Minor Prophets Flashcards
The Book of Hosea
TO: Remnant returned to the land
SETTING: Final days of the Northern Kingdom
THEME: “God’s faithful love toward His unfaithful people”
1. Hosea’s marriage to Gomer 1-3
2. Hosea’s message to Israel 4-14
(3 cycles of sin/judgment/promise)
A. Cycle One 4-6
B. Cycle Two 6-11
C. Cycle Three 11-14
The Book of Joel
TO: Judah
SETTING: After three straight bad kings, Joel warns of a coming judgment.
THEME: “Repent for the Day of the Lord is coming”
1. The day of the Lord brings wrath 1-2
** In a coming locust plague 1
** In a coming final judgment 2
2. The day of the Lord brings salvation 2-3
** From the locust plague 2
** From final judgment 3
The Book of Amos
TO: Israel
CONTEXT: Israel enjoying prosperity under strong kings. People had become rich, cruel, and indulgent.
THEME: Faithfulness to God requires both social justice and sincere worship.
1. The messages of Amos 1-6
**Against surrounding nations 1-2
**Against Israel 2-6
2. The visions of Amos 7-9
**Locust, fire and plumb line 7 (and conflict with Jereboam II)
**Ripe fruit 8
**Shaken altar 9
The Book of Obadiah
TO: To Edom
THEME: Judgment on Edom for how they treated Israel
OUTLINE
1. Coming judgment on Edom 1:1-14
2. Coming judgment on all nations 1:15-16
3. Coming restoration of Israel 1:17-21
The Book of Jonah
TO: the people of Nineveh
SETTING: Assyrian (Ninevah at the capital) in weakened state from wars, famine, internal revolts.
THEME: God’s mercy toward the wayward - both Jonah and Ninevah.
OUTLINE:
1. Jonah’s rebellon 1
2. Jonah’s repentance 2
3. Jonah’s preaching 3
4. Jonah’s complaint 4
The Book of Micah
TO: Israel
SETTING: Final days of the northern kingdom; wealthy abused others, courts practiced favoritism, prophets materialistic and misrepresented God.
THEME: Judgment and restoration
OUTLINE: Three cycles of crime, judgment, and restoration
1. Cycle one: focus on Israel 1-2
2. Cycle two: focus on leaders 3-5
3. Cycle three: focus on Israel 6-7
The Book of Nahum
TO: People of Nineveh
SETTING: Final days of Assyria’s dominance
THEME: The fall of Ninevah, Assyria’s capital
OUTLINE:
1. The character of God 1
2. The judgment of Nineveh 1-3
The Book of Habakkuk
TO: Judah (Addresses God)
SETTING: After the fall of Ninevah, world power is changing from Assyrians and Egyptians to Babylonians.
THEME: Struggling with God’s actions in the world that negatively impact the righteous.
OUTLINE:
1. Habakkuk’s problem of faith 1-2
**1st complaint and God’s reply 1
**2nd complaint and God’s reply 1-2
2. Habakkuk’s prayer of faith 3
The Book of Zephaniah
TO: Judah
SETTING: Early in reign of Josiah, before his reforms. Northern kingdom fallen, Babylon on the rise as a world power, Scythians invaded the area.
THEME: The Day of the Lord brings judgment for the rebellious and salvation for the righteous.
OUTLINE:
1. The day of the Lord means judgment. 1-3a
**For Judah 1
**For nations 2
**For Judah 3a
2. The day of the Lord means salvation. 3b
The Book of Haggai
SETTING: 16 years after Cyrus allowed a remnant to return to Israel, led by Zerubbabel and Joshua, the temple foundation had been laid but work had stopped.
THEME: Finish temple repairs and God will bless you.
OUTLINE:
1. 1st message: A call to action 1
2. 2nd message: A word of encouragement 2a
3. 3rd message: A call to holiness 2b
4. 4th message: A promise of restoration 2c
The Book of Zechariah
SETTING: Contemporary of Haggai, the remnant who returned to Israel had stopped rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem.
THEME: Return to faithfulness in rebuilding temple and following the Lord. (Section 1 written before temple completed. 2 & 3 after.)
OUTLINE:
1. Eight visions 1-6
2. Four message 7-8
3. Predictions of future events 9-14
The Book of Malachi
SETTING: The temple is rebuilt and the wall finished, the Jews are wondering why they are still a marginalized and insignificant nation.
THEME: Rebuking unfaithfulness of the remnant while encouraging the faithful few.
OUTLINE:
1. God rebukes the priests 1-2a
2. God rebukes the people 2b-3a
3. God encourages the faithful 3b-4
