Workings of the Prophets

Prophets

• PURPOSE: speak the work of God to the people

• CONCERNS: issues of the times

• GOD SPOKE IN 3 WAYS ( to prophets): 10 commandments/ events of history/ sometimes visions

• CRITERIA TO JUDGE A PROPHET:

1. trustworthy predictions

2. witness of personal life 

TYPES

• Cultic prophets –advisors to king

• God prophets-chosen by God with a message

Categories

• Former• Latter

– Major– Minor

Prophetic Literature 

• Each book is story and speeches of prophet for which it is named

• Major/minor = is determined by length of book

• Uses anthologies of sayings/ sermons/ poetry/ and images (of good taste then,

• might not be now)

• Prophesy must be taken historically to understand its messages

• We are called to be prophets to one another – challenge and encouragement

• The Latter Prophets are broken down into two subcategories:– Major Prophets – Prophets

who wrote a book so lengthy that it wound up on its own scroll

• Isaiah Ezekiel

• Jeremiah Daniel – Minor Prophets (the 12) –

Prophets who wrote small pieces and were placed together on one scroll

• Hosea Nahum

• Habakkuk Joel

• Zephaniah Amos

• Obadiah Haggai

• Zechariah Jonah

• Malachi Micah

- Prophesied before the Babylonian Exile - Prophesied during the Babylonian Exile - Prophesied after the Babylonian Exile - Not a real prophet, but a fictional, reluctant prophet used to teach a lesson - Categorized with the prophets although he is really part of the Apocalyptic writings written much later than the other prophets

Hosea amos

The Stories of

Elijah and Elisha

• Elijah (873-843)• Both Elijah and Elisha are

sometimes referred to as forerunners to prophetic office 

• Tishbite (from near Gilead)• Name means “Yahweh is my

God”• Lived in North- during King

Ahab and Queen Jezebel/ Ahaziah and Jehoram

• Stressed God of Israel was only true God

• Elijah challenged the prophets of the god of Baal to a contest, both set up an altar and called upon their god, waited to see what would happen. Elijah’s offering was consumed in flame. Elijah therefore “won” the contest. Jezebel was angry---he had to flee because of this. (1 Kings 18: 1-18)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkCkKK_tOfQ&feature=related

• Elijah’s theophany (1 Kings 19:1-15) –God comes in a soft whisper

• Goes to heaven on a chariot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWSATpx7uzk

• Replaces Elijah who he apprenticed with

• Young• Enthusiastic• Dedicated to learning• Fought powers of evil/

kindled powers of good• Wisdom was a gift• Powers of healing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSVtrizmgXg&feature=related

The Prophet Jeremiah

• Great tragic figure of the Bible

• Communicated God’s message through words and also through his own life of suffering and struggle

• His message of warning and suffering was very unwelcome

• Jeremiah was despised and persecuted

• born of a priestly family in a village just north of Jerusalem

• God calls him about the age of 20 during the reign of King Josiah

• Jeremiah was not eager to respond to God’s call; the life of a prophet is very tough

• He cries out to God that he is too young, but God tells him not to fear for he will put the right words into Jeremiah’s mouth

• Jeremiah accepts the call

two visions:

– A branch of an almond tree (watching tree) – symbolizing that God is watching to see if Judah and Jerusalem will change

– A boiling cauldron tipped on a hearth in the north – meaning that God will summon kingdoms from the north to be poured out over Judah if it does not change

bizarre behaviors:

• Jeremiah one day walked through the city streets of Jerusalem naked with a yoke around his neck proclaiming that the yoke is like the sins of the people – it will lead to bondage and slavery to another

• After Jeremiah demonstrates for some of Jerusalem’s leaders that God will smash the city like a piece of pottery, he is accused of blasphemy

• Jeremiah continues to speak out against the king and the people

• Calls for a surrender when the Babylonians attack the city

• He is accused of treason

• He is beaten and imprisoned and thrown into a muddy deep cistern to die

• An Ethiopian comes and pulls him out

• God tells Jeremiah not to worry --remnant will survive -loyal to God and love him with new hearts

• new Covenant --writing the Law on their hearts rather than stone tablets

• He will forgive them and remember their sin no more

• Babylonians capture the city of Jerusalem and all of Judah and deport many people to Babylon, Jeremiah stays behind with the Judahites still in the city

• He tells them they will be safe if they remain in the ruined city and give in to Babylonian rule

• The people flee to Egypt

• Jeremiah disappears

• Jeremiah teaches that through sorrow we can find new life once again

Three Books in One• First Isaiah (Proto-Isaiah) or Isaiah of

Jerusalem-– first 39 chapters

• Second Isaiah (Deutero-Isaiah) Exile – chapters 40-55

• Third Isaiah (Trito-Isaiah) – chapters 56-66

The Book of Isaiah

• The collection is named after Isaiah of Jerusalem because he was the first and most important contributor

• The other “Isaiahs” fall into the category of disciples who shared his vision and passionate desire to bring Israel back to God

• Story of infidelity, suffering, repentance, and consolation for the people –

• of threats, condemnations, promises, and comfort by the prophets

• The story is told in oracles and poetry• Beautiful language • Spoken by geniuses and saints

The Book of Isaiah

1st Isaiah

• Written before the Exile

• Challenges Israel to place trust in God alone

• Eliminate injustices of rich and share with poor

• Foretells Emmanuel “God with us”

• Disaster is at the hands of Babylon

• Hope for a kingdom of God-justice and peace reign

• Second Isaiah around 550 B.C. wrote during the exile• Offers hope and encouragement to exiles and captive

people• Foretells fall of Babylon and liberation of Israel• Suffering servant songs—Christians see fulfilled in Jesus

The Book of Isaiah

suffering servant Song • innocent man • suffers greatly not for his own sins, to save the people from theirs• In the first song, God speaks of a chosen one set above all others,

given God’s spirit, and his mission is to bring justice to the nations• In the second song, this servant is a prophet – like a sharp edged

sword or a polished arrow called from his mother’s womb to restore Israel as a light to the nations so that salvation can reach the ends of the earth

• The third song shows the servant is subject to insults and derision, he is beaten, his beard is plucked, and his face is spat upon. He patiently endures the abuse certain that God will uphold him

• The fourth song states that the suffering servant is spurned and avoided and so disfigured that he seems inhuman. He suffers for the nation and like a lamb he led to slaughter and buried in a criminal’s grave. Because he poured out himself to death and was counted among the wicked, he will win pardon for the sins of the multitude

The Book of Isaiah

• Third Isaiah (540-510 B.C.)• After exile• Cries out against idolatry and injustice• Demands respectful community of equals• Challenges –work for justice, rebuild lives after

the exile• Promises- to become a glorious nation

The Book of Isaiah

• Isaiah –has a messianic message– predicts the coming of another king to replace this current evil

one (Messiah)– A young woman (virgin) will bear a son named Immanuel (God

with us)– Called wonderful-counselor, God-Hero, Father-forever and

Prince of Peace – He will be the greatest of all kings from the stump of Jesse– He will lead the people to a time of peace symbolized by

contented friendship of natural enemies, like wolf and lamb, calf and lion

– People are invited to prepare their hearts, where creation can bow to Immanuel

The Book of Isaiah

The Book of Ezekiel

• Ezekiel, a priest• before the exile

• MESSAGE: God’s patience is wearing thin

• After Jerusalem fell, Ezekiel was deported to Babylon

• Chapter 1

• Chapter 8

• Chapter 10

• Chapter 40

• Chapter 37

• What do they all have in common?

• Visions

• Chapter 4: 1-15

• Chapter 5

• Chapter 12: 1-6

• What do they all have in common?

• Theatrics

• What would be a more appropriate way to get the message across today?

• Ezekiel’s gifts was drama, symbol making, and storytelling

• Communicated in vivid, unsettling waysMuch of it is wordless

• Ezekiel’s call is through a strange vision of a bright light in a chariot drawn by four winged creatures each with four faces of a lion, ox, eagle, and man

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ET7WXK4D_g

• Examples of Ezekiel’s performances– Ezekiel makes a model of Jerusalem on a clay brick

using sticks and stones around it to signify a siege with battering rams, towers, and ramps. He wedges a large iron griddle behind the city and he lies down and gazes at it for over a year. This symbolizes God watching Nebuchadrezzer’s siege of Jerusalem but doing nothing about it. This vision earned him the title of “The Watchman” – warning of impending judgment

– Ezekiel cuts off his hair and beard, burns 1/3 of it in his model city and strews a 1/3 of it about the city strikes it with a sword, and tosses the final 1/3 in the wind. A few hairs he keeps in the hem of his garment, but even some of these will be burned. This signified that Jerusalem will be cut down, with some dying of pestilence, some slain, and some exiled with only a few returning

– Ezekiel packs his baggage and leaves his house while going through an elaborate acting out of escaping the city. He explains that his actions represented King Zedekiah in disguise escaping the city, but the king will be caught, blinded, and taken to Babylon to die

• One of his famous lines is “A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh”

• the exiles still feel discouraged and lifeless

• Ezekiel has a vision of a valley filled with dry bones

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng8r_lIwQSk

• last chapters of -vision of the return to Jerusalem, the rebuilding of the Temple, and the return of the glory of God

• But Ezekiel does not live to see Jerusalem again – he dies in exile

• Message of Ezekiel– The Nature of God

• God is glorious and awesome• God is Holy• God is powerful in every place, not just Jerusalem• God is powerful over all nations• God is just• God guides and directs his people• God acts in order that people might know him• God cares for his people like a good shepherd• God gives new life

– Seriousness of sin – exile is punishment• The people had brought shame on God’s name• They defiled God’s Temple• They practiced idolatry• They took part in child sacrifice• They ignored the Law• They oppressed the poor

– Necessity of judgment• Cannot be shrugged off• Cannot be avoided• Judgment is coming now

– Promise of new life• Being made up of peoples whose hearts have been

transformed by God• Be given life by God’s spirit• Be led by a Davidic Messiah-King• Bring new life to the world

• Application of Ezekiel in everyday life– Characteristics of a faith-filled person

• Directed by God• Heart is turned toward God• Aim is glorified by God• Joyfully accepts God’s laws• Known by his/her purity and love of God• Knows God cares for him/her• Shows concern for neighbor

– Characteristics of a good leader• Obedient to God in everything• Looks to God for strength• Dedicated to tasks• Identifies with people• Cares for people• Makes decisions based on justice• Not afraid to speak out