This week we cover the writings of three so-called minor prophets. Like Mike said last week, these books are "minor" only in the sense that they are shorter than the likes of Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. They are, however, just as important...and power packed!
This week's reading unfolds like this:
* Weekend: Zephaniah 1-3
* Monday: Haggai 1-2
* Tuesday: Zechariah 1-2
* Wednesday: Zechariah 3-6
* Thursday: Zechariah 7-8
* Friday: Zechariah 9-11
The prophet Zephaniah lived and preached during the reign of King Josiah. His contemporaries included Jeremiah, Nahum, and Habakkuk. Not surprisingly, Zephaniah's message was similar to that of his contemporaries. Jerusalem had lost its way spiritually and would soon fall into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army. The main theme of Zephaniah's writings is "the day of the Lord," which was not a good thing for the ungodly inhabitants of Jerusalem!
The prophets Haggai and Zechariah, on the other hand, served some 80 to 100 years later, when Jerusalem was being rebuilt by those who had returned from Babylonian exile. The two prophets were contemporaries. They engaged in a sort of tag-team ministry. Both prophets focused on the rebuilding of God's temple. While the people had built for themselves nice, paneled houses, the Lord's temple still lay in ruins (Hag. 1:2-3). God's message through Haggai and Zechariah was, "put me back in the center of your lives!"
Zechariah was both a prophet and a priest. His ministry paralleled that of Haggai, but he was much younger than Haggai, so he continued his work long after Haggai's death. The book of Zechariah is one of the longest of the Minor Prophets, roughly the same length as Hosea (both in terms of word count and number of chapters - 14).
What distinguishes Zechariah from Hosea is the number of messianic prophesies. Zechariah predicted that the Messiah would be humble and lowly (6:12; 13:7), making his triumphal entry on a donkey (9:9). He would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver (11:12-13), crucified ("struck down," 13:7), and seated on the throne of glory (6:12-13). Accordingly, he would rule the earth and be worshiped by people of all nations (14:9, 16).
As you read this wonderful material, pray that God would speak to you and impress upon your heart the ways he is calling you to make him the center of your life. "Lord, I want to be wholly yours. Open the eyes of my heart to see the ways I can put you first in my life for Jesus' sake. Amen!"
Have a great week!
Faithfully,
Chuck
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