A Summer Bible Study: The Prophets

Our Summer Bible Survey Continues with a look at the The Prophets:

There are three major: Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, and twelve minor prophets. The terms, Major and Minor do not indicate importance, rather it indicates length of the book. The Jewish canon includes Daniel and Lamentations in the writings, not the prophets. The Christian Bible includes Daniel in prophetic writings and considers Lamentations as a sister book to the Prophet Jeremiah. The final versions of the prophetic texts (except Daniel) were in place for the Hebrew Bible by around 180 BCE.

A prophet is a person called by God to deliver messages to Gods people. Sometime prophets are also mediators to God on behalf of the people. They may be isolated people, live in a particular cultic center or part of a group of prophets. Not all the prophetic writings are included, some are not considered to be authentic.

Each prophetic book has individual characteristics, but some features are common to all

1. the prophetic word from God is delivered orally, “oracle”
1. may include proclamations against or for Israel or Judah or other nations
2. proclamations of salvation

The prophets bring warnings but also hope; they condemn injustice, disobedience, and the refusal to obey or recognize God; and they bring hope for a future return to God and Gods promises. Information about the prophet is included in first or third person, “narrative.” Much of the prophetic text is poetry or prose with hymns.

Approximate date of the prophetic texts (BCE - Before the Common Era, before the birth of Christ)

8^th century: Amos, Hosea, First Isaiah, Micah

7^th century: Jeremiah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah

Exilic: Ezekiel and Second Isaiah (586-538)

Postexilic: Haggai, Zechariah, Third Isaiah

Later: Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, Malachai (500-400)

Daniel was written during the Hellenistic period approx. 164 BCE

 

Isaiah: complex history. Three authors: chap 1-39, 1^st Isaiah who prophesied in Jerusalem to the Southern Kingdom of Judah during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Various judgments against Judah: unrighteousness, social injustice, rejection of the teachings of God, outside alliances; followed by oracles, visions of hope.

Second Isaiah (chap 40-55) announces the end of the exile (Comfort, comfort my people) and proclaims the release of the captives.

Third Isaiah (chap. 56-66) contains oracles against corruption, idolatry, and injustice in favor of the poor and the faithful.

Distinctive features: First Isaiah speaks of the Holy One of Israel who stands over against a sinful people and moves from Isaiah’s prophetic career offering both judgment and hope.

Second Isaiah uses hymns and liturgical forms emphasizing certain key ideas: first and the last of things; the passing away of the old; God’s doing a new thing; centrality of the Word; all are intertwined and repeated.

Central themes: First Isaiah – dependence on God as opposed to foreign nations, alliances, and undeserving leaders. Social injustice = lack of holiness and righeousness. Hope rests in God’s holy mountain Jerusalem/Zion, the Davidic King, and the word of God.

Second Isaiah – the good news to God’s people, Israel. God is creator, redeemer, and Lord of all. Hope lies in the past – through creation and exodus; in the present through a new exodus and new creation; in the future when the people will return from exile (Babylon).

Third Isaiah: the present is difficult, looks to the future

Jeremiah:prophesied in Jerusalemduring the reign of Josiah (627-580 BCE). Josiah was the last of the kings of Judah. Begins with God’s call when Jeremiah was only a boy (used in ordination liturgies). Jeremiah spoke out against false worship, idolatry, worship of other gods, rejection of the law, breaking of the covenant, irresponsible dependence on the temple, corrupt leadership, and the enemy of the north..

Distinctive features: similar to Deuteronomy in tone: stress reward and punishment, obedience of God’s law, promise of land. And Jeremiah’s personal laments – his anxiety as a prophet.

Central theme: Israel’s unfaithfulness and the need for devotion and loyalty to God, denounces dependency on the temple which is a false security. Also brings the promise of land and of God’s covenant to Gods people.

Lamentations: written after the fall of Judahand Jerusalem(587/586 BCE). Ascribed to Jeremiah, but may not be accurate. Perhaps formed part of a service after the destruction of the temple. Contains 5 community laments about the destruction of Jerusalem. Images: Chap. 1 a lonely widow who has pursued after lovers other than God and is now without comfort. Chap.2 laments God anger and destruction of the city, the priesthood, the sanctuary, kingship, prophets, and people. Chap. 3 begins with a description of distress and desolation, and moves toward hope in God’s love, mercy, and compassion. Chap 4 returns to a vivid description of death and carnage with the destruction of Zion. Chap 5 the community pleads with God to remember God’s people, orphans. Ends with an affirmation of faith and hope.

Distinctive features: the first four laments are an acrostic with each of the 22 verses beginning with a new letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The last chp has 22 verses but is not an acrostic.

Central themes: many recognizable themes from Psalms, Job, etc: questions to God, complaints about victory of the enemy, acknowledgement of sin, hardships, petitions and complaints, the past, and hope for the future. Public mourning and loss.

Ezekiel

The third of the major prophets overlaps in time with Jeremiah. Ez was a priest exported to Babylon ten years before the final exile, prophesied from 593-571 BCE, and he was the first prophet to deliver all of his words in writing.

Chap. 1-3: Ezekiel’s call, visions of God on a winged chariot, oracles of judgment that condemn various infractions like idolatry, unclean, false prophecy, rejection of God’s laws (Chap 4-24). Chap 25-32 are oracles against the nations. Chap 33 is a transition chap where Ez moves gradually into hope chap 34-48. (Chap 37 – dry bones).

Distinctive features: different from other prophets –lengthy, elaborate, repetitive prose, first person narrative with the prophet addressed as “mortal” which means “son of man” in Hebrew. , spoken as if words are directly from God.

Central Themes: emphasizing recognizing God, God is holy, just, and somewhat distant. Individual responsibility – actions can save or condemn. Book moves from condemnation to hope, visions of a future in which Israel will be restored with a new heart and a new spirit, creation will be renewed.

Daniel

Final book of the major prophets in the Christian canon. Set in Babylon from 606-536 BCE, although it was written around 164 BCE during the Jewish persecution by the Greek king Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Author was probably a Jew living in Jerusalemhoping to inspire his contemporaries.

Chap 1-6 six narratives

Chap 7-12 four dream-visions

Most of the narratives have Daniel as the hero against King Nebuchanezzar and Bleshazzar or the Persian King Darius. Daniel is a high member of the court who is able to accomplish miraculous feats: lions den, dreams revealing dreams of the king, interpreting those dreams, aiding the king to see the true King, God. A miraculous survival of fire by three Jewish youths.

Distinctive features: the beginning of apocalyptic literature, a futuristic look toward the end of times. A combination of wisdom literature and prophetic tradition using symbols and signs and cosmic secrets.

Central Themes: Power of the God of the Jews. This God resides over all creation, all time, all people. People should repent and worship this God alone. In the end, persecution will end, good will prevail over evil, and all will be revealed.

Minor Prophets

Hosea

Only prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel, 786-721. (The Southern Kingdom was called Judah).

Hosea’s marriage to Gomer, a prostitute and the birth of their three children: Jezreel (God sows), Lo-ruhamah (not pitied), and Lo-ammi (not my people). Hosea’s response to Gomer’s infidelity is the central metaphor for God’s love of the Israelites: God remains faithful to these unfaithful people.

Distinctive features: strong language – God is husband, father, mother, shepherd, pus, decay, lion, bear, physician, baker, fowler, farmer, vinedresser, dew, and evergreen Cyprus offering fruit. Israel is –unfaithful wife, heifer, lamb, sickness, infected sore, dew, spoiled caked, silly dove, vine, rebellious son, morning mist, and lily.

Central Themes: strong condemnation of Israel is matched by equally strong sense of hope.

Joel

May have been associated with the temple, a “cultic”prophet, around the years 538-333 BCE, at the end of the Persian period.

The day of the Lord, which was once a hopeful sign, is now dreaded: a terrible plague of locusts, a lament, a plead for others to join in the lament, fasting and praying. God hears the prayers, has pity, and promises an end to the plague and restoration of the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem. Then a new future day of the lord where God overcomes all of Israel. Enemies and repairs the damage done to Israel

Distinctive features: may have been a liturgy, repetive patterns

Central themes: Joel takes a natural disaster and turns it into an apocalyptic cosmic day of the lord.

Amos

Overlaps with Hosea, and speaks to the Northern Kingdom although he comes from the south. He was not a professional prophet, rather a sheep herder and one who cares for sycamore trees.

Begins with a series of judgments against Is, lack of social justice, ignoring the poor and the needy, trying to silence the prophetic voice of God. Amos proclaims that Is will be judged but ends with two oracles for a future salvation.

Distinctive features: ironic use of reversal: Is thinks other nations will be judged, but Is will be; the day of the lord will be darkness not light, the first among the rich will be the first to go into exile, etc.

Central theme: Is tries to silence Gods words through the prophet, ultimate deafening silence shows the power of God, ignoring the poor and other social injustices undermines God, people think they are protected by worship of God and from being Gods chosen, but not so. Amos says that precisely because Is is special God will hold the people accountable.

Obadiah

Hard to date, possible anywhere from 600BCE to 400. The shortest book of the OT, only one chapter. An oracle against Edom, the nation descended from Esau, the traditional enemy of Judah, and the coming day of the lord when Edom and other nations will be judged and the house of Jacob restored.

Jonah

A narrative from approx. 786-746BCE.

God sends Jonah to Nineveh, a city of Assyria, to warn them that God is aware of their sinfulness. Jonah goes the other way instead, so God sends a big storm which causes the sailors to seek divine guidance. When the sailors realize that Jonah was fleeing God they reluctantly throw him overboard. God then sends a big fish to save Jonah and deliver him to land. Chap e begins with Jonahs second call from God to go to Nineveh. This time Jonah does as God asks, the people of Ninevehhear the words of God through Jonah and repent, God spares them - Jonah is angry with God for sparing the people. Jonah begs to die, God sends a plant to Jonah to give him shade, then causes the plant to die, which distresses Jonah. God reminds Jonah that the people of Ninevehdeserve more compassion than the plant.

Distinctive features: written with great skill, humor, and sense of irony. Tells a story of foreigners, both the sailors and the people ofNineveh having more faith than Jonah, God’s chosen prophet.

Central Themes: explores the themes of prophecy, nationalism, and God. Looks at the theme of God “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, ready to relent from punishment.” Jonah is a nationalistic prophet with a narrow view of God’s judgment and grace. Shows God is free to choose who God will have mercy upon and grant forgiveness.

Micah

Spoke to the southern kingdom of Judahduring the collapse of the northern kingdom (742-689BCE), and overlapped Isaiah.

Pattern of oracles repeated three times moving from doom to hope. Spoke out against injustice (like Is., Amos, and Hosea), and the need to turn away from wickedness and false worship.

Nahum

Contemporary of Jeremiah, Habkkuk, and Zephaniah, during the last half century of the kingdom of Judah, before it fell to the Babylonians – 587-586 BCE. Nahum means comfort – Assyriahad destroyed the northern kingdom and had come close to destroying the southern before they (Assyrians) were defeated by the Medes and Babylonians, 630 BCE.

Three short chapters containing oracles against a foreign nation and the avenging power of God.

Habukkuk

Prophesied to Judah just after Nahum, around 609-598 BCE, during the time Judah became a state of Babylon.

Three chapters: Conversation between God and prophet; a series of oracles condemning the dishonest and unjust; and a powerful hymn about the magnificent God of salvation and strength.

Zepheniah

Spoke during the reign of Josiah (the last of the kings) during a time of reform of temple laws which intitially took, then failed. Also, three chapters: words of judgment; predictions of God’s action; oracle of salvation. Zeph envisions a time when God will rule over Jerusalem with love and the haughty shall be replaced by those who take refuge in the lord.

Haggai

The last three prophets (Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi) along with Third Is speak to the small struggling Is after the exile (521-485). A single minded prose directing the people to rebuild the temple.

Zechariah

First eight chapters from around 520-518, the last five from around 500-400 BCE. A series of visions interpreted by angels lift up the message of the prophets and call on the people to repent. Contains a cosmic perspective, something new is happening between heaven and earth and Jerusalem and the nations, a focus on end times and the restoration of Jerusalem.



Malachi

Means “my messenger”, dated from around the time of Xerxes I (486-465), after the restoration of the temple.

Written as a series of Q and A between God and the people or priests. God’s answers emphasize covenant, law, and the justice of God. Malachi is a return to the voice of pre-exilic prophets, a call to all the people to heed God’s law, seek obedience, and worship God in purity and holiness. Prepare, the day of the lord draws near – is repeated by John the Baptist.