The prophetic books of the Bible are arguably some of the hardest to read with a measure of clarity, let alone edification. One who wishes to remedy that should be greatly helped by this new book by Samuel A. Meier, an associate professor in the Dept. of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at Ohio State University.
More than an introduction to the prophetic writings, Meier progressively builds an argument that there are huge changes that occur over time in how a prophet related to God and conveyed his message. For instance, have you ever wondered how a prophet heard from God and received his revelation? This book not only details how this occurred according to specific prophets, but notes how there seems to be a movement away from more intimate contacts with God.
Other aspects are also given the same analysis, such as the role of angels in the prophet’s ministry, the use of poetry, miracles, etc. I particularly found interesting the sections dealing with God’s inclusion of the early prophets in his deliberating council. It’s true that God seemed to allow the voice of certain people to be heard and considered in his plans. What Meier points out, however, is that this privilege was not something given to later prophets. I never really noticed the connection before, but once he points it out, it is impossible to miss. For some reason, the relationship between God and prophet changed over time. And the point of change? The interesting thing about this is that nearly all the aspects of prophetic writing that the book studies took a major shift right after the exile of Israel.
The question that lingers throughout the book is “why?” Maybe it is wise, but Meier gives no answer to that. We can’t ultimately know, but it appears that the watershed moment when Israel’s sin reached a peak changed even more some of the ways that God related to his people. But the continuation of the prophetic voice during and after the exile shows God’s ultimate dedication to the success of his people.
This is a very interesting book on a number of levels. It makes you think without being cumbersome, it orients you to a style of writing that is foreign to most, and it is full of cool stories from prophets that you forgot or didn’t realize were in there. All of this whets the appetite for reading the prophets in the Bible, which is a wonderful result of this work.
Reviewed by Matt Milligan
