The thesis can be
divided into 8 parts.
1.
The prophetical books contain oracles of the
prophets.
2.
The process of prophetical literature.
3.
The prophets understanding of God.
4.
covenantal Relationship
5.
The difference between the pre-exilic and post exilic so called monotheism.
6.
Social justice in the prophets
7.
Importance of individual responsibility
8.
The unresolved issue of the new covenant in the
OT.
The thesis basically speaks
about the identity- convictions –understandings of – Prophets. It also sheds
light on their role in Israels faith journey, in growing as a people and as a
monotheistic religion and concludes with the hope of the new covenant promised
by Jeremiah and Ezekial.
1. Introduction
a) Who Is a Prophet?
Etymology(Gk): prophetes
‘Pro’ stands for - in front of , on behalf of, be fore.
‘phetes’ – comes from –pheni = speak.
Hebrew understanding of Prophet: is that
·
Prophet is the mouthpiece of God.
Popular
understanding of a prophet is that he is able to predict the future.
When we analyze the
term prophet in Hebrew we get 4 meanings.
1. Seer
2. Ecstatic
3. Enthusiat
4. Called
Division
of Prophets
Hebrew Scripture is TaNaK. Nabium is the prophetical
book. This has former and later prophets. Later prophets are divided into major
and minor prophets.
Former Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings
Latter Prophets: They are divided as Major and
Minor Prophets depending on the size of
their books.
·
Major Prophets (3): Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah
·
Minor Prophets – There are 12 minor prophets.
Latter Prophets are also divided
as Pre-Exilic, Borderline and Post-Exilic Prophets
based on the time that they prophesised.
1. The prophetical books
contain oracles of the prophets.
·
Oracle is a solemn
declaration made in the name of YHWH. These are uttered orally.
·
It starts with the
messenger formula : ‘Thus says the Lord’
The oracles are also distinguished more by its existential significance
for the people of God.
Oracles are addressed
to the communities/nations and never to individuals. Sometimes they are addressed
to kings/priests/judges etc because they represent a community/nation/religion.
2.
This was a long process from
Oral proclamation of the prophets’ up to the time when it took form of the
prophetical literature.
From the oral utterance to the
book(Prophetical literature) – Uttered, collected, edited and expanded.
1.
Oracle were uttered by
prophets,
2.
Collected by the
disciples of prophets at a later stage.
3.
Arranged according to the
theme/subject.(Amos1-2 OAF)
Standard outline in distinguishing the
prophetical collections of Issiah, Jeremiah, Ezekial
·
Pre-exilic
-prophesy of doom – woe oracles
·
Exilic prophesy – Oracles against the Israelites
·
Post Exilic Prophesy – Oracles of Salvation.
4.
Edited the text (added certain
things)
5.
Expanded by the
Redactor( Amos 9:7)(Hope-doxologies-promise of God)
Amos 9.13 – we see the
superscription of Hope, doxology –hurried ending.
3.
The Prophets Have Given Us a Lofty Idea of God as the Lord of History
Who entered
Into a Covenantal Relationship with Israel
The
prophets first of all reminded people of YHWH’s interaction in the history, at
a specific time and pace when YHWH freed the Israelites and took them to
promised land.. as such YHWH is the Lord of the history. He enters into a covenantal relationship with the whole of Israel, thus asking for
covenantal fidelity.
·
YHWH God is presented as
the God not only of Israel, but also of other nations as well.
·
God controls and uses
other nations for his purpose.( In Issiah – Assyrians; In Jeremiah –
Babylonians ; In Duetero Isaiah – Cyrus is used to save Israel)
·
God is not confined to
any geographical place(temple-place) (Ez 1-3 glory of God)
·
God has a name – YHWH –
and a character. YHWH means one who causes things to be.
- Characters - merciful ( Rahaim) gracious(Hanan) and
steadfast in love( Hesed and Emed)
He is a Covenantal God. He entered into a covenantal relation with
Israelite and called them ‘my people’ (Amos 7: 15, Is 1:3).
Covenantal relationship with Israel
·
Covenant:
is the closest relationship one can have with the other outside the blood
relationship.
·
It is a
mutual agreement between the two – in which one offers certain blessing and the
other has certain obligations.
Now whenever the covenant was not realized (breaking and
Breach) prophets appeared and challenged the people of Israel.
6.
The Difference between the So-Called Monotheism of the Pre-Exilic
Prophets and That of Post-Exilic Deutero-Isaiah.
Israelites coming to
belive in a monotheistic God was a
gradual process from Polytheism – Monolatry- Implicit monotheism –Explicit
monotheism.
Monolatry : Monolatry
means worshipping one God at the same time not denying the presence of other
gods.
Ex 15: 11 – “who is like you O
Lord among the Gods?’
Monothesim :
·
Belief in one God and
the denial of the existence of other god.
Implicit Monotheism
·
Worshiping one God –
Not tolerating other gods not
denying their existence.
·
Monotheism of the pre
–exilic prophets – which is called implicit monotheism.
·
In Amos (1-2) God
punishes other nations. Whose is he to punish other gods? Who is he to punish
other nations? This implies that he is the only God.
·
In Isaiah: If you commit
sin I will whistle and ……….will come from the north and he will come and…..
Explicit Monotheism
·
Came to existence
only in post –exilic times (Duetero Isaiah).
·
Denial of the
existence of other gods. – Belief in the existence of one God.
·
Is 45/22: I am god.
There is no other god.
·
Is 44/6: “I am the first and I am the last. And there
is no other god but me.”
The main reason for the gradual evolution of explicit monotheism is not
philosophical speculation but their personal experience
of god. That is his protection and help.
7.
It is misleading to speak about
the social justice of the prophets without a reference to God and sin.
-
The basis of
social justice is covenantal relationship.
- God has given
commandments and if you deviate from commandments you commit sin.
- These commandments
insist on the love of the neighbor. Therefore social justice comes there.
-
God enters
into a covenantal relationship with his people and he expects the people to
maintain the same spirit of covenant with him and with their fellow human
beings.
-
Therefore
social justice is the love, concern for the poor, the underprivileged,
marginalized etc.
-
For them
injustice and oppression in the socio-economic and political sphere is not more
evil but sin.
-
The righteous
God demands strict justice from his people.(Is 45/21)
-
Prophets were
not mere social reformers creating new social order but the mouth piece of God
exhorting the people to be faithful to the covenant – love YHWH –loyal to YHWH and his love .
-
In the
absence of justice, society will suffer but in the end…………
Examples:
-
Amos: he
appeals for justice and righteousness for the poor and the underprivileged.
-
Proto –Isaiah: For him sacrifice without justice is meaningless/worthless.
Here
-
Micah: Act
Justly(Amos), love tenderly(Hosea), and
walk humbly before the Lord.(Proto- Issiah).
Therefore we cannot speak of social
justice in prophets without reference to God and sin.
8.
Given the situation of the
dispersion of the exile, the individual responsibility begins to gain
importance.
-
In the
pre-exilic time the understanding was collective and National
responsibility.(Jer 31/29; Ez 18:1-2) but during the exilic time there is a
shift from collective to Individual responsibility.
-
In Ezekial it is
explicit. Jer 18: 1-2 : hereafter
each one will be punished for his own sin.
-
So far they believed in
collective responsibility.
-
Context has changed. There was a physical and spiritual devastation
during exile.
-
Physical
devastation – No Land, No King, No temple.
-
Spiritual: They thought that they were God’s chosen
people, but God had abandoned them .So the question was ‘Does God still love
them?’
-
In this
situation Ezekiel offers them the possibility of conversion.
-
Hence appeal
to each one’s conscience becomes important.
-
He stressed
that each individual is responsible before God.
-
Even Jer
31/30 stresses individual responsibility.
9.The promise of the new covenant in the post
– exilic prophets remains an unresolved issue in the OT.
-
The phrase
“New Covenant” we see only in Jer 31 and nowhere else in the OT.
Old Covenant and the New
Covenant
-
Old covenant
is conditional covenant/Sinai covenant in the OT. Northern kingdom was
observing this covenant. When NK fell, the conditional covenant annulled or
broken.
-
Unconditional
covenant ( 2 Sam 7:14_ I will build a house for you. Your son shall reign
forever. In 587 BCE southern kingdom too fell and people are wondering whether
God is there or not.
-
At that time
Jeremiah comes with saying , ‘ Still God will rule. He will make a New covenant with you. This is unresolved in
OT’.
-
Now we, Christians
believe that it is resolved in Jesus Christ.
Jeremiah comes up
with a new covenant in Jer 31/30-
·
The law is writtern in their hearts.
·
No longer need to teach
·
Law (TORAH) is still there. Element of obedience is
still needed.
·
Spiritual element is added to material.
·
Interiorization
of the religion/ law is inscribed in the heart.
·
Forgiveness: I will
remember their inequities no more.
which will be established in the future. But it
remains an unresolved issue in the OT because no one has spoken about the
fulfilment of the New covenant in the OT. We Christians believe that this new
covenant is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Now both of
them are fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
-
Scripture
tells Jesus was obedient. Even he took up the cross. Therefore conditional
covenant is fulfilled in Jesus.
-
We Christians
believe that Jesus is David’s son. We believe he rules now through his
resurrection.
-
Therefore he
is not only the son of David, but also the son of God because son of David is
dead and gone after 33 years. God raised him from the dead. Therefore he is
God’s son.
-
Therefore
both the covenants are fulfilled.
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