Eric Redmond - Exalting Jesus in Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk

As followers of Jesus Christ, we all need to hear Gods voice. The good news is that we can hear His voice through all 66 books in the Bible. The Old Testament is a rich treasure of biblical lessons that lead us to know the God of creation and salvation. The authors of this book have dug deep and unearthed some of the great gems of Jonah, Micah, Nahum, and Habakkuk. Through this study you can walk with these Old Testament prophets as God unfolds His story of good news that salvation is from the Lord.

Tim Dowdy, D.Min., Eagles Landing First Baptist Church, McDonough, Georgia, and author of Dont Forget to Dream

This volume of Christ-Centered Exposition bears the prophetic burden of illuminating the Word of the Lord so that others might see Christ more clearly. This is a worthy endeavor that should be applauded! There are many expositors in the church who are capable at the task of exposition, but what I commend to you today is that, just as the exposition should light a clearer path to Christ, so should the lives of the expositors do the same. What you will find in these pages is not exposition done in abstraction, but the Christ-centered focus of faithful men who reflect and apply these truths in their ministries, their families, and their own lives. This book (and this series) is a part of the clarion call of the apostle Paul for faithful men who have sat at the feet of Christ to teach others also (2 Tim 2:2). Read this book, sit at their feet, and meet with Christ through these words and the Word!

Benjamin K. Forrest, Ed.D., Department Chair, Liberty University School of Divinity

A very astute observer once quipped that you could easily identify the precise location of the Minor Prophets in many of our Bibles by looking for the bright white pages along the margins. If this assessment is accurate, then our failure to turn to these pages for encouragement, wisdom, and insight only serves to rob us of some of the Bibles greatest riches. To neglect serious study and reflection of the Minor Prophets leads invariably to an incomplete picture of Gods activity in redemptive historynamely the gospel of Jesus Christ. In their profoundly insightful and immensely practical exposition, Exalting Jesus in Jonah, Micah, Nahum, and Habakkuk , Eric Redmond, Bill Curtis, and Ken Fentress show us why the message of the Minor Prophets merits our intrigue, attention, and obedience. This volume is far more than just a historical look back at the messages of the ancient prophets. It is a practical look forward to uncover how the messages of the prophets speak to us today. The authors are not merely interested in helping us to see the what of the Minor Prophets, they are equally concerned to help us see the so what of their message. To immerse yourself in the writings of Jonah, Micah, Nahum, and Habakkuk is to grow more profoundly grateful for the grace-filled, liberating message of the gospel.

Mark A. Howell, Ph.D ., senior pastor, First Baptist Church, Daytona Beach, Florida

God graciously directs the lives of His people. The books of Jonah, Micah, Nahum, and Habakkuk make this abundantly clear. Through those prophets, God rebuked Israel for her sins, encouraged her in the face of her enemies, and promised her a coming Savior. This remarkably helpful commentary shows how we are to view Gods dealings with Israel through the lens of the gospel, and then make faithful application to the people of God today.

Ken Keathley, Ph.D., senior professor of theology, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, North Carolina, and author of Salvation and Sovereignty and 40 Questions on Creation and Evolution

What a valuable resource! Authors Redmond, Curtis and Fentress have provided a clear, practical, and helpful commentary that will bless and inspire. These biblical books are anything but minor and this commentary shows us why.

Dr. Doug Munton, First Baptist Church, OFallon, Illinois, and author of 30 Days to Acts

Each of the authors in this volume loves Christ and his Bride, and their love shows in this commentary. Each one carefully shows how the prophets point to Christ in a way that is both accessible and edifying to the local church. They also love pastors and provide a wealth of wisdom and textual insights to delight any preacher in his study. May this work lead many readers to worship the just and merciful Lord.

Ronjour Locke , pastor of First Baptist Church of Brooklyn in Baltimore, MD

The voice of the Minor Prophets is often neglected in the modern, evangelical church, and in so doing we squander a vast testimony to Gods faithfulness to His ever-wayward people. This volume mines the depths of these books in order to unearth the rich treasure they possess for followers of Jesus in our day. Through these pages you will see the astounding riches of Gods grace and mercy and the promise of the coming One who will forever deliver Gods people. May these words give us fresh appreciation and awe-struck wonder at the glory of our God.

Matt Rogers, Ph.D., lead pastor at The Church at Cherrydale, Greenville, South Carolina, and author of Aspire: Transformed by the Gospel (parts 1 and 2), Seven Arrows , and 30 Days to Deuteronomy: A Devotional Commentary

Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary: Exalting Jesus in Jonah, Micah, Nahum, and Habakkuk

Copyright 2016 by Eric C. Redmond, Bill Curtis, and Ken Fentress

B&H Publishing Group

Nashville, Tennessee

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-08054-9653-6

Dewey Decimal Classification: 220.7

Subject Heading: BIBLE. N.T. JONAH, MICAH, NAHUM, HABAKKUKCOMMENTARIES\JESUS CHRIST

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973, 1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NIV 1984 are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Printed in the United States of America

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SERIES DEDICATION

Dedicated to Adrian Rogers and John Piper. They have taught us to love the gospel of Jesus Christ, to preach the Bible as the inerrant Word of God, to pastor the church for which our Savior died, and to have a passion to see all nations gladly worship the Lamb.

David Platt, Tony Merida, and Danny Akin

March 2013

Authors DEDICATIONs

To Pamela, my Autumn, with whom there has never been a winter

and to Elliott E. Johnson, a man whose friendship, mentorship, and scholarship are of great meaning and significance to me

and to the members of Reformation Alive Baptist Church, Temple Hills, MD and New Canaan Baptist Church, Washington, DC, together with whom we traversed Jonahs waters, with thanksgiving for you

Eric C. Redmond

To Linda, my beloved wife of 30 years, Proverbs 31:29

Ken Fentress

For Cherie and Cassie, who inspire me to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with my God

Bill Curtis

SERIES INTRODUCTION

A ugustine said, Where Scripture speaks, God speaks. The editors of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series believe that where God speaks, the pastor must speak. God speaks through His written Word. We must speak from that Word. We believe the Bible is God breathed, authoritative, inerrant, sufficient, understandable, necessary, and timeless. We also affirm that the Bible is a Christ-centered book; that is, it contains a unified story of redemptive history of which Jesus is the hero. Because of this Christ-centered trajectory that runs from Genesis 1 through Revelation 22, we believe the Bible has a corresponding global-missions thrust. From beginning to end, we see Gods mission as one of making worshipers of Christ from every tribe and tongue worked out through this redemptive drama in Scripture. To that end we must preach the Word.