PROPHETS.

 THE WORD OF THE OLD TESTAMENT COMMONLY USES FOR "PROPHET" DESCRIBES ONE WHO CALLS, SPEAKS, NAMES, AND PROCLAIMS FOR ANOTHER. AN OLD TESTAMENT PROPHET WAS ONE WHO SPOKE FOR GOD AND MADE KNOWN THE DIVINE WILL. TWO PASSAGES WHICH EXPLAIN THE ROLE OF A PROPHET ARE EXODUS 4: 14-16 AND 7:1. ACCORDING TO THESE PASSAGES, MOSES WAS TO BE AS "GOD." TO Aaron, AND Aaron WAS TO BE "MOSES PROPHET."  IN OTHER WORDS, MOSES WAS TO TELL Aaron WHAT TO SAY, AND Aaron WAS TO BE MOSES PROPHET AND SPEAK ON MOSES BEHALF. A PROPHET, THEN, WAS ONE THROUGH WHOM GOD SPOKE TO THE PEOPLE. THOUGH THE PEOPLE. THOUGH THE PROPHET SOMETIMES SPOKE OF FUTURE EVENTS, HIS ROLE WAS THAT OF A FORTH-TELLER, RATHER THAN FORE-TELLER.THE OLD TESTAMENT CONTAINS A NUMBER OF WRITINGS REFERRED AS THE PROPHETIC BOOKS THAN DO CHRISTIANS. THEY CLASSIFY JOSHUA, JUDGES,1 AND 2 SAMUEL, AND 1 AND 2 KINGS AS THE FORMER PROPHETS, AND ISAIAH, JEREMIAH, EZEKIEL, AND HOSEA TO MALACHI AS THE "LATTER PROPHETS"
THEY DO NOT CLASSIFY LAMENTATIONS OR DANIEL AS PROPHETIC WRITINGS. SOME ALSO PLACE DANIEL AMONG THE PROPHETS. THE BOOKS CHRISTIANS DEFINE AS PROPHETIC MAKE UP ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE WHOLE BIBLE. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THE WORK AND MESSAGES OF THE PROPHETS, WHICH GIVES SOME INSIGHTS INTO THE SUBJECT. THE PROPHETS REPEATEDLY ATTACHED THE NATION FOR ITS SINFULNESS. THEY SAID IT WAS IGNORING, PERVERTING,  AND FORGETTING THE COVENANT  GOD HAD MADE WITH THEM AT SINAI. MICAH 6:1-8. THE COVENANT CURSES WERE ABOUT TO COME INTO EFFECT! THE PROPHETS DELIVERED THEIR MESSAGES ABOUT THIS IN FIERY AND VIVID LANGUAGE ( JEREMIAH 4: 5-31) AND SOMETIMES USED HERE "ACTED WORDS."
TO REINFORCE THEIR SPOKEN WORDS, EZEKIEL 4:5). VERY FEW--IF ANY--WITHIN THE NATION LISTENED TO THEM.. THEY LOOKED ON THEM AS LITTLE MORE THAN QUAINT ENTERTAINERS, EZEKIEL 33:0-33. SOME ABUSED AND HARASSED THE PROPHETS, JEREMIAH 20:1-2. SOME PUT THEM TO DEATH, JEREMIAH 26:23. HOW DID THE PROPHETS HOW DID THE PROPHETS SUGGEST GOD WOULD DISCIPLINE HIS PEOPLE? HE WOULD USE THE ARMIES OF SURROUNDING NATIONS AS HIS INSTRUMENTS. GOD HAD ONCE MARCHED AT THE HEAD OF ISRAEL'S ARMIES IN THE CLOUD CALLED THE (SHEKIAH) AND GIVE HER VICTORIES OVER HER FOES, SO HE WOULD LEAD THEM INTO BATTLE AGAINST HIS OWN PEOPLE, ISAIAH (7: 18-20). WAS GOD REALLY BEING HARSH?  REMEMBER THE SWEEP OF TIME INVOLVED. GOD MADE HIS COVENANT WITH ISRAEL AT SINAI ABOUT 1250 B.C. HE WAITED FOR ABOUT 525 YEARS BEFORE HE DESTROYED THE NORTHERN KINGDOM, ISRAEL.
HE WAITED ANOTHER (125 YEARS) BEFORE HE LED THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM, JUDAH INTO EXILE. HE HAD BEEN EXTREMELY PATIENT WITH HIS PEOPLE.  EVEN SO, HE WAS SERIOUS ABOUT THE COVENANT HE HAD MADE WITH HIS PEOPLE. HE WANTED THEM TO ADOPT A SIMILAR ATTITUDE TOWARDS IT, IF THEY DID NOT, THERE WOULD BE DIRE CONSEQUENCES. HE USED HIS PROPHETS TO MAKE THAT POINT VERY CLEAR TO HIS PEOPLE-- BUT THEY REMAINED INDIFFERENT TO HIM!
HE ATTACK THE NATION BECAUSE BASED ON THE CHARGE THAT THE PEOPLE HAVE BROKEN THE COVENANT. HE INSISTS THAT THOUGH SURROUNDING NATIONS ATTACKED ISRAEL, IT IS REALLY "GOD HIMSELF" WHO IS ATTACKING THEM THROUGH THESE NATIONS.