Wonderful Wednesdays, Part III: Prophets and Prophecy

Prophets had the role of holding people accountable to the God of Israel. They would accomplish this through the ministry of prophecy. Prophecy usually refers to a message that is claimed to be of divine nature or origin.

There are prophecies about the past, prophecies about the present, and prophecies about the future.

Prophets often contrasted God’s past kindness and provision for Israel with the nation’s disloyalty to him and unkindness to each other in the present. When the People of Israel didn’t turn from their wicked ways, it was the prophets who warned them of what lay ahead.

The Prophet Jeremiah brought the word of God to the people, warning them of what would happen as a result of their disobedience. Jeremiah declared they had broken the old covenant, but that God would write a new covenant, one that would be written on the hearts of the people. The New Testament of our Bible is the new covenant that Jeremiah spoke of. Jesus is the fulfillment of the promises that God made and brings salvation to all.

Next week, Esther!