AN INTRODUCTION TO

THE HEBREW PROPHETS

THE PROPHETS

AS PREACHERS

GARY V. SMITH

Nashville, Tennessee

In honor of three of God’s wonderful gifts:

Dorothy Putnam, my mother-in-law

Susan Smith, my wife

Christine Brunko, my daughter

© 1994

by Broadman & Holman Publishers

All rights reserved

4216–10

978-0-8-054-1860-6

Dewey Decimal Classification: 224

Subject Heading: BIBLE. O.T. PROPHETS

Library of Congress Card Catalog Number: 94-18068

Art is from Holman Pictorial Collection of Biblical Antiquities, Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee.

Map of the Divided Monarchies © Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Smith, Gary V., 1943-.

The prophets as preachers: an introduction to the Hebrew prophets / Gary V. Smith

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 0-8054-1860-1

1. Bible O.T. Prophets—Criticism, interpretation, etc.

2. Prophecy (Christianity). 3. Preaching I. Title

BS1505.6.P69S55 1994

224’.06—DC20

94-18068

CIP

VP

Contents

List of Illustrations

Abbreviations

Preface

Introduction

1. Communication that Transforms

2. The Social Dimensions of Transformation

3. Amos: The End Has Come!

4. Hosea: Can Anyone Love a Prostitute?

5. Jonah: Should God Be Compassionate to Everyone?

6. Micah: Justice Will Reign

7. Isaiah: Can You Trust God?

8. Nahum: Where Is God’s Goodness and Wrath?

9. Zephaniah: Seek God Before the Day of the Lord

10. Habakkuk: Living by Faith

11. Jeremiah: Beware of Deceptive Words!

12. Joel: Call on the Lord for His Day Is Near!

13. Obadiah: Can Proud Oppressors Escape Judgment?

14. Ezekiel: When Will You Acknowledge God?

15. Daniel: Who Rules the World?

16. Haggai: What Are Your Priorities?

17. Zechariah: What Are God’s Purposes?

18. Malachi: Whom Do You Honor?

19. Prophetic Ministry

Glossary of Terms

Bibliography

Index of Subjects

Index of Names

List of Illustrations

Map of the Divided Monarchies

Assyrian statue of a roaring lion

Relief from the black obelisk of Shalmaneser III

Coin from the time of Mattathias Antigonus

Relief dating from 1000–800 b.c. of a six-winged figure

Section of the bronze gates from Balaat

Portion of the commentary of Habakkuk from the Dead Sea Scrolls

Limestone statue from the mid-2000s b.c

Relief from the palace of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh

Behistun Inscription

Abbreviations

AB Anchor Bible

ABD Anchor Bible Dictionary

ANET Ancient Near Eastern Texts

AUSS Andrews University Seminary Studies

BA Biblical Archaeologist

BAR Biblical Archaeologist Reader

BASOR Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research

BBC Broadman Bible Commentary

BBR Bulletin of Biblical Research

Bib Biblica

BKAT Biblischer Kommentar Altes Testament

BSac Bibliotheca Sacra

BTB Biblical Theology Bulletin

BZ Biblische Zeitschrift

BZAW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift fur die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft

CBC The Cambridge Bible Commentary on the New English Bible

CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly

CC Continental Commentary

CTR Criswell Theological Review...