This is the third part of my very brief overview of the Old Testament. Recall that we said last time that the New Testament refers to the Hebrew Scriptures as “The law and the prophets.” In this episode, we examine the role of a prophet. This is an attempt to make the Old Testament applicable to our everyday lives.

Hello, this is Chris Young. Welcome to Episode 104 of Contemplating Life.

In this episode, I continue a multi-part series based on my 30 years of teaching the Catholic faith in my local parish’s inquiry program.

As always, whenever I talk about religion, I’m not out to convert anyone. I’m just telling my stories.

Note: Handout materials for this lesson are available as PDFs linked in the episode description.

This is the third and final part of my very brief overview of the Old Testament. Recall that we said last time that the New Testament refers to the Hebrew Scriptures as “the law and the prophets.” In this episode, we examine the role of a prophet. This is an attempt to make the Old Testament applicable to our everyday lives.

We often think of a prophet as someone who predicts the future. While that does occasionally occur, that’s not their primary role.

I like to think of prophets as God’s Press Secretary or spokesperson. If you are a fan of the old TV series The West Wing, which was popular when I first started teaching this lesson, President Bartlett’s press secretary was CJ. Craig. She would come out before the press and say something like, “Today, President Bartlett initiated a new legislative agenda which will do… blah, blah, blah.” Similarly, the Old Testament prophets would go before the people and say, “Thus says the Lord, God of Israel… blah blah blah.”

It’s also important to consider what kind of message the prophets were delivering. Most of the time, it was to call people back to God when they were going astray. They would remind the people of all that God had done for them and that they had agreed to a covenant relationship with him.

Sometimes, prophets would have dreams or visions of what the future would hold for the Chosen People. Typically, these dreams foretold that if people reformed their lives and returned to God, they would prosper. Alternatively, if they continued to go astray, the people would suffer. So, in some respects, these predictions of the future were self-fulfilling prophecies.

It should be noted that much of what we consider “prophecy” in the Old Testament was written after the events had already unfolded. An event would occur, and they would write that it had been prophesied in advance.

Furthermore, Christian apologists look at Old Testament passages and interpret events as a prophecy about Jesus. In reality, many of these stories that seem to point to Jesus or foreshadow his coming were not actually written about him.

For example, in Matthew 1:18-23, Joseph is visited by an angel in a dream and told that his fiancée, Mary, is pregnant, but that she conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and that he should not divorce her. The angel says in part, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,’ which means, ‘God is with us.’” This is a reference to Isaiah 7:14, which says, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign; the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name him Emmanuel.”

Notice that it says, “young woman” and not “virgin.” The Greek Septuagint mistranslates the word as “virgin”; thus, when Matthew quotes it, he uses the term “virgin” to reinforce the idea of the virgin birth of Jesus.

Apart from this mistaken translation, when Isaiah wrote it, it was not intended as a prophecy. It referred to contemporary events during King Ahaz’s time. This is just one of many so-called predictions about the Messiah that were not originally intended as prophecy. The New Testament authors were familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures and sought every opportunity to draw connections. This is especially true in Matthew’s Gospel, as he aims to portray Jesus within the context of Jewish history.

So, let’s not focus on the predictive powers of the prophets. We will concentrate more on their role of calling people back to God when they go astray. To help us wrap our brains around these ideas, let’s consider some more modern historical figures who I believe are also a type of prophet.

I propose that Abraham Lincoln was a prophet in delivering his famous Gettysburg Address. You probably had to memorize that speech in grade school, but did you ever really stop to think what he was saying?

It was just 87 years ago that our country was “conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” He is reminding us that human equality is not just a value that we hold but is the very foundation of our country from its conception. He goes on to say, “Now we are engaged in a great civil war testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated can long endure.”

In essence, he’s saying that the war isn’t about North versus South. It isn’t about the economic reasons for the war. While it certainly is about slavery, on a deeper level, the entire concept behind America is on trial. He is calling us back to our roots. He is asking us whether we really believe in human equality. Why did these people die on this battlefield? It was so that a nation “of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from this earth.”

He is challenging us to remember what we are all about and to continue to live out that mission. That is what a prophet does.

Before we move on from Lincoln, let’s go off topic for a moment and talk about the enormity of what he did. For all of human history, the idea that human beings could be property that can be brought, owned, and sold was the natural order of things. There is absolutely nothing in Scripture that condemns slavery. In nearly every instance, it condones it. It acts as though it is no big deal. The best that can be said for Scripture on the topic of slavery is that in various places it says you should treat your slaves well. The concept of human ownership is entirely permissible in Scripture.

The American Revolution was based upon the radically new idea that people could govern themselves. The American Civil War was about the similarly radical view that human beings are not property. Lincoln dedicated his political career and ultimately gave his life for that idea.

If you ever wonder if massive moral reform is beyond the capability of the human race, if you ever think that we will always have wars and violence, if you think that hatred will prevail over compassion, look at Lincoln. He, and the other abolitionists of his time took a stance and eliminated institutionalized slavery.

Sure, not everyone experiences the kind of equality and dignity that our American ideals espoused. Circumstances such as generational poverty enslave people. Minorities, especially women, are abused and denied fundamental rights. However, in most of the world, the idea of ownership of human beings has largely been eliminated.

That’s why I think Lincoln was a prophet who spoke for God.

As our next example, consider the famous inaugural address of John F. Kennedy, in which he challenges us with the words, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” So often, especially today, people think of “the government” as some outside entity that controls their lives. JFK is reminding us that we are the government. The government only works when we participate. It’s not some outside influence that we should depend upon for a handout or that we should fear for its control over us. We are the government. Again, this is a prophetic message reminding us of our core values.

I also noted that prophets are often dreamers who envision a better future. And what better example of that do we have than the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his famous speech, “I have a dream.” He envisions a future where people are judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. He is calling us to follow a righteous path in the same way the Old Testament dreamers, such as Daniel and other prophets, called the people to follow the ways of the Lord.

So, I hope that by examining some of these more modern historical prophets, we can better understand the prophets of the Old Testament.

Let’s look at some specific examples of other things prophets do.

Prophets guide us on our journey. Throughout much of Exodus, from chapters 3-24, we learn that Moses was not only God’s spokesperson but also guided the Chosen People to the Promised Land.

Often, a prophet will remind us of all that God has done for us. Moses didn’t get to enter the promised land, but Joshua took over as leader. In Joshua 24, he recounts all the good things that God had done for them.

It says…

Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, summoning the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel. When they stood in ranks before God, Joshua addressed all the people: “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: [There is that press secretary mode I was talking about earlier.] In times past, your ancestors, down to Terah,b father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River and served other gods. But I brought your father Abraham from the region beyond the River and led him through the entire land of Canaan. I made his descendants numerous, and gave him Isaac. [Joshua 24:1-3]

[Skipping to verse 5]

“Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and struck Egypt with the plagues and wonders that I wrought in her midst.e Afterward I led you out. And when I led your ancestors out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued your ancestors to the Red Sea with chariots and charioteers. [Joshua 24:5-6]

[Skipping to verse 8]

I brought you into the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I delivered them into your power. You took possession of their land, and I destroyed them at your approach. [Joshua 24:8]

[Skipping to verse 13. I really like this one.]

I gave you a land you did not till and cities you did not build, to dwell in; you ate of vineyards and olive groves you did not plant. “Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve him completely and sincerely. Cast out the gods your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. [Joshua 24:13-14]

[Joshua, speaking on behalf of God, then offers them a clear choice. Who are you going to serve? Continuing with verse 15.]

If it is displeasing to you to serve the LORD, choose today whom you will serve, the gods your ancestors served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling.

[Next comes a well-known passage of Scripture that many people have posted in their homes. It illustrates that a prophet leads by example. Joshua says…]

As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

But the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods. For it was the LORD, our God, who brought us and our ancestors up out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. He performed those great signs before our very eyes and protected us along our entire journey and among all the peoples through whom we passed. At our approach, the LORD drove out all the peoples, including the Amorites who dwelt in the land. Therefore, we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God.” [Joshua 24:15-18]

Joshua could have just said, “Okay, cool. You guys made the right choice. But he is speaking for God. And God gives us free will. He’s making sure they understand the choice they are making.

“You may not be able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God; he is a passionate God who will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve strange gods, he will then do evil to you and destroy you, after having done you good.” [Joshua 24:19-20]

Okay, so that’s a bit of Old Testament mentality. That’s like when your mother tells you you better behave, or when your father gets home, there will be hell to pay. In the Old Testament, humanity was still a child, and we had to be motivated to behave well. The threat of punishment was important. That may not be the loving God we see in the New Testament, but remember our thesis: God didn’t change; we did. God our father was looking out for us, even though he seemed harsh in doing so. Continuing with verse 21…

But the people answered Joshua, “No! We will serve the LORD.”

Finally, in verse 25, it says, “So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem.”

There is another example of a covenant that we discussed in the previous episode.

Moving along… A prophet also points out to us the consequences we face when we don’t follow God. In the first chapter of Deuteronomy, Moses recounts their approach to the Promised Land, which was occupied by the Amorites. Moses told them that the Lord was giving them this land. Go ahead, occupy. God is on our side.

The people were skeptical. They wanted to send scouts ahead so they would know which road to take. Moses agreed. The scouts reported back that it was a great place. They brought back some lovely fruit, showing what a rich land it was.

In Deuteronomy 1:26-28, Moses complains, “But you refused to go up, and after defying the command of the LORD, your God, you set to murmuring in your tents, ‘Out of hatred for us the LORD has brought us up out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites and destroy us. What shall we meet with up there? Our kinsmen have made us fainthearted by reporting that the people are stronger and taller than we, and their cities are large and fortified to the sky; besides, they saw the Anakim there.” The Anakim were feared people who were often described as giants. There is some indication that Goliath the giant who was later killed by David was a descendent of the Anakim.

Anyway, Moses told them to proceed, that God would protect them, but they didn’t listen. Moses told them no one of their generation would see the Promised Land because they were too fearful. Only the next generation would get to see it. All except for Caleb and Joshua, and their families, because they were faithful.

Once they hesitated, Moses told them not to go. Because they doubted, God would no longer support them. The people decided to proceed with the fight despite Moses’ warning not to. They ultimately lost to the Amorites. One could argue that those who doubted were right all along. However Scripture takes the position that Moses warned them that they would suffer for their lack of trust, and he was right.

Sometimes the guidance of a prophet can be a personal one-on-one situation. We come to one of my favorite examples in Scripture in 2 Samuel 11-12.

It’s the famous story of King David and his lust for Bathsheba. One day, David is sitting in his mansion, looking out the window, when he sees a beautiful woman sunbathing nude on the rooftop next to him. He inquires who she is and discovers she is the wife of one of his generals, Uriah. Despite pretty clear commandments against adultery and literally coveting your neighbor’s wife, he summons Bathsheba and one thing leads to another. Doesn’t it always? Did you ever have one thing that didn’t leads to another? Anyway…

She ends up pregnant. So David orders Uriah back home so that he can be with Bathsheba and then he will presume that the baby is his. Unfortunately for Dave, Uriah is a man of honor. He refuses to take time off from his military duties because his men don’t have the opportunity to come home to their wives. Rats. What to do next?

David orders his army into battle; when Uriah is on the front lines, the army withdraws, leaving Uriah undefended. Our hero Uriah died a noble death in battle. So sad.

The prophet Nathan was David’s advisor and friend. In 2 Samuel 12:1-12 it says…

The LORD sent Nathan to David. [There is that spokesperson role again. Nathan is speaking for God.] … and when he came to him, he said: “Judge this case for me! In a certain town, there were two men, one rich, the other poor. The rich man had flocks and herds in great numbers. But the poor man had nothing at all except one little ewe lamb that he had bought. He nourished her, and she grew up with him and his children. She shared the little food he had and drank from his cup, and slept in his bosom. She was like a daughter to him.

“Now, the rich man received a visitor, but he would not take from his own flocks and herds to prepare a meal for the wayfarer who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and made a meal of it for his visitor.”

David grew very angry with that man and said to Nathan: “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this merits death! He shall restore the ewe lamb fourfold because he has done this and has had no pity.”

Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘I anointed you king of Israel. I rescued you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your lord’s house and your lord’s wives for your own. [Yes, that was wives plural. So much for the idea of biblical marriage between one maInn and one woman. Anyway, continuing…] I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were not enough, I could count up for you still more. Why have you spurned the LORD and done evil in his sight? You have cut down Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you took his wife as your own, and him you killed with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah to be your wife. Thus says the LORD: ‘I will bring evil upon you out of your own house. I will take your wives while you live to see it, and will give them to your neighbor. He shall lie with your wives in broad daylight. You have done this deed in secret, but I will bring it about in the presence of all Israel, and with the sun looking down.'” [Wow, Nate, don’t hold back any. Tell us what you really think.]

Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”

Nathan answered David: “The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin: you shall not die.”

By the way, God did forgive David, but David still suffered the consequences of his sin. Not only was he in constant battle the rest of his life, but he also lost the son he had with Bathsheba to illness.

This story is especially meaningful to me because there have been times in my life when people who loved me have taken on the role of the prophet. In one particular case, I will never forget, I did something incredibly stupid. A very dear friend called me aside one day and said, “What you did today was out of character.” Those words, “out of character,” really hit me hard. In essence, they were saying, “The Chris that I know and care about isn’t like that. This isn’t you. You are better than that.” They were right. I screwed up. While I didn’t wasn’t nearly as bad as murdering my neighbor to sleep with his wife, I felt like I was David and my friend was being Nathan.

There have been other times when, unfortunately, I felt like I had to be a prophet. Sometimes for a friend. Other times for my church. We’ll talk about that more in a minute.

As an aside for a minute, note Nathan’s use of the phrase “As the Lord lives.” You will hear that phrase repeated a lot. This was sort of an Old Testament way of saying something like “God as my witness…whatever.” It was sort of like swearing an oath without actually swearing an oath, which, of course, was forbidden. If someone said, “As the Lord lives,” you knew they meant business.

Change of plans here. Having recorded this episode and done a rough edit, is over an hour long. So were going to split this episode here and pick up next time and wrap up our look at the prophets and the Old Testament.

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