“Keynotes” Of Ecclesiastes – Malachi
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesBook – Ecclesiastes
Key Words – “Vanity” and “under the sun”
Key Verses – Ecclesiastes 2:24; Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Key Phrase – “Vanity of vanities; all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2; Ecclesiastes 12:8).
Messages – (1) Genuine happiness is not found in human wisdom, wealth, power, and pleasure; (2) Apart from God, life is futile, empty, and without meaning; (3) the supreme good is to “fear God and keep his commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
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Book – Song of Solomon
Key Words – “Love”, or “beloved”
Key Verses – Song of Solomon 2:16; Song of Solomon 7:10; Song of Solomon 8:6-7
Key Phrase – “His banner over me was love” (Song of Solomon 2:4).
Messages – The beauty, happiness and power of faithful love.
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Book – Isaiah
Key Words – “Salvation”
Key Verses – Isaiah 1:18; Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 53:6
Key Phrase – “Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 1:4; Isaiah 5:19; Isaiah 5:24; Isaiah 10:20).
Messages – (1) God’s judgment upon immoral and idolatrous men; (2) the grace of God in the promise of the Redeemer.
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Book – Jeremiah
Key Words – “Forsake” and “forsaken”; “backslider” and “backsliding”; “return”.
Key Verses – Jeremiah 3:11-12; Jeremiah 3:25; Jeremiah 5:30-31; Jeremiah 6:13-16; Jeremiah 7:23-24; Jeremiah 7:28; Jeremiah 8:20-22; Jeremiah 9:23-24; Jeremiah 10:23; Jeremiah 13:23; Jeremiah 23:1-8; Jeremiah 31:3; Jeremiah 31:31-34
Key Phrase – (1) “Thus saith the Lord”; (2) “I have put my words in thy mouth” (Jeremiah 1:9; Jeremiah 18:2, etc.).
Messages – God gives Jeremiah four messages to Judah (1) a note of denunciation; (2) a note of visitation; (3) a note of invitation; (4) a note of consolation. Judah will be restored from Babylonian captivity.
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Book – Lamentations
Key Words – “Sorrow” (Lamentations 1:12) and “how” (Lamentations 1:1; Lamentations 2:1; Lamentations 4:1).
Key Verses – Lamentations 1:12; Lamentations 2:5-6; Lamentations 2:17; Lamentations 3:25; Lamentations 3:33; Lamentations 3:40
Key Phrase – “Renew our days as of old” (Lamentations 5:21).
Messages – (1) Sin brings misery and judgment; (2) God still loves sinners, even when He must punish them, and He will show compassion upon all who repent.
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Book – Ezekiel
Key Words – “Glory”
Key Verses – Ezekiel 18:4; Ezekiel 18:20; Ezekiel 33:11; Ezekiel 36:24-26; Ezekiel 36:33-35
Key Phrase – (1) “They shall know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 6:10; Ezekiel 6:14; Ezekiel 7:27; Ezekiel 12:15; Ezekiel 12:16); (2) “The glory of the Lord” (Ezekiel 1:28; Ezekiel 3:12; Ezekiel 3:23; Ezekiel 10:4; Ezekiel 10:18; Ezekiel 11:23; Ezekiel 43:4).
Messages – (1) The trerrible nature of sin. It destroys both men and nations; (2) Individual responsibility (Ezekiel 18:20). Men suffer for their own sins (Ezekiel 18:1-4; Ezekiel 33:10-16); (3) The necessity of repentance in obtaining forgiveness of sins (Ezekiel 14:1-20; Ezekiel 18:20-32; Ezekiel 33:1-22).
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Book – Daniel
Key Words – “Dominion”, “sovereignty”, and “triumph”
Key Verses – Daniel 2:20-22; Daniel 2:44; Daniel 2:47; Daniel 4:24-25; Daniel 4:37; Daniel 6:26
Key Phrase – “The Most High ruleth” (Daniel 4:17; Daniel 4:25; Daniel 4:32).
Messages – The universal sovereignty of God over the affairs of men and nations.
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Book – Hosea
Key Words – “Return” (Hosea 2:7; Hosea 2:9; Hosea 3:5; Hosea 5:15; Hosea 6:1).
Key Verses – Hosea 4:1; Hosea 4:6; Hosea 11:7-9
Key Phrase – “I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love” (Hosea 11:4).
Messages – (1) To realize the nature and enormity of sin; (2) the necessity of divine judgment; (3) the triumph of loyalty and love.
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Book – Joel
Key Words – “Desolate” or “desolation”
Key Verses – Joel 2:11-13; Joel 2:28-29; Joel 2:32
Key Phrase – “The day of the Lord” (Joel 1:15; Joel 2:1; Joel 2:11; Joel 2:31; Joel 3:14).
Messages – A call to repentance and restoration.
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Book – Amos
Key Words – “Judgment”, “punishment”, “captivity”, and “restoration”
Key Verses – Amos 3:1-2; Amos 3:3; Amos 4:12; Amos 5:14-15; Amos 6:1; Amos 8:11-12
Key Phrase – (1)“Thus saith the Lord”; (2) “Seek ye the Lord.”
Messages – (1) There is no possible way to escape the consequences of persistent sin; (2) Worship without truth and religion without morality are an insult to God.
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Book – Obadiah
Key Words – “Calamity”
Key Verses – Obadiah 1:10; Obadiah 1:15; Obadiah 1:21
Key Phrase – “Thou shouldest not have” (Obadiah 1:12-14).
Messages – (1) The folly of pride, self-trust, and of the certainty of divine judgment; (2) God’s judgments are right and His providence is over all nations and men.
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Book – Jonah
Key Words – “Repentance” (Jonah 3:1-10).
Key Verses – Jonah 2:7; Jonah 2:8-9; Jonah 4:2
Key Phrase – “Let them turn every one from his evil way” (Jonah 3:8).
Messages – (1) God’s universal, forgiving love for all men; (2) God’s concern for the salvation of all mankind, both Jews and Gentiles. God wants all men to repent and be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4).
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Book – Micah
Key Words – “Hear”, “judgment”, and “restoration”
Key Verses – Micah 6:8; Micah 7:18
Key Phrase – (1) “This time is evil”; (2) “when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me” (Micah 2:3; Micah 7:8).
Messages – (1) The need for humility and repentance; (2) the wages of sin is death; (3) assurance of the ultimate triumph of truth and right; (4) God’s pleading, punishing, and pardoning love for His people.
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Book – Nahum
Key Words – “Divine judgment” and “vengeance”
Key Verses – Nahum 1:7-8
Key Phrase – “An utter end” (Nahum 1:8; Nahum 1:9).
Messages – (1) To comfort Judah and pronounce Nineveh’s doom; (2) God’s avenging love for His people. God’s love for mankind demands that He punish sin and save the righteous (Romans 6:23).
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Book – Habakkuk
Key Words – “Justice” and “salvation”
Key Verses – Habakkuk 2:4
Key Phrase – “O Lord, how long shall I cry…Why?” (Habakkuk 1:2-3).
Messages – (1) The just shall live and the unjust shall die; (2) God reigns over all the nations and He will be glorified in all the earth; (3) God’s providential, delivering love for His people.
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Book – Zephaniah
Key Words – “Divine jealousy” and “wrath”
Key Verses – Zephaniah 1:14-16; Zephaniah 2:3; Zephaniah 3:9
Key Phrase – “The day of the Lord” (Zephaniah 1:7; Zephaniah 1:14; Zephaniah 2:2-3; Zephaniah 14:1).
Messages – The certainty of God’s wrath and love.
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Book – Haggai
Key Words – “Build”, “consider”, and “hope”
Key Verses – Haggai 1:7-8; Haggai 2:7-9
Key Phrase – (1) “Saith the Lord” (Haggai 1:5; Haggai 1:7-9); (2) “saith the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 1:5; Haggai 1:7; Haggai 1:9); (3) “the word of the Lord” (Haggai 1:1; Haggai 1:3; Haggai 2:1; Haggai 2:10; Haggai 2:20).
Messages – (1) God’s encouraging love for His people; (2) serve the Lord with unwavering faith and steady perseverance, in spite of opposition (Haggai 2:4).
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Book – Zechariah
Key Words – “Remember” and “obey”
Key Verses – Zechariah 1:3; Zechariah 3:2; Zechariah 4:6; Zechariah 8:2-3; Zechariah 9:9; Zechariah 14:8-9
Key Phrase – “The Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 1:3-6; Zechariah 1:12; Zechariah 1:14).
Messages – (1) The Lord rules in the kingdoms of men; (2) Only a remnant will remain faithful to God; (3) Men reap what they sow; (4) For the righteous, sorrow and calamity can become a blessing; (5) God’s word will stand forever; (6) If we become worldly, we will be destroyed with the world; (7) A spirit of rebellion precludes a life blessed by God.
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Book – Malachi
Key Words – “Love” (Malachi 1:2) and “rebuke” (Malachi 3:11).
Key Verses – Malachi 1:2; Malachi 2:17; Malachi 3:1; Malachi 3:7-8; Malachi 4:5-6
Key Phrase – “Ye say” (Malachi 1:2; Malachi 1:6-7; Malachi 1:12-13; Malachi 2:14-17; Malachi 3:7-8; Malachi 3:13-14).
Messages – (1) God’s rebuke of His people for their spiritual indifference and moral laxity; (2) The assurance of God’s constant and continuing love; (3) The certainty of the fulfillment of God’s promises concerning the coming of the Messiah; (4) God must have the undivided devotion of His people; (5) Return to God so that God will return to you.
Related Article:
- “Keynotes” Of Matthew – Revelation
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