Introduction to the Minor Prophets John Stevenson

Introduction to the Minor Prophets © John Stevenson, 2010 Maps by David P. Barrett, used by permission

Dr. John T. Stevenson • Family Life • Academic Life

Dr. John T. Stevenson • Family Life • Academic Life • Professional Life

Dr. John T. Stevenson • • • Family Life Academic Life Professional Life Spiritual Life Ministry Life

Group Introductions • • Your name Your home church Where are you in the TIU process? What is your current ministry within the Kingdom?

Course Objectives • Gain an appreciation for the Minor Prophets and their relevance both to the Old Testament message as well as to Christian ministry today. Exhibit an understanding of the flow of thought and major turning points in the books that make up the Minor Prophets. Demonstrate a familiarity with the historical, cultural, and theological background of the Minor Prophets.

Course Objectives • Gain an understanding of the key themes found in the Minor Prophets and how they relate to the rest of the Biblical message. Develop a series of Bible studies and/or sermons from the Minor Prophets that demonstrate both an understanding of the issues faced by the original authors as well as applications relevant to the needs of a 21 st Century congregation.

Christ of the Prophets by O. Palmer Robertson

Unexpected Wisdom: Major Insights from the Minor Prophets by Dan Schmidt

Preaching from the Minor Prophets to a Postmodern Generation by John Stevenson

Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Revised Edition): Volume 8 Daniel - Malachi by Longman & Garland

Dr. John T. Stevenson http: //John. Stevenson. net John. Stevenson@Bellsouth. net Jstevens@mail. tiu. edu

1500 - 1000 Period of the Exodus Judges and Patriarchs 1000 - 500 Kings of Israel and Judah Sinai Torah Return 2000 - 1500 Historical Books Poetic Books Prophetic Books

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

Sargon the Great • Died 2330 B. C. • Birth legend • Name • Prince • Legitimate • Empire

Akkadians Medes Elam

Third Dynasty of Ur 2100 – 2000 B. C.

Ziggurat

The Law-code of Ur • Lex Talionis: “An eye for an eye” • Semi-private administration of justice • Inequality before the Law: The law code divided people into three distinct classes: • Aristocrats • Commoners • Slaves

Sir Leonard Woolley • 1880 - 1960 • Began at Ur in 1922 • Ziggurat of Ur • Flood layers

Amuru Elam Ur

Haran Ur

Haran Ur

1750 B. C. • Found at Susa by de Morgan in 1902 • Caste system • Lex Talionis • Wages • Trial by ordeal

Marriage Laws • Only legal when in writing • Penalty for adultery is death • Wives own property

Mari Babylon

Mari Tablets • Andre Parrot excavated from 1933 -1938 and 1952 -1956 • More than 20, 000 tablets • Akkadian from 18001750 B. C. • Biblical names

Mari Tablets • Travel and commerce • Covenant: “To kill a young donkey”

Mari Nuzi Babylon

Nuzi Tablets • • • Smaller town Destroyed around 1450 B. C. Customs and culture similar to that of the Patriarchs

Ugarit Mari Nuzi Babylon

• • • Discovered by a farmer in 1928 Royal palace with 90 rooms Two temples – Baal, son of El – Dagon • Cuneiform Tablets dating to 14501200 B. C.

The Gift of the Nile

THE NILE

Step Pyramid of Djoser

Bent Pyramid of Snefru

Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops)

Pyramids • Served as tombs • More than a hundred in Egypt • All on the west bank of the Nile

Valley of the Kings

Valley of Thebes the Kings

• Monotheist • Father to Tutankhamen

Hatti Land Bridge Egypt Mesopotamia DESERT

Independent Tribes A Unified Kingdom

ASSYRIA Solomon’s Kingdom EGYPT

Samaria Bethel Jerusalem Dan

Torah Prophets

Isaiah Hosea Joel Amos Micah Samaria Jerusalem

Jonah

Shalmaneser & Jehu

Samaria

Hezekiah’s Tunnel It was Hezekiah who stopped the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and directed them to the west side of the city of David (2 Chronicles 32: 30)

2 nd Kings 19: 35 -36 Then it happened that night that the angel of the Lord went out, and struck 185, 000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home, and lived at Nineveh.

Taylor Prism “As for Hezekiah, the Jew, who did not submit to my yoke, 46 of his strong walled cities, as well as the small cities in their neighborhood, which were without number, by escalade and bringing up siege engines. . . Himself, like a caged bird, I shut up in Jerusalem, his royal city. ”

Carchemish

Carchemish

Jeremiah Habakkuk Zephaniah Carchemish Obadiah Nahum

Daniel Ezekiel

Haggai Zechariah Malachi

• Conqueror • Perpetual victory • Fall of Persia

• Marched to India • Died in Babylon • “To the strongest”

Pompey

Pompey

Torah Prophets N. T.