Introduction to the Minor Prophets (Part II)

We mentioned last week that Hosea is just one book in an compendium of Minor Prophets known as “The Twelve”, and in addition to reading Hosea, it will benefit us to know about “The Twelve” as a whole. Last week’s editorial gave us the “Historical Context”, the “Arrangement” and the “Theological Unity” of the Minor Prophets. This week, we’ll look at some “Key Theological Concepts” and the “Contemporary Relevance” of the Minor Prophets.¹

May it serve to better aid us in our study, reflection and conversations on Hosea as we preach through the book in the first half of the year. And may it grow our faith in God and affections for Christ as we listen and read!

Ps Luwin Wong

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Key Theological Concepts

Key theological concepts in the Minor Prophets include the impending Day of the Lord and the expectation of a New David that encapsulates the figurehead of a restored covenant. The Minor Prophets place a special emphasis on the coming Day of the Lord, with the theme looming large in books like Joel and Zephaniah. Throughout the Minor Prophets the concept is applied to the immediate acts of God in judgment and exile (fulfilled in the historical context of the prophets) as well as the eschatological realities of judgment and restoration (acts of God yet to be fulfilled in the distant future). The coming Day of the Lord is applied to both Israel as well as the nations, with the exact nature of “that Day” (blessing or judgment, future or contemporaneous) always determined by context. The Day is simply a time of divine intervention and engagement in the affairs of man; it is a time when God acts in response to the acts of Israel and the nations. In the time of Amos, the leadership of Israel expected the Day of the Lord to be a time of light (blessing), but Amos warned that it was coming upon them as a day of darkness (Amos 5:18). The prophet Joel proclaimed that a devastating locust plague was the Day of the Lord but extended that idea to warn of an even more severe judgment unless the people would repent (Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11). Furthermore, he foresaw (as only a prophet can) a future Day of the Lord when God would judge the nations in “the winepress of his wrath,” leading to the final restoration of Israel “on that Day” (Joel 2:31; 3:1, 14). The theme of the Day of the Lord threads its way through the Minor Prophets, always anticipating God’s intervention and the fulfillment of his program in the affairs of man.

While most of the Minor Prophets anticipate a day of restoration voiced through salvation oracles, some references speak more specifically of the Davidic figurehead that rises to fulfill these restoration promises. Early within the collection of the Twelve a new “head” is promised for Israel, “David their king” (Hosea 1:11; 3:5). With his ascension, the “tabernacle of David,” would be rebuilt, and the fortunes of the people restored (Amos 9:11–15). Like the former David, this future ruler would come from Bethlehem, shepherding the flock of Israel (Micah 5:2–4). The post-exilic Minor Prophets continue these messianic expectations with the people’s reestablishment into the land. Haggai clarifies that the appointment of Zerubbabel as governor of Judah was proof of God’s commitment to restore the headship of the house of David (Haggai 2:20–23). Zechariah furthermore points to the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua the High Priest as evidence of the Davidic “Branch” anticipated by the prophets (Zechariah 3:8–10; 6:9–15).

In the tradition of Isaiah, the messianic prophecies in Zechariah present the future Davidic king as a humble servant, riding on a donkey, speaking peace to the nations yet ruling with dominion “to the ends of the earth” (Zechariah 9:9–10). This would be the one rejected by “piercing,” yet received by the house of David in national repentance (Zechariah 12:10–14). These prophecies anticipate the future Davidic messiah, with the New Testament making clear that these are fulfilled in Jesus (Matthew 21:1–5; John 19:37).

Contemporary Relevance

Although the Minor Prophets speak of future events, including those related to the coming Messiah (his first and second coming), the relevance of the Minor Prophets for today can often be seen in their preaching to their contemporaries. The Twelve railed against many of the same issues that we face in the twenty-first century: social injustice, hypocritical ritualism, idolatry, and spiritual apathy. The exact nature of these circumstances changes from their ancient context to our modern one, but the core issues are easily identified between the two.

The prophet Hosea is best known among the Twelve for framing out the sin of idolatry as a form of spiritual adultery, even called by God to marry a “woman of adulteries” as vivid picture of Israel’s relationship to God (Hosea 1:2). Idolatry was a constant religious scourge during the divided kingdom period (930–586 BC), its effects constantly pulling Israel and Judah away from the Lord their God, resulting in judgment and exile (2Kings 17:7–23; 24:20). Setting the tone of indictment for the Twelve, Hosea lays out a case against Israel’s unfaithfulness, picturing her betrayal in striking metaphors, the most prominent of which pictured in the prophet’s own marriage.

The enduring message of the Minor Prophets is a call for the people of God to turn from sin and back to the God who desires to pour out his lovingkindness upon them. It is a call to walk in faithfulness to the God who is always faithful, a call to remember God for “in that Day” he will vindicate his people (Malachi 4:2). It is a call to love justice and mercy and to walk obediently before God (Micah 6:8). And it is a message of hope and expectation that God will one day remove the shame of judgment and establish a King to rule over his people (Hosea 3:5; Zephaniah 3:14–20). Let us not neglect the very significant message from these so-called “Minor Prophets.”

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¹ Fuhr, Richard A. Introduction to the Minor Prophets. TheGospelCoalitionhttps://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/minor-prophets/