The Minor Prophets “The Twelve”. Bible “Big Picture” Covenant Making – God establishes a covenant relationship with a missional community by way of a

The Minor The Minor ProphetsProphets

““The Twelve”The Twelve”

Bible “Big Picture”Bible “Big Picture” Covenant Making – God establishes a covenant Covenant Making – God establishes a covenant

relationship with a missional community by way of a relationship with a missional community by way of a redemptive act (primary revelatory authority based upon redemptive act (primary revelatory authority based upon direct encounter)direct encounter) PentateuchPentateuch

Covenant Living – God guides the covenant relationship Covenant Living – God guides the covenant relationship with the missional community by way of authorized with the missional community by way of authorized spokespersons (secondary revelatory authority based spokespersons (secondary revelatory authority based upon unique individual calling & equipping)upon unique individual calling & equipping) Former Prophets (Stories)Former Prophets (Stories)

Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, EstherEzra, Nehemiah, Esther

Latter Prophets (Sermons)Latter Prophets (Sermons) Major Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, DanielMajor Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel Minor Prophets (“The Twelve”): Hosea through MalachiMinor Prophets (“The Twelve”): Hosea through Malachi

Covenant Questions – God nurtures the covenant Covenant Questions – God nurtures the covenant relationship with a missional community by way of relationship with a missional community by way of spiritual wisdom and insight (tertiary revelatory authority spiritual wisdom and insight (tertiary revelatory authority based upon communal spiritual insight)based upon communal spiritual insight) Poetry/Wisdom Literature: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Poetry/Wisdom Literature: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes,

SongSong

Function & Message of Function & Message of Prophecy in Ancient IsraelProphecy in Ancient Israel

Rooted in the Sinai Covenant:Rooted in the Sinai Covenant: Israel belongs to YahwehIsrael belongs to Yahweh Israel’s relationship with Yahweh shapes Israel’s relationship with Yahweh shapes

her community and lifestyle as a witness her community and lifestyle as a witness to Yahweh and the way things can be in to Yahweh and the way things can be in harmony with the Creatorharmony with the Creator

Obedience and disobedience trigger the Obedience and disobedience trigger the Blessings and the Curses of the CovenantBlessings and the Curses of the Covenant

Hence the strong emphasis on ethics and Hence the strong emphasis on ethics and moral lifestylemoral lifestyle


Very political:Very political: The threat of political dominance by other The threat of political dominance by other

nations is always seen as a divine scourge nations is always seen as a divine scourge resulting from the Covenant cursesresulting from the Covenant curses

How Israel handles international relations How Israel handles international relations shows whether she trusts Yahweh or is shows whether she trusts Yahweh or is enamored by power & politics:enamored by power & politics: Is Israel God’s witnessing people or is she Is Israel God’s witnessing people or is she

merely another nation with no particular merely another nation with no particular mission or divine purposemission or divine purpose??


Increasingly apocalyptic:Increasingly apocalyptic: Because things have not gone the way they should Because things have not gone the way they should

have, Yahweh will have to directly intervene again, as have, Yahweh will have to directly intervene again, as Yahweh did in the past.Yahweh did in the past.

When Yahweh intervenes this time, along with When Yahweh intervenes this time, along with judgment on the wickedness of the nations of the judgment on the wickedness of the nations of the world, Israel will also fall heavily under divine world, Israel will also fall heavily under divine punishmentpunishment

But Yahweh is on a mission of restoring the fallen But Yahweh is on a mission of restoring the fallen worldworld

Therefore this divine intervention will also involve a Therefore this divine intervention will also involve a new world order, a messianic age in which things will new world order, a messianic age in which things will be the way the Creator meant for them to bebe the way the Creator meant for them to be

Furthermore, because Yahweh is faithful to promises Furthermore, because Yahweh is faithful to promises made, “Israel” will not be forgotten, and a “remnant” made, “Israel” will not be forgotten, and a “remnant” will be at the center of all this renewal and will be at the center of all this renewal and restoration and great joyrestoration and great joy


This forward-looking thrust of prophecy leads This forward-looking thrust of prophecy leads some to think of it as primarily “foretelling”some to think of it as primarily “foretelling”

But in reality the nature of prophecy in But in reality the nature of prophecy in ancient Israel is more “forth-telling:”ancient Israel is more “forth-telling:” Declaring the meaning of the CovenantDeclaring the meaning of the Covenant Explaining the mission of Yahweh as witness to the Explaining the mission of Yahweh as witness to the

worldworld Describing the implications of the morality Describing the implications of the morality

envisioned by the Covenantenvisioned by the Covenant Included in this “forth-telling” is the Included in this “forth-telling” is the

anticipation of how things will look when anticipation of how things will look when everything is renewed:everything is renewed: The “New Covenant” of Jeremiah & EzekielThe “New Covenant” of Jeremiah & Ezekiel The “New Heavens & New Earth” of IsaiahThe “New Heavens & New Earth” of Isaiah The Messianic Age described by Isaiah, Ezekiel, The Messianic Age described by Isaiah, Ezekiel,

Joel, Micah & ZechariahJoel, Micah & Zechariah

The Prophets: A The Prophets: A Changing RoleChanging Role

1010thth – 9 – 9thth Centuries: Royal Advisors Centuries: Royal Advisors Samuel, Nathan, AhijahSamuel, Nathan, Ahijah

88thth Century: Loyal Opposition Century: Loyal Opposition Elijah, Elisha, Micaiah, Amos, Jonah, Hosea, Elijah, Elisha, Micaiah, Amos, Jonah, Hosea,

Micah, IsaiahMicah, Isaiah 77thth Century: Doomsayers Century: Doomsayers

Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Nahum, HabakkukJeremiah, Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk 66thth Century (Exilic): Messianic Optimists Century (Exilic): Messianic Optimists

Ezekiel, Obadiah, DanielEzekiel, Obadiah, Daniel 55thth Century (Post-Exilic): Apocalyptic Century (Post-Exilic): Apocalyptic

Moralists & Cheerleaders:Moralists & Cheerleaders: Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, JoelHaggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Joel

The Major ProphetsThe Major Prophets Isaiah:Isaiah:

Assyrian threat, divine deliveranceAssyrian threat, divine deliverance Coming Babylonian punishmentComing Babylonian punishment Future glorious restoration (“Suffering Servant”)Future glorious restoration (“Suffering Servant”)

Jeremiah:Jeremiah: Doom & gloom in Judah’s final yearsDoom & gloom in Judah’s final years Hopeful promises of future deliveranceHopeful promises of future deliverance

Ezekiel:Ezekiel: God on the move (threat & promise)God on the move (threat & promise) Fall of Jerusalem in divine judgmentFall of Jerusalem in divine judgment Glorious future restoration (Temple)Glorious future restoration (Temple)

Daniel:Daniel: Struggles of faithful living in exileStruggles of faithful living in exile Future cosmological conflicts resulting in Messianic Future cosmological conflicts resulting in Messianic

KingdomKingdom

HoseaHosea

750-723 (Northern Kingdom/Israel)750-723 (Northern Kingdom/Israel) Divine/Human Soap Opera:Divine/Human Soap Opera:

Hosea/YahwehHosea/Yahweh Gomer/IsraelGomer/Israel

JoelJoel

??? Probably Post-exilic (425?)??? Probably Post-exilic (425?) Terrible plague of locustsTerrible plague of locusts Symbolic of the “Day of the Lord”Symbolic of the “Day of the Lord”

JudgmentJudgment RemnantRemnant Beginning of the Messianic AgeBeginning of the Messianic Age

AmosAmos 760 (Northern Kingdom/Israel)760 (Northern Kingdom/Israel) Expansive prevalence of social sins which will Expansive prevalence of social sins which will

result in imminent divine judgment:result in imminent divine judgment: Growing gap between very rich and very poor, Growing gap between very rich and very poor,

accentuated by the callousness of the wealthy (6:4-6)accentuated by the callousness of the wealthy (6:4-6) Superficial acts of public worship (4:4-5; 5:21-23)Superficial acts of public worship (4:4-5; 5:21-23) Rich stealing the lands of the poor through criminal Rich stealing the lands of the poor through criminal

lending & repossessing (2:6; 8:4, 6)lending & repossessing (2:6; 8:4, 6) Denying justice in law courts to the helpless (2:7; Denying justice in law courts to the helpless (2:7;

5:10, 12)5:10, 12) Cheating the poor in the marketplace (8:5)Cheating the poor in the marketplace (8:5) Conspicuous consumption (4:1)Conspicuous consumption (4:1) Debauchery and other forms of immoral lifestyle (6:5-Debauchery and other forms of immoral lifestyle (6:5-

6)6)

ObadiahObadiah

580/570 (Exile)580/570 (Exile) Edom condemned for failure to help Edom condemned for failure to help

and deliberately harming Judah and deliberately harming Judah when being deported to Babylonwhen being deported to Babylon

JonahJonah

750 (Nineveh, capital city of Assyria)750 (Nineveh, capital city of Assyria) Preach judgment in NinevehPreach judgment in Nineveh Mystery of divine graceMystery of divine grace

MicahMicah

740-690 (South/Judah)740-690 (South/Judah) God is faithfulGod is faithful Israel is unfaithfulIsrael is unfaithful Judgment is comingJudgment is coming

NahumNahum

615? (just before Babylon conquers 615? (just before Babylon conquers Assyria)Assyria)

God will destroy Nineveh (Assyria) God will destroy Nineveh (Assyria) because of its cruelty to other because of its cruelty to other nationsnations

HabakkukHabakkuk

600? (just as Babylon—Chaldeans—600? (just as Babylon—Chaldeans—began to make their conquest moves began to make their conquest moves after toppling Assyria)after toppling Assyria)

Dialogue with Yahweh (1 & 2):Dialogue with Yahweh (1 & 2): Why do the wicked thrive?Why do the wicked thrive? Why will you use the Chaldeans Why will you use the Chaldeans

(Babylon) to punish us?(Babylon) to punish us? Song of Confidence (3)Song of Confidence (3)

ZephaniahZephaniah

630-610630-610 Deconstruction (judgment)Deconstruction (judgment) Reconstruction (Messianic age)Reconstruction (Messianic age)

HaggaiHaggai

520 (Post-exilic)520 (Post-exilic) Cheerleader: Cheerleader:

““Let’s build that Temple! Yeah!”Let’s build that Temple! Yeah!” ““God bless Zerubbabel!”God bless Zerubbabel!”

ZechariahZechariah

520-518 (Post-exilic)520-518 (Post-exilic) Visions of judgment on the nationsVisions of judgment on the nations Visions of glory on “Israel”Visions of glory on “Israel”

MalachiMalachi

460-450 (Post-exilic)460-450 (Post-exilic) Name means “My Messenger”Name means “My Messenger” Series of dialogues between God & the Series of dialogues between God & the

People:People: ““Why have you turned away from me?”Why have you turned away from me?” ““Why have you priests failed to honor me?”Why have you priests failed to honor me?” ““Why do you divorce?”Why do you divorce?” ““Why do you think I’m not coming back to my Why do you think I’m not coming back to my

Temple?”Temple?” Covenant renewalCovenant renewal Promises of God’s return to the Temple Promises of God’s return to the Temple

preceded by the coming of “Elijah”preceded by the coming of “Elijah”

““The Day of the Lord”The Day of the Lord”

The prophets increasingly despaired in the The prophets increasingly despaired in the people’s ability to remain or return to people’s ability to remain or return to covenant faithfulnesscovenant faithfulness

They began to see an imminent in-breaking They began to see an imminent in-breaking of Yahweh into human history (like at the of Yahweh into human history (like at the time of the Exodus/Sinai time of the Exodus/Sinai Covenant/Conquest of Canaan) which would Covenant/Conquest of Canaan) which would involve three things:involve three things: Judgment on Israel and the nationsJudgment on Israel and the nations Sparing of a faithful remnantSparing of a faithful remnant The ushering in of the Messianic Age in which The ushering in of the Messianic Age in which

all God’s promises would come true and creation all God’s promises would come true and creation itself would be reneweditself would be renewed

Documents

The Minor Prophets “The Twelve”. Bible “Big Picture” Covenant Making – God establishes a covenant relationship with a missional community by way of a