The Law and the Prophetic Literature

Learning Objectives

• Explain how the genres of law material and prophecy work
• Describe the various types of prophetic literature and the elements within them
• Discuss guidelines for interpreting the law and prophetic literature

Begin this module by viewing the following video

Introduction

Having discussed OT narrative in the previous module, in this section we shift our focus to the second group of OT genres and examine the Law and the prophetic literature. We will see that the two genres have a natural correspondence.

Law Material

The law, which is embedded in the OT narrative literature, is foundational for understanding the OT story. The law was to give guidance and direction to the new nation of Israel that was founded after the exodus from Egypt. Thus, the law includes over six hundred stipulations that cover numerous aspects of how Israel was to function as God’s distinct people. As Israel was set apart set apart as a “kingdom of priests” to serve and represent the nations to God, the Mosaic law builds on the earlier Abrahamic covenant concerning his promised blessing to all the nations (see Schnittjer, 2007, pp. 246-55). Moreover, it contained promises for Israel that rewarded their obedience and punished their disobedience (see Deut 28), and it is in this sense that it provides one of the foundational plotlines for the OT narrative.

The law material itself is found in different forms. For example, it can be given as a simple unconditional admonition (“obey your parents”) or prohibition (“do not steal”). It can alternatively operate in a conditional “if/then” format, known as a casuistic law (e.g., Ex 22:7, “If a man gives to his neighbor money or goods to keep safe, and it is stolen from the man’s house, then, if the thief is found, he shall pay double”). Law material can also be organized together in the form of a legal series, such as we find in the Ten Commandments listed in Exodus 20:1-17 (see further Klein, Blomberg, and Hubbard, 2017, pp. 438-442). 

Principles for Interpreting the Law[1]

1. Identify the form of the law statement to determine how it should operate.
2. Pay attention to the context; read laws in light of surrounding laws of a similar category
3. Remember that the law has been preserved for Christian interpreters, but not written to us. Readers today live in a different era of God’s dealing with his people.
4. For the Christian, determine how the law has been affected by the NT. For example, has it been fulfilled in Christ? Reshaped by Christ? (See Klein et al., 2017, pp. 444-48)[2]

The Prophetic Literature

The prophetic literature records Israel’s prophetic ministry from approximately the 8^th to 5^th centuries B.C, which spans Israel’s existence from before, during and after the exile. The prophetic corpus is made up of four Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah/Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel) and twelve Minor Prophets (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi). 

The prophetic literature is largely poetic in form, recording and compiling what would have been spoken proclamations. However, there are numerous types or subgenres of prophetic material. For example, within the prophetic literature the interpreter will run across woe speeches, vision reports, liturgies, laments, hymns, disputation speeches, narratives, and commissions. 

Tied to the description of the law material above, the primary function of the prophetic literature was to call Israel and Judah back to Torah obedience, and to declare judgment for disobedience. At the same time, there are also numerous promises of future restoration. It is helpful to consider both the proclamations of judgment and salvation in the prophetic literature using the paradigm of prophetic “forthtelling” (i.e., announcements about the audience’s present day or immediate future) and “foretelling” (i.e., farther-reaching future predictions) (Klein et al., 2017, 462). 

Judgment proclamations are the most common form of prophetic “forthtelling.” They typically include both an accusation and an announcement of judgment. For example, Jeremiah 28:15-16 reads: 

And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. Therefore, thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will remove you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have uttered rebellion against the Lord.’” 

Though judgment proclamations most often focus on Israel or Judah (e.g., Isa 9-10; Hab 1-2), they can be levied against foreign nations as well (e.g. Ezek 25-32; Obadiah). 

As mentioned, a proclamation of judgment also sometimes includes a promise of salvation, and the timeframe for these can be near (“forthtelling”) or far (“foretelling”). Often such prophecies make a plea for repentance and describe the blessing that would come with returning to God (see Joel 1:1-2:27). In other cases, they point to the restoration that would come soon after the judgment of exile was complete (see Jer 29:10-14). But these promises can also be eschatological in nature, and pointing to a distant, future time of salvation for all peoples. For example, Isaiah 25:9 reads, “It will be said on that day, ‘Behold, this our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation’” (see also Isa 65; Ezek 34). Such eschatological prophecies must be considered in light of the NT (see Klein et al., 2017, pp. 480-86). 

Principles for Interpreting Prophecy 

1. Seek to determine the date, location, and circumstance of the prophetic author and particularly of the recipients of the proclamation.
2. Aim to read the prophetic book as a whole in order to grasp its structure and flow; record observations about the book’s recurring themes, metaphors, characters, etc. 
3. After getting a sense of the book as a whole, read smaller sections. Seek to understand how they communicate their message, and how that message ties into the larger communication.
4. For individual proclamations, seek to understand accurately the historical situation of the proclamation. 
5. If the statement is a prophetic “forthtelling,” it is necessary to determine the circumstances surrounding the statement. What are the reasons given for the judgment? Is there an opportunity for salvation?
6. If the passage presents a prophetic “foretelling,” one must seek to determine when the prophecy did or will most likely reach fulfillment. Was it fulfilled in the OT, the NT, or does it remain yet to be fulfilled in the future?[3]

Apocalyptic Prophecy

There is one other prominent form of prophetic literature found in OT writings that differs from what we have described so far. It is called apocalyptic and is known to be one of the most difficult forms to interpret in the Bible. The term apocalyptic describes prophecies “in which God ‘reveals’ his hidden future plans, usually through dreams or visions with elaborate and at times strange symbolism or numbers” (Klein et al, 2017, pp. 491-92). In addition to its noticeable use of symbolism, apocalyptic prophecy also maintains a distinct perspective on the crisis of evil in the world. It often portrays the depth of evil in world as something so pervasive that the only hope is the dramatic intervention of God from outside. Isaiah 24-27 and Daniel 7-12 provided extended examples of apocalyptic, but it characteristic features can be found throughout the prophetic literature (see Murphy, 2012, pp. 21, 27-66).

Principles for Interpreting Apocalyptic 

1. Take the numbers seriously, but not necessarily literally. It is recommended to make use of a good Bible dictionary or commentary 
2. Understand the historical situation of the prophet and audience’s time (including what can be known about any other nations involved)
3. Listen through the ears of the first hearers, seeking to understand what the author’s purpose was in communicating the symbols and numbers.[4]

References

Fee, G. & Stuart, D. (2003). How to read the bible for all its worth. Third edition. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan.

Klein, W., Blomberg, C., & Hubbard, R. (2017). Introduction to biblical interpretation: Third edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Murphy, F. (2012). Apocalypticism in the bible and its world: A comprehensive introduction. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

Schnittjer, G. (2006). The torah story: An apprenticeship on the pentateuch. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan.

Smith, G. (2014). Interpreting the prophets: An exegetical handbook. Grand Rapids, MI. Kregel.

Taylor, R. (2016). Interpreting apocalyptic literature: An exegetical handbook. Grand Rapids, MI. Kregel.

Vogt, P. (2009). Interpreting the pentateuch: An exegetical handbook. Grand Rapids, MI. Kregel.

1] The lists of interpretive principles in this module were adapted in part from Klein et al. (2017) and Fee and Stuart (2003).

[2] See further Vogt (2009). 

[3] See further Smith (2014).  

[4] See further Taylor (2016).