For some reason, I have always felt the least confident in the minor prophets. Perhaps it is the anthological structure of the books that makes it difficult to remember the contents of each book, the region and dates in which they ministered, and their theological themes. I generally devote some time each year to reading chapters in a new introduction to the minor prophets to regain my grasp on each book.
I’ve used OT introductions by Hill and Walton, Longman and Dillard, the introduction to the prophets by Robert Chisholm, William Dumbrell’s theological introduction to the OT, introductions to commentaries on the minor prophets, and other books. Among them, my favorite type of resource is one that allows me to read the chapter along with my Bible reading plan, and that’s exactly how The Message of the Twelve is laid out.
Before the individual prophetic books are surveyed, though, there is some necessary groundwork in the first part of the book. Chapter one is one of the most helpful chapters I’ve ever read on the Twelve. It relates Israel’s history during the period of the Twelve, explaining the mission of each prophet in chronological sequence and the message they gave during their time. If you need a brief re-orientation to the minor prophets, read this chapter!
Chapter two discusses the role of the prophets, being God’s covenant messengers. One downside is that their discussion of literary composition notes that the books are anthologies and likely included “inspired editorial activity within the scope of the prophet’s time . . . or even shortly afterwards” (26). I would have enjoyed reading an expanded explanation of their view of the composition of the prophetic books, especially defining further what they mean by “inspired editorial activity,” which is a broad notion.
Chapters three and four cover other necessary information for understanding the prophets: literary genres, figurative language and rhetoric, and the Twelve as a unified book. The latter has become a popular way of reading the Twelve in the last decades, especially in the wake of Brevard Childs’ canonical hermeneutic. The authors here are conservative in noting how the Twelve hold together, highlighting chronology, common themes, and catchwords that bind books together. I would have enjoyed hearing their take on a canonical hermeneutic, but that would have been out of place and taken the discussion too far afield.
The chapters on each prophet are useful and enjoyable to read. They cover the typical issues, such as whether the locusts in Joel are literal or metaphorical, but also provide brief commentary on each section throughout the books. This makes the book conducive for reading alongside your daily reading in the prophets. If you read the book this way, the information will also stick much better than if you just read the book straight through apart from reading the prophets themselves.
Throughout the book there are helpful charts to summarize the information given. On page 3, the first chart given shows when the prophets served, whether they ministered to Israel or Judah, and the time period in which they land (Assyrian, Babylonian, or Persian). This simple chart helped me better conceptualize where each prophet falls in Israel’s history and what situation the nation was facing when the prophet came along. Another useful chart on pp. 116-117 maps out Amos’s escalating repetition in his oracles in chapters 1-2.
The Message of the Twelve would work well as an introductory textbook in seminaries or Bible colleges. It would also serve students, pastors, and even laymen as they read through the prophets on their own, if it is read beside the biblical texts. I’m happy to have a copy on my shelf and will likely revisit it each time I work through the prophets myself, or as I preach through any of them.
Preview or buy it here on Amazon.
