The Prophets: Problems, Prayers, and Promises

By Mary Heyn

The minor Old Testament prophets have much to tell us today. They were varied men of varied backgrounds, but all were called to deliver Gods message. This is a version of their messages in simple, readable poetry.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 13, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514493601

Mary Heyn

Mary Heyn is a retired Christian elementary school teacher with a love for words, a love for God and people, and an active imagination. She desires to share her faith with others and prays that lives are transformed and new hope is born.

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Copyright © 2016 by Mary Heyn.

ISBN:            eBook                            978-1-5144-9360-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Rev. date: 05/09/2016

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Contents

Daniel’s Dilemmas

Hosea’s Hopes

Joel’s Judgments

Micah’s Mission

Amos’ Announcements

Obadiah’s Observations

Jonah’s Jeopardy

Nahum’s News

Habakkuk’s Hopes

Zephaniah

Haggai’s Highlights

Zechariah

Malachi’s Mission

It is my fervent hope and prayer

that these minor Old Testament

prophets will work to renew your

minds and hearts with the ageless

message of our great God who is

Ever Ancient and Ever New.

Daniel’s Dilemmas

1.

In King Jehoiakim’s third year Nebuchadnezzar came.

Jerusalem was taken and then Babylon’s became.

Jehoiakim was carried off with temple vessels rare.

The royal family and the nobles were also taken there.

The finest, healthiest young men were trained to serve the king.

For three years they were trained to serve in almost everything.

Among the men of Judah were Daniel and Hananiah.

Mishael was chosen too, along with Azariah.

They ate at the king’s table and were given food and wine.

The king’s official favored them and life was really fine.

Daniel asked not to defile himself with their fine food.

He’d take vegetables and water only if that wouldn’t be rude.

The king agreed to test that diet ten days and no more.

After ten days they were looking better than before.

God gave these men knowledge, understanding that was keen.

God let Daniel understand what dreams and visions mean.

After ten days these men were presented to the king.

He found them ten times better than the men that he could bring.

Daniel stayed until the first year that king Cyrus reigned.

He was looking well, although from their food he’d abstained.

2.

In his second year Nebuchadnezzar had some dreams.

He was troubled and couldn’t sleep. His wise men came, it seems.

The king said, ‘Tell me what I dreamed and what it really meant.’

They couldn’t say. They died that day; for Daniel the king sent.

Daniel asked his friends to pray, then went to see the king.

He told the king that God would know, for God knows everything.

"O king’, he said, ‘you saw a statue with a golden head;

silver arms, bronze belly, and iron legs filled you with dread.

Its feet were clay and iron; then a great hand smashed those feet.

A rock broke it in pieces, swept it off in great defeat.

The rock became a mountain and it soon filled all the earth.

The dream is true, and you may trust that it is of great worth.

O king, you are the head of gold. Three kingdoms after you

will be, first strong, then crushing, then divided into two.’

The king bowed low to Daniel, told him God is surely true.

He gave Daniel a high place and his three friends too.

3.

The king then made a golden image, set it on the plain.

He ordered all to bow to it when music played again.

Astrologers then told the king the Jews will never bow.

Such disobedience to his law the king must not allow.

They should be thrown into fire, for they won’t adore.

They said, ‘king, our God can save us and do even more.

So, the three were thrown into the furnace blazing high.

The fire didn’t harm them, though it rose up to the sky.

The king, amazed, asked, ‘Weren’t there three men thrown into the fire?

I see four men walking free, though the flames rise higher.

The fourth looks like a son of God; they have no smoky smell.

Come out, men of Judah, for your God has done you well!

I decree that their God is the one true God alone.

He can’t compare to other gods made of wood and stone.

4.

Babylon’s king sent a letter out to all the earth.

He wrote of God’s greatness, and a dream that had great worth.

The dream was of a great tree that gave shade and home to all.

God had that tree cut down. Very great was that tree’s fall.

Then the king called Daniel (Belteshazzar was his name).

He said the king would be the tree, though great was the king’s fame.

The king would be cut down and be all covered with the dew.

He’d live with wild animals until he was made new.

All this happened as the