Profitable Prophets

Why Christians Should Read the Prophets in 2020

Famine, disease, war, locust swarms, earthquakes, mistreatment of the poor, injustice, corrupt political leaders, anger and division – no, these are not words taken from today’s most recent headlines. Rather, they are all things that the Old Testament prophets experienced.

When was the last time you did a deep dive into the books known as the Prophets? Maybe you’re familiar with some encouraging passages in Isaiah, and perhaps some of Jeremiah. Of course, there’s always Jonah! Beyond these few familiar moments, however, most of these books (Isaiah through Malachi) are obscure and unfamiliar topics of conversation around the coffee stations of most churches!

But as we near the end of our long journey through the Old Testament in our Sunday Classes and Bible-reading program this year, we find ourselves going book-by-book through the “back nine” of the Old Testament. Our plan has had us reading every single “Minor Prophet” (Hosea through Malachi) along with chunks of the “Major Prophets” (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel).

[Fun Fact: The terms “major” and “minor” do not refer to the importance of these books, like major and minor league baseball teams. “Poor Amos couldn’t make it to the big leagues – he’s just a minor prophet!” Rather, these names refer to the lengths of these books; the “majors” are much longer than the “minors.” Another fun fact: Daniel is also sometimes considered one of the prophets, either major or minor, although some put him in a category of his own.]

The question is – why? Why spend any time on prophecies and pronouncements that are thousands of years old, applying to nations and people groups with strange customs and covenants that are already fulfilled in Christ?

Because, as with every bit of the Scriptures, the Prophets are PROFITABLE (or should I say, “prophet-able”?). Don’t believe me? That’s what Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. He says they are part of the body of truth that God uses to grow us into “complete” believers, “equipped for every good work.”

Really? How can God use Amos to make me a better Christian? I can’t even pronounce all the words in chapter 1, much less understand them. How can Nahum be profitable? All it does is darkly describe death upon death in the destruction of Nineveh.

But that’s what the Word of God says – ALL of the Bible is necessary and profitable and inspired. Even in the midst of the craziness of 2020.

As you read and study these books with your classes, let me offer a few ways to apply their truths:

1. Remember the basics.

You can get lost in the imagery and specific details of these books. When you’re overwhelmed by the words of destruction or bored at how many different ways, chapter after chapter, that they describe Israel’s sin, pause and zoom out to 30,000 feet. What’s the big idea? Nine times out of ten, you’ll find one of two BIG IDEAS in each section of each book of the prophets:

• God hates sin and must punish it.
• God shows mercy in spite of sin.

And certainly those two ideas are applicable. In fact, they are the first two steps of any Gospel presentation! We’ve sinned, but God has mercy on us. And that’s not just good news for the unsaved. When all else is uncertain this year, rest your weary head on two rock-solid truths: yes, you’ve sinned, but God has had mercy on you in Jesus! That’s the whole message of the prophets. Or, to put it in the words of Newton, “I am a great sinner, but He is a great Savior.

2. Let these books drive you crazy.

Exasperated by the repetition of all the sins of Israel in Amos or Hosea? Bored to tears at the long descriptions of judgment in Jeremiah or Ezekiel (with weird illustrations to top it off)? Angry at how angry God feels in Obadiah or Nahum? For all these feelings, I say “Good!” One helpful thing to do is to write down your emotional response to what you’re reading and then evaluate those feelings.

It’s actually good to be frustrated by how many sins are mentioned over and over in the prophets. You are beginning to understand the frustration of God toward sin! Just don’t forget: that’s also how He feels about YOUR sin! If you’re bored at all the different judgments, be warned: God is repetitive about sin and judgment because He is very, very serious about it, including your own!

It’s to be expected in our day for us to be taken aback by a God of judgment as described in these books. But don’t feel so high and mighty in thinking that we modern folk are so much more sophisticated or as New Testament believers have such a better understanding of God’s mercy. The God of the Prophets is the God you pray to today! But when you are offended by God’s wrath, consider two prophetic books:

Habakkuk, where the prophet himself is taken aback by God’s judgment and argues with Him. But notice how he finally comes to conclude that God is God and he is not and chooses to trust Him even when he doesn’t understand. Here, you’ll find one of the Apostles’ favorite passages to quote: “the just shall live by faith” (2:4).

Jonah, which shows us a ridiculous prophet who was angry, not at God’s anger, but at God’s mercy toward people he didn’t like! If we’re honest with ourselves, we much prefer a God of righteous anger to a God who just doesn’t care about injustice and sin at all. We just don’t like a God of righteous anger who is rightly angry at US! Like Jonah, we sure want Him to be angry at our enemies! Evaluate your heart and how you really feel about God’s anger with this book.

3. Notice how much God’s mercy is mentioned.

Keep a running notebook, a “biography of God” of sorts, of all the attributes of God mentioned in these books. You’ll be surprised at how merciful, gracious, and forgiving the God of the Prophets is. Yes, you’ll include plenty of anger at sin, but so much mercy too! The Prophets give us a beautiful and complete picture of the God who actually is, not the God we would come up with that fits our sensitivities and desires. Worship Him!

I hope this motivates you to look at these books with fresh eyes. If you haven’t joined our reading plan, you can start reading through the Prophets now. What a great read leading up to Christmas (note how many prophecies of His birth are mentioned!).

This is the Word of God – every word! These books are profitable. Come pandemic or protest or general life panic, sin is still sin, God is still God, and His love is still steadfast, just as the Prophets told us so long ago.