THE PROPHETS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
BAB 31, MAB 31
Rev. Neil Stewart
Email:
MINTS International Seminary,
14401 Old Cutler Road Miami, Florida 33158 USA
Tel. 786-573-7001,
2014
OUTLINE
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
LESSON ONE.INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETS
LESSON TWO.OVERVIEW OF THE PROPHETS: ISAIAH
LESSON THREE. OVERVIEW OF THE PROPHETS: JEREMIAH
LESSON FOUR.OVERVIEW OF THE PROPETS: EZEKIEL
LESSON FIVE.OVERVIEW OF THE MINOR PROPHETS I
LESSON SIX.OVERVIEW OF THE MINOR PROPHETS II
LESSON SEVEN. OVERVIEW OF THE MINOR PROPHETS III
LESSON EIGHT.OVERVIEW OF THE MINOR PROPHETS IV
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL
BIOGRAPHY
PREFACE
This course is designed to give an introductory overview of the Old Testament Prophets. The course comprises eight lessons, which introduce the subject of the Prophet & Prophecy.
After examining the biblical paradigm of a Prophet, his calling and his ministry, the course gives an introductory survey of the Major and Minor Prophets of the Old Testament. Lessons cover background issues of authorship, date, historical context, and literary genre before outlining the major theological themes of each book.
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this course is for students to grow in their knowledge of the Scripturesand in particular in reference to the Prophetic Writings of the Old Testament.
COURSECONTENT
The course is divided into 8 lessons. The Course will commence with an introduction to the Prophets and continue with an overview of the writings of the Major and Minor Prophets, before focusing on key themes of each book.
COURSEMATERIALS
Thelecturenotesareafullexpositionforthiscourse.Thestudentsarerequiredtoread themthoroughlyalongwiththeScriptures.StudentsarealsorequiredtoreadChisholm, Handbook on the Prophets.
COURSEOBJECTIVES
To study The Prophets of the Old Testament with other students;
To acquire a detailed knowledge of The Prophetic Writings;
To develop a deeper understanding of the Role and Message of the Prophets in the Old Testament;
To grow in knowledge of how God deals with His children;
STRUCTUREOFTHECOURSE
Thiscoursehasbeenorganizedintoeightconsecutivelessons.Thelessonsbegin with an introduction to the Prophets and an overview of the Major and Minor Prophets and their writings.
COURSEREQUIREMENTS
- Participate in 15 hours of common teaching time.
- Complete the Bible study exercises as contained in the 8 lessons.
- Read the books of the Old Testament Major & Minor Prophets.
- Writeasermonorstudylessonplanonathemefromthe Prophetsofnomorethan7pagesat the Bachelor’s level and 12 pages at the Master’s level.
- Completethe2Examsonthe Prophets of the Old Testamentwhicharebaseduponthequestionsattheendofthelessons.
6. Read 300 pages at Bachelor Level and 600 paged for MA Level
COURSEEVALUATION
1. Student Participation (15%): One point may be given for each class hour attended.
2.StudentHomework(40%):Fivepointswillbegivenforcompletingthequestionsat the end of each lesson.
3.StudentReadings(10%):Studentswillbegivencreditforcompletingtherequired reading.
4. Student Paper (15%): Students will prepare exegetical notes for a sermon/teaching.
5. Student Exam (20%): Students will be examined by two exams drawn from the questions at the end of each lesson.
BENEFITSOFTHISCOURSE
The course will ground students in the Prophetic Writings of the Old Testament. It will show them how the Ministry and Message of the Prophets fit within God’s Redemptive Purposes for His Covenantal people. Students will be shownthe way that God works in this world.
LESSON ONE. INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETS
Prophecy is the most usual means God used to communicate with people throughout biblical history. Using the mode of speaking to His people through the prophets, Yahweh led His covenant people by revealing to them in His Law and Purposes how they were to conduct themselves in specific situations, warning people when they disobeyed him, predicting events that He would bring about, interpreting events when they came about, and demonstrating that he alone was both ruler of history and a God who relates personally to his people.[1]
What is a Prophet?
The Old Testament prophets were heralds of God, calling on the nation of Israel (and Judah) to remember and keep their covenant with God. They were the enforcers of God's covenant, serving as God's direct representatives and messengers to the people. The prophets addressed specific situations in the history of Israel as they brought forth the word of God to the people.
There are vast differences in the personalities and particular ministries of individual figures: Elijah, wild and somewhat isolated (1 Kings 17–19); Elisha, pastorally sensitive (2 Kings 4); Amos, possessing a strong social conscience; Deborah, the wise governor (Judg 4–5); Huldah, a noted theologian (2 Kings 22); Isaiah, the distinguished courtier; Jeremiah, the sad visionary; Ezekiel, the exiled priest, to name but a few. [2]
A prophet is a person with a specific calling to perceive or understand what God is saying, live it out in their own lives and declare it to the people round about. The prophet is set apart, called and sent by God himself (Jer 1:5; 7:25; Heb 1:1). The prophet thus stands as a reminder that God has a will for the people, that God makes demands on the people, that God cares about what they do and perhaps most of all that God genuinely wants to communicate to them.[3]
Abraham was the first person in the Bible explicitly called a prophet (Heb. nāḇî ). This designation of Abraham is given to Abimelech King of Gerar, whom the Lord warned to return Abraham’s wife, Sarah, or die: “Now then, return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live” (Gn. 20:7). However, it is in Moses that the pattern for all future Prophets of the Old Testament is set. God promises his people, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen . . . I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him” (Dt. 18:15–19). In Moses’ experience we find all the characteristics of the true prophet of Yahweh.
Moses received a specific and personal call from God through the incident at the burning bush. Here Yahweh calls to Moses, identifies Himself, commissions Moses and assures Moses of his presence, “He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain” (Exo. 3:12).
As in Moses’ example we see that the initiative in making a prophet rests with God. The Prophet Isaiah tells of his call in the sixth chapter of his prophecy, where he is granted a vision of the glorious holy God, so overwhelmed is he with a sense of his own and the people’s sinfulness that he feels himself to be undone. However, the Lord cleanses Him and commissions him to be His prophet, “And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “‘keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive. Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed” (Isa. 6:9-10).
Amos describes himself as one who was minding his own business when God interrupted: “I was no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel” (Amos 7:14–15).
It is the false prophet who dares to take the office upon himself (Je. 14:14; 23:21). The primary object and effect of the call was an introduction into God’s presence, as the passages noted above show. As in the case of Moses, the prophet of Yahweh stood before men, as a man who had been made to stand before God (1 Ki. 17:1; 18:15).
One of the roles of the prophet was to give the explanation of the Redemptive Acts of Yahweh for the understanding of His people. Being forewarned by Yahweh Moses was enabled to interpret God’s Redemptive acts throughout the Exodus period so that history itself became revelation, a revelation of the purpose of Yahweh in Redemption.[4] This element is seen in the ministry of future prophets as they warn Yahweh’s covenant people of the meaning of historical events.
The Titles of the Prophets
One of the usual titles for the Prophets to designate them to the people of God was “Man of God” (1 Sam 2:27; 1 Kings 13; 20:28). This title was first used of Moses (Dt. 33:1) and continued in use till the end of the Monarchy. The title conveyed the distinction between the prophet and other men. This can be seen, for example in the words of the Shunammite concerning Elisha: ‘I perceive that this is a holy man of God …’ (2 Ki. 4:9).
Another common title referring to a prophet was ‘Servant’. This is the way Yahweh usually addressed his prophets, and how they were perceived by the faithful (e.g. 2 Ki. 17:13, 23; 21:10; 24:2; Ezr. 9:11; Je. 7:25). Again, we see that this title was first used of Moses (e.g. Jos. 1:1–2).
There are three Hebrew words used of the prophet: nāḇî’ (נביא – Prophet e.g., Gen 20:7; Deut 34:10; Hos 6:5), rō’eh (רֹאֶה – Seer e.g., 1 Sam 9:9, 11, 19; Amos 7:12) and ḥōzeh (חזה – Visionary 2 Chron 19:2; 33:18). The first of these is always translated ‘prophet’; the second, which is, in form, an active participle of the verb ‘to see’, is translated ‘seer’; the third, also an active participle of another verb ‘to see’, is unfortunately without distinctive English equivalent and is translated either ‘prophet’ (e.g. Is. 30:10) or ‘seer’ (e.g. 1 Ch. 29:29). Whereas a nābî’ was specifically called by God for some purpose, a rō’eh or ḥōzeh was merely a diviner of a rather unexalted order, who perceived that which was invisible to the ordinary individual by some form of divination or clairvoyance, and functioned without any specific vocation from God.[5]
Forth-telling and Foretelling
The chief function of the prophet was to be a man of the word of Yahweh who conveyed the word of Yahweh to his fellow men.[6] This message was to be received as the authoritative declaration of Yahweh’s will. Against a background of Covenant theology the Hebrew prophets addressed themselves to the local, national, and international setting by means of warnings about the future consequences of present sin, and by issuing exhortations to that type of spiritual dedication that would insure divine blessing instead of destruction.[7] The prophet of Yahweh would both forthtell – tell forth the Word of Yahweh, and Foretell – warn in advance what Yahweh would do.
The aspect of foretelling is essential to the ministry of a prophet, for if people are to exercise due moral responsibility in the present, they should be aware of the future. This is seen in calls to repentance (Isaiah 30:6-9) and holiness (Isaiah 2:5) that are based on revelations of the both future judgment and blessing: the message of Judgment is intended to rouse the people of Yahweh to seek him and the message of blessing to encourage a present desire to walk in the ways of the Lord. This foretelling character of the prophet’s ministry underlines the Sovereign Lordship of Yahweh. He is able to disclose to His servants what will take place because his is the self-existing and self-sufficient Creator who is working all things according to His own good pleasure (Daniel 4:35).
However, foretelling in the prophets presents significant interpretative difficulties for the modern reader. Often the prophet sees two or more future events as one. This is called the Law of Double-Fulfillment, the Law of Transparency, or “Foreshortening.” Double fulfillment means that often a prophecy will have a near term and a later, greater fulfillment. The prophets look down on the future and don't see the space of time between the two fulfillments. The concept can be likened to seeing a large mountain in the distance that looks like it is just beyond the nearest hill. However, the distance to the mountain can be miles away.
How did the Prophets Communicate God's Word?
Modes of inspiration
Generally speaking the message of the prophets are introduced with the words: ‘The word of the Lord came …’ this is a statement of a direct, personal awareness of a divine communication. Again Moses is typical here. Moses is one with whom God spoke face to face: “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord” (Numbers 12:6-8).[8] In Exodus 7:2 he is commanded to speak all that Yahweh shall command him. Yahweh is the author of the words that he conveys to the prophet, and through him to the people.
The prophet Jeremiah testifies to this experience in the record of his own calling: “Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth”” (Jeremiah 1: 9). In Jeremiah 15 the prophet speaks of that experience, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.” (15:16). Jeremiah later expressed this experience as ‘standing in the counsel of the Lord’ (23:22), whereby he was then able to make the people hear God’s words.
The Old Testament also reveals that dreams and visions also had their place Yahweh’s interaction with His prophet (Nu. 12:6–7 and 1 Sa. 28:6, 15). However, although we recognize the Lord utilizing these mediums to communicate His Word, we are still ignorant of the precise mechanics. As Harrison says, “Although this recognition is extremely important, it is rather unsatisfactory as a means of shedding light upon the mechanics of prophetic inspiration, since it does little more than relate the phenomenon to some specific functioning of the spiritual life.”[9] Inspiration is a miracle; it is the operating of the Holy Spirit to be sure, but we do not comprehend in what way God makes the mind of a man aware of his word. Jeremiah, in fact, never once mentioned the spirit of God in this respect. This is particularly interesting since, as Rowley has remarked, he of all the prophets was most conscious of the compelling character of his vocation; and, despite the attempts that he made to avoid his prophetic responsibilities, he came to the realization that it constituted an inner constraint that he was powerless to control.[10]
Modes of communication
In communicating Yahweh’s message to His people, the prophets utilize several mediums.
By far the predominant medium is that of the spoken word. As each prophet conveys his message, he does so through the prism of his own personality and experience, which leads us to acknowledge two factors. Yahweh has given this man his Word and what he speaks are the Words of Yahweh. Yet, these words are the words of a certain man, spoken at a certain time, under certain circumstances, into certain situations. Although the prophet was completely constrained by the power of God, he left the imprint of his own personality upon the divine word.[11] Throughout this process Yahweh sovereignly overrules the communication of His Word, that whilst all these factors are to be acknowledged, nevertheless what is communication is the Word of God free from human error. Certainly there is nothing in scripture to suggest that the prophets thought their message to be anything less than the Word of Yahweh. To a man the prophets spoke with singular conviction and certainty, conscious alike of their inspiration and of the responsibilities that accrued to their office.[12]
On occasions the prophets communicated their messages in parabolic of allegorical form (e.g. Is. 5:1–7; 2 Sa. 12:1–7; and especially Ezk. 16 and 23), but the most dramatic means of communication was in the form of an ‘acted oracle”. The prophets are sometimes called upon to embody their message or carry out symbolic actions.[13] A clear incidence of this is the Lord’s command to the prophet Hosea to take “a wife of whoredom” (Hosea 1:2). This ensuing marriage was to serve as an ‘acted oracle’ to depict the sins of Israel in forsaking Yahweh. Even his children carry symbolic names: Lo-Ruhamah, “Not Loved,” and Lo-Ammi, “Not My People” (Hos 1:6, 9).
Other examples would include Isaiah walked naked and barefoot “as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush” (Is. 20:3), Jeremiah smashed a potter’s vessel in the place of potsherds: “Then you shall break the flask in the sight of the men who go with you, and shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: So will I break this people and this city, as one breaks a potter's vessel, so that it can never be mended” (Je. 19:10-11)), and buys a plot of land as a sign of confidence that God will restore Israel to the land after exile (Jer 32:6–15), Ahijah tore his new coat into twelve pieces and gave Jeroboam ten, “Then Ahijah laid hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces. And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and will give you ten tribes”(1 Ki. 11:30-31). Ezekiel besieged a model city, “And you, son of man, take a brick and lay it before you, and engrave on it a city, even Jerusalem. And put siegeworks against it, and build a siege wall against it, and cast up a mound against it. Set camps also against it, and plant battering rams against it all around. And you, take an iron griddle, and place it as an iron wall between you and the city; and set your face toward it, and let it be in a state of siege, and press the siege against it. This is a sign for the house of Israel” (Ezk. 4:1–3), and did not mourn for his dead wife, “Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down. Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead . . . ‘Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword. And you shall do as I have done; you shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men. Your turbans shall be on your heads and your shoes on your feet; you shall not mourn or weep, but you shall rot away in your iniquities and groan to one another. Thus shall Ezekiel be to you a sign; according to all that he has done you shall do. When this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord God” (24:15-17, 21-24ff.).