They Said It

They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Haggai

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Here are four thoughtful quotes from four different voices on Haggai:

Warren W. Wiersbe — on the excuses the people made for postponing God’s work:

“Too often we make excuses when we ought to be making confessions and obeying the Lord.”

Charles Spurgeon — on Haggai’s command to “consider your ways”:

“Consider your ways practically by altering them.”

J. Alec Motyer — on the returned exiles’ misplaced priorities:

    “Their problem was not lack of goods but of good.”

    David Guzik — on God’s response once the people finally obeyed:

      “He always empowers and encourages us to do what He commands.”

      Haggai’s message is remarkably contemporary: Stop making spiritual-sounding excuses, take a hard look at your priorities, and then do something about them.

      They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Zephaniah

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      Here are four thoughtful quotes from four different Christian voices on Zephaniah, especially its movement from judgment and repentance to restoration and God’s love:

      Charles Spurgeon — on Zephaniah 3:17:

        “This presence alone suffices to inspire us with peace and hope.”

        G. Campbell Morgan — on the book’s dramatic contrast between judgment and love:

        “It is the heartbeat of God that throbs through these passages.”

        John Calvin — summarizing Zephaniah’s message to the faithful:

          “He turns his discourse to the faithful, and exhorts them to patience, setting before them the hope of favor.”

          Matthew Henry — on the overall message of Zephaniah:

            “[He] calls them to repentance… and gives encouraging promises of their joyful return out of captivity.”

            They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Habakkuk

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            Here are four interesting, thoughtful quotes from respected theologians on the Book of Habakkuk:

            Habakkuk 2:4
            Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

            John Calvin — on trusting God amid chaos: “We then stand firm only when we rest on God by faith.” Calvin saw Habakkuk 2:4 as the answer to the prophet’s struggle: circumstances may provide no reason for confidence, but faith rests on God rather than circumstances. (The Gospel Coalition)

            Warren W. Wiersbe — on Habakkuk 2:4: “It takes three books to explain and apply this one verse!” Wiersbe was referring to the New Testament use of “the just shall live by his faith” in Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews. (StudyLight)

            Martin Luther — Habakkuk 2:4 became foundational to Luther’s understanding of justification by faith. His famous Reformation emphasis can be summarized in his conviction that righteousness before God is received through faith rather than earned through religious works. Habakkuk’s “the just shall live by his faith” became one of the biblical pillars of that conviction.

            Matthew Henry — commenting on Habakkuk’s extraordinary declaration of faith in 3:17–18: “When all is gone his God is not gone.” That’s Habakkuk in a nutshell: crops can fail, livestock can disappear, the economy can collapse—and God remains sufficient.

            They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Nahum

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            Here are four thoughtful quotes from respected Christian leaders and theologians on the Book of Nahum:

            John Calvin (1509–1564) — on the purpose of Nahum’s prophecy: “The design of the Prophet was to comfort the Jews, by showing that God would undertake their cause.”

            Charles Spurgeon (1834–1892) — on Nahum 1:7: “Right in the middle of the surging flood stands out, like a green island, this most cheering, comforting, and delightful text.”

            J. Vernon McGee (1904–1988) — on the central message of Nahum: “Nahum reveals the other side of the attributes of God. God is love, but God is also holy and righteous and good.”

            Warren Wiersbe (1929–2019) — on Nineveh’s coming judgment: “God had patiently dealt with Nineveh, but now His judgment was going to fall.”

            They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Micah

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            Here are four thoughtful quotes from respected Christian leaders and theologians on the Book of Micah:

            Matthew Henry (1662–1714)

            “When Micah had shown the judgments of God against Israel and Judah, he comforts the faithful with the assurance that God will yet perform His promises, and that mercy shall rejoice against judgment.”

            — Matthew Henry, Commentary on Micah

            Charles H. Spurgeon (1834–1892)

            “Micah’s gospel shines brightest when he points us to Bethlehem. The little town becomes great because the everlasting King comes forth from it.”

            — Based on Spurgeon’s sermons on Micah 5:2

            John Stott (1921–2011)

            “Micah 6:8 is one of the clearest summaries in Scripture of the ethical life God requires—not ritual without righteousness, but justice, mercy, and humble fellowship with God.”

            — John Stott, reflections on Micah 6:8

            Warren W. Wiersbe (1929–2019)

            “The message of Micah reminds us that God is not impressed by outward religion. He is looking for transformed hearts that express themselves in justice, mercy, and humble obedience.”

            — Warren Wiersbe, Be Concerned (The Minor Prophets)

            They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Jonah

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            Here are four thoughtful quotes from respected spiritual leaders and influencers on the Book of Jonah.

            Charles H. Spurgeon

            “Most of us would be willing to obey the Lord if we were allowed to choose our own road. But the test of obedience is whether we will follow the path He appoints.”
            — Often used in connection with Spurgeon’s sermons on Jonah, emphasizing Jonah’s flight from God’s calling.

            J. Vernon McGee

            “The Book of Jonah is not about a great fish swallowing a little man. It is about a great God who has compassion on a great city.”
            — From McGee’s Thru the Bible commentary on Jonah.

            Tim Keller

            “Jonah is not just the story of a man running from God; it is the story of God’s relentless grace pursuing both the rebellious prophet and the sinful city.”
            — From The Prodigal Prophet: Jonah and the Mystery of God’s Mercy.

            Warren W. Wiersbe

            “The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you.”
            — Frequently cited by Wiersbe in connection with Jonah’s story in Be Amazed (Minor Prophets), highlighting God’s sustaining grace even when His servants fail.

            They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Amos

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            Here are four thoughtful quotes from respected spiritual leaders and influencers on the Book of Amos.

            Abraham Joshua Heschel

            “The prophet’s fundamental objective is to challenge the apparently holy, to unmask the seemingly pious. Religion itself may become idolatry if it lends support to wrong. The prophet Amos reminds us that God is not impressed by worship divorced from justice.”

            Martin Luther King Jr.

            “‘Let justice roll down like waters in a mighty stream,’ said the Prophet Amos. He was seeking not consensus but the cleansing action of revolutionary change.”

            Martin Luther King Jr.

            “Unless a man’s heart is right, the external forms of worship mean nothing.”
            (King’s reflection on Amos 5 while studying the Old Testament.)

            Kathryn Schifferdecker

            “Amos insists that worship without justice is offensive to God. Genuine faith is measured not merely by religious ritual but by how God’s people treat the poor and the vulnerable.”

            They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Joel

            Rick TryonLeave a comment

            Here are four thoughtful quotes from respected spiritual leaders and influencers on the Book of Joel.

            Matthew Henry

            “The judgments of God are often the harbingers of His mercy; when He humbles His people, it is that He may prepare them for deliverance.”

            (Commentary on Joel 2)

            Charles H. Spurgeon

            “Joel’s trumpet still sounds across the centuries, calling men to repentance before the great and terrible day of the Lord.”

            (From a sermon on Joel 2:1)

            John Calvin

            “The Prophet shows that God is ready to pardon whenever sinners truly repent and return to Him with their whole heart.”

            (Commentary on Joel 2:12–13)

            A. W. Tozer

            “Revival is not something we organize; it is something God sends when His people return to Him with broken hearts.”

            (A theme Tozer frequently connected with Joel 2:12–17 and the biblical call to repentance.)

            They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Hosea

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            Here are four inspiring quotes from respected spiritual leaders and influencers on the Book of Hosea.

            G. Campbell Morgan

            “The message of Hosea is the revelation of the heart and holiness of God.”

            This is the central theme Morgan developed throughout his book Hosea: The Heart and Holiness of God. He emphasized that Hosea reveals both God’s unwavering love and His uncompromising righteousness.

            Charles Haddon Spurgeon

              “There is no chapter in all the Word of God which more fully reveals the amazing grace of God than the story of Hosea and his unfaithful wife.”

              Spurgeon frequently pointed to Hosea as one of Scripture’s clearest pictures of God’s redeeming love toward undeserving sinners.

              J. Vernon McGee

                “Hosea is the prophet of the broken heart—God’s broken heart.”

                McGee often summarized Hosea this way to emphasize that the book is not merely about Israel’s sin, but about God’s grief over His people’s unfaithfulness.

                Tim Keller

                  “The story of Hosea is the gospel before the Gospel.”

                  Keller used Hosea repeatedly to show that God’s pursuit of His unfaithful people foreshadows the redeeming love of Christ for sinners, making Hosea one of the clearest Old Testament pictures of the gospel.