STORIES FROM THE BIBLE
This article introduces the current series of Questor articles on the theme of God’s Messengers. Below you can find links to display or download the PDF copies of the articles so far in this series and all previous series.
Click here for the latest Questor article “Daniel 2”, September 2025
In the Old Testament of the bible, there are sixteen books which are attributed to men who were tasked by God to deliver a message to the people. They are known as prophets, which means messenger from God.
These sixteen men lived between 790 and 450BC. If we list them in the order of the time they lived, it’s different from the order in which they appear in the bible:
Date BC
790 Amos
760 Hosea & Jonah
740 Isaiah & Micah
645 Nahum
635 Zephaniah
625 Jeremiah & Habakkuk
605 Daniel
595 Ezekiel
580 Obadiah
520 Zechariah & Haggai
500 Joel
450 Malachi
In the bible, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel appear first and are known as the ‘major’ prophets because of the significance of their message. The rest are known as ‘minor’ prophets but that is not to diminish the importance of their message.
The prophets were not popular people. They were there to tell the people what God thought about the way they were living their lives – both personally and nationally. And the message wasn’t good: God was angry with them. They were his chosen race and he’d brought them from slavery in Egypt to nationhood in Israel.
Along the way he had protected and nourished them but they soon forgot about the good things he had done and morphed themselves into the culture of the day. At worst they held God in disregard, preferring the pagan practices of surrounding nations and tribes; and at best they confined him to the temple and the ecclesiastical community.
So it was the role of the prophets to tell the people that God was displeased with them. Moreover, they had access to the king of the day and, as we would say today, they spoke truth to power. Their message was uncompromising and mainly ignored.
There were some kings who listened and brought the people back to God but the majority ignored the message – even when it was that their kingdom would be attacked and their people taken into exile – which is exactly what happened.
Over the next few months we’ll look in more detail at the message of the various prophets to the people and leaders of their day. But that would be a pointless exercise unless we are open to seeing that their message has relevance us today.
We shall need to ask ourselves where God is in our personal and national life today. Do we confine God to the church and the ecclesiastical community and ignore him until there’s a crisis in our life? And who speaks truth to power these days and how acceptable is it when someone like a prominent religious leader does so?
When we look at the world around us, it would be difficult to come to the conclusion that God is content with everything that is going on. Our churches are becoming increasingly deserted and our people are consumed with materialism and celebrity worship.
In times of old he withdrew his favour – what might he do in our generation?
Click to download PDF copies of articles in the current series:
God’s Messengers
God’s Messengers – The Context
God’s Messengers – Amos
God’s Messengers – Hosea
God’s Messengers – Isaiah
God’s Messengers – Isaiah at Christmas
God’s Messengers – More Isaiah
God’s Messengers – Micah
God’s Messengers – Nahum
God’s Messengers – Zephaniah
God’s Messengers – Habakkuk
God’s Messengers – Jeremiah
God’s Messengers – Jeremiah 2
God’s Messengers – Daniel
God’s Messengers – Daniel 2 – the latest article in the series, September 2025
Click for articles in previous series:
Parables – introduction
Parables about… Faith
Parables about… Projecting the Gospel
Parables… a King’s feast
Parables… Fair Pay
Parables… Wealth
Parables… Neighbours
Parables… Good Foundations
Parables… Be Ready
Parables… God’s Fatherly Love
Parables… Day of Reckoning
Parables… Our Talents
Parables… Lost and Found
The story of stories – intro
The story of stories – in the beginning
The story of stories – the great escape
The story of stories – the promised land
The story of stories – Conquest!
The story of stories – Kings and Prophets
The story of stories – Exile!
The story of stories – The Final Solution
The story of stories – A new beginning
The story of stories – Man on a mission
The story of stories – The Message
The story of stories – Destiny
The story of stories – Rising Up
The story of stories -Transformation
The story of stories -The Gospel Roadshow
The story of stories – And so to Rome
The story of stories – The end
The story of stories – Relationship, Relationship, Relationship
What do you hope for?
The heart of God
Prophet of doom
Woe is me
Dead men don’t walk
Inside Story Inside Story – The Early Years
Inside Story – The Special One
Inside Story – Special Powers
Inside Story – Building a team
Inside-story-healing A-christmas-carol
Inside-story-raising-the-dead
Inside Story – Teaching
Inside Story – More teaching
Inside Story – Prayer
Inside Story – Out of this world
Inside Story – Fully Human
Inside Story – The Image of God
The Wild Gospel – Transformation
The Wild Gospel -An act of Faith
The Wild Gospel – Early Trials
The Wild Gospel – Persecution
The Wild Gospel – Reaching out
The Wild Gospel – Surrender
The Wild Gospel – Peter gets it
The Wild Gospel -Rollercoaster
The Wild Gospel – Back to Saul
The Wild Gospel – The Adventure begins
The Wild Gospel – Tough times
The Wild Gospel – Managing change
The Wild Gospel – Back on the road
The Wild Gospel – To an unknown god
The Wild Gospel – In the wicked city
The Wild Gospel – One last time
The Wild Gospel – A date with the Emperor
The Wild Gospel – In the power of the spirit
The Wild Gospel – Reflections on St Paul (1)
The Wild Gospel – Reflections on St Paul (2)
The Wild Gospel – Reflections on St Paul (3)
The Wild Gospel – Letters
The Wild Gospel – Letter to Melbury
Encounters with God
Encounters with God – Abraham
Encounter with God – Abraham 2
Encounters with God – Jacob
Encounters with God – a personal encounter
Encounters with God – Moses
Encounters with God = Moses in Sinai
Encounters with God – Moses the mediator
Encounters with God – Moses, God’s friend
How Great is our God
Encounters with Jesus – Introduction
Encounters with Jesus – John the Baptist
Encounters with Jesus – Fishermen
Encounters with Jesus – Shepherds
Encounters with Jesus – VIPs
Encounters with Jesus – Nicodemus
Encounters with Jesus – Pontius Pilate
Encounters with Jesus – Friends on the road
Encounters with Jesus – Peter
Encounters with Jesus – Scum
Encounters with Jesus – Mary Magdalene
Encounters with Jesus – Rich young man
Encounters with Jesus – An Adulterous Woman
Encounters with Jesus – Two in One
Encounters with Jesus – Woman at the well
Encounters with Jesus – Mary
Encounters with Jesus – Simeon & Anna
Encounters with Jesus – Martha and Mary
Encounters with Jesus – The Final Encounter