Habakkuk and Nahum aren’t exactly the first two names people think of when choosing names for their children. However at the Institute this week we learned about them and the rest of the Old Testament prophets and after learning about them I think more people should consider those names. They were men who loved the Lord. All the prophets were called by God to proclaim a message and we learn something different from each of them.
A general theme of the prophets is one of repentance and restoration. To me that is a picture of Christ’s relationship towards us. God desires for us to repent so he can restore us to be in a relationship with him that will be perfected in Heaven. The prophets’ messages also point to Christ in the fact that some of their prophecies relate to Christ’s first and second coming. They have double fulfillment. For example Isaiah 9:6-7 says, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end”. The first part refers to his birth then when it speaks about the eternal government that refers to when Jesus returns to the Earth. Other prophecies are directed at their own time frame or events that will affect a nation. Jonah had a message for Nineveh, yet it still points Christ.
Jonah is an Old Testament prophet that many are familiar with. Most people know he ran from God, but do we realize why? He did not want to go share the Good News with the people of Nineveh. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria and they were known as a wicked people. Jonah did not want to go there because he knew that the people would repent and receive salvation. He did not think the wicked people of Assyria deserved salvation. He eventually goes to Nineveh and the people repent. The Lord shows Jonah that he has compassion for all his people. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” 2 Peter 3:9. The message of Jonah is that salvation is from the Lord.
The story of Jonah reminds me that the Lord calls us to difficult things but disobeying him is sin. Don’t rebel against God. He is a compassionate God, but he is also a God of wrath. Whatever he calls us to do he will give us the strength to get through.
Habakkuk is prophet that many are not familiar with. The purpose of Habakkuk is to record his conversation with the Lord about the problem of evil in the world. His message is for Judah and he is the last pre-exilic prophet for Judah. In chapter three his prayer to God for Judah is “in wrath remember mercy”. This Old Testament book points to Christ and shows his faithfulness. He does not forget about his followers in the hard times. We learn how to pursue God from Habakkuk. The outline of Habakkuk is he questions, listens, and then prays. Many times we question God and then we don’t listen or pray. We want answers but are not willing to search or be patient for them.
These past few weeks studying the Old Testament prophets has given me a new desire to dive in the Word. I was convicted about not knowing a lot about the Old Testament prophets because I’ve been walking with the Lord since childhood. Also I can learn more about the Lord through studying the prophets.
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