Read & Understand the Prophets pt.3
Prophecies Against Other Nations
(Isaiah 15–16; 19–20 & Jonah)

—(Part 53 of Seeing Jesus in the O.T.)

  • Andrew Fountain – May 29, 2022

 
 
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Calling the Nation Back to the Covenant Agreement

The Shape of Ancient Literature

The Issue of Social Justice

Problem: Prophecies Against Other Nations

  • Huge chunks of the Bible (nearly ¼ of Isaiah)
  • The language can seem very violent in places

Prophecies Against Other Nations

  1. God’s Reluctance and Grief over Judging
  2. All Prophecy is Provisional
  3. The Goal—Salvation

Goal

To address the problem of why there is so much long and harsh condemnation of other nations in the Bible
and to learn more about the heart of our God and how we can be like him

Structure

…reading and studying the Bible may not be straightforward for readers with a modern and Western background in culture and language.

The biblical texts in origin are ancient and Eastern—they come from a different culture and a different time.

The normal pattern of Hebrew literature is to consider topics in a recursive manner, which means that a topic is progressively repeated. Gentry p.16

Isaiah 15 & 16 - Prophecy about Moab

Jonah 3 & 4

Isaiah 19 & 20 - Prophecy about Egypt

Our Response: Matt 5

  1. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
  2. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
  3. so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Our Response: Matt 5

  1. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
  2. And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
  3. You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.