The term prophet had a wide meaning among the Israelites, since it also included people like Abraham, Moses, and Miriam. That is why some so-called historical books are often called the early prophets. Jewish traditions hold that there were 48 male prophets, and seven female prophets, Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah, and Esther. Others have recognized Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah as female prophets also. Thus, there is a wide range of written prophetic books in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament. The Hebrew prophetic dominant message was a return to Yahweh and his laws. They were to protect the poor, the orphans, and the widows. Justice and righteousness dominate in their messages. Yahweh would judge them. Although some Israelites were sinners, they would have a bright future if they turned from their evil ways to Yahweh.
their evil ways
To preach or not to preach (Mic 2:6-2:7)
“‘Do not preach!’
This is what they preach.
‘One should not preach
Of such things.
Disgrace will not
Overtake us.’
Should this be said?
O house of Jacob!
Is Yahweh’s patience
Exhausted?
Are these his doings?
Do not my words
Do good
To him
Who walks uprightly?’”
Micah indicated the difference between false preaching and true preaching. Was Micah to preach or not? Did he only have to say good things in order to preach? Should he be careful about what he said? Is it disgraceful to speak about bad things? Has Yahweh exhausted all his patience? However, Micah believed that his harsh words from Yahweh would help those who were upright. The evil ones would not like to hear about their evil ways.
God saves Nineveh (Jon 3:10-3:10)
“When God saw
What they did,
How they turned
From their evil ways,
God changed his mind
About the calamity
That he had said
He would bring upon them.
Thus,
He did not do it.”
This is one of the few cases where God changing his mind. God did not bring destruction to Nineveh. God saw how the people and the leaders of Nineveh had turned from their evil ways. Thus, he decided not to bring destruction to this non-Israelite town, because of their repentance. God showed mercy to them.
Yahweh speaks to Jeremiah (Jer 26:2-26:3)
“Thus says Yahweh.
‘Stand in the court
Of Yahweh’s house!
Speak
To all the cities
Of Judah!
To all those
Who come to worship
In the house of Yahweh!
Speak to them
All the words
That I command you!
Do not hold back a word!
It may be
That they will listen.
Maybe they will turn
From their evil ways.
Then I may change
My mind
About the disaster
That I intend to bring
On them,
Because of their evil doings.’”
Yahweh told Jeremiah to stand in the Temple court. He was to speak to all the people from the cities of Judah who came to worship Yahweh in the Temple. Jeremiah was, as usual, to say only the words that Yahweh was going to tell him to say. However, he was not to hold back any words. Maybe the people of Judah would listen to him and turn from their evil ways. Then Yahweh would change his mind about the impending disaster that he intended to bring to the people of Judah because of their evil actions.
The message of Yahweh’s prophets (Jer 25:5-25:7)
“They said.
‘Every one of you!
Turn now
From your evil ways!
Turn now
From wrong doings!
You will remain
Upon the land
That Yahweh has given
To you
As well as your ancestors
From of old
And forever.
Do not go
After other gods
To serve them,
To worship them!
Do not provoke me to anger
With the work of your hands!
Then I will do you no harm.’
Says Yahweh.
‘Yet you did not listen to me.
Thus you have provoked me
To anger
With the work of your hands
To your own harm.’”
Jeremiah says that Yahweh’s prophets had told all of them to turn away from their evil ways and wicked doings. If they had done that, they would remain in the land that Yahweh gave to them and their ancestors forever. However, they were not to go after other gods, serving and worshipping them. Thus they should not provoke Yahweh to anger with their own hands. Yahweh was not going to harm them. However, they did not listen. They had to provoke him to anger with the works of their own hands that only brought harm to them.
Yahweh did not send false prophets (Jer 23:21-23:22)
“I did not send the prophets.
Yet they ran.
I did not speak to them.
Yet they prophesied.
But if they had stood
In my council,
Then they would have proclaimed
My words to my people.
They would have turned them
From their evil way,
From the evil of their doings.”
Yahweh clearly indicated that he had not sent these prophets who pretended to run and prophesize in his name. They were never part of his council. If they had been, they would have proclaimed to the people to turn away from their evil ways of doing things. However, they did not do that.
The disobedience of their ancestors (Jer 7:24-7:26)
“However their ancestors
Did not obey.
They did not
Incline their ears.
But in the stubbornness
Of their evil will,
They walked
In their own counsels.
They looked backward
Rather than forward.
From the day
That your ancestors came out
Of the land of Egypt
To this day,
I have persistently sent
All my servants,
The prophets,
To them,
Day after day.
Yet they did not listen to me.
They did not pay attention.
But stiffened their necks.
They did worse
Than their ancestors.”
Yahweh points out to Jeremiah that their ancestors did not obey God’s commands. They did not listen because they were stubborn in their evil ways. They relied on their own counsels, looking backward rather than forward. Yet since the day that they left Egypt, Yahweh has sent his prophet servants to them on a daily basis. However, they still have not listened or paid attention. Instead they stiffened their necks and were more disobedient than their ancestors.
The wrath of Yahweh (Isa 57:16-57:18)
“I will not continually accuse.
I will not always be angry.
The spirits would grow faint before me,
Even the souls that I have made.
Because of their wicked covetousness,
I was angry!
I struck them!
I hid!
I was angry!
But they kept turning back
To their own ways.
I have seen their ways.
But I will heal them.
I will lead them.
I will repay them with comfort.
I will create
For their mourners
The fruit of their lips.”
Third Isaiah says that the wrath of Yahweh will not exist forever. He is not going to be angry all the time. He will stop accusing them. Otherwise their spirits would grow faint, even his own beloved ones. Their covetousness had made Yahweh angry. He hid from them. He struck them, but they kept turning back to their evil ways. Yahweh was going to heal them. He was going to be their leader and comfort them. He would help the mourners. The wrath of God would subside.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 