In Between Times

This lesson marks the first prophetic books that are associated with the Post-Exilic period of Judah’s history. We had previously covered the Book of Ezra and Nehemiah which are historical in nature. What might be confusing is that both of these books capture a first wave of returned exiles in Jerusalem – but that happened some 100 years before their time (~440 BC).  If you’d like to read about the Post-Exilic Period in Judah, the link will explain how Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai and Malachi all fit togeher.

Haggai is sent by God to compel the people of Judah to resume the construction of the Temple.  His initial message is well received, yet he still has work to do. God continues to speak through Haggai to encourage the Israelites even though their building was not as large or magnificent as Solomon’s temple, and he also warns them to not stain or make unclean their building with unfaithful hearts and hands.

Whereas most of the prophets lived and prophesied in days of change and political upheaval, Malachi, wase living in an uneventful waiting period, when God seemed to have forgotten his people enduring poverty and foreign domination in the little province of Judah.

For those interested in more details about the prophetic books, consider reading this Introduction to Haggai and Malachi.

For those who would like to explore details of this book, please consider videos from Fr. Mike Schmitz’s “Bible in a Year” program. You can find the entire playlist here.

The Promised Land … lost

Among the “Minor Prophets” these are three relatively short books, each consisting of only three chapters. There are no verses from Nahum that are part of the Sunday lectionaries; only one from Habakkuk and two from Zephaniah. Despite their limited use, these three books form an important “trilogy” about the last days of the Kingdom of Judah and the Word of God that the prophet spoke to the kings, the priests, and people, as well as speaking to us. Nahum-Habakkuk-Zephaniah provides a prophet’s view of the history of the Kingdom of Judah over a narrow segment of history, somewhat less than 40 years leading up to the 587 BC destruction of Jerusalem by the armies of Babylon, the banishment of the people from the land, and the loss of the Promised Land.

For those interested in more details, consider reading this Introduction to Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah.

For those who would like to explore details of this book, please consider videos from Fr. Mike Schmitz’s “Bible in a Year” program. You can find the entire playlist here.

Coming Doom; Promised Salvation

The Prophet Micah was a contemporary of Amos (prophet of the North) and Isaiah (prophet of the South). Like Isaiah, his ministry was to the Southern Kingdom of Judah during the reign of King Hezekiah.  It was a time of prosperity and peace – but the power of Assyria loomed over the horizon. Unlike Isaiah, who was a native of the holy city, Micah was an outsider from the countryside and must have been a controversial figure. He would have been unpopular with the leaders whom he condemned and the wealthy whom he criticized. He was quick to separate himself from priests and other prophets, whom he considered to be corrupt.

Micah knows the tradition that Zion is the Lord’s chosen place, but he is critical of the popular view that this election ensures the city’s security. Through the prophetic voice, the Lord announces the impending punishment of God’s people by means of military defeat and exile because of their failure to establish justice. But the same prophetic voice assures the people that after punishment God will bring the people back to their land and establish perpetual peace.

Micah reminds the people what the Lord asks of them: do justice, love goodness, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8). See the video reflecting on this single passage.

For those interested in more details, consider reading this Introduction to Micah.

For those who would like to explore details of this book, please consider videos from Fr. Mike Schmitz’s “Bible in a Year” program. You can find the entire playlist here.

The Reluctant Prophet

The Book of Jonah is one of the Old Testament Minor Prophets whose story is well known… sort of. For most people, their exposure to the Jonah is via children’s books or videos. Jonah is almost secondary to the whale (large fish). In the four chapters of the book, the whale has played its part by the end of Chapter 1.

Unlike the other Minor Prophets, this book is not terribly prophetic. The only oracle is only 5 words long (in Hebrew) and simply warns the people of Nineveh that in 40 days they will be destroyed. The oracle does not say by whom, why, and if there are any measures that can be taken to prevent such a calamity.  As a prophet, Jonah is reluctant at best and more like minimizes his efforts so that God will punish Nineveh. And why not? They are the mortal enemy of Israel – in fact, the mortal enemy of everyone. The world would be better off without them.

This book is not really about prophecy. It is about the prophet. It is about Israel in its prophetic role to the nations. It is about us and our prophetic role to our neighbors.

For those who would like to explore details of this book, please consider videos from Fr. Mike Schmitz’s “Bible in a Year” program. You can find the entire playlist here.