Getting to Know the Bible
Lesson 9.2   Survey of the Old Testament – Prophets II 

I.            Review and Introduction

A.      The Major Prophets – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, (Lamentations)

B.      “The Prophets In Their Setting” – “Kings of Israel and Judah” – Charts (See)

C.      The Twelve Minor Prophets (Major – larger, Minor – shorter)

1.       Composition Chart (World Biblical Commentary #31, Hoseah – Jonah, p. xliii)

 

Book

 

Order of Composition

Order in Hebrew Bible

Amos

1, 2, or 3

[ca. 760 B.C]

3

Hosea

1, 2, or 3

[ca. 760 – 722]

1

Jonah

1, 2, or 3?

[ca. 760- ?]

5

Micah

4

[ca. 740 – 700] Assyrian 721

6

Nahum

5 or 6

[ca. 620]

7

Zephaniah

5 or 6

[ca. 620]

9

Habakkuk

7 or 8

[ca. 598 - 587]

8

Joel

7 or 8

[ca. 598 - 587]

2

Obadiah

9

[ca. 585] Babylon 587

4

Haggai

10 or 11

[520]

10

Zechariah

10 or 11

[?-520-?]

11

Malachi

12

[ca. 460]

12

 

2.       Fortelling and foretelling…

 

II.            The Twelve Minot Prophets (Biblical Order)

A.      Hosea (Joshua. Jesus. Salvation). Northern Kingdom. Israel. Before Assyria. Pre-exilic.

1.       Marriage to Gomer. The Prostitute. 1:1-3

2.       Call Back  14:1-3

B.      Joel (YHWH is God) – Judah. Southern. Jerusalem. Date not sure.

1.       The Locust Plague (2) 2:1-5

2.       The Outpouring - Joel 2:28-32. Pentecost. Birth of Church. Peter. (Ac. 2:16 – 21)

C.      Amos (name nowhere else in OT). Pre-exilic.  A native of Judah. Wealth, rank, influence and a herdsman, sheep tender, cultivator of sycamore trees. Not official prophet. From Tekoa in Judah, 10 miles south of Jerusalem. God is sovereign, his message. Against Israel’s Idolatry. Amos 1:1,2.

1.       Against the Nations: 1:3-4…for three, even for four.    1) Aram – Damascus, Arameans…(1:3-5);    2) Philistia. Philistines. Gaza…(1:6-8);    3) Tyre, Phoenicia…(1:9-10);    4) Edom. of Esau (Isaac’s son, Jacob’s (Israel’s) brother.) (1:11,12);    5)Ammon. Ammonite. Son of Ammon,    6) Moab…(Ruth 1:1-5);    7) Judah…(2:4,5);     8) Israel…(2:6-8)

2.       Justice – Amos 5:21-24…

D.      Obadiah – Servant of YHWH. Shortest book. Against Edom, from Esau, the twin brother of Jacob. Know nothing about Obadiah. Post-exilic.

E.       Jonah – Dove – to Nineveh, capital of Assyria (c. 750 – 250 BC). The Story of Jonah.

1.       Called and flees from YHWH. Boat. Caught. Thrown overboard. Swallowed by Big Fish (1)

2.       His Prayer Inside the Fish (2): 2:9,10

3.       To Nineveh (3). Nineveh repents

4.       Jonah’s pity party (4). 4:10, 11

F.       Micah – Micaiah – Who is like Yahweh (YHWH) – Pre-exilic. Judah. Jerusalem. Assyria. Israel. Down to Judah and Jerusalem. Micah 1:1,2…

1.       Key…Micah 6:6-8

2.       The Remnant…Micah 7:7-10

G.     Nahum – consolation comforter. – Pre-exilic. Assyria powerful. Supremacy of Assyria’s Empire. Nineveh fell in 612 BC  (Assyria. Thebes (Egypt had fallen to Assyria in 663BC))

1.       Salvation oracle – Nahum 1:15

2.       Nineveh will fall – Nahum 2:1 (2:2ff)

3.       Woe to Nineveh  - Nahum 3:1 (3)

H.      Habakkuk – Embrace? Not typical Hebrew name, a foreign word. Acadian – “a garden plant” name. Not know much about him. Pre-exilic. Contemporary to Nahum. To Judah (South). Before fall of Jerusalem.

1.       How long? Hab 1:2-4…First Complaint

2.       Second complaint (1:12-17). YHWH Answers (2:1-5)

3.       Five Woes (2:6-20). 2:6…

4.       Habakkuk’s Payer (3). Beautiful, 3:19!

I.        Zephaniah – YHWH Hides. Judah. Pre-exilic. Prophetic silence. Assyria controlled the land (698 – 626 BC). Against syncretism. Baal worship, child sacrifice.

1.       Judgment Against Judah (1). Day of YHWH (1:14-2:3)

2.       Against Nations (2:4-15)     1) Philistia. Gaza…(2:4-7)      2) Moab and Ammon (2:8-11);      3) Cush (2:12) Ethiopia;      4) Assyria (2:13-15)

3.       Against Jerusalem (3:1-5)

J.        Haggai – Festal one- Only one with this name in OT. Not much known. Preached in Jerusalem for only four months. 520 BC. Post-exilic. To the returned exiles…Zerubbabel. Haggai 3:20-23. Rebuilding…Temple!

K.      Zechariah – Yah Remembers – Post-exilic. Much about Messiah…

1.       First Oracle (1:1-6)

2.       Eight Night Visions (1:7-6:8)

3.       First Burden (9:1 – 11:17) King Messiah 9:9,10..

4.       Second Burden (12:1 – 14:21). Second Coming? 14:3-9…

L.       Malachi – Angel - My Messenger – Post-exilic

1.       Superinscription (1:1)

2.       Six Disputations between Malachi/YHWH and the Addressees (1:2 – 4:3) 4:1-3

3.       Remember! 4:4

4.       See! 4:5,6!!

Thought for the Week: Ralph L. Smith. Word Biblical Commentary #32. Michah – Malachi. P. 51

     God has told man what he seeks from him. He has told him what is good: ”to practice justice”; “to love devotion”; and “to walk humbly (wisely) with one’s God.” So when we come before God we must remember that it is not so much what is in our hands but what is in our hearts that finds expression in our conduct that is important. Norman Snaith said (104), “To say that God requires ultimately nothing that men can bring does not mean that men ought not to worship Him. Worship is necessary for man, because it is the outward expression of true humility before God, of that humble trust which is essential. It is when worship ceases to be this that it is a hindrance and not a help; so long as it is the outcome of true and humble conscious devotion to God, it can and does strengthen those bonds which bind God and man together through Christ. Worship is also necessary because a man should be full of praise and thankfulness to God; but as soon as the aim of hymns and song and music generally becomes an aesthetic, it is the time to beware.”

References: Eerdman’s Handbook to the Bible (1973)

Commentaries to the Minor Prophets