The Role Of The Old Testament Prophets
The prophets were from different places and backgrounds and they delivered in different styles. During Israel’s monarchy, the prophets were appointed to give revelations, warnings, encouragement, and guidance to kings and to God’s people. The prophets are people driven by a higher calling. Those whom the bible explicitly designates as prophets are said to speak in God’s name and to communicate God’s message (Path of the Prophets, The Ethics-Driven Life, preface xvii). “God’s instruction to the people of God was of His laws, statutes, and judgments, and how to be obedient and pleasing to God” (Jeremiah 7:1-7, The New King James Version).
The Old Testament prophets acted as a mouthpiece for God, receiving a message, or a vision from Him and proclaiming it in accordance with His commands. Throughout history, God warned His people, the Israelites, that He sent prophets to warn them and gave them insight on what He wanted them to do or turn away from. The Israelites turned their backs and would not listen to the prophets God placed in their path. Most of these prophets were murdered and led a hard life. There were four Major Prophets and twelve Minor Prophets. The labels major and minor mean that the length and the prophecy were recorded. Each one of these prophets’ prophetic message from God was different and was tailored for that particular prophet. A prophetic word deals with future events. Daniel predicted the rise and fall of several empires in the ancient world. Isaiah predicted that Jesus would be born to a virgin, (Isaiah 7:14, The New King James Version). Amos claimed, “This is what the Lord said” (Amos 1:3, The New King James Version).
The prophet’s role was not only to reveal God’s message, but to make known of God’s holiness, of His disdain for idolatry, and His desire for Israel to repent. The prophets arose in Israel at the time when Kings were misdirecting the people. The kings worshipped idols and expected their people to worship these idols. They were leading the people away from God’s plan for them.
When the prophets spoke what God had given them, this often was followed by terrible consequences. Accepting the calling must have been a known fact and one would die in this prophetic role. These anointed vessels were met with such ridicule, mocked, mistreated, and eventually led to death. The prophets continued with their purpose, sharing the truth with God’s people until Jesus came centuries later. To conclude, if a person said they were a prophet, and their prophecy was incorrect, death was sure to follow. The bible confirms that the punishment for speaking falsely in God’s name ended in death. Both outcomes were similar, but the wonderful difference was that the true prophets were heaven-bound.
References
Schwartz, L.B. (2018). Path of The Prophets: The Ethics-Driven Life. University of Nebraska Press Jewish Publication Society: Lincoln, NE. Tenney, M.C & Barabas, S. (1975-1976). The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible (Volume 4). Grand Rapids, MI.
