[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"\u002Farticles\u002Flittle-books-big-lessons":3,"\u002Farticles\u002Flittle-books-big-lessons-surround":78},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"bibleBooks":8,"body":10,"columnName":60,"date":61,"description":16,"extension":62,"image":63,"meta":64,"minRead":65,"navigation":66,"path":67,"postType":68,"publication":69,"publicationUrl":63,"seo":70,"stem":71,"topics":72,"__hash__":77},"blog\u002Farticles\u002Flittle-books-big-lessons.md","Little Books, Big Lessons",{"name":7},"Dave Faust",[9],"",{"type":11,"value":12,"toc":57},"minimark",[13,17,20,28,35,38,41,48,51,54],[14,15,16],"p",{},"Little waves create far-reaching ripples. Small businesses stimulate the economy. Tiny babies bring families great joy. Small groups create environments for spiritual growth. Modest-sized congregations with great faith exert mega-church impact on the world.",[14,18,19],{},"The Old Testament ends with 12 books we nickname Minor Prophets because they are short, not because they are insignificant. There is nothing trivial about these books. In fact, there are practical reasons to read them.",[14,21,22,23,27],{},"The Minor Prophets help us ",[24,25,26],"em",{},"appreciate the contributions of lesser-known servants",". Zephaniah and Haggai seem minor compared to biblical characters like Moses and Jeremiah, but in God’s family no one is insignificant and every contribution matters. Amos was a humble shepherd and a fig tree tender (7:14-15) with no seminary degree to his name, but he had a message from God. Little else is known about the prophet Obadiah except that his name means “servant (or worshiper) of the Lord.” What else do we really need to know?",[14,29,30,31,34],{},"The Minor Prophets also remind us to ",[24,32,33],{},"respect the gift of conciseness",". Don’t you admire writers, speakers, and discussion leaders who sum things up effectively in a few words? The chairman of my church’s elder team has a unique ability to wrap up lengthy conversations with short summary statements; then before the closing prayer he asks sincerely, “Are all hearts clear?” He has the gift of conciseness.",[14,36,37],{},"So did Jonah. In four short chapters Jonah informs us about the peril of running from God, the possibility of second chances, and God’s ability to intervene. He concisely illustrates the life-giving benefits of repentance, the hazards of anger and prejudice, and God’s paradigm-bending love for lost people.",[14,39,40],{},"Habakkuk only needs three chapters to raise huge questions about God’s fairness, but in the process he confidently declares:",[14,42,43,44,47],{},"Further, the Minor Prophets show us how to ",[24,45,46],{},"exercise the art of confrontation",". Amos",[14,49,50],{},"pulls no punches. God will judge the surrounding nations for their sins—but he will also judge his people Israel (chapters 1 and 2). Amos preaches boldly against social injustice (5:10-15), religious hypocrisy (5:21-24), and materialistic complacency (6:1-7). Micah exposes corruption among the nation’s most influential citizens: “Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money” (3:11). Like the prophets, we must find courage to speak truth even when it’s unpopular.",[14,52,53],{},"Yet, the last 12 books of the Hebrew canon also reveal how important it is to *trust God with the future. *Joel ends his book by exclaiming, “The Lord dwells in Zion!” (3:21). Amos closes with glowing promises about the restoration of Israel’s glory (9:11-15). Obadiah ends on an encouraging note: “The kingdom will be the Lord’s” (v. 21). Before Micah concludes, he says God will “hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea” (7:19). Nahum highlights God’s wrath; yet Nahum’s name means “comfort,” and he points out, “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble” (1:7). The Minor Prophets are short in words but large in significance. By mingling predictions of solemn judgment with authentic reasons for hope, they teach a major lesson. It’s called “speaking the truth in love.”",[14,55,56],{},"QUESTIONS:",{"title":9,"searchDepth":58,"depth":58,"links":59},2,[],"Revealed and Relevant","2015-12-13","md",null,{},3,true,"\u002Farticles\u002Flittle-books-big-lessons","column","The Lookout",{"title":5,"description":16},"articles\u002Flittle-books-big-lessons",[73,74,75,76],"Church Leadership","Discipleship","Spiritual Formation","Biblical Theology","zPLdnBOln12tB3pVa4_pjAVp48Mzs4NHS4Iu9Q0X6EQ",[79,83],{"title":80,"path":81,"stem":82,"description":80,"children":-1},"Little Al","\u002Farticles\u002Flittle-al","articles\u002Flittle-al",{"title":84,"path":85,"stem":86,"description":87,"children":-1},"Little Tastes of Honey","\u002Farticles\u002Flittle-tastes-of-honey","articles\u002Flittle-tastes-of-honey","You and I have sugar at our fingertips in the kitchen and in every restaurant, but in biblical times honey was the only sweetener around. In the land of milk and honey, a proverb said, “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24)."]