Prophets

What is a prophet?

A prophet is one sent by God to speak in God’s name.

The prophet is often rejected by the people to whom he/she is sent.

Biblical Prophets

Major Prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel

Minor Prophets Amos, Hosea, Micah, Zephaniah,

Habakkuk, Nahum, Haggai, Zechariah, Obadiah, Malachi, Joel, Jonah

The prophet is called to: Confront idolatry remind people of the commandments and

covenant point out evil Advise and correct the king and Israelites Be both a foreteller and a foreseer Speak for the poor (those oppressed or in

any way needy)

Continued… Reject religious formalism; Call people to conversion and reform Remind people of the promise of

salvation.

Time Period

Mostly between 750 – 450 BC 750-700

Amos, Hosea, Isaiah 1-39, Micah 650-600

Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Nahum

550-500 Isaiah 40-66, Haggai, Zechariah,

Obadiah After 500

Malachi, Joel, Jonah

Time Line

The United Monarchy fell and divided in 931 BCE.

After that Israel was its own nation in the North and Judah was its own nation in the south = Divided Monarchy

For a while, each nation remained independent.

Israel Falls

The earliest prophets, however, sensed danger and began propehsying repentence or the Assyrians would come to Israel. Assyria was a huge empire vastly bigger than Israel.

This happens in 722 BCE. Assyria invades Israel and destroys it. Israel no longer exists.

Judah, however, manages to remain independent.

Judah Falls

Assryia is taken over by Babylon, the new big superpower.

The later prophets begin warning the people about Babylon

But in 587 BCE, Babylon destroys Jerusalem, burns the temple to the ground, and exiles the people to Babylon (Babylonian Exile).

Babylonian Exile

The leaders and important Judeans lived in Babylon until Persia conquered Babylon.

Cyrus the Great of Persia returned the exiles to Jerusalem and allowed them to rebuild the Temple (516 BCE)

However, Judah/Israel was never independent again but governed by superior powers.

Back to the Prophets

Biblical Context

Leading up to the prophets Exodus reveals a God of compassion

who desires the freedom of those suffering AND for the people to live justly = Commandments

Kings shows the gradual decline of Covenant keeping as kings become worse and people forget the Covenant

Point

Prophets respond to their situations They are aware of the people’s need

for reform They are aware of rising

superpowers Their calling is related to the rise of

superpowers (Assyria, Babylon, Persia)

A TRUE prophet

A TRUE PROPHET…

Usually is reluctant to speak for God

Listens to the authentic voice of God within him or her and then communicates God’s message.

Tells people the truth, even if it hurts

Is a realist

Conveys a message that is consistent with the faith of Israel, the covenant

Is unpopular, holds no official position, and suffers for telling the truth.

Offers people hope and a means of surviving suffering and devastation

Lives the message preached

Has a message that stands the test of time

What do you think?

Who are some people today who could be described as true prophets? Why are they true?

Jeremiah

READ JEREMIAH 1: 4-10

Jeremiah 1: 4-10

Word of the Lord came to me = called by God

Jeremiah objects (I am too young) God commands him and he goes and

speaks “To root up and tear down…to build

and to plant” = root out evil and oppression plant justice

Activity

Activity: Read your section as a group. Discuss what the message is and come up with a tag-line for your prophet.

Be ready to present your prophet to the class. Name of your Prophet What you think his general message is Your tag-line or campaign phrase for him One quote that you think shows us who your

prophet is Vote on which Prophet you would elect as

Mission Model (NOT your own)

The God of the Prophets

Compassion God is kind and gracious (delivered them

from Egypt, gave them laws, brought them to the land).

God cares about the people who are suffering and wants to end their suffering

Zeal God is the only God and wants the people

to remember that = NO IDOLATRY

Prophets

General Message: Conversion, turn back to the Covenant =

Call the people back to loving God and loving neighbor

Because God hears the cry of the suffering and has compassion for them, the prophets call us to do the same

Liberation Theology

Points out oppression and injustice and calls people to act with justice and compassion

Active like the prophets = not

theoretical but lived out in practice