I have been overwhelmed by an effort to understand or at least get some insight into the Minor Prophets of the Old Testament.  It is amazing the weaving of the web of Hebrew life.  I would think the people should all be walking around with neck braces due to the number of times the nation of Judah jerked up and down in a constant cycle of repentance, worship, apathy, excuses, sin and historical calamity.

The answer for the period from the division of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms to the final restoration and the rebuilding of the temple was the rise of Prophet after Prophet.  I watch the life of the people, the chosen people, the people elect, the people called to be set apart, fall again and again and again. I hear the voices of anguish and disappointment in the prophets words.  They were the only hope for the promised ones. 

It was not the hope of traditional worship, ceremonies, sacrifices, great walls, and beautiful temples.  They were not saved by their hope.  Hope goes away when an onslaught of calamity takes the best and leaves nothing.  Hope may well be instructive and may suffice for a moment or two. Never-the-less,  the decadence of the nation, the rejection of righteousness, the growth of priestly formalism, caused hope to simply die a cruel and wimpy death.

“I can’t stand your religious meetings.
    I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions.
I want nothing to do with your religion projects,
    your pretentious slogans and goals.
I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes,
    your public relations and image making.

I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.
    When was the last time you sang to me?
Do you know what I want?
    I want justice—oceans of it.
I want fairness—rivers of it.
    That’s what I want. That’s all I want.

That was AMOS 5:21-25 The message.

What do you think?