Prophets of Judgment and Hope: Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah

1. OTS 501 OLD TESTAMENT INTRO AND LITEARTURE Dr. EsaAutero

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) OR • 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 (721-705BC) • Sennacherib’s invasions into Judah in 701BC (2 Kgs 19)

5. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah • Purpose of Micah • Message of judgment and hope • “I am filled with power…Spirit…justice…to… …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. 655-626BC • Assyria is “intact” and large (1:12) • Book of Nahum written b/w 655-612BC

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. 695-642BC) evil or good? (2Kgs21:1-18; 2Chr33:12-16) • Josiah (640-609BC)

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 yrs. 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 a 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-] 626-575BC • 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’s 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 (697-642BC) • 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 nor 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 • ;