The Twelve Lesser or Minor Prophets - Tapa blanda

The prophetic books of the Lesser or Minor Prophets possess a special difficulty for the modern mind because they are not arranged chronologically, nor according to date. In addition the message, which is spoken by each prophet to his contemporaries, does not describe or indicate the circumstances under which the message is being delivered. They do, however, expose the political and social ills in Israel, her apostasy and denial of her fundamental teachings, and religious principles which are valid and have endured in every generation since. And the view of some of the historical points in the history of God's Chosen People, from the ninth century B. C. to the present has prevailed, and is a necessity in order to relate to the twelve Minor Prophets, and how, and when, and where they fit into history. We should strive to look through and beyond those things pertinent to the time of of the prophet to that which is abiding and significant in order to convert it into terms that apply to our own era and to our lives.

For almost forty years I havebeen involved in Church music and Bible teaching. I taught adult classes,served as a guest teacher, as a guest speaker, and delivered many sermons. WhenI was involved in the music of the church as an organist, pianist, or directorof the choir, I taught a Bible class developing my own class format, whichdemanded a lot of research and study. I hold an L.L.B. degree; however, as doesevery law student, I learned very early the importance of, and how to doresearch and documentation. This has served me well in my Bible study andpreparation for both teaching and writing.During my years in law school, Ihad the great experience of working for a blind judge, and as a result wasrequired to learn to read and write Braille. During this time, I also worked inthe Capitol of my state, and was permitted to sit in on hearings in the GeorgiaPublic Service Commission, the Supreme Court trials, and served as stenographerin the Attorney General's office.Through the years I have takenmany special courses and non-credit classes in Ancient History, Archaeology,Ancient Documents, Hebrew, Greek, and other subjects related to the Bible, andthese have been an invaluable background source in my writing.Although I am not now registered,I have had certificates in accounting and nursing, and worked with my husband,D.L. Burns, M.D., as head nurse and director of his clinic until his death fromcancer. I was elected to and served twelve years on the Valdosta Board ofEducation, and served as Chairman of Personnel for twelve years, as well aspresident, and chairman of various committees. I did not choose to run for athird term of six years, but did not put education aside. During my tenure ofoffice, I served as a substitute teacher for a couple of months in a class onthe Constitution of Georgia and the United States, where I saw the need for someparliamentary education. As a result I wrote a Parliamentary LeadershipTraining Course, which I taught over a period of several yea