The Goal of This Study

Author: Phylicia Masonheimer

The Struggle with Minor Prophets

The author begins by admitting that she previously skipped the minor prophets, even during her collegiate studies in religion. While she read the Gospels, the Torah, the Epistles, and major prophets like Ezekiel, she avoided the minor prophets. She found them difficult to fit into the Bible's "big picture" and found their repetition daunting.

A Change in Perspective

Her perspective shifted only after completing a chronological reading plan, where she read the Bible in the order events occurred. By reading the minor prophets alongside historical narratives like Kings and Chronicles, she saw promises made hundreds of years prior being fulfilled through the prophecies of Habakkuk, Malachi, Micah, and Amos. Although she still found prophetic books more challenging than books like John and Romans, she discovered within them a deeper understanding of God’s love as expressed through His wrath and justice.

The Unity of God and Jesus

The author addresses a common Western societal view that loves Jesus but dislikes God the Father, often pitting them against one another as if Jesus came to remedy God's Old Testament actions. She asserts this is false; Jesus is the fulfillment and physical manifestation of the Old Testament God. She emphasizes that Jesus and the Old Testament God are inseparable and one.

The Necessity of Wrath

Understanding this unity is crucial for reading Amos and Micah, which contain messages uncomfortable to modern ears. The author argues that we cannot have God’s love without His wrath. A God who does not hate evil is not safe; true love requires boundaries and defense of one's own. She compares God to a good father fighting for his children. The justice of God (and Christ) is a reflection of His loving nature.

Personal Impact and Challenge

Reading Micah and Amos leaves the author with a deep reverence, realizing God is bigger and more willing to fight for His people than she previously supposed. However, the text also challenges the reader to acknowledge personal compromises regarding justice. These books specifically call out evil governments and deceptive church leaders. The author poses the question: are we participating in these systems of evil, or exposing them to the light of God’s goodness?

The Study’s Intent

The goal of this study is to open the reader's eyes to God’s justice and wrath, showing how these attributes comfort those trapped in injustice, corruption, oppression, and pain. It aims to inspire a fight for "consistent, biblical justice."

Methodology

The author notes that she has included minimal commentary, which is her standard practice. Her intent is not to shape the reader's view of Scripture but to guide them into deeper interaction with it. She encourages readers to utilize their Bible's study notes and cross-references to deepen their study.