Posts Tagged: prophets
“PROPHETS AND PREDICTORS”
I am currently teaching a class on biblical prophets, especially, the Old Testament prophets. One of the most difficult things for my students to wrap their mind around is the idea that the prophets are not primarily predictors of the distant future.
Notice that I said that they are “. . . not primarily predictors . . . .” I do believe that the prophets could and did predict the future. However, I do not believe that this was their main task.
Well then, what was their main task?
I suspect that the main task of the prophet was to call God’s people back to their main tasks: to trust and obey God, which involved God’s people cultivating personal integrity and a fair society.
One of the things that the prophets especially emphasized was the need to take good care of the weakest members of their society: widows, orphans, foreigners, the poor. Those who just looked after themselves were the targets of some of the prophets’ sternest condemnations.
And yet, all of these things—trust, obedience, personal integrity, and a fair society that takes care of those on the margin—are connected. Without trust in God, obedience, integrity, and fairness are difficult to pull off. Believe me, I’ve tried it without God!
I have to admit that there are certainly some atheists who are better at integrity and fairness than many who at least say they believe in God. Granted.
However, if there is a God who is good and wise and powerful, it might be more effective to involve that God in our striving for personal integrity and a fair society.
Now, let me bring this brief blog full circle. The prophets did predict the future. However, it was not primarily the distant future. Rather, they predicted the immediate future. And the prophets contended that God was very much involved in this immediate future. With God, the future of God’s people, and indeed all the people of the world, would be good. Without God, bad things were coming.
That’s a pretty simple prediction, isn’t it? Well, the prophets weren’t generally into being subtle. They were generally into Truth.
DOWN TO EARTH BELIEVER
- “Even a Sliver of Light” April 9, 2024“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:6, English Standard Version) I missed the total eclipse yesterday. There were a number of good reasons for this, but […]
- “The Process in Miracles and the Miracle of Process” March 11, 2024“2 Kings 5:1 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2 Now the Syrians on one of their raids […]
- “The Power of Encouragement—Even for Old People” March 10, 2024“But encourage each other every day while it is ‘today.’ Help each other so none of you will become hardened because sin has tricked you.” (Hebrews 3:13, New Century Version) Yesterday, I was walking at a nearby park. There was a large group of young people some of whom were running while other young people […]
- “Endurance” March 10, 2024“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” (Hebrews 10:36, English Standard Version) “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us […]
- “The Limits of Non-Judgmentalism” February 24, 2024“Matt. 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. Matt. 7:2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2, English Standard Version) This morning, in my virtual 12-step meeting, we discussed the topic of judgmentalism. There were many wise […]
- “Delighting in Being Told What to Do?!?” February 23, 2024“Psa. 112:1 Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! 2 His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures […]
- “Character is the Real Lesson” January 19, 2024I am often confused about what lesson I’m really supposed to be learning. For example, this morning I was trying to knock out several Spanish lessons. My intentions were a lot better than my internet connection. I’ve done three lessons. Or rather, I’ve done two lessons. One of them I did twice because the internet […]
- “The Year of Becoming Un-Planked” January 1, 2024Each year, I try to come up with one word or a short phrase for what I intend to work on in the upcoming year. 2024 is “The Year of Becoming Un-Planked”. What?!! What does that even mean? So glad that you asked! Jesus said to his disciples, “Why do you look at the speck […]
- “Searching for the Noble One” December 26, 2023My wife and I were reading Luke, chapter 2 on Christmas Day. Luke 2 talks about the shepherds being told to look for this very special child—in fact, this King—in a stable. I prefer the word “barn”. I grew up on a farm. I know what a barn is. A stable is entirely too biblical […]
- “That Don’t Impress God Much” December 14, 2023DTEB, “That Don’t Impress God Much” “That Don’t Impress Me Much” (Song by Robert John Lange and Shania Twain) Micah 6:8 (MSG) “But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be […]
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