The Prophets: Calling Us to Conversion

After Solomon, came the Prophets, who were sent by God to bring the Israelites back to him. Faithfulness to the covenant, the sign of friendship between God and Israel, was the focus of the message of the prophets Among the prophets were Elijah, Amos, and Hosea.

A Divided Kingdom
After Solomon died, Israel fell apart. The northern tribes, majority of the people, resented the inhumane economic and political policies of Solomon, especially the higher taxes and forced labor. Rehoboam, Solomon s son and successor, refused to lighten the burden of the northerners, so Jeroboam led them to a revolt against the house of David. The revolt split the nation in 2 kingdoms: The northern kingdom was called Israel/Ephraim, and the southern kingdom was called Judah, and it s capital was Jerusalem. They sometimes fought but were at peace most of the time due to their faith in God. The northern kingdom, Israel however, was more unfaithful. The kingdom s beginnings were marked by setting up images of Baals (gods of fertility) at places of worship. The kingdom of Judah was also prone to idolatry, despite having the Temple of Jerusalem. Idolatry was the worst sin of the Israelites, and it was this that forced judgment of them. Since kings no longer represented Yahweh to the people, God sent the prophets as His messengers to both kingdoms.

Early Old Testament Prophets

Along with kings, prophets were also considered leaders of Israel. During the division after Solomon s reign, the people turned more to the prophets rather than the kings for God s message. Prophets were not always well-liked, but the people knew that they spoke the Lord s message for them. The prophets proclaimed their message using imagery and symbolism. Some delivered their prophecies in the form of beautiful poetry. (Am 8:1-2) Some delivered their prophecies by acting out their message. (Ez 12:3, 5-6)s The prophets called the people to personal conversion and national reform, but their message usually fell on deaf ears. They were even beaten, insulted, stoned, or imprisoned for confronting the Israelites with God s sharp criticism and unpopular message. Despite countless hardships, the prophets continued to preach God s word, and ended up prophesying to a remnant of the people who continued to sincerely believe in God. In the end, the prophets advanced God s plan of salvation by preparing the people for the coming of the Messiah. THE PROPHETS WERE NOT FORTUNE TELLERS. They spoke only the truth about the conditions existing in Israel at that time. They were guided by God to show the Israelites the error of their ways. Also, the prophets were accepted by the people only when their predictions came true, only then were they considered authentic and qualified to interpret the problems of their time from God s point of view.

Elijah: Call to Faith in the True God (ELIJAH = YAHWEH IS MY GOD)

Elijah was called by God to prophesy to the northern kingdom of Israel during a period of idolatry. The kings of the northern kingdom didn t want their people to go to the South, for fear that the northern tribes might develop a desire to reunite with their southern brothers. Elijah made enemies of the king and his wife. He was called, TROUBLER OF ISRAEL . Aside from his outright attack on Baal, Elijah also denounced the king s injustice to the poor.

The True God of Israel

Elijah was first asked by God to prophesy a long drought to the northern kingdom for their people already forgot their covenant with Yahweh. Then in the 3rd year of the drought, God again summoned Elijah to present himself to the king and announce God s promise of rain. 1. The contest at Mount Carmel (1 Kgs 18) Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to prove who the real provider of Israel was. He went up against 450 prophets of Baal. They built altars of sacrifice and agreed that only the one who was truly God could produce fire from heaven to burn up the offering. Many saw the fire of Yahweh consume the holocaust. Rain followed, bringing the drought to an end. The Israelites realized that everything they had been receiving came from Yahweh. The contest at Mount Carmel did much to restore the faith of many in the one true God, Yahweh. This enraged Jezebel, the king s wife, thus Elijah fled to Horeb to escape her wrath. 2. A quiet God (1 Kgs 19) Elijah climbed to the top of Mt. Horeb. He waited for God in the strong wind, but the Lord wasn t there. An earthquake followed, but the Lord still wasn t there. Then came a great fire, but still, the Lord wasn t there. After the fire, there was a tiny whispering fire. Only then did Elijah hear God s voice. Elijah encountered God in silence. This teaches us that God s presence can be felt not necessarily in great events of history but in the small and seemingly insignificant affairs of life. Be still and confess that I am God (Ps 46:11) 3. Seizure of Naboth s vineyard ( 1 Kgs 21) This story concerns a case of social injustice (land grabbing) by King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, to Naboth, a simple farmer. The vineyard of Naboth was situated near the king s property, and so, he strongly desired the land, but Naboth refused to sell what was an inheritance from his ancestors. Jezebel made up a false accusation against Naboth, who was charged guilty, and stoned to death. Thus, the King got the vineyard. Elijah came to the scene and pronounced judgement. This and the contest at Mount Carmel show that idolatry and social injustices were two of the things that the prophets fought against. Elijah restored worship to the one true God in an era of idolatry and condemned acts of social injustice to the poor. The prophet experienced God as a quiet God, a God who is present in ordinary events.

Amos: Teaching Us to Act Justly

Amos was a shepherd from Tekoa in Judah who lived during the reign of Jeroboam II. Israel was beginning to prosper again at this time, but economic wealth brought great injustices to many people. During Amos time, most of the Israelties seemed to be more concerned with accumulating wealth rather than doing what was right. Corruption was common everywhere.

1. Amos exposes Israel s sins (Am 3-6) The bible describes Amos a fiery prophet who pointed out the sins of the Israelites in the roaring voice of God (Am 1:1-2). His speeches in the first chapters of his book (Am 1-2) criticized the evildoings of Israel s enemies. These captured the attention of many Israelites who finally found a prophet who made sense to them, but just as they were beginning to believe his sermons, Amos turned on them and spoke even more harshly about their sins. 2. Amos condemns Israel s sins of injustice Amos angrily scolded dishonest businessmen and traders for using wrong weights and measures (Am 8:5-6). He also accused moneylenders for charging very high interest on loans. In the town of Bashan, Amos called the rich women cows as the fattened themselves at the expense of the weak and he hungry people around them (Am 4:1-3). Amos also accused the Jews of doing false worship and of using their ill-forgotten riches to offer empty sacrifices to God. (Am 2:8, 4:4-5) AMOS REMINDED THEM THAT BEING JUST IS PART OF HAVING AN AUTHENTIC FAITH IN GOD. Amos spoke of God s concern for His people, especially the poor and the oppressed. 3. Amos warns of God s judgment Amos predicted that unless the Israelites stop their acts of social injustice and their practice of idolatry, their nation would fall and be destroyed. Amos described to them how, in a vision, he saw the Assyrians invade and destroy the Israelites beautiful land (Am 7-9) because the Israelites were not united under God. But in spite of Amos repeated warnings, the Israelites still continued to sin. Amos reminds us that our faith must be shown through acts of justice. If our prayer and worship do not make us just, then our prayer and worship are simply rituals.

SOURCE: CALLED TO DISCOVER OUR CHRISTIAN FAITH