Hosea, Amos, Micah (NIV Application Commentary | NIVAC)

by Gary V. Smith

Publisher:

Zondervan

, 2001

Overview

Scratch beneath the surface of today’s culture and you’ll find we’re not so different from ancient Israel. True, our sophistication, mobility, and technology eclipse anything the Israelites could have imagined. Our worship is far different, to say nothing of our language and customs. Yet if the prophets Hosea, Amos, and Micah were to visit us today, we might be shocked to see how little their messages would differ from the ones they delivered 2,800 years ago.

For human hearts are still the same—and so is God. Injustice, oppression, and political corruption anger him as much as ever. Apostasy still grieves him. His judgement of sin remains as fierce as his love is strong. And the hope God extends to those who turn toward him is as brilliant now as at any time in history.

Revealing the links between Israel in the eighth century BC and our modern world, Gary V. Smith shows how the prophetic writings of Hosea, Amos, and Micah speak to us today with relevance and conviction.

Key Features

• Treats all the elements of traditional exegesis
• Compares the original context and the contemporary context
• Engages contemporary life and culture

Contents

Top Highlights

“(1) Sin, like prostitution, is an act of not truly knowing or acknowledging one’s covenant partner on a personal level.” (Page 32)

“The question is focused on ‘with what’ [in Micah 6:6–7], on external objects at the disposal of the questioner. The answer [in 6:8] is focused on the questioner himself, on the quality of his life.’¹⁴ God is more interested in the person than any gift one might bring. One’s character and behavior are what matter to God.” (Page 553)

“Micah’s list of core requirements first focuses on ‘acting justly’ toward others. Since the people are covenant partners with God, they must demonstrate mutual respect for one another within the community. ‘Justice’ describes right social relationships between people based on God’s view of what is appropriate.” (Page 553)

“The second principle is to love ‘mercy’ (ḥsd, i.e., ‘steadfast covenant loyalty’).” (Page 553)

“In other words, loving to maintain steadfast covenant loyalty will impact a person’s attitude to worshiping God on the Sabbath, leaving the land fallow every seven years, releasing slaves according to Mosaic instructions, caring for the poor, and giving a tithe each year. If there is no commitment to remain faithful to this divine covenant relationship, then covenant life will cease to exist. Understood in this way, ḥsd is a broad term that encompasses much more than merely acting mercifully toward others.” (Page 554)

Praise for the Print Edition

This is the pulpit commentary for the twenty-first century.

—George K. Brushaber, president, Bethel College and Seminary

The NIV Application Commentary meets the urgent need for an exhaustive and authoritative commentary based on the New International Version. This series will soon be found in libraries and studies throughout the evangelical community.

—James Kennedy, senior minister, Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church

It is encouraging to find a commentary that is not only biblically trustworthy but also contemporary in its application. The NIV Application Commentary will prove to be a helpful tool in the pastor’s sermon preparation. I use it and recommend it.

—Charles F. Stanley, pastor, First Baptist Church of Atlanta

Product Details

• Title: Hosea, Amos, Micah
• Author: Gary V. Smith
• Series: NIV Application Commentary
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Print Publication Date: 2001
• Logos Release Date: 2010
• Pages: 608
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Bible. O.T. Amos › Commentaries; Bible. O.T. Hosea › Commentaries; Bible. O.T. Micah › Commentaries
• ISBNs: 9780310283492, 9780310206149, 0310283493, 0310206146
• Resource ID: LLS:NIVAC28HO
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T01:50:38Z

About Gary V. Smith

Gary V. Smith, Ph.D. was a member of the translation teams for both the NLT and HCSB Bible translation projects and has written numerous articles, reviews, and books on the Old Testament. These include Hosea, Amos, and Micah for the NIV Application Commentary series and Isaiah in the New American Commentary series. He has taught Old Testament at Bethel Theological Seminary in Minnesota and was Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Missouri. In 2004 he began teaching at Union University, where he is currently Professor of Christian Studies.