the former prophets

"And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. It is he who shall build a house for my name. And I will make his royal throne firm forever. I will be a father to him and he shall be a son to me." -2 Samuel 7:12-14 
 

introduction

• The books of Joshua, Judges, 1&2 Samuel and 1&2 Kings are known collectively as the "Former Prophets."

• They form a long narrative tracing Israel's history from the conquest of Canaan under Joshua (13th cent. BC?) to the exiles and end of the Davidic monarchy in the 6th cent. BC.

• These books provide the historical background necessary for understanding the Latter Prophets, although the author is motivated by theology rather than (or at least as much as) history.

• The Former Prophets are often referred to as the Deuteronomistic History.

  • They interpret history according to rules laid down in Deut. 28-30.

• Probably composed in two editions:

  • The first during the reign of king Josiah of Judah (640-609 BC)

    • Began with Joshua conquering the PL, and ended with Josiah reconquering it.

    • Joshua and Josiah are often compared (Jos 24:24-28 to 2 Kings 23:3)

    • Josiah is portrayed as a faithful Yahwist, who tried to bring the people back to a monotheistic worship of God.

  • When Josiah died an early death in 609, and Judah fell to Babylon shortly thereafter, the Deuteronomistic Historian had to revise his view of history.

    • The second edition was written in such a way that the blame for Judah's downfall and the end of the Davidic monarchy was placed on Manasseh, the king who preceded Josiah.

  • The two editions combine to form a work with one central message:

    • Disobeying the will of Yahweh can have fatal consequences.

  • Seven Periods of the Deuteronomistic History:

    • Conquest of Canaan under Joshua.

    • The twelve tribe confederacy and its wars with neighboring countries.

    • Philistine conflict, leading to unification of the tribes under a central monarchy, climaxing under David and Solomon.

    • Division of kingdom after Solomon's death.

      • North- Israel (ten tribes)

      • South- Judah (two tribes- Judah and Benjamin)

    • Parallel monarchies to the destruction of Israel and its capital of Samaria in 721 BC.

    • Religious reforms in Judah under king Josiah.

    • Babylon's conquest of Judah and destruction of Solomon's temple in 587 BC.

  • Characteristics of Deuteronomistic History:

    • Every military victory is credited to Yahweh's pleasure at the Israelite's loyalty; every defeat is the consequence of Israel's unfaithfulness.

    • The prophets (Elijah, Elisha, Nathan, etc.) are portrayed as defenders of Yahwism against pagan cults.

    • Jerusalem is the only place from which Yahweh will accept the sacrifices demanded by Torah.

    • All kings of the northern kingdom are therefore banished because they maintained rival sanctuaries.

    • David is idealized as the perfect ruler:

      • favored by God, with whom he makes an everlasting covenant.

      • only two of his successors, Hezekiah and Josiah, measure up to his standards.

joshua & judges

• Joshua is portrayed as Successor to Moses.

• In Deut. 18:15, Moses makes a prediction that "A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you from among your own kinsmen; to him you shall listen."

  • This passage may have been one of the scriptural sources for a belief in the Messiah in the 1st century.

  • At least some of the Jews believed that the Messiah would be this "prophet like Moses," so the only Messiah they would follow would have to be like Moses in some way.

  • Both Stephen and Peter quote this passage in Acts of the Apostles, referring to Jesus.

  • Does this passage actually refer to a specific future prophet?

    • In context, it seems to refer instead to the prophets in general. It will be prophets like Moses, not pagan prophets who Yahweh will send to lead Israel.

    • If it is intended to refer to any one person, the one most like Moses might be Joshua. He is portrayed as "Moses-like"  in one major way:

      • In Jos 3, using the ark of the covenant, he crosses the Jordan in much the same way Moses crossed the Red Sea.

      • Also, before the crossing, the story of Rahab uses Passover symbolism to associate Joshua's army with the angel of death that struck the first born in Egypt.

• The Book of Joshua

  • The primary purpose of the Book of Joshua is to describe the way the Israelites acquired the Promised Land.

  • The Book of Joshua suggests that the P.L. was taken in a swift and complete military conquest, due primarily to Joshua's great faith in and total obedience to Yahweh.

  • The book also suggests that Joshua was as revered and respected and Moses, capable of performing many of the same great feats.

  • Outline of Joshua:

    • Ch.1: Intro

      • Link is established between following Torah and military victory.

    • Chs. 2-12: Military victories over Canaan

      • Joshua is portrayed as "prophet like Moses" (Deut 18:15)

      • Jos 3: Parts waters of Jordan to cross over into Promised Land

      • Jos 2: "Passes over" Rahab and her family when conquering Jericho, because she a scarlet cord tied to her window (= blood of paschal lamb).

    • Chs. 13-22: Division of land among tribes.

    • Chs. 23-24: Joshua's farewell speech, and covenant renewal ceremony involving all tribes.

• The Book of Judges

  • Judges paints a different picture of the conquest- suggesting that many of the peoples who were already dwelling in Palestine continued to cause problems for the Israelites.

  • Judges 2 explains what went wrong, revealing the cycle of salvation history:

    • 2:10 After Joshua's generation dies, the next generation "did not know the Lord and what he had done for Israel," and offended him by worshipping the local Canaanite gods.

    • 2:13 Yahweh becomes angry with the Israelites and punishes them by "allowing them to fall into the hands of their enemies."

    • 2:16 The Lord raises up Judges to "deliver" them, but they inevitably become unfaithful again.

    • 2:20 We are told that Yahweh, fed up with the Israelites, decides that he "will not clear away for them any more of the nations which Joshua left when he died."

  • Who were the "Judges"?

    • They did not judge Israel, technically. They were more like military leaders.

  • What the Book of Judges really tells us is that the conquest of the Promised Land took place gradually:

    • The swift and glorious conquest of Joshua is really intended to reveal to us how Yahweh rewarded his faithful servant- it inspires faithfulness to the law.

    • Judges tells us instead that the tribes, when left to themselves, could not remain faithful to Yahweh, and this led to their continuing troubles.

    • The form of government portrayed in Judges is a "tribal alliance"; the tribes are autonomous and stay out of each other's business until one gets into trouble, and then the others unite (under a judge) to support each other.

    • Judges suggests that while the judge is in power, everything is fine, but when the tribes split again, trouble returns.

  • The books of Joshua and Judges seem to have a self-contradictory opinion of the tribal alliance:

    • On the one hand, the author seems to think that having the twelve tribes united under one leader is the superior arrangement; it keeps the tribes faithful to Yahweh.

    • The tribes themselves, on the other hand, think that having a king amounts to blasphemy; only Yahweh can be "king."

    • The tribes probably thought this way because of the monarchies of their neighbors, where the king was worshipped as a god.

    • They were afraid that anyone made king would eventually try to claim divine status.

    • Judges makes it clear, however, that the alliance is not working, for two reasons:

      • One is religious; the tribes continually fail to live up to the covenant by worshipping other gods (Canaanite; Baal), so God punishes them by delivering them into the hands of their enemies.

        • Cycle of Salvation History: sin, punishment, reconciliation:

        • The people do evil in the sight of Yahweh.

        • God in his anger delivers them to an oppressor.

        • The people cry out to Yahweh.

        • Yahweh sends a hero to deliver them.

        • The land remains at peace as long as the judge is alive.

      • The second is political; Because they are not united under one leader, the tribes are always vulnerable to stronger neighbors, and often fighting amongst themselves.

    • Eventually, the tribes come to realize that they must unite to survive:

      • The Israelites want Gideon to become king (8:22), he declines. 

      • This is the first time the Israelites show a desire to abandon the tribal league in favor of a monarchy like the nations around them.

the books of 1 & 2 samuel

• 1 & 2 Samuel, as well as 1 & 2 Kings, were originally one book on one scroll in Hebrew.

  • When translated into Greek (Septuagint), the books required two scrolls and so were divided.

  • Originally, however, the books of Samuel (as well as Kings) were intended to be read as one coherent narrative.  

• The books of 1 & 2 Samuel attempt to deal with the development of two major institutions in the history of Israel:

  • The institution of the Monarchy: (who acted on God's behalf.)

  • The development of the monarchy was seen as necessary because of the failure of the tribal alliance.

  • But the idea of a king was difficult for Israel to accept, because kings of neighboring countries were often worshipped as gods, and Israel feared offending Yahweh.

  • The institution of the Prophet: (who spoke on God's behalf.)

  • It was the prophet, rather than the king, who became the voice of Yahweh, calling Israel to remain faithful to its covenant.

• 1 Samuel is divided according to the following outline:

  • Chs 1-12 follow the career of Samuel, the last Israelite judge and a “righteous” man.

  • Chs 13-31 traces the rise and fall of Saul, Israel’s first king, and the rise of David to replace him.

    • David is the pivotal character in the Deuteronomistic History:

      • Joshua and Judges serve as a prologue, explaining why a king is necessary.

      • 1 & 2 Kings evaluate David’s successors, with David as archetype- the ideal king.

  • 1 Samuel also notes a significant moment in Israel's history:

    • The ark of the covenant is lost in battle to the Philistines.

    • The biblical author claims: "Gone is the glory from Israel."

    • The ark was originally stored at Shiloh, but when it returns, it will be stored in Jerusalem by David- signaling the beginning of a new era.

  • 2 Samuel deals primarily with the reign of David.

    • Unlike Saul, David is given great freedom by Yahweh.

    • He is able to live and act more confident that God will not abandon him.

    • David also sins against God (with Bathsheeba, 2 Sam 11)

    • He is punished, but not by having his kingship revoked.

    • Instead, David is allowed to excel publicly, while his private life is problematic.

    • The author reveals the selfishness and pain of David's sin with Bathsheeba through David's own son, Amnon, who rapes his own half-sister Tamar, "shaming" her. (2 Sam 13).

    • David's son Absalom seeks revenge for the crime by killing Amnon, but this cuts him off from his father.

    • Later, when the two are reunited, Absalom tries to steal his father's kingdom before Solomon can take the throne.

  • Some of the significant achievements of David during his reign:

    • He unites Israel.

    • By taking control of Jerusalem and making it his capital, which is not in the territory of any of the tribes and is therefore "neutral," David is in an ideal position to rule over both the northern and southern tribes.

    • Moving the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, thereby making the city "God's home" further helps to unite the nation.

    • He makes Israel a state with a complex form of government rivaling that of his neighbors, truly a "nation like other nations."

    • The list of names of people in David's court (2 Sam 8:15-18) are mostly Canaanite rather than Hebrew. David takes over the existing Canaanite power structure in Jerusalem and uses it to rule Israel.

    • He subdues Israel's enemies on all sides, initiating a period of relative peace in Israel's history.

    • He makes a literary contribution to the OT. He is traditionally considered to be the author of many of the Psalms.

    • By almost any standard, he is considered the most successful of all of Israel's kings.

      • At its greatest extent, David’s kingdom stretched from the Euphrates River in the N.E. to the borders of Egypt in the south.

      • Corresponding exactly to the land promised to Abraham by Yahweh in Gen 15:18.

    • He is remembered for his fidelity to Yahweh, and the covenant which he makes with Yahweh, which is radically different from covenants God has made in the past.

      • God's promises are almost unconditional and will be upheld regardless of what David does.

      • Among God's promises (7:8-17) are two important ones:

        • that David's dynasty will endure (which it does for almost 400 years)

        • and what is known as the "Messianic Promise." (7:12-14)

        • How does the Messianic promise shape the theology of the gospel authors?

        • Read the following: 2 Sam 7:12-14; Psalm 110; Mt 1:1-17; Mt 22:41-46.

        • Matthew tries to make Jesus an "adopted" son of David through Joseph, but at the same time he is saying that Jesus' status as son of God is more important.

        • When David's dynasty finally does end, Jews will wait and pray for a new king from the "house of David" to deliver them from their oppressors. A new "anointed one," or Messiah.

the books of 1 & 2 kings

• Solomon & the Divided Kingdom

• What can we learn about the history of Israel from 1 & 2 Kings?

  • The reign of all of Israel's kings, even when the kingdom is divided, is hopelessly flawed.

  • Almost every king falls short of Yahweh's hopes in some way, and God must punish each king for his sins. The kingdom as a whole suffers.

  • If in Judges we learn that the tribal alliance has failed, in Kings we learn that the monarchy has likewise failed.

  • Just as the cycle of salvation history was re-enacted with each individual judge (with the judge bringing Israel back to redemption), here it is re-enacted with each individual king, with the prophets bringing Israel back to redemption.

  • 1 Kings: Details of the reign of Solomon:

    • Building of the Temple and Palace

    • Rep. for great wisdom- reflected in the wisdom trad. of the OT, esp. Proverbs (Look at 1 Kings 3)

    • The traditions regarding Solomon's wives tell us that he was deeply involved in international politics-this leads to his and his kingdom's downfall.

  • Why the kingdom divides-

    • Religious- Solomon has failed to keep the covenant by worshipping the gods of his foreign wives, God curses his dynasty (11:8-12)

    • Political- Solomon angers the tribes by dividing the kingdom into territories that do not follow traditional tribal lines, offending the tribes (4:7ff).

      • Solomon's new boundaries create twelve tribes not including Judah- All of the tax burden winds up falling on Israel. (Again, 4:7ff) This heavy tax and labor burden ("heavy yoke"-12:4)  is required for all of his building projects (incl. temple and palaces). Rehoboam only increases this (12:12ff).

  • Division:

    • Jeroboam in Israel (Northern Kingdom)-ten tribes

    • Rehoboam, Solomon's son in Judah (Southern Kingdom)-Judah & Benjamin

  • What do we know from the problems that Israel had with its neighbors during the tribal alliance?

    • That when the kingdom is divided, it is weak, and an easy target for its neighbors. This will be the case once again- Israel will be vulnerable to foreign attack.

  • The irony of Solomon's reign: The king that makes the greatest contribution to the worship of Yahweh (the Temple) winds up losing his father's dynasty because he worships foreign gods.  

• Who were Elijah and Elisha?

  • Prophets who try to bring the people of Israel back to the worship of Yahweh

  • They are the two most important prophets in Israel's prophetic tradition, even though they do not have books named after them.

  • In Malachi 3:23, Yahweh claims that he will send Elijah back before the “great and terrible day of the Lord.”

  • In NT times, many will see the Messiah as a prophet like Elijah or Elisha. Consider:

    • First, Elijah/Elisha compared to Moses/Joshua. Where? 2 Kings 2, when Elijah and Elisha cross the Jordan together on their way to Jericho.

    • Now consider Luke 4:24-27

    • See also the following passages in Luke and the Books of Kings:

• What is Luke trying to say about Jesus, through the Elijah and Elisha tradition?

  • For those in his community who expect the Messiah to be a great prophet, he is saying that Jesus fits the description.

  • But at the same time, he is saying that Jesus is greater than any prophet.

  • ex. Elijah asks God to heal the widow's son, while Jesus performs the healing himself).

  • and he is saying that Jesus' way is not Elijah's way (Jesus does not call down the fire from heaven).

the assyrian & babylonian exiles

• The Exilic Period
• There are two exiles mentioned in 2 Kings:
  • Those living in Israel were exiled to Assyria by Sargon II  in 721 BC, when the capital at Samaria fell while Hoshea was king.
    • The author claims they were exiled because of the sin of idolatry.
    • Israel was repopulated with Assyrians (look at 17:17- immolation)
    • The Assyrian settlers mingled with the remnant of Jews who remained in Israel. They were apparently taught the worship of Yahweh, but continued to worship their own gods.
    • Viewed as Jewish “half-breeds,” 2 Kings 17 explains this as the origin of the hated Samaritans, despised by Jews up to Jesus’ own time.
  • In Judah, king Hezekiah attempted to revolt against Assyria.
    • Sennacherib, another Assyrian king, invaded Judah, capturing or destroying many of its important cities, but failing to capture the capital of Jerusalem. (Acc. to author, angel of death passes over the Assyrian camp, slaughtering 185,000 soldiers in their sleep= Exodus symbolism)
      • This led to a belief that Jerusalem was unconquerable because Yahweh dwelt there. This was soon to be proven wrong.
    • Hezekiah was left in Jerusalem (“trapped like a bird in a cage”), but forced to pay a heavy tribute to Assyria.
      • He eventually stripped the temple of all of its treasures to meet the Assyrians’ demand.
      • He ended his reign impoverished.
    • Manasseh succeeded Hezekiah, and he is described by the DH as breaking every law in the Mosaic covenant, including:
      • Child immolation (ritual burning)
      • Baalism (worship of the Canaanite gods)
    • Ironically, he reigned for almost 50 years, longer than any other Davidic king, and died peacefully.
    • From 640-609, Judah was ruled by Josiah, Manasseh’s grandson. Josiah sought to fulfill the commands of Deuteronomy:
      • To worship Yahweh exclusively.
      • And to worship him at only one place, the sanctuary in Jerusalem.
      • During Josiah’s reform, a book of the law was discovered in the temple as it was being renovated, probably the book now known as Deuteronomy.
    • As Assyria began to decline in the late seventh century BC (due to conflict with the growing Babylonian empire), Josiah made his way into the former northern kingdom, destroying altars and images of pagan gods.
    • Josiah’s efforts were cut short, however, when Egypt’s pharaoh Necho invaded Judah on his way to support the Assyrians (believing that helping Assyria would give him a buffer against Babylon).
    • Josiah was killed at the battle of Megiddo, leaving Judah with a series of incompetent kings.
    • In 612 BC, the Assyrian capital of Nineveh fell to the Medes and Babylonians.
    • Babylon next extended its empire westward, conquering pharaoh Necho of Egypt,
      • And forcing Judah to become a vassal state.
    • Jehoiakim, Josiah’s son, attempted to rebel against Babylon, but was killed in the process.
  • Jehoiakim's  son Jehoiachin and his family, along with 10,000 members of Judah’s upper class were deported to Babylon in  598/597 BC.
    • Ezekial was among those deported.
    • Nebuchadnezzar then appointed Zedekiah king of Judah, but he too attempted to rebel.
    • In 587 BC, Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and Solomon’s temple, and carried off most of Judah’s population, leaving only a poor remnant behind.
    • Nebuchadnezzar next appointed Gedaliah as governor of what remained of the city, but he was assassinated by Jewish nationalists.
    • Fearing Babylon would retaliate, many Judahites fled, ironically to Egypt.
  • In 587 BC, when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed many Jews thought that Yahweh’s promises to their ancestors had been cancelled.
    • Many Jews felt that Yahweh had abandoned his people- leaving them to their own fate.
    • Whereas Yahweh frequently appears in Israel’s early development, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, etc.
      • In post-exilic stories, there are no more theophanies (although some prophets experience visions/dreams)
      • Consider: when the rebuilt temple is dedicated to Yahweh in 516 BC, Yahweh does not descend upon it to sanctify it as he done when Solomon built the first temple.

        • Compare 1 Kings 8:1-11; 9:1-9 to Ezra 6.

      • Consider also the following texts, which reflect a post-exilic attitude towards Yahweh’s presence:
        • Deut 32:20; Ps 44, 89; Ez 10

essay questions

related links

• The Old Testament
• The Torah
• The Latter Prophets
• The Writings
• Ancient Judaism

home | intro | contents | resources | appendices | assignments | glossary | sources | links

The Narrow Gate
2003-2004