Hosea, a contemporary of Isaiah (for most of his ministry) and Amos (in his earlier years) was the Jeremiah of the Northern Kingdom. His main target was the Northern Kingdom, yet his message was for the people of God. When Solomon died, Jeroboam rebelled and plunged the Northern Kingdom into a prosperous but idolatrous separation. After two centuries of abandoning their heritage, God sent Hosea to present His indictment and declare that He would use their enemies as His judgment.

Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi: It is an unfortunate misconception that because these books are called The Minor Prophets, their relevance to our lives is also minor. This couldn't be further from the truth. The richness of life's lessons and our prophetic hope permeate every word. Don't be tricked into missing these overwhelmingly rich studies.

During Jeremiah's 40 years of ministry, he never received a hint of gratitude. As one of the most important of the "Major Prophets", Jeremiah is a rich, rewarding study. It is full of surprises, deeply touching episodes, and extremely moving tale. It is also, in many ways, profoundly timely for us today.

The book of Ezekiel contains some of the most incredible prophecies in the Bible, including detailed description of a nuclear war and the cleanup afterward. Ezekiel ministered to a nation experiencing judgment for its sins, and may have some lessons for us today. Ezekiel's name means "God strengthens, or God will strengthen". Ezekiel is one of the three that were called Captivity Prophets (the other two are Jeremiah and Daniel). Ezekiel never mentions Jeremiah in his writings, but he does mention Daniel three times. 

Matthew presents Jesus Christ as the Jesus as the Meshiach Nagid, the Messiah the King, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. It was written by a Jew, to Jews, about a Jew. This book of the Bible uses more Old Testament quotes than any other. The Gospel of Matthew emphasizes the saying of Jesus, including 10 parables not found in any other Gospel. After first establishing the royal genealogy, he then goes on to focus on the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies.

Fans of historical romance, military history, soap operas, conspiracy theories, spy novels, swashbuckling adventure, or political intrigue will find it all here in The Book of Judges! But from a broader and deeper perspective, Judges is essentially the story of a deteriorating nation - and it serves as a sober warning against deterioration in our own nation and in our own personal lives.

The Feasts of Israel, set by God, are not only commemorative in a historical context, but are also prophetic. The first three feasts in the first month point to the Messiah's First Coming; the last three feasts in the seventh month to his Second Coming. The middle feast highlights the Church, in more ways than is generally recognized. This briefing reveals the rich background of these feasts with many surprises for the Biblical believer and yet only scratches the surface.

Daniel had the most incredible career imaginable; he was transported as a teenage captive to a pagan empire and became the primary confidante to the ruler of Babylon. When Babylonia was taken over by its enemies, he rose to the second or third position in the Persian Empire. There are only two people in the Bible other than Jesus Christ of which no evil is spoken, Joseph and Daniel.

The Book of Job pulls away our illusions and presents life as it really is. Nothing is more valuable than a valid perspective. One of the most painful - but essential - blessings is the stripping away of our delusions and erroneous presuppositions! That is why it is so important to let the Spirit of God set us straight by the Word of God, correcting our thinking and "renewing our minds" (Romans 12:2).

The two books of Samuel form a basic foundational study in the Old Testament. An understanding of this basic history is essential, not only to understanding the Old and New Testaments, but in gaining a valid perspective of eschatological issues as well. 

I and II Kings provide a record of Israel's history from the beginning of the movement to place Solomon on David's throne through the end of the reign of Zedekiah, Judah's last king. There are great lessons to be learned from Israel's desire to be "like those around us" and its consequences. 

From the human point of view, life ("under the sun") does appear futile, and it is easy for us to get pessimistic. Ecclesiastes goes beyond the wisdom from other literature to emphasize the fact that human life and human goals, as ends in themselves apart from God, are meaningless. This study contains eight hours of verse-by-verse teachings.

Numbers is really a book about arrested progress. In a sense, it never should have happened. It took only 40 hours to get Israel out of Egypt - the Passover. But it took 40 years to get Egypt out of Israel. 

It may come as a surprise to discover that there are a number of biblical experts who regard the book of Leviticus as the most important book of the Bible! The Book of Leviticus cannot be "listened to"; it has to be studied. But fasten your seat belts! It's going to be an exciting and highly privileged excursion!

Both of these books, filled with all the intrigue, romance, and action of any modern-day screenplay, have been heralded for their literary value for centuries. But this is not their most rewarding feature. God's use of these two faithful women brings a new understanding of God's faithfulness and the importance of our faithful participation.