Transcript The Main Message & Lessons From The Prophecy of Jonah The

LESSONS FROM
THE MINOR PROPHETS
Sources consulted include works by:
Jeff Smith, Mark Copeland, Clay Gentry,
Gene Taylor, Homer Hailey, and Kyle Yates
THE PROPHET
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Did not always foretell future events
Basically means one who speaks for another
These men were speaking for God and were given specific messages
Their messages did not originate with them, but they were inspired by the Holy Spirit
None of them “aspired” to prophesy
While they apparently all came from among the Jews, all messages were not directed to the Jews
Unfortunately there were false prophets among the people
False teachers have arisen through the years and are active even today
RECURRING
THEMES
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“Day of the Lord” – impending judgment from God
Woe” – most often a warning of punishment for displeasing behavior, regardless of who is guilty
“Burden” – God’s prophecy against a nation – even his own
God’s promised blessings to the penitent
Promises concerning the coming Messiah and his kingdom
RECURRING
THEMES
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Indictment of the self-serving leaders – priests, prophets, and judges
Condemnation of sham religion and shallow worship
Condemnation of covetousness
Condemnation of idolatry
Condemnation of social injustice – brother against brother
The remedy: Repent, return to God, redemption
God’s promised blessings to the penitent – the faithful “remnant”
Promises concerning the coming Messiah and his kingdom
MINOR
PROPHETS
• Called “minor” only because their books are shorter than those of the other prophets
• There was nothing minor or unimportant about their messages
• The Lord intended that the messages he had given should have a major impact upon
the audience
• God’s desire was not simply to condemn but to arouse them to penitence so that
calamity could be averted
• Jehovah is motivated by love for his people and intolerance of evil
MINOR
PROPHETS
• Since these prophets spoke to the people of their age – how can we benefit?
• We are told that what they and others wrote in the past are for our learning and
admonition
• There are practical principles in these messages and they are timeless
• There are many lessons for us – we will look at some of them
JONAH
• This book tells of a warning of impending doom to the Assyrians but it also contains
lessons for us to learn:
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God desires to save all men, even the heathen, if they repent 2 Pet. 3:9
Jehovah is the one true God, the God of all the universe
We cannot run and hide from God and the obligations he places on us Psa. 139:7-11
Opportunities to serve God’s purposes become obligations – that is why we are here and why we
are what we are
• Perhaps our efforts will cause change
JOEL
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The very essence of Joel’s message is: repentance.
The repeated warnings of God to repent do not signal Jehovah’s toleration of sin
God is absolute sovereign over all peoples. He judges them for their wickedness.
Just as Joel warns God’s people then, so we must be conscious of his judgment
Disasters, natural and man-made usually cause a heightened awareness of our need for
God
• We have The promise of the Holy Spirit which began to be fulfilled in acts 2
AMOS
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God will not tolerate sin even among the politically powerful
While he is not hasty in bringing judgment, he does not warn endlessly
Those whom God has favored have a great responsibility
God expects social justice, not the “dog-eat-dog” mentality
Hollow and insincere worship is an insult to God, even if the actions are correct
Physical comforts must be carefully tempered with an awareness of what is really important
HOSEA
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GOD IS A GOD OF LOVE...
– He loves His people
• Like a man loves his wife (cf. Hosea and Gomer)
• Like a father loves his child
– Because He loves His people...
• He blesses them abundantly
• He nurtures them patiently
GOD IS A GOD OF HOLINESS...
– He expects His people to know His will
– He expects His people to avoid harmful influences
– He expects His people to sow righteousness, not wickedness
GOD IS A GOD OF JUSTICE...
– He cannot let sin go unpunished
– Those who remain in sin He will devour
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GOD IS A GOD OF MERCY...
– He call upon His people to repent
– He will gladly heal those who do so
MICAH
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A prevalent sin is that of ingratitude – then and now
How can we know about what God has done for us and not be
appreciative?
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We owe him our very existence - (Acts 17:25)
Micah tells us about the nature of God... (Micah 7:18-20)
Prophecies we know that have been fulfilled – this should bolster our faith and
confidence in the Lord
The birthplace of the coming Messiah is foretold (Micah 5:2)
The establishment of the kingdom of the Lord is also foretold
The kingdom of peace is promised. Very similar to the prophecy of Isaiah 2.
The latter or last days was the time frame for the coming kingdom, which Joel
shows to be time of Acts 2, as indicated by Peter when he said, “this is that…”
(Micah 4:1-2)
These prophecies, spoken to the Jews are intended for us as well (1Peter 1:12)
We learn about the essence of pleasing God (Mic 6:6-8)
Let us do what God requires of us, as expressed in Micah’s words:
“...to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Mic 6:8)
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NAHUM
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Once saved not always saved
Nahum presents both the severity and the goodness of God
Sin is always serious
Jehovah never tolerates sin - and punishment of the impenitent is inevitable
He is longsuffering and patient, but there is a limit
The time for action is always now for doom awaits those who delay
Jehovah’s judgment is always just – never capricious
He will judge us personally
ZEPHANIAH
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The word of God must be proclaimed with boldness
Only the God of heaven is in a position to identify the problem and give the proper remedy for the woeful
conditions
The Day of the Lord would bring certain judgment upon the evil doers
God demands repentance and real change
Worthwhile change will take place in the heart
Ungodliness would be punished but there would be the redeemed remnant
– Composed of people who repented of sins and put their faith and trust back in God and His will For them,
– This day would not be a day of doom for them, but a day of deliverance.
– This ultimate deliverance would be found in the reign of the Messiah
– Though Zephaniah never mentions or describes the Messiah Himself, the other prophets make clear that this
redemptive work was ultimately fulfilled through Christ.
HABAKKUK
• God always sees the “big picture”
– We may sometimes question why evil and ungodliness seem to go unnoticed and unchecked by
the Lord
– We may feel that retribution for such is long overdue – why does God not “do something?”
– He knows what is going on in the world and in our lives and he cares
– He tells us it is his prerogative to deal with things in his own way in his own time
• Our job is to trust him and recognize that our souls’ survival depends upon our acceptance of his will
and wisdom
• As the Psalmist recommends – let us “wait on the lord”
OBADIAH
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Pride is self-deceptive and self-destructive
Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap
Neutrality is the same as opposing God
Those who trust in God will ultimately be victorious
HAGGAI
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Complacency delays obedience
The right time to do God’s will is now
Selfish interests must not overshadow our responsibilities to God
Preaching should be filled with “thus saith the Lord,”
The hearts of “the remnant” can be stirred to action by the Lord through his word
What great lessons in this short book!
Zechariah
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Return to me and I will return to you
“I am zealous for zion” – as he was then so he is now
“zealous” = “jealous”
Sometimes we need a “boost” to get us going
we need encouragement
MALACHI
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Self examination is necessary to determine true character
– God made statements concerning their true character
– Their questions revealed their inability to see themselves as they really were, but the Lord’s response made
the facts plain
– Note that we are to examine ourselves
God’s love should never be doubted
God’s covenant is to be remembered and respected
God’s name is to be reverenced
God’s service is never trivial or meaningless
we may rob god of the service he rightfully deserves but Faithful service brings great blessings –
Divorce is hated by God
The Messenger and his forerunner promised