Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (NIV Application Commentary | NIVAC)

by James K. Bruckner

Publisher:

Zondervan

, 2004

Overview

The prophetic books of Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah are brief but powerful. They comfort us with the assurance that, when nothing in this life makes sense, God is still in control. They toughen our faith in the face of the world’s ugly realities. And they reveal the complexities of humans in relation to God. Jonah ran from his divine commission. Habakkuk questioned God concerning his ways. Repenting under Jonah’s message, the city of Nineveh ultimately backslid and reaped the doom prophesied by Nahum. And Zephaniah’s remnant depicts a faith that remains faithful. We needn’t look too hard to find our own world and concerns mirrored in these books.

Exploring the links between the Bible and our own times, James Bruckner shares perspectives on four of the Minor Prophets that reveal their enduring relevance for our twenty-first century lives.

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

“The wonder of the sign is that a place that ought to have been a place of death became a place of deliverance and life.” (Pages 83–84)

“The purpose of Jonah is to make us obedient through the fear of Yahweh.” (Page 20)

“The reasons for Jonah’s running are not explained until 4:2 and cannot be understood without historical background. Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, was Israel’s worst enemy and the bane of the ancient world. They were a powerful and well-developed civilization, known for their brutal and grisly treatment of their enemies. Jonah’s response to Yahweh’s directive can be understood as fear, rebellion, or moral opposition to Yahweh’s mercy (as Jonah alludes to in 4:2). Jonah is not interested in participating in the redemption of this particular enemy.” (Page 42)

“‘If you feel compassionate about the destruction of a vine you did not create, shouldn’t I be concerned about the destruction of people and animals I did create?’” (Page 116)

“As long as we insist that Jonah is an example of a ‘bad’ prophet, we will never understand why Jesus used him as a twofold ‘good’ example.” (Page 23)

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: Jonah, Nahum, Habbakkuk, Zephaniah
• Author: James K. Bruckner
• Series: NIV Application Commentary
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Print Publication Date: 2004
• Logos Release Date: 2010
• Pages: 368
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Bible. O.T. Habakkuk › Commentaries; Bible. O.T. Jonah › Commentaries; Bible. O.T. Nahum › Commentaries; Bible. O.T. Zephaniah › Commentaries
• ISBNs: 9780310283478, 0310283477, 9780310206378, 0310206375
• Resource ID: LLS:NIVAC32JON
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2023-01-03T19:49:26Z

About James K. Bruckner

James Bruckner is Assistant Professor of Old Testament, North Park University, Chicago, Illinois.

The Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement (renamed the Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies in 2005) is a premier book series that offers cutting-edge work for a readership of scholars, teachers in the field of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament studies, postgraduate students and advanced undergraduates. All the diverse aspects of Old Testament study are represented and promoted in the series, including innovative work from historical perspectives, studies using social-scientific and literary theory, and developing theological, cultural and contextual approaches.

The series was launched by Sheffield Academic Press in 1976, and is published regularly by T & T Clark International as The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies. This world-class religious academic publishing program is both interdisciplinary and international in scope, incorporating Sheffield Academic Press, T & T Clark and Trinity Press International.