Have you ever felt bitter? While this isn't the feeling we expect to see in people who study biblical content or proclaim the teachings of Scripture, the truth is, I've felt this way more times than I'd like to admit.

Throughout this book, I'm going to walk alongside you or your Bible study group through uncomfortable topics, which some might call "bitter."

Using your imagination and my descriptions, we will study the cultural environment of the minor prophets who confronted the Assyrians (Jonah, Hosea, Amos, Micah, and Nahum), the archaeological context of the places where they ministered, and we will raise very interesting questions and discussions. I invite you to travel with me through the Bible, history, archaeology, and literature to understand the messages of these prophets who, although they may sometimes seem bitter to us, were quite the opposite: men of vision, though flesh and blood, vulnerable, like you and me, and, above all, full of hope. It is my prayer that this book will draw you closer to the Scriptures and the Creator, and fill you with hope in these difficult and confusing times we live in.