The Eighth Century Prophets
The Eighth Century Prophets
Amos
Amos, whose name means "load or burden," lived in Tekoa, a town about five miles southeast of Bethlehem. His character was harsh and he was not known for his sympathy and warmth but rather for his sense of justice and right. His occupation was that of a herdsman of sheep as well as taking care of sycamore (wild fig) trees. He was not of the priestly nor prophetic line but was called to be a prophet of Israel while engaged in his humble occupation. (Pfeiffer & Harrison) His claim that the Lord called him directly puts him in line with all the prophets who experienced a direct revelation from God. (Pfeiffer & Harrison)
It is generally believed that Amos, a minor prophet, prophesied about 760 BC. During this time period the king of Israel (the northern kingdom) was Jeroboam II and the king of Judah (the southern kingdom) was Ahaziah. The period of Amos was a time of political security for Israel, which was reflected in the pride and carelessness of the ruling classes. Although Amos was a native of Judah, he prophesied in the Northern Kingdom. His preaching aroused such antagonism, however, that he returned to Judah, where he committed his message to writing. (Pfeiffer & Harrison)
The message of Amos, for the most part, is "a cry for justice." The prophesies of the Book of Amos are of almost unrelieved gloom. He can clearly see that the softness and corruption at the heart of Israel will make her fall an easy prey to the invader. The messages of Amos were delivered in an atmosphere of unprecedented material prosperity, accompanied by a widespread decay of moral values and a wicked oppression of the poor. (Phillips) In Amos 1:2, we see a vivid picture of the Lord as a lion whose roar to the north reaches all the way to Mt. Carmel. This describes what God is doing through Amos, proclaiming a fiery message of condemnation and judgment against Israel and the surrounding nations. ("Studies in the Minor Prophets")
The only note of hope in this book seems to be in the far future, when God's judgments and punishments are over and the nation is restored to its own land. (Phillips)
Hosea
The name of Hosea means "salvation." It is equivalent to Joshua, the successor to Moses; to Hoshea, the last king of Israel. Hosea was most likely a citizen of the northern kingdom. His familiarity with the circumstances and topography of the northern kingdom and the fact that he speaks of Israel's king as "our king" are further confirmation of this fact. All that can be learned about Hosea must be taken from his book, which simply states that he was the son of Beeri. (Freeman) Some think he may have been a priest, in view of his high regard for the duties and responsibilities of the priesthood. ("Studies in the Minor Prophets")
Since Hosea does not mention the fall of Samaria as an accomplished fact, it is thought that he ministered for the most part before 722 BC. Most of his prophetic ministry took place from 750 to 725 BC. (Pfeiffer & Harrison) During this time, the northern kingdom of Israel was on its last leg. Sin was even more rampant than seen in the book of Amos; religious, moral, and political corruption was rampant. One word sums up the condition of the nation of Israel, harlotry (whoredom, KJV), used thirteen times throughout the book. ("Studies in the Minor Prophets") Hosea begins his prophecies a few years after the message of Amos. The disasters have already begun, and Hosea speaks as a daily observer of Israel's unfaithfulness and corruption. (Phillips)
Hosea was commanded to marry "a wife of harlotry." So Hosea married a woman named Gomer. This would become a parallel to what was happening in Israel at the time. If the parallel between Gomer and Israel is exact, then Gomer was not a harlot at the time of the marriage; but her background would prompt her to become one. Gomer, during her marriage with Hosea, bears three children. The first child was named "Jezreel" which means "God sows"; his name prefigured God's judgment on the ruling house of Israel. The second child was named "Lo-Ruhamah" which means ...
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Hosea was commanded to marry "a wife of harlotry." So Hosea married a woman named Gomer. This would become a parallel to what was happening in Israel at the time. If the parallel between Gomer and Israel is exact, then Gomer was not a harlot at the time of the marriage; but her background would prompt her to become one. Gomer, during her marriage with Hosea, bears three children. The first child was named "Jezreel" which means "God sows"; his name prefigured God's judgment on the ruling house of Israel. The second child was named "Lo-Ruhamah" which means "no mercy"; her name describes God's attitude toward Israel, though Judah still found grace in God's sight. It is very interesting that some suggest that the daughter (and the son to follow) were not Hosea's since it does not say she bore "him" (Hosea) a daughter, as before. This would suggest Gomer had become a harlot during this time. The third child was named "Lo-Ammi" which means "not my people"; his name describes the declaration of God's rejection of Israel. Through this Hosea and Gomer separated for a time. Hosea's love for her persisted and they eventually re-married. This also parallels with God's dealings with Israel. After vowing faithfulness to the Law of the Lord, Israel went lusting after Baal and the other gods of Canaan until God brought about a temporary rejection (the Exile), after which chastened Israel was returned to Gods favor in the land of Judah. (Pfeiffer & Harrison)
Micah
His name is a rather common one in the Old Testament, appearing numerous times in one form or another. Micah is a shortened form of Micaiah, meaning "Who is likeYahweh?" The minor prophet is called "Micah the Morashtite," that is, a native of Moresheth-gath, the name signifying a possession of Gath. Although the site of the city is not precisely known, it was in the Shephelah and is mentioned elsewhere. (Freeman)
Micah's father's name is not given, however, his name indicates pious and faithful parents. He was from Judah and began his work at the time of Jotham king of Judah (southern kingdom 739 - 735 BC), Ahaz king of Judah (735 - 715), and Hezekiah king of Judah (715 - 687).
Micah prophesied in Jerusalem (southern kingdom) and condemned the sins of the northern kingdom as he prophesied and witnessed its fall. Micah's prophesy is not presented in the form of systematic treatise. This may be due to the fact that it contains a collection of oracles, subsequently written by the prophet or one of his disciples. (Pfeiffer & Harrison)
The moral and spiritual situation in Judah during the time of Micah was low. Religion was a matter of form; the observance of ceremonial ritual was believed adequate to insure divine favor and acceptance. Idolatry was widespread, foreign elements were introduced into the worship, human sacrifice was practiced, and the priests and prophets taught and divined for hire. Nobles fleeced the poor, judges accepted bribes, and the rich took advantage of the poor widows and orphans. (Freeman)
Micah had no political advice to offer. His message is religious and ethical, and very much down to earth. Micah paints a terrible picture of the decay of ordinary justice, the abuse of power by the court judges and the prevalence of bribery. He speaks of the exploitation of the poor and needy, of the rich landowners who are squeezing out those who cannot pay their exorbitant demands. Consequently there is widespread misery and degradation. The lust for money has invaded the religious sphere and even priest and prophet have grown accustomed to favoring the rich and browbeating the poor. (Phillips)
Micah preached for the cause of the oppressed, fearlessly following the leadership of the Holy Spirit. He preached at the risk of his own life and his messages reflect the prevailing corruptions. His allusions to the Assyrians show what was the common topic of the day. (Smith)
Jonah
Jonah, whose name in Hebrew means "dove", was known as Jonah ben Amittai. He is described as a prophet of Gath-hepher in Zebulon, a town of lower Galilee. As a member of the northern kingdom be would therefore be considered a prophet of Israel. (Freeman)
Jonah prophesied under Jeroboam II king of Israel (northern kingdom) (782 - 753), when Israel regained its ancient boundaries from Hamath on the north to the Sea of the Arabah on the south.
There is much controversy over how this book and the prophet's stories should be interpreted. This book has been interpreted as a legend, a parable, a myth, and a prophetic allegory; and it has also been taken as history with Messianic import. Regardless of how the book is interpreted, there is a definite message given. Jonah is told by the Lord to go to Nineveh and preach to the Ninevites. Instead he flees and takes passage on a ship due to sail to the far edge of the world. After the ship sets sail, a severe storm approaches. Frantically the sailors throw cargo overboard and start praying to their gods. Jonah is identified as the culprit for the storm and is cast overboard. The storm ceases and a large fish swallows Jonah. Jonah then prays to God for salvation after which the fish delivers him unharmed on the shore.
Jonah goes to Nineveh and briefly preaches Gods word throughout the city. The city responds to God with repentance and God hears their prayers and lifts the threat of destruction. Jonah views the deliverance as a negation of his prophecy and then prays to God with complaints. To teach Jonah a lesson, God prepares a fast growing vine to shade Jonah from the elements and provide him with shelter, and then the next night sends a worm to destroy the vine. After God sends a hot east wind to blow over Jonah, Jonah wishes for death. This lesson demonstrates that Jonah was more concerned for his own comfort whereas God is concerned for the salvation of sinful men.
Isaiah
Isaiah, whose name means "Yahweh saves", was the son of Amoz who was the brother of King Amaziah. He was a townsman, courtier, and an aristocrat. Isaiah was married to a "prophetess" and had two sons, Shear-jashub and Maher-sahlal-hash-baz. He mainly worked in Judah and Jerusalem and had access to the royal court as a trusted advisor of King Hezekiah. Isaiah was a man of great personal courage and well spoken. (Freeman)
Isaiah's ministry was concerned primarily with Judah and Jerusalem at a very crucial period of the nation's history, which formed the background for his prophesies. Several of his significant messages are directly related to the critical circumstances encountered by Judah in the second half of the eighth century, such as the Syro-Ephraimitic war (734). His prophecies are by no means limited to Judah, however, as he pronounces judgment upon Babylon, Assyria, and Egypt, as well as upon the surrounding nations, and occasionally upon Israel. (Freeman)
From about 742 BC, when he first experienced his call to become a prophet, to about 687, Isaiah influenced the course of Judah's history by his oracles of destruction, judgment, and hope as well as his messages containing both threats and promises.
Intimately acquainted with worship on Mt. Zion because of his priest-prophet position, with the Temple and its rich imagery and ritualistic practices, and possessed of a deep understanding of the meaning of kingship in Judah theologically and politically, Isaiah was able to interpret and advise both leaders and the common people of the Covenant promises of Yahweh, the Lord of Hosts. Because they were imbued with the following beliefs-God dwelt on Mt. Zion, in the Temple in the city of Jerusalem, and in the person of the King-the messianic phrase "God is with us" (Immanuel) Isaiah used was not a pallid abstraction of a theological concept but a concrete living reality that found its expression in the Temple theology and message of the great prophet. (Smith)
Around 734 BC Isaiah began to challenge the policies of King Ahaz of Judah. Syria and Israel had joined forces against Judah. Isaiah's advice to the young King of Judah was to place his trust in Yahweh. Apparently Isaiah believed that Assyria would take care of the northern threat. Ahaz, in timidity, did not want to request a sign from Yahweh. In exasperation Isaiah told the King that Yahweh would give him a sign anyway: "Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Thus, by the time this child is able to know how to choose good and refuse evil, the two minor kings of the north who were threatening Judah will be made ineffective by the Assyrians. The name Immanuel, "God is with us," would be meaningful in this situation because God on Mt. Zion and represented in the person of the king would be faithful to his Covenant people. Ahaz, however, placed his trust in an alliance with Assyria. In order to give hope to the people, who were beginning to experience the Assyrian encroachments on Judaean lands in 738 BC, Isaiah uttered an oracle to "the people who walked in darkness": "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah trusted that Yahweh would bring about a kingdom of peace under a Davidic ruler. (Smith)
From 732 to 731 BC, the year the northern kingdom fell, Isaiah continued to prophesy in Judah but probably not in any vociferous manner until the Assyrians conquered Samaria. The king of the Assyrians is described as the rod of God's anger, but Assyria also will experience the judgment of God for its atrocities in time of war. During one of the periods of Assyrian expansion towards Judah, Isaiah uttered his famous Davidic messianic (salvatory figure) oracle in which he prophesies the coming of a "shoot from the stump of Jesse," upon which the Spirit of the Lord will rest and who will establish the "peaceable kingdom" in which "the wolf shall dwell with the lamb." ("The Prophet Isaiah")
In 705 BC Hezekiah, a generally astute and reform-minded king, began to be caught up in the power struggle between Babylon, Egypt, and Assyria. Isaiah urged Hezekiah to remain neutral during the revolutionary turmoil. Though Sennacherib of Assyria moved south to crush the rebellion of the Palestinian vassal states, Isaiah-contrary to his previous advocacy of neutrality-urged his king to resist the Assyrians because the Lord, rather than the so-called Egyptian allies, who "are men, and not God," will protect Jerusalem. He then prophesied a coming age of justice and of the Spirit who will bring about a renewed creation. ("The Prophet Isaiah")
Bibliography
Pfeiffer & Harrison (1990) The Wycliffe Bible Commentary Moody Press
Freeman (1976) An Introduction to the Old Testament Prophets Moody Press
Phillips (1963) Four Prophets The Macmillan Company
"Studies in the Minor Prophets" http://www.ccel.org/contrib/exec_outlines/mp.htm
Smith (1965) The Prophets and Their Times Chicago Press
"The Prophet Isaiah" http://encarta.msn.com
