Homework assignment

Old Testament Overview Homework

Please bring a Bible with you to use during our Old Testament overview class. If possible, bring a study bible (one that has references and footnotes) that is in a relatively modern translation. New International Version is what I will be using. Please avoid bringing paraphrased versions.

Discussion Questions -- be prepared to share!

What part(s) of the Old Testament do you enjoy reading/studying or that minister to you the most?

What part(s) of the Old Testament are the most problematic for you?

Read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5) What was Jesus’ attitude toward the Old Testament?

Briefly thumb through the book of Romans. Look at how often Paul quotes the Old Testament. What is the relationship of Paul’s theology to the Old Testament?

List some reasons why (or why not) you think that the Old Testament might be important for a Christian to read.

List some reasons how more familiarity with the Old Testament might benefit you personally or in your area of ministry.

Review the book of Hebrews to get the context of chapter 11. Carefully read all of the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. Hebrews 11 lists Abel as a person of faith. (each of us has a different person to research!) Read about this person in the Old (and New!) Testament. Be prepared to share this person’s story with the group, why you think that they were included in this list of people of faith and how their experience relates to us today. (We will be doing Abraham as a group during class)

As you work through your assignment, consider the following suggestions.

1) Pray. The Holy Spirit is your teacher. It is only in Christ that the veil is taken away from the Old Testament. Stay close as you read.

1) If possible, use several translations. You might be surprised at some of the differences.

3) Read the footnotes and cross references, but be aware that they may reflect the opinion of whoever edited your study Bible.

3) If you have an exhaustive concordance (like Strong’s), look up your person’s name. You may find references to them in unexpected places. One “on-line” resource is http://bible.crosswalk.com/index.cgi You may find others with search engines.

3) It is sometimes useful to look up place names on a map.

3) Please don’t get help from anyone else, use a commentary or another book or teaching for this particular assignment. Only you, the Holy Spirit and the Bible, anything else is cheating. Let’s bring our own ideas to the table for this discussion. One of our objectives for this study is for each of us to experience studying the Old Testament directly.

Hebrews 11

Hebrews 11

1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

4 By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.

5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren--was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. 13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 19 Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.

20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. 21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.

23 By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. 24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. 29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days. 31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.

32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37 They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. 39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Look up Abraham!

One of the most prominent people on this listed in Hebrews 11 "Role Call of Faith" is Abraham, whose faith was accounted to him as righteousness. Abraham's influence is not only felt by Christians and Jews, but by Muslims as well, particularly through the incident on Mount Moriah where he offers up his son. Knowing what you believe about Abraham may facilitate dialogue with people of other faiths as well as deepening your understanding of your relationship with God. Hebrews 11 mentions three aspects of Abraham's faith.



Abraham’s home – The Promised Land, The City of God

Hebrews 11:8-10 8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Genesis 12 – 13, Hebrews 11:16, 12:22, Hebrews 13:14, Gal 4:25-26, Rev 21 & 22

Abraham’s offspring – A faithful, spiritual nation, the Kingdom of God

Hebrews 11:11-16 11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren--was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. 13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them

Genesis 15 – 18:15, Genesis 21:13, Romans 4, John 8:33 – 58, Romans 9:7 – 8, Gal. 3:6 -29, 4:21-31, Heb 2:16, 6:13-15, Isaiah 51:1-2,

Abraham’s sacrifice -- Letting go and letting God, resurrection life

Hebrews 11:17-19, 17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 1819 Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned."

Genesis 22:1 – 19, James 2:20-24

Might be interesting to also look up...

Mount Moriah Genesis 22:2 II Chronicles 3:1

Only son Genesis 22:2, 12, 16, Hebrews 11:17, John 3:16, I John 4:9

Living witnesses of History

A Brief History of Old Testament Times (Part 1)

Creation, Sin, Expulsion from the Garden, Cain and Abel, Enoch, Noah and the Ark...

Nearly half of the time covered by the Old Testament is before the flood. We tend to lose sight of that because not much is written about the Antediluvian times (Ante = before, Diluvian = the flood). It is covered in a few brief chapters in Genesis. We learn from Hebrews 11 that three of the men who lived during this time pleased God with their faith.

The rest of this portion of scripture seems to be endless genealogies. There are a few things that we can learn from them. Unlike later genealogies, they give ages, ages of when a son was born and ages of death. String them together, and you can see the passage of time. Plug them into an Excel sheet and generate a graph. I did it for you if you don’t have the time.

You’ll find unlike the people of our time, there was a tremendous amount of overlap between the lifetimes of these men. It is rare for us to have seen our great grandparents. But Adam lived to see his great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson be born. That would have been Noah’s father, Lamech. That means the story of creation did not have to pass through eight or nine generations to Noah. His father could have heard it directly from Adam. In any event, it would not have become a myth while the person to whom it happened was still living.

The genealogy in Genesis 11 covers the descendants of Shem, the son of Noah, in the same manner, giving ages of the birth of a son as well as the age of death. Shem, who was already 98 years old when the flood came, lived to be 600. That means that he was still alive when Jacob and Esau were born! While they probably never met Shem, he was still living proof of the flood during their lifetimes.

(Click on the graph!)

Did they really live that long?

A Brief History of Old Testament Times (Part II)

Some secular critics cite the long lives claimed for the ancients as proof against authenticity. They claim that primitive cultures tend to exaggerate the life spans of their distant ancestors and gradually reduce them for their less distant ancestors. However, in Genesis, there is no gradual reduction in the lifespans of the ancients. Rather the lifespans are reduced in discreet steps that halve the lives of these people precisely at the times of major catastrophic changes in the environment. This is compatible with what we know about the response of longevity to environmental conditions and is unlikely to have been a literary invention of a primitive culture.

For example, Noah actually lived a few years longer than Adam. No gradual reduction there. There was some variation, of course. Methuselah lived longer than either of them. Lamech had a shorter life. And then there was Enoch. But he was a special case. Generally speaking, lifetimes in the period before the flood were fairly consistent at about 900 to 950 years old. The ages of the pre-flood people are not wild exaggerations given in huge round numbers, but are precise. “969” not “1000” or even “970” is the age of Methuselah.

Shem, who lived for his first 98 years in the pre-flood environment, lived to be 600 years old. He was an exception for those living after the flood. Beginning with the very first people to be born after the flood, the lifespan of man was cut in half. Most of these people lived to be around 450 years old. A few generations later, the earth was divided. This is not a reference to the Tower of Babel, but refers to the dividing of the ground, dirt, land, terra firma, a breaking up of the land. This might mean that massive earthquakes, perhaps even continental shifting, took place in a short period of time. Another cataclysmic event and the lifespan of man is halved again to 225. Over time and a few more environmental changes, our lifespan has settled down to a maximum of around 120.

Legacy of the Tower of Babel

One major event recorded in Genesis between the flood and the call of Abraham is the incident at the Tower of Babel. Without trying to speculate on how the Lord accomplished this or why building a tower would merit such an extreme response, let’s just consider the consequences of this event.

1) It caused the rapid spread of humanity across the globe.

2) It resulted in the establishment of a variety of distinct people groups from one family (Noah’s).

3) And finally, it demolished the existing political system and required men to rebuild politically from nothing.

I believe that God used this situation to nurture His plan of salvation through the next thousand or so years. City-states during the time of Abraham, tribal nations during the times of Joshua and the judges, small kingdoms during the time of David and Solomon each played their role in allowing the people of God to experience just the right amount of opposition to keep them challenged and growing in faith toward God. Towards the end of the kingdom period, mighty empires began to rise as God prepared to take His plan of salvation to the world, using each of them for spreading His people, preparing highways, providing a common language, each played a role in setting the stage for the rapid spread of the gospel. But I’m getting way ahead of myself.

From Abraham through Judges--walking by faith

A Brief History of Old Testament Times (Part IV)

Men could not communicate to those who did not know their language and so had to start with their own families, teaching their children the language they knew. Instead of one world empire with the great city of Babylon as its center, wandering families struggled to survive. As each family into grew to a tribe, they established city-states for the common defense. It was at this point that God called Abraham to leave his home for a promised land. He could roam freely without permission from any emperor or king as long as he could defend himself and his family. The city-states had kings that were frequently also the high priest of their religion. In Abraham’s day, the knowledge of God was not lost, though not always strictly maintained. Melchizedek[1] was one of these priest/kings who served “God Most High”, offering a communion of bread and wine. During his wanderings, Abraham, and later, Isaac, might not know if a group of people were God worshippers or not.

As a nation, Israel had to experience the gospel that she would later give to the world through the church. So, Abraham’s great grandchildren headed to Egypt, where they grew into a nation. This was where they experienced slavery and supernatural deliverance by the hand of God. Through the Passover, He taught them that not by family lineage or great morality, but only through the blood of the lamb, were they saved from the angel of death.

As a nation, they learned about failure to trust and obey and its consequences through their failure to enter the land. A generation later, they learned about warfare. By this time, the city-states had grown into tribal nations. Taking the promised land would require them to wage war through faith in God. Once in the land, the tribes lived separate, but mutually peaceful lives, coming together for warfare as the situation required. During this time, they were without a king, doing what each one thought best. The history of this time is marked with the repeated cycle of falling away from God, domination by a foreign tribal nation, repentance and deliverance by a hero/judge whose influence kept them serving God until his/her death. The Bible doesn’t commend these judges for their strict keeping of the laws of Moses, but for their faith in God, sometimes in seemingly impossible situations. The events described in the book of Judges did not necessarily affect the entire nation of Israel, but might involve only a few tribes at a time. They lived this way for around 400 years.

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[1] Genesis 14:18-20, Hebrews 7

Timeline of Divided Kingdom

Click to enlarge

Organization of OT books

Pentateuch
Genesis –

Exodus –

Leviticus –

Numbers –

Deuteronomy –

History -- the "former prophets"
Joshua –

Judges –

Ruth –

I & II Samuel –

I & II Kings –

I & II Chronicles –

Ezra –

Nehemiah –

Esther –

The Books of Wisdom
Job –

Psalms –

Proverbs –

Ecclesiastes –

Song of Solomon –

The Major Prophets

Isaiah –

Jeremiah –

Lamentations –

Ezekiel –

Daniel –

The Minor Prophets ("minor" in size, not in importance!)

Hosea –

Joel –

Amos –

Obadiah –

Jonah –

Micah –

Nahum –

Habakkuk –

Zephaniah –

Haggai –

Zechariah –

Malachi –

Description of each book

Genesis –Beginnings God as creator, His fellowship with man, His desire for man’s best.

Sin – its consequences, death and exile. God’s continued care of man.

Pre-flood expansion of sin.

Cleansing flood. Limitation of man’s lifespan.

Covenant of promise with Noah

Abram/Abraham Covenant of promise Faith and righteousness

Abraham’s descendants

Into Egypt

Exodus – Slavery. Redemption. Mount Sinai. Covenant of the Law

Leviticus – Priesthood, Holiness, sacrifices

Numbers – (Hebrew – “in the desert”) One generation’s failure to walk by the faith of Abraham results in their loss of Abraham’s inheritance. Their faith is tried repeatedly, the old generation dies out, the new learns to walk with God. Two censuses, at the beginning and end of this time reveal that the same number of people take the land as had refused it a generation earlier. (But the proportions of the tribes is different! God’s judgments were aimed at the unfaithful among them and were not random. e.g. the tribe of Simeon (see judgment of Baal Peor) went from 59,300 to 22,200 and the tribe of Manasseh went from 32,200 to 52,700)

Deuteronomy – traditionally the reiteration of the law to the new generation. Moses last words. Confirmation of God’s love to the new generation. Anointing of Eleazar, Aaron’s son as high priest. Joshua appointed leader in Moses stead.

Joshua – The first book of “history”. Fulfillment of God’s promise to the extent that the people trust and obey.

Judges -- the period when Israel was ruled by “judges”. Repeated cycle of apostasy on the part of the people, judgment by God using foreign nations, deliverance of the people through a “judge”, who trusts God for deliverance. Not all of the land of Israel was necessarily affected in each instance. Repeated point: Everyone did what was right in their own eyes because there was no king in Israel. (Author making point in favor of monarchy?)

Ruth – takes place during the time of the Judges. Story of the unwavering devotion to God and family in the unlikely person of a Moabitess, a foreigner and outcast. (see Deut. 23:3) Her faith is richly rewarded. The idea of the kinsman/redeemer well illustrated. These are David’s ancestors.

I Samuel -- Begins during the time of the judges. Samuel is the “last judge”. A corrupt priesthood results in the loss of Israel’s glory, the ark of the covenant, symbol of God’s presence among them. The people demand a king. God grant’s them a covenantal monarchy (like a “constitutional monarchy). This is a radical departure from the kingdoms surrounding them. Unlike the neighboring kingdoms, Israel’s king is NOT a king/priest or a demi-god or an avatar. Israel’s king does not have absolute power, but is subject, like his brethren, to God through the covenant. He must be attentive to and submitted to God who speaks through His prophets and priests. Saul, the first king, fails miserably to understand this concept or adhere to it. David is anointed and goes through a period of severe testing at the hands of Saul. But he emerges as totally dedicated to God.

II Samuel – Begins after the death of Saul and records David’s monarchy. He brings back the ark (the glory of Israel, God’s presence among them), militarily subdues the area

I & II Kings – This history begins with Solomon’s reign and continues to the Babylonian captivity. Most likely to have been written to encourage the exiles in Babylon. It’s theme revolves around the faithfulness (or unfaithfulness) of God’s people and the consequences. The gradual deterioration of the national trust in God is documented to demonstrate that the Babylonian captivity is the direct result of the failure of God’s people, not the result of God’s inability to defend them. II Kings ends with King Jehoiachin restored to some honor even in the land of captivity. God is still with them in spite of their failures.

I Chronicles – covers much of the same history as Samuel and Kings, with a view to encouraging the Israelites who have returned from captivity. A recurrent theme is the condition of the temple as an indication of the condition of the faithfulness of the people. Genealogies are included to give a sense of continuity to a people who had been shattered by captivity, a sense of God’s faithfulness to preserve them as a people. The royal line and the line of the high priest are recorded in depth. Other families are recorded more briefly. I Chronicles ends with David who has acquired the plans for the temple by the Spirit, has collected materials for the temple, and has arranged the duties of the priests and Levites for serving in a temple, charging Solomon to build it.

II Chronicles –Solomon builds and dedicates the temple. The covenant is renewed after the apostasy during Atheliah’s reign at the temple. The temple is repaired. Uzziah enters the temple and becomes a leper. Hezekiah opens the doors of the temple and purifies it. He is spared the Assyrian captivity. Josiah repairs the temple,(receives the book from the temple??) II Chronicles ends with the decree of Cyrus releasing the Israelites to rebuild their temple.

Ezra – (Same author as I & II Chron? May be part of same book as Nehemiah) In addition to Ezra’s personal memoirs, copies of official documents or letters are included, written in their original language. Including 1) Cyrus’ original decree, 2) official accusation against the Jews 3) Reply of Artaxerxes 4) governor’s report 5) decree of Darius 6) letter of Artaxerxes 7) list of returned articles 8) list of returned exiles, list of mixed marriages genealogy of Ezra and clan chiefs.

Shows God’s sovereignty over the nations and foreign kings, Documents for future generations the validity of those serving as priests, documents the “Jewishness” of the returned exiles. The role of “mixed marriages” in blocking God’s blessings because they adopted the idolatry of their spouses as well. Consider this issue not in terms of racism, but in terms of the spiritual principle of compromise with idolatry. Consider the focus on the temple not as concern for a building, but as concern for a spiritual temple of which we as God’s people are living stones. If the state of the body of Christ was such that the individual members had no connection with others to create a habitation of God in the spirit, it would become a strong priority for the restoration of God’s people.

Nehemiah – building of the wall

Esther – Institution of Purim. Victory in the age old conflict with the Amalekites. Shows God’s control over seemingly insignificant events and over the hearts of great kings. Shows His faithfulness to His people when they seek His face, even when they are living in captivity.

Job – The first of the “wisdom” books. Examines the question of “why do the righteous suffer”.

Psalms – a collection of songs and poetry. Some date from the time of Moses, most are later. David wrote some but by no means all or even “most” of the psalms. They include prayers, individual and corporate, praise and thanksgiving for help in need, praise of the majesty of God, confessions of faith, pilgrimage songs, royal songs (for coronations or royal weddings) and songs for teaching. Keep in mind that Hebrew poetry involves repetition, simile, metaphor, parallelism, alliteration and wordplays more than rhyme and meter (the mainstays of our poetry). Beware of trying to find too much theological significance in a play on words.

Proverbs – Practical instruction on living based on the “fear of the Lord”, presented in “sound bites”

Ecclesiastes – Apart from God, life has no meaning. Wisdom, reason, money, power, pleasure are not enough to satisfy the human heart. Only a life lived in humble trust and obedience to God is worth living.

Song of Solomon – Love’s journey to maturity

Isaiah – The first of the major prophets (called “major” because of the size of the book, not the relative importance) Events recorded take place during the rise of the Assyrian Empire and the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel. Isaiah and Hezekiah keep Jerusalem tracking with the Lord during this pivotal time, saving it from being conquered. As the world moves into a time of large empires and away from the little kingdoms that prevailed during most of Israel’s history, the prophets begin to unveil a larger vision for God’s people. Prophecies about the Messiah and the role of spiritual role of Israel in the latter days become more prominent than in earlier writings.

Jeremiah – Jeremiah’s ministry begins before the Babylonians conquer Jerusalem and continues after it. His is the unenviable task of proclaiming that surrender to a foreign power is now the will of God as judgment for a disobedient and idolatrous Israel. He is viewed by most of his contemporaries as a traitor. But he also prophesies about the restoration of Israel after her time of judgment, declares the time limit set by God (70 years) and promises of help during captivity. He even buys a piece of property as a sign that they will be restored. There is often a double meaning in his prophecy. There is the promise of a literal restoration and the promises concerning the ultimate establishment of the kingdom of God.

Lamentations -- Poetic lament over the destruction of Jerusalem. Documents the horrors of that time and rightly reveals it as judgment from God. But recalls the faithfulness and goodness of the Lord to restore.

Ezekiel – a young man of priestly descent unable to serve as priest during the Babylonian captivity is called to another ministry, that of prophet. His prophecies are filled with temple images. The magnificent vision of the Lord’s glory when he is called to the ministry is the living embodiment of the Holy of Holies complete with cherubim and mercy seat. His graphic vision of the sins of Judah and the withdrawal of the presence of God center around the temple. His vision of ultimate restoration is a plan for an incredible temple. As with Chronicles and Ezra, consider the focus on the temple not just as a brick and mortar physical place, but as a habitation of God in the Spirit composed of His people as living stones.

Daniel – A young man’s devotion to God in spite of his circumstances allows him to be used by God to minister to the most powerful men in the world, the emperors of Babylon and Persia, challenging them to humility before God. Reveals God’s sovereignty over the nations and history. Prophecies about the Messiah and about the time of the end.

Hosea – a book about covenant faithfulness in the face of unfaithfulness. Hosea’s experience of the infidelity of his wife and the burden of raising children who are not his own, mirrors God’s experience of the unfaithfulness of Israel. His faithful obedience to the Lord in this humiliating experience allows him to speak with authority about the grace of God.

Joel – not dated-- Judgment and imminent destruction calls for repentance. So it will also be in the end. Prophecy about the outpouring of the Spirit and the signs of the end.

Amos – Judgment on the nations surrounding Israel. Judgment on Israel. She will be exiled to be sifted among the Gentiles. Eventual restoration after exile.

Obadiah – prophecy is exclusively about Edom and not about Israel at all. Total annihilation is promised. Remember that the nation of Edom are the descendants of Esau, who had so little regard for God and the things of God that he sold his birthright for a bowl of lentils. Hebrews 12 calls him “godless” and “profane”.

Jonah – Less than half a century before Assyria took the northern kingdom into captivity, Jonah was called to preach repentance to its capital city, Nineveh! Astonishing to the Israelite mind of the time is that God would care about a heathen nation, warn them of their sin and impending judgment and accept their repentance!

Micah – Judgment is promised to Israel for social injustice. Both the Assyrian and the Babylonian invasions are mentioned. Bethlehem Ephrata will be the source of the promised ruler (Messiah). Futility of sacrifice without repentance demonstrated by work. “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Nahum – More than half a century after Assyria took the northern kingdom into captivity, Nahum prophesies the downfall of Nineveh for its savagery against God’s people.

Habakkuk – this book takes the form of a dialogue between Habakkuk and God, like a journal of his devotional life. He first asks God how He can let the injustices in Judah continue without judgment. God’s answer is that He will shortly bring Babylon against them. Then Habakkuk asks God how a holy and pure God can use an ungodly nation like Babylon to judge His people. God’s answer is that the Babylonians will be judged in their turn and the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk’s concluding prayer and worship is about humble trust in God even in the worst of circumstances.

Zephaniah – A fourth generation descendant of Hezekiah prophesies about the “Day of the Lord” as a day of judgment, a fire to consume every living thing on the planet. There will be a time of cleansing, removing the unfaithful and eventually restoring the humble.

Haggai – The returned exiles need to rebuild the temple although it seems a daunting impossibility. God promises that their rebuilt temple will surpass the glory of Solomon’s temple and that they will be blessed materially for their contributions out of their poverty.

Zechariah – During the time of the restoration, Zechariah sees eight visions which are very similar to the Revelation shown to John. A number of his Messianic prophecies are quoted in the gospels (esp. Matthew) such as the king coming on a donkey, the thirty pieces of silver, striking the shepherd and scattering the sheep. The eventual acceptance of the Messiah by the Jewish people is prophesied when they mourn for the “one whom they pierced”. Living water will flow from Jerusalem. The high priest Joshua (Jesus) is crowned as a symbol of the Priest/King who will build the temple of God and who will have a place to stand in heaven to plead for his people.

Malachi – The returned exiles, discouraged, lose sight of God’s hand in their lives. (“Where is the God of justice?” and “It is futile to serve God”) Their worship becomes an empty formality as shown by their “sacrifice” of animals that were useless. Their lives are marked with compromise with the world as shown by their divorces and “mixed marriages”. Malachi speaks of the purifying day of judgment and the protection and blessing of those who remain faithful to God.