The Historical Prophets:Where Can the Word of the Lord be Found?

 Christian readers of the Old Testament narratives frequently read the text through the lens of Christian triumphalism: this is the story of why Israel is rejected. The complaining in the wilderness, the failure of their kings to fulfill the covenant, the persistence of foreign worship are treated as the grounds for God's rejection of Israel in favor of a gentile church. The problems in such readings are too many to discuss here. Perhaps the first mistake occurs when the reader fails to recognize that the story is told as a confession. This is not the story of accusation against others; this is autobiography. This is the story of what went wrong. At the heart of the story is the recognition that Israel and her kings did not fulfill the covenant and that they did not heed the prophets. The question then becomes, why did they fail to heed the prophets. The complicated answer comes in the form of narrative. People become blinded by power or the appearance of power. The nature of true prophecy and false prophecy necessitates that one follow the narrow path.

Discerning the True Prophet

Rev. 13: 11 The beast of the earth looked like a lamb but spoke like a dragon

Deut 18:15-22 - The Presumptuous Prophet

Deut 13:1-5 - The Enticer

Ezekiel 13:1-19 - Builders of the Rickety, White Washed Wall

Isaiah 30:10 - Seekers after Smooth Things

The stories of 1-2 Kings underscore the tendency of false prophecy to take the form of what we want to hear, to appear to be plausible or consistent with what we perceive to be true, and to be difficult to distinguish from true prophecy. They also underscore our tendency to misunderstand the nature of the prophet and his message.

By recognizing these tendencies, Israel's failures become more understandable but not necessarily excusable. The point is not to rationalize the errors of the past, but rather to arm oneself with a story that will make one more vigilant in the future.

Read the following stories:

2 Samuel 7:1-17 Nathan's presumptuous approval of David's presumption that he will build God a house (temple) when God will build David a house (a dynasty)

2 Samuel 11-12 David's adultery and murder of Uriah and Nathan's indictment in the form of a parable

1 Kings 1:1-40 Nathan's role in Solomon's Succession.

1 Kings 11: 26-40 The story of the division of the Kingdom and the anointing of Jeroboam

1 Kings 11:41-14:19 Story of Jeroboam, the Man of God from Judah and the Old Prophet of Bethel.

I Kings 20:1-43 Ahab and Ben Hadad and the prophets (a certain prophet, a man of God, and a certain member of a company of prophets)

1 Kings 22:1-53 Ahab, Jehoshaphat and Micaiah

2 Kings 19-20 (esp. 20:19) Hezekiah and Isaiah

2 Kings 21: 10-14 Manasseh and the prophets – “I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish”

2 Kings 22:14-20 Josiah and Huldah  

Our objective: to recognize how the narrator allows the reader to play with perspectives. Sometimes we share the divine perspective and are "in the know;" other times we, like the characters in the story, must wait and see whether the prophet's words are true prophecy. Our ability to discern true from false prophecy and the freedom from the ambiguity that those within the stories experience stems from having a reliable or omniscient narrator and having hindsight. Sometimes, we experience ambiguity. If we focus upon the questions "What is the nature of God?" and "What is the nature of true prophecy?" we may be able to gain insight in spite of our limited vision.

The Death of Jeroboam's Son, Abijah (1 Kings 14:1-17)

What motivation could Jeroboam's wife have for going to see the prophet Ahijah in disguise?

Why does Jeroboam send her?

With what sort of preconceptions about the power of the prophet do they seem to work? Is the prophet considered a sort of magician by those who do not understand prophecy? What is the nature of prophecy? Is it arbitrary? Is God capricious?

1 Kings ends with a series of three battles in the extended war between Israel under the leadership of King Ahab and Aram, led by King Ben-hadad.

Each battle features a story of a prophet. Each is humorous and contain with subtle theological points. The second two are fraught with ambiguity.

1. 1 Kgs 20: 1-22 The Endangered Young Men - What do the two kings do wrong in this story? What motivates Ahab to oppose Aram? The biblical narrators frequently present us with stories of sexually endangered men. Is this another one of those? While it is clear that homosexuality is being treated as something unacceptable, is there a more significant point? How well has the king measured up to the Deuteronomic standard that calls him to care for the disempowered? He, like Lot and the Levite of Judges 19, is willing to sacrifice children and women, but when men are at risk, then he is moved to protect them. Where do his loyalties lie? Where should his loyalties lie?

2. 1 Kgs 20: 23-43 The Brotherhood of Kingship - What are Ben-hadad's theological errors? What is Ahab's mistake? Where does his loyalty lie?

What is the story in 20:35-38 all about? On what basis should the poor man who refused to strike the prophet be punished? How is Ahab characterized at this point? Note the story of Naboth's vineyard follows.

3. 1 Kgs 22:1-40 The Lying Spirit that Entices

Note the extent to which this story is about the character of Ahab. How does he fundamentally misunderstand the nature of prophecy?

What do you make of the interaction between Micaiah and Zedekiah? In the story of the prophet Micaiah (1 Kings 22), the prophet tells a story in which God purposely misleads other prophets. Is Micaiah creating a fiction to infuriate Zedekiah? Is his story intended to relate an event that happens in heaven, or it it intended to underscore the power of self-deception?

What is Micaiah's fate? Why does Ahab lock him up? Does he think that God will not endanger Micaiah? With whom or what does God's loyalty lie?