Old Testament Commentary: Hosea, Haggai, and Malachi

"Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry." These are the first words God spoke to Hosea. The pessimistic portrait the prophet paints for us is our harsh lesson. All of us have acted like the harlot by abandoning God and His ways. In a very imaginative way, Derek Kidner takes us through the story of Hosea and his wife; as he expounds the basic message, he points out the subtleties and encourages the reader to live a life worthy of the God who loves those the world has rejected.

Haggai's call to speak on behalf of God comes at a complex time in history. The prophet lived in a time of inertia and apathy, with a very dim spiritual life. Furthermore, there was a relatively settled political situation and a certain level of comfort, which created an aversion to hearing the word of God and acting accordingly. Haggai's message is brief, but his prophecy addresses relevant issues and led to a great change of life for those who listened to it.

One of the most striking features of the book of Malachi is the way in which God's people contradict or question each of the divine words. Furthermore, they do not have enough enthusiasm to serve God with all their heart, but they also do not openly disobey Him; finding ourselves here in a dangerous whirlpool of self-deception. Peter Adam shows how Malachi is God's effective remedy for this situation. The greatest sin of God's people is sin against God Himself.