Work of the Prophets
Introduction
God follows justice and order, as was revealed by the teachings of his prophets, Isaiah and Jeremiah over the Israelite nation. Indeed, the prophets were sent by God to educate people on the importance of following through the lord’s ways and the punishments that would accrue to them if they never reformed in their wicked ways. God is also revealed as merciful through the prophets who prophesied the birth of Jesus Christ as a savior and the reconciliation of the Israelites to their God (Jeremiah 29:11). A review of prophet Isaiah and Jeremiah’s teachings brings a closer understanding of the call of God and the relevance their teachings are to Christians today.
The sins of the nations of Judah and Israel and
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Prophet Isaiah was hence passionate about rescuing people from their iniquities, and he regularly preached on repentance and adopting Godly standards. The prophet also besieged the people to turn away from their evil ways and seek the true God to evade punishments. As a punishment, prophet Isaiah prophesied that God would deny Judah competent leaders, water and food (Isaiah 3: 1-7). Indeed a nation lacking good Godly leaders would lead to its self-destruction since it would lack God’s guidance and purpose. The leaders would rule led by their selfish desires and they would hence not consider the people they rule over (Isaiah 2:7). Prophet Isaiah also said that God would make babies their rulers and children to be their princes. Judah would also lack in talented men and artisans who would offer their skill in the betterment of the nation. Further, the prophet prophesied that the young generation would disrespect their elders and would not serve them in …show more content…
Jesus would hence serve God and lead the people to god’s kingdom. Jesus would also rebuild Jerusalem and the temple (Jeremiah 29:10-14). The king would reunite the northern and the southern people of Israel, and they would again become one nation (Jeremiah 3: 18). God would also restore the covenant he had with the Israelites and their city again (Jeremiah: 30). Prophet said prophesied that God would bring healing to the people and make the nation strong
Jeremiah had a very unique message in his time that dealt with the way that people lived their own lives. He believed that sin was chiefly directed towards Judah. It states this point in Jeremiah chapter 5 verse 11, "For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly faithless to me, says the Lord." (Harper Collins, 1124). With that, the sins of Judah were that of the sins of the people of Judah. Each person must reduce his or her own sins in order for the whole nation to finally turn to God (Baughman, 153).
Among Jewish peasantry at the time of Jesus were two distinct types of prophets: the action prophets, who "led sizable movements of peasants from the villages of Judea in anticipation of God's new, eschatological act of liberation," and the oracular prophets, who delivered oracles of either judgment or deliverance (185). The former, as illustrated by the case of Theudas, appea...
Judah’s greatest shortcoming was their denial of God and the resulting action of them walking away from Him. They had done this by making offerings to other false gods and worshiping the work of their own hands (Jeremiah 1:16, English Standard Version). Even though they had sinned against God, he tried to remind them that they once loved him like a bride in their youth (Jeremiah 2:1-3, English Standard Version). The Lord would send Jeremiah to call Israel and Judah to repentance. Even after all, of their sinful ways, the Lord would say to them returned to me and I will not show anger towards you.
Even though the prophets were met with hostility and rebuking from the people, due to the evil in peoples hearts, they continued to speak the words of God. The Prophets knew they would face danger because of the words they spoke, but they also knew the words of God had to be heard. The prophets were an important tool in redirecting the people which makes their role in the history of Israel and Judah one of the most important roles.
Deuteronomy 20:16-18, “But of the cities of these people, which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive, but you shall utterly destroy them: The Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the Lord your God has commanded you, lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the Lord your God.”
Isaiah was written before Messiah came, and wanted the people to be ready for when Messiah did come. I believe this passage fits in context with the book in that it serves as both an encouragement and a warning to the people. First, the people should be encouraged that Messiah is indeed coming to save the people. However, I believe Isaiah wrote this passage to warn the people that they needed to prepare themselves for the coming Messiah. Isaiah wrote this knowing that Jesus would be despised by many, and I believe he was trying to tell the people to be in expectance of him, in hopes that they would not turn against their Lord.
Some prophets targeted Jewish monarchs as an idolatrous distraction which prevented the people from properly hearing the Word of God. Other prophets still maintained that Jews should continue to believe that God would not abandon his chosen people. Regardless of the specific message, it was clear that the overall prophetic approach to God’s covenant with the Jewish people was changing.
A most interesting film detailing the history and role of the prophet in the Jewish tradition. The first question we must explore is what a prophet is. A prophet by definition is a person who speaks by divine inspiration. Others will say that a prophet is one whose eye is open. A person who can see things that others cannot. In order to understand the prophets and their appearance in history we must first understand the politics of the times.
God’s goodness and mercy far transcends the comprehension of the most brilliant human mind! He “who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth”(Psalm 113:6).Yet in His infinite love for us He stoops down to reveal Himself to us by a multitude of illustration, types, and shadows, so that we may learn to know him. This paper will describe what is meant by the Kingdom of God; examine the religious philosophy of the various sects of Judaism during the Second Temple period: Pharisee, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots, describe the religious philosophy and political philosophy of each sects, it will also describe how the Messianic expectation differ from the Messianic role that Jesus presented, and include an exegesis of the temptation of Jesus and how other sects defined the Messiah.
Samuel, a prophet anointed to speak of God’s word to the nation, represents one way of governing. God works through the prophet’s words to remind the people of Israel to be faithful to the terms of the Covenant. A second ...
Surveying the Old Testament reveals the theme of God’s faithfulness to his people. In light of this understanding, the restoration of the Israelites prophesized in the Old Testament is essentially the fulfillment of every covenant with God. This perspective relates to the work of Christ and encourages any follower of God to trust in his faithfulness.
Isaiah chapter 6 versus 1-13 stand apart from the rest of the Bible as a unique record of how God called on and reached out to a man, and in doing so a prophet was born. Interpreting this chapter is of vital importance for the understanding of Isaiah's teaching as a whole. In it he describes a real experience which effects him both psychologically and spiritually. Through the passage it can be perceived that his ministry was initiated by a soul shaking experience of the reality of God, and it's authenticity validated by it's results and influence on the prophet's life and work (Berrtrick, p 205).
Smith, James E. The Major Prophet. Joplin, MO: College Press, 1992. Print. The. Old Testament Survey Series -.
Jesus’ healing ministry constructed a profound theological statement to Israel, similar to his selection of the twelve apostles and his eating with sinners. God’s promise one day to establish his kingdom and renew his people visible and available in preview to any who witnessed his deeds of the teacher from Nazareth.
Let us start with this statement: I believe that new preachers and new people to the Christian Faith try hard to avoid the Old Testament. If they do, they only look at one section and struggle to connect all the pieces together. One of the issues that makes people uncomfortable is the prophets. First, there is a definite volume of them, and then they are divided into “major” and “minor.” I think at the core of our hearts, we are trying to understand the difference among the different biblical prophets.