They Said It

They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Haggai

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Here are four thoughtful quotes from four different voices on Haggai:

Warren W. Wiersbe — on the excuses the people made for postponing God’s work:

“Too often we make excuses when we ought to be making confessions and obeying the Lord.”

Charles Spurgeon — on Haggai’s command to “consider your ways”:

“Consider your ways practically by altering them.”

J. Alec Motyer — on the returned exiles’ misplaced priorities:

    “Their problem was not lack of goods but of good.”

    David Guzik — on God’s response once the people finally obeyed:

      “He always empowers and encourages us to do what He commands.”

      Haggai’s message is remarkably contemporary: Stop making spiritual-sounding excuses, take a hard look at your priorities, and then do something about them.

      They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Nahum

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      Here are four thoughtful quotes from respected Christian leaders and theologians on the Book of Nahum:

      John Calvin (1509–1564) — on the purpose of Nahum’s prophecy: “The design of the Prophet was to comfort the Jews, by showing that God would undertake their cause.”

      Charles Spurgeon (1834–1892) — on Nahum 1:7: “Right in the middle of the surging flood stands out, like a green island, this most cheering, comforting, and delightful text.”

      J. Vernon McGee (1904–1988) — on the central message of Nahum: “Nahum reveals the other side of the attributes of God. God is love, but God is also holy and righteous and good.”

      Warren Wiersbe (1929–2019) — on Nineveh’s coming judgment: “God had patiently dealt with Nineveh, but now His judgment was going to fall.”

      They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Amos

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      Here are four thoughtful quotes from respected spiritual leaders and influencers on the Book of Amos.

      Abraham Joshua Heschel

      “The prophet’s fundamental objective is to challenge the apparently holy, to unmask the seemingly pious. Religion itself may become idolatry if it lends support to wrong. The prophet Amos reminds us that God is not impressed by worship divorced from justice.”

      Martin Luther King Jr.

      “‘Let justice roll down like waters in a mighty stream,’ said the Prophet Amos. He was seeking not consensus but the cleansing action of revolutionary change.”

      Martin Luther King Jr.

      “Unless a man’s heart is right, the external forms of worship mean nothing.”
      (King’s reflection on Amos 5 while studying the Old Testament.)

      Kathryn Schifferdecker

      “Amos insists that worship without justice is offensive to God. Genuine faith is measured not merely by religious ritual but by how God’s people treat the poor and the vulnerable.”

      They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Hosea

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      Here are four inspiring quotes from respected spiritual leaders and influencers on the Book of Hosea.

      G. Campbell Morgan

      “The message of Hosea is the revelation of the heart and holiness of God.”

      This is the central theme Morgan developed throughout his book Hosea: The Heart and Holiness of God. He emphasized that Hosea reveals both God’s unwavering love and His uncompromising righteousness.

      Charles Haddon Spurgeon

        “There is no chapter in all the Word of God which more fully reveals the amazing grace of God than the story of Hosea and his unfaithful wife.”

        Spurgeon frequently pointed to Hosea as one of Scripture’s clearest pictures of God’s redeeming love toward undeserving sinners.

        J. Vernon McGee

          “Hosea is the prophet of the broken heart—God’s broken heart.”

          McGee often summarized Hosea this way to emphasize that the book is not merely about Israel’s sin, but about God’s grief over His people’s unfaithfulness.

          Tim Keller

            “The story of Hosea is the gospel before the Gospel.”

            Keller used Hosea repeatedly to show that God’s pursuit of His unfaithful people foreshadows the redeeming love of Christ for sinners, making Hosea one of the clearest Old Testament pictures of the gospel.

            They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Ezekiel

            Rick Tryon1 Comment

            Here are four thoughtful quotes from respected spiritual leaders and influencers on the Book of Ezekiel.

            Matthew Henry — on Ezekiel’s call to faithfulness

            “Ezekiel stands as a watchman to remind us that God warns because He loves, and He calls because He seeks to restore.”

            A. W. Tozer — on Ezekiel’s vision of God’s glory

            “The opening vision of Ezekiel shows that God’s majesty is never diminished by human rebellion; His glory remains unshaken.”

            Eugene Peterson — on Ezekiel’s message of renewal

            “Ezekiel refuses to let despair have the last word. He teaches us that God can breathe life into any valley we stand in.”

            Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) — on Ezekiel’s symbolic actions

            “The prophet’s signs and enactments are God’s way of making the unseen visible, so Israel might understand the seriousness of their path.”

            They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Lamentations

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            “There is no voice in the Bible that gives such sorrow words to speak as the Book of Lamentations. Yet even here, hope flickers in the dark: ‘Great is thy faithfulness.’” — Charles Spurgeon

            “Lament is not the opposite of faith. It is one of the purest expressions of faith. The Book of Lamentations teaches us that God’s people are allowed to grieve honestly before Him.” — N. T. Wright

            “The tears of Jeremiah in Lamentations remind us that holiness does not make a man cold. The closer we are to God, the more deeply we feel the tragedy of sin and suffering.” — A. W. Tozer

            “Lamentations is the cry of a broken heart that still believes God reigns. It shows us that even in judgment, God’s mercy has the final word.” — Tim Keller

            They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Song Of Solomon

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            Here are four rich, historically grounded quotes from respected spiritual leaders and influencers on the Book of Song of Solomon—a book that has stirred devotion, mystery, and deep reflection for centuries.

            Charles Spurgeon

            “The Song teaches us the intimacy of Christ’s love for His people—love so strong, so tender, that only the language of bride and bridegroom can carry its weight.”

            Watchman Nee

            “In the Song of Songs, the believer moves from initial love to mature union with the Lord. It is the story of a soul learning to rest entirely in Him.”

            Bernard of Clairvaux

            “No book draws the soul toward God with such sweetness as the Song of Songs. It is the kiss of Scripture, where divine love meets human longing.”

            Rabbi Akiva (1st–2nd century)

            “All the Scriptures are holy, but the Song of Songs is the Holy of Holies.”

            They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Psalms

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            Here are four insightful quotes from well-known spiritual leaders and thinkers about the Book of Psalms. 

            Athanasius of Alexandria

            “Among all the books, the Psalms not only speak to us, but they speak for us.”

            John Calvin

            “The Psalms are an anatomy of all the parts of the soul.”

            Dietrich Bonhoeffer

            “The Psalms are the prayerbook of Jesus Christ… In them we learn to pray as He prayed.”

            C. S. Lewis

            “The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is to express the same delight in God which made David dance.”

            They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Esther

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            John Calvin

            “In Esther we see how God governs the events of the world in secret, guiding all things to His appointed end, even when His name is not mentioned.”

            Charles Spurgeon

            “The Book of Esther is a record of wonders without the miracle; God is everywhere present, yet nowhere visible.”

            Matthew Henry

            “Though the name of God be not in Esther, the finger of God is; His care for His people shines in every turn of the story.”

            Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

            “Esther teaches that courage is not the absence of fear but the decision that something else is more important. In her, we see how one life, lived faithfully, can change the destiny of a people.”

            They Said It: Four Quotes On The Books Of Chronicles

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            Four quotes from well-known religious figures about the Old Testament Books of I and II Chronicles:

            Jerome (Early Church Father)

            “Chronicles is not mere repetition, but a sacred reminder that God remembers His people even when they forget Him.”

            Martin Luther

            “The Chronicler teaches us that God preserves a remnant and keeps His promises, even through the failures of kings.”

            Matthew Henry

            “In Chronicles we see the mercy of God magnified, for the story is retold to comfort the returned exiles with the faithfulness of their covenant God.”

            F. F. Bruce (Modern biblical scholar)

            “Chronicles is theology in narrative form, showing that true kingship and true worship belong to God alone.”