GEMS FROM JEREMIAH (2) “Prophets & the people of God”


 

Texts: Genesis 12.1-3; Exodus 19.1-6; Deuteronomy 28.58-68; Jeremiah 2.1-8, 7.25-26, 35.15-17

     What is the purpose of a prophet?  A prophet is Yahweh’s means of communication with his people Israel.  The prophetic tradition begins with Moses at Mount Sinai.  After the liberated slaves of the 12 tribes have arrived at the foot of the mountain, Yahweh declares the 10 Commandments:

“When…the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid and trembled and stood at a distance, and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die” (Exodus 20.18-19). 

As the prototypical prophet, Moses was well aware of the weight of the burden of being a liaison between God and his people (cf. Ex. 32.30-32).  And so, since the time of Moses, “the word of the LORD” came to those individual members of God’s people whom Yahweh designated as prophets.

     What do we mean by “people of God”?  When God had appeared to Moses in the burning bush, Yahweh had identified himself as “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob/Israel” (Ex. 3.6).  Abraham was the “father” of God’s people; following the disasters of Genesis chapters 3-11, God called Abra(ha)m and promised to give him renown, countless descendants and a land of his own, all of which would somehow result in all the nations of the earth being “blessed” (Gn. 12.1-3).  The calling of Abraham as the originator of a new humanity was the beginning of God’s answer to the “Fall” (Gn. 3) and the resulting curses afflicting humans since the disaster in Eden.  One of Abraham’s great-grandsons, Joseph, brought the family to Egypt in order to ensure their survival during a widespread famine (Gn. 37-50).  After four centuries of slavery in Egypt, Moses led the people through the wilderness on a 40-year journey back towards the Promised Land.

     What is the sign of Israel’s identity as Yahweh’s people?  At Mt. Sinai, Yahweh renewed the covenant (sacred agreement) he had previously established with Abraham (cf. Gn. 15; 17).  While the Abrahamic covenant involved the “seal” of (male) circumcision, accompanied by the promise of countless descendants, the Sinai covenant is much more involved.  The Mosaic covenant resembles a contract, with both parties having responsibilities, accompanied by consequences for faithfulness/unfaithfulness (blessings/curses).  The covenant binds Israel to Yahweh as his unique people among the nations of the earth, called to demonstrate genuine humanity and be the instrument of the Creator’s purpose in the world (Ex. 19.5-6).  The technical word for this divinely-bestowed identity is “holiness”.  So, to sum up the purpose of the covenant: the covenant identifies and equips Israel to be God’s agent of salvation in the world that the Creator is determined to rescue from evil and human sin/rebellion.  To the extent that Israel is faithful to the covenant, Yahweh’s plan of salvation will go forward, with the ultimate goal of benefiting all of humanity (“the nations”/Gentiles).

     What happens if Israel refuses to honour the covenant?  If the covenant-plan sounded straightforward, think again.  By calling Abraham and establishing his covenant with Abraham’s descendants at Sinai, God was demonstrating his intention to save his world through his human creatures.  There’s the rub – the liberated slaves at the foot of Mt. Sinai are just as human as the primordial couple in the garden of Eden.  Humans – whether covenanted to the Creator or not – remain human.  When Israel inevitably fails to be faithful to the covenant, God sends “his servants the prophets” to call his people back to obedience to the covenant and thus to return to living in a way that demonstrates the Creator’s will for humanity.

     So, what is the purpose of a prophet?  A prophet’s task is to confront the people of God and remind her of her identity and mission in the world.  A prophet recalls the mighty and loving acts of Yahweh in favour of his people and reminds the people of God of the consequences of their disobedience.  A prophet faces the inevitable hostility resulting from confronting people with their wrongdoing and guilt.  A prophet tells the truth, not because he despises the people of God, but precisely because he shares God’s love for the people and hopes against hope that the people will repent and thus avoid disaster.  The true prophet demonstrates his solidarity with the people of God, knowing that he may well share the doom that he is responsible to foretell.

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