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The "Be" Commentary
Be Concerned (Minor Prophets): Making a Difference in Your Lifetime
The truth in God’s word illuminates the sinful state of our fallen world. And throughout history that insight has moved believers from conviction to action, to share His truth with a world in need, to burden us with a deep concern for people. But how can we translate that concern into effective ministry? The prophets Amos, Obadiah, Micah, and Zephaniah were each called to deal courageously and honestly with the sin around them. This study explores how their concern for people shaped their life-changing messages of repentance and redemption. Part of Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe’s best-selling “BE” commentary series, BE Concerned has now been updated with study questions and a new introduction by Ken Baugh. A respected pastor and Bible teacher, Dr. Wiersbe encourages us to take a balanced approach to personal evangelism, and challenges us to lovingly share truths that offer both conviction and hope.
192 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1996
262 people are currently reading
250 people want to read
About the author
Warren W. Wiersbe
662 books412 followersWarren W. Wiersbe, former pastor of the Moody Church and general director of Back to the Bible, has traveled widely as a Bible teacher and conference speaker. Because of his encouragement to those in ministry, Dr. Wiersbe is often referred to as 'the pastor's pastor.' He has ministered in churches and conferences throughout the United States as well as in Canada, Central and South America, and Europe. Dr. Wiersbe has written over 150 books, including the popular BE series of commentaries on every book of the Bible, which has sold more than four million copies. At the 2002 Christian Booksellers Convention, he was awarded the Gold Medallion Lifetime Achievement Award by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. Dr. Wiersbe and his wife, Betty, live in Lincoln, Nebraska.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 5, 2020
Very helpful. I enjoyed using this with my morning Bible study.
June 17, 2017
While the minor prophets are often overlooked in the Bible, warren wiersbie breaks down each book and puts the lessons of each into a simple, easy to understand lesson. He also conveys the importance of each book with today's modern issues. I LOVE warren wiersbie and the man is a GOLD MINE of spiritual truth for any level of Christian wanting to explore God's word
July 30, 2021
Great insights
I love the way that Warren Wiersbe writes so that he teaches his readers something in each section. He intertwines the history of the era. He takes what we know little about and makes it inspiring to each individual life.
I love the way that Warren Wiersbe writes so that he teaches his readers something in each section. He intertwines the history of the era. He takes what we know little about and makes it inspiring to each individual life.
September 28, 2020
This book covers the books of Amos, Obadiah, Micah, and Zephaniah. While I have read these books many times, Wiersbe brought ideas to my mind that I had not thought of before.
December 14, 2024
Wiersbe, as usual, is a class of his own. To my knowledge I don't think you'll find a commentary out there like this one ("Be" Series) that is so practical, knowledgeable, and easy to read. It's designed for the general layperson. You and I, in other words, who simply want to know the God of the Bible in a deeper way.
The "Minor Prophets" are books that can often be missed if one isn't careful. You won't find the Creation account, or the Promise to Abraham and Seed, or Moses and the Parting of the Red Sea, or David and his exploits. No, instead we find both poetical and brutally harsh prophesies, and often both at the same time.
Without a little background to know what is exactly happening, you can find yourself wandering down the rabbit hole, not sure how you ended up where you are or where it's going. Part of the reason we don't often read these sections of the Bible is we simply don't understand them and feel they're dated and for an ancient people. Wiersbe does a superb job at bringing the story's backgrounds to the forefront and making applications to our contemporary world, showing that God's word is truly timeless. Every word is God-breathed and full of purpose; not only for yesterday, but also today and tomorrow.
"Be Concerned" contains commentaries on the books of Amos, Obadiah, Micah, and Zephaniah, of which I can unquestionably say "Amos" was my favourite. That troublemaking shepherd of Tekoa!
While Wiersbe and I hold a different outlook on eschatology, I find his opinions enlightening and helpful from different vantage point.
Buy the series! Read it! I cannot recommend highly enough.
The "Minor Prophets" are books that can often be missed if one isn't careful. You won't find the Creation account, or the Promise to Abraham and Seed, or Moses and the Parting of the Red Sea, or David and his exploits. No, instead we find both poetical and brutally harsh prophesies, and often both at the same time.
Without a little background to know what is exactly happening, you can find yourself wandering down the rabbit hole, not sure how you ended up where you are or where it's going. Part of the reason we don't often read these sections of the Bible is we simply don't understand them and feel they're dated and for an ancient people. Wiersbe does a superb job at bringing the story's backgrounds to the forefront and making applications to our contemporary world, showing that God's word is truly timeless. Every word is God-breathed and full of purpose; not only for yesterday, but also today and tomorrow.
"Be Concerned" contains commentaries on the books of Amos, Obadiah, Micah, and Zephaniah, of which I can unquestionably say "Amos" was my favourite. That troublemaking shepherd of Tekoa!
While Wiersbe and I hold a different outlook on eschatology, I find his opinions enlightening and helpful from different vantage point.
Buy the series! Read it! I cannot recommend highly enough.
November 7, 2011
Subtitled "Making A Difference In Your Lifetime", this is another of Wiersbe's great devotional commentaries, this one covering the Old Testament books of Amos, Obadiah, Micah, and Zephaniah. If some of those Old Testament prophetic books puzzle you, here is a great help to use along with your daily Bible reading. Practical, non-technical, and highly recommended.
March 2, 2016
Wiersbe is giving a good overview and devotional biblestudy of Amos, Obadiah, Micah and Zephaniah.
May 22, 2023
First sentence: If the prophet Amos were to come to our world today, he would probably feel very much at home; for he lived at a time such as ours, when society was changing radically.
This commentary covers the books Amos, Obadiah, Micah, and Zephaniah. It is one of three commentary books written by Warren Wiersbe that treats the Old Testament minor prophets. Each book covers multiple books of the Bible.
To be honest I have almost always struggled with the minor prophets. Some of the books I find a little intimidating to digest. I know that they are the Word of God. I know they are there to teach, to edify, to convict, to encourage, etc. I know they are still God-breathed despite me not quite "getting" them.
I enjoyed reading Warren Wiersbe's commentary. I felt that the book was definitely relatable. It made me want to try harder, or, perhaps pray more fervently for wisdom and understanding when reading the Bible. Perhaps a realization that I need spiritual eyes to read this spiritual book.
Favorite quotes:
From Amos:
The test of a spiritual experience is not “Do I feel good?” or “Did we have a big crowd and a good time?” The real test is “Do I know God better, and am I more like Jesus Christ?”
Christian music is big business today, but we wonder how much of it really glorifies the Lord. What we think is music may be nothing but noise to the Lord.
Whether we’re looking at the broader religious scene or the services in our local churches, it takes spiritual discernment to separate the wheat from the chaff. We need to ask, “Where is prayer in this meeting? Is God getting the glory? Is there a brokenness before Him? Does the fruit remain, or is it gone when the meeting is over and the enthusiasm dies down? Are we overwhelmed by the holiness and the glory of God, or are we just applauding religious celebrities?”
The way we treat God’s Word is the way we treat God, and the way we treat God’s messengers is the way we treat the Lord Himself (John 15:18–21). “God … has in these last days spoken to us by His Son. … See that you do not refuse Him who speaks” (Heb. 1:1–2; 12:25 NKJV).
To seek the Lord means first of all to change our thinking and abandon the vain thoughts that are directing our wayward lives.
Children of God are thinking wrongly about God, sin, and life. They think God will always be there for them to turn to, but they forget that sinners reap what they sow. To walk “in the counsel of the ungodly” is folly indeed (Ps. 1:1 NKJV), for it leads to a fruitless and joyless life.
True repentance begins with naming sins and dealing with them one by one.
No matter how much “religious activity” we participate in, if we don’t love our brothers and our neighbors, we can’t honestly worship and serve the Lord.
From Micah:
Few men are as pitiable as those who claim to have a call from God yet tailor their sermons to please others. Their first rule is “Don’t rock the boat”; their second is “Give people what they want.” But a true servant of God declares God’s message regardless of whether the people like it or not.
Any theology that makes it easy for us to sin is not biblical theology.
To make Micah 6:8 a salvation text is to misunderstand what the prophet was saying to God’s disobedient covenant people. None of us can do what God requires until first we come to God as broken sinners who need to be saved. Unsaved people who think they are doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God are only fooling themselves, no matter how moral their lives may be. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us” (Titus 3:5).
From Zephaniah:
When was the last time you sang a hymn about the future judgment of the world? Most modern hymnals don’t contain songs about the day of the Lord, and you certainly won’t find the phrase in your daily newspaper or weekly news magazine.
Our God is a “singing” God. God the Father sings to the Jewish remnant entering the kingdom (v. 17). God the Son sang at the close of the Passover Feast, and then went to the garden to pray (Matt. 26:30). He also sang after His triumphant resurrection from the dead (Ps. 22:22; Heb. 2:12). God the Spirit sings today through the hearts and lips of Christians who praise God in the Spirit (Eph. 5:18–21).
This commentary covers the books Amos, Obadiah, Micah, and Zephaniah. It is one of three commentary books written by Warren Wiersbe that treats the Old Testament minor prophets. Each book covers multiple books of the Bible.
To be honest I have almost always struggled with the minor prophets. Some of the books I find a little intimidating to digest. I know that they are the Word of God. I know they are there to teach, to edify, to convict, to encourage, etc. I know they are still God-breathed despite me not quite "getting" them.
I enjoyed reading Warren Wiersbe's commentary. I felt that the book was definitely relatable. It made me want to try harder, or, perhaps pray more fervently for wisdom and understanding when reading the Bible. Perhaps a realization that I need spiritual eyes to read this spiritual book.
Favorite quotes:
From Amos:
The test of a spiritual experience is not “Do I feel good?” or “Did we have a big crowd and a good time?” The real test is “Do I know God better, and am I more like Jesus Christ?”
Christian music is big business today, but we wonder how much of it really glorifies the Lord. What we think is music may be nothing but noise to the Lord.
Whether we’re looking at the broader religious scene or the services in our local churches, it takes spiritual discernment to separate the wheat from the chaff. We need to ask, “Where is prayer in this meeting? Is God getting the glory? Is there a brokenness before Him? Does the fruit remain, or is it gone when the meeting is over and the enthusiasm dies down? Are we overwhelmed by the holiness and the glory of God, or are we just applauding religious celebrities?”
The way we treat God’s Word is the way we treat God, and the way we treat God’s messengers is the way we treat the Lord Himself (John 15:18–21). “God … has in these last days spoken to us by His Son. … See that you do not refuse Him who speaks” (Heb. 1:1–2; 12:25 NKJV).
To seek the Lord means first of all to change our thinking and abandon the vain thoughts that are directing our wayward lives.
Children of God are thinking wrongly about God, sin, and life. They think God will always be there for them to turn to, but they forget that sinners reap what they sow. To walk “in the counsel of the ungodly” is folly indeed (Ps. 1:1 NKJV), for it leads to a fruitless and joyless life.
True repentance begins with naming sins and dealing with them one by one.
No matter how much “religious activity” we participate in, if we don’t love our brothers and our neighbors, we can’t honestly worship and serve the Lord.
From Micah:
Few men are as pitiable as those who claim to have a call from God yet tailor their sermons to please others. Their first rule is “Don’t rock the boat”; their second is “Give people what they want.” But a true servant of God declares God’s message regardless of whether the people like it or not.
Any theology that makes it easy for us to sin is not biblical theology.
To make Micah 6:8 a salvation text is to misunderstand what the prophet was saying to God’s disobedient covenant people. None of us can do what God requires until first we come to God as broken sinners who need to be saved. Unsaved people who think they are doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God are only fooling themselves, no matter how moral their lives may be. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us” (Titus 3:5).
From Zephaniah:
When was the last time you sang a hymn about the future judgment of the world? Most modern hymnals don’t contain songs about the day of the Lord, and you certainly won’t find the phrase in your daily newspaper or weekly news magazine.
Our God is a “singing” God. God the Father sings to the Jewish remnant entering the kingdom (v. 17). God the Son sang at the close of the Passover Feast, and then went to the garden to pray (Matt. 26:30). He also sang after His triumphant resurrection from the dead (Ps. 22:22; Heb. 2:12). God the Spirit sings today through the hearts and lips of Christians who praise God in the Spirit (Eph. 5:18–21).
August 15, 2023
The second of Wiersbe’s books in this series that I’ve read, I found this to be the most readable of his books so far. Still, I struggled with the credibility of some of his information. Like all of his other books, he does a one-to-one, verse-by-verse analysis, and he makes a lot of claims. I was troubled that he didn’t cite any sources for the interpretations he made of the varying prophecies. Prophesy is, after all, poetic metaphor and can often be taken in several different ways. Not only did he not state his references, but Wiersbe often stated his interpretation as simple, veritable fact.
Now, his interpretations may have well been fact. Several times his take made sense to me and made certain passages clearer; I just wish he would have backed up his assertions with some kind of research claim, be it historical or references to second hand sources.
I most appreciated the final chapter that brought all of the concern from the prophecies into our present age. It could definitely be read as Christian Nationalism, but I don’t believe that was the author’s intent as he put a high priority on compassion. Otherwise, this book was just “meh.”
Now, his interpretations may have well been fact. Several times his take made sense to me and made certain passages clearer; I just wish he would have backed up his assertions with some kind of research claim, be it historical or references to second hand sources.
I most appreciated the final chapter that brought all of the concern from the prophecies into our present age. It could definitely be read as Christian Nationalism, but I don’t believe that was the author’s intent as he put a high priority on compassion. Otherwise, this book was just “meh.”
September 27, 2024
My go-to commentaries are the "Be" series by Warren Wiersbe. I have had Be Concerned for years but had never read it. It focuses on the Minor Prophets: Amos, Obadiah, Micah, and Zephaniah.
I always learn so much from commentaries and this was no exception. I love that Wiersbe's commentaries are easy to understand and not overly academic. Wiersbe takes small sections of each chapter and breaks them into manageable nuggets of truth. One of the messages of Amos is for us to "hear this word." Wiersbe points out, "If we don't open our hearts to hear His Word and obey Him, we're in grave danger of hardening our hearts and incurring the wrath of God." It's a simple, yet profound truth.
If you want to dive deeper into the books of the Bible, I highly recommend Wiersbe's commentaries!
I always learn so much from commentaries and this was no exception. I love that Wiersbe's commentaries are easy to understand and not overly academic. Wiersbe takes small sections of each chapter and breaks them into manageable nuggets of truth. One of the messages of Amos is for us to "hear this word." Wiersbe points out, "If we don't open our hearts to hear His Word and obey Him, we're in grave danger of hardening our hearts and incurring the wrath of God." It's a simple, yet profound truth.
If you want to dive deeper into the books of the Bible, I highly recommend Wiersbe's commentaries!
April 14, 2025
Be Concerned covers only four of the Minor Prophets in the Old Testament of the Bible: Amos, Obadiah, Micah, and Zephaniah. These four prophets raise awareness that the people of old and present must be concerned with our spiritual state and our need to repent and turn back to God for, in due time, God's judgment will come whether in the present or on the last day. In general, Wiersbe's commentaries take difficult subjects and difficult passages of the Bible and helps the reader make sense of them while relating them to our culture today. From reading Wiersbe's commentary on the Old Testament prophets, I have gained a greater understanding of the historical setting of each of the minor prophets while finding application for my own life and culture.
August 4, 2020
Warren Wierbe divides his “Be” commentaries on the minor prophets into three different books. He didn’t group them in the order in which they are listed in the Old Testament. Be Concerned (Minor Prophets): Making a Difference in Your Lifetime covers Amos, Obadiah, Micah, and Zephaniah.
Wiersbe gives a little background of each of these prophets, the times they lived, the kings who were in power at the time, and the prophets’ major messages and concerns. Then he offers a suggested outline of the books and his commentary.
As always, I appreciate Wiersbe’s help in understanding these books.
My full review is here: https://barbaraleeharper.com/2020/07/....
Wiersbe gives a little background of each of these prophets, the times they lived, the kings who were in power at the time, and the prophets’ major messages and concerns. Then he offers a suggested outline of the books and his commentary.
As always, I appreciate Wiersbe’s help in understanding these books.
My full review is here: https://barbaraleeharper.com/2020/07/....
August 9, 2022
Good commentary on four of the books of the minor prophets: Amos, Obadiah, Micah and Zephaniah. I chose this commentary over more recent authors since Wiersbe attempts to analyze scriptures line by line and in the context of history. He doesn't just summarize his opinion, but looks at each verse. I didn't agree with his interpretation of everything, but it was still a helpful guide to the history of the prophets, the history behind the messages, and what scriptures might be saying. These minor prophets gave messages we still need to hear today.
May 16, 2023
Loved this book
Warren opened my eyes to just how important and awesome the minor prophets were in our life. God chose them for a reason and this book not only describes how awesome they were but how important they were to our faith.
I loved how he relates everything to today and clearly shows how relevant the Old Testament is in our lives today. I have this as a must read for all Christians.
Warren opened my eyes to just how important and awesome the minor prophets were in our life. God chose them for a reason and this book not only describes how awesome they were but how important they were to our faith.
I loved how he relates everything to today and clearly shows how relevant the Old Testament is in our lives today. I have this as a must read for all Christians.
June 2, 2019
11/50 of be series. i read alphabetically.
like my other comments in this series, I hope the author could remake some of his works into more detailed books. I agree that minor prophets only minor in the writing but not in the messages, surely the content and depth of the messages not only interpreted in some of the pages in this book.
like my other comments in this series, I hope the author could remake some of his works into more detailed books. I agree that minor prophets only minor in the writing but not in the messages, surely the content and depth of the messages not only interpreted in some of the pages in this book.
September 13, 2025
Thankful for the helpful words of Wiersbe reinforced by other Scripture to help teach the Minor Prophets.
Sad how little man has changed from the OT to today - still greedy, still turning to idols (whatever they look like now), still turning backs on God… but thankful for the hope the prophets always ended their books with that God is faithful and always doing a work.
Sad how little man has changed from the OT to today - still greedy, still turning to idols (whatever they look like now), still turning backs on God… but thankful for the hope the prophets always ended their books with that God is faithful and always doing a work.
November 22, 2018
Excellent resource to studying the minor prophets, providing much needed context to the content of these books in the Bible. Highly recommended.
June 12, 2020
An excellent of commentary of Amos, Obadiah, Micah, and Zephaniah. I used it as a study of these books. I highly recommend this commentary
November 22, 2020
Enlightening and encouraging as usual.
February 6, 2021
Such a wonderful read. Weirsbe hits on some timely truths which we need to need as Christians.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews