Evers Bible Class - A Gentle Ramble through the Bible

                                                     2 Kings 22-23 and 2 Chron 34-35 and Isaiah 7-12 & 14-17    Gung-ho for God When the Book of the Law is found in the Temple and is read to King Josiah, he knows the nation is in deep trouble. He goes on a rampage cleansing all of Judah, Jerusalem, the Temple and even what used to be Israel of all the idols and high places and shrines. Then he orders a grand Passover celebration. The problem is that it’s a top-down reform. It definitely does not reach the hearts of the people. The Lord has Jeremiah stand at the gates of the Temple and then at every gate into Jerusalem and urge the people to repent and turn to the Lord.  The Lord tells Jeremiah to stop bothering to intercede for the people. The Lord will relent only if the people themselves turn to him with their whole hearts.  A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. More info at EversBibleClass.com .

                                                    2 Kings 22:1-2 and 2 Chron 34:1-3 and Zephaniah and Isaiah 1-6    A Cauldron from the North After Manasseh’s death and the assassination of the next guy in line, 8 yo Josiah comes to the throne. He follows the Lord wholeheartedly his whole life. He destroys all the idols in Judah and even whatever he can find in what used to be Israel. He destroys high places, desecrates idol altars--the whole nine yards. But it’s pretty much only Josiah. The people show up and say the words, but their hearts are not in it. They want their idols back. And so, the Lord sends the next great prophet--Jeremiah--who will stick with the kings of Judah until the bitter end. He sees a cauldron from the north ready to flood Judah with disaster. Jeremiah is a young, introverted man and his “call story” is one of the most dramatic in the Bible. A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. More info at EversBibleClass.c

                                                   2 Kings 18-21 and 2 Chron 32-33 and Isaiah 36-39, 49-53    The King of Assyria Defies God Despite Isaiah going naked in warning, Hezekiah still turns to Egypt for help. Assyria pounces and Hezekiah quickly realizes his mistake. But then the King of Assyria dares to disparage YHWH, the God of Israel. He dares to say YHWH cannot be trusted. And so, YHWH shows up. Hah! Later, after a miraculous 15-yr life extension, Hezekiah dies and his 12 year old son Manasseh becomes king. Manasseh is a disaster. He does it all--worshipping idols, bringing them into the Temple, sacrificing his own son. He ends up a captive in Babylon where he finds...YHWH? We finish up with a look at the four “Servant Songs” in Isaiah, especially Ch 49 which is typically taken out of context. A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. More info at EversBibleClass.com .