Prophets from a Jewish Perspective
February 20, 2006
What value are the Old Testament prophets such as Joshua, Isaiah, Jeremiah and others, if indeed the Law which is built upon the Pentateuch is the centre of Jewish life and tradition? Joshua and the other prophets move Jewish life onward and away from the theory of perfect Jewish life toward life as it is truly lived with all its complexities. One aspect of the legacy of all the prophets is to reveal the tale of a nation that lives up to the expectations of God and at the same time the tale of a nation that terribly disappoints God and is at odds with the covenant.
When terrible disasters befell the nation of Israel the question "why" arose. Why has this befallen us? In the long centuries after the destruction of Israel by the Romans in the first century AD the question of the status of the covenant was examined. It was wondered, "has God moved on from the Jews and left them and abandoned the covenant he entered into with the Jews"? Is God now with the Christians or with the Muslims who appear to thrive and have become the majority of the world population? The discussions of the rabbis and the survival of the Jewish people have confirmed that God is still very much in covenant with the Jewish people.
Judaism tends to place less emphasis upon the writings of the Prophets than does traditional Christianity. In Judaism, if the word of a prophet is against the word of a rabbi, the rabbi’s decision would be the binding decision. The word of the prophet would be helpful to the discussion but the matter of Law (Covenant) is the realm of the rabbi which takes precedence.
In the Judaic tradition there have been four types of leadership within the faith: political leadership which has come from the kings and judges (David, Solomon, etc), the rabbinic leadership (the practice of the Law), the prophetic leadership, and the priestly leadership (the Temple leadership). Always the four types of leadership are invested in separate persons or groups of persons. However, Moses was an example where all forms of leadership were combined in one person.
What is prophecy? It is absolute (true) knowledge which arises from a matter of training, both intellectual training and moral training.
What is the role of the Prophet? To critique the society who responsibility it is to keep the covenant with God. The prophet speaks to a nation who has strayed from the covenant.
Dr. Breuer says there is something uniquely Jewish when you read the prophets and New Testament. Jesus is seen as a prophet who offers a critique of The Law, of Torah. Jesus makes the point that people including the leadership live by the law and yet they miss the point of the Law. Jesus observes that the "heart" or the "spirit"of fulfilling of the Law has been lost or obliterated by the fulfilling of the "letter" of the Law. Jesus talks about hypocrisy or the going through the motions of the religion. Jesus was a prophet in the classical sense of a "prophet." A prophet speaks his/her truth as he/she understands it.
The true prophet invites the people to remember the "Covenant." Remember that the covenant is a contract between two parties and that both parties must work at fulfilling his/her end of the deal. The Prophet calls the parties to account, sometimes holding both people and God responsible. The Prophets expresses wisdom.
Looking at the writings of the prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament, he lets the people know in clear terms that following the Covenant will build a strong people, a justice society. The prophet says, "Do right by the covenant or you will do right the hard way through suffering and destruction. The prophet makes it clear that the covenant is still intact and that any punishment is to be viewed as shaping and correction of the community or people, just like a good parent corrects and teaches a child. The prophet often ends with encouraging words that God will be faithful and will hold to the covenant.
What value are the Old Testament prophets such as Joshua, Isaiah, Jeremiah and others, if indeed the Law which is built upon the Pentateuch is the centre of Jewish life and tradition? Joshua and the other prophets move Jewish life onward and away from the theory of perfect Jewish life toward life as it is truly lived with all its complexities. One aspect of the legacy of all the prophets is to reveal the tale of a nation that lives up to the expectations of God and at the same time the tale of a nation that terribly disappoints God and is at odds with the covenant.
When terrible disasters befell the nation of Israel the question "why" arose. Why has this befallen us? In the long centuries after the destruction of Israel by the Romans in the first century AD the question of the status of the covenant was examined. It was wondered, "has God moved on from the Jews and left them and abandoned the covenant he entered into with the Jews"? Is God now with the Christians or with the Muslims who appear to thrive and have become the majority of the world population? The discussions of the rabbis and the survival of the Jewish people have confirmed that God is still very much in covenant with the Jewish people.
Judaism tends to place less emphasis upon the writings of the Prophets than does traditional Christianity. In Judaism, if the word of a prophet is against the word of a rabbi, the rabbi’s decision would be the binding decision. The word of the prophet would be helpful to the discussion but the matter of Law (Covenant) is the realm of the rabbi which takes precedence.
In the Judaic tradition there have been four types of leadership within the faith: political leadership which has come from the kings and judges (David, Solomon, etc), the rabbinic leadership (the practice of the Law), the prophetic leadership, and the priestly leadership (the Temple leadership). Always the four types of leadership are invested in separate persons or groups of persons. However, Moses was an example where all forms of leadership were combined in one person.
What is prophecy? It is absolute (true) knowledge which arises from a matter of training, both intellectual training and moral training.
What is the role of the Prophet? To critique the society who responsibility it is to keep the covenant with God. The prophet speaks to a nation who has strayed from the covenant.
Dr. Breuer says there is something uniquely Jewish when you read the prophets and New Testament. Jesus is seen as a prophet who offers a critique of The Law, of Torah. Jesus makes the point that people including the leadership live by the law and yet they miss the point of the Law. Jesus observes that the "heart" or the "spirit"of fulfilling of the Law has been lost or obliterated by the fulfilling of the "letter" of the Law. Jesus talks about hypocrisy or the going through the motions of the religion. Jesus was a prophet in the classical sense of a "prophet." A prophet speaks his/her truth as he/she understands it.
The true prophet invites the people to remember the "Covenant." Remember that the covenant is a contract between two parties and that both parties must work at fulfilling his/her end of the deal. The Prophet calls the parties to account, sometimes holding both people and God responsible. The Prophets expresses wisdom.
Looking at the writings of the prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament, he lets the people know in clear terms that following the Covenant will build a strong people, a justice society. The prophet says, "Do right by the covenant or you will do right the hard way through suffering and destruction. The prophet makes it clear that the covenant is still intact and that any punishment is to be viewed as shaping and correction of the community or people, just like a good parent corrects and teaches a child. The prophet often ends with encouraging words that God will be faithful and will hold to the covenant.
posted by Philip | 5:19 a.m.
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