Unit 3: The Prophets Flashcards
PLNU BIB 1001 - Professor Amy Cuthbert Spring Fall 2024
T/F: the books of Joshua reveals that the people of Israel were able to gain the land of Israel without military battle.
False
What does “Prophet” mean in the Old Testament?
Someone who speaks for God, declaring his truth and the punishments and blessings that will follow their actions
Name 3 facts of Samuel
- Miracle baby of Hanna dedicated to the LORD
- Hears God’s Call in his youth
- sadden that people of Israel want a king instead of a God. Anoints first King of Israel as Saul and then David.
Saul’s Facts
- first anointed king of Israel
- tall, handsome dude, strong warrior
- Rejected by God and goes mad as David rises to fame in Israel
- dies in battle against the Philistines (kill himself before he can be captured and humiliated)
What are Saul’s character flaws?
- Prideful
- dishonest
- lack of integrity
- jealousy
David (The Good) Facts
- youngest in the family therefore overlooked to be king
- Faith to defeat, Goliath, humility and repentance, does not seek revenge against his enemies
- Makes Jerusalem the capital of Israel and brings back the arc
- desire to build God a temple
- called someone after God’s own heart
- inherit the messianic promise
How many football fields, the create the same size of Jerusalem with its walls?
11 football fields
David (the Bad) Facts
- has an affair with one of his general’s (Uriah) wife
- Has Uriah assassinated
- brings punishment to his country and his family
- terrible fighting among his sons to the point of David, needing to flee his own city
T/F: Saul was the perfect example of what God wanted it came to be
False
What was King David’s greatest Sin during his rule?
He had an affair with the wife of one of his leaders of his army
T/F: God allowed King David to build him a temple to honor him
False (Too much blood on David’s hands)
Who was Solomon?
- son of David and Bathsheba. Had to fight his bros to become king
- ask God for wisdom and whose books of wisdom are included in the writings of the Tanak.
- Ruled the golden age of Israel and acquire great health and prestige in the region
- built the temple for God and an even bigger palace for himself
- he studied world in nature
How many wives and concubines did Solomons Harem have?
700 Wives
300 Concubines
Solomon’s wives and concubines persuaded him to:
- worship other gods and allow this in Israel
- accumulate huge amounts of wealth
- construct a palace larger than the temple
- Used slave labor for construction projects
Holy of Holies
Table of Showbread
Altar of Incense
Priests’ rooms and storage
Arc of the Covenant
Cherubim
Veil
Lampstands
What’s the the name of the Northern Kingdom?
Israel (Ephraim)
What’s the name of the southern kingdom?
Southern kingdom of Judah
What is the reason for the split of the two kingdoms?
Primarily occurred due to political and social tension following the rain of King Solomon.
Northern tribes requested lighter taxation and relief. But denied by Rehoboam. Thus Leaving
Southern Tribes remained under Rehoboam and suffered with heavy taxation.
Baals: Who is Ei?
- considered the main leader, God that represented grain that controlled the harvest
Baals: Who is Yam?
God of the Sea
Baals: Who is Mot?
God of death
Baals: Who is Anat (Ashtoret)?
Female god of war (consort of Dragon)
Characteristics of Baals
- Many Gods
- Baals (Master in Hebrew)
- Temples in cities like the Jewish Temples but with idols inside.
- Focus on definition or an attempt to seek guidance in future predictions (require sacrifices to help earn guidance from these gods)
Who is prophet Elijah?
- prophet to the northern Kingdom; prophecies against King Ahab and Jezebel
- main prophetic message is to confront the king on Idolatry and injustice
- mentors Elisha to become his successor
What is the main reason for the split with the tribes of Israel into Ephraim and Judah?
Strict rule by the king of Jerusalem
What kingdom conquers the northern kingdom?
Assyrian Empire
Who conquers the southern kingdom, Judah?
Conquered by the Babylonian empire
King Solomon asked God for what gift?
Wisdom
What are the roles of prophets in the Old Testament?
- gave oral proclamations
- Prophet was a full time job many of them served among the kings and rulers
- not only limited in Israel and Judah, but was common in many other ancient cultures
- spoke for God, but also communicated information about what was happening in the nation and in the world
What are false prophets?
- prophets who are quick to give favorable prophecies in return for money, power, and status
- Kings are more pro into higher false profits because they increase their appeal to the people and affirm their rule
- prophets who did not give favorable messages were at risk of being jailed, mistreated, discredited, or killed
Describe Isaiah’s setting
- Assyria Power growing led by King Toglath-Pileser II and son. More aggressive.
- Ephraim and Aram opposed Assyria and pressured Judah to join, but refused. This led to the Syro-Ephrimaite War.
- Babylon was growing strength and power.
Who was Isaiah?
- Propesiesed later half of the 18th Century BC in Judah under Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah
- Lived & worked in Jerusalem
- Addressed idolatry and corruption of leaders who used the poor
- Always coupled this message of destruction with a message of hope
Why is Isaiah divided into different sections?
- Isaiah is a collection of multiple books from different areas of history (includes disciples of Isaiah)
- more narrative than other prophets and include stories of Isaiah’s life as well as a lot of poetry
- Isaiah uses vocabulary that paints pictures of judgment and restoration. This for section is mainly judgment before the fall of Jerusalem.
Who is Micah?
- Prophet to Judah during the reign of king Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah
- Lived and worked during the same time as Isaiah
- prophecies both destruction by Assyria and Babylon, but hope for the future
Describe Micah’s Setting
Who was Joel?
- prophet called to Judah
- date of his work is unknown and theories range from the time of Isaiah to after the exile
- he is a scholar because of his references to so many previous books of the Old Testament
Describe Joel’s Setting
Who was Hosea?
- prophet to Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II, Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah, and Hosphea
Describe Hosea’s Setting
T/F: the book of Isaiah was written by More Than one author over a longer period of time than most of the other prophet books.
True
The Prophet Hosea stands out among all the other people because God asked him to …
Marry an unfaithful woman
Three main reasons for prophets to be enticed to give a false or favorable prophecies to the kings.
- Monetary rewards
- Security and no risk of persecution
- Receiving power and status in the nation
Who was Amos?
- From Judah called to Israel
- Called to speak to King Jeroboam II: wealthy military king of Israel who allowed idol worship which led to neglect the poor.
- Specifically spoke out against oppression of widows, orphans, and immigrants
Amos 4:1-3
Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria…
Which book speaks on “Debt Slavery?”
Book of Amos
Describe Amos’ Setting
Amos 5:21-24
“I hate, I despise your religious festivals…”
Who was Obadiah?
- Called to prophecy against Edom (neighbor of Israel)
- Edom was full of pride and felt their nation was superior to all other nations
- When Israel and Jerusalem falls to Assyria and Babylon they actively participate in plundering the people
- Verse 15 declares judgement for all nations that act superior and mistreat their neighbors
Explain Jonah as Satire
- Less about words of the prophet and more about the prophet
- Known as the prophet who hates God for loving his enemies
- Contrasts Jonah’s selfishness with the “pagans” humility and obedience
- The fish represents the depths of sin and despairing God’s provision
The book of Jonah was meant to be used as …
As satire; everyone comically acting different than normal
What is another name for Israel (Northern Kingdom) used in the prophets?
Ephraim
What nation was Obadiah called to?
Edom
What does the Hebrew words for righteousness and justice differ from our understanding of the words in English?
They imply action along with understanding
Who was Nahum?
- Called to the nation of Assyria to proclaim its downfall
- Records the fall of Nineveh and the Assyrian rule
- Assyria is used to represent all the unjust nations of the world
Describe the setting of Nahum
- Living at a time when Assyria has brought destruction to the world in new and powerful ways
- Babylon was under the rule of Assyria but rose up to rebel in 612 BC
Describe “Living in a Time of War”
- Nahum’s main message is that God will not allow violent nations to endure
- God’s goodness and justice compels him to orchestrate the downfall of oppressive nations in all of human history
Nahum 1:7
The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of distress; he cares for those who trust in him.
Who was Jeremiah?
“Weeping Prophet”
- Called to Judah in the final years before its overthrow of Babylon
- Lived during the reign of Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah
- Known as the weeping prophet because he witnesses the refusal of the people to repent and the destruction, war and exile
- He was heavily persecuted by the kings of Judah and is thought to have been kidnapped after the destruction of Jerusalem and taken to Egypt
Jeremiah 9:18-22
You are my comforter in sorrow, my heart is faint within me….
Describe the setting for Jeremiah
- War is raging between the nations of Assyria and Babylon
- These are the final years before Babylon destroys Jerusalem and takes people into exile
- Injustice against orphans, widows, immigrants is common
- Idol worship is becoming so prevalent that there are even incidents of child sacrifice
Describe the Destruction of Jerusalem “Yehood”
T/F: God was angry with Habakkuk for questioning his role in injustice
False
What image does Zephaniah paint of how God relates to his people?
God will dance and sing over them one day
In his book, Habakkuk addresses…
God
Who was Ezekiel?
- A Jerusalem priest deported to Babylon in 597 BC
- Message for the people still in Judah and later in exile
- Chapter 33 Jerusalem has fallen and the temple destroyed.
- Priest are taken away to weaken conquered nations. Ezekiel writes while in exile
Name five Messianic Imagery
- New David
- New Jerusalem (No Walls)
- God defeating sin and evil
- New Temple (Open to all)
- Restoration of creation
What are the four voices of Isaiah?
- Ambassador (Isaiah himself)
- Poet
- Preacher
- Disciple (possible group)
Explain Isaiah 53 and Acts 8:26-38
Philip is asked to explain the meaning of Isaiah 53 to the Ethiopian Eunice
Messianic Verse: Isaiah 61:1-2
The spirit of the LORD God is on me because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.
Luke 4:16-21
He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaac was handed to him….
T/F: King Jehoiakim is taken into captivity when Jerusalem is destroyed and killed ending the line of David
False
T/F: The prophets were called to bring their messages of destruction to the nations of Israel and Judah and never spoke to the surrounding nations of the known world.
False
Who was known as the Weeping prophet?
Jeremiah
Who was Habakkuk?
- Prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah right before the exile to Babylon
- Does not accuse Israel but accuses God
- Poems of lament for the state of the world and for the amount is unjustice that is being done
Describe the settings of Habakkuk (Woe to You)
- Unjust economic systems
- Slave labor
- Irresponsible leaders
- idolatry
- ENDING: decided to put his trust in God who loves the world and who will work out all the injustice
Habakkuk 3:19
The Lord God is my strength. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he makes me walk on high places.
Who was Zephaniah?
- Living during the time of King Josiah who determined to bring about change in the nation and follow God
- Many scholars think he could have been king
- The reforms fail as the people have become incapable of repentance and Zephaniah has spent years warning them of coming danger
Describe the settings of Zephaniah
Describe Hebrew Poetry (Parallelism)
Isaiah 61 has a huge significance because…
Jesus reads it in the synagogue and declares that he has fulfilled this prophecy
Ezekiel sees a vision of the presence of the Lord and where is it resting?
Among the exiles in Babylon
Name four facts of King Cyrus II
- Persia was the greatest empire in the world after conquering Babylon in 539 BC
- “Cyrus, the Great” was known for ruling his subjects with mercy, kindness, and compassion
- Cyrus cylinder recorded the first human rights charter
- allowed all displaced Jews to return to their homeland
Who is Haggai?
- 70 years after the exile, he is among those returning to Israel
- causes the people to rebuild the temple
- Zerubbabel becomes governor of the land
- he calls the people not to fall back into the same pattern of disobeying God
What’s the difference between the first and second temple?
Who was Zechariah?
- after the return of the exiles to Jerusalem
- Zechariah and Haggai (and Ezra) were to rebuild the temple and reform the community
- they are looking for the fulfillment of God’s promises
- Zechariah has dreams and visions that speak about the present time and a time to come
Zechariah 1:8-11 IMAGE
Messianic Verse: Zechariah 9:9-10
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout in your triumph, Daughter Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you; he is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Mark 11:7-10
- Hosanna
- Blessed is he who comes
- In the name of the Lord!
- Hosanna in the highest heaven!
Who was Malachi (Last Prophet of the Series)?
- Lived over a hundred years after the return from exile
- The people have become just as corrupt and unjust as before the exile
- The book presented as dispute between God and the people
“Return back to God”
Name 5 facts: Return from Exile is a Huge Disappointment!
Malachi 3:1
I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple.
10 Characteristic of a Prophet (Goldinggay 3:61)
- Someone who shares God’s nightmares and dreams.
- Speaks like a poet and behaves like an actor.
- Is not afraid to be offensive
- Confronts the confident with the rebuke and the downcast with hope
- Brings rebuke and encouragement to people of God
- Is independent of of the institutional pressure of the church and state
- Is a scary person who mediates the activity of a scary God
- Intercedes with boldness and praises with freedom
- Ministers in a way that reflects his or her personality and time
- Is almost certain to fail one way or another
Last words of the Old Testament
Mal 4:5-6 - See, I will send prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the lord comes…..
Mt 1:1 - This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham
Mt 3:1-3 - In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” | “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”
