These twelve men were as different as snowflakes, yet they were one in spirit. They were God’s special messengers and their work is timeless. They were the preachers of God. Although they were of the Old Testament, their sermons still echo and bounce off the steep canyon walls of the human conscience.

Their lessons are for all who will listen, Jew or Gentile alike. They warned of the folly of sin and the foolishness of forgetting God. They offered hope as they spoke of the coming day of the Lord and they spoke of Jesus.

Every teacher and preacher must have some of the gift of prophecy if they are to be effective. The twelve minor prophets stand side by side in the eternal canon, and each make a contribution of character. Each life left a legacy of faith from which the modern teacher and preacher can learn. Twelve lessons comprise a simple curriculum that every modern minister should study.

Hosea teaches us to "Go love." No preacher dare enter the ministry without it, for love is the law of God. In Joel we learn about the Spirit, without whom nothing lasting can be accomplished. Amos is the farmer with a burden. No man belongs behind the sacred desk who is without one. Such a man will himself be a burden to those who must listen to this head without a heart. Obadiah teaches about the end of pride, Micah about humility. Jonah is a warning to every preacher who thinks he can choose his own parish apart from God. From Nahum a shepherd can learn how to sing to and comfort the sheep. Habakkuk is the thinker and Zephaniah is the Seer. Haggai is festive, and Zechariah reminds us to remember.

Malachi is the last voice the Jewish nation heard until John cried out in the wilderness. Every teacher should be aware that their words about God might be the last words someone might hear before they step out into eternity. It is an awesome responsibility to stand in God’s stead and be a voice for him. Let each who opens the Blessed Book and dares to say "thus saith the Lord" be faithful to the sacred text and the sacred task.