The last 12 books of the Old Testament -- Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi – are “minor” only in the sense that they are short, not that they are unimportant. For instance, a sentence in Habakkuk – “the just shall live by his faith” – became a foundation of the Protestant Reformation. Jonah is a striking picture of God’s giving a person a second chance. And Micah states most succinctly what God expects of his people: to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God. Knowing God, these prophets became the moral, religious, and political counselors of their generation.
The Open Your Bible Commentary was written to encourage daily Bible study. Each reading is short, but the content is rich with careful explanation, devotional warmth, and practical relevance. Nearly 100 daily readings let you explore the writings of the twelve minor prophets in depth.
The Open Your Bible Commentary has four great strengths:
* Accessible – it’s written for the average, thoughtful Christian without assuming a great deal of background, yet it is never superficial.
* Digestible – it’s written so you can read a section or two a day, working your way through an entire book of the Bible in days or weeks.
* Dependable – it’s written by an amazing group of scholars and trusted pastor-teachers.
* Practical – it’s a rich combination of specific application and encouragement to listen to God for guidance.
The commentary for each of these prophetic books is introduced by an overview, summary, outline, key themes, and relevance of that book for today.