Scripture
One Book at a Time
Have you always wanted to spend more time with Sacred Scripture but it just seems so daunting, filled with names of strange places and lots of people whose relationships are hard to keep track of? Need an overview? The “Big Picture”? This is the place for you!
Lesson 28: Lamentations
Lamentations
The Book of Lamentations is a collection of five poems that serve as an anguished response to the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C., after a long siege by the invading Babylonian army. As a literary work, the Book of Lamentations combines elements of communal and individual laments (in which the speakers attempt to persuade God to intervene in the face of an acute crisis), funeral dirges (in which a death is mourned), and ancient Near Eastern city-laments (in which the destruction of a city is mourned). Given the mournful and lamenting tone, passages from Chapter 3 are often incorporated into Christian services for Holy Thursday or Good Friday
Enjoy the video, but take a moment to read:
and for the more adventurous…
For those who would like to explore details of this book, please consider videos from Fr. Mike Schmitz’s “Bible in a Year” program. You can find the entire playlist here.
Lamenations is a collection of poems and so take a moment to watch the videos below on the art of biblical poetry.
Lesson 27: Jeremiah
The Prophet Jeremiah
The Book of Jeremiah chronicles the ministry of one of the Lord’s greatest prophets who was called to his ministry in the midst of a turning point in Judah/Jerusalem’s history. There had been one bad king after another sitting on the throne of David, but with the ascent of King Josiah there was hope. He was a king whose heart was turned to the Lord. He intiated religious and civil reforms to turns people’s hearts to God. It was in these hopeful times that Jeremiah appeared on the scene.
But Josiah was the last of the kings with heart for God. The reforms were quickly undone. Jeremiah proclaimed the need to repent, the coming judgment and the impending doom if the people did not return to the Covenant. Jeremiah was the last and the great prophet who ministry ended with Babylon’s destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.
Enjoy the video, but take a moment to read:
Introduction to Isaiah Chapters 40-66
For those who would like to explore details of this book, please consider videos from Fr. Mike Schmitz’s “Bible in a Year” program. You can find the entire playlist here.
Lesson 26: Isaiah 40-66
The Prophet Isaiah (40-66)
The Book of Isaiah 1-39 chronicles the ministry of one of the Lord’s greatest prophets who was called to his ministry in the midst of the crucible of the history of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) and Judah (the Southern Kingdom). Isaiah 40-66 does not have such clear time markers, but there are numerous references that indicate these chapters are speaking to a people who are/have experienced exile from Jerusalem, and possibly already returned to the grim reality of their destroyed city and Temple. Can they trust God to fulfill his promises?
The fundamental point that chs. 40–55 address is the possibility of restoration. That possibility is called into question by two factors. First, ability: can God restore? Second, intention: does He want to restore? More than anything else, the exile would raise questions about the character of the God whom Isaiah and the pre-exilic prophets had been proclaiming. Tough stuff.
Enjoy the video, but take a moment to read:
Introduction to Isaiah Chapters 40-66
For those who would like to explore details of this book, please consider videos from Fr. Mike Schmitz’s “Bible in a Year” program. You can find the entire playlist here.
In the Christian Tradition, we look back to the “Suffering Servant Songs” of Isaiah 50-53. Listen to Bishop Robert Barron unfold the meaning of suffering, Isaiah’s prophetic message, and the mission of Jesus.
Lesson 25: Isaiah 1-39
The Prophet Isaiah (1-39)
The Book of Isaiah chronicles the ministry of one of the Lord’s greatest prophets who was called to his ministry in the midst of the crucible of the history of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) and Judah (the Southern Kingdom). The halcyon days of King David and Solomon were 200 years in the past. Around them the great powers of Assyria and Egypt were ever enticing or threatening the kingdoms, luring the Kings into alliances and counter-alliances. Some kings “did what was right in the Lord’s eyes” setting examples of religious orthodoxy and practice while trusting in the Lord. Others did quite the opposite.
The Books of Kings and Chronicles can be thought of as documenting the story of Kings vs. God, with the voice and message of God coming via the Lord’s prophets. There is perhaps no better example of this conflict of kingdoms than the story of the Prophet Isaiah. He served the Lord during the reigns of kings from Uzziah to Hezekiah, covering some 40-50 years. While there were moments of success, the arc of the nation was ever away from Covenant faithfulness.
If the whole of the Book of Isaiah is well captured in the image below, the first part of Isaiah (chs 1-39) tells the story of Israel and why the Lord’s judgment will be upon them. It is for the remainder of Isaiah to offer the oracles of hope that are fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Enjoy the video, but take a moment to read:
Introduction to Isaiah Chapters 1-39
For those who would like to explore details of this book, please consider videos from Fr. Mike Schmitz’s “Bible in a Year” program. You can find the entire playlist here.
In the Books of Kings and Chronicles, the story of King Hezekiah and the Prophet Isaiah is well told. Hezekiah was king after God’s heart and listened to Isaiah, but in the end was human. Hezekiah’s mistake lead to Isaiah’s oracle of the Babylonian Exile.
Lesson 24: An Introduction to the Prophets
Introduction to the Prophets
There are 16 prophetic books in the Old Testament – which taken as a whole is equal to the entire New Testament in length. So many of the NT quotations are from the prophetic books and so it is nigh on impossible to understand the work and message of Jesus without understanding the Prophets. Who were they? What was their role in their own day? In the flow of salvation history? How are we to read and understand their prophetic messages?
Prophetic books do not easily fall into one particular literary genre. Some are anthologies or oracles, narratives and visions. All use poetic language, parallelism, hyperbole, symbols and metaphors. At times the prophets “act” their prophecies like street theater. All not all prophets are alike, yet they all speak on behalf of God to his people. It is always good to remember that if the people of God had stayed close to God, there likely would not have been any prophets sent. The basic mission of a prophets is to call the people back to covenant relationship with God – something the kings were suppose to do.
Enjoy the video, but take a moment to read:
Introduction to the Prophets Presentation
For those who would like to explore details of this book, please consider videos from Fr. Mike Schmitz’s “Bible in a Year” program. You can find the entire playlist here.