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WILL YOU AGREE WITH ME THAT THE PROPHETS IN THE OT WERE THE BEST COMMUNICATORS? FURNISH REASONS.WHAT

ARE THE VARIOUS SYMBOLS, METAPHORS AND ALLEGORIES USED FOR THEIR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION? GIVE

EXAMPLES.

By: Jurinesz Randolph Shadrach

1268/13

Life and Ministry of the Prophets

Taught by: The Rev. Stephen Sundarsingh

The Theological College of Lanka

B.Th. II/1

23rd September 2014

CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 1

II. What is Communication? ................................................................................................................ 1

III. Who is a prophet? ....................................................................................................................... 4

IV. A List of the Prophets and their General Timelines .................................................................... 6

V. Communication Methods Used ...................................................................................................... 7

Similes ................................................................................................................................................. 8 Metaphors ........................................................................................................................................... 9 Allegory ............................................................................................................................................... 9 Imagery ............................................................................................................................................. 11 Poetry ................................................................................................................................................ 11

Hymns ............................................................................................................. 12

Symbols ............................................................................................................................................. 15 Oracles .............................................................................................................................................. 15

Lawsuit Oracles - ............................................................................................. 17

Woe Oracle –................................................................................................... 18

Promise Oracle – ............................................................................................. 19

Parables ............................................................................................................................................. 20 Parallelism – Synonymous, Antithetic, Synthetic ............................................................................. 21

Synonymous parallelism ................................................................................. 21

Antithetical parallelism ................................................................................... 21

Synthetic parallelism ....................................................................................... 21

Actions/ Acted parables .................................................................................................................... 22 Miraculous signs/ extraordinary feats .............................................................................................. 22 The names of the prophets and people ............................................................................................ 23 Teachings through life-experiences .................................................................................................. 24

VI. CONCLUSION – Application ....................................................................................................... 25

Jesus’ Communication Methods ....................................................................................................... 25 Relevance for today .......................................................................................................................... 26

BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................................................... 28

1

I. INTRODUCTION

It is no mystery that the prophets of the First Testament were some of the best

communicators of their time. Even after almost 3000 years we are still drawing

from, arguing and reading these texts. And so this assignment will focus on the

aspects of communication presented in the Biblical narratives, with special

reference to the prophetic books of the First Testament.

Before we delve into the subject it is important to define and understand the

keywords in this assignment and as such, we will be dealing with the topic at hand

in the following method. We will be focusing on the following aspects individually

and will constitute the divisions of this assignment.

What is Communication?

Who is a prophet?

A list of the prophets and their general timelines

Methods of communication used

Application: Comparison with Jesus’ communication methods

Present day situation

II. What is Communication?

The Oxford Dictionary defines communication as, “The activity or process of

expressing ideas and feelings or giving people information.1” This gives us a basic

understanding of what communication is primarily about. It is about sharing with

1 A. S. Hornby, Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English, Sixth Edition,

Edited by Sally Wehmeier, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000), 243 - communication

2

one another. C. W. David defines communication as, “To impart that which is

common, sharing, togetherness, fellowship, give and take, etc.2”

Communication stems from the Latin word ‘communism, which too signifies the

above meaning.3 Cooley further summarises communication as, “the mechanism

by which all human relations exist and develop…4”

This shows us that as human beings that wish to survive on this planet, we are all

constantly communicating with one another and are sharing ideas with one

another. There can be no method of survival without communication for us.

There are many known methods of communication that we employ in our day to

day lives. They may be categorized based on many methods such as recipients,

number of recipients, methods of expression, etc. The first of these distinctions

are verbal and non-verbal communication. These refer to either voiced or non-

voiced methods of communication. Other categories are interpersonal, intra-

personal, group communication, mass communication, etc.5

In the Bible, we see that almost all characters using all these forms of

communication. They have employed a variety of communication methods that

have resulted in the kaleidoscope of communications methods that we have

presented today in the form of the Bible. Within the subject of communication,

we have to focus on certain important aspects of communication. They are the

content or the message, sender, receiver and medium.

2 The Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College, Communication

in Theological Education: A Curricula,. Edited by C. R. W. David, (Madurai: Vanguard Press, 1986), 8 3 The Board of Theological Education, 8

4 The Board of Theological Education, 8

5 The Board of Theological Education, 37

3

The message or the content of what is being transferred is of the utmost

importance when it comes to communication. This is the essence of the

communique and this is what takes precedence over the rest of the factors that

influence a communique. The factors that influence the shape and the form in

which this message takes place are as follows.

The sender is the primary person who is trying to get across the message to

another person in a timely and understandable way. The receiver is the person

who is the one to whom the message is intended to be for. These two factors too

may affect the method and the shape of the message and even the medium of the

message. Since the message has to be delivered in a timely and understandable

way, the sender must encode it in a way that the receiver can understand what is

being communicated. Therefore the message, though in essence will remain

unchanged may take on a different form.

It is also important to remember that the medium of communication is also

influenced by the type of communication that is being employed. The medium for

interpersonal communication may not be the same as for mass or group

communication. Therefore, we see that the prophets of the First Testament have

employed various methods of communications. Some of them are as follows,

Verbal Methods

o Allegory

o Metaphors

o Imagery

o Poetry

o Hymns

o Similes

o Symbols

o Oracles

o Parables

4

o Parallelism – Synonymous, Antithetic, Synthetic

Nonverbal Methods

o Actions

o Miraculous signs/ extraordinary feats

o The names of the prophets

Before we can look into these methods, we have to first understand who a

prophet is and what the job of a prophet was.

III. Who is a prophet?

A prophet was a leader in ancient Israel. A prophet was always called by God and

was commissioned during a certain time for a particular people. They did not

speak to a people that came later than the times they were living in nor did they

intend to be “foretellers” of the future. They were only considered to be “forth-

tellers”, but it is undeniable that their prophecies have a striking resemblance to

later occurrences in the life of Israel and particularly in the life of Jesus (as later

understood by the Church). Therefore a prophet is not only one who proclaims,

but one who can predict as well.6

A prophet is characterized by the unique feature of the call. Every prophet is

called by God, unlike the kings who are anointed and the priests who are born

into the respected tribe. Not every prophet’s call is recorded in the Bible, but that

does not negate that they have been called. The most vivid of the calls is Isaiah’s

call found in Is 8: 1 – 87. In many occasions, the call is in the form of the words,

6 John F. A. Sawyer, Prophecy and the Prophets of the Old Testament, (Oxford: Oxford

University Press, 1987), pg 1 7 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and

the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2

Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.

3 And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of

5

“The word of the Lord came to…” Sometimes the call of the Lord does not come

through a vision or a distinct word that they have been called, but through the

circumstance of the times in which they live in, the prophets hear the voice of

God. We see this in the life of Amos, where seeing the injustice among the people

of Israel as described in Amos 2: 6 – 88, he is forced to speak out against this. This

in turn becomes his call.9

Though people like Moses and Abraham have been frequently described as a

prophet, it is commonly understood that the prophetic movement in itself began

with one of Israel’s famous prophets, Samuel. But within the book of 1 Samuel,

we see three distinct Hebrew words to describe a prophet. They are,

.loosely translated as seer or one that can see beyond (e.g – (ro’eh) רו'אה

Samuel, Zadok the priest)

.loosely translated as seer or one that can see beyond (e.g – (hozeh) חוזה

Gad David’s seer)

prophet; from the root to bubble forth – (’nabii) נביא

We see in 1 Sam 9:910 a comment by the redactor of this passage where he says

that the people’s understanding of prophecy and the prophets themselves had

hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." 4

The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke.

5 And I said: "Woe is me! I am

lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"

6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a

live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7

The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: "Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out."

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send,

and who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I; send me!" (Isaiah 6:1-8 NRS) 8 Thus says the LORD: For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the

punishment; because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals--

7 they who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth, and push the afflicted

out of the way; father and son go in to the same girl, so that my holy name is profaned; 8

they lay themselves down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge; and in the house of their God they drink wine bought with fines they imposed. (Amos 2:6-8 NRS) 9 The Lord GOD has spoken; who can but prophesy? (Amos 3:8 NRS)

10 (Formerly in Israel, anyone who went to inquire of God would say, "Come, let us go to

the seer"; for the one who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.) (1 Samuel 9:9 NRS)

6

moved from a seer or visionary to a prophet. The prophets are distinguished by

two more terms in the First Testament.11 They are,

o Men of God – as found in 1 Sam 912; 1 Kgs 1313

o Servants of God – as found in 2 Kgs 21:1014; 24:215

The word prophet that we use today is derived from the Greek word προφήτης

(prophētēs) which means one who speaks for another especially a God. The

meaning to predict the future was a post-classical addition.

IV. A List of the Prophets and their General Timelines

Prophets may be divided into two main chronological sections.

Before the 8th Century B. C. E

8th Century B. C. E onwards

And on the basis of their messages, they may be classified as,

Prophets of ethics

Royal prophets

Prophets of ecstatic

Prophets of justice

Prophets of comfort

Prophets of woe

The ‘written prophets’ can be even further divided as,

Major prophets – those that have lengthy books

Minor prophets – those that have shorter books

They may be further divided as,

11 Sawyer, pg 1

12 But he said to him, "There is a man of God in this town; he is a man held in honor.

Whatever he says always comes true." (1 Samuel 9:6 NRS) 13

While Jeroboam was standing by the altar to offer incense, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the LORD to Bethel (1 Kings 13:1 NRS) 14

The LORD said by his servants the prophets, (2 Kings 21:10 NRS) 15

he sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by his servants the prophets. (2 Kings 24:2 NRS)

7

Pre-exilic prophets

Exilic prophets

Post-exilic prophets

Another useful classification is as follows,

Prophets of Israel – Jonah, Amos, and Hosea

Prophets of Judah – Obadiah, Joel, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, and

Habakkuk

Exilic Prophets – Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel

Post-exilic Prophets – Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi

CHRONOLOGICAL VIEW OF THE PROPHETS OF THE FIRST TESTAMENT

9th and 10th Century Samuel, Nathan, Gad, Elijah, Elisha

8th Century Amos, Hosea, Micah, Proto-Isaiah

(Isaiah of Jerusalem

7th Century Jeremiah, Habakkuk, Zephaniah,

Nahum

6th Century Ezekiel, Deutero-Isaiah

5th Century Malachi, Zacheriah, Haggai

V. Communication Methods Used

As discussed earlier, the prophets were communicators and they were effective in

what they communicated. They acted as the spokespersons for God. The new

Tamil translation for the word we use in English as prophet is

‘இறைவாக்குறைப்ப ார்’ which when translated means ‘proclaimers of God’s

word’ or’ mouthpieces of God’.

8

It is important as readers of Scripture to remember that none of the words

contained within the pages of the prophetic literature were written down, with

the exception of some passages from Jeremiah. All the words were spoken by the

prophet to the people of his time. All the words that the prophet spoke have also

not been recorded and as such we may have only a tiny portion of what they

communicated. We have to consider the work of redactors who may have

tampered with the original text either knowingly or by mistake.

When analysing the text as we have it today, one may discern many methods that

the prophets have employed to effectively transmit their message. It must be

noted that it is difficult to distinguish clearly between the various methods used

as they seem to overlap one another in a number of instances. A few of the

various methods of communication will be analysed below.

First, let us look at the verbal methods employed.

Similes

A Simile is defined as, a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing

with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic

or vivid.16 An example is as follows.

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return

there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout,

giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be

that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall

accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent

it. (Isaiah 55:10-11 NRS)

Or,

Is not my word like fire, says the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks a

rock in pieces? (Jeremiah 23:29 NRS)

16 Hornby, see simile

9

Metaphors

A Metaphor is defined as, a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied

to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.17 A common example

would be the metaphor of water or the vineyard. The water represents God’s

wisdom and truth and the vineyard represents God’s chosen people.

Therefore my people go into exile without knowledge;

their nobles are dying of hunger, and their multitude is parched with

thirst. (Isaiah 5:13 NRS)

This is a synonymous parallelism that shows that the lack of water is compared to

lack of knowledge.

For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people

of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed;

righteousness, but heard a cry! (Isaiah 5:6-7 NRS)

Here we see that the Lord comparing the people of Israel to a vineyard of his own

planting.

Allegory

An Allegory is defined as, a story, poem, or picture which can be interpreted to

reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.18 Some examples are

as follows.

Let me sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard: My

beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. 2 He dug it and cleared it of

stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the

midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; he expected it to yield grapes,

but it yielded wild grapes. 3 And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people

of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more was there to

do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield

grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? 5 And now I will tell you what I will do

17 Hornby, see metaphor

18 Hornby, see allegory

10

to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will

break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. 6 I will make it a waste;

it shall not be pruned or hoed, and it shall be overgrown with briers and

thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

(Isaiah 5:1-6 NRS)

Or,

And utter an allegory to the rebellious house and say to them, Thus says

the Lord GOD: Set on the pot, set it on, pour in water also; 4 put in it the

pieces, all the good pieces, the thigh and the shoulder; fill it with choice

bones. 5 Take the choicest one of the flock, pile the logs under it; boil its

pieces, see the also its bones in it. 6 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Woe

to the bloody city, the pot whose rust is in it, whose rust has not gone out

of it! Empty it piece by piece, making no choice at all. 7 For the blood she

shed is inside it; she placed it on a bare rock; she did not pour it out on the

ground, to cover it with earth. 8 To rouse my wrath, to take vengeance, I

have placed the blood, she shed on a bare rock, so that it may not be

covered. 9 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city! I will

even make the pile great. 10 Heap up the logs, kindle the fire; boil the meat

well, mix in the spices, let the bones be burned. 11 Stand it empty upon the

coals, so that it may become hot, its copper glow, its filth melt in it, its rust

be consumed. 12 In vain I have wearied myself; its thick rust does not

depart. To the fire with its rust! 13 Yet, when I cleansed you in your filthy

lewdness, you did not become clean from your filth; you shall not again be

cleansed until I have satisfied my fury upon you. 14 I the LORD have spoken;

the time is coming, I will act. I will not refrain, I will not spare, I will not

relent. According to your ways and your doings I will judge you, says the

Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 24:3-14 NRS)

11

Imagery

Imagery is defined as, visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a

literary work.19 Therefore, all metaphors, similes, allegories fit into this category.

A very good example of this is the call of Isaiah and the description he gives of his

vision.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high

and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphs were in

attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their

faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 And

one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the

whole earth is full of his glory." 4 The pivots on the thresholds shook at the

voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. 5 And I said:

"Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a

people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"

6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been

taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7 The seraph touched my mouth

with it and said: "Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has

departed and your sin is blotted out." 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord

saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am

I; send me!" (Isaiah 6:1-8 NRS)

Poetry

Poetry is defined as, a literary work in which the expression of feelings and ideas

is given intensity by the use of distinctive style and rhythm; poems collectively or

as a genre of literature.20 We must recognize that most of the prophetic word that

has been collected in the bible is in the form of poetry. One may hypothesis that

this is because the writers of the books, prior to writing have committed them

19 Hornby, see imagery

20 Hornby, see poetry

12

into memory in the form of poetry or that they were in circulation among the

people orally in the form of poetry which was then committed to writing.

Whichever position we hold, it is clear that the prophets used poetry to bring out

their message due to its effectiveness in committing to one’s memory and the

intensity of emotions conveyed. One such feature is the use of hymns.

Hymns

We see that certain parts of the prophetic sayings also include hymns. Scholars

believe that they have a common source with the Psalms.21 Some examples of

hymns are as follows.

A hymn of thanks for the birth of an heir-

The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light;

those who lived in a land of deep

darkness—

on them light has shined.

3 You have multiplied the nation,

you have increased its joy;

they rejoice before you

as with joy at the harvest,

as people exult when dividing

plunder.

4 For the yoke of their burden,

and the bar across their

shoulders,

the rod of their oppressor,

you have broken as on the day

21 Sawyer, 33

13

of Midian.

5 For all the boots of the tramping

warriors

and all the garments rolled in

blood

shall be burned as fuel for

the fire.

6 For a child has been born for us,

a son given to us;

authority rests upon his shoulders;

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of

Peace.

7 His authority shall grow

continually, and there shall be endless peace

for the throne of David and his

kingdom.

He will establish and uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

from this time onward and

forevermore.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will

do this. (Isaiah 9:2-7 NRS)

A hymn of general thanksgiving –

You will say in that day:

I will give thanks to you,

O LORD,

for though you were angry

14

with me,

your anger turned away,

and you comforted me.

2 Surely God is my salvation;

I will trust, and will not

be afraid,

for the LORD GOD is my strength

and my might;

he has become my salvation.

3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. (Isaiah 12:1-3

NRS)

A hymn of praise for the Creator –

The Lord, GOD of hosts,

he who touches the earth and

it melts,

and all who live in it

mourn,

and all of it rises like

the Nile,

and sinks again, like the Nile

of Egypt;

6 who builds his upper chambers in

the heavens,

and founds his vault upon

the earth;

who calls for the waters of

the sea,

and pours them out upon the

surface of the earth— the LORD is his name. (Amos 9:5-6 NRS)

15

Symbols

A Symbol is defined as, a thing that represents or stands for something else,

especially a material object representing something abstract.22

Some frequently used symbols of the First Testament Prophets

Image Groups

Part I

Covenant Relationship

Part II

Rebellion

Part III

Redemptive Judgment

Part IV

Restoration Promised

Covenant Marriage

Israel Bride of Yahweh

Unfaithful adulteress/harlot

Humiliated and abused by lovers

Repentance and restoration as Yahweh's Bride

Vineyard or Fig tree

Well-tended vineyard/fruitful fig tree

Vines grow wild/failure to produce fruit

Weeds overgrow vineyard/ ruin and destruction

Vines are replanted/fruitfulness restored

Animals Domesticated animals

Run away and become wild

Ravaged by wild beasts/ birds of prey

Rescued by their Master

Drinking Wine

Joy of drinking good wine

Becoming drunk

Drinking the "cup of God's wrath"/crushed in God's vinepress

Rejoicing in the best "new wine" at the Master's table

Oracles

An Oracle is defined as, a response or message given by an oracle.23 It may also be

defined as an utterance or a short speech.

When considering oracles, we must be reminded of the famous oracle of Apollo at

the Temple of Delphi. Much like that, the prophets of the First Testament too did

22 Hornby, see symbol

23 Hornby, see oracle

16

respond to the questions and requests put to them. We see that Saul (1 Sam

14:37)24 and David (1 Sam 23:2)25 consulting God on certain issues.26

We also see that court prophets were consulted as well.

On two occasions we see Jeremiah consulted concerning their response to

foreign nations – Jer 21; 37:3-1027

We see that when King Hezekiah was distressed he sent people to Isaiah

to consult him – Is 37: 1-728

We see certain elders consulting Ezekiel and his rebuke about idol

worship – Ez 1429

The utterances of the prophets took many forms. Scott lists eighteen different

forms.30 Some of them are listed as follows,

Entreaty – Jer 35:15

Forensic accusation – Is 1:2,3

Rhetorical question – Is 1:18

Personal exhortation – Jer 1:17

Disagreement – Mic 3:1

Logical argument – Am 3:1-8

Vision – Am 7:1

Pronouncement of woe – Mic 2:1

Mocking invitation – Am 4:4,5

Decree of judgement – Is 2:12-21

24 So Saul inquired of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into

the hand of Israel?" But he did not answer him that day. (1 Samuel 14:37 NRS) 25

David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" The LORD said to David, "Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah." (1 Samuel 23:2 NRS) 26

Sawyer, 25 27

Sawyer, 25 28

Sawyer, 25 29

Sawyer, 25 30

R. B. Y. Scott, The Relevance of the Prophets, (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1959) 100

17

Oath – Is 14:24-27

Riddle – Am 6:12

Parable – Is 5:2,3

Symbolic action – Is 20:2

Oracle of wisdom – Is 28:23-29

Proclamation – Jer 11:6-8

Soliloquy – Jer 8:18

Grim joke – Is 22:17,18; Am 5:26.27

Furthermore, oracles may be divided into three main categories.31

They are as follows,

Lawsuit Oracles -

In this type of allegorical oracle, a typical courtroom picture is painted. Here God

is the judge, plaintiff and prosecutor whereas the people are the defendant and

usually nature is the jury. There are many examples for this.

The LORD rises to argue his case; he stands to judge the peoples. 14 The

LORD enters into judgment with the elders and princes of his people: It is

you who have devoured the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your

houses. 15 What do you mean by crushing my people, by grinding the face

of the poor? says the Lord GOD of hosts. 16 The LORD said: Because the

daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with outstretched necks, glancing

wantonly with their eyes, mincing along as they go, tinkling with their

feet; 17 the Lord will afflict with scabs the heads of the daughters of Zion,

and the LORD will lay bare their secret parts. 18 In that day the Lord will

take away the finery of the anklets, the headbands, and the crescents; 19

the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarfs; 20 the headdresses, the

armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets; 21 the signet

31 Robert L. Deffinbaugh, Bible.org, 2007, https://bible.org/seriespage/understanding-

writing-prophets#P4220_1478067 (accessed September 2014)

18

rings and nose rings; 22 the festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the

handbags; 23 the garments of gauze, the linen garments, the turbans, and

the veils. 24 Instead of perfume there will be a stench; and instead of a

sash, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a rich

robe, a binding of sackcloth; instead of beauty, shame. 25 Your men shall

fall by the sword and your warriors in battle. 26 And her gates shall lament

and mourn; ravaged, she shall sit upon the ground. (Isaiah 3:13-26 NRS)

Or,

Hear the word of the LORD, O people of Israel; for the LORD has an

indictment against the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or

loyalty, and no knowledge of God in the land. 2 Swearing, lying, and

murder, and stealing and adultery break out; bloodshed follows

bloodshed. 3 Therefore the land mourns, and all who live in it languish;

together with the wild animals and the birds of the air, even the fish of the

sea are perishing. (Hosea 4:1-3 NRS)

Woe Oracle –

This refers to the prediction of impending doom. It is characterized by the word

“Woe”. This type of oracle usually contains three elements – an announcement of

distress, the reason for the distress, a prediction of doom. For example,

Shall not everyone taunt such people and, with mocking riddles, say about

them, "Alas for you who heap up what is not your own!" How long will you

load yourselves with goods taken in pledge? 7 Will not your own creditors

suddenly rise, and those who make you tremble wake up? Then you will be

booty for them. 8 Because you have plundered many nations, all that

survive of the peoples shall plunder you-- because of human bloodshed,

and violence to the earth, to cities and all who live in them. (Habakkuk

2:6-8 NRS)

Or,

19

Ah, inhabitants of the seacoast, you nation of the Cherethites! The word of

the LORD is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; and I will

destroy you until no inhabitant is left. 6 And you, O seacoast, shall be

pastures, meadows for shepherds and folds for flocks. 7 The seacoast shall

become the possession of the remnant of the house of Judah, on which

they shall pasture, and in the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at

evening. For the LORD their God will be mindful of them and restore their

fortunes. (Zephaniah 2:5-7 NRS)

Promise Oracle –

This refers to the words that speak of blessing and help in the future. It is also

called the Salvation Oracle. It is typically characterized by reference to the future,

mention of radical change and mention of blessing. For example,

On that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen, and repair its

breaches, and raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old; 12 in

order that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who

are called by my name, says the LORD who does this. 13 The time is surely

coming, says the LORD, when the one who plows shall overtake the one

who reaps, and the treader of grapes the one who sows the seed; the

mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. 14 I will

restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined

cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine,

and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. 15 I will plant them upon

their land, and they shall never again be plucked up out of the land that I

have given them, says the LORD your God. (Amos 9:11-15 NRS)

Or,

On that day, says the LORD, you will call me, "My husband," and no longer

will you call me, "My Baal." 17 For I will remove the names of the Baals

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from her mouth, and they shall be mentioned by name no more. 18 I will

make for you a covenant on that day with the wild animals, the birds of

the air, and the creeping things of the ground; and I will abolish the bow,

the sword, and war from the land; and I will make you lie down in safety.

19 And I will take you for my wife forever; I will take you for my wife in

righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy. 20 I will take

you for my wife in faithfulness; and you shall know the LORD. (Hosea 2:16-

20 NRS)

Parables

A Parable is defined as, a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual

lesson.32 As an example, we see that the prophet Nathan, when confronting David

with his adultery speaking a parable to make David understand the severity of his

crime.

But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD, and the LORD sent

Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, "There were two men

in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had very

many flocks and herds; 3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe

lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and

with his children; it used to eat of his meagre fare, and drink from his cup,

and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. 4 Now there came a

traveller to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or

herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the

poor man's lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him."

(2 Samuel 12:1-4 NRS)

32 Hornby, see parable

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Parallelism – Synonymous, Antithetic, Synthetic

Parallelism is defined as, the use of successive verbal constructions in poetry or

prose which correspond in grammatical structure, sound, metre, meaning, etc. 33

Almost all Biblical poetry employs parallelism.34 There are three types of

parallelism that concerns us.

Synonymous parallelism

This is where the second or subsequent line repeats or stresses the sense of the

first line. For example,

“I have swept your offenses like a cloud,

your sins like the morning mist.” (Isaiah 44:22)

Or,

“Then I shall turn your festivals into mourning

And all your songs into lamentation.” (Amos 8:10a)

Antithetical parallelism

This is where the second or subsequent line contrasts the thought of the first. For

example,

“They do not cry out to me from their hearts,

But wail upon their beds.” (Hosea 7:14)

Synthetic parallelism

This, perhaps a little harder to discern, is where the second or subsequent line

adds to the first line in any manner which provides further information.

“Deliverers will go up from Mount Zion

to govern the mountains of Esau.

And the kingdom will be the Lord’s.” (Obadiah 21)

33 Hornby, see parallelism

34 Leland Ryken, How to Read the Bible as Literature, (Grand Rapids, MI: Academie Books,

Zondervan, 1984), p. 103.

22

Now let us consider some of the non-verbal methods they used.

Actions/ Acted parables

We see that the prophets did not only speak the word, but also sometimes acted

it out for greater emphasis and effect. A few examples are as follows,

In 1 Kings 22, we see that the two kings of Judah and Israel have

assembled four hundred prophets to ask for advice on military strategy

against Syria. We see that Zedekiah made horns of iron to symbolise the

impending decisive victory over Syria.35

In Isaiah 20, we see him walking the streets naked and barefoot to

symbolise the humiliating defeat of Egypt and Ethiopia.36

In Jeremiah 19, we see him smash a clay pot to symbolise the destruction

about the befall Jerusalem.37

In Ezekiel 12, we see him breaking through a wall of his home and carrying

his baggage out in the night to symbolise the defeat of his city.38

Miraculous signs/ extraordinary feats

Sometimes to authenticate the message of the prophet or the prophet himself,

there were certain miraculous signs that were given. Some of them are listed as

follows,

Isaiah made the shadow of the declining sun go back on the dial by ten

steps.( Is 38:8; 2 Kgs 20:8-11)39

35 Sawyer, 9-10

36 Sawyer, 10

37 Sawyer, 10

38 Sawyer, 10

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Four miraculous signs are attributed to Elijah in 1 Kgs 17.40 They are,

o Severe drought which will lift at the word of his mouth

o Being fed by ravens

o The jar and cruse of the widow of Zarepheth did not run dry

o Raising the son of the widow of Zarepheth

The names of the prophets and people

The names of the prophets themselves and the names of some characters in their

narratives have deep meaning and messages within them. Some examples are as

follows.

Amos עמוס (Amos) – carried

Elijah אליהו (Eliyyahu) – My God is YHWH

Elisha אלשו'ע (Elishu’a) – My God is my salvation

Ezekiel יכזקאל (Yechezqel) – God strengthens

Habakkuk ֲחַבּקּוק (Chavaqquq) – embrace

Haggai חגי (Haggai) – Festive

Hosea חוש'ע(Hoshe’a) – Salvation

Isaiah יעשה'יהו (Yesha’yahu) – YHWH is my salvation

Jeremiah ירמיהו (Yirmiyahu) – YHWH has uplifted

Joel יואל (Yoel) – YHWH is God

Jonah יונה (Yonah) – Dove

Malachi מלאכי (Mal’akhiy) – My messenger

Micah מכיה (Michaiah) – Who is like YHWH

Nahum נחום (Nahum) - Comforter

Obadiah עבדיה (Obadiah) – Servant of YHWH

Samuel שמואל (Shemuel) – God has heard

Zechariah זכריה (Tsekharyah) – YHWH remembers

39 Sawyer, 12

40 Sawyer, 13

24

Zephaniah צפניה (Tsephanyah) – YHWH has hidden/protected

Shear-jashub שארישוב )Shearyashub)- A remnant

Maher-shalal-hash-baz מהרשללהשבז - swift are the spoils, speedy is

the plunder

Immanu-el אימנואל - God is with us

Jezreel יסראל - In a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the

blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the

house of Israel

Lo-ruhamah לורוהמה - I will no longer have pity on the house of Israel or

forgive them

Lo-ammi לואממי - for you are not my people and I am not your God

Teachings through life-experiences

This is also known as pedagogy in biography. In this method, we see the prophets

speaking their messages through their own lifestyles and life-experiences. A very

good example of this technique is the life of Hosea. Hosea was asked to marry

unfaithful wife and be faithful to her just as God is faithful in his love for the

people of Israel.

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VI. CONCLUSION – Application

Jesus’ Communication Methods

When looking at the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus, we see that he too used

many communication methods. Many scholars of communication have claimed

that Jesus was a very effective communicator. The reason for this may be

manifold.

We have seen the diverse ways that the prophets had used to communicate their

message effectively. They have not only used verbal methods, but even non-

verbal methods as well. Jesus too, considering that he studied the Nevi’im

carefully and was influenced by them very much, used many of these methods

and techniques.

He used similes when he referred to the Kingdom of God. He was mostly seen as

saying “The Kingdom of Heaven is like…”41 In fact it is interesting to note that

Matthew records the following verse. “Jesus told the crowds all these things

in parables; without a parable he told them nothing.”42

During the Sermon on the Mount, we see Jesus using metaphors too. He

compares the people to the salt and the light of the world.43 He also used poetic

languages when speaking of the B-attitudes.44 Jesus was very famous for his

parables and the imagery he used in them. He used every-day objects and scenes

so that the people could remember and understand.

41 The whole chapter of Matt 13 speaks of parables in which he uses similes.

42 Matt 13:34

43 Matt 5:13,14

44 Matt 5: 3-12

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We know that he also used many miracles to proclaim his message that “the

Kingdom of heaven has come near…”45 He used symbolism during the Last Supper

to signify his Body and Blood. Even his name Jesus means “he will save his people

from their sins…”46

Therefore it is suffice to say that the Lord Jesus too, used many methods of

communication that the prophets themselves used.

Relevance for today

In our communications, as pastors and ministers of God, we must understand a

few important concepts.

First, we have to understand us as communicators. We communicate with one

another all through our life. Very specially during this information age, we cannot

live without communicating with others around us. We have to also understand

that there are special times and opportunities that we are given as ministers of

God to communicate with one another and bring the Good News of God among

the people – be it through our preaching, teaching, or even our lifestyles and

choices we make.

Very specially in this Communication and Technology era, where newer methods

of communications are being introduced virtually every day, what does it mean to

be a communicator today? Are we to restrict ourselves within our own bubbles

and be contend or are we to dabble in these newer ways of communication and if

so, to what extent?

As communicators of the Gospel, individually and as a community of Jesus

Communities, we have an opportunity unlike times gone by to address and reach

45 Mark 1:15

46 Matt 1:21

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a larger crowd of people. Through the internet – blogs, emails, websites, articles,

etc. we can enjoy a wider readership. But even through videos, chatting, social

media and virtual interaction we can reach people and communicate with one

another. The issues that we deal with today too are different and radical issues. In

this world, we must re-think as to what it means to “proclaim good news.”47

The prophets and Jesus spoke to the people of their times. They knew who their

recipients were. And so their messages took on different forms at different times.

We see that even the Apostles following this order. And so we must keep in mind

that when we preach or teach that the same style and message cannot be applied

to all people everywhere.

We see that the prophets and Jesus using many methods of communication. It is

important to understand the importance of variety and change. Though change

for the sake of change is never good, we need to be able to adapt and move

accordingly with the people around us and this requires us to be able to change.

When we talk to children, we have to keep in mind that sarcasm will not be

understood and though adults like stories, when talking to them we have to be

careful not to be condescending. These are important lessons we need to keep in

mind when interacting with one another.

47 Luke 4:18

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Brown, Raymond E., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, . The New Jerome

Biblical Commentary. Bangalore: Theological Publications in India, 2013. Deffinbaugh, Robert L. Bible.org. 2007.

https://bible.org/seriespage/understanding-writing-prophets#P4220_1478067 (accessed September 2014).

Dillistone, F. W. Christianity and Communication: The Principals and Practices of

Effective Communication of the Christian Message. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1956.

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Filson, Floyd V. A New Testament History. repr. 1983. London: SCM Press Ltd.,

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1959. Soggin, J. Alberto. An Introduction to the History of Israel and Judah. 2nd Edition.

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ஆச்சிரம்ம், 2010.