GOD's prophets experienced a call to be His spokespersons (Is. 6; Jer. 1:4-10; Amos 7:15). The prophets challenged GOD's people to lead lives worthy of a people in covenant with GOD. The prophets' repeated call to "return" (shub) to GOD assumes a history of covenant commitments between GOD and His people. At times the prophetic message builds on GOD's covenant with the patriarchs (Jer. 25:5). At times the warning builds on the exodus deliverance and Mosaic covenant (Jer. 11:2-11). At times the prophetic message is hopeful, based on GOD's covenants with David and the Levites (Jer. 33:19-22).
GOD gave His prophets access to His heavenly council room (I Ki. 22:19-22), which let them see how GOD was at work in His world.
At their best GOD's prophets were courageous, unafraid to deliver their GOD-inspired message regardless of the danger involved. Often GOD called the prophets to confront Israel's kings with their sin. Samuel challenged Saul's disobedience (I Sam. 13; 15). Nathan exposed David's adultery and murder (II Sam. 12).
At other times the prophets felt all-too-human emotions. Elijah feared for his life and hid from Jezebel (I Ki. 19:3). In despair Jeremiah complained that GOD had deceived him and brought him insults and reproach (Jer. 20:7-8).
At their best GOD's prophets were honest individuals concerned with the truth. Micaiah warned Ahab of the dangers of going to war (I Ki. 22). Isaiah exposed the foolishness of idol worship (Is. 44:9-20).
At their best GOD's prophets were moral persons who challenged GOD's people to high ethical standards Amos challenged GOD's people to "let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream" (Amos 5:24). Micah answered the question "What does the LORD require of you?" with a call "to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your GOD" (Mic. 6:8).
At their best GOD's prophets were compassionate and sensitive to the oppressed. Amos announced GOD's judgment on Israel's people because "they sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals. They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground" (Amos 2:6-7).
Hebrew uses several terms for prophets. "Seer" (ro'eh) was an early title for a prophet (I Sam. 9:9). Seers like Samuel were able to see lost objects and future events. The phrase "man of GOD" designates a traveling preacher through whom GOD worked mighty acts (for example, Elijah and Elisha). The "prophets" (nevi'im) were spokespersons for GOD much as Aaron was spokesman for Moses (Exod.7:1).
The prophets came from different backgrounds. Isaiah was born and raised in the city and prophesied in Jerusalem. He addressed GOD's Word to kings, such as Ahaz (Is. 7) and Hezekiah (Is. 36-39). Micah came from the country town of Moresheth-gath in the Philistine territory. He criticized the political, moral, and social corruption of the big cities of Jerusalem and Samaria (Mic. 1:5-7; 2:1-11; 3:1-12). His only hope was in the transformation of Zion (4:1-5).
Ideally court prophets served as GOD's advisors to and/or critics of the king. Some (Nathan, II Sam. 12; Isaiah, Is. 7; Micaiah, I Ki. 22) challenged their kings not to stray from the covenant and to fulfill their GOD-ordained role as shepherds of GOD's people. The ideal of Israel as a theocracy - a nation ruled by GOD through His chosen kings - was realized only to the extent that its rulers heeded the counsel of GOD's prophets. Court prophets gave religious and political advice, rebuked, declared GOD's judgment, and kept record of the deeds of the kings. Other court prophets were no more than yes men, repeating whatever message their king wished to hear (for example, the lying prophets of I Ki. 22).
Some prophets (Nathan, Jonah, Huldah) enjoyed a positive response to their messages. But most, like Elijah and Elisha (I Ki. 19:1-5; II Ki. 7:1-2), experienced alienation and disgrace. The fall of Israel and Judah was due to their insensitivity to and outright disregard of the prophetic word. Too often the people of Israel and of Judah resisted the prophets and had them imprisoned or even killed (Jer. 26:20-23; 37:15,18; 38:6-9; Matt. 23:37).
The varying treatment of the prophets mirrored the shifting political scene of Judah. Unlike its northern neighbor, Judah was ruled by both godly and wicked kings. Sometimes its kings responded to the prophetic word, even as their ancestor David had. But all too often the kings disregarded - and even despised - the prophetic word. Yet the prophets faithfully and courageously served the LORD.
The nation around Israel sought to know the will of the gods (and thus secure peace and prosperity) through divination. Divination is the practice of knowing the gods' will for the present and future. It occurs in two forms: inductive and intuitive divination.
In inductive divination a diviner uses something to discern the god's will. That something or omen might be a natural event (signs in the sky) or unusual phenomena (the behavior of noise of animals). Or that something might be a ritual involving liquids (Gen. 44:5), fire, the shooting of arrows (Ezek. 21:21), or the casting of lots (Exod. 28:30; I Sam. 28:6). In Assyria and Babylonia priests specialized in examining the entrails of sacrificial sheep. The position of the internal organs within the animals' body cavity were "read" for signs of future events (Ezek. 21:21). The diviner sometimes used a variety of omens to confirm a divine word.
In intuitive divination an individual acted as a medium through whom the god spoke. Forms of intuitive divination include dreams (Gen. 37:5-11; 41:1-36; Num. 12:6; Deut. 13:1-5), consultation of the dead by mediums (I Sam. 28), and ecstasy - the loss of control when seized by the spirit of the god (I Sam. 19:23-24; I Ki. 18:26-30).
Intuitive divination approaches biblical prophecy but was relatively rare among the nations surrounding Israel. Egyptian prophecy did little more than strengthen the king's power or affirm social values. The Prophecy of Nefer-Rohu, written during the reign of Pharaoh Amen-emhet I (Twelfth Dynasty, 1990-1785 B.C.), claims to be presented to Pharaoh Snefru (Fourth Dynasty, 2650-2500 B.C.). This after-the-fact prophecy "predicts" a coming period of chaos, which a king from the south (Amen-emhet I) ends by defeating Egypt's enemies and establishing justice. The vision of a coming period of peace has similarities with some Hebrew messianic prophecy.
Wen-Amen, an Egyptian official (about 1060 B.C.), reported ecstatic prophecy in the Phoenician port city of Byblos. As priests were sacrificing, a youth was possessed by a god, who threw him to the ground. Following this seizure, the youth delivered the god's message: The god Amon had sent Wen-Amern on mission to Byblos.
The forty-six Mari tablets (about 1800-1600 B.C.) picture intuitive divination as practiced in northwestern Mesopotamia. Prophecy at Mari demonstrates rough parallels with biblical prophecy of one thousand years later. (1) The god took the initiative in giving the prophetic word. The prophet was viewed as the servant of the god: "Dagan sent me"; "Thus spoke Annunitum". (2) The use of "objects" for divination or unintelligible ecstatic speech was rare. (3) The prophet's call was legitimized by signs and wonders. (4) The prophets were openly critical of the court and state religion. (5) The prophets delivered both present and future messages. (6) The prophets delivered oracles against neighboring nations.
Some of Mari's prophets came from a seminomadic background, like that of Israel's patriarchs. They were ecstatics whose messages were transcribed and sent to a king or official. Other prophets were professionals or laypersons closely associated with the king. These court prophets generally spoke words of encouragement or mild rebuke. Such prophets offered Mari's last king false prophecy of victory against Hammurabi of Babylon. Likewise in Jeremiah's day Hananiah offered Judah false assurance of victory against Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
About the time of Amos, a court "seer" gave Zakir, king of Hamath in Syria (about 800-700 B.C.), an encouraging message from his god: "Do not fear; I made you king, and I shall stand by you and deliver you".
The intuitive prophets gave isolated oracles. Collections of written prophecies were rare in the ancient Near East. There is some evidence for the collecting of oracles, sorted by inspiring deity, at Nineveh and Arbela (800-600 B.C.). However, no evidence survives to suggest that other ancient Near Eastern peoples sought to preserve so large a collection of prophetic oracles as that found in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Introduction to Jeremiah
Introduction to Ezekiel
Introduction to Daniel
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