He Gave Us Prophets: Literary Analysis Of The ProphetsSample

Judgment Oracles: Micah 6:1-16

As we have seen, prophets not only announce God’s judgment against His people. They also declare that God would bring blessing to His people as well. There are basically two ways in which the prophets announce divine blessings for His people: On the one hand, prophets would declare judgments against the enemies of God’s people. And on the other hand, they would announce blessings directly for the people of God. First, let’s see how judgment on enemies becomes a blessing to the people of God. 

Throughout the history of Israel, foreign nations troubled God’s people, and one of the ways God announced great gifts and blessings to His people was by having His prophets declare judgments on these enemies. As a result, we find oracles of judgment, woe oracles, and lawsuits throughout the prophets that are directed toward Gentile enemies. For example, in Nahum 3:1 we read these words about Nineveh: 

Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without victims! 

Oracles of judgment, woe, and lawsuits against Gentile nations had a two-fold purpose. They declared that God was going to destroy the enemies of Israel, but they also had the positive purpose of assuring Israel that God would deliver His people.

In addition to announcing judgments on enemies, the prophets also brought words of hope to Israel by declaring oracles of blessing. Announcements of blessings were very flexible in form and they vary greatly, but a basic pattern appears many times. First, some introductory address appears, and then some reason is given for the blessing to follow. Then the oracles often elaborate on what that blessing will be. For example, the prophet Jeremiah announced a blessing for the Recabites in Jeremiah 35:18-19. We find an introduction to this oracle in the first part of verse 18: 

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says… 

This introductory formula is followed by the reason God is going to give a blessing to His people. In the second part of verse 18, we read these words: 

You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.

The announcement of blessing then appears in verse 19: 

Jonadab son of Recab will never fail to have a man to serve me. 

Another well-known oracle of blessing appears in Jeremiah 31:31-34. First, God announces the blessing in verses 31-33. In Jeremiah 31:31 we read these words: 

“The time is coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.” 

The prophet announced the blessing of a new covenant that would come when Israel is restored from exile. Then in Jeremiah 31:34 we find the reason for this blessing: 

For I will forgive their wickedness and I will remember their sins no more. 

God’s grace in forgiveness formed the basis of the new covenant promise.