrounding enemies, and God’s people can be tempted to take matters in their own hands and forget about the power of their God.  Such was the case in Micah’s day. The Assyrian Empire was the…

The Book of Jonah – Ross Hafner

Jonah is likely the best-known of all the minor prophets because of the amazing verse at the end of chapter one of his book. “Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights” (Jon. 1:17). Typically this book is looked at from an apologetics angle with questions like, “Was it a fish or a whale?” or “Could someone live in this sea creature for…

The Book of Obadiah – Anthony Scherffius

Esau was born to his father Isaac and his mother Rebecca (Gen. 25:19-34) around 1900-1800 B.C. Through Esau would come the great nation of Edom. In fact, the Edomites  would grow rapidly, developing kings and chiefs long before the Israelites (Gen. 36:31-39). As they gained power over hundreds of years, they would grow in wealth, power, military strength, and most of all, pride. Obadiah, who prophesied around (848-841 B.C.) during the reign of Jehoram, king of Israel, speaks about the…

The Book of Amos – Josh Walker

“Prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:12). This powerful phrase, delivered by the herdsman (Amos 1:1, 7:14, 15), is a stark warning to Israel. It signifies God’s fervent attentiveness to justice and His impending judgment. Amos, a herdsman who became a fearless prophet, delivered this message during the reigns of Uzziah and Jeroboam. His divine message, which took him from Tekoa to Bethel (Amos 7:10-17), put him at odds with Amaziah, the priest of Bethel. Yet, Amos remained steadfast, proclaiming…

The Book of Joel – Randy Robinson

The prophet Joel (Jehovah is God) is, in some ways, typical of other Old Testament prophets and yet is unique among the prophets as well. We know nothing of him personally other than he was the son of Pethuel (sincerity of God), of whom we likewise know nothing. The 73-verse prophecy of Joel is divided neatly in half. In Joel 1:1-2:17 (37 verses) it is the prophet who speaks and from Joel 2:18-3:21 (36 verses) it is Jehovah who does…

From the Director’s Desk (August 2024) – Trent Kennedy

As you know, we have been training servants for church work since 1978. It has been said that Southwest trains more than just preachers, and that is true. We have trained missionaries to Asia, Africa, South America, and Oceania. We have trained Bible Class teachers who labor week-in and week-out to teach in local congregations across Texas and other states. We have trained elders from San Angelo to San Antonio, from Texarkana to Burnet, and many places in between. We…