Discovering the Prophets in the Old Testament: Leader's Edition

By Bruce Reed Pullen

Jesus came preaching the message, “Repent,” that is, “Turn from what you are doing to doing what is right, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” The prophets had a similar message. Over a period of several hundred years, their message was consistent: being related to God through faith places certain requirements on God’s people. This introduction to the prophets explores the call of the prophets to us today and encourages us to live as God calls us to live. You have read the four gospels and possibly the Acts of the Apostles. You may have read the rest of the New Testament and possibly much of the Old Testament. Now you want to study specific passages to determine how they may relate to your life and how you should live it. While you may assume a particular passage impacts your life only in a certain way, here you will be challenged to consider it from a variety of view points. Each chapter contains at least ten questions to facilitate discussion.
Discovering the Prophets - Leader's Edition was designed to provide a guide for small group Bible study, personal reflection, or as a preaching resource for the Old Testament prophets and their message. It begins with Amos, one of the early prophets, and then explores the messages of Isaiah, Hosea, Micah, Habakkuk, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, and finally Malachi. Although specific scriptures have been selected to illustrate the messages of the prophet, you may wish to read the whole book bearing the prophet’s name, especially when it comes to the minor prophets which are not long. An overview gives us a brief picture of the prophet’s life followed by notes on specific scripture texts often including what Jesus, Paul, or the Psalmist might say about the issue. The sessions close with a prayer. The Leader's Edition has additional material to help facilitate group discussion.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bruce Reed Pullen
• Release date: Apr 11, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370354252

Bruce Reed Pullen

Dr. Bruce Pullen holds degrees from Rutgers University, Colgate Rochester Divinity School, Princeton Theological Seminary. and Palmer Theological Seminary. He has served parishes in Hopewell, New Jersey; Burlington, Iowa; Alton, Illinois; Westfield, Massachusetts; Williamstown, Massachusetts; New London, New Hampshire; Wyben, Massachusetts; and Warrenville, Illinois. Dr. Pullen was born in Princeton, New Jersey and ordained nearby in 1970. Judith and Bruce Pullen have been married for over fifty years. The Pullens now live in Elgin, Illinois. Dr. Pullen's hobbies include: travel, photography; classical music; and model railroading. He first joined Rotary International in the 1960's. One of its goals is to eradicate polio.

Book preview

Discovering the Prophets in the Old Testament

A Leader=s Guide for a Small Group Bible Study

Ten Prophets You Should Know

Bruce Reed Pullen

Discovering the Prophets in the Old Testament - The Leader=s Edition

By Bruce Reed Pullen

Copyright 2017 - Bruce Reed Pullen

Smashwords Edition

ISBN (eBook): 9781370354252

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It should not be re-sold or given away to other persons. If you form a Bible study group to discuss this book, please ask members of the group to purchase either the student or leader=s study guide. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then would you please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite book store and purchase your own copy. The author thanks you for your financial support. Sections of this document may be quoted in a review.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations contained here are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (NRSV), copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. They have given permission for its use. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked CEV are from the Contemporary English Version. It is copyrighted by the American Bible Society. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, and 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188 has given permission for its use. All rights reserved.

If you wish to use a study Bible to supplement your discussions, we recommend the Life Application Study Bible in the New Living Bible Translation for its extensive resources and more contemporary language; the Discipleship Study Bible (NRSV) for its notes on our responsibilities in response to the Good News; and the Harper Collins Study Bible (NRSV) for its detailed scholarly notes on the meaning and background of the scriptures.

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Author

Bruce Reed Pullen is a graduate of Rutgers University (B.A.), Colgate Rochester Divinity School (B.D.), Princeton Theological Seminary (Th.M.), and Palmer Theological Seminary (D. Min.). He served as senior pastor in churches in Hopewell, New Jersey; Burlington, Iowa; Alton, Illinois; and Westfield, Massachusetts, and as an interim pastor in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and New London, New Hampshire. Bruce, and his wife, Judy, are retired and live in Illinois. He is the author of:

Discovering Celtic Christianity B Ten Celtic Saints You Should Know

Discovering Baptist Beginnings B Ten Baptists You Should Know

Advice from Paul - Letters to the Christians in Thessalonica and Philippi

Small Group Bible Studies

Discovering the Prophets in the Old Testament B Ten Prophets You Should Know. Student

Edition.

Discovering Justice in the Old Testament - Ten Kings You Should Know

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Introduction

Jesus came preaching the message, ARepent,@ that is ATurn from what you are doing to doing what is right, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.@ The prophets had a similar message. Over a period of several hundred years, their message was consistent: faith in God places certain responsibilities on God=s people. We invite you to reflect upon and then discuss in a small group the call of the prophets to do what is right and to live responsibly.

Perhaps you are at a point in your life when you want to dig deeper into the Bible. You probably have read the gospels and possibly the Acts of the Apostles. During your devotional periods you may even have read the rest of the New Testament and possibly some of the Old Testament. In this book you are invited to dig deeper into the lives of the Old Testament prophets and to apply their message to your life.

This guide is designed to be used in a small group Bible study for discussion of the Old Testament prophets and their messages. Included in the text is the Student=s Study Guide. Additional material for the leader is integrated in the text of each chapter and is clearly labeled. We begin with Amos, one of the early prophets. Then we will explore the messages of Isaiah, Hosea, Micah, Habakkuk, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, and finally Malachi. Although we have selected specific scriptures to illustrate the message of the particular prophet, you may wish to dig deeper and read the whole book bearing the prophet>s name, especially when it comes to the books of the Minor Prophets which are brief. Included are questions in each session to facilitate reflection and discussion. The first question is usually a general one. An overview gives us a brief picture of the prophet>s life followed by notes on specific scripture texts often including what Jesus might say about the issue. The sessions close with a prayer.

Contents

The Prophets

1. Amos

2. Hosea

3. Isaiah

4. Isaiah II

5. Micah

6. Zephaniah

7. Habakkuk

8. Jeremiah - early

9. Jeremiah - later

10. The Poet - Lamentations

11. Ezekiel

12. Zechariah

13. Malachi

14. Time Line

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Chapter 1 - Amos

Leader=s Guide

An Introduction to Amos

We begin our fascinating study of the prophets with the book of Amos which most scholars agree is the earliest of the prophetic books. Amos establishes a pattern which succeeding prophets followed. Amos announces that God is going to do a new thing. He came preaching a message of ethical living and of social justice. His message was both wealth and worship must reflect an active concern for doing what is just and morally right in our communities. He called God=s people to repent for failing to live as God would have them live. If they did not, he concluded they would cease to exist as the people of God.

The study guide follows the tradition Amos established. Although Amos is listed among the Minor prophets because of his book=s length (it has only nine chapters), he is a major prophet whose ministry marks a critical point in Israel=s history. As we study this book, we will realize his passionate concern for social justice. There is little comfort and hope in his message. Amos concluded, AThe end has come upon my people Israel@ (Amos 8:2). The prophecy came true in 722 BC with the invasion of Assyria.

The Man. Amos was called to a prophetic ministry from his vocation which centered on sheep. Scholars indicate he was probably not a lowly shepherd, but rather the owner of land upon which he had planted sycamore trees and raised sheep. Some speculate he might have been the keeper of the temple herd and thus of high rank. His preaching reflects a high level of education. AAmos came from Tekoa@ (Amos 1:1) in Judah, several miles south of Jerusalem, a wilderness surrounded on three sides by limestone and used on occasion as an outpost for Jerusalem. The goats and sheep would have found it difficult to find food there. Amos says he is not a Anabi@ or paid prophet. He was self-supporting and did not need to use prophecy as a means of earning a living in Judah (Amos 7:14). Since Amos did not depend on others for his support, he could speak the truth freely. His ministry was short; it has been estimated from just a few hours to at most a few months. What kind of man was Amos? He was passionate about his faith in God, a man who was stern, austere, with an uncompromising sense of morality and social justice.

The Time

Civil war split David=s kingdom into north (Israel) and south (Judah), with the north blossoming economically but shriveling spiritually. The movers and shakers climbed the ladder of success, while the rest struggled to get a foot on the first rung. The rich were too busy getting more to be bothered with the poor. A look at the Time Line indicates Amos was active during the reign of Uzziah (King of Judah) in the south and Jeroboam II (King of Israel) in the north. The date is somewhere around 760 B.C. (Amos 7:14-15). Jeroboam=s strong state, the center of power in the region, was developed at a very great cost to the people. The poor were exploited. Worship of the one true God was combined with the worship of false gods. Amos was called by God to travel north to Bethel to challenge the direction Israel had taken under Jeroboam.

The Book

Although it is generally accepted the book was compiled by an editor, the writing shows a masterful control of the Hebrew language by Amos. He was a shrewd observer with a genius for reflection. His style is hard, direct, original, creative and yet traditional. His preaching was a radical challenge to the establishment, the privileged, and the prosperous. Amos, a man of faith, is called by God to protest injustice and immorality.

The Text

The first text (Amos 5:10-15, 21-24) is taken from the center chapter of the book. In order to better understand the brilliant preaching of Amos, we will briefly review the first four chapters. (Read the student edition for a comment on his preaching). He begins by strongly condemning the nations surrounding Israel thus laying the groundwork for the acceptance of the Word of the Lord that was to come (Amos 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13; 2:1, 4, 6). Amos concludes that, if the other nations, less favored than Israel, are to be punished for their sins, how can Israel, with its superior privileges and advantages, hope to escape judgment? Amos then indicts Israel for the oppression of the poor, for their immorality and for self-indulgence. The poor are forced into slavery when they are not able to pay their debts. The wealth and prosperity of the few is accomplished at a tremendous cost to the many. The poor are oppressed, justice is miscarried, sexual offenses are flagrant, and life is just one empty worship service after another (2:7-8). Amos reminds them of what God had done for them in the past and then severely condemns Israel for the sins they have committed (2:9-11). He concludes that Israel will be punished and then predicts the complete annihilation of the northern kingdom (3:11).

What Amos saw was a people who had entirely forgotten who God is, in spite of pretending to the contrary; a people who thought they could prosper as they pleased, while disregarding the love and justice of God. A call to repent is a call to turn from something toward something else. We can better understand Amos= call to repentance in chapter five only after we have reviewed in the previous four chapters what Israel is called to repent.

Scripture Commentary – Amos 5 and 8

Amos 5: (1-9) 10. The first verse in chapter five begins with a lament for an Israel that has already fallen. Amos then continues (5: 2-3) to describe the tragedy that will occur and to call (5:4-6) the people to seek God and live, that is, reorder your lives, both public and private, so that they conform to the will of God. If nothing changes (5:7-9), he predicts, God will destroy them. Amos concludes his charge with a bit of parallelism stating that they hate the messenger because of the message (5:10). No one likes to be accused of unjust and unethical living.

Amos 5:11-15. Amos tells them that there will be consequences for what they have done. They will build costly houses at the expense of the poor and not be able to live in them. They will plant vineyards and not be able to drink the wine from the grapes (5:11). The curse is appropriate in that Ait turns the tables precisely on those who had been getting rich at the expense of the poor. Others will now get rich at their expense.@¹ He continues the lament for the death of the Northern Kingdom (5:12). The theme is their corrupt legal system which results in injustice. Both offering and accepting bribes produces rulings favoring those who are rich. What is corrupt must be punished. The horror of what will happen will make the thoughtful person either cry or be shocked into silence. AThe thoughtful person will wail then, for it will be a terrible time (5:13 WBC).@ If all this is true, Amos, then how are we to respond? He replies, AIf you really want to live, you must stop doing wrong and start doing right (5:14). These words are echoed in the messages of Jesus who came to bring life (John 10:10) and of Paul who wrote, ALet love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good (Romans 12:9).

In order to survive, the leadership in Israel must hear the word of God, respond to the call, and return to God by renewing their covenant with God. It is their only hope for the future. The pattern is blessing, curse, and blessing. We are blessed by a loving God, we sin and are cursed, and we repent and are once again blessed. To seek God is to do good, and so it is for us today.

Amos 5: 21-24. They might have argued they worshiped God, gave sacrificially, and sang praises to his name, (see Isaiah 1:11) but Amos tells them that is meaningless, if they do not act fairly and justly (5:21-23). God will not accept their outward acts of worship unless they stop worshiping other gods and start practicing proper living by starting to treat others as God would have them treated. This is not about worship, declares Amos, but about the worshipers. There is no intention to replace worship with social action. What we do in the world must be reflected in our worship. A community in harmony with God, will Alet justice roll down like water, and righteousness like an ever flowing stream,@ (5:24) that is, one that does not dry up (see Micah 6:8; Jeremiah 22:3; Ezekiel 45:9).

The enemy still threatened Israel so some hoped for the Aday of the Lord@ (5:18), believing that God, as true king, could win a war for them in a day. God would rescue his people and destroy the enemy. In this case, however, Amos says God=s people have become the enemy and so they are the ones who will be destroyed. It is a terrible thought.

Amos 8: (1-3) 4-12. The End Has Come. In the previous chapter (7:10-17) Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, confronts Amos telling him to go home and preach there. Amos replies that if you will not listen to what God has to say, Ayou shall die in an unclean land, and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land@ (7:17). Since they will not listen to what God is telling them, Amos concludes that the time for judgment is ripe. He illustrates that with a vision of a