I’ve a bone to pick with evangelicals (Psst….I’m an evangelical). When is the last time you heard a sermon preached, listened to a Sunday School lesson taught, read a blog post about, or participated in a small group bible study from Obadiah or Nahum or Micah or Zephaniah (just to name a few)? I mean, c’mon; evangelicals claim all 66 books of the Bible are God’s Word, fully and wholly inspired and equally authoritative for belief and practice, yet I cannot recount one sermon series from or even a mention of one of the Twelve Minor Prophets unless they have some Christological reference. It’s as if these books of the Bible don’t exist unless they’re wedded to Christ. It’s like saying my wife does not exist without being married to me.
Sure, we’ve heard about God’s attitude on divorce from Malachi 2:16 (but see the ESV and NIV 2011) or God’s unconditional love for us as displayed by Hosea’s commitment to Gomer (Hos 1). True the reference to Joel’s account of cosmic wonders as reiterated by Peter at Pentecost (Acts 2:16ff) or Micah’s prophecy of the birthplace of Christ (5:2) are relatively well-known, but how much do you know about Nahum or Obadiah?
Whatever happened to the “whole counsel of God?”
Habakkuk in da’ house! http://www.rooseveltchurch.org/sermons#series_31
Hosea, too – http://www.rooseveltchurch.org/sermons#series_22
Great point! It’s a sad commentary that most pastors and sunday school teachers don’t know what to do with them. I seem to recall years ago hearing a series on Malachi.
“I seem to recall years ago hearing a series on Malachi.”
That’s one!
Dude! That’s awesome!!
That’s two.