Revivals in Ancient Israel Pt 2

Revivals in Ancient Israel (922 to 732 BC) Pt 2

Even during the time of Elijah and Elisha there were two opposing sorts of “prophets”. On one hand those who were truly sent by Yahweh, and those who were not. Under Jezebel's patronage there were those who were unashamedly “prophets of Baal”. There were also what scholars call “cult prophets” which denoted those who were often claiming to be prophets of Yahweh but were associated with the organised (and officially sanctioned) religion. These were false prophets who fulfilled a social and political role – and were paid for it – but who did not rock the boat by giving unpalatable messages from God.

One beautiful illustration of this dichotomy comes at the end of Ahab's reign. The tale is told in 1 Kings 22. Briefly, Jehoshaphat pays a friendly visit to Ahab and Ahab asks him to join in a fight to “liberate” the town of Ramoth Giliad. Jehoshaphat wants to consult Yahweh, so Ahab assembles 400 of the official prophets who say; “Go, for Yahweh will give it into your hand!” (I am using the literal “Yahweh” rather than the periphrasis “the LORD” to emphasise that they were claiming to speak for God, not Baal.)

Jehoshaphat is not taken in and asks: “Is there not a prophet of Yahweh we can consult.” To which Ahab replies: “There is one, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me...”

One could not spell out better the difference between the false prophets of official religion who say what the king (or people) want to hear and the true prophet who is hated because God's real message is unpalatable!

Micaiah is fetched, with the officer helpfully telling him what the other prophets have said, and that if he knows what is good for him he will say the same! Here is one of the witty pieces of irony in the Bible which are totally misunderstood by a “literalist” approach. Micaiah does agree with the others, but in such a way – either by tone of voice or gesture – that Ahab knows full well he means the opposite and rebukes him. Then Micaiah confirms this with: “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd.” and saying that a lying spirit in the mouths of Ahab's prophets was God's plan of sending Ahab to his death!

Another beautiful thing which comes out here is that while it was God's purpose that Ahab go into battle and be killed as prophesied by Elijah for his judicial murder of Naboth, God gives Ahab fair warning! It says volumes about God's absolute honesty. So when Ahab chooses to believe his tame prophets and goes to his death, he has been warned!

A final interesting point: one of the tame prophets then strikes Micaiah and says: “Which way did the spirit from Yahweh go when he left me to speak to you?” Indicating that he claims to be a prophet of Yahweh!

Micaiah is proved to be the true prophet by subsequent events. Which goes back to Moses' instruction that a true prophet was proved true because God made what he said through the prophet actually happen.

So I shall only consider the work of real prophets, remembering that they will generally be the lone voice surrounded by the false prophets.

Amos: During the material prosperity of Jeroboam II 's reign religion and its everyday working out in honesty and justice were in decline. First Amos, then Hosea are sent to call the people of the North to repentance and faith in God.

Amos himself is a Southerner. His oft quoted words; “I am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet” should, but rarely do, include what follows: “But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel'.” Amos is not one of the official church's tame prophets: he is the real thing, sent by God!

One cannot help marvelling at God's use of language as one reads the opening chapters. Amos circles round announcing God's condemnation of Israel's neighbours, including Judah to the south. This is bound to engage with the audience – there is a witticism: “the perfect sermon is one that goes over your head and hits your neighbour”. But just when they are enjoying this message comes the crunch: “For three sins of Israel, even for four I will not turn back my wrath!” Now they are the target and God's condemnation of their sins is withering and comprehensive.

The eloquent denunciation-cum-appeal continues: God has sent famine, plague and enemies against them yet they have not turned to him. This reinforces a thing we noted I the time of the Judges: when the people abandoned God he abandoned them to the consequences, but in their distress they at least turned back to him and asked for help, then he rescued them. This we noted was one cause of revival. But in this case even in their distress the people did not turn back to God.

Amos preaches: “Seek the Lord and live”. Then he lays out the evidence of their rejection of God:  with a powerful poetic turn: injustice “You cows of Bashan, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to your husbands 'bring us drink'”; “You who turn justice into bitterness and cast righteousness to the ground”; empty religious ritual: “Go to Bethel and sin, go to Gilgal and sin even more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three years … your freewill offerings … boast about them you Israelites, for this is what you love to do.” and, interestingly abuse of the legal system: “you hate the one who reproves in court and despise the one who tells the truth.” … “you take bribes … and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.”

Empty religious rituals supposedly worshiping Yahweh are denounced: “I hate, I despise your religious feasts … though you bring me burnt offerings … I will not accept them … away with the noise of your songs … But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never failing stream.”

Amos is denounced by the priest of Bethel, home of “state sanctioned” religion, and apparently the people fail to heed his call to repentance. Then comes his prophecy of God's judgement on unrepentant Israel, but ends on a note of God's care and future restoration.

Hosea begins his ministry towards the end of Jeroboam II's reign and preaches for some 40 years, nearly to the destruction of Israel in 722 BC.

One side issue I find powerful about Hosea is an answer it gives to the question of the “in-errancy” of the Bible. By this I mean that what the Bible sets out to teach is comes from God and is accurate and reliable as a guide to faith and moral behaviour. It is not a science textbook! It is not a history book! It is a book about God and humans. But given this people still question how God can accurately inspired the writers. 

 Hosea provides one solution: as the common saying goes “horses for courses” that is God also chose the messenger for the particular message. In this case the message is a last ditch appeal by a loving God to a people who keep rejecting him and running after other gods – which are no gods at all. The man he chooses loves a woman who is a serial adulterer: he keeps taking her back and he keeps having his heart broken when she runs off with yet another man. He is by personal tragedy perfectly equipped to convey God's message that Israel is just like an adulterous wife to the God who loves it and saves it.

His heartfelt appeal ends with both judgement, appeal to repent and future redemption: “The people of Samaria must bear their guilt, because they have rebelled against their God.” … “Return O Israel to the Lord your God, your sins have been your downfall.” … “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.

It is a sad fact of history that there was no revival of true religion despite the powerful messages of both Amos and Hosea. Having abandoned God, he abandoned them to their political stupidity in the face of Assyrian expansionism. The country was ravaged and eventually even Samaria captured, destroyed and the populace deported and scattered over the Assyrian empire. Israel as a nation ceased to exist.