Prophets and Messianic Themes in Micah

Reading Prophetic Literature: Hermeneutics

• Prophetic literature in the Old Testament is categorized into "major" and "minor" prophets
• Major prophets include Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel
• Minor prophets include Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi
• Prophets are covenant enforcement mediators

What is a Prophet?

• Prophets are figures associated with specific attributes, including characteristics found in biblical accounts
• Prophetic accounts can be traced back to the exodus from Egypt
• Prophetic words were received with varying degrees of reception by the Israelites
• True prophets are distinguished from false prophets through their characteristics

The Prophetic Books

• The prophetic books contain important information about the covenant between God and Israel, particularly during the exodus.
• Covenant enforcement mediators played crucial roles during the exodus from Egypt.
• The prophets' messages include criticism of Israel and its leaders when they fall short.
• They have access to God's throne room and function as intercessors.
• Key prophets and their books are Amos 7:1-9, Jeremiah 11:1-14, 1 Kings 22, and Zechariah 3:1-10. Habakkuk 1-2 also features pivotal prophetic insights.

What is a Prophet? (cont.)

• Prophets act as covenant enforcement mediators
• The prophetical message is rooted in the covenant established between God and Israel during the exodus.
• Prophetic messages include critique of Israel and its leaders, access to God's throne room, and intercession between Israel and God.
• Prophetic accounts contain examples of how prophets interacted and communicated with Israel
• Key examples are found in the writings of Amos (7:1-9), Jeremiah (11:1-14), 1 Kings 22, Zechariah 3:1-10, and Habakkuk 1-2.
• Prophets are distinguished from other spiritual figures (diviners, fortune tellers) by taking up the mantle of Moses, speaking God's words, and aligning their pronouncements with God's intended meaning.

Prophetic Values

• Prophets' primary concern was maintaining hesed, encompassing covenant love and faithfulness
• God's hesed is rooted in faithful adherence to covenants with Israel
• Hesed between Israel and God is demonstrated through obedience to the law.
• Hesed in community encompasses care, concern, and compassion
• Hesed involves principles of justice (mishpat) and righteousness (tsedekah)
• Prophets like Jeremiah emphasize reliance on understanding God, justice, kindness, and righteousness.

The Prophetic Setting

• Prophets appeared in different historical periods within the OT
• Moses' actions represent the essence of the prophetic office
• There were prophets in the Judges period (e.g., Deborah, Samuel)
• Gad and Nathan served as prophets during David's reign
• Ahijah prophesied about the division of the kingdom after Solomon
• Other prophets, such as Elijah, Elisha, and Jonah, also played crucial roles

The Prophetic Setting (cont)

• Writing prophets are identified from different historical periods

• Prophets witnessed the fall of the northern kingdom, including Hosea, Amos, Jonah. And Isaiah)

• Prohets involved in the fall of the southern kingdom, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah, and Nahum.

• Prophecy from the exilic period, including Ezekiel and Obadiah.

• Prophecy from the post-exilic period, including Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, and Joel.

The Prophetic Message

• Duvall & Hays' definition of prophetic message: violation of covenant followed by repentance or judgment.
• There's hope of restoration after judgment.
• God is responsive to His people, and pronouncements of judgement can be averted or delayed if repentance happens.
• Jeremiah 18 is an example of a potter
• Joel 2:1-11 (leading to 12-17)
• Jonah's prophecy meeting repentance from foreigners

Forms of Prophetic Communication

• Written prophetic oracles. It is the written form for previously communicated oracles.
• Prophets express messages like "thus says YHWH", "YHWH has spoken", etc
• Prophets' communications are comparable to those of preachers.
• Prophets address obedience, warnings about disobedience, judgments, and hope through God's character
• Guidance on identifying individual oracles and noting thematic shifts (e.g., from exhortation to judgment)
• Prophetic communications commonly use poetic language, parallellism, similes, metaphors, personification, and repetition

Prophetic Communication: Oracles

• Prophetic oracles are poetic in nature
• They include poetic elements like parallelism (Micah 3:6-7) and figurative language (similes, metaphors, etc).
• Examples include oracles from Joel, Amos, and Jonah

The Power of Prophetic Language

• Prophetic messages reach the audience although a significant portion of the audience often has difficulty understanding them due to limitations such as being blind, deaf, or mentally handicapped.
• Prophetic language needed adjusting for the audience to ensure that the message is understood.

Prophetic Sign-Acts

• Prophetic acts include symbolic actions, such as Ezekiel's actions in the temple.
• Key examples of prophetic sign-acts include those of Ezekiel and Jeremiah.
• Hosea's relationship with Gomer, Jeremiah's actions (wooden and iron yoke buying a field), and Ezekiel's symbolic actions in Jerusalem.

Emphases of the Prophets: Forthtelling

• Prophets address current circumstances, challenges, rebukes, and hope
• Prophets' messages often focus on addressing current circumstances and exhortations
• Covenant loyalty, justice, and mercy are consistent themes
• The prophet's call involves exhortations to obedience, warnings, and pronouncements of judgment.

Emphases of the Prophets: Forthtelling (cont)

• Prophets speak and act on issues such as idolatry, religious ritualism, and justice and mercy.
• The prophetic concern for idolatry is evident in Jeremiah 10:1-16.
• Religious ritualism is addressed in Jeremiah 7:1-8 and Amos 5:21-24.
• Justice and mercy are central to the prophetic message, including Amos 1-2, Isaiah 5:8-30.

Forthtelling: Justice and Mercy

• Prophets' messages emphasize justice and mercy
• Justice and mercy are not only important to the prophetic message but central because they are related to the messianic kingdom.
• They are exemplified in Isaiah 1:10-17 and Micah 6:1-8.

Applying Prophetic Justice and Mercy

• Evangelical conversations are taking place about social justice
• Some secular views about social justice conflicts with the Christian faith.
• However, the prophets consistently address the vulnerable (widows, orphans, foreigners), indicating prophetic concern with social justice
• This extends a call for similar actions from those who follow Christ

The Prophets: Foretelling

• Foretelling involves prophetic pronouncements related to the future.
• These announcements may include events close to the prophets' time (e.g., consequences of actions).
• They can allude to the future. (as when it points to Jesus's role in the Incarnation, or his second coming). This might include pronouncements on the coming of Jesus (and possibly his second coming).
• Examples include events such as Assyria's abuse of Israel (Isaiah 10), God's people's breaking of the covenant (Isaiah 5:8-13), and idolatry leading to the loss of God's glory (Ezekiel 10

The Prophets: Foretelling (cont)

• "Far view" fulfillment acknowledges God's power and merciful character
• Prophecy aims at redemption and establishment of God's reign
• Possible partial fulfillment, with ultimate fulfillment expected
• Look for examples like the "Day of YHWH" (e.g., Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2; 2 Peter 3:10) and the coming of Elijah (e.g., Malachi 4:5 and similar themes in Matthew 11:14 and Revelation 11.

Foretelling: Our Attitude

• Avoid trying to predict exact nature of far-future events
• Instead, focus on living a holy and godly life
• Seek to be spotless, blameless, and at peace with God in the present

Conclusion: Theological Call of the Prophets

• Prophets call for covenant loyalty, justice, and mercy.
• These traits are essential for Christians in communities
• They serve as examples of the principles of justice and mercy, relating also to actions of contemporaries like Martin Luther King Jr

Conclusion: Theological Call of the Prophets (cont.)

• Focus on God's sovereignty over all nations
• Acknowledging God's concern for all nations (as seen with Jonah)
• God's expectation for their people to provide models for others (Isaiah 49:6)

Explore fundamental themes from Micah 6:1-8 and the broader messages of biblical prophets. This quiz covers the aspects of prophetic fulfillment, covenant loyalty, and the characteristics of the prophetic office. Delve into the essential teachings and expectations of the Day of YHWH and the relationship between justice and mercy.