Boadt 16

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Boadt 16

• The Great Prophets of the Eighth Century

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The Assyrian Rise to Power

• Assyria 9th century B.C a series of strong kings
  began a program of conquest and empire building
  which spread in all 4 directions. (Especially
  south to control Babylon and west to the forests
  of Syria and Lebanon)
• Assyria End of the 9th century B.C had control
  of several small states in Syria and southern
  Turkey. (The states in Syria that did escape were
  absorbed as vassals who pledged loyalty and paid
  heavy tributes of money and goods to the Assyrian
  King as their overload every year

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• The threat of further Assyrian attack caused
  small western nations to ban together to form
  defenses
• Artwork on the palace walls of Nimrud (Assyrian
  capital) shows a thirst for conquest and
  humiliation of enemies
• The Assyrians were known for barbaric cruelty
  (the carvings on the walls of the palace showed
  beheadings, impaled victims, and trampled
  corpses), but the exact truth is not known
• The Black Obelisk (dates to 841 B.C. when the
  northern kingdom was already a vassal to Assyria)
  shows the king of Israel pleading while offering
  annual tribute to the King of Assyria

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Israels Age of Prosperity

• By 800 B.C. Assyrian power weakened and the
  western states of the Near East had about 50
  years of relief
• Both Israel (under Jeroboam II) and Judah (under
  Uzziah/Azaraiah) reached their greatest
  prosperity since Solomon
• Writing prophets Amos and Hosea in the northern
  kingdom Isaiah and Micah in Juda (each had a
  different message for the age of prosperity)
• Israel was still not able to be completely
  independent due to the pressure from Assyria

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Assyria Regains Power

• Both Uzziah and Jeroboam died (740 B.C) and
  Assyria regained power and continued its push
  west
• The Assyrian king was overthrown and
  Tiglath-pileser III (an Assyrian general) took
  the throne (745 B.C)
• Tiglath-pileser III conquered many nations and
  would often assonate kings and wipe out or deport
  entire populations of cities
• Under this pressure, Israel went through 6
  different kings in 20 years and Assyria took land
  to be directly governed by the kings asides

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Collecting and Editing the Prophets Words

• Classical Prophecy
• Gets the name because the writings of the
  prophets of the period became the standard for
  later interpretations
• The books contain words of the prophet as well as
  words about them and in the tradition of these
  prophets and it is not necessarily in
  chronological or even a logical order (ancient
  editors put the words in an order which seemed
  important to them and frequently added words of
  the followers of the prophet or even unknown
  prophetic words that are similar in theme)
  Important to discern levels
• The writings were applied to the current
  situations of the time

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Amos Prophet of Godd Justice

• Prophets tell us almost nothing about themselves
• The message was the most important thing
• Amos spoke in Tekoa (a small village in Judah) to
  preach to Bethel and its people
• Not a professional prophet (he was a farmer and
  herdsman)
• He delivers strong words of justice against the
  king and people which anger Amaziah (priest), but
  he never challenges Amos
• Probably lived 760-745 B.C.
• Basic message Gods moral rule over the world
  and demand for justice and concerns for outcasts
  and oppressed

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Amos and the Tradition of the Prophetic Language

• 10 commandments never mentioned but referred to
  and the wrong doing of all areas of life are
  addressed (law, leadership, economics)
• The people of the Northern Kingdom had felt that
  God would protect them no matter what because of
  convent bonds, but Amos speaks of the many
  attacks from enemies and natural disasters due to
  their evil ways and warns of further punishment
  (Am 51-5 Am 518-20)
• He uses strong language to shock the people and
  the message is not very hopeful (lots of drama
  imagery)

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Amos and the Radical New Direction of Prophecy

• One important reason for Amoss new direction was
  his background in the rural lands of Judah
• Probably learned clan wisdom passed down
  through the villages generations
• Rhetorical questions, illustrations from nature,
  similarities in theme with the Book of Proverbs
  (warn against luxury, empty cultic worship,
  oppression of the poor and needy, injustice)
• Amoss words were preserved because they are
  addressed to the people (not just king)
• New direction God will hold the people as a
  whole responsible for evil (Gods covenant was
  with all people)

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Hosea and the Knowledge of God

• Hosea was born, raised, and preached in the
  northern kingdom (worked from 745-722 B.C.)
• Passion for the commandments Went through a bad
  marriage with an unfaithful wife
• Emphasis of the tender bond of love between
  Israel and God and how sin damages the convent
• 3 sections of the book 1-3 broken marriage of
  God and Israel, 4-13 oracles delivered by Hosea
  during his ministry, 14 closing vision of hope
  after judgment

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• Hoseas message similar to Amos
• Judgment, justice, opposing oppression of poor,
  calling for a return to fidelity to the covenant,
  obedience to God
• Different
• Hosea brings out the compassion of Yahweh and His
  sorrow for having to punish Israel due to their
  sin, uses imagery of the people wandering through
  the desert, uses case law and courtroom language
  (Hos 41-3)

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• Singles out 3 special covenant qualities (unique)
• 1.) fidelity
• 2.)loving compassion
• 3.)knowledge of God (most important to
  Hosea)
• Focuses on the personal relationship between God
  and His people
• Speaks against empty and vain church-going,
  selfishness, forgetting the covenant, pleasures
  and profits offered by pagan gods and people

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The Prophet of Divine Compassion

• Deep feelings of Gods love of Israel gives image
  of God watching people as a father(Hos 64,11 and
  Hos 118-9)
• Uses a broken marriage with an unfaithful wife
  (like his own) as an image of the unfaithful
  Israel to God
• Hoseas theology came from a firm belief that God
  Chose Israel and blessed her with love and saving
  acts which continue through Hoseas time
• Paints a bleak picture of distrust, evil,
  instability, distrust, and idolatry in the
  northern kingdom
• Lived during the instable period of Israel which
  he believed that this suffering was due to the
  broken covenantal relationship
• Failed to change the fate of Israel (reflection
  of the covenant still used in Jewish and
  Christian religions)

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Isaiah of Jerusalem

• Son of Amoz
• In the kingdom of Judah (about 740-700)
• Book is largest work of prophecy in the Bible
• For divisions of chapters see page 325 Boadt
• Involved in political life (seemed to have direct
  access to the king and might have been nobility
  himself and lived through several major crises)
• Oracles stress the war declared by the kings of
  northern Israel and Damascus against Judah and
  the attempt of King Hezekiah of Judah to free
  himself from subjection to Assyria

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Isaiah and the Historian

• This time period is very interesting to historian
  
• Due to the number of monumental events mentioned
  in this book, historians find it a good source to
  learn about these events
• Page 327 lists some of the events

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The Message of Isaiah

• Often considered the greatest of the Old
  Testament prophets due to the wide range and
  vision of his prophecy
• Anger against oppression, injustice, idolatry,
  abandonment of Yahweh, vain worship (as in Hosea
  and Amos)
• Yearning for Israel to turn back to Yahweh (like
  Hosea)
• Isaiah concentrated on Gods plan for the whole
  world and to place trust in God
• Gave hope for a king who would obey God
• Themes that stand out in this book are hope and
  Gods Holiness (the Holy One all powerful
  creator and intimate savoir who is approachable
  in temple and prayer)

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Isaiah and the Royal Traditions of Jerusalem

• Because he was a citizen of Jerusalem, he made
  use of the royal traditions (David)
• Doesnt covenant directly often, instead speaks
  of God as concerned with the failures of the king
  and lack of concern of the people for God
• Rare mix of ethical insight, realistic warnings
  of disaster, and long-range hopefullness
• Became Israels basis of later reflection,
  provided a foundation for hope during exile,
  stirred hope for a messiah in post-exile prophets

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Micah of Moresheath

• Micah didnt seem interested with the behavior of
  Jerusalem
• Focused more on the agriculture and weather
• Had much of the same views as Isaiah but
  expressed them differently
• See page 334 for divisions of the chapters of the
  book
• The book gives hope to people who were despairing
  that God would never act on their behalf
• Isaiah and Micah combined punishment for evil and
  confidence in the future based on the promises to
  David that God would never permanently abandon
  His People and Zion