I DO read even the odd parts of the Bible.
I’m currently squaring off with the Minor Prophets—you know, Hosea instructed by God to marry a whore, Jonah kicking and screaming all the way to Ninevah, Habakkuk complain, complain, complain… (But see his bottom line below.)
So many choice morsels, but fire and lightning bolts are hidden in their words.
- Amos 5:22-24 has God saying to me, “Even if you write big checks for church or charity, I won’t even look at them. Away with your hymns and praise songs, your guitars and drums. What I want are ACTS of Justice and Righteousness!
- Zephaniah 2:15 speaks to today’s turmoil with a message of impending judgment. “America has been the prototype of freedom and strength. ‘I am great!’ she says. ‘There’s none besides me.’ But what a ruin she’ll become, a roaming place for bison and wild mustangs!”
- Zephaniah 2:3: The United States could very well blow up [think EMP* for utter devastation], BUT “If you belong to that small group who knows and follows the Lord, put your face to the floor, and maybe…just maybe…you’ll be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.”
- Micah 7:18 dittos that thought: “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the few left of your people? You don’t stay angry forever but delight in showing mercy. Please, Lord—have compassion on us. Stomp out our sins; hurl our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”
- Joel 2:12—Rip your hearts, not your designer clothes.
- Amos 4:12—Get ready to meet your God. Death can happen any day, any way.
BACK to Habakkuk 3:17, 18 with his take on national disaster or personal devastation:
I’ll wait patiently for things to come right in this broken and evil world, but EVEN IF
* Clothing gets pricy and store shelves bare,
* Meat is unaffordable and vegetables scarce,
* Gas prices go sky high, with electric cars way beyond my budget;
Still, I will REJOICE in the Lord, I will DELIGHT in God my Savior.
You with me on that?
Are you on speaking terms with the prophets—Minor or Major? Would love your comments, either below or email: jegust@comcast.net
*EMP–An Electroagnetic Pulse could destroy our entire electric infrastructure.
I taught Habakkuk in Kenya. God says, “I’m going to help you! I’m going to send in the Babylonians!” WHAT?? I love it! Well done, Ellie
Love it! A lot of the prophets’ words obviously didn’t make sense then and hardly does now. They often sneaked in hints about the coming Messiah, but how many centuries came and went before Jesus actually showed up? Seems like nothing from our vantage point, but when you have Babylonians breathing down your neck–a far different perspective. The Ukraine situation comes to mind, and I pray for the Christians and their “Babylonians.” Thanks, Lois, for sharing your Habakkuk experience!
Ellie, this is great! Thank you for “squaring off with the minor prophets”!
Thanks, Ruthie, for commenting. You do sort of have to get in these guys’ faces, if only to deal with their tough insights. : )
Rejoicing in the Lord? Delighting in my God and Savior? Starting each day on my face in a posture of reverent submission before the Lord? I am so with you Ellie!! This is how I got through the last two years, by sticking very close to Jesus, trying to follow his guidance, and obey Him in the hard places. Not easy. His path is narrow and not easy for me. But he is loyal and his love floods through my heart, overflowing and rinsing out the toxins. I can feel it hardening at times and I strain to tune out the vitriol of the world in order to put my focus back on Jesus. There alone, I can find peace knowing he understands this tangled world when I do not. He is my only peace and my joy, my constant companion. He is the voice of reason when people seem shut off from all reason. I am so blessed to be part of his family. He is my Good, good Shepherd.
Thank you, Sue, for your honesty in facing the tough things of life by holding tight to the Good Shepherd. I can’t imagine how the Christians in Ukraine, for instance, are doing that, but wars have been a fact of life since the beginning of time. But whether we live or die, WE ARE THE LORD’S—forever and ever!
Minor only because they get to the point(s). Their major buddies can take a lesson from their stand up, say it, sit down style
I love your take on using fewer words to say important things. My word limit for blogs is roughly 365, which calls for a great deal of self-sternness! : ). Thanks, John!
Thank you Ellie for this insight. The Minor Prophets did say some big things and God challenged them in living their lives….one of the responses talked about tuning out the “vitriol of this world”. So well stated and it is my constant desire every day…..
Thanks much, Dotty, for your thoughtful response. Yes, there is much vitriol in the world today, and I wonder what the Minors would say about the threats we’re facing? The Babylonians were brutal, but chemical/nuclear/EMP devastation is almost beyond belief. Death, however, is not our enemy. Fear, perhaps. But not that final portal that opens up Life forever with our King.
Thank you, Ellie, for drawing attention to major attractions of the “minor” prophets–minor only in regards to their Book lengths! When I started blogging on their writings, I was struck by the insights they give us into God’s own heart. For example, “What shall I do with you, Ephraim and Judah? Your love💔 is like a morning cloud☁️, like the dew that vanishes away” (Hosea 6:4; https://allacin.blogspot.com/2017/12/hoseaan-illustrated-summary-of-life.html). One of my favorite verses in the Bible is this, which I sing with the corresponding Maranatha! song🎵: “He has shown thee, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of thee. But to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God” (Micah 6:8).
Thank you so much, Allacin, for your insights into the not-so-minor prophets. I LOVE Hosea and his treatment of Ephraim, especially in Chapter 11. “It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them.” That entire chapter is full of love. And the Micah verse that you quote. So much tucked away in those small books! And we’ll get to meet those authors, someday! : )
Ah, what a refreshing contemplation: our meeting the Author and authors!☝🏼📖💖
YES and YES!!!!!!!! : )
Thank you, Ellie, for this major insight into some minor prophets. When I was going through a very difficult time of trials with no positive answers or direction Hab 3:18-19 was a daily prayer. So much is packed into that 3 letter word, “yet”.
Mom Mwende, what you have shared is awesome about the Minor Prophets.True, like in our current situation in Kenya, we can draw great encouragement from your wisdom. Thank you and keep up sharing.
Hey Ellie,
I am so glad to see a new post from you. I actually just finished Amos for my personal devotions. There is so much in these books that directly applies to the state of the world today. More and more, I am seeing how little control we have and how much more we need to rely on God for everything! But then it has always been that way, we are just so often caught up in day-to-day life that we are not aware. Thank you for the reminder! Good to hear from you again! Blessings on you and Jim my dear friend!
I’m glad to see a new post, too! : ) They’re getting a bit harder to do, these days. I’m especially happy that you’re drinking from the same Prophet trough. A lot of good stuff there, and as you say, it’s like looking into a mirror and seeing our own world situation.
Amos 7:1This is what the Lord GOD showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts just after the king’s harvest, as the late spring crop was coming up.a 2And when the locusts had eaten every green plant in the land, I said, “Lord GOD, please forgive! How will Jacob survive, since he is so small?”
3So the LORD relented from this plan. “It will not happen,” He said.
4This is what the Lord GOD showed me: The Lord GOD was calling for judgment by fire. It consumed the great deep and devoured the land. 5Then I said, “Lord GOD, please stop! How will Jacob survive, since he is so small?”
6So the LORD relented from this plan. “It will not happen either,” said the Lord GOD.
Is this not amazing? How many people have ever asked the Lord to change His plans, and God listened to them? A friend reminded me that we don’t usually pray like Amos did. We pray that the Lord will help us to get through things, not change them.
I am now praying in a new way about the world: “Lord God, please STOP the evil world rulers! Your children are too small. We cannot endure.”
Good words, Marcia. We do need to learn to pray in new ways. This morning, I read a paragraph by one of the Old Guys that might serve as an umbrella for all of us in these days. Alexander Whyte’s book is called, Teach Us to Pray.
The Most High. The High and Lofty one, that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy. The King Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, the Only Wise God. The blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords: who only has immortality, dwelling in the light that no man can approach unto: Whom no man has seen, nor can see. Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty: just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints. Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy Name? For Thou only art Holy. God is a Spirit: Infinite, Eternal, and Unchangeable in His Being, Wisdom, Power, Holiness, Justice, Goodness and Truth. Lo! These are parts of His ways: but how little a portion is heard of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand? The Most High!
There! Pray that against the evil ones!!