Social injustice is the cause of much of the prophetic condemnation of the kings. The exception is Josiah, the reforming king, who prospered materially without oppressing his people. He embodied all the ideals of kingship. Chapter 22:10-12 is an oracle almost unique in the Old Testament. It is a contemporary comment on the event which proved the turning point of Hebrew history-the death of King Josiah at Megiddo. This disaster was such a profound contradiction of the thesis that the good prosper and the wicked are cut off in the midst of their days that no one knew what to say. It is for the most part shrouded in an embarrassed silence. Although today we do not hold an embarrassed silence on the issue, we have little explanation for why bad things happen to good people. They simply happen. After a collection of oracles against the kings, the editor places a collection of oracles against the false prophets. With them are associated the priest, for both have betrayed their trust as instructors in the religion of the Lord. True prophets, on the other hand, are like fire, producing violent results. Jeremiah’s life is a testimony of this. However, unknown to himself, Jeremiah was in fact preparing the way for the end of prophecy as a functioning institution in Israel, and indeed in all mature religion. The essence of prophecy was ecstatic intuition not arrived at as the result of rational thought processes. When, however, the great crisis of Israel’s life arrives, the prophets were fiercely divided, each side condemning the other’s interpretation and advice. Thus the undependability of the institution was revealed for all to see.
Social injustice is the cause of much of the prophetic condemnation of the kings. The exception is Josiah, the reforming king, who prospered materially without oppressing his people. He embodied all the ideals of kingship. Chapter 22:10-12 is an oracle almost unique in the Old Testament. It is a contemporary comment on the event which proved the turning point of Hebrew history-the death of King Josiah at Megiddo. This disaster was such a profound contradiction of the thesis that the good prosper and the wicked are cut off in the midst of their days that no one knew what to say. It is for the most part shrouded in an embarrassed silence. Although today we do not hold an embarrassed silence on the issue, we have little explanation for why bad things happen to good people. They simply happen. After a collection of oracles against the kings, the editor places a collection of oracles against the false prophets. With them are associated the priest, for both have betrayed their trust as instructors in the religion of the Lord. True prophets, on the other hand, are like fire, producing violent results. Jeremiah’s life is a testimony of this. However, unknown to himself, Jeremiah was in fact preparing the way for the end of prophecy as a functioning institution in Israel, and indeed in all mature religion. The essence of prophecy was ecstatic intuition not arrived at as the result of rational thought processes. When, however, the great crisis of Israel’s life arrives, the prophets were fiercely divided, each side condemning the other’s interpretation and advice. Thus the undependability of the institution was revealed for all to see.
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