Reply To: WEEK 4 Minor Prophets Pt 1 (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah)

[Roberta Tyler]

BIBLICAL STUDIES 103 – LESSON 4 – HOMEWORK
9/30/2021
MINOR PROPHETS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT – PT. 1

THE BOOK OF HOSEA
The theme of the Book of Hosea is for Israel’s people to “return to God” and turn away from all sin. It is fitting that Hosea was the prophet chosen to guide Israel’s people back to God, his name means deliverance or salvation. Hosea had a heart for God and the plight of his kinspeople, God chose Hosea to send a message of His unwavering and unique Love. God commanded Hosea to wed a prostitute for the purpose of her to conceive illegitimate children, signifying how the sin of Israel was illegitimate and impure for worshipping other gods, selling themselves to one another, and forsaking God. The Lord also commanded Hosea to name the children of Gomer with names that showed His disdain for the people of Israel. At the instruction of God, Hosea continually forgave Gomer for her blatant sin, this was to teach the spiritually ignorant people, of His unconditional and unwavering Love for Israel. Because of God desire to show the people how great his Love was, He promises that there would come a time that Israel would be delivered, and they would be restored to grace and the land that they were exiled from.

THE BOOK OF JOEL
In the Book of Joel, we can see the judgement of God being unleashed upon the people of Judah. While there is not much known about the lineage of Joel, he must have been special to God, as his name means Yahweh is God. It appears that Joel was so filled and moved by the Holy Spirit that he prophesies hundreds of years into the future, speaking of the great judgement and outpouring of God’s Spirit upon all humanity. Joel is excited with the anticipation of God bringing judgement upon His enemies and those of Israel. In verses 2:18-31, Joel recounts how the Lord also promises restoration and grace for the people. In Joel’s time he prophesized the devastation by the locust, the repentance of Judah and the restoration of God. In our time he prophesized the “great and terrible” day of the Lord, where there was: the judgement, the grace, and the blessings of God. In sin we will find discipline! In repentance we will find God’s Grace! In Faith, obedience, and devotion, we will find the unwavering and unconditional Love of God! Joel instructs the elders to teach the children God’s way (1:2, 3), he tells them to call on God for forgiveness and salvation (2:32), he tells them to receive the Holy Spirit (2:28, 29), so that Judah’s people will see the Blessings of God (3:17-21).

THE BOOK OF AMOS
The book of Amos is about the wrath of judgement of God towards Israel. The prophet Amos was called by God to bring His message to the northern region of Israel. Amos professes that he is not a learned prophet, instead claims that he was a shepherd. The prosperity of both Judah and Israel was great, with huge growth in their military and political statuses. Yet, there is a decline in worshipping God and idol-worshipping was rampant. The regions were experiencing immorality, oppression, and corruption. Amos was tasked with spreading the message that God was not pleased with the nation of Israel. The people of Israel had forgotten their covenant with God. Amos brought severe indictments of punishment against Israel; prophesizing that God’s divine judgement of wrath would be great. Amos was a literary polymath, although he claims he was never educated or trained. He preached that if the people would not discontinue the practices of their injustice and immorality, Israel would be destroyed, and they would be exiled. Amos had five distinct visions of judgement, there were two visions where he told the people that if they didn’t repent from their wicked ways, God would withdraw from their presence. In verses 9:11-15, Amos prophesizes the promises of God’s restoration, only if Israel returns to righteous living.