Immerse: Prophets - Flipbook - Page 12
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IMMERSE
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PROPHETS
Israel—and the world—based solely on God’s good promises and his
covenant faithfulness.
The prophets themselves were more street preachers than the authors
of books, normally proclaiming the Lord ’s messages at the gates of
Jerusalem and the Temple. They usually spoke in oracles, which were
recorded and serve as the basic literary unit for most of the prophetic
books. Prophetic oracles are poems that convey a single idea through
several strategies.
The prophets often used visual metaphors from the natural world
to help their listeners imagine or picture their messages. Sometimes
the metaphors came directly from the prophets’ dramatic visions from
God, which cannot easily be described in human terms. At other times,
the metaphors were drawn from the prophets’ own circumstances or
experiences.
Some oracles were based on the repetition of key ideas—“litanies”
(or lists) that drive home an essential point. Amos, for example, describes five different misfortunes that God had brought upon his people
and says after each one, “But still you would not return to me.” Prophetic language is typically strong and evokes powerful emotions because so much was at stake in these interventions with Israel.
Some of the prophets set their oracles to music. This was another
way they could ensure that their message would spread and be remembered. Isaiah, for example, introduces one oracle with, “I will sing for
the one I love a song about his vineyard.” This particular oracle presents
an extended metaphor, describing Israel as a well-tended vineyard that
failed to produce the fruit the Keeper wanted: the justice and righteousness that God had been cultivating in them.
We present these books of the prophets in an order that follows their
general historical sequence. As Israel journeys from the time of the
empire of Assyria, through the period of the rule of Babylon and then
Persia, to the return of the people to their homeland, the prophets
are present to speak into Israel’s various historical situations. The collections cannot all be dated precisely. Jonah and Joel are particularly
difficult to locate historically, so they are placed last and can be read in
view of the larger prophetic tradition.
As Israel’s wayfaring continues through the centuries, the prophets
relentlessly remind the people of their true calling. Even through the
dark abyss of exile and the loss of land and home, their hope for the
future remains. This story is God’s, and at the end of the day he will act
to save his people—and his world.
