INTRODUCTION TO THE MINOR PROPHETS
5/1/16 – Garfield
A. Hebrews 1:1- “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in
various ways.”
1. Today I am going to start a series of lessons on the MINOR PROPHETS.
COMMENT:
I know you are EXCITED—WOOHOO! You were just hoping for this SERMON SERIES. Some of you love the Minor Prophets so much that you NAMED your CHILDREN after one or two of the prophets . . . . “I think I saw little HABAKKUK and HAGGAI go off to Children’s Worship.”
2. No, I realize that this is a SECTION of the Bible that we don’t STUDY about very often (although, I
believe that is certainly a good reason to have this series).
a. The PROPHETS are not always easy to UNDERSTAND.
b. Martin Luther had this to say about the PROPHETS: “The prophets have a strange way of talking, like people who instead of proceeding in an orderly manner, ramble off one thing to the next so that you cannot make heads or tails of them or see what they are getting at.” (I understand where Martin Luther is coming from, but that sounds more like DONALD TRUMP to me!!)
B. What do you think about when you hear the word “PROPHET”?
1. Many, if not most of us, when hearing the word “PROPHET” think about one who foretells FUTURE
EVENTS.
COMMENT:
Certainly the PROPHETS did some FORETELLING of the FUTURE to WARN the WICKED
and ENCOURAGE the RIGHTEOUS.
a. There are many examples in the Old Testament of MESSIANIC PROPHECIES—foretelling of Jesus’s LIFE and MINISTRY, DEATH and RESURRECTION.
b. There are also many Old Testament PROPHESIES that speak of the future CHURCH as the
fulfillment of God’s PROMISE to Abraham to bless the NATIONS through his OFFSPRING.
COMMENT:
The MINOR PROPHETS speak of both the coming of Christ and the establishment of His Church.
2. However, most of what both the OLD and NEW TESTAMENT PROPHETS wrote and spoke about
were regarding the PAST and PRESENT.
a. God, speaking through the PROPHETS, was more concerned with how His people were LIVING in the HERE and NOW.
b. So the prophets would most often speak of the people’s PRESENT FAILINGS and what NEEDED to be DONE for them to STRENGTHEN their RELATIONSHIP with God and their fellow MAN.
c. They were merely PREACHING God’s WORD.
C. Now, there are those who don’t like to STUDY the PROPHETS because they feel that their MESSAGE is
nothing but DOOM and GLOOM.
1. And their MESSAGE does contain some HARSH TEACHINGS and REALITIES.
a. Yet, God sent the PROPHETS to His people because He LOVED them.
b. God’s WAY is always the BEST WAY.
COMMENT:
Whether in the Old Testament or New Testament, God has always wanted what is BEST for His people. And, sadly, whether in the Old Testament or New Testament and even TODAY, God’s people hasn’t always FOLLOWED God’s PLAN. And we WONDER why we are in a MESS.
But as we will see throughout this study of the MINOR PROPHETS that God is a FORGIVING God who never GIVES UP on His people.
D. Today’s LESSON serves only as an INTRODUCTION to the MINOR PROPHETS. (We’ll get into
the actual study of the PROPHETS starting May 15th.)
1. This will not be a verse-by-verse IN DEPTH study, but more of an OVERVIEW of each BOOK.
2. I will be looking at the basic HISTORY and BACKGROUND, and then be HITTING the HIGHLIGHTS of each MINOR PROPHET. (So, I urge you to do further study at home.)
3. The MINOR PROPHETS are the last 12 books of the Old Testament (you know, that part of the
Bible that is LEFT of Matthew).
a. They include the books from HOSEA to MALACHI.
b. They are called “MINOR” only because they are SHORTER in CONTENT than the MAJOR
PROPHETS—ISAIAH to DANIEL, and not because they are of less IMPORTANCE or they
haven’t made it to the BIG LEAGUE.
MESSAGE:
I. WHY STUDY THE MINOR PROPHETS?
A. They are part of the WHOLE COUNSEL of God.
1. Acts 20:26-27- “Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all man. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the WHOLE WILL of God.” (EXPOUND)
2. Romans 15:4- “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scripture we might have hope.” (EXPOUND)
B. They HELP us to balance God’s LOVE with His Holy WRATH against SIN.
1. Our CULTURE and SOCIETY wants to HEAR about God’s LOVE.
a. People want to hear SERMONS about God being LOVING, FORGIVING and ACCEPTING.
We all do! Those are my favorite SERMONS to PREACH.
b. The problem is, our CULTURE has redefined LOVE as “DOING anything you WANT and LIVING anyway you want to LIVE, and God’s LOVE will simply OVERLOOK IT.”
c. Do you know what the Bible calls that TEACHING? FALSE PROPHECY.
- Jer. 6:13b-14- “…prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of
my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.”
ILLUSTRATION:
Telling someone who is LIVING a SINFUL LIFE that God doesn’t CARE how you LIVE and that He ACCEPTS you no matter what, is like putting a BAND-AID on a FATAL WOUND. It may slow down the BLEEDING and give you FALSE HOPE, but you are still going to DIE.
2. The MINOR PROPHETS talk about God’s LOVE and FORGIVENESS, but they also speak of
God’s HOLINESS and SOVEREIGNTY.
a. They want people to understand that God HATES SIN. He LOVES the SINNER, but He
HATES SIN! Why? Because SIN destroys PEOPLE. It destroys FAMILIES. It destroys NATIONS. It destroys CHURCHES.
b. SIN sends people to HELL, and that’s not what God wants. 2 Peter 3:9b- “God doesn’t want
anyone to PERISH (to be lost eternally in hell), but everyone to come to REPENTANCE.”
COMMENT:
God not only DELIVERS us from the PENALTY of SIN, but the POWER of SIN where it no longer has CONTROL over us.
C. They REMIND us that God is not only concerned with INDIVIDUALS, but with NATIONS.
1. Do you think God is concerned about the United States? (With our current political environment,
I hope and pray that God is concerned about the United Sates, and that He is still blessing us.)
a. Is God concerned about the COUNTRIES in the MIDDLE EAST? (Israel, Iraq, Iran, etc.)
b. Is He concerned about RUSSIA and CHINA and NORTH KOREA?
2. We will learn from the MINOR PROPHETS that God is indeed concerned about the NATIONS.
a. We will see how He moves among the NATIONS—how He JUDGES nations and USES nations
to fulfill His PURPOSE to His GLORY.
b. Don’t think for one moment that God doesn’t care about what goes on in our WORLD today. He does. And He WORKS among the NATIONS on behalf of His people.
D. They REVEAL God’s PLAN to send the MESSIAH and establish His CHURCH.
1. The MINOR PROPHETS contain many references to the coming of Jesus Christ.
COMMENT:
These are known as MESSIANIC PROPHECIES, and we will look at their FULFILLMENT in Jesus and His church.
2. Although most of the MINOR PROPHETS speak of the judgement of God against the disobedience of His people, they also present a message of HOPE and SALVATION found only in Christ.
II. WHO WERE THE PROPHETS?
A. They were God’s SPOKESMEN.
1. The Hebrew word, NABI- “A person authorized to speak for another, a spokesman for God.”
a. Referring to the coming Messiah as a Prophet, God speaking to Moses said: Deut. 18:18- “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in
His mouth, and He will tell them everything I command Him.” (This is referring to Jesus and not Mahammad as the Muslims teach.)
b. Hebrews 1:1-2a- “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son…”
2. Again, most of the teachings of PROPHETS was not foretelling the FUTURE, but merely presenting God’s MESSAGE that was RELEVANT for their CURRENT SITUATION.
B. Other Biblical designations of the PROPHETS may help DEFINE their ROLE:
1. Early in Israel's history they were called “SEERS” because of their ability to SEE the future-
1 Samuel 9:9.
2. Another designation was “MAN OF GOD” – 1 Samuel 9:6 and 1 Kings 17:18.
3. They were known as a “SERVANT OF GOD” – 1 Kings 18:36 and 1 Chronicles 6:49.
4. They served as God’s “MESSENGER” – Isiah 42:19
5. They were also assigned the role of “WATCHMAN” over God’s people– Ezekiel 3:17, 33:7
(Interestingly, Elders are also referred to as “WATCHMEN”- Acts 20:28 and Hebrews 13:7.)
III. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE MINOR PROPHETS
A. All the PROPHETS from Isaiah to Malachi were sent by God to His people during TROUBLING
times in Israel’s history.
1. Israel had become a DIVIDED NATION no longer ruled by ONE King as it was under David and
Solomon, but by SEPARATE Kings.
a. There was the NORTHERN KINGDOM of Israel, which consisted of TEN TRIBES and is referred to in Scripture as “Israel.”
b. Then there was the SOUTHERN KINGDOM of Israel consisting of the TWO remaining
TRIBES, and it is referred to as “Judah.”
COMMENT:
Prophets were sent by God to both Kingdoms to present His message of WARNINGS and JUDGMENTS as well as REPENTANCE and SALVATION. Each MESSAGE carried the underlying theme that God LOVES His people and wants to BLESS them.
2. The writings of the MINOR PROPHETS expand approximately 400 years—from around 845 B.C,
to 440 B.C.
COMMENT:
Although the book of Hosea may appear first in the Bible, it was not the oldest Minor Prophet. Obadiah was actually the first of the MINOR PROPHETS. Therefore, we will be studying the MINOR PROPHETS in CHRONOLOGICAL order and not in the SEQUENCE they appear in the Bible.
B. Three POWERFUL NATIONS emerge during the 400 years of the MINOR PROPHETS: ASSYRIA,
BABYLON, and PERSIA.
1. These three NATIONS, although were PAGAN NATIONS, were used by God to both PUNISH and
RESTORE the Nation of Israel.
a. As PUNISHMENT for their DISOBEDIENCE, God will use ASSYRIA to take ISRAEL into
captivity and will use BABYLON to take the JUDAH into captivity.
b. Then God will use Cyrus the King of Persia to RESTORE the faithful REMNANT of His people and bring the ISRAELITES back to Jerusalem, so they can once again SERVE and
WORSHIP God as He commanded.
2. We will learn in our study that God sometimes uses NATIONS to accomplish His PURPOSE, even
when He does not APPROVE of that nation’s CONDUCT.
a. That is why it is imperative that America look to Jesus Christ as their KING and SOVEREIGN,
and not to some POLITICIAN to SAVE them.
b. The reason that Israel became a DIVIDED NATION in the FIRST PLACE, and consequently ended up in CAPTIVITY, is because they did not give heed to God’s WARNING and PROMISE made to King Solomon after He had finished building the Temple of God.
c. 2 Chronicles 7:14- “If my people, who are called by name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
COMMENT:
That PASSAGE is just as TRUE today as it was when it was written almost 3,000 years ago. Pray that America REPENTS and SEEKS God’s FACE once again.
CONCLUSION:
A. Luke 24:27- “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all
the Scriptures concerning Himself.”
1. This is the scene of Jesus after His RESURRECTION speaking to two DISCIPLES while they were traveling on the Road to Emmaus.
COMMENT:
Although these men didn’t know who Jesus was, they were discussing the EVENTS of the PAST few days—Jesus’ CRUCIFIXION and the REPORT of the women that He had RISEN from the DEAD. Yet, they didn’t know what to BELIEVE.
But then Jesus began teaching them from MOSES and the PROPHETS about Himself as the Messiah, the Savior of the world.
2. So if preaching from the PROPHETS on the ROAD to EMMAUS was important to Jesus, then it should be IMPORTANT to us.
B. Granted, this will be a different kind of STUDY from what you normally HEAR from me.
1. There will be a lot of HISTORY that we will be looking at, but I will do my best to make this STUDY as RELEVANT and PRACTICAL as I possibly can.
2. We will begin with Obadiah on May 15th, so please start reading and studying that book now so that you will gain as much UNDERSTANDING as you possibly can from this STUDY.
