Introduction

Introduction

But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” (Numbers 11: 29)

The Old Testament prophets changed lives, and they continue to do so. How is such notable change possible? That is the basic question we seek to answer in this study. 

Old Testament prophets were God's messengers to Judah and Israel. They declared God's words to ordinary men and women, wealthy kings and judges, and large groups at public events. The prophetic books are the written record of what the Spirit directed the prophets to communicate to their audiences. Some Prophets condemned those who oppressed the poor, while others provided spiritual answers to the difficult questions of everyday life. God's messengers challenged audiences to transform their behavior so that they could enjoy the blessing of God's presence. 

The Hebrew prophets addressed people who lived hundreds of years ago, but their words contain theological principles that apply to each new generation of readers. 

Before a person can understand and benefit from the prophetic messages, the reader needs a basic understanding of 

1. When each prophet spoke.
2. What was the political, social, and spiritual context?
3. Who was in the prophet's audience
4. Why this audience needed this message 

The answers to these questions lead to more detailed inquiries about the structure of each book, the interpretation of literary forms of speech, the meaning of imagery and symbolic language, and the theology of their messages.

The primary goal of this study is to examine how God used the prophets to transform the thinking and behavior of the Israelite people. This requires the following. 

 

1. Analysis of persuasion in prophetic communication
2. Investigation of the theology of prophetic messages 
3. A sociological study of the process of transforming the way people think and act. 

This introductory study of transformation discusses how these three dynamic factors influence the change process. It includes an examination of theories about the nature of communication and social change and the application of this theoretical teamwork to the prophet's transformational messages. The study ends with some principles that characterize prophetic ministry.