Category: <span>Commentary</span>

Jeremiah 46-52

Throughout the prophecy of Jeremiah, the reader can follow at least two themes. First, God is sovereign over the nations of humankind and He alone has power over their leaders and success. Second, the exiles should thus trust His word despite any threat they may encounter.

In chs. 46-51, Jeremiah prophesied against the nations that Judah might have been tempted to turn to for help in light of the Babylonian threat. Despite Egypt’s self-confidence, Jeremiah said that the day of battle “belongs to the Lord, the GOD of Hosts, a day of vengeance to avenge Himself against His adversaries” (Jer 46:10). This word of God’s sovereignty was meant to both warn and comfort God’s people: warning them not to trust in Egypt’s military potential, and comforting them with the news that He would not abandon His own—even if they were under His discipline (Jer 46:27-28).

Judah was not to seek refuge in surrounding nations, such as the Philistines (ch. 47), Moabites (ch. 48), Ammonites, Edomites, or people of Damascus (ch. 49). Jeremiah reminded his audience of God’s sovereignty over all nations, including Babylon. Jeremiah prophesied that Babylon would one day be conquered and devoured. Thus, while Jeremiah had exhorted Judah to surrender to Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king was never to be their ultimate trust—that position was reserved for the Lord alone. As a father disciplines his children, God had scattered His people among the nations (Jer 50:3, 17, 33), Jeremiah said. But God would give the Persians victory over the Babylonians (Jer 50:9-16, 21-32, 35-46; 51:1-4, 6-14, 20-33). Once Babylon was defeated, the exiles of Israel and Judah would be allowed to return and submit to an “everlasting covenant” (Jer 50:5) with the Lord in the land God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Jer 50:4-5, 19-20; 51:6, 10, 45-46). But first, Jerusalem would be destroyed (Jeremiah 52; 2 Kgs 25:8-21).

The prophets that wrote to the people of Israel and Judah understood themselves to be the contemporary spokespersons of the Lord. They interpreted the political, economic, and social landscape of their day in light of the law of Moses, urging their audience(s) to rely fully upon the Lord for their identity and needs. When the threats of the day seemed imminent, they wrote of the Lord’s jealousy to redeem the repentant. The prophets thus presented their messages as a bridge between what the Lord revealed to Moses and what the Lord would do for His people in the days to come. The prophets’ messages are best understood in light of the storyline of Scripture.

(1) Jeremiah prophesied that God would judge His people and save only a remnant (Jer 46:27-28). The Lord promised that though there would be judgment and dispersion amongst the nations, a future day would come when the descendants of Jacob would be gathered to the land of promise. In the meantime, Jeremiah urged his audience to be courageous—and wait on the Lord as He carried out His plan to discipline them and destroy the nations holding them captive.

(2) Jeremiah described the destruction of many nations and especially Babylon. While Jeremiah described what would happen to historical Babylon, in Revelation, John referred to Babylon metaphorically. John’s audience, like Jeremiah’s, was afraid of their opponents and wanted God to avenge the blood their opponents had shed (Rev 6:9-11). Like Jeremiah, John spoke of God’s sovereignty over Babylon. In Jer 50:8 and 51:6, 45, Jeremiah urged his audience to flee from Babylon and avoid the destruction due her. John wrote in Rev 18:4, “Then I heard another voice from heaven: ‘Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins, or receive her plagues.’” During the reign of King Zedekiah (2 Kgs 24:18ff), Jeremiah wrote on a scroll the destruction that would come upon Babylon (Jer 51:63-64). He pictured the Babylonian Empire sinking like a stone thrown into the Euphrates River. John used similar imagery when he described the destruction of Babylon, “Then a mighty angel picked up a stone like a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying: ‘In this way, Babylon the great city will be thrown down violently and never be found again’” (Rev 18:21).

Commentary Jeremiah Major Prophets Old Testament

Malachi

Malachi prophesied to the descendants of the exiles who returned to Judea following the decree of King Cyrus (Ezra 1:1-5). Haggai and Zachariah preached to those who had returned, exhorting them to finish the task of building the temple. Even though the returned exiles faced opposition from local authorities (Ezra 4:1-5, 24), they persevered and completed the task. Their descendants, Malachi’s audience, faced little external threat. Although the temple was completed and the people enjoyed a measure of political stability unknown for generations, they lacked fervency for the Lord their God—and their leaders congratulated the people for their lukewarm commitment.

Malachi’s words conclude the Old Testament. He called his audience to “remember the instruction of Moses” (Mal 4:4) and wait upon “the great and awesome Day of the LORD” (Mal 4:5). Malachi’s prophecy surfaces repeatedly in the New Testament, underscoring the prophet’s contribution to the storyline of Scripture.

(1) In Mal 1:2-3a, the prophet spoke the word of the Lord, saying, “‘I have loved you,’ says the LORD. But you ask, ‘How have You loved us?’ ‘Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?’ This is the LORD’s declaration. ‘Even so, I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.’” In Romans 9, Paul employed the words of the prophet to describe the principle of God’s covenant love upon those whom He has chosen—both Jews and Gentiles. Paul began Romans 9 by lamenting that the Jews of his day were rejecting the gospel even though Jesus was a fellow descendent of Abraham. Paul concluded that those Jews rejecting Jesus were not true Israelites. “Not all who are descended from Israel are Israel,” Paul wrote (Rom 9:6). Paul saw in Mal 1:2-3 a window for viewing God’s electing love in the history of Israel. In Gen 25:21-23, the Lord told Rebekah that her children were struggling in her womb because the older would serve the younger. God had chosen Jacob and overlooked Esau. Malachi interpreted God’s choice of Jacob as an expression of God’s love for him and hatred for Esau. Paul quoted Mal 1:2-3 in Rom 9:13 as a historical precedent for God’s free, electing love. Just as God had chosen Jacob and Esau—even though both were from the same parents—so too God had chosen some Israelites to believe in Christ for salvation.

(2) In Mal 1:14, the prophet spoke the word of the Lord, saying, “For My name will be great among the nations, from the rising of the sun to its setting.” At the outset of Jesus’ ministry, He noted that the nations would welcome His message of the kingdom of God (Luke 4:24-27). After Jesus was resurrected, He commissioned His disciples to go out among the nations making disciples (Matt 28:18-20). When the Lord called Paul on the Damascus road, he told Ananias that He had chosen Paul as a messenger to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15). When the Spirit came upon Cornelius and his household as Peter preached, all became aware that God’s blessing of salvation had been freely given to the nations (Acts 10:44-11:18). In 1 Tim 3:16, Paul offered an early confessional statement of Christianity, saying, “He [Jesus] was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.”

(3) In Mal 2:17-3:6, the prophet chastised the descendants of the exiles because they lacked righteous judgment, praised the wicked, and slandered the faithful. The Lord would thus send His messenger to clear the way for His arrival (Mal 3:1). In Mal 4:5, the prophet declared the word of the Lord, saying, “Look, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome Day of the LORD comes.” According to Luke’s Gospel, the angel of the Lord who appeared to Zechariah told him that Malachi’s prophecy pointed to his son, John the Baptist. The angel announced, “He will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people” (Luke 1:16-17). Zechariah later prophesied concerning his son, “And child, you will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways” (Luke 1:76). To defend His messianic claims, Jesus said that Malachi’s prophecy referred to John the Baptist (Matt 11:2-19//Luke 7:18-35). Mark began his Gospel by introducing John the Baptist as Jesus’ forerunner, in accord with Mal 3:1. After the transfiguration, Peter, James, and John were perplexed about the coming of the Son of Man and asked Jesus why the scribes said that Elijah would return before the Messiah. Jesus replied that Elijah had come, suffering the fate of a true prophet (Mark 9:9-13//Matt 17:10-12). John applied Malachi’s prophecy autobiographically. John replied to his disciples’ concern that Jesus was baptizing more disciples than he was, saying, “No one can receive a single thing unless it’s given to him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I’ve been sent ahead of Him’…He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:27-28, 30).

(4) In Mal 4:1, the prophet announced that there would be a differentiation between the righteous and the wicked, saying, “For indeed the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and everyone who commits wickedness will become stubble. The coming day will consume them.” Among the many connections between the latter half of the prophecy of Malachi and John the Baptist is John’s point that Messiah would come baptizing with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matt 3:11-12//Mark 1:7-8//Luke 3:16). Jesus employed Malachi’s imagery when describing the separation of those who participate in the kingdom of God and those who suffer in hell (Mark 9:42-49). In 2 Peter, the author echoed Malachi’s announcement, saying, “The present heavens and earth are held in store for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men” (2 Pet 3:7). He adds, “The heavens will be on fire and be dissolved, and the elements will melt with the heat. But based on His promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will dwell” (2 Pet 3:12b-13). The story of the rich man and Lazarus likewise pointedly differentiated the suffering of the wicked by fire and the eternal peace awaiting the righteous (Luke 16:19-31). Ultimately, all those who deceive, led by the Devil and his false prophet, will be thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, “and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev 20:10), while those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will enjoy the presence of God (Rev 21:1-4).

Commentary Malachi Minor Prophets Old Testament

Zechariah 7-14

Zechariah preached to a discouraged audience. The returned exiles had traveled a great distance, labored in reconstructing the temple—done what they thought to be God’s will—only to experience opposition from those who had taken their place in Canaan (Ezra 4:1-5). Zechariah’s prophecies addressed the present situation of the remnant and established expectations of how God would deal with His people and the nations in the days to come. Jesus and the authors of the New Testament viewed Zechariah 7-14 within Scripture’s developing storyline, establishing precedents for God’s redemptive work in their day.

(1) In Zech 9:9, the prophet exhorted his listeners, saying, “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your King is coming to you; He is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Matthew and John cited Zech 9:9 in reference to Jesus as He triumphantly approached Jerusalem on His way to the cross (Matt 21:5//John 12:15).

(2) In Zech 9:11, the prophet noted that the Lord would release Israel’s captives in accord with the blood of her covenant. The themes of Jerusalem’s king and a covenant of blood in Zech 9:9-11 come together in the person of Jesus Christ. On the night of His final Passover celebration, Jesus told His disciples that the cup He was sharing with them was the cup of the new covenant established in His blood (Matt 26:28//Mark 14:24//Luke 22:20). The author of Hebrews repeatedly noted that Jesus’ blood instituted the new, everlasting covenant and forgiveness of sins (Heb 1:3; 7:26-28; 8:10-12; 9:12-14, 23-28; 10:10-18; 13:20-21).

(3) In Zech 11:4-17, the prophet described himself as a shepherd of Israel. As a faithful shepherd, Zechariah served as a foil for the ungodly and wicked shepherds of Israel. Because of the wickedness of the people, Zechariah abolished his covenant with them. Israel demonstrated her wickedness when she gave Zechariah only 30 pieces of silver for his service as a spiritual shepherd. The same greed was manifested in the Jewish leadership of Jesus’ day, those who measured out 30 pieces of silver for Judas to betray Jesus (Matt 26:14-16//Mark 14:10-11//Luke 22:3-6).

(4) In Zech 12:10, the prophet said, “Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the house of David and the residents of Jerusalem, and they will look at Me whom they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child and weep bitterly for Him as one weeps for a firstborn.” John noted Zechariah’s prophecy in describing the death of Christ, saying, “These things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled… ‘They will look at the One they Pierced’” (John 19:37). John repeated this theme in Revelation, saying, “Look! He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, including those who pierced Him. And all the families of the earth will mourn over Him” (Rev 1:7).

(5) In Zech 13:7, Zechariah declared the word of the Lord, saying, “Sword, awake against My shepherd, against the man who is My associate…Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will also turn My hand against the little ones.” Jesus applied Zechariah’s prophecy to the situation of His disciples on the eve of His crucifixion. After eating the Passover meal with His disciples, Jesus told them that they would all scatter that very night when He, their shepherd, was struck (Matt 26:31//Mark 14:27).

(6) In Zech 14:3, the prophet foretold of a day when “the LORD will go out to fight against those nations as He fights on a day of battle.” Zechariah’s prophecy reinforced Israel’s expectation of a warrior-Messiah. Jesus fought against Satan in the wilderness (Matt 4:1-11//Mark 1:12-13//Luke 4:1-13), during His ministry (Matt 12:22-30//Mark 3:22-27//Luke 11:14-23), and finally defeated the Devil at the cross (Col 2:15; Heb 2:10-14; 1 John 3:8). After the Lord returns on a white horse with the armies of heaven in tow (Rev 19:11-21), Satan will be condemned to the lake of fire forever (Rev 20:10).

(7) In Zech 14:8, Zechariah declared that living water would flow from Jerusalem year-round. In Zech 14:16-17, he prophesied that the survivors from the peoples that had opposed Israel would come to Jerusalem to worship the Lord, and “should any of the families of the earth not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, rain will not fall on them.” In Rev 21:2-3, John saw the New Jerusalem descending from heaven and noted that God would dwell with His people there forever. In his vision of the New Jerusalem, John also saw the throne of God and of the Lamb. From the divine throne, a river of water flowed constantly, nursing the trees along its banks so that those trees would bear fruit, and their leaves would be for the healing of the nations (Rev 22:1-3).

Commentary Minor Prophets Old Testament Zechariah

Zechariah 1-6

God called Zechariah to preach to the exiles that had returned from captivity to build the temple in Jerusalem, according to the decree of Cyrus king of Persia (Ezra 1:1-5; 6:14-15). The nations that occupied Canaan in the absence of God’s people were not excited to see the Israelites return; they bullied the returned exiles and schemed against them (Ezra 4:1-5). Yet, through the ministry of the prophets, the Lord motivated His people to get to work. Zechariah’s first sermon was a call for the returned exiles to remember why they and their ancestors were overtaken by Nebuchadnezzar in the first place. It was because they would not return to the Lord of Hosts when He sent prophets to speak His word (Zech 1:1-6; 2 Kings 24-25). Zechariah’s message was that the returned should heed God’s word through the prophets if they wished to survive in the land.

The night visions recorded in Zechariah 1-6 portray elements of salvation that contribute to the storyline of Scripture.

(1) In Zech 2:6-7, the prophet foretold the gathering of the exiled people of God. Zechariah said, “‘Get up! Leave the land of the north’—the LORD’s declaration—‘for I have scattered you like the four winds of heaven’—the LORD’s declaration. ‘Go, Zion! Escape, you who are living with Daughter Babylon.’” Jesus applied Zechariah’s prophecy to the return of the Son of Man in power and glory. Jesus said that when the Son of Man returns, He will gather His elect from the four winds, from the farthest distances of the earth (Matt 24:31//Mark 13:27). The prophet was concerned for the gathering of Israel from exile in Babylon and their return to the land of promise and the second temple; Jesus was concerned for the gathering of the faithful of all nations to celebrate His rule. Zechariah prophesied that many nations that would join themselves to the Lord’s people (Zech 2:10-13). James had this concept in mind at the Jerusalem council when he said that the Gentiles would see the Lord through a rebuilt Israel (Acts 15:16-18).

(2) In Zech 3:8, the prophet spoke to Joshua the high priest concerning the Lord’s servant, His Branch. The prophet took up the same theme in Zech 6:12-13, where the Lord commanded Zechariah to coronate Joshua the high priest with a golden crown. Joshua’s golden crown memorialized the temple and pointed forward to the day of the Branch, the One who would “branch out from His place and build the LORD’s temple” (Zech 6:12). Zechariah said that the Branch of the Lord would be clothed in royal splendor and rule on a throne (Zech 6:13). The prophet’s metaphor pointed forward to Jesus Christ, who would fulfill Zechariah’s promise of a king for Israel. The angel Gabriel announced to Mary that Jesus would sit on the throne of David and rule the house of Jacob forever (Luke 1:31-33). Jesus confessed to Pilate that He was a king, but not a king of this world (John 18:33-37). Jesus demonstrated His royal status by rising from the dead (Acts 2:32; 1 Cor 15:20-28; Eph 1:20-23; etc.). The author of Hebrews described Jesus’ royal status at the right hand of God (Heb 1:3; 13; 10:13) and in Revelation, John reported that he saw heavenly beings praising Jesus as king (Rev 5:9-10; 7:17; 11:15; 12:10-12, etc.).

(3) In Zech 3:1-5, the prophet described his vision of Satan’s attempt to accuse Joshua the high priest. The Angel of the Lord intervened though, telling those before Him, “Take off his filthy clothes!” (Zech 3:4a). The Angel then said to Joshua, “See, I have removed your guilt from you, and I will clothe you with splendid robes” (Zech 3:4b). The author of Hebrews notes that Jesus was a unique high priest in that Jesus defeated the Devil by offering His own blood for the forgiveness of sins once and for all (Heb 1:3; 2:10-18; 7:26-28; 9:13-14, 23-28; 10:10-12; etc.). In Revelation, John saw Satan thrown from heaven, removed from the position he used to accuse God’s people (Rev 12:10). To the Romans, Paul wrote, “Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the One who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the One who died, but even more, has been raised; He also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us” (Rom 8:33-34).

(4) In Zech 5:7, the prophet recorded his vision of a measuring basket that contained the iniquity of the land. Inside the basket was a woman called “Wickedness.” In Rev 17:1, John described Babylon as a wicked harlot who deceived the nations. In Zech 6:1-8, the prophet saw sets of horses pulling four chariots sent out to patrol the earth, administering the Lord’s vengeance upon Israel’s enemies. John wrote in Rev 6:1-8 that when the first four seals were broken, horses carried the one enacting God’s judgement upon the earth.

Commentary Minor Prophets Old Testament Zechariah

Haggai

Haggai and Zechariah preached to the exiles who returned to rebuild the temple when King Darius ruled the Persian Empire (Hag 1:1; Zech 1:1). Further historical details can be identified in the book of Ezra. After the exiles finished the foundation for their temple, non-Israelites offered their assistance. The offer was pretentious and would have compromised Israel’s purity (Ezra 4:2). Although the exiles initially responded with great devotion against this threat of syncretism, in time fear took the Israelites captive in Jerusalem. The people of the land continued to discourage the Israelites and bribed local leaders to frustrate the exiles as they continued to build the temple (Ezra 4:4-5). With the construction at a standstill (Ezra 4:24), Haggai challenged the exiles to evaluate their priorities, trust God, and get to work.

Haggai’s prophecy that the Lord would shake the heavens and the earth stitches together the storyline of Scripture, connecting the exodus event and the return of Christ. Haggai urged his readers to be faithful in the earthly orientation of the old covenant—the physical realities of the tabernacle and temple, the religious structures God initiated when He redeemed His people from Pharaoh’s grasp (Hag 2:4-5). In light of what God had done for His people in Egypt, the returned exiles could be confident of vindication in a future day when the Lord would shake the nations and bring their treasures to Jerusalem (Hag 2:6-7). In Heb 12:26, the author of Hebrews employed Haggai’s description of the Lord’s cataclysmic activity (Hag 2:6) in order to help his readers understand the new covenant in Christ.

(1) Haggai’s phrase “once more” (Hag 2:6) provided the author of Hebrews a historical basis for pointing his audience forward to a future day when God would again intervene mightily on earth. When Haggai wrote “Once more,” he was implying that God’s activity for the returned exiles would reflect God’s earlier intervention at the exodus. Haggai viewed the exodus holistically, linking the plundering of the Egyptians (Exod 12:33-36) with God’s mountain-shaking presence on Mount Sinai (Exod 19:16-19) and God’s presence in the tabernacle (Exod 40:34-35). Haggai prophesied that just as the Lord had intervened to bring His people out of Egypt with great wealth and signified His presence among them by filling the tabernacle with His glory, the Lord would again intervene so that the exiles would have full treasuries to adorn their new temple. In Heb 12:26, the author of Hebrews applied Haggai’s “Once more” to encourage his audience regarding what God would do for them at the consummation of the new covenant, when Christ returns.

(2) Haggai’s reference to the shaking of heaven and earth (Hag 2:6-7) provided the author of Hebrews a framework for articulating the finality of the new covenant. Haggai said that the Lord would shake the heavens and the earth to aid the returned exiles. In Heb 12:26, the author noted that God would shake not only the earth but also heaven. He thus inverted Haggai’s references to what the Lord would shake. Why the inversion? For the author of Hebrews, the religious activities of Judaism—those which Haggai esteemed for his audience—were earthly and removed when the new covenant was inaugurated in Christ’s blood. On Mount Sinai, the author of Hebrews wrote in Heb 12:18-21, the Lord shook the earth with His presence when He gave Moses the law. In Heb 12:22-24, the author of Hebrews noted that his audience, the participants in the new covenant, had not come to Mount Sinai but Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, and Jesus’ shed blood. Since God’s voice shook Mount Sinai, the author of Hebrews argued in Heb 12:25-26, those hearing the word of the new covenant must pay attention. According to the author of Hebrews, God was ready to shake “not only earth but also heaven” (Heb 12:26) so that the created things of earth might be removed and only the permanent, heavenly realities would remain (Heb 12:27). For the author of Hebrews, the eternal, heavenly realities of the new covenant included Jesus’ presence in heaven at God’s right hand (Heb 1:13). There Jesus serves as a great high priest, like Melchizedek, giving believers access to God (Heb 4:14-16; 6:19-20; 7:26-28; 10:19-23). The heavenly realities, the author of Hebrews wrote, have been sprinkled by Jesus’ blood (Heb 9:23), the blood of the everlasting covenant (Heb 13:20). But Jesus will not remain in heaven forever; Christ will return again to bring salvation for all who are waiting for Him (Heb 9:28). When Christ returns, the earthly shadows of religion will finally be removed, and the heavenly realities of the new covenant will be visible for all. Concluding his reflection on Hag 2:6, the author of Hebrews exhorted his audience, saying, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire” (Heb 12:25-29).

Commentary Haggai Minor Prophets Old Testament

Zephaniah

Zephaniah ministered during the reign of Josiah. That pagan worship was practiced in Judah may indicate that Zephaniah prophesied just before Josiah’s more prominent reforms (Zeph 1:4-5; 2 Kgs 23:1-27). As a member of the royal family, Zephaniah enjoyed a place of prominence amongst the competing voices of the land. He and Josiah were distant cousins, both tracing their ancestry to King Hezekiah (Zeph 1:1). Zephaniah zealously exhorted God’s people to prepare for the coming Day of the Lord.

Zephaniah announced that the Day of the Lord would bring destruction upon Judah for her idolatry. The Lord said, “I will cut off from this place every vestige of Baal, the names of the pagan priests; those who bow in worship on the rooftops to the heavenly host; those who bow and pledge loyalty to the LORD but also pledge loyalty to Milcom” (Zeph 1:4b-5). Although Judah enjoyed security and prosperity at the end of Manasseh’s reign, their wealth would be nothing on the Day of the Lord. “Their silver and gold will not be able to rescue them on the day of the LORD’s wrath,” Zephaniah said (Zeph 1:18).

In the prophet’s mind, there was precious little time for the people to reform their ways before the Lord would come to judge His people. “Gather yourselves together,” Zephaniah said, “before the decree takes effect and the day passes like chaff, before the burning of the LORD’s anger overtakes you, before the day of the LORD’s anger overtakes you” (Zeph 2:1, 2). While Zephaniah exhorted the humble in Judah to seek righteousness, the prophet also confronted the Philistine nations, the Ammonites, the Moabites, and the Assyrians—urging them to repent from taunting God’s people (Zeph 2:10).

Zephaniah implored the people of Judah to turn to God and receive His kindness—even though they would be dispersed before they were restored (Zeph 3:9-11). The Lord promised to restore His people, saying, “I will remove your boastful braggarts from among you, and you will never again be haughty on My holy mountain. I will leave a meek and humble people among you, and they will trust in the name of Yahweh” (Zeph 3:11-12). On that day, the Lord promised to rejoice over His people with gladness, quiet them with His love, delight in them with joy, and restore their fortunes before their eyes (Zeph 3:17-20).

For Zephaniah, the Day of the Lord designated a time of judgment for the unfaithful in Judah and the nations, and also a day of salvation for the faithful remnant of God’s people. Like Amos in Amos 5:18-20, Zephaniah announced the coming destruction of Judah, saying, “The great Day of the LORD is near; near and rapidly approaching. Listen, the Day of the LORD—there the warrior’s cry is bitter” (Zeph 1:14). Like Isaiah (Isa 2:6-22; 24:1-23), Zephaniah declared that the Day of the Lord would also bring destruction upon the nations (Zeph 2:4ff).

When the Lord exercised His wrath on these nations, Zephaniah prophesied that the Lord would exalt Judah. In Zeph 2:9, Zephaniah spoke the Lord’s promise of a future day of Judean prominence over their enemies, saying, “The remnant of My people will plunder them; the remainder of My nation will dispossess them.” In Zeph 3:13, the prophet foretold the future salvation of “the remnant of Israel,” saying, “they will pasture and lie down, with nothing to make them afraid.” Indeed, the Lord’s nearness would be the cause of their peace and security (Zeph 3:16-17).

In the storyline of Scripture, Zephaniah’s prophesies of a future day of deliverance established a framework for understanding Christ’s first and second coming. The writers of the New Testament understood the Day of the Lord in light of Jesus. In their minds, the Day of the Lord was a time of vindication for the people of Christ and destruction for those who opposed Christ and His church (1 Thess 4:16-17; 2 Thess 1:5-10; Rev 19:11-20:14). Never did the New Testament authors describe the Day of the Lord as a time when God’s people would be on the receiving end of God’s wrath. The author of Hebrews wrote that Christ died once to bear the sins of His people, and will return “not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him” (Heb 9:27-28).

Commentary Minor Prophets Old Testament Zephaniah

Habakkuk

The prophet Habakkuk did not indicate the names of those who reigned in Judah during his ministry, but the themes and tone of his writing parallel the events following the death of Josiah, when Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem (2 Kgs 24:10-25:21). Habakkuk was an insightful, prayerful preacher who knew the character of his God and was in tune with the spiritual situation of his day.

Habakkuk’s role in the storyline of Scripture cannot be overstated. The New Testament authors employed Habakkuk’s prophecy to explain:

(1) Justification in Christ alone. God had raised up the pagan Chaldeans to discipline the people of Judah. Habakkuk and the people of Judah could not understand what God was doing. In Hab 1:5-11, the prophet recorded God’s answer to his inquiry about the apparent discrepancy between God’s covenant loyalty to His people and the rise of the Chaldeans. The Lord said to Habakkuk, “Look! I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter, impetuous nation that marches across the earth’s open spaces to seize territories not its own” (Hab 1:6). God’s work in Habakkuk’s day was different than the prophet or the people expected. But if Judah failed to recognize that God had raised up the Chaldeans to discipline them and send them into exile, then the people of Judah would lose their lives fighting against God. Paul employed the words of Habakkuk during his first missionary journey when he preached in Antioch of Pisidia. Paul reviewed salvation history from the captivity of Israel in Egypt to the rule of King David to the resurrection of Jesus. Paul argued that Jesus’ resurrection demonstrated Jesus’ superiority even over Israel’s great king, David, and employed Hab 1:5 as evidence that his listeners should believe upon Jesus as Savior. Paul warned his audience in Pisidian Antioch that though God’s offer of salvation in Jesus differed from their expectations, only through Jesus could anyone be justified. Paul said, “So beware that what is said in the prophets does not happen to you: ‘Look, you scoffers, marvel and vanish away, because I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will never believe, even if someone were to explain it to you’” (Acts 13:36-41, citing Hab 1:5).

(2) The faithful response God requires of those who receive His grace in Christ. In Hab 2:2-5, the prophet recorded God’s answer to his second prayer, when he asked how God could work through the wicked Chaldeans in order to accomplish His holy will. The Lord replied, “The vision is yet for the appointed time; it testifies about the end and will not lie. Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late. Look, his ego is inflated; he is without integrity. But the righteous one will live by his faith” (Hab 2:3-4). In the Lord’s declaration of what would happen to the Chaldeans—and how God’s people should live in the meantime—the authors of the New Testament saw themes that applied to their audiences. Paul employed Hab 2:4 to help unify the divergent Jew/Gentile audience in Rome. He wrote, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it God’s righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith’” (Rom 1:16-17). Paul urged Jews and Gentiles in Rome to hold tightly to their faith in Christ—lest their national distinctions pull them apart (Romans 9-11; 15:1-7). After Paul had evangelized the region of Galatia, those who argued that Gentiles needed to show their salvation by observing the identity markers of Judaism (i.e., circumcision, Sabbath-keeping, and food laws) began to have influence in the region. To counter this heretical insurgency, Paul took up Hab 2:4 saying, “All who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue doing everything written in the book of the law.’ Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because ‘the righteous will live by faith’” (Gal 3:10-11; citing Deut 27:26 and Hab 2:4). The author of Hebrews likewise saw in Hab 2:4 instruction for his audience—those who needed to persevere in their current struggles as outcasts of the synagogue community, exiled from the social and financial securities available to Jews within the Roman culture. Habakkuk urged his audience to trust in the Lord for vindication in the day when He destroyed their enemies, and the author of Hebrews wished the same for his readers. He encouraged them to be confident saying, “‘In yet a very little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. But My righteous one will live by faith; and if he draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.’ But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and obtain life” (Heb 10:37-39).

Commentary Habakkuk Minor Prophets Old Testament

Nahum

Nahum’s name means “He comforted, took pity.” Like Jonah, Nahum referenced the city of Nineveh. Nineveh’s repentance was short lived. After revival during Jonah’s ministry, the Assyrian empire—whose capital city was the notorious Nineveh—became strong and began to intimidate and oppress Judah. About 100 years before Nahum’s prophecy, King Ahaz of Judah cowered before the mighty Assyrians and began to pay tribute to their king, Tiglath-pileser (2 Kgs 16:1-9). His successor, Shalmaneser, captured Israel in 722 B.C. (2 Kgs 17:6). Nahum prophesied between the Assyrian conquest of Israel and the Babylonian captivity of Judah. During this time of Assyrian and then Babylonian dominance, the Lord sent Nahum to comfort His flock in Judah and Jerusalem by reminding them that He is the just ruler of all nations. God’s justice upon Israel’s enemies was yet unseen, but not unknown. A day would come when God would settle accounts against those whom He had used to discipline His people (Isa 10:7-16; 14:24-27; 36:1-20). Obadiah, prophesying after the fall of Jerusalem, may have taken up Nahum’s theme.

Nahum encouraged those in Judah by reminding them of the character of their God. “The LORD is a jealous and avenging God,” he said, “the LORD takes vengeance and is fierce in wrath. The LORD takes vengeance against His foes; He is furious with His enemies. The LORD is slow to anger but great in power; the LORD will never leave the guilty unpunished” (Nah 1:2-3a). According to Nahum, Nineveh’s oppression of Judah had offended the Lord, provoking Him to destroy the Ninevites. While the Lord used foreign nations to warn His people of the consequences of their idolatrous ways, those nations risked the danger of likewise being destroyed if they did not humble themselves before the Lord (Isa 10:7-16). Judah could thus rejoice in the hope of restoration on the day that the Lord destroyed Nineveh and the Assyrians (Nah 1:12b-13, 15).

The theology of Nahum’s prophecy provides a window for understanding God’s justice in the storyline of Scripture. God’s justice—expressed in Christ’s first and second comings—serves to both comfort those in Christ and exact vengeance upon those opposed to Him. In Christ, God revealed the means by which He will both condemn those who oppose the gospel and provide victory for those who submit to it. In the grid of the New Testament, submission, and obedience to the gospel of Jesus is the only way to escape God’s wrath. In Nah 1:15, the prophet announced the word of the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, and exhorted Judah to “look to the mountains—the feet of one bringing good news and proclaiming peace!” In Rom 10:15, Paul applied Nah 1:15 to the new situation in Christ. While many Jews of Paul’s day had heard the announcement of good news from the prophets, they failed to recognize that the good news of eternal salvation had arrived in Jesus Christ. Paul thus employed Nahum’s word pejoratively. Israel had received the message, “But all did not obey the gospel” (Rom 10:16).

Commentary Minor Prophets Nahum Old Testament

Micah

Micah, a contemporary of Isaiah, preached in Judah during the reigns of Jotham (2 Kgs 15:32-38), Ahaz (2 Kgs 16:1-20), and Hezekiah (2 Kgs 18-20). During Micah’s ministry, Assyria had come against Israel and it had been taken captive. In the people of Judah, Micah saw unfaithfulness to the covenant, pervasive greed, and relentless oppression. Like their northern counterparts, Judah had been unfaithful to the Lord. Nonetheless, Micah proclaimed the Lord’s faithfulness to preserve a remnant of His people and be glorified through them.

Micah’s prophecy shapes the storyline of Scripture by foretelling the birthplace of the Messiah and the divisive nature of His ministry.

(1) In Matt 2:6, the scribes identified Mic 5:2 as the source of the expectation that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Although the Lord sent Israel into exile even during Micah’s ministry—and Judah would be threatened with the same—the prophet announced the day when the Lord’s justice would be seen as He restored His people to their former greatness (Mic 4:9-13). Even from Bethlehem, “small among the clans of Judah” (Mic 5:2), One would come to rule over Israel for God. Micah was so confident that the Lord would deliver His people that he predicted a ruler would arise from even tiny Bethlehem and lead Israel in triumph. When King Herod heard from the Magi that within his jurisdiction a king had been born for the Jews, Herod assembled the chief priests and the scribes to inquire as to the possible whereabouts of such an event. The scribes answered by citing Micah’s prophecy, “And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah: because out of you will come a leader who will shepherd My people Israel” (Matt 2:6). Herod took the word of the Lord seriously and massacred all boys in Bethlehem two years and younger (Matt 2:16-17).

(2) In Matt 10:21, 35-36//Lk 12:53, Jesus said that His ministry would cause family members to oppose one another, reflecting the family divisions Micah described in Mic 7:6. God wanted His people to act justly, love faithfulness, and walk humbly before Him (Mic 6:8). But when Micah surveyed the moral landscape of Judah, he saw the opposite. “The wealthy of the city are full of violence, and its residents speak lies; the tongues in their mouths are deceitful” (Mic 6:12), the prophet said. The people of Judah even turned against their own relatives. “A son considers his father a fool, a daughter opposes her mother,” Micah observed, “and a daughter-in-law is against her mother-in-law; a person’s enemies are the people in his own home” (Mic 7:6). Divisions arose in the families of Judah because the people were selfish and greedy; no one was in the right. Jesus proclaimed that family members would oppose each other as some accepted His kingdom message and others did not. Jesus stated that His kingdom demanded singular allegiance. If a person’s family rejected them because of their identification with Jesus, then division in the family demonstrated that participation in Jesus’ kingdom exceeded the value of peace in the family.

Commentary Micah Minor Prophets Old Testament

Jonah

The book of Jonah poses a piercing question: What happens when God makes friends with your enemies? Jonah was called to preach to Nineveh at a time when the Assyrian empire was weak, and Israel was strong. During the reign of Jeroboam II, Jonah had prophesied that Israel’s king should “restore Israel’s borders from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah” (2 Kgs 14:25). Unlike his contemporaries Amos and Hosea, Jonah did not preach against the sins of Israel, the northern kingdom. The former were called to confront the sins of Israel, but Jonah was to go and preach a message of mercy to Israel’s enemies. In Jonah’s mind, there was something unjust in all of it. The book of Jonah fits the mold of a literary tragedy. The prophet helped pagan sailors and the people of Nineveh to know God’s mercy but stiff-armed the God of mercy who spoke to him.

The drama began when Jonah disobeyed God’s call to preach His mercy in Nineveh. Jonah boarded a ship headed for Tarshish, “from the LORD’s presence,” a phrase repeated for emphasis (Jonah 1:2, 3). When the storm came, the pagan sailors tossed Jonah overboard. Jonah experienced God’s delivering power through the great fish that kept the prophet alive for three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17)

Jonah initially turned from his hardness, and thanked God for sparing his life. Jonah’s prayer in ch. 2 shares points of contact with Psalms 88, 103, and 107. Jonah confessed, “Those who cling to worthless idols forsake faithful love, but as for me, I will sacrifice to You with a voice of thanksgiving. I will fulfill what I have vowed. Salvation is from the LORD” (Jonah 2:8-9). Once on dry ground, Jonah traveled across a vast desert for over 300 miles until he arrived in Nineveh. The prophet’s brief message, “In 40 days Nineveh will be overthrown!” (Jonah 3:4), compelled the king of Nineveh and all the people to believe. God recognized their repentance and spared the city from destruction.

But “Jonah was greatly displeased and became furious” (Jonah 4:1) at God’s mercy upon the Ninevites. Jonah was so bothered by God’s decision to spare Israel’s enemies that he even prayed for God to take his life (Jonah 4:3). To emphasize His sovereignty over those who benefit from His kindness, the Lord caused a plant to grow up quickly and provide Jonah relief from the intense desert heat. But when the Lord caused the plant to wither, Jonah wanted to die (Jonah 4:8). Jonah was concerned about a temporary plant, but the Lord was concerned about a great city (Jonah 4:10-11).

Jesus cited Jonah’s ministry to argue for His supremacy in the storyline of Scripture.

(1) Jonah came alive out of the fish, but Jesus came alive out of the tomb. After the initial phase of excitement over Jesus’ Galilean ministry (Matt 4:13-17//Mark 1:14-15//Luke 4:14-15), many began to question the authenticity of Jesus’ messianic claims. Some hearers rejected Jesus outright (Matt 8:28-34//Mark 5:1-20//Luke 8:26-39). The Jewish leadership of the day was so spiteful and ignorant that they accused Jesus of blaspheming (Matt 9:3//Mark 2:6-7//Luke 5:21) and casting out demons by the ruler of demons (Matt 9:34//Mark 3:22//Luke 11:15). Despite their disbelief, Jesus’ opponents continued to ask Him to perform a sign for them. Jesus announced that in due course they would receive a sign, the sign of the prophet Jonah. Jesus said that Jonah’s three-day stay in the belly of the great fish anticipated His three-day burial (Matt 12:39b-40//Mark 8:12//Luke 11:29-30). The greatest proof of Jesus’ Messiahship would not come in the signs He performed in Galilee but what would soon take place in Jerusalem—where He would be crucified and rise from the dead. The fish was sent to keep Jonah alive. Jesus, on the other hand, would die and rise from the tomb.

(2) The Ninevites will arise at the judgement and condemn the audiences that rejected Jesus’ message. Wicked Nineveh repented when they heard Jonah’s message, “in 40 days Nineveh will be overthrown!” (Jonah 3:4). Because of the hardheartedness of the Pharisees, Jesus said, “The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s proclamation; and look—something greater than Jonah is here!” (Matt 12:41).

Commentary Jonah Minor Prophets Old Testament