Nevi'im (The Prophets)

The next major division is called The Prophets. The Prophets are divided into two groups. The first subdivision is called the "Former Prophets," Christians put these books in a History division as they continue the story of the Children of Israel that is begun in the Torah. The Latter Prophets are generally different in tone. They focus primarily on the sort of prophetic oracles that are generally associated with prophets and contain less in the way of historical narrative. They are generally in the prophetic division in the Christian Bible.

Many people think of prophecy as telling the future. We see, especially in the former prophets, that is not the Jewish notion. The Jewish notion of prophecy has more to do with the transmitting of G-d’s message to his people. This can and often does involve a predictive element but to the Hebrew mind prophecy is more often about pattern. A more common theme, especially in the Latter Prophets, is G-d calling people back to the covenant relationship which would be expressed in obedience. In this sense there is a prophetic component to all of scripture.

Some of the latter prophets fit historically into the time covered by the former prophets. There were quite a number of prophets, named and unnamed, thought out the books of Kings. The office of prophet served to keep the king and the people informed of G-d's will. There were no doubt others of whom we know nothing. We do know Nathan ministered to David and Adonijah who advised Solomon. It is interesting to note that David was a prophet in his own right. Many of the Psalms are attributed to David and contain prophetic material. Even with this being the case David still needed Nathan, and others to remind him of the ways of G-d. There are Prophets like Elijah and Elisha who minister in the Northern Kingdom as well. Their stories intertwine with the stories of the Kings but they do not have books of their own.

The writings of these latter prophets contain less historical narrative. The cannon order of the books is not helpful in this regard as they are no longer purely chronological. The facts of the exile are not helpful either as not all of the people are in the same place. The story does continue through the exile and restoration of Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the Temple. There are those who say that the Jews became Jews as a distinct people and culture in captivity. To the extent that the captivity sifted out the faithful remnant that may be true. While the Land and its promises are central to the former prophets, the relationship between the Remnant of Israel and the L-RD is the focus of the latter prophets. The borders of the land may define a nation but the relationship with G-d defines this people.

The Former Prophets carry the story from the crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land though the rise and fall of the Jewish state. In this story, G-d has delivered His people first from slavery and then through the desert. They now stand on the brink of the inheritance that was promised to their fathers.

 Joshua

The book of Joshua picks up the story of the Children of Israel as they are entering into the Promised Land. Joshua son of Nun is one of the spies who brought back the report-of-faith in the book of Numbers. He has also served as an aid to Moses throughout the journey from Egypt. He was on the Mountain when Moses was receiving the law. In Jewish tradition he is a Torah Scholar in the line of the transmission of the Oral Torah. He becomes the leader of the army as they prepare for the conquest of the Promised Land but to say that he was only the military leader is to sell him short, he has spiritual significance as well.

It is of course possible to consider conquest of the land of Canaan from a military point of view. Just as the journey through the wilderness could be considered a long walk. It is better to look at the conquest as an exercise of faith. After crossing the Jordan on dry land in a scene reminiscent of the Exodus, rather that arming for war and mustering the troops all the males of military age are circumcised. The point is that Israel is to purify themselves before they can purify the land. They are then to live pure in a pure land. A major part of the ritual law is to do with cleanliness. As the nation will find out, especially in the context of this conquest it is important to maintain the proper relationship with G-d.

Through out the book of Joshua it is clear that it is G-d who is fighting the battles. At several stages the people build monuments to mark the conquest. The monuments are instructive. They commemorate times of deliverance rather than times of great success. They also mark a time of moral failure.

Seven Monuments of the conquest
No	Monument	Reference
1	Twelve stones (one for each of the 12 tribes) after the crossing of the Jordan before any battles had been fought in the land. An exercise of faith.	Josh 4.9
2	Pile of stones that resulted from the stoning of Achan, the man who had taken for himself plunder that was devoted to the L-rd. A lapse of one member of the community brought disaster on all.	Josh 7.26
3	Large pile of rocks that marks the defeat of the king of Ai. This follows the defeat caused by Achan's sin. This time doing it G-d's way which produces different results.	Josh 8.29
4	Stones at Mt. Ebel. The law inscribed on them. A reminder of the law.	Josh 8.32 Deuteronomy 27.2-4
5	The tomb of the Five Amorite Kings. The Amorites are the focus of G-d's judgment on the nations that inhabit Canaan.	Josh 10.27
6	The alter of Witness—Built as a reminder of their connection with the rest of the nation by the trans-Jordan tribes.	Josh 22.10-
7	The Covenant Stone—when the covenant was renewed at Shechem.	Josh 24.27

 

As is true of the Bible stories generally it is not only the successes that are commemorated. We also learn that only battles that are fought with proper motives and divine approval are successful. An example is the story of Achan. Achan takes spoil for the battle of Jericho and hides it in his tent. When Israel goes up against Ai they are defeated soundly. Achan's sin is found out and punished and the next time Israel goes up against Ai they are victorious.

There are many these days that compare the conquest of Canaan with a holy war or ethnic cleansing. The Bible sees the battles as the judgment of G-d on the people of Canaan for their abominations. In fact this judgment has been delayed for hundreds of years. We read in the covenant with Abram:

¹³ ... "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. ¹⁴ But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. ¹⁵ You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. ¹⁶ In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure." (Genesis 15.13-16 emphasis mine)

Israel is used to Judge the people of the land of Canaan. The notion of judgment through military defeat is foreign to us today but it is an integral part of the Biblical story. G-d will also use other nations in this way to judge Israel, a point that is driven home in the book of Judges.

The Israelites keep their promise to Joseph and his bones are buried with his fathers. At the end of the book Joshua dies but the land is not secure.

 Judges

The book of Judges tells of leaders G-d raised up to deliver Israel before they had a King. The notion is that when Israel entered the Land was that G-d would be king, the people would obey the law and live long in the land. As we have seen provision has been made for the poor, servants and slaves. The priesthood has been established. Sacrifices for guilt and sin have been instituted. Feasts that commemorate the great acts of G-d in delivering his people are instituted. With the Day of Atonement being central. All of this designed to keep this people in fellowship with G-d. What could go wrong?

The book of Judges opens with the admission that the conquest was incomplete. Not all of the Idols were destroyed. Not all of the peoples of the land were driven out. This left an obvious source of temptation that turned out to be too great for many.

The nation remained faithful to G-d for a generation after Joshua but the following generation began to forget. The obedience of the nation waxed and waned. The stories of many of the judges begin: "again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the L-rd." They would be afflicted by their neighbors until they remembered their G-d, call to Him and He would send a deliverer.

Many of the judges were reluctant to answer the call at first. There are six minor judges who merit only a sentence or two. Abimelich the son of Gideon, is called an anti-judge in the table because he took power in what we would call a coup today. His mission was one of personal ambition, not a call from G-d.

Judge	Accomplishment	Term	Reference
Othniel	Defeats Aram Naharaim	40 years	3.7-11
Ehud	Defeats Moab	80 years	3.12-30
Shamgar	1st Minor Judge	10 years	3.31
Deborah	Defeats Canaan	40 years	ch 4-5
Gideon	Defeats Midian	40 years	ch 6-8
Abimelich	The anti-judge. Rises to power by a coup.	3 years	ch 9
Tola	2nd Minor Judge	23 years	10.1-2
Jair	3rd Minor Judge	22 years	10.3-5
Jephthah	Defeats Ammon. Although he is at first an outcast, the people come to him for military help.	6 years	10.6-12.7
Ibzan	4th Minor Judge	7 years	12.8-10
Elon	5th minor Judge	10 years	12.11-12
Abdon	6th Minor Judge	8 years	12.13-15
Samson	Checks Phillistia. They are not defeated and will be back to trouble Israel.	20 years	ch 13-16

 

The sin that got the nation in trouble over and over was idolatry. They went after the g-ds of the people they were to have driven out of the land. We see this cycle in the book of Judges:

1. Apostasy

2. Bondage to a foreign power sent by G-d as judgment

3. The people crying out to G-d for deliverance

4. Deliverance by an heroic figure who ruled as judge for a time

By the end of the book we find the nation sliding into the same sort of corruption that caused G-d to to judge the nations that they replaced in the land.

In chapter 17, a man named Micah builds an Idol and hires a Levite to be his priest. (He should not have an idol in the first place and not every Levite has the right to be a priest.) His goal in doing this is not to serve G-d but to have a g-d who will serve him—to protect his prosperity. He says: "Now I know that the L-RD will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest (Judges 17.13)." This corruption did not stop with Micah, in chapter 19 the men of Dan come through and steal Micah's the idol and his priest. (The men of Dan were also leaving their allotted inheritance in the Land.) We read about them: 'worship continued in this way 'until the time of the captivity of the land (Judges 18.30).'

The final story in the book of Judges is one of a tragic civil war that is provoked by an equally tragic story of a Levite and His Concubine. It seems a concubine from the hill country of Ephriam left her husband for her father's house in Bethlehem. Her husband came to bring her back and enjoyed great hospitality in her father's house in Bethlehem. On their way back to Ephraim they stop for the night in Gibeah where the woman is raped by the townspeople until she dies. It is ironic that the party had bypassed Jerusalem to go to Gibeah because Jerusalem was held by the Jebusites at that time. The reader is left with the feeling that they may have been safer with the pagans in Jerusalem.

The Levite sent word, in a most colorful way, to the whole nation as to what had happened. This provoked a war that decimated the tribe of Benjamin.

The people of Gibeah did not admit their fault. The rest of the men of Israel overreacted and made a reckless vow. By the time they came to their senses they had nearly wiped out their brother Benjamin. The odd solution to rebuild the tribe of Benjamin involved destroying the people of Jabesh Gilead and taking their young women for wives for the remaining Benjamites.

Through the latter part of the book of Judges we hear the refrain: "In those days there was not King in Israel and everyone did what was right in his own eyes." This can be seen as both a political crisis and a crisis of faith. A political crisis in that the nation was not united. A crisis of faith in that the uniting factor of the nation was to be G-d not a king.

This retelling of the story sounds like a total disaster until we recall that there was a faithful group throughout the story. If there were no people who had remained faithful there would have been none to call upon the L-ord. Further, with the possible exception of Abimelich, all of the judges came from this faithful remnant. According to Jewish tradition the Oral Torah was passed through this line of these judges. Each judge being the scholar of his age.

 Samuel

Samuel is commonly divided into two volumes in the English Bible, even in many translations of Jewish origin. The division of the books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles comes from the early book making techniques that forced them to be split into two volumes.

The book of Samuel opens with the story of Samuel's birth. Samuel is the child of faith as much as he is the product of his parents. Samuel's parents came to Shiloh to make sacrifices and Hannah, Samuel's mother, would go off by herself and pray. So deep and fervent were her prayers that on one occasion Eli, the priest, thought that she was drunk. After Samuel is born he is dedicated to the service of the L-ord and lives at Shiloh with Eli.

Samuel is contrasted with Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli. They are not ministering faithfully and indeed are extorting extra payment from the people who come to worship. Samuel experiences a direct call from G-d and essentially replaces the sons of Eli as the faithful minister of the L-rd.

In the books of Samuela the monarchy is established. Samuel is actually the last of the Judges or perhaps he is the first of the prophets—after the fashion of the Latter Prophets. He delivers the words of G-d to the people and especially the King. When the people call for a king it is so they will be like the nations that surround them. The mission of Israel is actually to be a nation of priests, an example to other nations. (We should also recall that Israel is not mentioned in the table of the nations of men in Genesis 10. Israel is supposed to be different.) The notion that Israel should be different is not totally lost but in a political sense at least one can see the desire for a stronger central government. Samuel resists the notion of a king, but G-d tells him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king (I Samuel 8.7)."

Saul, the first king is the sort of person that the people would pick if it were to came to a vote. He was the tallest man in the nation and he was the most hansom. Saul, however, is a tragic character. He starts out reluctant and becomes proud and vain. Early on he is numbered among the prophets as he gets caught up with a band of prophets but later he consults a medium so that he can consult Samuel who has died. (This sort of divination is forbidden in the Torah.) Saul is contrasted with David, the next king, who is humble and though he has his moments he does not forget who G-d is.

David is often thought of as the first king as under his reign the boundaries of the nation of Israel approximated the boundaries of the land grant given to Abraham. The transfer of power from Saul to David was not smooth and indeed the houses of Saul and David fought a long war.

David understood kindness, however, and in a day when a any new king would have totally destroyed the family of the former king, he showed kindness to Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, son of Saul, the last remaining member of the house of Saul. David restored all of Saul's land to Mephibosheth and he lived in the palace with David.

 Kings

The nation is established at the end of second Samuel with David as the king but it deteriorates through the series of Kings that are the subject of the books of Kings.

The books of kings open with David an old man. He has already survived a coup attempt by Absolom, one of his sons, but now he is old and unable to defend his position. Another of his sons, Adonijah, tries to set himself up as king but David proclaims Solomon king before the party for Adonijah can begin. Solomon is the last king to reign over a united kingdom. Solomon builds the Temple that David, his father wanted to build making Jerusalem the political and religious capital of the kingdom.

Solomon was king during what was the height of the Jewish political state. Solomon asked G-d for wisdom and was granted wisdom and great wealth. As wise and wealthy as he was it did not stop him from making alliances with the nations around him. Many of these alliances came with wives from other royal houses. Solomon also makes some bad decisions when it came to taxes and conscripted labor.

From a human point of view we can see why the northern tribes rebelled. Taxes, conscripted labor and an administration that was living in luxury. From G-d's perspective the problem is one of devotion:

²⁹ About that time Jeroboam was going out of Jerusalem, and Ahijah the prophet of Shiloh met him on the way, wearing a new cloak. The two of them were alone out in the country, ³⁰ and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces. ³¹ Then he said to Jeroboam, "Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the L-RD, the G-d of Israel, says: 'See, I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon's hand and give you ten tribes. ³² But for the sake of my servant David and the city of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, he will have one tribe. ³³ I will do this because they have forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the g-d of the Moabites, and Molech the g-d of the Ammonites, and have not walked in my ways, nor done what is right in my eyes, nor kept my statutes and laws as David, Solomon's father, did. (I Kings 11.29-33)

We see in verse 33 that G-d's reason has to do with other gods brought in by Solomon's foreign wives.

The following table does not really tell the story it merely lists the kings. Some of them do not merit much more of a mention even in the Tanakh. The point is that the people and their leadership vacillate between faithfulness to unfaithfulness. Politics plays a large role in the downfall of the Northern Kingdom as idolatry is institutionalized early on.

Table of the Kings of Israel and Judah Division after Solomon
Year B.C.	Kings of Judah	Kings of Israel	Notes
933	1 Rehoboam	1 Jeroboam I	Jeroboam rebels against Solomon and he flees to Egypt. He returns upon Solomon's death and the kingdom is partitioned. Jeroboam builds Golden Calves at Bethel and Dan so that his people will not have to go down to Jerusalem to worship.  (There are 3 pilgrimage festivals requires of every male.) In Judah also they set up high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles. This begins the paganization of Judah as well
915	2 Abijah		Reigned 3 years. Continued in the sins of his fathers. Constant war with the house of Jeroboam.
912	3 Asa		Reigned 41 years. He did what was right in the eyes of the L-rd as his father David had done.
911		2 Nadab	Reigned over Israel two years. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, walking in the ways of his father and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit.
910		3 Baasha	Reigned 24 years. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, walking in the ways of Jeroboam and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit
887		4 Elah	Elah son of Baasha reigned 2 years. He did evil in the eyes of the L-ord. Zimri, one of his officials assassinated him and became king. This is the end of the House of Jeroboam.
886		5 Zimri	Zimri reigned 7 days. When the Israelites heard that Zimri had plotted against the king and murdered him, they proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that very day there in the camp. Zimri hid in the royal palace and set it on fire. He died in the fire.
886		6 Omri	There was then a power struggle between supporters of Tibni son of Ginath, and supporters of Omri. Omri emerged as king and reigned 12 years. He brought the capital from Tirzah to Samaria. He continued in the evil ways of his predicessors.
875		7 Ahab	Reigned in Samaria 22 years. Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him. Jeroboam's religious reforms were a polarization of the worship of the L-rd. Ahab married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. There remained faithful people in Israel and prophets like Elijah were working during this time.
874	4 Jehoshaphat		Reigned in Jerusalem 25 years. He walked in the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. The high places, however, were not removed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. Jehoshaphat was also at peace with the king of Israel
855		8 Ahaziah	Ahaziah reigned over Israel 2 years. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, because he walked in the ways of his father and mother, Ahab and Jezebel, and in the ways of Jeroboam.
854		9 Joram	Joram son of Ahab became king of Israel he reigned 12 years. He did evil in the eyes of the L-RD, but not as his father and mother had done. He got rid of the sacred stone of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam.
850	5 Jehoram		Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat ruled jointly with his father for a while. He reigned in Jerusalem 8 years. He married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the L-RD.
843	6 Ahaziah	10 Jehu	Ahaziah reigned in Jerusalem 1 year. His mother's name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri king of Israel. He was also related to the house of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the L-RD. Jehu is anointed king and told to annihilate the house of Ahab. A war ensues that destroys the house of Ahab and the ministers of Baal. Jehu does emerge as king and reigns for 27 years.
843	7 Athaliah		Athaliah is the only female ruler. She destroys the rest of the royal family and proclaims herself queen. She ruled 6 years.
843	8 Joash		Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled the land. Being raised by the priest Joash was able to reconstitute the faithful worship of the L-rd in Judah.
820		11 Jehoahaz	Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel and reigned 17 years. He did evil in the eyes of the L-RD by following the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat
806		12 Jehoash	Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel and reigned 16 years. He did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam
803	9 Amaziah		Amaziah son of Joash reigned in Jerusalem 29 years. He did what was right in the eyes of the L-RD, but not as his father David had done.
790		13 Jeroboam II	Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel became king in Samaria, and reigned 41 years. He did evil in the eyes of the L-RD and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat
787	10 Uzziah (Azariah)		Reigned in Jerusalem 52 years. He did what was right in the eyes of the L-RD, just as his father Amaziah had done
749	11 Jotham		Jotham ruled with his father Uzziah. He reigned 16 years. He followed in the ways of his father.
748		14 Zechariah	Reigned 6 months
748		15 Shallum	Reigned 1 month
748		16 Menahem	Reigned 10 years. Became a Vassal to Tiglath-pileser III (Pul) of Assyria. This is the beginning of the end of Israel as an independent kingdom.
741	12 Ahaz		Reigned in Jerusalem 16 years. Did not follow after his father David. He sacrificed his son following the customs of the people the L-rd had driven out of the land.
738		17 Pekahiah	Reigned 2 years
738		18 Pekah	Reigned 20 years
730		19 Hoshea	Reigned 9 years
726	13 Hezekiah		Reigned in Jerusalem 29 years. He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. That is they had taken something that was a sign of the L-rd's deliverance and thinking of it as a g-d.
721			Fall of Samaria, the capital of Israel, to Sargon II of Assyria.
718			End of the northern kingdom of Israel. Final captives taken and population replaced.
697	14 Manasseh		Reigned for 55 years. He did evil in the eyes of the L-RD, following the detestable practices of the nations the L-RD had driven out before the Israelites. He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done.
641	15 Amon		Reigned 2 years. He did evil in the eyes of the L-RD, as his father Manasseh had done. He worshiped the idols his father had worshiped
639	16 Josiah		Reigned in Jerusalem 31 years. He did what was right in the eyes of the L-RD and walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left. He had the temple of the L-rd repaired and in doing so they found a copy of the law and when it was brought to the king he realized how far the nation had strayed from the law.
608	17 Jehoahaz		Reigned 3 months. He did evil in the eyes of the L-RD, just as his fathers had done.
608	18 Jehoiakim		Reigned in Jerusalem 11 years. He did evil in the eyes of the L-RD, just as his fathers had done. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded the land, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. But then he changed his mind and rebelled.
597	19 Jehoiachin		Reigned in Jerusalem 3 months. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father had done. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon advanced on Jerusalem and laid siege to it, and Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to the city while his officers were besieging it. Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his attendants, his nobles and his officials all surrendered to him.
597	20 Zedekiah		Reigned in Jerusalem 11 years. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as Jehoiakim had done.
586			End of the southern kingdom of Judah.

 

Second Kings ends with the Judah in captivity, away from her lands. After captivity in Babylon Israel is restored to her lands but never to the glory days of Solomon. The story of the return in Ezra-Nehemiah. The message of the latter prophets is important and provides us no small insight. Even during the turbulent times described above the word of the L-rd was present if the people would have listened. Not all did.

 Isaiah

In the book of Isaiah, the prophet comments on the politics of his day and the relations with the warring nations around Israel. Isaiah is mentioned in II Kings 19-20. Isaiah son of Amoz lived and prophesied in Judah, the southern kingdom. He has been called the prophet-statesman. Isaiah was a great preacher who interpreted the will of G-d to the people. He began his mission during the reign of Uzziah king of Judah. This was a time of great political success for the kingdom of Judah. They had victories over the nations around them. He continued until after the fall of Jerusalem around 687 BC. If he began near the beginning of the reign of King Uzziah that would mean that his mission lasted more than 100 years. This long tenure has lead many modern scholars to suppose that the last part of Isaiah was written by another "Isaiah." While Isaiah may start out in good times, the power of the Assyrian and Babylonian empires are growing and he sees disaster on the horizon.

Isaiah was a native of Jerusalem, he often refers to his home as "fair Zion." He was grieved when he saw it filled with the sort of corruption that would bring about it's eventual ruin. Jewish tradition holds that he was a member of the royal family. He clearly has access to and influence with the rulers.

Isaiah was married to a woman he refers to as the prophetess. In the course of his book he has two sons who are named according to the message he is preaching. One Maher-Shalal-hash-baz, which means "Pillage hastens, looting spreads," is so named as Isaiah sees the fall of Damascus and Syria in chapter 7. Isaiah will see the end of the Northern Kingdom and the signs of the end of the Southern Kingdom. He lives through pillage hastening and looting spreading. His second son is Shear-yashuv, "The Remnant shall return." This name shows that Isaiah has faith that although judgment is coming all of Judah would not be lost and this remnant will return.

During the rise of power of the Assyrians and the battles of regional control by Egypt and Assyria, the kings of Judah used the usual diplomatic methods of the day. Sometimes they made treaties with Egypt against Assyria; at times they were vassal to Assyria paying great amounts of tribute. Still other times they would make alliances with other smaller nations around them. Always this would involve importing other g-ds; the g-ds of the allied nation. Isaiah stood firmly in the idea that Judah needed to be true to the L-ord and have faith in his deliverance.

 Jeremiah

Jeremiah is also known as the weeping prophet. He is also the author of Lamentations. Jeremiah prophesies during the collapse of the kingdom of Judah and their eventual departure from the land. Jeremiah was from a village outside Jerusalem. He came from a priestly family.

Jeremiah lived in dark and evil times. The follies of Idolatry had grown. Injustice and cruelty were rampant. The leaders (kings, priests, nobles and prophets) had become rigid and corrupt. His beloved Judah was like an apple that, though outwardly sound was inwardly corrupt. (Cohen: 2002 p. 349)

Politically it would seem that Jeremiah thought the same way as did Isaiah: That Judah should make no alliances. He eventually recognized that the fall of Judah was an act of judgment and that the people were commanded by G-d to go into captivity in Babylon. Many of the people had other ideas and went to Egypt. There Jeremiah tried to remind them of their relationship to G-d, but they would have none of it.

¹⁵ Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other g-ds, along with all the women who were present—a large assembly—and all the people living in Lower and Upper Egypt, said to Jeremiah, ¹⁶ "We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the L-RD! ¹⁷ We will certainly do everything we said we would: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our fathers, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm. ¹⁸ But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine." (Jeremiah 44.15-18)

We see these people unrepentant of their Idolatry. Jeremiah also prophesies judgment for all of he nations around Judah.

The bok of Jeremiah ends with the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple.

¹² On the tenth day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. ¹³ He set fire to the temple of the L-RD, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. ¹⁴ The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the imperial guard broke down all the walls around Jerusalem. ¹⁵ Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile some of the poorest people and those who remained in the city, along with the rest of the craftsmen and those who had gone over to the king of Babylon. ¹⁶ But Nebuzaradan left behind the rest of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

¹⁷ The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the L-RD and they carried all the bronze to Babylon. ¹⁸ They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service. ¹⁹ The commander of the imperial guard took away the basins, censers, sprinkling bowls, pots, lampstands, dishes and bowls used for drink offerings—all that were made of pure gold or silver. (Jeremiah 52.12-19)

The outside trappings of nationhood are gone. The place of worship is gone and the implements used in the Temple service are carried off as spoil. Some of the people are left in the land, many have gone into Egypt and some are carried off by the Babylonians. For those heading for captivity in Babylon the problem is expressed in the Psalm:

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept

when we remembered Zion.

There on the poplars

we hung our harps,

for there our captors asked us for songs,

our tormentors demanded songs of joy;

they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"

How can we sing the songs of the L-RD

while in a foreign land? (Psalm 137.1-4)

 Ezekiel

Ezekiel begins with the fall of Jerusalem. Ezekiel himself was one of the first exiles taken into captivity in Babylon with King Jehoiakim about 597 BC. He was of a high priestly family. He may well have known Jeremiah personally. Ezekial was a priest without a temple at a time when many in the nation were questioning G-d's power, as we saw in Jeremiah. If the conquest of the land had been accomplished by G-d as related in the book of Joshua, how could He have been defeated by the g-ds of Babylon?

The answer has to do with faithfulness. Early on Israel is warned "Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. (Leviticus 20.22)"

There are actually two sections to Ezekiel's message. One is before Jerusalem fell and the other is after. Chapters 1-24 contain messages of woe do to the judgment that is coming upon Israel. After the fall of Jerusalem Ezekiel turns to lament over the destruction but also brings warnings for the other nations in chapters 25-32.

Finally in chapters 33-38, Ezekiel brings a message of comfort and eventual restoration to the captives in Babylon.

 The Book of the Twelve

The Book of the Twelve consists of a series of short prophetic books that grouped together because they could fit conveniently on one scroll. As a group they are called the Minor Prophets—not because they are less important but because they are short. The order of the Minor Prophets is roughly chronological although many think that Joel is older than Hosea as in this table. The messages these prophets bring tell an interesting story. Unfaithfulness, repentance and reconciliation are the recurring themes. The messages are delivered to Israel—the Northern Kingdom, Judah—the Southern Kingdom and even the Gentile nations of Edam and Assyria.

As a group they begin with the rise of the power of the Assyrian empire. The Assyrians are used by G-d to judge His people, which is something that is hard for Habakkuk to understand and we are often in his company. The overall story is one of deliverance of the faithful in spite of external appearance. Through the Twelve we move from warning to captivity to restoration.

Book	Time	Directed to	Summary
1) Assyrian Power Between 1500 and 1100 BC
Hosea	755 – 710 B.C.	Northern Kingdom	Relationship with G-d The patience and long-suffering of G-d towards the rebellious and unfaithful northern kingdom of Israel is compared to an unfaithful marriage. G-d orders Hosea to marry an adulterous wife, Gomer. This was a symbolic representation of G-d's relation to Israel. G-d's faithfulness and Israel's unfaithfulness.
Joel	830 B.C.?	Southern Kingdom	The Day of the L-rd The book of Joel begins by describing a devastating swarm of locusts which destroys the agriculture of Israel. Joel calls the nation of Judah to a day of repentance due to this divine judgment. The last portion of the book is concerned with events associated with the "Day of the L-rd." The Day of the L-rd is one of victory for the L-rd and disaster for the unrighteous. The message is that, if Judah repents, G-d will richly bless them and forgive them. The warning is that self-righteousness is not the same as righteousness in the sight of G-d.
Amos	765 – 750 B.C.	Northern Kingdom	Social Justice Amos writes during a period of prosperity in Israel. King Jeroboam II was ruler, and the kingdom had reached new political and military heights. It was also a time of idolatry, extravagant indulgence in luxury, immorality, corruption and oppression of the poor. Amos was called by G-d to pronounce judgment on Israel by denouncing idolatry and moral depravity. He also foretells of the dispersion of the Israelites, but points to a day when G-d would regather them in the land of their forefathers.
Obadiah	585– 565 B.C.	Southern Kingdom	Edom and the pending judgment Obadiah was a prophet who pronounced judgment upon the nation of Edom for its antagonism toward Israel. Edom is the nation that is descended from Esau, the twin brother of Jacob (Israel). They have not treated Israel well, they did not allow them to pass through their land during the Exodus and have been attacking from the hill country through the rest of history.
Jonah	775 – 760 B.C.	Gentiles	G-d will save all who repent Jonah is the reluctant prophet who is sent to warn the Gentile city of Nineveh. Jonah did not think that the gentiles were either deserving of G-d's mercy or capable of repenting. He was proved wrong. Nineveh is the capital city or the Assyrian empire. In 625 BC, Babylon won independence, destroyed Nineveh and in 612 BC brought the Assyrian empire to an end. They prospered another 140 years after they repented. Jewish tradition says that the book was written after the Babylonian captivity by one of the "Men of the Great Assembly," a group of sages who wrote and taught the people after the exile.
Micah	735 – 700 B.C.	Southern Kingdom After Isaiah in the days of Ahaz Micah was contemporary of Isaiah and was to the southern kingdom what Amos was to the northern kingdom	Judgment and Deliverance Micah’s message is about regeneration of Israel’s remnant through judgment. The Judgment of G-d is always tempered by his mercy. Even with the deterioration of the nation, the establishment of the kingdom of G-d in the line of David is sure because it is a promise made by G-d. The faithful remnant will be regathered. The conversion of the nations through that kingdom and the deliverer who will come out of Jerusalem.
2) Assyrian Decline
Nahum	620 B.C.	Gentiles (Ninivah one century after Jonah)	The Judgment of Ninivah The book of Nahum was written approximately 140 years after the recorded events in the book of Jonah. Nineveh has turned from its repentance and has taken Israel captive. Jonah’s mission resulted in repentance. Nahum is sent to proclaim a message of doom upon Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. They who were once used as G-d’s tool against the people of Israel and Jerusalem. Now they will be destroyed because of their great wickedness.
Habakkuk	620 – 605 B.C.	Southern Kingdom (Between Jeremiah and Obediah)	A dialogue with G-d Habakkuk tries to come to grips with being a righteous man among an unrighteous people. He begins by complaining of injustice in Judah and his inability to understand G-d’s failure to judge the wicked and morally depraved nation of Babylon. Habakkuk is shown that G-d’s people must continue to trust in his mercy regardless of the circumstances about them. The wicked appear to prosper while the righteous are chastened. He knows that this prosperity of the wicked is only temporary. G-d will not abandon those who obey and follow his commandments: "the just shall live by faith (Hab. 2.4)".
Zaphaniah	635 – 615 B.C.	Southern Kingdom During the days of Menassa	G-d's approaching judgement Zephaniah prophesied during King Josiah’s reign. He was responsible for a great religious reform. This reform followed the wicked reigns of Manasseh and Amon, who led the nation into various forms of idolatry. It is an interesting context for Zephaniah to pronounce inescapable judgments against Jerusalem for their sins. Leadership is held responsible for leading the people astray but Josiah's reforms are too late.
3) Postexilic
Haggai	520 B.C.	The Remnant	Consequences of disobedience Haggai's four messages were given during a four-month period in 520 B.C.. He was contemporary with Zechariah. Both Haggai and Zechariah encouraged the Jews who had returned to Judah from their captivity in Babylon to rebuild the Temple (Ezra 5:1–2; 6:14). Haggai exhorts them to "consider their ways" and to complete the Temple whose foundation had been laid 18 years before. (The people responded and the Temple was completed in 516 B.C.) Haggai further pronounces that pagan empires will be overthrown by G-d and Judah will be elevated during the time of the Messiah. (ref)
Zechariah	520 – 490 B.C.	The Remnant	Rebuilding of the Temple Zechariah was a younger contemporary of Haggai. He also encouraged the people to rebuild the Temple. Like Daniel this book contains Apocalyptic visions. It contains detailed references to the coming Messiah. The book concludes with descriptions of the enemies of Jerusalem being judged and of the future glory of G-d’s kingdom.
Malachi	430 B.C.	The Remnant	Life after the Exile Malachi’s message comes to the people in a time of great spiritual decline. It is approximately 80 years after the rebuilding of the temple and the promises of the coming Messiah have not yet been realized. As a result, the people had become lax and had an increasingly casual attitude toward G-d and worship. Malachi states that their sacrifices were unacceptable to G-d, husbands were unfaithful, and the priests had neglected G-d’s covenants.

 

• < Prev
• Next >