OT Prophets

To provide you with the most effective teaching tool, I have reorganized your notes into a Master Lecture Manuscript.

This version removes the repetitive sections from your notes, groups related "meat" together, and uses a clear hierarchy so you can read it smoothly while teaching.

Master Teaching Outline: The Prophets

Text: How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, Chapter 10

Framework: Reformed Covenantal (Law/Gospel Distinction)

1. Introduction: Breaking the "Fortune Teller" Myth

The Misconception: Most new Christians view the Prophets as "future-tellers" obsessed with the 21st century or "crystal ball" gazers.

The Correction: The Prophets were Covenant Enforcement Mediators. They were "God’s lawyers" sent to prosecute Israel for breaking the Covenant established at Sinai.

Forthtelling vs. Foretelling:

Forthtelling (90%+): Proclaiming God’s word to the current generation. This is the heart of the prophetic ministry—addressing a specific historical audience.

Foretelling (<10%): Predicting the future. In the Bible, prediction is used as a "legal warning." God tells them what will happen (the curse) if they do not listen now.

The Reformed Lens: The Prophets prove that the "Old" Covenant (Mosaic) was conditional and breakable. They show the failure of the national covenant to change the human heart, pointing to our desperate need for a "New" and better Covenant of Grace.

2. The Nature of Prophecy & The Problem of History

The Prophets as Spokespersons (Heralds): In the ancient world, a herald spoke with the exact authority of the King.

The Messenger Formula: When you read "This is what the Lord says," it is a royal decree. The prophet has no authority of his own; he is merely the "mouth" of God.

The Historical Gap: The greatest barrier to reading the prophets is our distance from them in time, culture, and geography. We must identify the "Then and There" before applying the "Here and Now."

The 10 D’s Framework (Contextual Location):

Deuteronomy: The "Legal Contract/Case File." Every word is rooted in the Law (specifically the blessings/curses of Deut 28).

Division: The geopolitical split (930 BC). Is the prophet speaking to the North (Israel) or the South (Judah)?

Date: The specific crisis (Assyrian invasion, Babylonian exile, or Persian return).

Degeneracy: The "Charge" (The Sin). Usually: Idolatry, Social Injustice, or Empty Ritualism.

Distance: The "Mountain Peak" perspective. The prophet sees multiple future events as one horizon.

Disaster: The "Day of the Lord." A specific time of God’s intervention in history.

Doom: The sentence—the announcement that the City and Temple will be destroyed.

Dispersion: The Exile. The "Curse" realized as God casts His people out of His presence.

Deliverance: The promise of restoration and a "Remnant" coming home.

Davidic Seed: The ultimate "D"—the promise of the King (Jesus Christ) who keeps the Covenant perfectly.

3. The Functions of Prophecy in Israel

Covenant Enforcement: God didn't just get "angry"; He acted according to the contract (Leviticus 26/Deuteronomy 28). The Prophets announced that the "Curses" were being activated because of a breach of contract.

God’s Direct Representatives: They stood in the "Divine Council" and then stood before Kings to remind them that God is the true Suzerain (Great King).

Unoriginal Message: They were "Restorative" reformers, not "Progressive" innovators. They called people back to the "Old Paths" of the Ten Commandments and the Shema.

4. The Exegetical Task: How to Study an Oracle

The Need for Outside Help: Because we aren't ancient Israelites, we need Bible dictionaries to understand "High Places," "Baal," or specific political alliances (Assyria/Egypt).

Identifying the Oracle: A prophetic book is an "anthology" of speeches. Look for the "Messenger Formula" or shifts in tone to see where one sermon ends and another begins.

Contextual Layers:

Historical: What was the immediate disaster/doom?

Larger: How does this book fit into the story of God’s people?

Specific: What is the specific "shape" or "form" of this speech?

5. Detailed Forms of Prophetic Utterances

The Lawsuit (Rib): A courtroom scene. God summons the mountains as witnesses, lists the charges, and delivers a verdict (e.g., Micah 6:1-8).

The Woe Oracle: An announcement of doom through the language of grief. It is a funeral song for people who are still alive but "dead" in sin (e.g., Habakkuk 2:6-20).

The Promise (Salvation) Oracle: Future hope, characterized by "In that day," "Return," and "Blessing."

Enactment Prophecy: "Street theater." God commands the prophet to become the sermon to shock the audience (e.g., Hosea marrying a prostitute; Ezekiel building a model siege).

Messenger Speech: The standard herald’s delivery, speaking with the "immediacy" of God’s own voice.

6. The Prophets as Poets: Hebrew Parallelism

Prophecy is thought-rhyme, not sound-rhyme.

Synonymous Parallelism: Line B repeats Line A with different words to reinforce the point.

“Wash yourselves! Purify yourselves!” (Isaiah 1:16)

Antithetical Parallelism: Line B contrasts Line A to show two different outcomes/paths.

“The Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (Psalm 1:6)

Synthetic Parallelism: Line B builds upon or completes the logic of Line A.

“For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.” (Psalm 95:3)

7. Hermeneutics: The "Future" Problem

Prophetic Perspective: Imagine three mountain peaks from a distance. They look like one mountain. As you move through history, you realize there are miles of "valley" (time) between them.

Peak 1: Return from Babylon. Peak 2: First Coming of Christ. Peak 3: Second Coming.

Sensus Plenior (Second Meanings): Some prophecies have a "Near Fulfillment" (Exile) and a "Fuller Meaning" (Christ).

The Guardrail: Only see a "second meaning" if the New Testament authors explicitly point it out.

Orthodoxy & Orthopraxy: The prophets bridge the gap between belief and behavior.

Orthodoxy: God is sovereign over all nations (even pagan ones like Babylon are "tools").

Orthopraxy: Rituals/tithes are a "stench" to God if they aren't joined by justice for the poor and mercy for the widow.

8. Final Benefits: The Reformed Balance

The prophets aren't just for information; they are for transformation.

The Moral Charge: They were the first social critics, arguing that "church attendance" is worthless if you are cheating employees or ignoring the needy.

The Gospel Conclusion: We are saved by Grace alone (Orthodoxy), but that Grace always produces a life of justice and mercy (Orthopraxy). They strip away our self-righteousness and make us long for the Davidic Seed—the only one who kept the Covenant perfectly.

1. The Primary OfficeThe primary role of an Old Testament prophet was not that of a fortune teller, but a ___________ Enforcement Mediator.

2. The Legal StandardIn the "10 D’s" framework, ___________ represents the "Legal Standard" or "Case File" that the prophets used to prove Israel was guilty of breaking God's Law.

3. The Divine LawsuitA prophet’s message was often delivered as a ___________ (Hebrew: Rib), which is a formal courtroom scene where God sues His people for breach of contract.

4. Proclaiming vs. PredictingProphets were primarily ___________, meaning they proclaimed God’s word to their current generation, rather than just "foretelling" the distant future.

5. Poetry and Thought-RhymeWhen a prophet uses ___________ Parallelism, the second line repeats the thought of the first line using different words to reinforce the point.

6. The Political SplitThe "10 D’s" term ___________ describes the split of the United Kingdom into Israel in the North and Judah in the South in 930 BC.

7. The Language of GriefA ___________ Oracle is a funeral song for the living, used by prophets to signal that judgment is so certain that the people are already considered dead.

8. The Messianic HopeIn the "10 D’s" framework, the ___________ Seed refers to the ultimate promise of a coming King who would perfectly fulfill the covenant that Israel failed to keep.

9. The Prophetic HorizonBecause prophets saw the future like distant mountain peaks, they often didn't see the ___________ or time gaps between multiple fulfillments (such as the gap between Christ's first and second coming).

10. Performing the MessageAn ___________ Prophecy is when God commands a prophet to perform a physical action, like Hosea’s marriage, to act as a visual aid for His message.

11. Belief vs. BehaviorThe prophets’ dual emphasis was on Orthodoxy (right belief) and ___________ (right practice), specifically regarding justice for the poor and the widow.

12. The Herald’s AuthorityThe ___________ Formula is the phrase "This is what the Lord says," which signifies that the prophet is speaking with the full authority of the Heavenly King.

Answer Key for Teacher Use:

Covenant

Deuteronomy

Lawsuit

Forthtellers

Synonymous

Division

Woe

Davidic

Valleys

Enactment

Orthopraxy

Messenger