These twelve men were as different as snowflakes, yet
they were one in spirit. They were God’s special messengers and their work
is timeless. They were the preachers of God. Although they were of the Old
Testament, their sermons still echo and bounce off the steep canyon walls
of the human conscience.
Their lessons are for all who will listen, Jew or
Gentile alike. They warned of the folly of sin and the foolishness of
forgetting God. They offered hope as they spoke of the coming day of the
Lord and they spoke of Jesus.
Every teacher and preacher must have some of the gift
of prophecy if they are to be effective. The twelve minor prophets stand
side by side in the eternal canon, and each make a contribution of
character. Each life left a legacy of faith from which the modern teacher
and preacher can learn. Twelve lessons comprise a simple curriculum that
every modern minister should study.
Hosea teaches us to "Go love." No preacher dare enter
the ministry without it, for love is the law of God. In Joel we learn
about the Spirit, without whom nothing lasting can be accomplished. Amos
is the farmer with a burden. No man belongs behind the sacred desk who is
without one. Such a man will himself be a burden to those who must listen
to this head without a heart. Obediah teaches about the end of pride,
Micah about humility. Jonah is a warning to every preacher who thinks he
can choose his own parish apart from God. From Nahum a shepherd can learn
how to sing to and comfort the sheep. Habakkuk is the thinker and
Zephaniah is the Seer. Haggai is festive, and Zechariah reminds us to
remember.
Malachi is the last voice the Jewish nation heard until
John cried out in the wilderness. Every teacher should be aware that their
words about God might be the last words someone might hear before they
step out into eternity. It is an awesome responsibility to stand in God’s
stead and be a voice for him. Let each who opens the Blessed Book and
dares to say "thus saith the Lord" be faithful to the sacred text and the
sacred task.