Study Desk

The Lord my God said, "Take care of the flock that is to be killed.

Then the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong because of the Lord of All, their God.'

On that day the Lord will fight for the people of Jerusalem. The one who is weak among them on that day will be like David. And the family of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord leading them.

But he will say, ‘I am not a man who speaks for God. I am a farmer. A man sold me as a servant when I was young.'

And I will bring the third part through the fire. I will make them pure like silver is made pure. I will test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are My people,' and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.'"

You will run away by the valley of My mountains, for it will go as far as Azel. You will run away just as you did when the earth shook in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him.

"Do we not all have one Father? Has not one God made us? Why can we not be trusted by one another? Why do we sin against the agreement of our fathers?

Judah has not been faithful. A very sinful thing has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has made unclean the holy place of the Lord, which He loves. And he has married the daughter of a strange god.

Has not the Lord made them one in flesh and spirit? And what does He desire but God-like children? Be careful then in your spirit, and stay faithful to the wife you married when you were young.

"For I hate divorce," says the Lord, the God of Israel. "And I hate the man who does wrong to his wife," says the Lord of All. "So be careful in your spirit, and be one who can be trusted."

You have made the Lord tired with your words. Yet you say, "How have we made Him tired?" By saying, "Everyone who sins is good in the eyes of the Lord, and He is pleased with them." Or by asking, "Where is the God Who is fair?"

Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?' You have not given Me the tenth part of what you receive and your gifts.

You have said, ‘It is of no worth to serve God. What do we get by doing what He says, or by walking in sorrow before the Lord of All?

So now we say that it is good to be proud. Not only are sinners doing well, but they put God to the test and get away with it.'"

Then you will again see the difference between those who are right and good, and those who are sinful. You will see the difference between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.

See, I will send you Elijah the man of God before the day of the Lord comes, that great day that will be full of much trouble.

He said, "The young woman, who has never had a man, will give birth to a Son. They will give Him the name Immanuel. This means God with us."

Then God spoke to them in a dream. He told them not to go back to Herod. So they went to their own country by another road.

Joseph heard that Archelaus was the king of the country of Judea. Herod, the father of Archelaus, had died. Joseph was afraid to go there. God told him in a dream to go to the country of Galilee and he went.

Do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God can make children for Abraham out of these stones.