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FAIR Resources for Come, Follow Me – Restoration Scripture
Week 49: November 30 - December 6: "He Delighteth in Mercy"

Micah; Nahum; Habukkuk; Zephaniah

Doctrinal Focus
Historical & Contextual
Apologetic Application
Practical Applications
Ideas for Teaching
Quick Reference

Doctrinal Focus

  • Key doctrines addressed in this week’s reading

Micah teaches that the Lord is one who “pardoneth iniquity” and “delighteth in mercy” (Micah 7:18). This does not mean that God ignores sin, but that His purpose is ultimately to bring His children to repentance, reconciliation, and spiritual healing rather than simply to punish them. His mercy is connected to His covenant faithfulness, as Micah declares that God will “perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham” (Micah 7:20).

Micah 6:8 summarizes what God requires: “to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” These qualities show that true discipleship involves more than outward religious observance; it changes how we treat other people and how we approach God. Jesus Christ taught the same principle when He emphasized “the weightier matters of the law,” including judgment, mercy, and faith (Matthew 23:23).

Nahum describes the Lord as powerful and just, declaring that He is “jealous,” “great in power,” and one who “will not at all acquit the wicked” (Nahum 1:2–3). Yet the same chapter declares, “The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him” (Nahum 1:7). These descriptions remind us that God’s power and mercy are not contradictory attributes: His power enables Him to confront evil, while His goodness provides refuge for those who turn to Him.

Nahum 1:7 teaches that the Lord is a “strong hold in the day of trouble,” giving us a powerful image of God as a refuge rather than merely a distant judge. The principle is also reflected in other scriptures, such as Psalm 46:1, which calls God “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” and Doctrine and Covenants 121:7–8, where the Lord promises that adversity and affliction are temporary and that He will ultimately exalt those who endure faithfully.

Habakkuk openly questioned why God appeared to tolerate wickedness and why Judah would be disciplined through an even more wicked nation (Habakkuk 1:2–4, 12–17). The Lord did not condemn Habakkuk for asking sincere questions; instead, He instructed him to write the vision and declared, “Though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come” (Habakkuk 2:3). This teaches that unanswered questions do not necessarily indicate a lack of divine involvement, and spiritual understanding sometimes requires patience.

  • Habakkuk’s prayer in chapter 3 shows a significant change from his troubled questions in chapter 1. Even while imagining the loss of crops, livestock, and other temporal blessings, he declared, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:17–18). His faith was becoming less dependent on favorable circumstances and more firmly rooted in God Himself, demonstrating the principle that trust in the Lord can remain even when we do not understand His timing.

Historical & Contextual Insights

  • Insights in this week’s study
  • Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah ministered during periods of significant political, spiritual, and military upheaval in the ancient Near East. Their prophetic ministries addressed wickedness among God’s covenant people as well as the rise and fall of powerful nations, including Assyria and Babylon. Their messages included warnings of judgment, calls to repentance, and promises of eventual restoration.

Micah prophesied during a period when both Israel and Judah faced serious spiritual and social problems, including injustice and corruption. Nahum focused particularly on Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, whose empire had violently oppressed surrounding peoples and had previously threatened Judah. Habakkuk wrestled with the apparent injustice of God allowing Babylon to punish Judah, while Zephaniah warned Judah about the consequences of idolatry, pride, complacency, and wickedness. Although these prophets spoke to specific historical circumstances, their messages repeatedly moved beyond immediate destruction toward repentance, trust in God, and eventual deliverance.

  • These books demonstrate that biblical prophecy is not simply a collection of predictions about destruction. The Lord warned people about the consequences of wickedness because He desired them to turn toward Him. Even in passages describing judgment, the prophets testified of God’s character, His covenant faithfulness, His mercy, and His willingness to preserve and restore those who seek Him. Micah’s declaration that the Lord “delighteth in mercy” (Micah 7:18) provides an important interpretive lens for understanding the warnings found throughout these books.
  • The historical destruction of ancient nations can remind modern disciples that pride, injustice, spiritual complacency, and rebellion against God have consequences, regardless of how powerful a society may appear. At the same time, these prophecies invite us to look inward rather than simply identify wickedness in other people or cultures. The Lord’s repeated invitations to seek Him—including Zephaniah’s command to “seek ye the Lord” (Zephaniah 2:3)—show that prophetic warnings are ultimately invitations to change, receive mercy, and find refuge in God.
  • Habakkuk begins by asking why the Lord seems to tolerate violence, injustice, and wickedness: “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear!” (Habakkuk 1:2). His questions become even more difficult when God explains that He will use the Babylonians to execute judgment on Judah, because Habakkuk cannot understand why a nation more wicked than Judah would be permitted to overcome God’s covenant people (Habakkuk 1:12–17). Rather than abandoning God, however, Habakkuk takes his questions to Him and waits for His response. His experience provides a model for disciples who encounter circumstances that seem inconsistent with what they believe about God’s goodness or justice.
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  • Habakkuk’s example distinguishes faithful questioning from rejecting God. He brings his concerns directly to the Lord and positions himself to receive an answer: “I will stand upon my watch” (Habakkuk 2:1). His willingness to wait demonstrates that uncertainty can become part of a process of deeper faith rather than automatically becoming a reason to abandon belief.
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  • The Lord’s answer does not immediately explain every detail of His purposes; instead, He tells Habakkuk to wait because the vision “will surely come” (Habakkuk 2:3). This principle is relevant when disciples pray about questions for which answers do not come immediately, because spiritual growth may require patience, continued seeking, and trust in God’s timing. Doctrine and Covenants 121:7–8 similarly teaches that adversity and uncertainty have a limit and that the Lord ultimately remains involved in the lives of His faithful children.
  • Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah all describe serious consequences for pride, violence, injustice, idolatry, and wickedness, but their messages are not limited to condemnation. Micah teaches that the Lord “delighteth in mercy” (Micah 7:18), Zephaniah invites the meek to “seek ye the Lord” (Zephaniah 2:3), and Habakkuk ultimately responds to uncertainty with faith and rejoicing in God (Habakkuk 3:17–19). Even Zephaniah’s prophecies of judgment culminate in a joyful vision of restoration in which the Lord is among His people and rejoices over them (Zephaniah 3:14–17). Together, these passages show that God’s warnings can be understood as calls to change course and return to Him.
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  • The contrast between judgment and mercy is important because God’s mercy does not mean that choices have no consequences. Micah 6:8 shows that the Lord expects His people to change how they live by doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with Him, while Micah 7:18–19 emphasizes God’s willingness to forgive those who turn to Him.
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  • Zephaniah provides a particularly hopeful conclusion to a book containing severe warnings. After describing the removal of pride and wickedness, the Lord promises a humble people who will trust in Him (Zephaniah 3:11–13), followed by the command to “sing, O daughter of Zion” and “be glad and rejoice with all the heart” (Zephaniah 3:14). The progression from warning to repentance to rejoicing illustrates that the Lord’s ultimate invitation is not despair but reconciliation, restoration, and joy in His presence.

If you have questions on this week’s reading, please email your questions to us here.

Apologetic Application

  1. Claim: “The judgment described by the prophets shows that the God of the Old Testament is primarily angry and punitive rather than loving and merciful.”
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  3. Response:
  4. Historical Evidence: The prophetic books do contain severe warnings of judgment against Jerusalem, Nineveh, Babylon, and other wicked people and nations. However, the same prophets explicitly connect God’s judgment with wickedness, repentance, mercy, and restoration rather than presenting destruction as God’s only purpose (Micah 6:8; 7:18; Zephaniah 2:1–3).
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  6. Eyewitness Support: These books do not provide modern-style eyewitness testimony concerning every event they predict, so their historical claims should not be treated as if they were contemporary courtroom records. Their strongest internal testimony comes from the consistency of their prophetic message: God warns of consequences while repeatedly inviting people to seek Him.
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  8. Spiritual Confirmation: Micah directly declares that God “delighteth in mercy” (Micah 7:18). For believers, this provides an important theological explanation for judgment: God’s mercy does not eliminate accountability, but His desire is to forgive and restore those who turn to Him.
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  10. Logical Analysis: Mercy and justice are not necessarily contradictory. If choices have no consequences, justice loses meaning; if repentance never results in forgiveness, mercy loses meaning. These prophets present both principles together.
  • Claim: “Habakkuk’s complaint demonstrates that God’s actions are morally inconsistent because He allowed Babylon, which was also wicked, to punish Judah.”
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  • Response:
  • Historical Evidence: Habakkuk explicitly raises this problem. He asks how God can tolerate the wicked and questions why the Chaldeans should be permitted to “devoureth the man that is more righteous than he” (Habakkuk 1:13). The scripture therefore openly acknowledges the difficulty rather than hiding it.
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  • Eyewitness Support: Habakkuk presents his questions as a personal prophetic dialogue with the Lord, but the book does not provide independent eyewitness testimony that can externally verify every element of that dialogue. Its evidence is primarily the preserved prophetic testimony itself and the transformation visible in Habakkuk’s response by chapter 3.
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  • Spiritual Confirmation: The Lord’s response emphasizes that His purposes have a timetable: “Though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come” (Habakkuk 2:3). Habakkuk eventually moves from questioning God’s purposes to declaring that he will still “rejoice in the Lord” even if his temporal circumstances collapse (Habakkuk 3:17–19).
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  • Logical Analysis: Not understanding God’s timing is different from demonstrating that God’s purposes are unjust. Human beings have limited knowledge of future consequences and divine purposes, so an apparently unfair circumstance does not logically establish that no just purpose exists.
  • Claim: “Biblical prophecy is essentially fear-based condemnation designed to control people.”
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  • Response:
  • Historical Evidence: The prophets certainly warned of destruction, but their messages also contained invitations to repentance and promises of restoration. Micah asks what the Lord requires of His people and answers with justice, mercy, and humility (Micah 6:8), while Zephaniah tells the meek to “seek ye the Lord” (Zephaniah 2:3).
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  • Eyewitness Support: The texts themselves preserve the prophetic warnings and invitations, but they do not give us independent eyewitness accounts of every prophetic event. What can be directly examined is the message recorded in the books and the repeated connection between warning, repentance, and hope.
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  • Spiritual Confirmation: The prophetic message ultimately points people toward God rather than merely frightening them. Zephaniah’s movement from warnings to the joyful promise that the Lord will be among His people (Zephaniah 3:14–17) illustrates that the intended destination is restoration rather than despair.

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  • Logical Analysis: A warning about consequences can actually be an expression of concern. If a person knows that a destructive path leads to serious consequences, warning someone before the consequences occur can be understood as an invitation to change direction rather than a desire for that person’s failure.

Practical Applications

Practical solutions for someone in faith crisis:

Action Step: Choose one situation this week in which you can deliberately do justly, show mercy, or walk more humbly with God.

Micah teaches that discipleship is not merely about knowing religious principles; it is demonstrated through how we treat God and other people. Practicing justice and mercy can turn a general belief into a concrete pattern of Christlike living.

  1. – Pray and ask God to show you an area where you need greater justice, mercy, or humility.
  2. – Identify one specific relationship or situation where you can apply that principle.
  3. – Decide on one action you can take today.
  4. – Follow through without seeking recognition.
  5. – At the end of the week, evaluate what changed in your attitude or relationships.

Encouraging Thought:

  • “What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8).

Action Step: Take one unanswered question to the Lord in prayer and commit to continuing to seek Him rather than demanding an immediate answer.

Habakkuk demonstrates that sincere questions can coexist with faith. Learning to wait can help us distinguish between “I do not understand yet” and “God has abandoned me.”

  1. – Write down the question or concern that is troubling you.
  2. – Pray honestly about it, following Habakkuk’s example.
  3. – Study relevant scriptures and trusted teachings.
  4. – Record any impressions or partial answers you receive.
  5. – Continue acting on what you already know while allowing time for additional understanding.

Encouraging Thought:

  • “Though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come” (Habakkuk 2:3).
  • Action Step: Identify one current source of difficulty and deliberately seek spiritual refuge through prayer, scripture study, worship, or another faithful practice.

Nahum describes the Lord as “a strong hold in the day of trouble” (Nahum 1:7). Remembering God as a refuge can change the way we respond to difficulty by helping us seek His strength rather than assuming that hardship means He has forgotten us.

  1. – Identify the difficulty that is currently causing the most stress.
  2. – Write down what you are tempted to believe about God because of that difficulty.
  3. – Read Nahum 1:7 slowly.
  4. – Pray specifically for the Lord’s strength and guidance.
  5. – Choose one action that demonstrates trust in Him.
  6. – Repeat the process whenever the difficulty resurfaces.

Encouraging Thought:

  • “The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him” (Nahum 1:7).

Ideas for Teaching

Objective: Help learners understand Micah 6:8 as a practical pattern for discipleship.

Three signs or cards labeled “Do Justly,” “Love Mercy,” and “Walk Humbly”; scriptures; paper and pens.

Activity Steps:

  1. Introduction (5 min): Place the three cards around the room and ask learners what they think God actually expects from His people.
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  3. Scripture Discussion (5 min): Read Micah 6:6–8 and discuss why the Lord emphasizes character and conduct rather than simply outward religious actions. Invite learners to identify examples of justice, mercy, and humility from everyday life.
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  5. Application (5 min): Give each learner three pieces of paper and ask them to write one action they can take for each principle during the coming week.

Follow-Up Question: Which of these three principles—justice, mercy, or humility—would make the greatest difference in your life if you practiced it more consistently?

Objective: Teach learners how Habakkuk’s experience can help them respond faithfully to unanswered questions.

A timer or clock; an image or example of something that requires waiting, such as fruit ripening or bread baking; scriptures.

Activity Steps:

Introduction (5 min): Ask learners to name something good that cannot be rushed. Discuss what happens when we try to make something happen before its proper time.

Scripture Discussion (5 min): Read Habakkuk 2:1–4, especially verse 3. Compare Habakkuk’s questions in chapter 1 with his faith in chapter 3.

Application (5 min): Invite learners to privately identify one unanswered question in their lives. Have them write one thing they can do while they wait for greater understanding.

Follow-Up Question: How can waiting for an answer become an act of faith rather than simply a period of frustration?

Objective: Help learners recognize specific ways Jesus Christ can provide spiritual refuge during difficult circumstances.

Blocks, paper, or another simple building material; a copy of Nahum 1:7; scenario cards describing common challenges.

Activity Steps: 

Introduction (5 min): Build a small fortress and ask why ancient people needed strongholds. Discuss what makes a person or place feel safe during danger.

Scripture Discussion (5 min): Read Nahum 1:7 and identify the three ideas in the verse: the Lord is good, He is a stronghold in trouble, and He knows those who trust Him. Discuss how these truths relate to the difficulties represented by the scenario cards.

Application (5 min): Give small groups a challenge scenario and ask them to identify two ways someone could turn toward Christ rather than away from Him. Have each group share one response.

Follow-Up Question: What does it practically look like to make the Lord your “strong hold” when the circumstances themselves do not immediately change?

QUICK REFERENCE

  • God delights in mercy and requires His people to practice justice, mercy, and humility. Micah teaches that the Lord requires us “to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God” (Micah 6:8; see also Micah 7:18–19).
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  • The Lord is a refuge during times of trouble. Nahum testifies that “the Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble” and knows those who trust in Him (Nahum 1:7).
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  • Faith sometimes requires patience with God’s timing. Habakkuk was told, “Though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come” (Habakkuk 2:3).
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  • Faith can remain strong even when circumstances seem unfair. Habakkuk ultimately declares that he will rejoice in the Lord even if his temporal blessings disappear (Habakkuk 3:17–19).
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  • The Lord invites His people to seek Him and ultimately rejoice in His presence. Zephaniah calls the meek to seek the Lord (Zephaniah 2:3) and describes a future in which God’s people can “be glad and rejoice with all the heart” because the Lord is among them (Zephaniah 3:14–17).
  • Why trust modern prophets?

  • Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah illustrate the biblical pattern of God calling prophets to warn, teach, invite repentance, and testify of His purposes. Modern prophets can be evaluated by the same principles: their teachings should be examined in light of scripture, their fruits, and personal revelation through the Holy Ghost (see Amos 3:7; John 7:17; Moroni 10:4–5).

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  • Why does God allow mistakes?

  • These books demonstrate that God’s work takes place in a world where people make consequential choices and where His purposes may unfold over time. Habakkuk’s questions show that faithful people may not immediately understand why God permits particular circumstances; the Lord’s response emphasizes patience and trust rather than claiming that every difficulty will be immediately explained (Habakkuk 2:3; 3:17–19).

  1. Micah 6:8 — A concise description of what the Lord requires: justice, mercy, and humility.
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  3. Habakkuk 3:17–19 — A powerful testimony of faith and rejoicing in God despite severe circumstances.
  1. Dale G. Renlund, “Do Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with God,” October 2020 general conference — Explores Micah 6:8 and its application to discipleship.
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  3. Gerrit W. Gong, “All Things for Our Good,” April 2024 general conference — Addresses trusting God when circumstances are difficult or not immediately understood.
  1. Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026, Lesson 49, “He Delighteth in Mercy” — Study material for Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah.
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  3. Bible Dictionary entries for Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah — Historical and scriptural background for the four prophetic books.