LESSON 14 • The Prophets of Judah and Exile:
It's All Downhill from Here

OPEN 

Imagine leaving in a time where everything around you seemed to be caving in. Nahum portrays the times in which he lived in this way:

The way of the Lord is in the whirlwind and the storm.
Nahum 1:3

Is it true that God’s way is in the difficult, heart-straining contingencies of daily living?

Despair and disillusionment abounded for the Old Testament prophets of God. Most of the prophets lived in the pits! Jeremiah screamed: 

Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow, 
and to end my days in shame?
Jeremiah 20:18

Jeremiah was in anguish. Prophet or not, he struggled with God’s justice. Deep down he questioned His presence. The ancient man of God is not alone with feelings like that. Who hasn’t wrestled with similar questions and doubts? 

DIG

The prophets laid out the most advanced concepts of ethics and morality to come from the ancient world. They also insisted that religion and ethics cannot be separated. There are three reoccurring themes in the Prophets:

1. First is a theological theme. The prophets’ foremost goal was to clarify Israel’s understanding of God and to create loyalty to Him. 

2. Second is a social and ethical theme. The prophets consistently denounce people who practice injustice or who use power abusively. While it may seem contradictory, remember the words of the Lord to Moses:

The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, 
abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands,and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. 
Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.

Many of the prophetic writers too present both features of God – His goodness and provisions; yet His intolerance and retribution in punishing sin (see Nahum 1:2-11). 

3. Third is what we call a “messianic theme.” This name comes from the word “Messiah” meaning “the one God has anointed.” The prophets often speak of a special leader that God will raise up in Israel. They also describe great blessings that God will offer through this leader. The prophets never give him a name, but the Jews chose to call him the Messiah, “God’s anointed.” The New Testament links these statements about the Messiah to the life and work of Jesus. 

Prophets before the Exile

I. Nahum 

a. Nahum’s oracle is dated between the overthrow of Thebes (in 663 B.C.; see 3:8-10) and the fall of Ninevah (in 612 B.C.). This would place Nahum during the reign of Josiah and make him a contemporary of Zephaniah and a young Jeremiah. 

b. The major theme of this book is the Lord’s judgment on Ninevah. 

c. The northern kingdom of Israel had fallen at the hands of the Assyrians in 722 B.C.. About 700 B.C., the Assyrian king Sennacherib made Ninevah, which was the greatest city of its day, the capital of the empire. Jonah had announced Ninevah’s doom, but the people repented and were given a “stay of execution.” However, they quickly returned to their evil ways. 

Poetic justice and Ninevah’s destruction is the focus of Nahum’s prophecy. Within a few years, Nahum’s prophecies came true. Proud Ninevah fell so hard that it never rose again. Its site was obliterated; it was only rediscovered some 2,500 years later. 

d. This book is a powerful indictment of a nation that seeks glory by aggression and oppression. The God of Israel hates violence and pride and “will not leave the guilty unpunished” (1:3). 

II. Zephaniah

a. Zephaniah was an aristocrat, a great-great grandson of Hezekiah, the king of Judah from 715 to 686. 

b. Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of Josiah (640-609 B.C.). His preaching likely contributed to Josiah’s reforms, which took place in 621 B.C. This makes Zephaniah an older contemporary and kindred spirit of Jeremiah. 

c. The major theme of this book is the coming day of the Lord. 

d. This prophetic book has two primary messages – “gloom and doom” for Judah and its neighbors (1:1-3:8), then the Lord’s purging and purifying of a faithful remnant (3:9-20).

e. Josiah’s reform was spurred on by several key events: (1) the evils of King Manasseh and King Amon; (2) by the rediscovery of Moses’ Law, (3) by hearing Jeremiah’s early preaching; and (4) quite probably by Zephaniah’s preaching. 

f. Fulfillment of Zephaniah’s prophecy (the destruction of Judah) came at the hands of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He defeated the Assyrians in 612 B.C., thus establishing Babylonian supremacy in the Near East. 

III. Habakkuk

a. Habakkuk was a contemporary of Jeremiah and was a man of deep faith rooted in the religious traditions of Israel. 

b. Habakkuk was written in the latter part of the seventh century B.C., probably 610-605 B.C.). He, like Jeremiah, probably lived to see the beginning of the fulfillment of his prophecy when Jerusalem was attacked by the Babylonians in 597 B.C. 

c. The major theme of this book is faith triumphs over doubt. Habakkuk wrestles with a problem that faces every age: Why does God seem inactive in the face of evil and injustice? 

d. The northern kingdom had fallen to Assyria and now the rising Babylonian empire was on the horizon. In Habakkuk’s day, the rulers of the southern kingdom (Judah) were known to “do evil in the eyes of the Lord” (see 2 Kings 23:31-24:7). 

e. The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, made the Judean king, Jehoiakim, his vassal ruler. Chapters one and two of Habakkuk are historically rooted in the events preceding and following the 605 B.C. invasion under Nebuchadnezzar’s leadership. 

f. Habakkuk is unusual in that it contains no prophecy directed to Israel. Instead, it is a dialogue between the prophet and God. Complaint and petition are followed by the divine perspective on the problem. 

g. Habakkuk 2:4 - - “The righteous will live by faith” - - is quoted by several New Testament authors who use it in speaking of faith. Faith must win over fear. 

IV. Jeremiah

a. Jeremiah was both a prophet and priest. His words contained in this book were written down by his secretary Baruch (36:4-32). 

b. Events recorded here span the years 626-585 B.C. 

c. The major theme of this book is God is just and must punish sin. But God in his grace promises Israel’s restoration and covenant renewal. 

d. The prophet Jeremiah ministered in the context of three major kings. Under King Josiah (640-609 B.C.), Jeremiah was free to preach and join in Josiah’s reform movement. Under King Jehoiakim (609-598 B.C.), Jeremiah fell out of royal favor and experienced frequent imprisonments. Under King Zedekiah (597-586 B.C.), Jeremiah was treated more kindly but still had to fear for his life. The judgment that Jeremiah announced was brought about by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He besieged Jerusalem three times, culminating in the sacking of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. and a full-scale exile of Jews to Babylon. Jewish tradition asserts that while Jeremiah was living in exile in Egypt he was put to death by being stoned (Heb. 11:37). 

e. More than any other prophet, Jeremiah complains to God about his job. 

V. Obadiah

a. This short book is referred to as the “vision of Obadiah.” 

b. The date of the composition is uncertain, depending upon which of two events in Israel’s history correlates with versus 11-14: (1) the Philistines invasion of Jerusalem during the reign of Jehoram (853-841 B.C.) or (2) the Babylonian campaign against Jerusalem (605-585 B.C.). 

c. The major theme of this book is God’s judgment of proud Edom and the restoration of Israel. 

d. The Edomites apparently took advantage of the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon in 586 B.C. They plundered the land and pillaged the homes of survivors. Obadiah speaks God’s judgment on Edom for the way they took advantage of “brother Jacob” in his moment of weakness. The term “Edom” is used in the Old Testament for the name of Esau (the brother of Jacob) and for the race made up of his descendants.

e. Obadiah is the shortest book in all of the Old Testament. 

Prophets of the Captivity

I. Ezekiel 

a. Ezekiel was a Jewish priest and prophet, exiled in Babylon. He was a man of broad knowledge, not only of his own traditions but also of international affairs and history. 

b. Ezekiel’s prophecies can be dated with precision, more than any other prophet. His first dates from 593 B.C., seven years before the fall of Jerusalem; his last from 571 B.C. The book of Ezekiel contains more dates than any other Old Testament prophetic book. 

c. The major theme of this book is God acts in the events of human history so that everyone may come to know Him and find new life in Him. 

d. Like his contemporary Jeremiah, Ezekiel prophesied in politically volatile times. After Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians in 722 B.C., only the southern kingdom of Judah was left. Assyria lost its domination in 612 B.C. and was replaced as a world power by Babylon. Judah was a subservient state of Babylon, but rebelled, hoping for Egypt’s support. Egypt proved unreliable and Judah was subdued by King Nebuchnezzar of Babylon in 605 and again in 598-597 B.C.. He took thousands of Jews captive each time. Among those in the second wave of exiles was Ezekiel.

II. Daniel

a. Daniel’s name means, “God is my judge.” He was an exiled Israelite statesman in the dominating empires of his time. 

b. The events depicted in the life of Daniel and his friends (chapters 1-6) are set in the time of the Babylonian captivity (605-538 B.C.) and the onset of the Persian Empire. 

c. The major theme of this book is God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men.

d. In 605 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar took Daniel and other captives to Babylon. Daniel rose quickly to prominence under Nebuchadnezzar. After the king’s death, Daniel seems to have fallen from favor only to regain it by interpreting the handwriting on the wall of Belshazzar’s feast (5:13-29). With the capture of Babylon by Darius, Daniel maintained his official position, serving under both Darius and Cyrus, the king of Persian. 

e. Daniel is written in the context of the Exile. It calls for a commitment to God’s Law amongst the people of God who are suffering persecution (even unto death).

REFLECT

One of the marks of spiritual maturity is the quiet confidence that God is in control . . . without the need to understand why He does what He does. The prophetic books portray these ancient men of God too constantly searching for answers to the issues and circumstances of life. You will be released from a tremendous load when you surrender the need to have all the answers. What does this have to do with our being people of faith? 

Jeremiah didn’t always have the words to voice his feelings, yet his emotions were real and transparent to the point he was nicknamed, “the weeping prophet.” Strange that this man was selected by God to be His personal spokesman in one of the most critical times in Israel’s history. Seems like an unlikely choice – unless you value tears like God does. What is it about the honesty and confessional spirit of brokenness that God admires?

We started this lesson reflecting on the despair of the prophet Jeremiah. Though things around him seem dark and desperate, a ray of hope sent directly from God brings confidence and reassurance and we hear him say in chapter 20:9, “Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones: and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot endure it.” 

God is calling upon us to be people of faith. To be people of courage. But every day your courage and faith will be tested. It is the acid grind of the trials of life that takes the toll, isn’t it? Maybe that explains why the venerable prophet of God touched a nerve with his probing query: 

If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? 
Jeremiah 12:5

Ultimately, common with the overall theme of scripture, God wants all men to be saved and to live with Him in eternity! There is one verse in all of the prophets that never fails to shake us awake – 

The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.
Jeremiah 8:20 

Offer your personal prayer to God revealing how you’ve been convicted by this study.