Strong Hands Enterprises, LLC
  • Home
  • LEARN the Bible
  • TEACH the Bible
  • DEVELOP a Bible Program
  • About

"Minor" Prophets

11/22/2019

 
But know this first of all, that NO PROPHECY OF SCRIPTURE is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.                                             II Peter 1:20-21

What makes a prophet "minor"?

The books of the Old Testament prophets are divided into "major prophets" (Isaiah, Jeremiah/Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel) and the remaining twelve "minor prophets."
Usually the distinction is one of length (except that the book of Daniel is only 12 chapters long).  
Usually the content of the major prophets includes prophecies concerning Israel and many nations and spans great periods of time, whereas the minor prophets often speak to one issue or have a narrower focus.  Let's take a look at 4 "minor" prophets in particular.

Joel, Obadiah, Nahum, Habakkuk.

These four "minor" prophets have almost no biographical details attached to them.
Compare the opening verses: 
   "The word of the Lord that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel." (Joel 1:1)
   "The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom..." (Obadiah 1:1a)
   "The oracle of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite." (Nahum 1:1)
   "The oracle which Habakkuk, the prophet, saw." (Habakkuk 1:1)


Notice: they all credit the source of what they are seeing and saying to God. 

The message was from GOD.

The message they are writing down is revealed.
They are not making up words out of their own minds. 
The contextual background of the prophet is not the most important piece in understanding the message.  Yes, it is helpful to know that these were written during the times of the kings, between the impending Assyrian and Babylonian exiles. But it is not essential to know the exact time of the message, or the prophet's hometown, or his personal life, or daily struggles. 
The MESSAGE is the primary focus. 

The message was short. 

How long does it take to read through these messages?
   Joel: 12 minutes
   Obadiah: 4 minutes
   Nahum: 8 minutes
   Habakkuk: 9 minutes
And yet, Obadiah's 4-minute message about Edom is not "less" Scripture than Isaiah's or
​Jeremiah's or Ezekiel's 3-1/2 hours covering years of writing which included many personal life details. 

The message was enduring. 

Apart from these "one time" messages, we wouldn't even know about these faithful prophets of God. 
The rest of their lives of faithfully following God was not insignificant--but it was unknown. It took a lifetime of persevering endurance for ONE message
that was 4-12 minutes long...the Word of God.

I'm not a prophet. I'm not writing oracles. So what is the point of application?
There is always a subtle danger in Christian "ministry" to want to have a great accomplishment to attach our names to in order to feel satisfied with our contribution to God's work. In the end, it is not what we "do for God" that is of significance, but what He has done for us and through us. Let us then focus on faithfully persevering in following our Lord Jesus, whether in big or little things.
Should He use us over a lifetime or for a 4-minute message--that is His prerogative. 

"So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, BUT GOD who causes the growth.  Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive HIS OWN REWARD according to his own labor." (I Corinthians 3:7-8)

Three Times!

11/4/2019

 
"This happened THREE TIMES, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky." Acts 10:16
God was doing something BIG.  
A major shift was about to happen--His Spirit was about to be poured out on a believing Gentile named Cornelius, and Peter was the means through which it would happen. The problem was that for a Law-abiding Jewish believer like Peter, it was forbidden to go eat with a Gentile. (Acts 10:28) 

To get the point across to Peter that believing Gentiles were not to be considered "unclean" if God had cleansed them through faith in Jesus, THREE TIMES God sends a vision of unclean animals that descend in a sheet, and Peter is commanded: "Arise, kill and eat!"  Interestingly, in the vision, Peter knows who the command is coming from. He replies, "By no means, Lord..." Just then the Gentile men knock on his door and ask him to come to their Gentile master's house. Peter finally understands the meaning of the message....and realizes that he must obey God even when it goes against his natural inclination and upbringing. 

This wasn't the first time Peter had rebuked the Lord. Just after proclaiming in confidence that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, Jesus tells His disciples that He will be beaten and crucified and rise again.  Peter proclaims loudly: "God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to you!"
​(Matthew 16:22)  
Peter had an idea what the Messiah plan should look like--and it didn't include crucifixion. ​He had no idea that God's plan was for salvation for Jews and Gentiles, and that it could only happen through Jesus' death on the cross. 
​Again we find Peter countering Jesus when it is announced that all the disciples will fall away and leave Jesus alone to be crucified.  Peter proclaims loudly: "Even though all fall away from You, I will never fall away!" (Matthew 26:33)  Jesus tells him, "Before a rooster crows, you will deny me THREE TIMES."  
There it is again...it wasn't until the third time that Peter realized how fully he had failed his Lord. 

After the resurrection when Jesus met with Peter in Galilee, He asked him THREE TIMES: "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" And THREE TIMES He told him what his new job was going to be..."Tend my lambs. Shepherd my sheep. Tend my sheep." 

So...what is the significance of the THREE TIMES? 
Peter didn't have any idea of his own weakness nor of the bigger plan of God. Again and again he was rebuking THE LORD JESUS and telling Him how things should go.  And over and over it took Peter three times before the Message sunk in to him.  
How many times does God send a Scripture, a truth, or an exhortation from a believer to speak something that we are just not comprehending because His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts? 
Patiently He repeats what we are to do until we realize that God is working out His bigger picture according to His wisdom in ways we cannot comprehend. 

    About this blog...

    Thousands have come to the same Word of God and seen His magnificance and penned commentary or devotional thoughts or hymns. What can I add that hasn't already been said?!
    ​Yet seeing the amazing God of Scripture propels me to add my snapshots to the multitudes that have gone before. 

    This informal blog is a place to share these devotional thoughts in the hope that they encourage you as you read through God's Word for yourself.

    ​--Leiann Walther

    Archives

    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019

    Categories

    All
    Confession
    Guidance
    Life Of Jesus
    Ministry
    Prayer
    Provision
    Scripture
    Temptation
    Wilderness

    RSS Feed

Quick Links Index

​Able to Teach
All These Died in Faith (.pdf booklet)
Am I Saved or Am I Lost (.pdf booklet)
Best Bible Reading Plan
Best Bible Resources for Kids
​
Bible History Timeline
Bible Discovery Guides
Blog
Connect the Dots of the Old Testament
Devotional Articles
Easy Bible Timeline
​
Encouraging Verses
Ephesus
Esther
GROW Study: Overview of what they are
GROW Study: Bible Skills
GROW Study: Genesis 1-12
GROW Study: Genesis 12-50
GROW Study: Wilderness Training
GROW Study: Tabernacle
GROW Study: Life of Jesus
GROW Study: Book of Acts
Hand of God (Seminar)
Helps for the Teacher
​How Long Each Book Takes to Listen Thru 
How to Keep a Proverbs Notebook
​I Love to Tell the Story (seminar)
Isaiah Overview
Jeremiah Overview
​Jesus, Messiah (seminar)
Kings and Prophets 1: Turning the Hearts
Kings and Prophets 2: Comfort My People
Kings and Prophets Overview
Kings and Prophets Simplified Timeline
Knowing the Savior

Lamb of God
Last Kings of Judah overview
Moses: Humble Servant of God
Parables
Proverbs by the Dozen (.pdf booklets)
Revelation
​Songbird Scriptures video
Story of the Bible
Strategies of Satan
Teaching Closet (resources for Bible Teachers)
The Holy Scriptures
Train Yourself to Be Godly (Spiritual Disciplines)
Treasures from the Sand
Why Canaan is Important (seminar)
Women’s Retreat: Green Leaves in Times of Drought
Women’s Retreat: The Cry of My Heart
Picture