1 of 21
Slide Notes
Today we’re talking about prophets and prophecy in the Bible. We’ll look at the prophets and the role they played in the Bible, we’ll listen to their message and the ways they delivered it, and we’ll finish by talking about the place of prophecy in today’s world. So first, what is a prophet?
Who were some of the prophets? Can you name some?
We're going to play a Kahoot to see how much you already know about the prophets.
Who were some of the prophets? Can you name some?
We're going to play a Kahoot to see how much you already know about the prophets.
Israel's Prophetic Tradition
Published on Jan 19, 2023
No Description
MORE DECKS TO EXPLORE
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Israel's Prophetic Tradition
Sustaining the Mission 2023
Today we’re talking about prophets and prophecy in the Bible. We’ll look at the prophets and the role they played in the Bible, we’ll listen to their message and the ways they delivered it, and we’ll finish by talking about the place of prophecy in today’s world. So first, what is a prophet?
Who were some of the prophets? Can you name some?
We're going to play a Kahoot to see how much you already know about the prophets.
Who were some of the prophets? Can you name some?
We're going to play a Kahoot to see how much you already know about the prophets.
Photo by GR Stocks
Prophets overview
- Major & minor prophets
- "Writing" prophets
- Emerge with rise of kings
- "Former" prophets
Did any of those answers surprise you? We're going to explore a little more about what these prophets did but first I want to give you an overview of the prophets as we find them in the Old Testament.
We have major and minor prophets in the Bible. The minor prophets were not any less important; they just didn’t write as much. Sometimes the major and minor prophets are called the “writing” prophets.
The writing prophets emerge in the Bible with the rise of the Kings in Israel. In those days Religion and politics were definitely intertwined. One of the main jobs of the prophets was to keep the kings on the straight and narrow and faithful to God’s covenant with the chosen people.
It is important to note that the writing prophets almost certainly did not personally write down the books attributed to them, especially not in the form in which we have these books today. Rather, these prophets preached and taught orally, individuals or communities compiled and wrote down the previously spoken words, and then editors later modified these writings before they entered the fixed biblical canon.
But there were also prophets before the writing prophets. They are often referred to as the former prophets. Here are some of them. Moses is called the Father of the Prophets since he spoke to God face to face and conveyed God’s law to the people.
We have major and minor prophets in the Bible. The minor prophets were not any less important; they just didn’t write as much. Sometimes the major and minor prophets are called the “writing” prophets.
The writing prophets emerge in the Bible with the rise of the Kings in Israel. In those days Religion and politics were definitely intertwined. One of the main jobs of the prophets was to keep the kings on the straight and narrow and faithful to God’s covenant with the chosen people.
It is important to note that the writing prophets almost certainly did not personally write down the books attributed to them, especially not in the form in which we have these books today. Rather, these prophets preached and taught orally, individuals or communities compiled and wrote down the previously spoken words, and then editors later modified these writings before they entered the fixed biblical canon.
But there were also prophets before the writing prophets. They are often referred to as the former prophets. Here are some of them. Moses is called the Father of the Prophets since he spoke to God face to face and conveyed God’s law to the people.
Photo by Shane Hoving
Minor prophets
- Hosea
- Joel
- Amos
- Obadiah
- Jonah
- Micah
- Nahum
- Habakkuk
- Zephaniah
- Haggai
- Zechariah
- Malachi
Minor or Book of the twelve because of the length of the writings.
Focus on sins of own people in general, both social sin such as mistreatment of the poor and cultic sin, that is the worship of false gods and abuses within own religious rituals
Taken as a whole, these books are a reflection on the past and a lesson for the future
Focus on sins of own people in general, both social sin such as mistreatment of the poor and cultic sin, that is the worship of false gods and abuses within own religious rituals
Taken as a whole, these books are a reflection on the past and a lesson for the future
Photo by Taylor Flowe
Prophets
- Spokesperson for God
- Against social injustices
- Obedient to God
What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word “prophet” today?
Often we associate telling the future with the gift of prophecy. We have this mental image of prophets of gloom and doom, predicting the end of the world. But the main role of the prophet was and is to speak for God.
The prophets were farmers and shepherds and shoemakers. They were wealthy and poor, husbands and fathers like everyone else. But the prophets were unique in that they looked at the events of their times and listened carefully to what God was saying to God’s people through those events. Prophets listened to God in prayer and liturgy. They listened so well that they were able to proclaim God’s words with great inner conviction. Prophets were spokespersons for God.
Prophets frequently spoke out against the social injustices of their time. They gave God’s perspective on the things going on around them. They spoke with an authority that reeked with confidence. One reason they could be so sure of God’s message was that the prophets were obedient. God was often very specific in how the message should be given.
Often we associate telling the future with the gift of prophecy. We have this mental image of prophets of gloom and doom, predicting the end of the world. But the main role of the prophet was and is to speak for God.
The prophets were farmers and shepherds and shoemakers. They were wealthy and poor, husbands and fathers like everyone else. But the prophets were unique in that they looked at the events of their times and listened carefully to what God was saying to God’s people through those events. Prophets listened to God in prayer and liturgy. They listened so well that they were able to proclaim God’s words with great inner conviction. Prophets were spokespersons for God.
Prophets frequently spoke out against the social injustices of their time. They gave God’s perspective on the things going on around them. They spoke with an authority that reeked with confidence. One reason they could be so sure of God’s message was that the prophets were obedient. God was often very specific in how the message should be given.
Photo by Mads Schmidt Rasmussen
Object lesson
Take a clay flower pot, turn it upside down on newspapers you’ve spread out on a flat surface. Then say the following very forcefully—like an Old Testament prophet—in your own words or using the words below. (spoken text):
People of Milwaukee, the Lord God says this: Here is your future.
Take a hammer and smash the pot.
Abortion is robbing you of your children. Drugs are shattering the minds of your young people. Pollution is destroying your planet. The bombs you build for protection will end in your disaster. (Pause)
Did I get your attention? God frequently told the prophets to get the attention of the people through object lessons such as this. For example, listen to what God tells Jeremiah in Chapter 19, verses 10 & 11.
Have the designated reader read the passage. If people have Bibles, you may want to have them look it up and follow along.
You are to break this jug in front of the men who are with you, and say to them, “Yahweh Sabaoth says this: I am going to break this people and this city just as one breaks a potter’s jar, irreparably.”
Although this message sounds very harsh, the prophets warned the people out of love. They wanted to open their eyes to the fact that their sinful actions would harm their relationships and end in misery.
People of Milwaukee, the Lord God says this: Here is your future.
Take a hammer and smash the pot.
Abortion is robbing you of your children. Drugs are shattering the minds of your young people. Pollution is destroying your planet. The bombs you build for protection will end in your disaster. (Pause)
Did I get your attention? God frequently told the prophets to get the attention of the people through object lessons such as this. For example, listen to what God tells Jeremiah in Chapter 19, verses 10 & 11.
Have the designated reader read the passage. If people have Bibles, you may want to have them look it up and follow along.
You are to break this jug in front of the men who are with you, and say to them, “Yahweh Sabaoth says this: I am going to break this people and this city just as one breaks a potter’s jar, irreparably.”
Although this message sounds very harsh, the prophets warned the people out of love. They wanted to open their eyes to the fact that their sinful actions would harm their relationships and end in misery.
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP
Other object lessons
- Ezekiel on his side
- Jeremiah's yoke
- Isaiah's nakedness
- Hosea's wife
Here are a few more examples of object lessons the prophets used in obedience to God. God told Ezekiel to lie on his left side for 190 days to symbolically bear the sins of Israel for that length of time. Then he was to lay on his right side for the sins of Judah for 40 days (Ezekiel 4.4-7). Each day stood for a year.
God told Jeremiah to wear a yoke like that worn by oxen to show how the Israelites would soon be led away into captivity (Jeremiah 27.2).
Poor Isaiah was told to go naked and barefoot as a warning to the people of how the King of Assyria would lead them away stripped and barefoot (Isaiah 20.2-4).
Hosea probably had it the hardest though. God told him to marry a prostitute to dramatically show God’s faithfulness to the people in the face of their unfaithfulness (Hosea 1.2). Prophecy is not for the fainthearted!
God told Jeremiah to wear a yoke like that worn by oxen to show how the Israelites would soon be led away into captivity (Jeremiah 27.2).
Poor Isaiah was told to go naked and barefoot as a warning to the people of how the King of Assyria would lead them away stripped and barefoot (Isaiah 20.2-4).
Hosea probably had it the hardest though. God told him to marry a prostitute to dramatically show God’s faithfulness to the people in the face of their unfaithfulness (Hosea 1.2). Prophecy is not for the fainthearted!
Photo by bobosh_t
Marks of a prophet
- Call from God
- "Thus says the Lord"
- Protect law & covenant
- Advocates for the poor
- Call to right relationship with God
Their call from God. Most prophets perceived a special call from God that caused them to leave their previous way of life in order to live as a prophet. (Jer 1:4-10)
2. Their call to be God’s spokesperson or messenger. They spoke God’s mind to the people, often beginning their message with “Thus says the Lord.”
3. Their duty to protect the law of Moses and God’s covenant. They criticized people for sinning against God’s law and urged people to return to the covenant.
4. Their duty to be advocates for the poor. (They were concerned about social justice issues.)
5. Their duty as servants to call people back to right relationships with God. (They reminded people – by the example of their own lives – of God’s great faithfulness and ability to forgive them.)
Find passages to demonstrate each and invite to share - create handout???
The prophets were concerned about the sins and selfishness of the wealthy, about the worship of false gods, and about the unjust treatment of the poor. The prophets also taught that people should worship Yahweh alone, not false gods.
2. Their call to be God’s spokesperson or messenger. They spoke God’s mind to the people, often beginning their message with “Thus says the Lord.”
3. Their duty to protect the law of Moses and God’s covenant. They criticized people for sinning against God’s law and urged people to return to the covenant.
4. Their duty to be advocates for the poor. (They were concerned about social justice issues.)
5. Their duty as servants to call people back to right relationships with God. (They reminded people – by the example of their own lives – of God’s great faithfulness and ability to forgive them.)
Find passages to demonstrate each and invite to share - create handout???
The prophets were concerned about the sins and selfishness of the wealthy, about the worship of false gods, and about the unjust treatment of the poor. The prophets also taught that people should worship Yahweh alone, not false gods.
Photo by Lawrence OP
Prophets & the Covenant
- Honor principles of Covenant
- Peace, justice, love of God...
- "New" ways
At the heart of the message of the biblical prophets is a return to following
God’s Covenant.
It was not necessarily a return to the “exact same” practices of the people as in prior days when they were faithful to the Covenant.
The message included a continued
honoring of the principles of the Covenant, which were laws that fostered communal identity and practices that brought about God’s desire for peace; justice; human dignity; respect for creation; love of God, neighbor, and self; liberation from sin and bondage; and much more.
This was to be done in “new” ways based on the ways the community had grown and matured over time.
God’s Covenant.
It was not necessarily a return to the “exact same” practices of the people as in prior days when they were faithful to the Covenant.
The message included a continued
honoring of the principles of the Covenant, which were laws that fostered communal identity and practices that brought about God’s desire for peace; justice; human dignity; respect for creation; love of God, neighbor, and self; liberation from sin and bondage; and much more.
This was to be done in “new” ways based on the ways the community had grown and matured over time.
Photo by Andrew Ridley
Message of the Prophets
- Warnings
- Judgment
- Hope & consolation
The message of the prophets was threefold: 1) Warnings, 2) judgment and 3) words of hope and consolation. The words of the prophets, God’s words, were rarely popular. That was one way the true prophets were distinguished from the false prophets. The false prophets said what the kings and the people wanted to hear. The true prophets spoke the truth as they received it from God. The prophet Micah was especially courageous in standing up to the false prophets. You’ve heard the saying: “Don’t kill the messenger!” Well that was the fate of many a prophet.
Photo by amandabhslater
True prophets vs false prophets
Photo by Lawrence OP
True prophets
- Usually reluctant
- listens to voice of God
- truth even if painful
- realist
- consistent with covenant
- unpopular, no official position, often suffers
- offers hope
- lives message
- stands test of time
False prophets
- Eager
- own opinion
- people pleaser
- optimist
- consistent with people's wishes
- popular, official, comfortable
- offers no hope in suffering and loss
- all talk - no action
- does not hold up over time
In small groups
- Who are modern-day false prophets?
- Who are true prophets?
- When is it easier to tell people what they want to hear?
Isaiah
- Three authors
- First Isaiah - advocate for poor
- Second Isaiah - hope & encouragement
- Third Isaiah - demands justice
- Messianic hope
the Book of Isaiah was begun before the Exile by an original Isaiah and completed by two later followers. Ask the students these questions: How do you think the prophets felt when the people continued to ignore their cries for repentance? Why do you think they did not just give up?
First Isaiah challenged the Israelites to eliminate the unjust treatment of the poor.
Second Isaiah offered words of hope and encouragement during the Exile.
After the Exile, Third Isaiah cried out against the return to unjust and idolatrous practices.
The Book of Isaiah sings of messianic hope.
The promised Messiah would be wisdom incarnate, a defender of his people, a faithful parent, and an agent of peace.
He would inaugurate a peaceful kingdom.
Isaiah announced that a new king would come from the throne of David.
He would judge with righteousness.
He would inaugurate a peaceful kingdom.
All creation would bow before Emmanuel.
Lion and lamb: Isaiah 11:6–9.
First Isaiah challenged the Israelites to eliminate the unjust treatment of the poor.
Second Isaiah offered words of hope and encouragement during the Exile.
After the Exile, Third Isaiah cried out against the return to unjust and idolatrous practices.
The Book of Isaiah sings of messianic hope.
The promised Messiah would be wisdom incarnate, a defender of his people, a faithful parent, and an agent of peace.
He would inaugurate a peaceful kingdom.
Isaiah announced that a new king would come from the throne of David.
He would judge with righteousness.
He would inaugurate a peaceful kingdom.
All creation would bow before Emmanuel.
Lion and lamb: Isaiah 11:6–9.
Photo by Alabaster Co
Jeremiah
- Before and during exile
- Repent and return to the Lord
- Law on people's hearts
Jeremiah’s writings reflect events before and during the Babylonian Exile.
Jeremiah called for the unfaithful Israelites to repent and return to the Lord.
Jeremiah prophesied that if the people did not repent, punishment was inevitable.
Following the destruction of Jerusalem, his prophecies became hopeful.
He promised that God would write his Law on the people’s hearts.
While not as often as Isaiah, we hear from Jeremiah frequently at Mass...let's see how well you can recognize what Jeremiah says versus what Justin Bieber sings in a game called Jeremiah or Justin!
Jeremiah called for the unfaithful Israelites to repent and return to the Lord.
Jeremiah prophesied that if the people did not repent, punishment was inevitable.
Following the destruction of Jerusalem, his prophecies became hopeful.
He promised that God would write his Law on the people’s hearts.
While not as often as Isaiah, we hear from Jeremiah frequently at Mass...let's see how well you can recognize what Jeremiah says versus what Justin Bieber sings in a game called Jeremiah or Justin!
Photo by FotoGuy 49057
Ezekiel
Instead of me explaining what Ezekiel is all about, and there is a lot there, let's hear from the people at the Bible Project. There are actually 2 videos but we are only going to watch the second one but it does a nice job of summarizing the themes we find in Ezekiel
Photo by Wilmy van Ulft
Minor prophets
- In small groups, explore one of the minor prophets
- Be prepared to share with large group
What kinds of things did you (the prophet) say or do?
What did you (the prophet) warn people about?
What might you (the prophet) tell us today?
What did you (the prophet) warn people about?
What might you (the prophet) tell us today?
Photo by Jules & Jenny
Discussion
- Something I learned
- What surprised me
- Continue to explore?
- Become a prophet
• What did I learn about prophets of the Old Testament?
• What surprised me about the Old Testament prophets?
• How will I continue to explore the Old Testament prophets?
• What will I do in the coming to become more like a prophet in my school, community, family?
• What surprised me about the Old Testament prophets?
• How will I continue to explore the Old Testament prophets?
• What will I do in the coming to become more like a prophet in my school, community, family?
Photo by osocnart.leafar
Praying with the Prophet Micah
Micah is the last minor prophet we will hear about tonight. Micah warns the people of God that their sinfulness will be the ruin of their countries. However, eventually, they will see glory again, because a new ruler will be born in Bethlehem. That ruler will bring greatness and peace.
We Christians believe that Jesus is the ruler whom Micah was predicting. We light candles because Jesus is the light of the world.
Light a candle to begin the prayer.
God of wisdom and insight,
You have given us prophets like Amos, Habbakuk, Hosea, Joel, and Malachi whose words and lives embody your hope for us.
Help us be like these prophets so that our words and actions show the world our love for you and for all your people.
We ask this through your Son, Jesus. Amen.
Listen
Invite the reader to proclaim Micah 6:6-8. Allow a few moments for quiet reflection.
Respond Prayer Leader:
This passage from Micah offers us the opportunity to reflect on how we practice our faith in our daily lives. We need to hear and listen to what God has been telling us through the prophets in Scripture and in our modern day prophets. Let us go forth ready to be prophets in our schools, in our communities and in our homes. We ask this through the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
We Christians believe that Jesus is the ruler whom Micah was predicting. We light candles because Jesus is the light of the world.
Light a candle to begin the prayer.
God of wisdom and insight,
You have given us prophets like Amos, Habbakuk, Hosea, Joel, and Malachi whose words and lives embody your hope for us.
Help us be like these prophets so that our words and actions show the world our love for you and for all your people.
We ask this through your Son, Jesus. Amen.
Listen
Invite the reader to proclaim Micah 6:6-8. Allow a few moments for quiet reflection.
Respond Prayer Leader:
This passage from Micah offers us the opportunity to reflect on how we practice our faith in our daily lives. We need to hear and listen to what God has been telling us through the prophets in Scripture and in our modern day prophets. Let us go forth ready to be prophets in our schools, in our communities and in our homes. We ask this through the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Photo by ocean.attic
