Discuss the relationships of the prophets of Ancient Israel with the throne (government), the temple (religion), and the people (society).
There are two professional schools of prophets in ancient Israel: the true prophets who are considered as the revile of the kings e.g. Jezebel killed all the northern kingdom prophets except the Hosea’s oracles (Hosea 11), and there are false prophets who are motivated and sponsored by the state government in order to speak for them. They do this for endanger upon their lives and their poor economic living standard.
Indeed, the prophets receive the word of God and deliver the message to the people. They have no authority of their own but always with direct command from Yahweh like “Thus says the Lord.” There are specific purpose in their prophecies and are not new but rooted with God’s covenant. They talk about judgment and do not foretell the future events alone but also reinforce the law (Torah) for the current events around 90% (Mhac Janapin, OT class). The people were corrupted and committed great sins even considered as national crime. They are after the moral change; social change and a heart change to Yahweh.
In relationship, politically it was controlled and directed through the consultation of the true prophets like King Saul’s case (1 Sam. 9). And even the false prophets were used for their political favor and good governing. During the 8th century of the great prosperity of north and southern kingdoms had become threats to the true religion of Yahweh because of low morality and religious corruption probably the false prophets and their influence upon the people. Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, and Micah were against the sinful practices of their religious infidelity in the temple and the leaders were responsible for it. It was a call for restoration of faith from the idolatry and unrighteousness and the impending judgment of unrepentant sins and consequences, a heart change of the people to the true God (Yahweh). Thus, the ancient Israel prophets play a great role of God’s mouthpiece in dealing with the people and their sins: socially, politically and religious.
References:
The Holy Bible (NIV). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996.
Kaiser, Walter C. A History of Israel: From the Bronze Age Through the Jewish Wars. Nashville, Tennessee: Brodman & Holman Publishers,1998.
Hailey, Homer. Ancient Prophets in a Modern World. Vol. 1, No. 3, January 1952. Available at http://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/LVarticles/AncientProphetsInAModernWorld.html. Internet.
“The prophets of Israel” available at http://www.awitness.org/lostmess/poet.html. Internet.
98. Good observations.