God takes care of his people. God keeps his promises. That can be a happy thought when God calls for the destruction of one of Israel’s enemies. The Assyrians had terrorized the ancient world for more than a hundred years, but their destruction would happen.
Micah might be the most well known of the Minor Prophets because of his contribution to the Epiphany accounts, pointing out that Bethlehem would be the birth place of Jesus. His words offer very pointed comparisons to modern politics and immorality. He was quoted by Jesus and reminds us that we have a God like no other! Ours is a God who forgives.
Hosea is a Hebrew word that means salvation. The prophet was given a unique ministry because he was told to take an adulterous woman as his wife. This is normally a bad idea, but God was going to use his family as an object lesson. If that sounds horrifying to you, I would agree on a few different levels.
Amos is the first Minor Prophet that we will consider in our new Bible study: Minor Prophets Major Messages. In this book God does not hold back. He unleashes threats that would be made real in just a few years. The economic good times didn’t help Israel as they turned back from our God. Amos has some surprising insights into our culture as well. That days are evil!
