Prophets Week 27

1. ProphetsWeek 27 2 Peter 1:12: “I shall always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them…”

2. Outline for Tonight • Review of readings this week • Demonstrate the power of object lessons • Who or what is a prophet • Some tips for reading the prophets • Work of the prophets • Handouts to help place the kings and prophets within the divided kingdoms • Listings of the prophets • Do we have prophets today?

3. Review of Readings This Week • Micah’s prophecy regarding Judah • Beginning of Israel’s captivity by Assyria • Isaiah’s prophecies about a Savior • Isaiah’s prophecies and judgments against various nations

4. The Power of Object Lessons • A minister (we will call him Matthew) decided a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon. So he put four worms in 4 different cans. • The first worm was put in a can of alcohol. • The second worm was put in a can of cigarette smoke. • The third worm was put in a can of chocolate syrup. • The fourth worm was put in a can of good clean soil. • At the conclusion of his sermon Matthew reported the following results: • First worm in alcohol DEAD • Second worm in cigarette smoke DEAD • Third worm in chocolate syrup DEAD • Fourth worm in clean soil ALIVE • Matthew asked the congregation “what have you learned from this demonstration?” He was hoping they would learn the value of good, clean living. • Leslie was sitting in the back of the church. She raised her hand and responded “As long as you drink, smoke, and eat chocolate you won’t have worms!” • That pretty much ended the service.

5. Who or What Is A Prophet? • They were forth-tellers, not necessarily fore-tellers • Very simply put, prophets declared (made known) the word of the Lord to the people • Prophet = Preacher / Teacher • AKA: Seer, Mouthpiece, Oracle

6. Some Tips in Reading the Prophets • Remember the 5 W’s when reading – Who, What, When, Where, Why • Who was their message intended for – Judah or Israel or someone else. • Who were the kings when the prophet was active – usually identified at the beginning of their writings. • What was the political and religious climate during their period of activity. • When was the prophet active – pre-exile, during the exile, or post-exile. • Where were they physically located. • Why did they write: to warn, to encourage, to give hope, or something else. It seems the why depends on the when.

7. Work of the Prophets • Spoke the word of the Lord • Told the people what the were doing wrong • Exhorted the people to change their ways • Warned of consequences if they did not change their actions • Proclaimed the Lord’s judgments on various peoples and nations

8. Hosea, Amos, and Isaiah

9. Ahijah Iddo Jehu Elijah Micaiah Elisha Jonah Amos Hosea Shemaiah Azariah Hanani Jahaziel Eliezer Obadiah Joel Isaiah Micah Oded Nahum Huldah Zephaniah Jeremiah Habakkuk Daniel Ezekiel Haggai Zechariah Malachi Israel Judah Note: Not all of the prophets to Israel and Judah wrote books.

10. Major Prophets Minor Prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi

11. Modern Day Prophets • Do we have prophets today? • If yes, who are they? • Reference: Eph. 4:11