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Reading Guide
Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
Micah - contemporary with Isaiah. He lived in Judah.
1:1-2:11 Accusations and Warnings - God appearing; corrupt leaders
2:12-13 Hope and restoration: God will shepherd the remnant of his people.
Chapter 3 Corruption of the leaders; Israel will be conquered;Jerusalem destroyed.
Chapters 4-5 Hope and restoration - The remnant restored, A new messianic king
Chapters 6-7 Israel’s unjust economic practices. 6:8 What does the LORD require of you?
7:8-20 Hope. Israel is personified as a suffering, defeated individual watching and waiting for the LORD. Why will the LORD come?
Because of his character (7:18) 2. Because of his promises (7:20)
Nahum - Announcing the downfall of Assyria and its capital Ninevah.
Chapter 1 - It begins with a powerful appearance of God's glory coming to confront the nations and then contrasts the fate of the violent nations with the fate of God’s faithful remnant.
Chapter 2 The fall of Nineveh; Chapter 3 Assyria’s downfall
Habakkuk - He lived in the final decades before the Southern Kingdom, Judah, was conquered and destroyed by Babylon. The Northern Kingdom, Israel, had been conquered by Assyria 100 years earlier.It was a time of injustice and idolatry. He saw the rising threat of Babylon.
He does not accuse Israel; he is not speaking to Israel; he is speaking personally to God.
Poems of lament: Drawing God’s attention to injustice and suffering and demanding that God do something.
1:2-4 Habakkuk lodges a complaint 1:5-11 God’s response
1:12-2:1 Habakkuk’s second complaint 2:2-5 God’s response
2:6-20 Five woes that describe the oppressive injustice of Babylon and nations like her.
1&2 - Economic injustice; 3 - Slave labor; 4 - Irresponsible leaders; 5 - Idolatry
Chapter 3 - Habakkuk’s prayer
3:1-2 Habakkuk pleads for God to act
3:3-7 A powerful and terrifying appearance of God similar to Micah 1, Nahum 1, and Mt. Sinai.
3:8-15 The future defeat of evil evil is described as a future exodus. God will:
Crush the head of the evil house
Save his people and his anointed one (the king from the line of David).
3:16-19 A conclusion of hopeful praise
Zephaniah - He also lived in the final decades before the Southern Kingdom, Judah, was conquered and destroyed by Babylon.
1:1-2:3 - Judgment on Jerusalem; 2:1-3 Hope for the remnant
2:4-3:8 - Judgment on the nations and Jerusalem (again).
3:9-20 - Hope for the nations and Jerusalem. The coming fire is not intended to destroy, but rather to purify (vs. 9-10). The remnant will have a home in God’s presence .