Community with the Prophets and the Return from Exile

 


Outline:

Recap:

Prophets:

  • Many prophets throughout the ages
  • Tempting to focus on as individuals called to service by God
  • Also tempting to think prophets are about telling the future
  • Prophets called to deliver a message to the community
  • Will focus on just two:

Elijah:

  • Hermit living- 1 Kings 17:1-7
    • Similar to John the Baptist later
    • Easy to focus on as individual
  • 2 Kings 2:3- Sons of Prophets
    • Also translated as "company of prophets"
    • Likely would have been serving under Elijah
    • Either way this is a community, they see Elijah as a part of them
  • Elisha- Elijah's successor
    • Much of Elijah's time after his contest with the Baal prophets was training him

Jonah:

  • Question about whether the prophet existed or not 
  • Is mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25...
  • Called to go to Nineveh
  • Ultimate purpose is to warn Nineveh of coming doom
  • Ultimately they choose to follow God
  • God has expanded the idea of community beyond just Israel

Return from Exile:


Next time, we dive into the New Testament