The Minor Prophets: Introduction
My name is Patti Shader, and I am so excited you will be joining me for our study of the Minor Prophets. I truly believe you will enjoy meeting each one! You can watch the introduction on the video below, or scroll down to see the text. Enjoy!
Introduction to the Study
Welcome to my bible study on the Minor Prophets. I want to take a few minutes to explain how this study works, and how to get the most out of it. Let me start by saying the word “minor” here does not suggest a lack of value, rather is more of a librarian’s term. It describes the prophet’s whose books are shorter, as opposed to the longer works of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel.
Each of the 12 minor prophets will be speaking to you in first person, that is, telling their story from their point of view. I believe this helps us see each man as a real person, living in real times on the face of the earth. Each one had emotions, families, and physical concerns, just like we all do. They wrestled with local politics, and physical disasters, as well as celebrating national successes, such as the rebuilding of the temple. Their emotions went up and down, as each successive king proved Godly or not. They watched the people waver in their faith, and then return to God over and over. These are the loyal ones, the A Team. The guys that represented Yahweh, rain or shine.
Now, they are part of the great cloud of witnesses talked about in Hebrews 12. They are watching us, in our day, grapple with many of the same problems and issues. They have words of wisdom that speak down through the ages of time. Since there is nothing new under the sun, they can offer encouragement to us as we navigate our own uncertain times.
It is important to understand the historical context of each prophet’s life before being able to really grasp their message. Consequently, I wrote much of the history of the kings also into their stories. You may wish to consult the included charts of the Kings of Judah and Israel, and the chart of prophets. These are invaluable resources. Remember, after the time of Solomon, the country was divided into two parts. The country of Judah was in the south, with Jerusalem as the capital. Israel, also called the Northern Kingdom, was to the north. It had its capital in Samaria. Some of the prophets were called to prophesy to Judah, some to Israel, and some to the countries surrounding them.
Begin each lesson by watching the video. As you are watching, fill out the worksheet for each prophet.You can download the worksheet here.
Check the charts for dates and timelines.
Finally, read the bible references for each prophet. Read their book yourself, and read about the period of history in which they lived. You may find you discover many interesting connections for yourself!
In each case, research has been done to correctly date each prophet and their message. In some cases, the exact date of the prophet’s life or writing is unknown. In those cases, the author has followed the advice of the historian with the most convincing argument for dating the scripture.
As historically accurate as these narratives are, you must remember, they are not scripture, and do contain some conjecture! It is important to be able to separate the two, yet it is the narrative itself that allows us to more fully identify with each character. Be sure to read the books for yourself. Most of them are very short and can be read in one sitting. The book of Zechariah is the longest and most difficult. A thorough study of the book of Zechariah would require many sessions of study.
These narratives are not intended to be a thorough study of the writings of each prophet. Rather, they are to be seen as an overview—a chance to understand the man himself, the historical context of his writing, and the main ideas and issues he wrote about.
As you walk through history with the minor prophets don’t miss the opportunity for God to speak through them to you today. Be sure for each lesson that you write down what you believe God may be saying to you through their message. Listen carefully!
I would like to thank each of the 12 men of God who were willing to narrate this study. Truly, they all did an exceptional job. The different narratives range from 8 minutes to 21 minutes.
Most of the research for this study came from the commentaries of each book by Chuck Missler. For a deeper study for each prophet, I suggest you listen to his teachings.
Have fun meeting the twelve “minor” prophets! Patti