Judah after Jewish exile in Babylon
Israel after the Exile in what is now Iraq
The scenes in Malachi probably took place in the Persian province of Yehud, which is translated Judah or Judea. It was roughly a 40-mile-wide square plug of ground (60 km), in territory that became known as Palestine. The Jewish province included Jerusalem and beyond, into what are now central parts of Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories. Jerusalem is where Jews sacrificed animals to God. And this was a topic Malachi covered with emotion and blunt words.Jerusalem Temple Mount
Jerusalem Temple Mount
Map of the Jerusalem Temple Mount, with Jericho and the Jordan River Valley in the distance.
Assyrian Empire 700s BC
Assyrian Empire 700s BC
Assyrian Empire after erasing Israel in 722 BC
Empire the size of Alaska
Assyria's empire during the low-numbered 700s BC was about the size of Mongolia—or Texas, California, and Colorado duct-taped together. Their warriors, infamous for impaling captives on stakes, dominated what is now known as the Middle East. Assyrians lived mainly in what is now northern Iraq. Nineveh was one of their capital cities—Mosul today.Assyrians dismantle Israel
The Assyrian king unleased a full-scale invasion of Israel. His army surrounded Israel’s capital city of Samaria in a siege that lasted three years. Then, in Hoshea’s ninth year as king, Assyrians broke through the defenses and captured Samaria. They took survivors back to Assyria and resettled them into immigrant communities.Assyrian exile Israelites
Assyrians scattered the Israelites into the towns of Halah, Habor, and Gozan by the river. They sent some to the distant Mede frontier.God was fed up with Israel's sin
Israel’s sin caused all of this, Bible writers said. The LORD warned Israel and Judah. He sent prophets and seers who could see the future. They all warned the people to stop sinning. They said, “Stop your evil behavior. Respect the laws God gave your ancestors. Obey them all, as the prophets and God’s people tell you to do.” That went nowhere. Those people were as stubborn and as suspicious of God as their ancestors were. They didn’t trust God.Israel broke their contract with God
They broke the contract with God that their ancestors had made—an agreement to obey his laws. Instead, they worshiped worthless idols, which turned them into a worthless nation. They adopted the customs of the people who used to live there even though God told them not to. And they abandoned God’s laws and made a new religion. They molded a pair of golden calf idols and a pole for worshiping Asherah. They worshiped gods of the sky and Baal as well. So God invoked the penalty clause. He booted them out of the homeland.Where to find more Bible maps
The Casual English Bible® has more than 900 Bible maps, many in 3D style. You can search for maps by place name, such as "Sea of Galilee."Dedicated Bible map search engine
But you can also search for maps by Bible book, such as searching for all the maps in the book of Joshua. In addition, you can search by country, region, or era on a timeline, such as when Israel had kings or when Jesus was on earth. Here's a link to the dedicated Map Search Engine.For more Bible features
Video: I will thank God he’s my Savior
Video: I will thank God he's my Savior
SHORT DESCRIPTION
Stephen M. Miller wrote the song "I will thank God he's my Savior" immediately after reading the last words of a prophet. God had just told Habakkuk that invaders would take everything. And they did, erasing Israel from the map. The prophet was never heard from again. But his last words remain haunting, challenging, and inspiring.STORY BEHIND THE SONG
• I Will Thank God He's My SaviorLYRICS
When the fig tree fails to blossom, the grape refuses to grow, when the olive dies in the treetops, the field is scorched here below, when the sheep are taken from us, the cattle are gone from the stalls, what is left to the measure of life? What should we do when we fall? CHORUS I will thank God, he’s my Savior. He gives me the strength to go on. He gives me the sure-footed speed of the deer, To higher ground he leads on. When the child in me is broken And I fail at what I would do, Angry, ashamed and uncertain, Not a hint, not a hope, not a clue. When I lose my sense of direction, I can't find my way back to you. When questions don't seem to matter to me, What is there left here to do? CHORUS x3WHY I WROTE THE SONG
I’m paraphrasing the entire Casual English Bible. I have just a few books left. There’s one little section in the Bible that inspired this song...in a really odd way. I was finishing the Bible book of Habakkuk--a book most Christians probably never heard of--and I did something I’m embarrassed to admit, because it's strange. I was so moved by what the prophet said in his prayer that I got up from the desk, in the middle of the workday, and I ran down to my media room, and wrote this song. The core of the lyrics comes from Habakkuk 3:17-19. I can’t sing very well. I can manage some songs, but I can't do justice to this one. So, I gave it to my daughter who can sing; she has a beautiful voice. A few weeks later, I was walking her second-grade son home from school and I asked how the song was going. He said "Terrible." I asked if it was the lyrics or the tune. He said, "Both. You need to start over." The kid is a short second-grader. And he's looking up at me and telling me that? I started laughing. Well I couldn’t leave it. So, to bring the song to life, I hired a group of New York City musicians whose real names I’m not able to use because of the contract they have with the music producer. So, the names of Gabe & Michela are pseudonyms, and a tip of the hat to a couple famous angels. I wrote the song. But another man and a woman sang it, backed up by a band and a gifted sound engineer. In Habakkuk’s book, God tells him invaders are coming. They will destroy the farms and vineyards, take the livestock, level the cities, kill many of the people of Israel, and send the survivors into slavery or exile. Israel disappears from the world map. And we never hear from Habakkuk again. But his response lives on. It’s what inspired this song, because it inspired me. I hope it does the same for you.Music video "I will thank God he's my savior"
Shechem and Samaria, capitals of Israel
Shechem and Samaria, capitals of Israel
Israel's capital cities
The northern Jewish nation of Israel had three capitals. Shechem was the first. Samaria became the most famous...infamous because of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel who ruled there. Tirzah was capital in between the time of Jeroboam's Shechem and Samaria, built by Ahab's father, Omri.Shechem first
"King Jeroboam built up Shechem as his capital city, in the hills of Ephraim’s tribe. He did the same for the city of Peniel.Jeroboam's fear
Jeroboam said, 'These tribes of Israel could very well reunite under a king from David’s family. If they continue their tradition of worshiping in Jerusalem, their hearts might draw them back to their legitimate king. If that happens, they’ll kill me first. And then King Rehoboam of Judah will welcome them back.'The solution: new worship centers
So, the king talked with his advisors about how to handle this problem. They agreed to create northern places for the people to worship. And they made two golden calves. Jeroboam told the people, 'Enough is enough. You’ve gone up to Jerusalem long enough. So, we’re bringing closer to home the gods who led you out of Egypt.'Golden calves again
He put one golden calf in a shrine he set up at Bethel. And he put another one in the far north, at Dan. The people of Israel worshiped at these shrines. It was a sinful thing to do. Jeroboam also built hilltop shrines throughout the land. And he appointed priests who were not from the tribe God had chosen for priests. God assigned men from the tribe of Levi—the Levites—to serve as priests for all the people." (1 Kings 12:25-32)For more Bible features
Stephen M. Miller's website , The Casual English Bible, and Bible YouTube channelShechem and Samaria
Elijah runs away from Jezebel
Elijah runs away from Jezebel
ELIJAH RUNS FROM JEZEBEL
QUEEN JEZEBEL GIVES ELIJAH ONE DAY TO LIVE
Ahab told his wife Jezebel what Elijah did and that he killed all the prophets she had been supporting. Jezebel sent this message to Elijah, “If I don’t end you by this time tomorrow, may the gods do worse to me than you did to those prophets.” Terrified, Elijah ran for his life. He ran all the way through Samaria and Judah. He didn’t stop until he reached the town of Beersheba on Judah’s southern border. He left his servant there. And he traveled another day’s distance deep into the southern badlands. He stopped in the shade of a broom tree and asked God to kill him. He said, “I’ve done enough. Bring my life to an end. I’m just as bad as my ancestors were.”ELIJAH TO GOD: “KILL ME”
Elijah stretched out on the ground and fell asleep under the broom tree. But a messenger from God tapped him and said, “Wake up. It’s time to eat.” Elijah looked up and saw hot food by his head. The angel had fried some bread over hot stones. And there was a jug of water, too. Elijah ate and drank and then lay back down to rest again. The angel came back later, tapped him to wake him and said, “Time to get up and eat. You need to eat or you won’t have the energy to make the trip ahead.” Elijah got up, ate and drank, and then continued his trip. The angel gave him enough food and water for the trip to Mount Sinai, 40 days and nights. There, he spent the night in a cave. The LORD asked him, “Why did you come here?” Elijah said, “You are the LORD, God of everyone, and I have worked hard for you. But the people of Israel have broken their agreement with you, destroyed your altars, and slaughtered your prophets. I’m the last prophet standing. But they’re trying to kill me, too.” 1 Kings 19:1-10Elijah runs from Jezebel
Elijah on Mount Carmel
Elijah on Mount Carmel
Elijah and Baal prophets meet on Mount Carmel
It's a battle to see which god will send fire to burn a sacrifice.
It's the God of Israel against the local god of lightening and rain
AHAB MEETS ELIJAH THE “TROUBLEMAKER”
When Ahab approached Elijah, the king said, “Israel’s troublemaker, is that you?” Elijah said, “I’m not Israel’s troublemaker. You are. You and your God-forsaken family. You quit on the LORD, and you started worshiping Baal. 19Tell the people to meet me at Mount Carmel. Bring the 950 prophets Jezebel feeds: 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah.BATTLE OF THE GODS
Ahab did just that. He brought the prophets and the people to Mount Carmel. Elijah told the people, “How long will it take you to make up your minds? If the LORD is God, act like it. If Baal is god, go ahead and try following him. But what makes you think you can do both?” No one answered... Elijah told Baal’s prophets, “So, go ahead and pick a bull and prepare your sacrifice. There are a lot of you, so go ahead and take the first turn. Don’t light the fire. Instead, ask your god to send down the fire.” They killed the bull, cut it into pieces, and laid it on the wood. Then they prayed to Baal, from morning to noon: “Baal, answer.” He didn’t. They danced a slow, rhythmic hobble around the altar they made. At noon, Elijah took a few jabs at them. “Pray louder. Maybe he’s meditating—yeah he’s in deep meditation. Or maybe he took a little walk to the outhouse. He might even be taking a power nap.” They prayed loudly. They cut themselves, too. They cut with swords, spears, and knives. They cut until the blood gushed out. This was one of their worship rituals. They kept it up until evening. That’s when it was time for the daily sacrifice just before the sun went down. No one answered themELIJAH CALLS DOWN THE FIRE
Elijah told the people, “Come close.” They crowded up around him. He repaired what had once been a stone altar to God, which someone had torn apart. He picked out 12 stones, one for each tribe of Israel—extended families descended from the 12 sons of Jacob. These are the people God named as Israel. Elijah used those stones to build an altar devoted to the LORD. He dug a trench around the altar. It would hold about three gallons of water. He stacked the wood on top of the stones, and he placed meat on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars of water and pour it all on the meat and wood.” 34When they did, he said, “Do it again.” When they did, he said, “Do it a third time.” When they did, the excess water drained into the trench and filled it. It was now time for the evening sacrifice. Elijah said, “LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, show these people who you are. Let then know you are the God of Israel. And let them see that I am a man of God, and that I am doing what you told me to do. Answer me, LORD, so these people will know you are God and come back to you.”GOD LIGHTS IT UP
Fire of the LORD struck the wood with heat that consumed everything it touched: meat, wood, stone, and water. When the people saw that, they were sold on God. They dropped face-down in the dirt and said, “The LORD is God. The LORD is God.” Elijah said, “Arrest the prophets of Baal. Don’t let one of them escape.” Elijah led them down the hill to the Kishon River Valley below. He killed them all there. 1 Kings 18:17-40God vs Baal on Mount Carmel
Elijah goes to Zarephath
Elijah goes to Zarephath
GOD SENDS ELIJAH TO ZAREPHATH
Here comes the drought
Elijah was a prophet from the town of Tishbe. That’s across the Jordan River in the territory of Gilead. He took this message to King Ahab, “I’m going to curse this land with a drought. You won’t see a drop of rain until I say so. And you can count on it, king, as sure as there’s a God in heaven—Israel’s God.”God sends ravens to feed Elijah
God sent another message to Elijah: “I want you to go back across the Jordan River, on the east side. Hide somewhere by the Cherith stream. You’ll get your water from the creek. And I’ll send ravens to feed you.” So, Elijah did what the LORD said. He lived by the Cherith stream east of the Jordan. Sure enough, ravens brought him bread and meat for breakfast and supper. He drank from the stream. After a while, the stream dried up in the drought. It wasn’t raining anywhere in the area.Selfless widow in a foreign land
The LORD send Elijah another message: “Go to the town of Zarephath, in Sidon’s kingdom. There’s a widow there. I’ve told her to feed you when you come.” He left for Zarephath. When he reached the gateway into the walled city he saw a widow collecting sticks. He called out to her, “Excuse me, but could you bring me a cup of water to drink?” 11As she turned to get it for him he added, “Could you also bring me a small piece of bread?” She said, “I don’t have a baked bite of anything in my house right now. What I have is a fist full of flour and a little jug of olive oil. These sticks you see me gathering are for cooking my last meal. I’m baking what I have for my son and me. After that, we die.”Elijah keeps the flour coming
Elijah said, “Hey, don’t be afraid. Go ahead and make that meal. But make me a small plug of bread first. Then make bread for yourself and your son. If you do that, the LORD, who is the God of Israel, makes this promise: Your jar of flour and your jug of olive oil will never bottom out until after the rains return.” The widow did what Elijah said. She and her son had enough food throughout the drought. Her flour jar never emptied, and her jug of olive oil never ran out—just as Elijah promised on behalf of the LORD. 1 Kings 17:1-16For more Bible features
Stephen M. Miller's website , The Casual English Bible, and Bible YouTube channelRamah to Bethlehem to anoint David king
Ramah to Bethlehem to anoint David king
Map of Ramah to Bethlehem to anoint David king of Israel
Samuel had a trip to make, from his hometown of Ramah, north of Jerusalem, to Bethlehem, a half-day's walk south. Here's part of the story, from 1 Samuel 16.Story behind the map
The LORD asked Samuel, “Why are you still mourning Saul? I fired him. He’s not the king anymore. What’s it going to take to get you past this? Put some olive oil in a container, an animal horn. Take it with you to Bethlehem. I want you to meet Jesse and his sons who live there. I have picked one of Jesse’s sons as king.” Samuel said, “If Saul hears about this, he’ll kill me.” But the LORD said, “Take a calf with you. Tell people you’ve come to offer a sacrifice to the LORD. Invite Jesse and his sons to the sacrificial meal. I’ll show you what to do. You’re going to use that olive oil to anoint the one I have chosen as king.” Samuel did what the LORD said. He went to Bethlehem. City leaders were afraid to ask why he came there. Shaking with fear they said, “Did you come in peace?” Samuel said, “Yes. I came to sacrifice this calf to the LORD. Ritually cleanse yourselves for worship and you can join me.” Samuel invited Jesse and his sons to the meal and led them through their cleansing rituals.Sizing up Jesse's boys
When Jesse and his boys arrived, Samuel was impressed by Jesse’s son Eliab. Samuel thought, “He has to be the one the LORD picked.” The LORD told Samuel, “Don’t judge this man by how good he looks or how tall he is. I didn’t pick him. I don’t judge people like humans do. They judge by what they can see on the outside. The LORD judges by what’s on the inside—the heart with its character, integrity, and courage."Battle of Michmash
Battle of Michmash
Battle of Michmash
Before the Battle of Michmash began, Philistines and Israelites camped on opposite sides of a steep and normally dry riverbed that locals call a wadi (gulch). It was the Michmash Pass through that part of the hill country.
King Saul's son, Jonathan, and one other soldier went down in the gorge and let Philistine sentries on Rocky Ridge above see them. Then the two of them climbed the hill and started killing the Philistines. They killed about 20 Philistines within the first 30 meters (yards) at the top of the ridge.
Jonathan’s sudden and bold attack accompanied by an earthquake panicked the Philistines. Saul’s guards six miles (10 km) south at Gibeah saw the commotion from their post half a mile above sea level, 839 meters. That’s 200 meters higher than Michmash.
King Saul hadn't ordered an attack. So he had to quickly count his soldiers to see who was missing. By the time he figures out it was his son who started the battle by engaging Philistine sentries, he attacks.
Terrified Philistines run home to their cities by the sea.
The story appears in 1 Samuel 14.
To compare with other Bible translations, see Bible Gateway.