Dear Theophilus, Minor Prophets E-Book

Peter DeHaan

• Herausgeber: Rock Rooster Books
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: 40-Day Bible Study Series
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 126

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Beschreibung

Are you ready to dive into the often overlooked and underestimated world of the Minor Prophets? 

Don't let their label fool you. The messages they bring are just as vital and powerful as those of the Major Prophets. Perhaps even more so.  

But if you’re like most people, you scarcely remember their names, let alone recall what they wrote. They are Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Obadiah, Haggai, Zechariah, Joel, and Malachi.  

Join Bible teacher Peter DeHaan in this 40-day Bible study that digs into the ministry, work, and writing of the Bible’s twelve Minor Prophets.  

Dear Theophilus, Minor Prophets: 40 Prophetic Teachings about Unfaithfulness, Punishment, and Hope takes you on a journey through the Minor Prophets in chronological order, providing context and continuity to their messages. 

From Jonah to Malachi, these quick and digestible books offer insights into the hearts and minds of prophets who served God faithfully in turbulent times. Join us as we explore their enduring teachings and learn how to truly follow, worship, and serve God.  

This Bible study is perfect for both personal reflection and group study. Bonus sections enhance your understanding of key themes and passages from the Minor Prophets.  

Are you ready for an exciting and enlightening adventure? 

Get your copy of Dear Theophilus, Minor Prophets today! 

[This book has also been published as Return to Me.]

Leseprobe

DEAR THEOPHILUS, MINOR PROPHETS

40 PROPHETIC TEACHINGS ABOUT UNFAITHFULNESS, PUNISHMENT, AND HOPE

40-DAY BIBLE STUDY SERIES

BOOK 4

PETER DEHAAN

DearTheophilus, MinorProphets: 40 PropheticTeachings about Unfaithfulness, Punishment, and Hope© 2020, 2022 by PeterDeHaan.

40-DayBibleStudySeries, book 4 (formerly Return to Me)

All rights reserved: No part of this book may be reproduced, disseminated, or transmitted in any form, by any means, or for any purpose without the express written consent of the author or his legal representatives. The only exception is short excerpts and the cover image for reviews or academic research.

Scriptures are taken from the HolyBible, NewInternationalVersion®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “NewInternationalVersion” are trademarks registered in the UnitedStatesPatent and TrademarkOffice by Biblica, Inc.™

Published by RockRoosterBooks

ISBN:

978-1-948082-38-9 (e-book)

978-1-948082-39-6 (paperback)

978-1-948082-40-2 (hardcover)

Credits:

Developmental editor: ErinBrown

Copy editor/proofreader: RobynMulder

Cover design: CassiaFriello

Author photo: CheleReagh, PippinReaghDesign

ToAbigailAlexander

Series by PeterDeHaan

40-DayBibleStudySeriestakes a fresh and practical look into Scripture, book by book.

BibleCharacterSketchesSeriescelebrates people in Scripture, from the well-known to the obscure.

HolidayCelebrationBibleStudySeriesrejoices in the holidays with Jesus.

VisitingChurchesSeries takes an in-person look at church practices and traditions to inform and inspire today’s followers of Jesus.

Be the first to hear about Peter’s new books and receive updates at PeterDeHaan.com/updates.

CONTENTS

Who Are the Minor Prophets?

JONAH

Day 1: Jonah’s Confession

Day 2: Worst Sermon Ever

Day 3: Self-Focused or Other-Focused?

Dig Deeper: Prophets Pray

AMOS

Day 4: Fire and Destruction

Day 5: Chosen—and Disciplined

Day 6: Something God Hates

Day 7: The Lord Relents

Day 8: Israel Destroyed

Day 9: Israel Restored

Dig Deeper: The Kings of Judah

HOSEA

Day 10: Unfaithfulness

Day 11: Judgment or Mercy?

Day 12: What God Desires

Day 13: Foreign Words

Day 14: Spiritual Adultery and Prostitution

Day 15: God Pursues Us, but Do We Notice?

Dig Deeper: Idol Worship Then and Now

Day 16: Walk with God and Do Not Stumble

MICAH

Day 17: Stop It, Micah

Day 18: Godly Credentials

Day 19: What God Requires

Day 20: Our Hope

Dig Deeper: Spiritual Prostitution, Unfaithfulness, and Love

NAHUM

Day 21: Our Refuge

Day 22: Doing God’s Will May Not Be Enough

ZEPHANIAH

Day 23: Complacency

Day 24: Lead Well

HABAKKUK

Day 25: How Long?

Day 26: Be Patient

OBADIAH

Day 27: The Sin of Inaction

HAGGAI

Day 28: Put God First

Dig Deeper: Be Strong

ZECHARIAH

Day 29: Returning

Dig Deeper: Astounding Parallels between Zechariah and Revelation

Day 30: Wall of Fire

Day 31: If-Then

Day 32: Diligently Obey

Day 33: Better than Fasting

Day 34: Prophecy Fulfilled

Day 35: Shepherds and Sheep

Dig Deeper: Thirty Pieces of Silver

Day 36: Our Present and Future Hope

JOEL

Day 37: A Holy Fast

Day 38: Swarms of Locusts

MALACHI

Day 39: Close Church?

Dig Deeper: Q & A with God

Day 40: God Challenges Us to Test Him

For Small Groups, Sunday School, and Classrooms

If You’re New to the Bible

About Theophilus

About Peter DeHaan

Books by Peter DeHaan

WHO ARE THE MINOR PROPHETS?

A large portion of the OldTestament contains books of prophecy. Bible scholars divide these prophetic books into two categories. They call one group the MajorProphets, which includes the writings of Isaiah, Jeremiah (who also wrote Lamentations), Ezekiel, and Daniel.

The other category is the MinorProphets, which we’ll cover in this book. They are:

HoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachi

This makes a total of twelve so-called MinorProphets. The label minor is unfortunate because it leads many people to believe that their works and messages aren’t as important as the MajorProphets. This isn’t true. They’re called minor because the books they wrote are shorter.

I, for one, like shorter books. It might be that you do too. The writings of these twelve prophets are quick to read and easier to digest.

We’ll cover all twelve in DearTheophilus, MinorProphets. However, we won’t address them in the order they appear in the Bible. Instead, we’ll place them in chronological order (the best we can). This will give us some needed context and help us with continuity.

For many of these twelve prophets, the Bible lets us know the period of their ministries by mentioning the kings who ruled at that time, along with other useful hints. For other prophets, the Bible gives us no indication of when they prophesied. For these we place them in order based on Bible scholars’ interpretations of nonbiblical historical documents. Several of the prophets in the following list have overlapping timelines, being contemporaries of one another and prophesying in the same era.

Here are the twelve MinorProphets placed in rough chronological order. Key events and other notable biblical figures appear in parentheses to help us round out the timeline.

The nations of Israel and Judah in the PromisedLand.

JonahAmosHoseaMicah(Isaiah, major prophet)

Assyria conquers Israel and deports many people. OnlyJudah remains.

NahumZephaniah(Jeremiah, major prophet)HabakkukObadiah

Babylon conquers Judah and deports many people.

(Daniel, major prophet)(Ezekiel, major prophet)

KingCyrus of Persia allows the people exiled from Judah to return and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple.

Haggai(Zerubbabel, governor of Judah)(Ezra, priest and teacher)Zechariah(Esther, made queen by KingXerxes of Persia and Media)(Nehemiah, governor of Judah)JoelMalachi

With this timeline in mind, let’s begin. It’s sure to be an exciting journey.

If others give us an unfair label, like the MinorProphets, how can we rise above it to best serve God?

[Discover more about another label in Judges 6:15 and the outcome in Judges 8:28.]

JONAH

Of the twelve prophets we’ll cover, Jonah is the best known. He runs from God and spends a three-day time-out in the belly of a large fish. TheBible doesn’t call it a whale—though it could have been one. It’s simply a large fish.

Another notable fact about Jonah’s book is that it is mostly a historical narrative and contains only the briefest of prophecies. Of all the prophets, Jonah is the least interested in sharing his message and the most successful.

Here is an overview of Jonah:

KnownAs:Jonah son of Amittai

Location:GathHepher (in Israel)

Occupation: prophet

Addresses: the people of Nineveh

OldTestamentMentions: 2 Kings 14:25

NewTestamentMentions:Matthew 12:39–41, Matthew 16:4, and Luke 11:29–32

NewTestamentQuotations: none

HomonymousMentions: One other man named Jonah is in Matthew 16:17.

DAY 1: JONAH’S CONFESSION

JONAH 1–2

He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Jonah 1:9

The story of Jonah is familiar to many people. God tells Jonah to go to Nineveh and deliver a harsh message to the people there. Jonah doesn’t. He ignores God, jumps on a boat, and heads in the opposite direction from Nineveh. He wants to get as far away as possible from what God wants him to do.

God brews up a storm, buffeting the ship carrying Jonah. The sailors do all they can to keep their boat afloat, including pleading for protection from their gods, while an oblivious Jonah sleeps through everything. When the storm grows fierce, they wake Jonah and confront him. He confesses. He admits he’s running from God, the God he worships, the God who created both land and sea.

Now the sailors really freak out.

ThoughJonah says the only solution is to toss him into the deep, as a living sacrifice of sorts to the sea, the sailors redouble their efforts, so they won’t be guilty of their passenger’s death. But eventually they give up, asking God not to hold them accountable for Jonah’s murder. They throw him into the sea, and the waves calm. They are safe and presume Jonah is dead.

God has other plans.

A huge fish swallows Jonah. He spends three days lodged in the fish’s belly. From there he prays. He calls upon God, and God listens. Jonah wraps up his prayer praising God and with another confession. He affirms that salvation comes from God.

ThenGod has the fish deposit Jonah on dry land. This isn’t a smooth exit. It’s a violent expulsion. The fish vomits and Jonah ejects.

There are similarities between Jonah and Jesus, but we must take care not to carry the comparison too far—for it will lead us astray. Jonah offers himself as a sacrifice to save the lives of the men on the ship. As good as dead, he spends three days in the belly of the fish. Then he emerges from his effective tomb when the fish deposits him on dry land.

In much grander fashion, Jesus later offers himself as a sacrifice to save the lives of everyone. He dies so that we may live. After spending three days in his tomb, he rises from the dead, proving that he has mastery over death.

In a simple way, this part of Jonah’s life foreshadows what Jesus will do for all humanity. Jonah at first ran from his responsibility, but Jesus never wavered. Thank you, Jesus.

Are we running from God as Jonah first did, or are we embracing God through what Jesus did?

[Discover more about Jesus’s sacrifice in Matthew 12:40 and Mark 8:31.]

DAY 2: WORST SERMON EVER

JONAH 3

Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Jonah 3:3

In underwater solitude, Jonah spends the next three nights and days inside the belly of a great fish. He has plenty of time to think about his situation. When the fish ejects him onto the shore, God speaks to Jonah a second time. “Go to Nineveh. And once you arrive, I will give you a message for the people.”

This time Jonah obeys.

After what he endured for his first round of disobedience, I’m sure he doesn’t want to encounter another incident of God trying to get his attention and offering correction. It seems less risky to say yes than to say no.

We don’t know if Jonah repeats verbatim what God tells him to or if he paraphrases it a bit to fit his attitude. But what he says is both succinct and blunt. “In forty days Nineveh is going down.”

This phrase stands as Jonah’s only prophetic words in what reads like a book of history. As messages go, it neither convicts nor offers a hopeful alternative. He simply states as fact what will be, providing no instruction for the people to repent and realize a different outcome. We’re left to wonder how much Jonah cares about the people he preaches to. Or if he even wants them to repent and turn their lives around.

In truth, Jonah surely longs to see their destruction. Here’s why. Nineveh is the capital (or a principal city) of Assyria, a longtime antagonist of Israel and Judah. SurelyJonah and all his people would have cheered to see Assyria fall. They would view it as God’s vindication for his chosen people, with him rescuing them from their adversaries.

It’s no wonder Jonah doesn’t put much effort into his message.

But the people of Nineveh believe that God will do as Jonah says. They fast. They humble themselves in the hope that God may relent and offer them compassion.

Guess what? He does. Forty days come and forty days go, with Nineveh avoiding the destruction God had planned.

How many times does God need to tell us something before we obey him? Do we obey with a good attitude?

[Discover more about God changing his mind in Exodus 32:9–14 and 1 Kings 21:29.]

DAY 3: SELF-FOCUSED OR OTHER-FOCUSED?

JONAH 4

“Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? . . . I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” Jonah 4:2

First, Jonah disobeys God. Then, when he gets a second chance, Jonah obeys God but with a bad attitude. He gives the people of Nineveh a sorry little sermon that should have had no impact. But it does. In a shocking response, the people turn to God, and he spares them.

Jonah should be happy that the people repented. He should celebrate that God canceled the destruction of a large city. He should be delighted for the success of his words. ButJonah doesn’t do these things. Instead, he’s mad, angry. He vents his frustration to God in prayer. “This is why I didn’t want to go in the first place,” he complains. “I know you offer grace, compassion, and love. I knew from the start that you would give in and spare them.”

Jonah may even be wondering what this unexpected outcome does to his credibility. He prophesied destruction, but destruction didn’t happen. Will anyone believe him in the future should God give him another prophetic word to share?

Jonah has a pity party. He’s ticked off. In a melodramatic overstatement, he tells God, “I’ve got nothing to live for. Just kill me now and get it over with.” This is one prayer God doesn’t answer.

Even though God has canceled his plans for the destruction of Nineveh, Jonah goes outside the city, finds a good vantage point, and sits down to see what will happen. God, in his sovereignty, provides unexpected shade for Jonah one day but removes it the next.

Jonah gripes about sitting in the hot sun. He vents his frustration. “Woe is me. I just want to die.”

Jonah fixates on what people will think and the shade plant that died. He’s so self-absorbed that he misses the reality that God used his words to save 120,000 people, along with many animals.

Jonah focused on his own comfort while God focused on the lives of others.

Do we seek our own comfort, or do we seek to save and rescue those around us?

[Discover a different attitude toward the lost in 1 Corinthians 9:19–23.]