We have completed Bible Drills for each of the Minor Prophets. Here is a brief synopsis of the 12 books and a link to each of their respective “in-depth” posts for you to use should you wish to explore these short but powerful books further.
Date: lived/prophesied around 750 B.C. (several kings have been killed, Northern Kingdom on the brink of falling to the Assyrian Empire)
Name: means “salvation” or “deliverance”
Message: By using the story of Hosea’s personal life (marriage to harlot named Gomer), God demonstrates the relationship between Himself and His people. Israel had abandoned her love for God and chased after foreign gods. However, God remained faithful and like Hosea, promised to redeem His people and draw them back to Himself. His grace was sufficient.
Application: Our lives can be powerful sermons. If God were using your life as a sermon, what message would you be preaching?
Date: not certain of the date when Joel prophesied — some believe it was as early as 837 B.C. while others believe it was sometime around 400 B.C.
Name: means “Yahweh is God” (”The Lord is God”)
Message: purpose of the book was to issue a warning and a call to repentance — Joel 1:13-15 and 2:12-17 describe how the people of Judah repented, and Joel 2:18-27 describes God’s promise to bless and protect those who obey Him. The book of Joel contains an important prophecy concerning the coming of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28).
Application: God’s grace remains in the face of judgment and destruction and He is always ready to pour that grace out on those who want to be in right relationship with Him. God will be merciful to all who seek Him.
Date: first of the “writing prophets” in the eighth century, prophesying during the reigns of Uzziah of Judah (792–740 B.C.) and Jeroboam II of Israel (793-753 B.C.)
Name: means “burden bearer”
Message: Message is similar to other OT prophetic writings “I will punish your enemies, I will punish you, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel and hope remains”
Application: Righteousness and justice are essential in building healthy community and societies. Religion is more than ceremony; it is right action and righteous living.
Date: fits into the narrative of the OT sometime around 587 B.C. during Judah’s fall to the Babylonians and conflict with the Edomites
Name: means “servant of the Lord”
Message: Edom will be judged for conspiring with Babylon to desecrate Israel and for gloating over Israel’s defeat. Obadiah puts the Edomites in their place and warns them that similar destruction is coming their way, while Israel will be restored.
Application: (1) God is our security (vs. 4) — as we walk through life, we should put our trust in God alone; (2) Be careful in judging others (vs. 15; see also Gal. 6:7); and (3) God is a God of second chances (vs. 17) — God’s grace extends beyond our sins
Date: prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam II (Northern Kingdom) — around 784-772 B.C.
Name: means “dove”
Message: Jonah is a warning to the people of Nineveh, the “great city” of Assyria, which was characterized by wickedness and violence. Even though He knew the nation of Assyria would eventually conquer the Northern Kingdom of Israel, God’s heart burned for the Ninevites as he sent His prophet, Jonah, to warn of their destruction if they would not turn from their wicked ways. The book serves as a reminder that God desires to see people repent and to bestow His compassion and grace on those who do.
Application: (1) God is sovereign and will accomplish His purposes, even if it means using someone who doesn’t want to be used by Him; (2) God is compassionate and desires all to come to repentance (see 2 Peter 3:9); and (3) As those who have been shown God’s great mercy, we should not be angry or question His ability to forgive and extend grace to others.
Date: prophesied in Judah during the reigns of Jothan, Ahaz and Hezekiah; was a contemporary of Isaiah and Hosea
Name: means “poor” or “humble,” or “who is like Jehovah”
Message: Micah’s message was to both Israel and Judah and was addressed primarily to their capitals, Samaria and Jerusalem. Three main ideas are addressed in Micah, with abrupt transitions between present desolation and future glory: (1) the sins of Samaria and Jerusalem; (2) the destruction of the cities; and (3) their restoration. Micah speaks out against idolatry and against the manner by which the ruling classes in both cities were treating the poor.
Application: The key verse is Micah 6:8: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” This instruction remains valid for us today.
Date: prophesied about 100 years after Jonah proclaimed Nineveh’s destruction. At the time of Nahum’s prophecy, Nineveh was the pinnacle of wealth and power, secure behind impregnable walls (or so she thought) — it was Assyria’s turn to feel the force of God’s wrath when the armies of Babylon stormed Nineveh in 612 (the Assyrian Empire crumbled three years later).
Name: ironically means “comforter” (Nahum’s message, while certainly not comforting to the people of Nineveh, would have given tremendous comfort/assurance to the people of Jerusalem)
Message: Nahum teaches the sure judgment of God against those who oppose His will and abuse His people. God is holy and righteous and to be true to His own character, God must judge those that do not turn from their sin and seek salvation and deliverance in Him.
Application: Nahum can serve as a “wake-up call” for those who have become complacent in pursuing God’s righteousness.
Date: contemporary of Nahum, Zephaniah, and Jeremiah, living during the reigns of Josiah (640-609 B.C.) and Jehoiakim (609-598 B.C.); prophetic words probably came during the reign of Jehoiakim, who neglected the religious reforms made by King Josiah and led the nation to political and spiritual ruin
Name: means “embrace” or “to wrestle” — he does both with God in this book, and he seems to do both with his people as well
Message: Habakkuk openly questions the actions and wisdom of God — it teaches us how to respond when God’s actions don’t seem to match His promises and character. It also teaches us how to have the proper perspective in the midst of suffering and adverse circumstances.
Application: Prayer — bring questions and confusion to God; put ourselves in a position where we can best hear God and wait for God to speak.
Vision — look for visions not of what God will do, but of who God is. Although our circumstances may not change, God can use them to bring us to a complete view of who He is.
Praise — offer thanks to God for what He has done and who He is (see Hab. 3:2).
Faith — root ourselves in faith in God; “the just shall live by faith” (Hab. 3:11; see also Heb. 10:38, Rom. 1:17, and Gal. 3:11).
Date: written during the reign of King Josiah (640-609 B.C.); scholars believe the text supports the theory that Zephaniah prophesied before the reforms Josiah made sometime between 622-621 B.C.
Name: means “the Lord hides”
Message: Zephaniah prophesies about God’s judgment on Judah, portraying Him as a God of holiness who demands holiness and righteousness in His people; but the Lord is merciful and faithful to His promises, and Zephaniah’s fiery oracle ends with a blessing and hope.
Application: God will judge (see Ecc. 12:14: “ for God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”). For some, the day of the Lord’s judgment will spell doom. But being a merciful God, He desires all to know Him and be saved from this fate (see 2 Pet. 2:7-15).
Date: thought to have commenced his public ministry about 16 years after the return from the Babylonian exile); prophecies given to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the high priest — given in the second year of King Darius (520 B.C.) within a period of four months (the sixth month through the ninth month of the Jewish calendar, or roughly, August through December)
Name: means “festival”
Message: Haggai’s primary purpose in prophesying was to urge the remnant to reorder its priorities and to complete the rebuilding of the temple. The book of Haggai consists of four short messages, each of which is clearly dated and designed to rouse the remnant from their lethargy and compel them to complete the rebuilding of the temple.
Application: God will bless us when we turn from our sin and obey His authority in our lives. It is never too late to do the right thing.
Date: contemporary of Haggai, who had been teaching for approx. 2 months and work on the temple had already started when Zechariah began his ministry. Haggai’s total recorded ministry lasted less than four months; Zechariah prophesied for about two years.
Name: means “memory of the Lord”
Message: Zechariah also encourages the rebuilding of the temple. The book of Zechariah is considerably larger than that of Haggai — it teems with messianic flashes: more than any of the other minor prophets, Zechariah give numerous prophecies concerning Christ:
- His atoning death for the removal of sin (3:8-9; 13:1)
- As builder of the house of God (6:12)
- His universal reign as King and Priest (6:13; 9:10)
- Triumphal Entry (9:9, quoted in Matt. 21:5; John 12:15)
- Betrayal for 30 pieces of silver (11:12, quoted in Matt. 27:9-10)
- His deity (12:8)
- His hands pierced (12:10; 13:6, quoted in John 19:37)
- A stricken Shepherd (13:7, quoted in Matt. 26:31; Mark 14:27)
Application: God will judge the nations. We should put our faith and take comfort in the eternal king, Jesus Christ, who will claim ultimate victory and reign forever.
Date: not conclusively determined; book written after the exiles had returned and most likely between 475-400 B.C.
Name: means “messenger” or “angel” — some argue that Malachi may not have been a proper name, but a general term for a prophet. However, all of the other OT prophetic books are named for the people who wrote them, and there is no reason to believe differently of Malachi.
Message: At first, the remnant had been enthusiastic about rebuilding the temple and restoring worship, but their zeal had waned. They began to question God as their faith disintegrated into cynicism. Despite living for years in captivity (due to disobedience), witnessing God fulfill His promise to deliver them from the rule of their oppressors, and rebuilding the temple, Israel was still mired in sin. Malachi is an appeal to “backsliders” — he tries to break through the barrier of Israel’s disbelief, disappointment and disobedience to show them how great God is and how much He loves them, despite their shortcomings. Israel’s lack of blessing is due to their sin, not because of God’s lack of concern. He exhorts Israel to righteous living and a holy fear of God, also prophesying about the coming Messiah, leaving the remnant with hope as they wait in anticipation of Jesus Christ.
Application: Reading Malachi should exhort us to examine our own lives — are we living as children of righteousness? Are we living to receive God’s greatest blessings or to incur His wrath in judgment?
Sarah– this is awesome!! Great work!
Heather Z
June 20th, 2007
A lot of it comes from your posts, Heather!
Sarah
June 20th, 2007