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Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Sep 9, 1913

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 40, No. 35.

Schedule for the Week Ending September 13, 1913

Day	Date	Reading
Sunday	September 7	Amos 8, 9
Monday	September 8	Obadiah 1
Tuesday	September 9	Jonah 1
Wednesday	September 10	Jonah 2, 3, 4
Thursday	September 11	Nahum 1–3
Friday	September 12	Zephaniah 1, 2, 3
Sabbath	September 13	Haggai 1, 2

We cover several books in this week's reading. Our first day closes the book of Amos, with chapters 8 and 9. Then we read Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, Zephaniah, and Haggai, prophecies extending from about 780-520. Obadiah's prophecy has to do wholly with Edom, and the nations of the earth outside of Judah, of which Edom was a type. He tells us nothing of himself. Jonah was the son of Amittai. We have him referred to in 2 Kings the 14th chapter and the 25th verse. He was a prophet of God, albeit he was not the most agreeable servant. He refused to obey God and go to Nineveh; and yet when he came to the wonderful test of the storm at sea, he acknowledges that he is the one at fault, and tells them to throw him overboard. He finds fault because the little gourd withers and he is left in the hot sun instead of the shade; but when he comes to the great tests of life, he seems to endure them. There are such characters now. The book presents before us God's wonderful mercy, and what thorough repentance ought to be.

Micah was a prophet of Judah who flourished in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, about the time of Isaiah, or a little earlier. There are two prophecies quite alike, Isaiah 2 and Micah 4. The book is noted for its high standard of moral teaching. Micah points out the very birthplace of our Lord Jesus Christ. The 7th chapter contains some most striking passages regarding God's wonderful mercy and power to cleanse.

The burden of Nahum is the burden of Nineveh, one who prophesied against Nineveh about the year 700,—a little before perhaps, or a little after. Nineveh may well be taken as a type of the wickedness of the last days. The short prophecy of Habakkuk is a very striking one, written perhaps about the year 625 or 626. It points out the evil that there is among God's people, especially in the way of the strong oppressing the weak; and as human nature is always the same, and oppression is always the same, it forms a striking picture of the last days. The prayer of Habakkuk is a wonderfully eloquent and beautiful poem which closes the prophecy.

Zephaniah also lived in the days of Hezekiah and in the days of Josiah, between Isaiah and Jeremiah. It is a marvelous prophecy, not only touching upon some of the signs of the times in which he lived, but of the great day of God.

Haggai is a prophet of the restoration, the one who strengthened the hands of Ezra in the rebuilding of the temple, rebuking the people for their covetousness and selfishness in working for their own interests and neglecting the interests of God. But with the reproof there also comes promise of blessing.