**IMPORTANT**


Thursday, May 10, 2012

Understanding the Minor Prophets - Wednesdays at 6:30pm

Introduction
The 'Minor Prophets' are called the minor prophets only in relation to the 'Major Prophets', and this really only refers to the length of their writings included in the Bible. They could more accurately be called the 'shorter prophets' and the 'longer prophets'. Altogether there are a total of 16 prophets included in the Old Testament and counting Jeremiah's Lamentations, they account for 17 books of our English Bibles.
The Writing Prophets - English Bible Order
Isaiah                           Jonah
Jeremiah                      Micah
Lamentations               Nahum
Ezekiel                        Habakkuk
Daniel                         Zephaniah
Hosea                         Haggai
Joel                            Zechariah
Amos                         Malachi
Obadiah
But this can be confusing for today's Bible readers because this is not the chronological order in which these books and the events they cover actually occurred.  I have borrowed this timeline from an article at Bible.org which is a great Bible study resource.  This timeline shows the kingdoms of Israel and Judah and marks the approximate times that each of these prophets ministered for the LORD.
Here are our Key Verses for this Bible study series.  Perhaps the Lord will lay it on your heart to memorize these verses in order to assist you in remembering the keys to understanding the minor prophets.
Key Verses
Jonah 2:8-9 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!
Amos 8:11-12 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it.”
Hosea 3:1 And the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.”
Obadiah 1:15 For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.
Joel 2:11 The Lord utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome.
Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Nahum 1:7-8 The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. But with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.
Zephaniah 2:3 Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord.
Habakkuk 3:17-19 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places. 
I will update the rest of the verses for the remainder of the study soon.  May God open the eyes of your understanding to see Him through this study and bring glory to Himself.


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