God inspired the prophets to tell the people what they needed to know and do in order to follow His will. God inspires the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel to reveal to the Israelites why they will become captives to Babylon, His anger against false prophets, and the restoration of Israel.
In chapter 25 of Jeremiah, Jeremiah is inspired to go out to the people of Judah. The prophets had told the people of Judah earlier, “Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways… and you can stay in the land… Do not worship other gods…”(Jeremiah 25:5-6) He tells them “Because you have not listened to my words, I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon… and I will bring him against this land…”(Jeremiah 25:9) Jeremiah makes it clear why the Israelites will go into exile; because they didn’t follow his commandments. Later Jeremiah states in the very same chapter how long the captivity will last.
Ezekiel too mentions idolatry as the reason for Israel’s captivity. In chapter eight he sees numerous examples of idolatry and the sin of Israel. The Lord commands Ezekiel to “Go in and see the wicked and detestable things they are doing here” (Ezekiel 8:9). He sees idols and detestable animals. He sees a woman morning for the Tammuz, which is the Babylonian fertility god (Ezekiel 12:31). Ezekiel also sees “twenty-five men… with their backs toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east”(Ezekiel 8:16). God tells him, “I will deal with them in anger, and I will not look on them with pity or spare them”(Ezekiel 8:18). Ezekiel symbolizes the Babylonian exile by exiling himself from Israel, he is instructed to “dig through the wall and take your belongings out through it”(Ezekiel 12:5) Ezekiel is instructed to tell whoever asks him “As I have done so is will be done to them. They will go into exile… the prince among them will put his things on his should at dusk and leave, and a hole will be dug in the wall for him to go through…”(Ezekiel 12:11-12) In chapter 23 God uses two sisters, Aholah and Aholibah who symbolize Israel and Judah. They both offered themselves up to prostitution. God says to them, “I will stir up your lovers against you… I will bring them against you from every side… the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, the men of Pekod and the Shoa and Koa, and all...
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...iel 37:5-6) God will bring back Israel to it’s home and they will settle back to their land. In the next half of the chapter God speaks of how the Israelites will come back to their home. He continues to say, “My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd… David my servant will be their prince forever”(Ezekiel 37:24-25). It must be understood that when referring to David he isn’t speaking of the former king of Israel, but he is speaking of the Messiah who is to be a descendant of David.
In conclusion God used Jeremiah and Ezekiel to witness to the Israelites what was going to happen. Even though the message wasn’t always pleasing to the ears or may have been such an incredibly unusual act people had to stop and stare, but all and all they both served God and followed his will.
Bibliography
Meyer, F.B., Jeremiah Priest and Prophet
Birmingham, George A., Jeremiah the Prophet
Zimmerli, Walther, Ezekiel 1: A commentary on the book of the prophet Ezekiel 1-24
Zimmerli, Walther, Ezekiel 2: A commentary on the book of the prophet Ezekiel 25-48
C.I. Scofield, D.D., The New Scofield Study Bible, New International Version
Jeremiah had a very unique message in his time that dealt with the way that people lived their own lives. He believed that sin was chiefly directed towards Judah. It states this point in Jeremiah chapter 5 verse 11, "For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly faithless to me, says the Lord." (Harper Collins, 1124). With that, the sins of Judah were that of the sins of the people of Judah. Each person must reduce his or her own sins in order for the whole nation to finally turn to God (Baughman, 153).
To discuss the topic of idolatry, social injustice, and religious ritualism, it is not hard to find out that there are many examples in the Holy Bible that teach people about the Sin of Idolatry, social injustice, and religious ritualism. Some of the prophets who were chosen by God, such as Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jonah, Micah and Hosea, are good examples of those issues. God used those people and their stories to teach other people about His words and His will.
God’s people found themselves in captivity in Egypt after the death of Joseph and the Pharaoh that had knowledge of the good done by children of Israel (Ex. 1:8-14). God saw the oppression of His people and sent Moses and Aaron to deliver His people from slavery (Ex. 3:10, 4:14-16).
This phrase is later repeated three more times, in Judges 18:1, 19:1, and 21:25. Since the phrase is repeated several times, it emphasizes the need for a king to govern the people and lead them in better ways. The Davidic covenant also exemplifies this positive view, since God showed favor on David and his descendants. God said that King David’s descendants are God’s sons, and that the LORD will establish a “royal throne forever”, as in a line of kings until the end of time (2 Sam. 7:13). God also promises to give David “rest from all your enemies” (2 Sam. 7:11) and a place for his people to live (2 Sam. 7:10). Just like Abraham, King David is promised descendants, blessings, and land. Hezekiah, another good king of Judah, was also viewed favorably. In the LORD’s sight, Hezekiah did what was right, just like David (2 Kgs 18:3). 2 Kings 18: 5 also states that “and neither before nor after [Hezekiah] was there anyone like him among all the kings of Judah.” Unlike Solomon, Hezekiah observed the commandments and thus, “the LORD was with him, and he succeeded in all he set out to do” (2 Kgs 18:7). Therefore, the Deuteronomistic History looks favorably upon kings, since the need for a king is stated multiple times in Judges, and kings like David and Hezekiah are looked upon with favor by God and the people
David is the first king that God chooses to lead His people (Saul was chosen by the Israelites). God makes a covenant with him that there will always be a descendant of his on the
...all the people Ezekiel was strange but God did not believed, In God’s eyes, Ezekiel was truthful, forgiving, obedient, and had endurance. He was dependable, patience, faithful, and tolerant. Ezekiel was truthful in all that he spoke because all of his words were from God. Ezekiel was forgiving and tolerant of God when God decided to take Ezekiel’s wife away to make a point. Ezekiel was very obedient as he obeyed God’s every single command including not mourning when his wife died. God gave Ezekiel lots of endurance because he prophetized for over twenty-two years. With his endurance, showed he was always dependable and faithful. All God needed to do was tell Ezekiel what to say or do, and Ezekiel would complete the task without complaint. Ezekiel was very patient even though God did not allow him to speak for seven and a half years and he complied with that.
However, even though the exiles were allowed to return to their ancestral homeland of Judah, many of the people chose not to return but to remain in the recently conquered city of Babylon. There are many contributing factors concerning why these Hebrew exiles chose to remain. Even so, it is difficult to understand why a people, who were located in Palestine for over a millennium and who had such strong religious beliefs and practices, would choose to abandon the location of their now destroyed sacred Temple and ancestral home after being exiled for only fifty years.
Like Moses, David was not a likely choice as a leader. David was a shepherd boy but he displayed incredible courage by killing Goliath. David had been faithful and obedient to God and God saw David’s heart. "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature: because I have refused him: for [the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). David had opportunities to kill Saul but, never desired to do so. David later hand many transgressions during his reign. David had many flaws; he was an adulterer and murderer. He knew he was wrong and always repented and had the desire to please God. God knew none of his people were perfect but he favors those who are obedient. David’s love for God never wavered and was always spiritual and always praised the Lord. He was committed to God. Even when no one else knows if you are faithful, God knows. God has a plan for all of us and we just have to be patient. David was anointed by God. He didn’t compromise and only showed love. Therefore, David was shown favor over Saul by God.
In order to understand the effects that ideas of femininity have on literary texts, we must first acknowledge what the term means. Clearly both terms derive from the original sex of the being, whether male or female, and can be similarly tied in with notions of gender, either masculine or feminine, which are said to be constructs, or labels, created by society. However `masculinity' and `femininity' become, on some levels, dislodged from the idea of the biological makeup and gender constructs, and instead tend to be described in terms of discourse. It is not just the sex and gender of a being that determines their actions, but instead their thoughts and opinions.
The kingdom of Jerusalem is one of the most important Kingdoms in the bible, thats why it was so important when it fell to the Babylonians. The beginning of the book is describing in first person from Jeremiah the prophet the destruction of Jerusalem and how sad it is of a site to see. In chapter two of the book Jeremiah is talking about the how mad the lord is at his people, and how he brought judgement to the wicked land. God is showing in chapter two how mad he is and he cut off the power of Israel, but in chapter three he Jeremiah tells us that he is faithful to us and he will restore the land. Even though he to is very sad from his city being taken and destroyed he remembers what the lord has told him. He then explains that the people of the kingdom of judah and the kingdom of Jerusalem need to fall back to the lord and get rid of those false gods. For the love and kindness of the lo...
...on of gender roles in history, Evans agrees with Macewen by affirming that the story of the Trojan women is used to challenge gender roles and push for social change. The general story has shown women to be left at the mercy of men and both adaptations challenge that perception. Trojan women has been used to push for social change because it presents the story of a group of women who appear worthless now that the men in their life have died in battle, and the characters within the story react to this in different ways. Both Evans and Meacewen showcase Helen as a character that has the qualities it takes to choose her own fate, rather than having her husband do it for her. Although the difference in plot may give Helen a more empowering role in Trojan Barbie than in Trojan Women, both writers can agree that this character use her cleverness to decide her own future.
Jeremiah 31:1-6 is the announcement of restoration, giving rest to Israel. Jeremiah 31:1, “At that time,” declares the LORD, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.” (NIV). “While the return from captivity is a good thing, it was a very difficult time, a time when the Jews, where threatened by those who occupied that land during the captivity and later by the Greeks and Romans. This restoration includes al the clans of Israel. Historically the Northern kingdom ceased to exist nearly 200 years prior to prophecy.” “Jeremiah’s great contribution to our understanding of messianic prophecy and how the New Testament relates to the Old Testament is that he explicitly describes a coming glorious “new” covenant (Jer. 31:31-34) that will replace the old one that Israel/Judah has shattered and annulled” (Pg. 174). “Chapters 30 and 31 contain no historical dates or ties to the reign of a king. This absence of dates or specific historical ties gives these first two chapters a certain timelessness. Also, in chapters 30-33 Jeremiah does not connect the future restoration to the downfall of Babylon. Instead, the restoration is tied theologically to the fulfillment of both the Abrahamic and the Davidic covenants-the new covenant and the associated blessings of restoration come as a fulfillment of those prior covenants (which are not broken)” (Pg. 174).
Heppermann, C. M. (2010). The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll's History and Her Impact on Us. Horn Book Magazine, 86(6), 119-120. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Judgment, wrath, anger, gloom, and doom, all are just a few of the words that come to mind when one thinks about the Old Testament. The last 12 books entitled the Minor Prophets are pages usually skipped over. Idolatry, social injustice, and religious ritualism seem to be a theme throughout the last twelve books of the Old Testament. Can these books still be relevant today? Hindson and Yates suggest they are. “The message of the minor prophets still speaks to us today. They remind us that God holds the people responsible for their behavior. Especially those who claim to belong to him.” (P. 367)
Isaiah chapter 6 versus 1-13 stand apart from the rest of the Bible as a unique record of how God called on and reached out to a man, and in doing so a prophet was born. Interpreting this chapter is of vital importance for the understanding of Isaiah's teaching as a whole. In it he describes a real experience which effects him both psychologically and spiritually. Through the passage it can be perceived that his ministry was initiated by a soul shaking experience of the reality of God, and it's authenticity validated by it's results and influence on the prophet's life and work (Berrtrick, p 205).