Week 7 Old Testament Post

Notice the extent to which the prophets cry for social justice. Based on your reading of the Bible, what assumptions underlie these appeals for justice? That is, what notions of society, human nature, etc. are in play? From your vantage point as a (post-?) modern American, how convincing are these views? Explain. And as before, please remember to bring to bear your readings for the course, not merely your personal opinion.

The prophets seem to share several assumptions that underlie their appeals for social justice. 1) They assume that all people are created in God’s image and therefore are precious. 2) They assume that God is active throughout history and is supreme over all nations. Moreover, they see God’s action in history directed not just towards bringing about justice, but also towards showing the nations that the God of the universe is just and to teach them what justice looks like. 3) They assume that God has chosen Israel specifically to be a model to the nations towards this goal.

In common with other Mesopotamian views, they see it as the responsibility of authority to do justice to the weak. Yet in while other cultures placed this responsibility solely on the king, the prophets see it as the responsibility of the whole nation. And rather than just an interaction between the king and the gods, justice has an outward focus; God wants Israel to be a model to teach everyone. As a people with oppression and liberation as a part of their story, they had compassion. They saw the importance of eradicating injustice as a universal phenomenon. For them this was the purpose—the end—of Torah. Yet they grappled with the fact that often Israel didn’t look much different than other peoples even when they obeyed most of the ritual requirements of Torah.

It also seems to me that the prophets share a common task or method. They each are trying to interpret their recent history and present in light of their assumptions, which seem to flow from their ancient history (the exodus, the monarchy, etc.). Each of the prophets displays thoughtful and passionate belief in justice and grapples with why things are not as they should be.

From my perspective the work of the prophets seems beautiful. I am filled with respect for the way they took the covenant with YHWH with utmost seriousness. I admire them for not settling for less than what was promised. I am convicted at how little I am bothered (most of the time) by how poorly today’s church in the US matches up with its mission (which, I think, is the same one Israel is charged with in the Old Testament) even when we participate in the ritual aspects of our religion. And I am frankly a little scared by the way they interpret history and pronounce judgment for injustices of which I am guilty.