OT232 A Survey of Amos, Joel, Obadiah, and Malachi
Overview
Continuing where his previous course left off, Dr. Baker starts his discussion of the background, themes, and structures of the Minor Prophets with Amos. By highlighting specific poetic devices, he illuminates the prophet’s message and its relevance for today. Dr. Baker also surveys the books of Obadiah, Joel, and Malachi—always emphasizing how you can apply the prophetic wisdom of God’s Word to modern life. Through the prophets God teaches us to build community, maintain covenant relationships, handle hardships, and more.
Top Highlights
“Andersen and Freedman, in the commentary I mentioned earlier, say, ‘First there was exploitation that denied them compassion, then there was corruption that denied them justice,’ because it says in verse 6, ‘They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals.’ These righteous, needy folks were impoverished, God-fearing people who were sold into slavery for the amount of money it would take to buy some sandals. Or it could be talking about here that bribery was used to influence court decisions against these poor folks.” (source)
“And this type of oracle against the nation is common among the prophets. It’s not just Amos that does it but some of the other prophets. For example, Isa 13–23—you have 11 chapters there, oracles against the nation. Jeremiah 46 through 51. And the whole prophecy of Nahum is an oracle against a nation, this time Assyria. And Obadiah, which we’ll look at later in this course, is an oracle against Edom. So, a number of times, Israel is hearing a message that is in fact spoken against other people.” (source)
“Now, he’s referring here probably to professional prophetic guilds—professional groups of prophets. Some of them were also court prophets who were in the pay of the king, and as the king was the one who gave them their salary, quite often they said things that would be pleasing to him. And Amos is denying this. ‘I am not in it for the money. I didn’t come here by choice. This isn’t my job, but I was something else before I came.’” (source)
“A later prophet, Zechariah, in 14:5, refers back to this event. He says, ‘You shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah.’ So this is something famous in the lore of Israel. The problem is, we don’t know exactly when it was. It was right in the forefront of their cultural memory, but we’re not sure of the exact date. But the earthquake played a vital role in their national psyche.” (source)
- Title: OT232 A Survey of Amos, Joel, Obadiah, and Malachi
- Author: David W. Baker
- Series: Logos Mobile Education
- Publisher: Lexham Press
- Print Publication Date: 2014
- Logos Release Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Courseware
- Subjects: Bible. O.T. Amos › Study and teaching; Bible. O.T. Joel › Study and teaching; Bible. O.T. Malachi › Study and teaching; Bible. O.T. Obadiah › Study and teaching; Education › Bible. O.T. Minor Prophets
- Resource ID: LLS:OT232BAKER
- Resource Type: Courseware Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-02-12T04:57:59Z
Dr. David W. Baker is a professor of Old Testament and Semitic languages at Ashland Theological Seminary in Ohio, where he’s taught since 1986, following teaching assignments at the University of Durban-Westville and the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. He’s also lectured in Argentina, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
Dr. Baker has a particular interest in pedagogy, constantly exploring new means and media to enhance the learning and teaching experience for both the instructor and the student. He has contributed to, edited, or written over 40 books, including Isaiah in the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, The NIV Application Commentary: Joel, Obadiah, Malachi, and Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch. Forthcoming books include Genesis 37–50: A Handbook on the Hebrew Text in the Baylor Handbook on the Hebrew Bible Series, 1 & 2 Kings in the Teach the Text Commentary Series, Genesis in the Apollos Old Testament Commentary Series, and 1 & 2 Samuel in the Believers Church Bible Commentary Series.
He’s blessed with a wife, Morven, who immigrated to Canada from Scotland—a start that prepared her to support Dr. Baker in his geographical wanderings. Morven is a counselor specializing in women’s issues, specifically sexual abuse and domestic violence. Together, they have two children and three granddaughters.