GOD SENDS HIS MESSENGERS

Get in touch

555-555-5555

mymail@mailservice.com

1. Repent and Return to Covenant (Jeremiah 3:6-13; Joel 2:12-17)

2. Lack of Repentance Punished (Isaiah 9:13-21; Hosea 8:1-9)

3. Hope for the Future (Isaiah 11:1-10; Ezekiel 37:15-23; Zephaniah 3:14-20)

Central Truth: God sent the prophets to call His people to repentance.

Focus: Survey God’s message through His prophets and resolve to obey God’s Word.

Evangelism Emphasis: Believers in Christ are to proclaim the Gospel to a lost world.

Golden Text: “ Surely the Lord will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).

INTRODUCTION

Prophets “hear”—they encounter the word of the Lord (from the Hebrew word dabar ). This is more than receptivity to sound; it is an event. The cosmos was created by the word of the Lord (Gen. 1; Ps. 33:6, 9). The Law was given by the word of the Lord (Ex. 20:1-17). The prophets testified that “the word of the Lord came” (see Isa. 38:4; Jer. 1:11, 13; Ezek. 1:3; Hos. 1:1). The word of the Lord is “living and active . . . and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12 NASB). When the prophets encountered the word of the Lord, they were transformed. When this present age encounters the word of the Lord, its foundations are shaken (see Pss . 18:13; 29:1-9; 46:6).

Prophets “see” from the perspective of heaven (from the Hebrew word roeh ; cf. Isa. 6:1; Jer. 3:8; Ezek. 1:1). They see through the darkness of this present age, spreading the light of God’s kingdom. Prophets see beyond the present into the future. They see the excesses of the rich and powerful, and the oppression of the poor and weak. They see the violence and sexual immorality of human society and cry out. The prophets interpret history in view of a future vision shaped by God’s promise of “new heavens and a new earth” (Isa. 65:17).

Prophets “speak”—they are the mouth of God (from the Hebrew word navi ). The prophet’s encounter with the word of the Lord compels them to speak. The word of the Lord is like a fire in the heart that cannot be contained (Jer. 4:19; 20:9). The prophets speak boldly, sometimes filled with rage (Ezek. 3:14). Their words rebuke kings and bring destruction to kingdoms. They also speak words of redemption and resurrection. Nineveh repented after hearing Jonah prophesy of impending judgment. Isaiah declared the fall of Jerusalem, but he promised that a remnant would survive (Isa. 10:20-22). Ezekiel, who prophesied during the Exile (the death of Israel) saw a vision in which the covenant people were raised from the dead (Ezek. 37:1-14). The prophets’ words speak life.

Prophets “act”—they portray God’s story on the stage of history. The actions of the prophets were extreme at times. Isaiah walked around naked for three years, acting out the shameful plight of the enemies of God (Isa. 20:1-6). Jeremiah destroyed a clay jar in the presence of the elders of Jerusalem to signify the coming calamity upon the people (Jer. 19:10-13). Hosea married a harlot, and redeemed her adultery, to demonstrate God’s love and redemption of the people of Israel who had committed spiritual adultery by following after other gods (Hos. 1:2).

Prophets are “messengers of the Lord”—the custodians of God’s great story. The message of the prophets brings the reality of God to bear upon human reality. As the people of Israel forsook the covenant generation after generation, the prophets maintained fidelity to God’s law. In a world of many gods, the prophets adamantly declared, “The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!” (Deut. 6:4 NASB).

I. REPENT AND RETURN TO COVENANT

A. False Repentance (Jeremiah 3:6-11)

8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. 9 And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. 10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord. 11 And the Lord said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.

Jeremiah’s ministry began in 627 BC, during the middle of Josiah’s thirty-one-year reign. The northern kingdom of Israel had fallen before the mighty Assyrian empire a century earlier. The people of the southern kingdom of Judah developed a false sense of security that God would not allow Jerusalem to suffer the fate of the northern kingdom. For forty years, Jeremiah warned Judah that God would give Jerusalem over to the Babylonians if they did not repent.

Throughout the generations, the people had committed adultery “with stones and trees” (Jer. 3:9 NASB); that is, with the images of pagan gods. The people of Israel and Judah had proved to be religious whores, moving from one god to another with loyalty to none. Their disobedience to the covenant with Yahweh was total.

During the reign of Josiah, the nation of Judah experienced something of a revival (2 Chron. 34:8—35:19). The altars of the pagan gods were destroyed, the Temple worship was reinstituted, and the Passover was observed. But the reforms of Josiah were short-lived. Through Jeremiah, Yahweh declared Judah had returned to Him “only in pretense” (Jer. 3:10 NIV). Even during the reforms of Josiah, the people of Judah longed for the gods of Canaan. The northern kingdom did not experience genuine revival. The words of Jeremiah suggest the Judeans had even greater guilt than Israel because Judah backslid during an era of reform—they pretended to repent but had no intentions of remaining loyal to Yahweh.

How is spiritual backsliding like adultery?

B. Two Words of Hope (Jeremiah 3:12-13)

12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever . 13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord.

God commanded Jeremiah to face north, toward the ruins of Israel, and prophesy. This act was a warning to Judah—they would share Israel’s fate if they failed to sincerely repent. Jeremiah’s dire warning contains two words that offer hope for Judah’s future.

First, the word “return.” The northern kingdom of Israel had been exiled to Assyria, and the land was in ruins. Jeremiah warns of the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of Judeans to Babylon. The exile is God’s judgment of a disloyal people. The people were exiled from the Promised Land because they first exiled God from their hearts. They whored after other gods. This makes the word “return” even more remarkable. Yahweh is the betrayed spouse. Yahweh has the right to divorce His adulterous wife. But God desires reconciliation, not divorce. God desires that His bride return with a healed and devoted heart. If the people return to God, He will allow them to return to the Promised Land.

The second word of hope is “merciful.” The Hebrew word is hesed . This speaks to Yahweh’s enduring faithfulness, even as His bride has been repeatedly unfaithful. Hesed is often translated as “steadfast love.” This should not be interpreted as if God ignores the sinfulness of the people. The gracious Yahweh has already destroyed Israel and is threatening to do the same to Judah. Sin provokes the gracious Yahweh to anger, and sin has consequences. Hesed speaks to God’s temporary anger and enduring mercy. In anger , God rebukes the whoring people. In mercy , God cries out to the whore, “Return to Me!”

How does God describe Himself (v. 12)?

C. True Repentance (Joel 2:12-17)

12 Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

Old Testament scholars have not reached a consensus as to the historical context of Joel’s ministry. Even so, the message of Joel remains consistent with all the prophets. Joel called the nation to repentance in the midst of cataclysmic judgment.

Joel challenged the pretense of repentance in which hearts remain unchanged. The apostle Paul warned that some people prefer “a form of godliness, but [deny] the power thereof” (2 Tim. 3:5). In the Hebrew tradition, repentance was often symbolized by the tearing of one’s garments. Joel declared that true repentance is more than torn clothes; it is a matter of a broken heart ( Pss . 34:18; 51:17; Isa. 57:15). A broken heart is expressed with weeping and mourning (Ezra 10:1). Repentance is painful. The purpose of God’s discipline and judgment is to provoke sorrow to the point of repentance, which leads to salvation (2 Cor. 7:8-10).

Again, we return to the priority of the covenant: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deut. 6:5). Yahweh declares, “Turn ye even to me with all your heart” (Joel 2:12). True repentance requires a turning of the heart—away from false gods and sinful desires, and toward the Lord and righteousness. When John the Baptist called Israel to repentance, he exhorted, “Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance” (Luke 3:8). Authentic repentance requires a complete change of heart and making things right.

Joel called the leaders of Judah to call a fast, call the people together, and consecrate them (vv. 15-16). This solemn event was for everyone—“Assemble the elders, gather the children” (v. 16), and the priests were to lead the way (v. 17).

What does genuine repentance look like (vv. 12-13)?

More Than Forgiveness

God is gracious—filled with mercy. In mercy, God calls us to repentance. When we repent, God is gracious to forgive (1 John 1:9). But grace is more than forgiveness; it is also God’s transformation of the human heart. God heals hearts diseased by sin and strengthens us so that we can cooperate with God’s redeeming work in our lives. Grace is empowerment to live in righteousness and justice. Divine grace enables believers to resist the deeds of the flesh and live in the power of the Spirit (Gal. 5:16-25).

2. LACK OF REPENTANCE PUNISHED

A. Isaiah’s Vision (Isaiah 9:13-21)

13 For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the Lord of hosts. 14 Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. 15 The ancient and honourable , he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. 16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. 17 Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of four kings, with his ministry spanning four decades. His ministry began with the death of King Uzziah (740 BC), when a long period of stability gave way to an uncertain future.

On the day of Uzziah’s death, Isaiah “saw . . . the Lord” (6:1). This encounter convinced him that the kings of the earth were mere pretenders to power—the real power rested with Yahweh, who is the true King of the world. This vision of Yahweh helped Isaiah to understand and interpret the political conspiracies of his time. He saw the hand of Yahweh guiding the history of Israel and Judah.

In chapter 9, Isaiah also saw the hardened hearts of the people, and he knew they would not repent. In the midst of all their troubles, they refused to turn toward God, and did not seek His help. In fact, when Isaiah challenged Ahaz to trust God, Ahaz chose to trust the Assyrians (7:12-13). The people of Israel and Judah thought their various conflicts were with the Syrians, Assyrians, Babylonians, and other surrounding nations. But Isaiah knew the source of conflict was the hand of Yahweh, “who strikes them” (9:13 NKJV). The divine hand that once delivered Israel was now judging Israel. Isaiah repeatedly warned that Yahweh’s “hand is stretched out still” (5:25; 9:12; 10:4).

God declared His intent to “cut off from Israel head and tail” (9:14). The elders of Israel were the head, and the prophets were the tail (v. 15). The elders were the political leaders who were misleading the nation. The false prophets considered themselves spiritual leaders, but, in fact, they were like dogs wagging their tails at popular demand (Alec Motyer , The Prophecy of Isaiah ). The elders and prophets were leading the nation to certain destruction (v. 16). The people of the nation were not without guilt—“ every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer” (v. 17). The misguided souls who follow evil leaders—from the most helpless orphan to the most powerful young man—share the guilt.

When God’s people ignore His call and continue in wickedness, the mercy of God gives way to fiery wrath. The fuel for the divine fire is the flesh of wicked people (v. 19). In mercy, God is patient; in wrath, God is quick. The judgment of God will come suddenly. The people of Israel rebelled against God for generations; their sudden destruction would come “in one day” (v. 14). Verse 21 says, “For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still” (NKJV).

The prophets warned of the coming Day of the Lord—a day of darkness, terror, and fury. The suddenness of the Day of the Lord implies that no one will be prepared (1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10). There will be many warning signs, but no one will see them. The Day of the Lord will be the day in which God makes war with all the forces of darkness, with all the evil of humanity, and makes short work of it all. God’s attack will be swift, His victory sudden.

How was “ every one ” the same (v. 17), and why (v. 16)?

B. Sounding the Trumpet (Hosea 8:1-9)

1 Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the Lord, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law.

The prophet Hosea was a contemporary with Isaiah. Isaiah lived and preached in the southern kingdom of Judah; Hosea lived and preached in the northern kingdom of Israel. Since the death of King Solomon and the division of the united kingdom, the kingdom of Israel had rejected their covenant with God. The kings of Israel were not of the Davidic dynasty (1 Kings 12:19; 2 Chron. 10:19), and they were consistently evil. After many generations of evil in the house of Israel, Hosea is sounding a final warning.

The sound of the trumpet (actually, a ram’s horn) is ominous. Generations earlier, when Israel camped at the base of Mount Sinai, they heard “the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud” that provoked terror (Ex. 19:16). It signified the presence of Yahweh. When the armies of Israel, led by Joshua, marched around Jericho sounding trumpets, the trumpets were a sound of war (Josh. 6:4-5). Throughout the ancient world, trumpets were used by armies to intimidate opponents, sound an attack, and issue orders during battle (Judg. 7:16-22). With the blast of the trumpet, Hosea announces impending war. From the perspective of Israel, the approaching armies of Assyria appear to be led by Sennacherib; but, in fact, the Assyrian army is being led by Yahweh. God is waging war against Israel.

God will “come as an eagle” (Hos. 8:1). In Exodus, God is portrayed as a great eagle who bore Israel on its wings (Ex. 19:4). But God is no longer Israel’s protector; now God comes as a great predatory eagle, swooping down from the heavens upon its prey. The imagery of the great predatory eagle symbolizes the mighty Assyrian army moving quickly to crush Israel forever. God’s people will be “swallowed up” (Hos. 8:8).

Why is Yahweh Israel’s enemy? Because, for generations, the people of Israel have rejected God’s law (v. 1), tolerated evil kings (v. 4), and loved the false gods of Canaan (vv. 5-7). Their disingenuous protest of loyalty to God falls on deaf ears (v. 2). The time for repentance has passed. With the sound of the trumpet, God’s judgment has come!

Explain the statement, “For they have sown the wind, and the y shall reap the whirlwind”

(v. 7).

Challenging the President

Jeremiah Evarts was a Christian minister who dared challenge the most powerful man in the United States—President Andrew Jackson. President Jackson favored the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which removed all Native Americans from the east and relocated them far west of the Mississippi River. The Indian Removal Act, and President Jackson, were popular among white Americans. But Evarts declared that the Indian Removal Act was morally unjust. In the end, Jackson prevailed and the Indians were forcibly marched along what we now know as the Trail of Tears. Jeremiah Evarts is largely forgotten to history, but his faithfulness to the justice of God will be remembered eternally in the kingdom of heaven.

3. HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

With the fall of Israel (722 BC) and the impending doom of Judah (586 BC), it appears God’s ancient promises to Abraham and David will come to nothing. But God’s promise to establish a priestly people who will bless all the nations of the earth will not falter (Num. 23:19). Isaiah declared, “The word of our God stands forever” (40:8 NKJV). The prophets see beyond the fall of Israel, past the destruction of Jerusalem, and over the demise of the Davidic dynasty. The prophets’ words do not end with judgment, but with hope. The great story of God’s redemption will not end tragically, but triumphantly.

A. A New King (Isaiah 11:1-10)

1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2 And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

The Davidic kings failed to rule God’s people in wisdom and righteousness; they failed to maintain fidelity to God’s covenant. When the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and removed Zedekiah from the throne, the Davidic dynasty came to an end (Jer. 39:1-10).

But the end is not permanent. With God, all things are possible—even the resurrection of a dead nation. The prophets spoke of Israel as a great olive tree that would be struck by lightning and destroyed by fire; but from the dead stump a righteous Branch would spring forth (Jer. 11:16; 23:5). God promised David there would be no end to his dynasty (2 Sam. 7:8-13). Within the burned-out dead stump of the olive tree was a Seed that would spring forth new life—a new Davidic King would appear (see Isa. 6:13).

This new King would be unlike all who preceded Him. He alone would receive a sevenfold endowment of gifts from God that establish His perfect reign—the Holy Spirit, wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear of the Lord (11:2). Throughout the Bible, the number seven represents perfection or completion. The perfect King will establish a perfect kingdom of righteousness and justice which will abide in complete faithfulness to Yahweh (vv. 3-5). Because of the rule of this new King, someday all creation will be at peace (vv. 6-10).

How is the Messiah’s justice described (vv. 3-5)?

B. A New People (Ezekiel 37:15-23)

20 And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. 21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: 22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.

The prophet Ezekiel was a contemporary of Jeremiah; while Jeremiah ministered primarily in Jerusalem, Ezekiel ministered in exile—in Babylon. As a prophet in exile, Ezekiel experienced the harsh realities of God’s judgment on Judah and Jerusalem. The prophets’ divine call did not exempt them from the sufferings of God’s people. In fact, the prophets’ call meant they would share in the sufferings of the people. Ezekiel was painfully aware of the consequences of a sinful nation.

In verses 15-19, the Lord tells Ezekiel to choose two sticks to represent the divided kingdom. He is to hold the two sticks together to symbolize how Israel and Judah will eventually be joined together again.

Ezekiel saw beyond the harsh realities of judgment and exile; he envisioned a new reality in which God’s people are reunited and governed by one righteous King. God’s enduring mercy meant the Babylonian Exile would be temporary. God will gather the exiles, and they will return to the Promised Land.

This new people will be characterized by a transformation of heart (36:26), expressed by a wholehearted devotion to Yahweh in which their long history of idolatry is behind them: “Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols” (37:23). The covenant that God established at Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:5) will be fulfilled: “So shall they be my people, and I will be their God” (Ezek. 37:23).

Jesus Christ is the anointed Son of David who rules as the righteous King. All those who swear allegiance to the divine King are the new people of God. The apostle Paul envisioned a restored olive tree signifying the restoration of Israel as they confess their sins and believe in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10). All the Gentile nations who likewise confess and believe will be grafted into the restored olive tree (11:17-24).

What was the significance of Ezekiel’s two sticks?

C. A New Creation (Zephaniah 3:14-20)

14 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. 15 The Lord hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.

Zephaniah ministered as a prophet during the reign of King Josiah of Judah. It may have been the preaching of Zephaniah that provoked the reforms of Josiah. Even as Josiah sought to restore the worship of Yahweh, the people continued in their idolatrous practices. It was the continued idolatry that caused Zephaniah to warn of the impending judgment.

Zephaniah’s song of joy must be understood against the background of the terror of the coming Day of the Lord in which God will utterly consume all creation with His fiery wrath (1:1-6). The people of Judah understood Jerusalem to be the center of God’s world. When the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem by fire, it was as if the whole world was burning. Essentially, Jerusalem was not destroyed by the fire of the Babylonian armies, but by the fire of God’s wrath. With the destruction of Jerusalem came a period of exile and lamentation.

However, Zephaniah sees beyond the sufferings of the Exile, beyond the sufferings of this present age. He envisions a new creation in which the long period of mourning will be turned into joy, celebration, and dancing (3:14). In the new creation, God has forgiven the people’s sin and removed the judgment of the Law. God has delivered the people from their enemies. The new creation is characterized by the presence of Yahweh as “The King . . . the Lord your God in your midst” (vv. 15, 17 NKJV). In new creation, the fire of God’s wrath gives way to God’s enduring mercy.

The new creation causes all of heaven to rejoice. In fact, Yahweh himself celebrates: “He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy” (v. 17 NASB). Zephaniah envisions Yahweh as a dancing warrior who celebrates a long-awaited victory.

What will cause God to sing over us?

“Joy can be the echo of God’s life within you.”—Duane Pederson

BEING FULFILLED

The message of the prophets transcends time. The prophets spoke to the people of their time; but they speak to our day as well. The prophets saw beyond the evil and suffering of their time, and of our day as well. They saw beyond despair and spoke words of hope.

The message of the prophets was not fulfilled in their generation, or succeeding generations. After the Jews returned from their long exile, the Davidic dynasty was not restored, nor were the two kingdoms reunited. The ensuing centuries would be marked by more invasion by foreign powers and conflicts within.

But, the message of the prophets is being fulfilled. God’s promise to Abraham was that all the families of the earth will be blessed (Gen. 12:3). In other words, God’s great story of redemption envisions new people comprised of all the nations of the earth under the reign of Yahweh. God’s anointed King—Jesus Christ—has come, and He is coming again.