minor prophets

There are two statements that I could immediately identify as being from Amos, even though I haven't spent much time in the book. One is the rhetorical question, “Does disaster come to a city unless the Lord has done it?” (3:6), a question that is really a statement about the sovereignty of God over all things. And then there is Amos's call to, “let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream “ (5:24). Then there is that portrait of rich, indulgent women who are called “cows of Bashan” (4:1), which I’ve always found to be a humorous image. But what is the book’s message?

According to Michael McKelvey, associate professor of Old Testament at RTS Jackson, and author of the commentary on the book of Amos in the ESV Expository Commentary Volume 7, the thesis for the book of Amos is found in Amos 3:2, where God says to Israel: “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” Israel’s chosen and privileged position as God’s people makes their rejection of him and his covenant particularly egregious, especially in light of the exodus and conquest of Canaan (2:9–10).

McKelvey warns those teaching the book in regard to its chapter after chapter on judgment. "It would be easy to fatigue listeners with the book’s heavy and pervasive message of judgment," he says. But he encourages teachers to "let God’s word convict of sin so that the good news of Christ will transform those who hear.”

Recommended Resources on Amos:

• Sermon series on Amos by Phillip Jensen
• Does God Care? the Message of Amos by Mark Dever
• Sermon series on Amos from University Reformed Church
• Sermon series on Amos by Hugh Palmer

In these days of COVID-19, plenty of people are asking if the virus is a judgment from God, if he is sending a message to us.

I recorded this conversation on the book of Joel with Paul House, professor of Old Testament at Beeson Divinity School, prior to the spread of the virus, but his points about God’s message in disaster to call out to the Lord has proved to be timely. Disasters, he says, should cause us to ask, “What have we as a people and a nation been doing? It certainly hasn’t been looking to the Lord. So without going into direct causation, these are meant to get people to repent."

House presents the book as Joel preaching on Deuteronomy 28 and Exodus 34, using vivid imagery to warn of the awful reality of God’s judgments. Joel calls the people of God to turn toward God, assuring them that "even now, if they return to the Lord with all their heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning, he will be gracious and merciful and relent from disaster."  House offers insight on the locusts in the book, the meaning of the the Day of the Lord, and how to present the mercy of Christ for sinners from the book of Joel.

Recommended Resources:

• Sermon Series on Joel by Sinclair Ferguson
• Sermon Series on Joel by Christopher Ash
• Message on Joel by John Piper
• ESV Expository Commentary: Daniel-Malachi
• The Restoration: God’s Precious Promise for the Future by Willem VanGemeren

Colin Smith is senior pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church, a thriving, multi-campus church located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and a TGC Council member. He's also president of Unlocking the Bible, a ministry that seeks to root people in the Word of God through their website, publishing, podcast and radio program.

When Smith asked me to read his newest book, For All Who Grieve: Navigating the Valley of Sorrow and Loss in view of offering an endorsement, not only was I glad to endorse it, I discovered that the book is really an exposition through the book of Lamentations. Lamentations is a book that, I think it is safe to say, very few preachers and teachers teach all the way through. Written by Jeremiah, who endured one manifestation of the divine judgment the Bible consistently calls ‘the day of the Lord,’ this brief book not only includes vivid descriptions of judgment; it offers compelling prayers that confess sin, express renewed hope, and declare total dependence on God’s grace.

In our conversation, Smith explained how he structured his own sermon series on Lamentations into four messages on: 1) Tears and Talk, 2) Guilt and Grievance, 3) Hope and Healing, and 4) Prayer and Praise. He also explained some of the ways this book, written by a prophet weeping over Jerusalem, points to the greater prophet who will also weep over Jerusalem. The man of sorrows seems to speak through Lamentations, saying along with the writer, “I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath” (3:1) and, "Though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer" (3:8).

Recommended Resources

• The Message of Lamentations by Christopher Wright
• Jeremiah and Lamentations: From Sorrow to Hope by Philip Graham Ryken
• Lamentations, Habakkuk and Zephaniah: A 12-Week Study by Camden Bucey
• Five Festal Garments: Christian Reflections on the Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther by Barry Webb
• Bible Book of the Month—Lamentations by Meredith G. Kline

If you’ve heard a sermon on Zephaniah that you can remember, likely it was on Zephaniah 3, where we are told that the Lord will “rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” We like that part. But we don’t get to this kind of hopeful assurance in the book of Zephaniah until chapter 3. So what do we do with all of the judgment in Zephaniah when we’re teaching through this book?

William Wood, assistant professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary Atlanta, who is currently finalizing his doctoral dissertation on the use of the Old Testament in the book of Zephaniah, tells us in this conversation. Wood says that the book of Zephaniah is summarized by the line: “Those who exalt themselves will be humbled; those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Wood also demonstrates how to connect the promises in the book of Zephaniah to the clothing of the priests, the story of Dagon, Pentecost, and the ultimate Day of the Lord.

A message from Joel 1 by Senior Pastor Scott Gleason.

A message from Hosea 14 by Senior Pastor Scott Gleason.

A message from Hosea 14 by Senior Pastor Scott Gleason.

A message from Hosea 13 by Senior Pastor Scott Gleason.

A message from Hosea 12 & 13 by Senior Pastor Scott Gleason.

A message from Hosea 12 by Senior Pastor Scott Gleason.

A message from Hosea 12 by Senior Pastor Scott Gleason.

A message from Hosea 11 by Senior Pastor Scott Gleason.

A message from Hosea 10 by Senior Pastor Scott Gleason.

A message from Hosea 10 by Senior Pastor Scott Gleason.

Zephaniah is a confronting look at the reality of God's response to human disobedience. His covenant commitment to discipline and restoration are shocking when we come to Zephaniah's prophetic oracle. But a closer look behind the scenes as God's heart for the world in preserving a faithful remnant from all the nations depicts the true character of God in the tumultuous times of the Jewish exile. In our last episode before the summer break, Scott and Jo take a deep dive into Zephaniah's world.

Resources/Links mentioned in this episode or helpful for Bible Streams:

• Music: John Mark McMillan - Mercury & Lightning (Spotify)
• Book: Malcolm Gladwell - Talking to Strangers
• Book: ESV Commentary: Daniel-Malachi
• Website: The Bible Project - Zephaniah

Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.

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Hosea 9

Hosea 8-9 | The Soul Crushing Side Effects of Sin, Part 3 [Sunday PM]