Jonah, Micah, Nahum: minor prophets with a major message

This month’s study is one three minor prophets with very important messages. Jonah, Micah, and Nahum are short book with a big impact. Everyone is familiar with Jonah and the big fish. However, what are the important themes in the book? What lessons can we learn from his story? In the book of Micah is the answer to what does it mean to pervert one’s faith? As well as to the question what does God truly expect from us? Nahum is the prophecy against a powerful and once repented nation. What does it mean to say that God is judge and ruler?

Jonah was a prophet who was sent by God to the city of Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria during the approximate time of 785-760 BCE. At the time, Assyria was a great enemy of Israel and Jonah resisted being sent to Nineveh into the arena of bitter enemies. Why should they hear and receive God’s message of salvation? Jonah took to the sea and God sent him a violent storm and into the belly of a great fish (Jonah 1:17). The book of Jonah is unique because it is a narrative story of the prophet rather than his prophecies. There are three major themes in the story of Jonah. First, God is sovereign. God is in control despite our desires to obey or not. The storm was used by God to guide Jonah to see God’s wisdom in sending him to Nineveh. Second, God’s message to all peoples. He loves all and offers his salvation to all. Jonah’s message was simple “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned” (Jonah 3:4). The Nineveh heard the message and repented. The king proclaimed that everyone “urgently call on God” (Jonah 3:8). However, even though Jonah delivered the message as he was commanded. He still didn’t want to see the Ninevites receive God’s salvation. He was angry when God didn’t bring destruction to the city. God sent him another message about compassion (Jonah 4:1-11). Third, when your repentance is real, God will forgive. When you respond in obedience, you will receive God’s mercy, not his punishment. Jonah offered his repentance from the belly of a great fish and God heard him (Jonah 2:1-10). The Ninevites turned from their evils way and God had compassion on them (Jonah 3:10). There is no place you can sink that God cannot hear you.

Micah was a prophet to the people of Israel during the dates of 742-687 BCE. The main theme of Micah is about perverting faith. Micah speaks directly to the false prophets, disobedient leaders and selfish priests in Judah and Israel. While they publicly carried out the religious ceremonies, they were privately seeking to gain money and influence. “Hear this, you leaders of the house of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right” (Micah 3:9) and “Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they lean upon the Lord and say ‘Is not the Lord among us? Mo disaster will come upon us” (Micah 3:11) It is because of these leaders that the Lord will destroy Israel (Micah 3:12). To mix selfish desires with an empty display of religious piety is perverting faith. To remain silent for fear of losing money or church members is dangerous for the church; however, many pastors are influenced by these factors and will not speak up for what is right. On a similar note, God delights in faith not the sacrifices at the temple or the tithes you may give the church. He delights in faith that produces justice, love for others and obedience in him. Micah 6:6-8 tells us that God is more please with acting justly, be merciful, and walk humbly with him. The type or amount of sacrifices doesn’t matter. What God truly wants is faith and obedience. True faith generates kindness, compassion, justice and humility. We can please God by seeking these results in our work, family, church and neighborhood. We may not always succeed but with God’s guidance we can succeed in the future.

Nahum was a prophet to Judah and Nineveh approximately between 663-612 BCE. His purpose was to pronounce God’s judgement on Assyria. Nahum is writing his prophets approximately 100 years after Jonah prophesied in Nineveh which means that Nineveh’s repentance was short lived. God judged Nineveh for its idolatry, arrogance and oppression. Even though Assyria was a great military power of the day, God would completely destroy this powerful nation. Nahum 1:3 states “The Lord is slow to anger and great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.” Nahum 2 describes Nineveh’s fall which come true in 612 BCE as the armies of Babylon and Medes destroyed the seemingly invincible Nineveh. The city was so completely wiped out that its ruins were not discovered until the 1840s! God is judge and no human power can avoid his wrath. God also rules over all the earth even those who don’t acknowledge him. God is all-powerful and human plans are futile against God’s plans. Overconfidence in their wealth and power was the key to Assyria’s downfall. However, there is a bright light in Nahum’s message of doom. Nahum 1:7 states “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.” This verse is important today as we are bombarded with news of nuclear weapons, armies and war. When we place of faith and trust in God, he alone can truly rescue us from fear and oppression. When we place our confidence in him because he alone rules all of history, all the earth and our lives. Does this mean we will survive any danger? Not necessarily, however, God is more powerful than anything on earth. What can physically hurt us can never spiritually hurt us as long as our trust is in the Lord.

In conclusion, Jonah is the lesson that God’s message is for everyone. It does not matter if we like the person or people, we are to bring his message of salvation to everyone who can hear and receive it. If God has shown us mercy and compassion, then we are to follow his example and show mercy and compassion to others by giving them God’s message. Micah is the important lesson for those in power. Whether it be church leaders, political leaders and leaders in our families, twist God’s word for your own personal gains and God will judge you harshly. The inner acts of faith are often more important than the outwardly acts of religion. Nahum is the lesson that God is more powerful than anything on earth. He can save and destroy.  

The Books of Joel, Amos and Obadiah: Minor Prophets with a Big message

This month, we are looking into the books of Joel, Amos, and Obadiah. These Minor Prophets continue God’s call for repentance and warnings of coming punishment for their sinful ways. Throughout the book of Joel, God calls his people to repentance. However, the repentance he desires is an inward act, not the outward display of penitence (Joel 2:13). In the book of Amos, it is a warning for the desire for the day of the Lord for it will be justice and judgment many are not ready for (Amos 5:24). In Obadiah, it is the reminder that your deeds will come back (verse 15). However, there are signs of hope in the words of doom.

My favorite verse is Joel 2:28a, “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.” In this verse, God tells us that His Spirit is available to all who calls on him. Joel 2:32a “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” His Spirit is no longer just for the prophets, kings and judges. Ezekiel also spoke of an outpouring of the Spirit in Ezekiel 39:29 when the Lord says “I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel.” This reminds me of how the printing of the Bible by Johannes Gutenberg in 1454/55 helped bring the Word of God to the masses rather than the learned few. Peter quoted Joel 2:28-32 in Acts 2:16-21 where the outpouring of the Spirit occurred after Jesus’ ascension into heaven.

In Amos, God gives the message of the coming punishment to Israel who has not listened to the warnings from his prophets. However, God wants to redeem, not punish. In Amos 9:8, the Lord says “Surely the eyes of the Sovereign Lord are on the sinful kingdom. I will destroy it from the face of the earth—yet I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob.” In this verse, God tells us that punishment is not permanent. When punishment is necessary, he will not withhold it. Like a loving father, God will discipline those he loves in order to correct them. Although punishment is never fun and we didn’t like it as kids but it was necessary in order to show us the correct way to behave. Therefore, God’s discipline is a sign of his love. When the punishment is over, God promised to “plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them” (Amos 9:15). God will restore what he has taken away with something better and permanent.

Very little is known about the prophet Obadiah. The book attributed to him is only 21 verses; however, the words carry a great message. The main warning is against the kingdom of Edom which had descended from Esau, Jacob’s twin brother. The animosity between Edom and Israel stems from Esau’s hatred for his brother who stole his blessing (Genesis 27:1-36). Even though the brothers reconciled and parted ways in peace (Genesis 33), the descendants continued the animosity as Edom had participated in and relished in the destruction of Jerusalem and the slaughter of Judeans during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II (Psalm 137:7, Jeremiah 49:7-22). God promises that the house of Jacob will be uplifted while the house of Esau will be destroyed (verses 17-18). At the time of the prophecy, it looked like Edom would survive more than Israel would; however, by the first century CE, the nation no longer existed. 

In conclusion, while Joel, Amos and Obadiah were Minor Prophets, they still carried a great message from God. The message of repentance and returning to God is the main theme of Joel’s message but deeper reading shows that God hid messages of hope too. In Amos, God reminds us that he is a loving parent who punishes when necessary but wants to build up and restore rather than tear down and leave his people in ruins. Obadiah carries the message to those against God’s people: you will be destroyed. What does this mean for us today? It is a message of hope despite the hard times. It is a lesson to learn from past mistakes and punishments. It is a message to hatred and animosity against God’s people will be met with his wrath.