1. Exploring the Minor Prophets
The Book of the Twelve
Exploring the Minor Prophets

2. What is the book of the Twelve?
Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) divisions:
Torah, Nevi’im, Ketuvim (Law, Prophets, Writings)
Book = Scroll (סֵ֫פֶר- sepher)
תרי עשר = “The Twelve”
Emerged as a collection around 190 BC
Intended to be read as an episodic unity.

3. Israelite History Exodus (15th or 13th centuries BC)
Settlement & Proto-democratic Tribal Confederation
United Monarchy – Saul, David, Solomon, Rehoboam (c BC)
Divided Monarchy (and decline)
Fall of Samaria (N) to Assyria (c. 722 BC)
Fall of Jerusalem (S) to Babylon (587 BC)
Cyrus the Great invades Babylon (539 BC)
Edict of Cyrus Allows Jews to return home and rebuild

4. Majoring on The Minors History – What really happened?
Message – What does it say?
Reception – How have others interpreted it?
Significance – What does it mean for us?

5. The Path Ahead
July 23 – Zephaniah July 30 – Issues in the Minor Prophets ( Dr. Robin McCall, Guest Teacher) Aug 6 –   Biblical Archaeology (Dr. Don Polaski, Guest Teacher) Aug 13 – Haggai Aug 20 – Zechariah Aug 27 – Malachi Sep 3 –   Closing the Scroll
May 21 – Intro to the Book of the Twelve May 28 –  Hosea June 4 -   Joel June 11 – Amos June 18 –Obadiah June 25 –Jonah July 2 –   Micah July 9 –   Nahum July 16 – Habakkuk

6. Timeline of the book of the Twelve
Christian Bible (Masoretic Text)
Ancient Greek OT (Septuagint)
Chronology (all BC)
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
----
Amos (mid-8th)
Hosea (mid-8th)
Isaiah (late 8th)
Micah (late 8th)
Nahum (mid-to-late 7th)
Zephaniah (mid-to-late 7th)
Habakkuk (late 7th or early 6th)
Jeremiah (late 7th or early 6th)
Lamentations (early 6th)
Ezekiel (early 6th)
Obadiah (early 6th)
Haggai (late 6th)
Zechariah (late 6th)
Malachi (Late 6th/early 5th)
Jonah (5th – 4th)
Joel (4th ?)
Daniel (2nd)

7. This Time in History
The first Olympics (according to tradition) in Greece (776 BC)
The City of Rome is founded (753 BC)
Homer’s Illiad and Odyssey are put to writing (c. 750 BC)
Fall of Samaria/Northern Kingdom to Assyria (722 BC)
Greeks add vowels to Phoenician language (700 BC)
Fall of Jerusalem/Southern Kingdom to Babylon (586 BC)
Leonidas reigns in Sparta (530 BC)
Malachi (sometime after 515 BC)
Socrates born (470 BC)
Alexander the Great born (356 BC)

8. Malachi’s history Jerusalem setting likely (Malachi a priest?)
Malachi means “my messenger.”
May not be a prophet, but a title.
Name does not appear anywhere else in the Bible
In 1:1, Malachi could be translated “by my messenger.” (cf. 3:1)
The LXX (Septuagint) does not treat Malachi as a proper name (ἀγγέλου αὐτοῦ).
Contemporary of Ezra & Nehemiah?
Similar concern with tithing & inter-marriage
Jerusalem setting likely (Malachi a priest?)

9. Malachi’s history During the reign of Darius I (d. 486)? (Xerxes I?)
No mention of the Davidic line
Similar superscriptions in Zechariah 9:1 & 12:1
“An Oracle: the Word of the Lord…”
Anonymous appendix?
Disputation Genre
God confronts Judah for its moral & cultic malaise

10. Order of each disputation
Malachi’s Message
Order of each disputation
Divine Claim
God quotes the people
The people reply in disbelief or defiance
Divine explanation

11. Malachi’s Message Outline Superscription (1:1)
Six Disputations (1:2 – 4:3)
I – God’s Abiding Love for Israel (1:2-5)
II – Problems with the Priesthood (1:6 – 2:9)
III – Infidelity with God and in Marriage (2:10-16)
IV – The Messenger of the Covenant (2:17 – 3:5)
V – Robbing God of the Tithes (3:6-12)
VI – Advent of the Day of the Lord (3:13 – 4:3)
Epilogue on Moses and Elijah (4:4-6)

12. Malachi’s Message Malachi 1:2-5 – I have Loved You
How have you loved us? (2a)
“I have loved Jacob, but have hated Esau.” (2b-3a)
Justice against Edom (3-4)
“You shall say, ‘Great is the Lord beyond the borders of Israel.” (5)
Malachi 1:6-2:9 – Respect
Longest disputation
Regards the sacrifices
“Try presenting that to your governor.” (1:8)
Shut it down! (1:10)
Turns to the priests in 2:1
God will curse their blessings
God will defile the priests (2:3)
Departing from the covenant of Levi

13. Malachi’s Message Malachi 2:10-16 – Covenant to Covenant
“Judah has been faithless.” (11a)
“You have married the daughter of a foreign god.” (11b)
Marriage to non-Israelites
“Why doesn’t God accept our offerings?
Fidelity in marriage (14-16)
“The wife of your youth” (15)
I hate divorce (16)
Malachi 2:17 - 3:5 - My Messenger
“You have wearied the Lord with your words.” (17a)
“All who do evil are good in the sight of the Lord.” (17b)
The messenger comes to refine
I will be swift to bear witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts. (3:5)

14. Malachi’s Message Malachi 3:6-12 – Return to Me
Robbing God (8-9)
“Put me to the test.” (10)
“You will be a land of delight.” (12)
Malachi 3:13 - 4:3 - Judgment & Hope
“You have spoken harsh words.” (3:13)
The good and the evil (3:18)
“The sun of righteousness will rise with healing in it’s wings.” (4:2)

15. Malachi’s history Malachi 4:4-6 - Epilogue
Original to Malachi or added as closing to the Book of the Twelve?
Remember the teaching/instruction/Torah of my servant Moses (4)
“I will send you the prophet Elijah…” (5)
Looking backward / looking forward
Closing words: “So that I will not come and strike the land with a curse.” (6)

16. Malachi’s Reception Ancient Late Ancient Zechariah
Pentateuchal Allusions (Moses / Levites)
Eschatological Elijah tradition
Late Ancient
The prophet like Elijah (4:5-6; cf. Matthew 11:10-11; Mark 1:2ff)
Jacob have I loved; Esau have I hated (2-3; cf. Romans 9:13)

17. Malachi’s Reception Early Church Modern Election (Augustine)
Wayward Clergy (The Apostolic Constitutions, 4th)
Priesthood a big topic throughout
Supersessionism (sacrifices)
The Universality of Mass (1:11)
Jesus as “Sun of Righteousness”
Modern
Divorce
Tithe

18. Malachi’s Significance
Images of God
Father, Master, King, Refiner
Universality of God
1:11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering; for my name is great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts.
Human indeterminacy & God’s clarity
The difference between the righteous and the wicked (3:18)