Lesson 9: Books of Prophecy – Description 2

Hosea – God’s loyal love for His people. God’s love for us is not dependent on anything we do, but His love also means He disciplines those He loves – those who are His – to bring them back to His path.

Joel – the Day of the Lord, both as prophecy and as “natural disasters.” God will not be patient with sin forever. His day of judgment on all sin is coming.

Amos – the sinfulness of an absence of worship and lack of justice. We as humans will always worship something – God wants us to worship Him rather than ourselves because worshiping ourselves is always destructive.

Obadiah – God’s judgment for someone cursing Israel. Even though God sometimes uses unbelievers to discipline His children, no one will ever get away with doing evil to those He loves.

Jonah – God’s sovereignty over Gentile nations. While Israel was and is the nation God chose for a special purpose (the Messiah would come from them) this does not mean God doesn’t have a purpose for all other people as well.

Micah – God’s judgment on those who persist in doing what is evil. God’s call for people to hear Him will one day cease – we must hear and follow and obey before it is too late.

Nahum – God’s judgment comes after His period of grace. This is a sequel to the book of Jonah – though these people repented when Jonah preached God’s word, they soon forgot and returned to their evil ways. God wants persistence in our trust in Him.

Habakkuk – God’s judgment where justice is perverted. Even though this prophet didn’t fully understand all God said to him, he remained faithful in telling others of God’s hatred of injustice.


Zephaniah – prophecies of the Day of the Lord, both on Judah and in the future. God’s coming judgment is just as sure as His present grace and mercy.

Haggai – rebuilding the worship of God that had been destroyed. We must never give up what God asks of us, even when our work of previous days or years has been destroyed.

Zechariah – prophecies of the coming Messianic Kingdom. The coming Kingdom of God is worth all the waiting and toiling and hardship we face now.

Malachi – God’s covenant relationship with His people, and His faithfulness despite their unfaithfulness. Even though we’ve faced God’s discipline or judgement in the past doesn’t mean His love isn’t still true.