Return: Messages of the Minor Prophets

Return: Messages of the Minor Prophets

Hosea, Joel, Amos, Jonah, Obadiah, Nahum, Micah, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, & Malachi

-Prophet = God’s spokesman who warned about/promised future events, urged God’s people to turn from sin, gave them hope, and taught about God’s character.

-2 categories of Prophetic books: Major / Minor

God is Always Faithful (Hosea)

-Message: God’s love is patient. Repent and return to Him.

-God commanded Hosea to marry a wife of harlotry (prostitution—1:2). Hosea chose Gomer (1:3). Despite Hosea’s love for her, Gomer returns to prostitution—only to be bought back again by Hosea. She represented the adultery of Israel (1:2; 4:1, 12). Hosea represented God, who loved Israel in spite of her sins. He made the Israelites His people in spite of their desire for idols (4:17).

-What a wonderful picture of God’s stubborn love! Hosea’s purchase to redeem his wife portrays the purchase God made 750 years later. God loves the people He created, but everyone has sinned (Rom. 3:23). Everyone has turned away to other gods, especially the god of self. But God bought His people out of slavery to sin. The price was Jesus’ blood (1 Pet. 1:18–19).

Prepare for the Lord’s Response (Joel)

-Message: God will judge and save. Prepare for the “Day of the Lord.”

-Joel highlights how a severe locust plague symbolizes God’s coming judgment.

-Joel calls people to repentance and uses God’s character as the basis for that call (2:13-14).

-Peter tells us that we can prepare for the coming of the Lord by being at peace with God, knowing what we believe, growing in in grace and knowledge of Christ (2 Pet. 3:14, 17-18)

Prepare to Meet Your God (Amos)

–Message: Prepare to meet your God. Repent. Put away idols and treat all people fairly.

-Amos addresses and speaks of several non-Jewish nations, but ultimately is addressing the Northern Kingdom.

-While calling out sins like oppression of the poor, worshipping idols, materially rich but spiritually poor living, pride, dishonesty, and dishonoring the Sabbath, Amos focuses on Israel’s unacceptable worship.

The Biggest Fish Story (Jonah)

–Message: God will judge and save. Prepare for the Day of the Lord. God cares about all nations.

T | F 1. The Lord commanded Jonah to go to the city of Tarshish and cry against it.

T | F 2. Jonah went to Joppa and boarded a ship to flee God’s presence.

T | F 3. The sailors prayed to the Lord when the wind made the sea rage.

T | F 4. Jonah asked to be cast overboard to calm the sea.

T | F 5. Jonah spent forty days and nights in the great fish.

T | F 6. Jonah prayed from within the great fish that he would die instead of having to go to Nineveh.

T | F 7. The Lord spoke to the fish, causing it to spit up Jonah on dry land.

T | F 8. Having received the command again, Jonah attempted to flee in another direction.

T | F 9. Jonah prophesied that the city would be destroyed by fire from heaven in forty days.

T | F 10. The people of Nineveh laughed at Jonah’s preaching.

T | F 11. The king decreed that all men and animals should fast and put on sackcloth.

T | F 12. God turned from destroying Nineveh because the people turned from their evil ways.

T | F 13. Jonah rejoiced with the people in the salvation of the city.

T | F 14. The Lord caused a gourd to grow to provide Jonah with food

T | F 15. God compared Jonah’s selfish concern for the plant to His own compassion for the city.

Payday for the Nations (Obadiah & Nahum)

–Message from Obadiah: Check your attitude.

-Obadiah preached to Edom (Esau’s descendants) and highlighted their sins of pride (v. 3) and hatred of their brothers (10-14).

–Message from Nahum: God is kind, but He punishes evil.

-A message about Nineveh, meant for the ears of Judah, God promised to punish Nineveh’s ill-treatment of Judah.

-While promising destruction for Nineveh, God promised splendor for Judah (2:2). Judah rejoiced over this prophecy (3:19) because of what it meant for them—freedom from the yoke of bondage (1:13)

God is Not Asleep (Micah)

–Message: Be fair (6:8). Put away idols. Help the poor.

-During Micah’s time, Judah and Israel did not see benefit in worshipping the one true God. They preferred many gods. They also felt safe in doing whatever they pleased. God did not seem to care. But Micah’s warning was, “God is not asleep!”

-Micah calls out Judah’s sins of scheming evil, greed/dishonesty, false prophecy, cheating poor people, bribes, witchcraft, and idolatry.

That’s Not Fair! (Habakkuk)

–Message: God is faithful, and He is in control.

– Habakkuk lived through Josiah’s revival and cried when Judah returned to idols. He rejoiced when Nineveh crumbled in 612 B.C. as Nahum had predicted. Then he saw a greater nation building power. As the Babylonian Empire began to grow, Habakkuk watched his own nation sinking into violence, idol worship, and unfair treatment of good people (1:2–4; 2:18–19). Everything seemed unfair to Habakkuk. Good people should be rewarded. Evil Babylon should be punished. Idol worshippers should be cast out of Judah. When would God do something about all of this unfairness?

-Habakkuk asked: “Why does the evil in Judah go unpunished?” and “How can a just God use the wicked Babylonians?” (1:1-4; 1:12-2:1)

-God’s answers: “I will use the Babylonians to execute punishment for Judah, the Babylonians will be punished later, and I rule the earth. (1:5-11; 2:2-20)

-Habakkuk learned that God is in control. God has a plan, and He works that plan for the benefit of His name and His people. God is faithful to His people. (See Romans 8:28.) He keeps His promises.

The Day of the Lord is Near! (Zephaniah)

–Message: Prepare for God’s day of judgment.

-The day of judgment when God poured out His anger against Judah came when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem about fifty years after Zephaniah’s prophecy. The day of blessing came seventy years later, when God began to rebuild His people with the remnant. This day of blessing also pointed toward an even greater day when God would bless the world with Christ.

Never Give Up! (Haggai & Zechariah)

–Message from Haggai: Make God’s priorities your priorities.

-Reconstruction of the temple had stopped because of opposition and Haggai encourages God’s people to get busy with it again.

–Message from Zechariah: God will restore His people. The Messiah will come and build God’s kingdom.

-Zechariah foretells truths about Christ (the Messiah) more than any other prophet but Isaiah. He encourages the remnant with the promise of God’s greatest leader.

• Refers to Christ as “Servant” and “Branch” in 3:8 (cf. John 13:1–17)

• Christ will enter Jerusalem on a colt, the foal of a donkey (9:9; Mt. 21:4–7)

• Christ will be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver (11:12–13; Mt. 26:14–16; 27:3–10)

• Christ will be pierced (12:10; John 19:32–37)

• Christ will cleanse from sin and uncleanness (13:1; Eph. 5:26; Heb. 10:22)

• They will smite the Shepherd (Christ), and the sheep will be scattered (13:7; Matt. 26:31)

Keeping Promises (Malachi)

–Message: God is faithful, so you be faithful too.

-The walls of Jerusalem had been rebuilt. The temple was complete. The people finished rebuilding their houses. Persia still ruled over them, but the Jews enjoyed great freedom under that rule. Everyone became comfortable—in fact, too comfortable. They grew lazy in following God’s law and in their worship. God sent Malachi to stir them up.

The Minor Prophets’ message remains applicable today:

• God knows your sin.

Romans 3:23: All have sinned.

• God plans punishment.

Luke 13:5: Repent or perish.

Romans 6:23: Sin earns death.

Revelation 21:8: The disobedient are thrown into the lake of fire.

• God promises rescue.

Romans 6:23: God’s free gift is eternal life.

Colossians 1:13–14: God rescued us through Jesus.

*Study from Route 66: Travel Through the Bible by Mark Reed, Positive Action for Christ, Inc.