Friday: Further Thought – The Cry of the Prophets
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “The Assyrian Captivity”, pages 279-292; “The Call of Isaiah”, pages 303-310, in Prophets and Kings.
“Against the marked oppression, the flagrant injustice, the unwonted luxury and extravagance, the shameless feasting and drunkenness, the gross licentiousness and debauchery, of their age, the prophets lifted their voices; but in vain were their protests, in vain their denunciation of sin”. – Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 282.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
For Isaiah, “the outlook was particularly discouraging as regards the social conditions of the people. In their desire for gain, men were adding house to house and field to field … Justice was perverted, and no pity was shown the poor … Even the magistrates, whose duty it was to protect the helpless, turned a deaf ear to the cries of the poor and needy, the widows and the fatherless …
In the face of such conditions it is not surprising that when, during the last year of Uzziah’s reign, Isaiah was called to bear to Judah God’s messages of warning and reproof, he shrank from the responsibility. He well knew that he would encounter obstinate resistance”. – Pages 306, 307.
“These plain utterances of the prophets … should be received by us as the voice of God to every soul. We should lose no opportunity of performing deeds of mercy, of tender forethought and Christian courtesy, for the burdened and the oppressed”. – Page 327.
Discussion Questions:
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Summary:
The Old Testament prophets were passionate and often angry and upset defenders of the way and will of God to their people. Reflecting the expressed concern of God Himself, this passion included a strong focus on justice for the poor and oppressed. The prophets’ calls to return to God included putting an end to injustice, something God also promised to do in His visions for a better future for His people.
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The prophetic writings of the Bible are very hard to read. I remember back to my "Missionary Volunteer Society" days (If you can remember MVs you must be as old as me!) where we were encouraged to read the whole Bible through in one year. I did that several times and I don't think I can ever remember much from the minor prophets except that they were a bunch of cranky old men and that reading three or four chapters at night before you went to sleep was impossible. I generally fell asleep after the first chapter.
But now, having reached the age where we men are regarded as "Cranky", I have come to the conclusion that they had a fair bit to say about the true meaning of the Gospel. The number of times they mention the exploitation of the poor and needy gives a sense of how important it is to treat one another with respect. It is an important and serious issue.
Some of my friends have made comments that this set of lessons is a bit lightweight. They want to get back to discussing doctrinal issues, eschatology, hermeneutics, and other "big word" theology. But there is a compelling reason why we should be studying how we treat one another. It is simply, half of the "law".
I think that Isaiah says it so well:
Is Isaiah saying something we should be listening to and applying to ourselves today?
I am again intrigued by your insight. But "cranky" you don't seem like that to me; I think you have gained wisdom and
Undderstanding over the years. You are absolutely correct we need to be focusing on how to treat others and avoid judging others like Christ tells in Matthew 7.
Shown - He has made it visible so there is no excuse for the wrong being committed by the people. God's requirement has been spelled out in this scriptures.
Recurring - The Israelites in the wilderness wanted to go back to Egypt. Here once again we see the Israelites turning back living as the neighboring nations which God had forewarned them not to do. This is the recurring problem of humanity in our sinful nature we turn back to our old ways.
Relationship - The vertical relationship with our God must transcend into horizontal relationship with each other.
Judgement and restoration - There cannot be restoration without judgment.
Strangers - Hebrews 13:2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
Judgement - Isaiah could see the impending judgement from God but the people of God were without knowledge.
Passionate - You got to be passionate about what you do. Why did Peter deny Christ? Because he lost his trust in the cause of Christ. The same Peter questioned by the Sanhedrin counsel stood to their face and would not deny Christ.
Where is your passion for Christ?
Have you experienced Him in your life?
Where there is no passion there is no experience of living experience of Christ.
The Prophets discussed this week are described as forthright and not hesitant to criticize injustice, oppression and all forms of evil when they reared their ugly head. They confronted both the citizens and the rulers alike, whenever the circumstances dictated.
What about the present day, when there is no Isaiah or Samuel to speak out against oppressive regimes? Who must speak for the oppressed and downtrodden? It’s like it happens on a rotational basis: once an oppressive regime disappears in Africa, another one emerges in Central America, thereafter Asia gets its turn. Elsewhere in recent history, church members of one race continued to enjoy the privileges of an unjust system until it was abolished. Actually two parallel SDA structures were created in the same country in order to accommodate the unjust system. How convenient that the church declares it is not its policy to meddle in politics.
Isn’t the calculated indifference of the Church to the prevalence of oppressive regimes antithetical of what we have just learnt?
thanks for this comment. Yes the church has been quite silent about oppresive regimes. In particular I am dissapointed we are not saying much about the way "the stranger" and immigrant groups are being treated in the USA currently.
I am not sure that the church needs to make statements about the way governments are doing things but as individuals we can be effective in letting our politicians know our sense of wrongness.
A few years ago, the French government decided to test nuclear bombs in the Pacific Islands. They moved islanders off the islands they wanted to use and proceeded to blow up their islands with reckless abandon. I wrote letters to the French consulate, on the grounds that a) I was concerned about the attitude expressed by the French government towards the people in the islands and b) Australia and New Zealand are close enough to be potentially affected by the fallout from the tests. At the time the French government agencies blew up the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbour in an act of callous aggression. I simply wanted the French government to know that such actions were not acceptable in a modern global society. Of course my letter by itself did not change the course of history but it did contribute to the tide of public opinion in this part of the world about the French activity.
We can and should contribute to the public debate of humanitarian issues individually.
I have never read the Bible through in a year. My comment for my friends that have is, you don't remember what you read, so the goal was to read the Bible through in a year not how much was applicable or understood. I read the Bible where books, chapters and verses that are the most important and meaningful are to me.