Where do the prophets get their material?

The Prophets: the section of Scripture that continues to challenge, as well as baffle, the minds of readers many centuries after their initial writing.

Sure, one can see how the New Testament uses some of the writings of the prophets to demonstrate how their words were fulfilled. But when reading through a prophetic work in its entirety, even knowing this latter fact does not always clear up some of the nitty-gritty details the prophets address.

As a result, whole sections of the prophetic writings are skimmed over or ignored.  Many know about Isaiah 53, but what about Isaiah 58?  Jeremiah 31 (or parts of it), but what of Jeremiah 18? Or 46-51?

Prophets acted as emissaries of I AM, the God of Israel, to the king and the people. They preached the "word of the LORD" regardless if these words were intentionally sought out or not.  I will touch upon a section of the Old Testament that, I believe, provides a good framework when trying to get at what the prophets are saying and something they too leaned on.

A popular verse being thrown about nowadays is Micah 6:8. It is used, many times, by those passionate for social justice, both Christian and otherwise, but often without the benefit of context. It has become another version of a "life verse" like Jeremiah 29:11 ("For I know the plans I have for you...") or Philippians 4:13 ("I can do all things through Christ...").

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (ESV)

So after reading that verse one is supposed to register as a Democrat, join the Peace Corps, and campaign for health care reform, right? One is certainly free to do any of those things, but it's a bit of a stretch to get from an ancient writing to what I just described.

Where does Micah get his stuff? Like many of the prophets, Micah is simply following the theology of Moses. Moses? Let's see. In language that is nearly identical to Micah 6:8, Moses, speaking to the nation on the plains of Moab says,

And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good? (Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

Moses had just finished speaking about receiving a second set of the 10 Commandments (one tablet for the people and one for the King in good Suzerain-Vassal form) and the command from God to go in and take possession of Canaan. But before they could do that Moses had some things to say.

Likewise, Micah has some things to say to a people who think that they can offer large quantities of material sacrifices while still offering some to Baal or Asherah, or if only sacrificing to I AM, doing so while neglecting his commandments.  Thousands or rams and rivers of oil have a part to play, but are worthless if the heart is worthless.

To "walk humbly" can also be translated "walk prudently," which can speak of walking in wisdom, the base being loving the Lord with heart and soul.  The ESV says "love kindness" but most translations have "love mercy."  But it can also say "steadfast love." That is covenantal language.  It is on this that David bases his hope for forgiveness:

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. (Psalm 51:1)

Even this has as its backdrop the words of God to Moses found in Exodus 34:6 - The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

All this to say that neither David nor the prophets just pull this stuff out of thin air. The revelation received is based upon prior revelation.

Looking at the remainder of Deuteronomy 10 displays more material interspersed throughout the prophetic writings:

¹⁴ Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it.¹⁵ Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. ¹⁶ Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. ¹⁷ For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. ¹⁸ He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. ¹⁹ Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. ²⁰ You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. ²¹ He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen. ²² Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.

It is almost overwhelming the amount of theology packed into this pericope. There are teachings about creation, election, holiness (or holy living), worship, justice, love for neighbor, and covenant promise(s). I will only highlight a few of these as whole books can be written about this.

Deut. 10:14

“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built." (1 Kings 8:27 and the prayer of Solomon)

Deut. 10:15

“But now hear, O Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have chosen!" (Isaiah 44:1)

Deut. 10:16

"Circumcise yourselves to the Lord; remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem." (Jeremiah 4:4)

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh." (Jer. 9:25)

Deut. 10:17

Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god." (Isa. 44:6)

I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God. (Isa. 45:5)

Deut. 10:18

Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. (Isa. 1:16-17)

Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. (Jer. 22:3)

“Behold, the princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood. Father and mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are wronged in you." (Ezekiel 22:6-7)

Deut. 10:22

This verse is based on the promise to Abraham:  And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”  And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:5-6)

You multiplied their children as the stars of heaven, and you brought them into the land that you had told their fathers to enter and possess. (Nehemiah 9:23)

Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.” (Hosea 1:10)

Just this one small section in Deuteronomy has a direct impact on later writings. To paraphrase Bruce Walke, it is not overstating the case that an understanding of Deuteronomy is key to understanding the rest of the Old Testament.

The words of the prophets are special and are like the choicest meats and finest wines. In a fitting end to the book, Micah speaks for all of the prophets concerning the character of God, a character displayed earlier in the writings of Moses.

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
and passing over transgression
for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
because he delights in steadfast love.

He will again have compassion on us;
he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our sins
into the depths of the sea.

You will show faithfulness to Jacob
and steadfast love to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our fathers
from the days of old. (7:18-20)