Divisions of Old Testament Books

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1 Hope Christian Fellowship Church Tuesday Night Bible Study Tuesday, March 24, 2015 Law History Poetry/ Wisdom Genesis Deuteronomy Divisions of Old Testament Books Joshua Esther Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Songs Prophesy Major (5): Isaiah Daniel Minor (12): Hosea Malachi 1

2 Prophetic Books There are 17 prophetic books in the Old Testament 5 Major Prophets 12 Minor Prophets The Major Prophets are described as major because their books are longer and the content has broad implications. The Minor Prophets are described as minor because their books are shorter (although Hosea and Zechariah are almost as long as Daniel) and the content is more narrowly focused. This does not mean the Minor Prophets are any less inspired than the Major Prophets. It is simply a matter of God choosing to reveal more to the Major Prophets than He did to the Minor Prophets. OT Prophets as Watchmen The basic function and role of a prophet was to be a watchman for the people and the time in which they were living. A watchman was a person who stood on the city wall to look out to find out when an enemy was coming or approaching. God was in the beginning processes of sending judgment on His people. He was going to send foreign armies to attack His people. 2

3 OT Prophets as Watchmen The prophets were watchmen to warn the people about what God was going to do (foretelling). Unless the people repented and changed their ways, God was going to send judgment against them. The job of the prophet was not just to predict the future. The job of the prophet was also to confront the society of the day with their sin and announce that they need to change their ways because judgment was coming (forthtelling). Prophets and Kings in Israel God is King. But the people wanted a king like other nations. In order to make sure that the king stayed loyal to God, God gave them a prophet to monitor this. It was also the role of some prophets to anoint the king when God chose them. Anytime the king messed up, it was the prophet s job to let the king know that he has been unfaithful to God. Thus saith the Lord.. 3

4 Writing Prophets Their ministry was not to the kings, but to the people at large. The nation has turned away from God. These prophets preached to the people. If you don t get right with God, He will send nations against you. There message was so important to the nation as a whole that their words were written down. These writing prophets are the major and minor prophets. Major Problems Addressed by The Prophets Problem of Idolatry There are things in your life that you have put in the place of God. You have not given your loyalty and allegiance to God. Problem of False Worship You are going through the routines of worship but your heart isn t right with God. Problem of Social Injustice The people were mistreating each other. If you have a relationship with God, you will have a relationship with the people. 4

5 The Prophets Message Concerning God God s love has to be tough, which is why he brings judgment. God also has a tender love for His people. No matter how severe God s judgment, He always warned them. The prophets speak about God not to inform our intellect, but to touch our emotions. The prophet s gave a message designed to get people s attention in order to get them to change. They do not talk about God in an abstract way, but with images and pictures. The Prophets Message Concerning The People The prophets speaks of us regarding our extreme sinfulness. When the prophet talks about people, he talks about our extreme rebellion and sinfulness hopefully so that we will listen, and then change. 5

6 Reading OT Prophetic Books Most of the Books of OT Prophesy are poetry. There is a lot of figurative language included in these books as a vivid way to make the message come alive. In Hosea, you will see the use of metaphor and simile. Hosea 6

7 About Hosea Hosea is the first of the 12 Minor Prophetic Books in the OT. The Book of Hosea is poetry of a tragic love story. Hosea means Salvation of the Lord. About Hosea Hosea s ministry took place during a period of expansion and prosperity in both the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom. Hosea s focus, however is primarily on the North. King Jeroboam II was the king of that time who fought against the Syrians and restored the boundaries of Israel. However he did not lead the Israelites in a spiritual way. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 7

8 After his reign, the people also did what was not right in the sight of the Lord, falling into the ways of the world. God uses Hosea to prophesy to the Israelites and warns them to correct their ways. In Chapters 1-3, Hosea confronts his readers with the analogy between his failed marriage and Israel s relationship with God. Chapter 1 God asks Homer to marry a prostitute named Gomer. They have three children Jezreel, meaning God Scatters Lo-Ruhamah, meaning Not loved Lo-Ammi, meaning Not My people Chapter 2 - Gomer then cheats on him, going around sleeping with other men in the city. Chapter 3 Hosea reconciles with his wife. 8

9 When Gomer leaves Hosea and sleeps around with other men of the city, Hosea would prophesy to the people of Israel during the day and search for His wife in the evening. He was ridiculed by others because of his wife by asking, How can a holy man like you love an adulterous woman like Gomer? Hosea answered them by saying, I love my wife the same way God loves an adulterous nation like us! Gomer, like Israel, was looking for love in all the wrong places. Gomer had the love of her husband, Hosea, and Israel had the love of her husband, God. Israel had begun to worship the pagan God, Baal, which was a common word meaning husband. 9

10 Hosea s marriage to Gomer represented Israel s infidelity to God. Israel s rebellion against its Divine Partner is reflected in the infidelity of Hosea s wife. The children of this troubled marriage are given symbolic names indicative of the breaking of the covenant relationship between Yahweh and Israel (1:4; 6:9). Hosea s marriage with Gomer is used by God to indicate His disgust with and His love for His covenant people. Gomer s sexual promiscuity paralleled the Israelite's religious promiscuity. They left the worship of the true God and substituted idols in His place. 10

11 Hosea s Message God s people are destroyed from their lack of knowledge (4:6). Their lack of trust in God manifested in their readiness to enter into foreign alliances to solve their troubles rather than trusting in the sovereign God who promised to protect them (5:13; 7:8-10; 8:9). Hosea s message of judgment gives way to a note of hope for the future (see 11:8-9). Hosea s Message God will not leave His people under judgment and in exile forever. He will cause Israel to experience a second exodus (2:14-15). In the end, He will heal Israel of the wounds caused by their disobedience and reestablish them in the land (14:1-9). 11