1. OTS 501 OLD TESTAMENT INTRO AND LITEARTURE
Dr. Esa Autero

2. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
1.1 Introduction to Micah
What are the familiar passages in Micah?
Who was Micah and what was his message?
Heard sermons from Micah?
Any passage that spoke to you personally in Micah?

3. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
1.2 Historical and Critical Issues
Author, composition, date
Micah of Moresheth (Shephelah foothills)
“Who is like YHWH?”
Also mentioned in Jer 26:17-19
Unified work – traditional view
Critical view of composition
Only chs. 1-3 from Micah OR
Hope oracles as later additions (2:12-13; 4:1-5:9; 7:8-20)
Micah as a unified work – hope oracles as predictive
Date of Micah – written in late 700s BC
If composite – final postexilic redaction

4. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
1.3 Background, purpose, structure
Historical background
Great Assyrian crisis – fear & anxiety
Prophesied about Judah & Samaria
Social and political upheavals – after Uzziah’s prosperity
Wealthy upper class merchants & poor farmers
Downfall of Samaria (722BC) under Shalmaneser V
Sargon II ( BC)
Sennacherib’s invasions into Judah in 701BC (2 Kgs 19)
Micah’s prophecies
Jotham BC
Ahaz BC
Hezekiah BC

5. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
Purpose of Micah
Message of judgment and hope
“I am filled with power…Spirit…justice…declare…transgressions” (3:8)
Structure of Micah
Difficult to discern structure – alternating doom & hope
Superscription (1:1)
First round of judgment and salvation (1:2-5:15)
Second round of judgment and salvation (6:1-7:20)

6. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
1.4 Themes in Micah
Judgment and salvation
Jerusalem and Samaria under judgment due to sin
Salvation and deliverer
Lame and those cast off restored (4:7)
Restoration of Israel and Judah (2:12-13; 4:1-13; 5:1-15; 7:18-20)
Socio-economic injustice
Powerful rich leaders and the poor
Seizing property
“b/c it is in their power…covet fields, and seize…oppress” (2:1-2)
“women…you drive out from…houses” (2:9)
Violence, bribery, injustice (3:2-3, 8-11; 6:8, 12; 7:1-3)
Corruption of leaders, priests and prophets (3:11)

7. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
2.1 Introduction to Nahum
Who is Nahum?
Would you be able to summarize the message of Nahum to a person in your congregation?
Anything positive about the message of Nahum?
Any passage spoke to you?

8. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
2.2 Historical and Critical Issues
Author, composition, date
Nahum of Elkosh
Elkosh close to Nineveh; in Galilee; Capernaum; Judah(?)
Little known of Nahum the prophet
Literary genius; prophet of written art
Question of literary integrity and authenticity
Opening psalm (1:2-8) integral to Nahum or later addition
Parallels w/ Isaiah (Nah 1:15//Isa 52:7)
True prophecy or “after the fact”
Destruction of Thebes (3:38; 663BC)
Downfall of Nineveh in 612BC

9. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
Some comments on integrity and authenticity
Opening psalm integral part of Nahum
Nahum followed the traditions of the classical prophets
Nahum delivered true prophecy
Date of Nahum
Prophecy dated to c BC
Assyria is “intact” and large (1:12)
Book of Nahum written b/w BC

10. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
2.3 Background, purpose, structure
Historical Background
Climax of Assyria – Ashurbanibal
Capture of Thebes in 664BC
Weakening – 652BC onward
Revolt of Samas-sum-ukin 652BC
Assyrians out of Egypt by 650BC
Destruction Nineveh 612BC
Judah’s kings – Nahum’s favorable message to Judah
Manasseh (c BC) evil or good? (2Kgs21:1-18; 2Chr33:12-16)
Josiah ( BC)
Kings of Assyria
Tiglath-Pileser III BC
Shalmaneser V
Sargon II
Sennacherib
Esarhaddon
Ashurbanipal

11. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
Purpose of Nahum
The doom of Nineveh
Judgment of Nineveh
Encouragement to Judah
Structure
Introductory psalm (1:1-8)
Doom of Nineveh and deliverance of Judah (1:9-2:2)
The siege of Nineveh (2:3-3:19)

12. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
2.4 Message of Nahum
Judgment and deliverance
Alternating addresses to Nineveh and Judah
Assyria’s brutal oppression now condemned
Psychological warfare and propaganda of Assyrians
Torture, amputation, atrocities
Judah’s archenemy now condemned (cf. Jonah c. 100 earlier)
Justice is good news to the oppressed
Good news of salvation to Judah
God the Warrior theme
Powerful rhetoric – Assyrian brutality and propaganda
“The Lord is slow to anger but great in power;     the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.” 1:3

13. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
3.1 Introduction to Habakkuk
Special features of Habakkuk from other prophets?
Wisdom features (“How long?” and theodicy); priority on topical arrangement than individual oracles
Setting and message of Habakkuk?
NT references to Habakkuk?
Any passage that has spoken to you personally?

14. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
3.2 Historical and Critical Issues
Author, composition, date
Traditional author Habakkuk
Little knowledge of who Habakkuk was
Critical view of composition
Only final psalm possibly later addition
Date of Habakkuk – 7th century BC
“God is raising up Babylonians” (1:6) [as a surprising thing]
b/f Babylonians were powerful (independence from Assyria 626BC)
BUT – conquest of Babylonian armies (2:5, 8-10)
How does Josiah’s reform fit in? (640BC to the throne)
 Prophecies sometime b/w [640-] BC
Habakkuk written slightly later
Habakkuk contemporary of Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Nahum, Joel

15. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
3.3 Background, purpose, structure
Historical background
Steady decline of Assyria and emergence of Babylonia
Decline of Assyria from 652BC
Nabopolassar and the rise of Babylonian empire
Jehoiachin’s exile in 598BC by Nebuchadnezzar (2Kgs24:8-14)
The rise of Babylonian empire and threat to Judah
Purpose
Examine God’s justice among the nations
“How long…?”

16. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
Structure – prophet’s complaint and God’s answer
Superscription (1:1)
Exchange I (1:2-11)
Exchange II (1:12-2:5)
Woe oracles against the oppressors (2:6-20)
Habakkuk’s psalm (3:1-19)

17. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
3.4 Themes in Habakkuk
God’s just dealings with the nations
Habakkuk honest questioning (1:2-4, 1:12-17)
God will judge Judah’s sins through Babylon
God will judge the arrogant Babylon
In the midst of sin and injustice – trust, wait, be faithful
“I will stand at my watch post…wait” (2:1-2; 3:16)
“But the righteous will live by his faith” (2:4)
God will bring about justice in surprising way (1:5; 2:14)
God is holy and just (1:13; 2:15-20)

18. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
4.1 Introduction to Zephaniah
Have you heard any sermons from Zephaniah?
Anything that jumped out of the page as you read through Zephaniah?
What is the basic message of Zephaniah?

19. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
4.2 Historical and Critical Issues
Author, composition, date
Zephaniah and his genealogy (1:1)
Zephaniah – “the LORD protects/hides”
“Cushi…son of Hezekiah”
Was Zephaniah from Cush? Descendant of king Hezekiah?
Critical theories of composition – number of additions
Oracles of salvation (3:14-20)
Restoration passages (2:7-9a, 10-11, 15; 3:1-14)
Postexilic perspective (3:4-20)
Similar to postexilic sections of Ezekiel and Isaiah
Others see postexilic section as reinterpretation of Zephaniah’s words in light of new circumstance

20. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
Zephaniah as a unified work
Carefully constructed unity – from general to specifics
Universal judgment (1:2; 3:8) + effects in Judah (1:4-2:3; 3:1-7)
Universal blessing + effects in Judah (3:9-20)
Date of Zephaniah
Relationship of Zephaniah to Josiah’s reform in c. 621BC
Was Josiah’s reform not extensive enough?
Zephaniah’s prophesied c. 627/626BC - probably b/f 621BC

21. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
4.3 Background, purpose, structure
Historical background
Imminent invasion of Babylonia, Assyria or Scythia?
Devastating effects of Manasseh’s reign ( BC)
Ashurbanibal 627BC (†) – independence of Babylon 626BC
“remnant of Baal” (1:4) – Josiah’s reforms under way already?
Zephaniah’s oracles and Josiah’s reform
Official reforms & actual practice
Did it ignore socio-economic aspects?
Timing and effects of the reform (2Kgs22:3; 2 Chr 34:8, 2-7)
Purpose
Initiate change in Judah by pronouncing judgment on sin
Seek the LORD
Day of the LORD on its way

22. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
Structure of Zephaniah
Superscription (1:1)
Oracles against Judah (1:2-2:3)
Oracles against the nations (2:4-3:8)
Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Cush, Assyria, Jerusalem, everyone
Oracles of salvation (3:9-20)
Universal worship
Blessing and restoration of Judah

23. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
4.4 Themes in Zephaniah
Judgment, mercy, Day of the LORD
“Be silent…the Day of the LORD at hand” (1:7)
“Day…is near…hastening fast” (1:14)
Socio-economic accusations and allusions
“violence and fraud” (1:9); “traders have perished…wealth will be plundered…silver not gold will save” (1:11, 13, 18)
Corruption of leaders (3:1-3)
Salvation and restoration
Deliverance of “humble of the land” from wrath (2:3)
Remnant and salvation God’s people (3:9-20)
“LORD has taken away the judgment…the king of Israel is in your midst…I will save the lame…gather the outcast…restore your fortunes” (3:15, 19-20)

24. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah;