Paper Presentation

Subject: Prophetic Responses to the Struggles of the People of God

Topic: Role and mission of the Prophets During the 10th and 9th Centuries in Ancient Israel
1). The Deuteronomistic History and Deuteronomistic Understanding of the Prophetic
role- Samuel, Nathan, Gad and Ahijah.
2). Role, discourse and mission of the Prophet Elijah and Elisha.
Lecturer: Mr. Wungtei Buchem
Presenters: Kalivi, Lai Cung, Michi Tari (3A) Ngukru-u, Nilo, Duanchuingam (3B)
Respondents: Thang Cin, Esther, Kainali (3A) Monglih, Boholi, Nyiwok (3B)

Introduction
Prophets are chosen by God for his special service. They are spokesman for God; they condemned the
policies and practices the evils rulers of Israel, opposed the idolatrous worship of Baal and magnified
the God of Israel. Therefore in this paper we shall discuss on the topic of Deuteronomistic History and
Deuteronomistic understanding of the Prophetic role- Samuel, Nathan, Gad and Ahijah. And some of
the Role, discourse and mission of the Prophet Elijah and Elisha.

1. Deuteronomistic History
The theory of this Deuteronomistic History (DstH) was first coined by Martin Noth in 1943, who first
suggested that the books of Joshua, Judges, I and II Samuel and I and II Kings (often called the former
prophets in the Hebrew canon) as part of Deuteronomistic history. He argued that the material in
Deuteronomy and the former prophet was a unified history of Israel written by a single exilic author or
compile. He names this writer as Deuteronomists.1 The Deuteronomistic history picks up the story line
of the Pentateuch and carries it down to the Deuteronomistic’ own day. It recounts the history of the
people of Israel beginning with their entry into the Promised Land from the Plains of Moab across the
Jordan River through the periods of the tribal Confederation, the rise of the monarchy under Saul, the
united monarchy under David and Solomon, and the separate histories of the northern (Israel) and
southern (Judah) kingdoms.2 Noth regarded the Deuteronomistic History as simply an explanation of
the tragedy that had befallen the people of Israel, and he therefore understood it as an essentially
pessimistic work. The main emphasis is certainly on Israel’s past, but this is not simply an antiquarian
interest. Indeed, there never was such a thing in ancient Israel, for the past was always seen as the
theatre of God’s activity, and therefore it inevitably became a mirror of the future, and a challenge to
the people to face up to that future. The prophets had seen the failures of the past as an invitation to
renewed obedience, and the history writers had the same perspective. Perhaps that is why they ended
with the story of Jehoiachin’s release, for that in itself must have generated renewed hope in the heart
of the people.3

1
John Drane, Introducing the Old Testament (Sandy lane west: Albatross Books pty ltd, 1993), 160.
2
Anthony R. Ceresko, The Old Testament: A Liberation Perspective (New York: Maryknoll, 1992), 156-157.
3
John Drane, Introducing the Old Testament..., 161.

1
2.1. Deuteronomistic understanding of the Prophetic role-

2.1.1. Samuel
Samuel is well-recognized in the Deuteronomistic History (DH) as the primary leader of Israel during
its transition from the period of the Judges to the period of the early monarchy. Nevertheless, his
institutional identity is unclear, insofar as he functions as a visionary prophet, priest, and judge in the
narratives of 1 Samuel. In this respect, he is very much like Moses, who embodies a similar set of roles
in Exodus–Numbers and Deuteronomy, and he resembles to a degree Elijah and Elisha, who are
identified as prophets and yet carry out priestly functions in the narratives devoted to their activities in
1–2 Kings.4
The Hebrew Bible Portrays Samuel in a variety of roles: priest, prophet, judge and seer. Samuel
appeared very instrumental in the establishment of the monarchy. The first block of the material
relating to Samuel (1 Sam. 1-3) portrays him as an aspiring priest serving under Eli at the sanctuary of
Shiloh 1 Sam. 2:11, 18. Later passages in 1 Sam report his performing sacrificial function often
associated with priest 1 Sam. 7:9, 9:13; 9:5-14, 18-21 refers to Samuel as a seer. 1 Sam. 3:20 explicitly
labels Samuel a prophet. He also delivers message from the Lord, even employing the prophetic
formula, “Thus says the Lord,” (1 Sam. 10:18; 15:2). He exercise the prophetic function of
intercession (1 Sam. 12:23). Samuel also played a role of king- designator in a fashion similar to
Ahijah and Elijah. As Saul begins to fall out of favour with God, Samuel announces God’s words of
judgment to the king (1 Sam. 13:13-14; 15:17-19). Samuel acted as a prophet, announcing doom upon
the ill-fated king (1 Sam. 28).5

2.1.2. Nathan
Nathan was a prophet in the Bible who lived during the reign of King David in Israel. God spoke to
David through Nathan on several occasions. Nathan was a member of David’s royal court and one of
his closest advisers.6 Nathan played an important role in maintaining the stability of David’s
government. Unfortunately, the biblical texts provide no specific information on Nathan’s background.
Nathan first appeared with no introduction and no lineage, in the crucial and much discussed passage 2
Sam. 7, in which he delivers to David the important promise of the perpetual dynasty. Nathan’s
greatest moment came in his confrontation with David after David’s two great sins (2 Sam. 12). 7 He
boldly and courageously accused the king of unpleasant sin. Nathan dramatically pointed out that
David himself was the wrongdoer and pronounced a sentence. David immediately repented and Nathan
pronounced forgiveness, but declared that the child born of the adulterous affairs would die. He also
appears in helper of Solomon in the struggle for succession to David’s throne (1 Kings 1:7-10), and he
helped Bathsheba planned a strategy for having Solomon installed. Nathan and Zadok the priest
anointed Solomon as King and Adonijah was displaced. Nathan appears in these texts as a court
4
Lester L. Grabbe & Martti Nissinen, ed.., Constructs of Prophecy in the Former & Latter Prophets & other
texts (Atlanta: society of Biblical Literature, 2008), 165.
5
Robert R. Wilson, Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel (Philadelphia: Fortress Press,1984), 168-170.
6
“The Book of Nathan the Prophet,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Nathan_the_Prophet, accessed 14
April 2018. (23-10-2019).
7
Robert R. Wilson, Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel…, 264.

2
prophet with free access to the king, yet as one who spoke with authority and boldness of the classical
prophets of the 8th century and later.8

2.1.3. Gad
Gad was a prophet and seer in the land of Judah, first mentioned in 1 Sam 22. When David fled from
Saul, Gad advised him to return to the land of Judah (1 Samuel 22:5). Gad played a very important role
in David’s government toward the end of David’s life, after David sinned by taking a census of Israel.
After he had prayed to Yahweh and asked for forgiveness, God sent a message through Gad allowing
the king to choose his own punishment. 9 Gad again appeared unbidden and delivered an oracle advised
King David to build an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite on the day the plague ended
(2 Samuel 24:18–19). Gad also aided in the arrangement of Levitical music (2 Chronicles 29:25). In 1
Chronicles 29:29, Gad is said to have written a part of the history of the life of King David.10

2.1.4. Ahijah
The prophet Ahijah appears twice in the Deuteronomistic History (1 Kings 11:29-39; 14:1-18) and is
the first of a series of Ephraimite prophets who appear regularly to deliver divine message to the kings
of Israel and Judah. Ahijah’s background is unclear. He was a shilonite and thus lived in an old
Ephraimite cult center that was associated with Samuel and the Elide priesthood (1 kgs 14; 2, 4).
Ahijah the Shilonite is the first prophet to appear in kings apart from Nathan. He did not appear before
Solomon, though his message certainly concerned Solomon. Ahijah played a role as a peripheral
prophet representing traditional interests that were not connected with the royal court in Jerusalem. In
response to general Ephraimite dissatisfaction with the growing power of the Jerusalem monarchy, the
prophet Ahijah, from the old northern sanctuary at Shiloh, established the dissident northern tribes as
an independent kingdom by delivering an oracles legitimating Jeroboam as king of Ephraim (2 kings
11:29-40).11 In 1 Kgs 14:1-18 Ahijah again appears as a typical peripheral prophet and delivers an
oracle of judgments against Jeroboam’s house.12 According to Dtr, Ahijah was the first of a series of
marginal prophets who attempted to reform the northern political and religious establishments (1 Kgs
13-16).

2. Role, discourse and mission of the Prophet Elijah and Elisha.

2.1. Elijah
Elijah was called to be a prophet during the reigns of the Northern king Ahab (869-850 BCE) and his
son haziah (850-849 BCE). Baal worshipping was the atmosphere of their life. He was called to be a
towering figure, a new Moses, who would bursts upon the scene from outside normal channels and

8
George Arthur Buttrick, “Nathan,” The interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, ed.., Emory stevens Bucke
(Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1980), 478.
9
Robert R. Wilson, Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984), 264.
10
“God Question” https://www.gotquestions.org/Gad-in-the-Bible.html. (24-10-2019).
11
Jim Cole-Rous, “Ahijah the Shilonite”. https://journeyonline.org/ahijah-the-shilonite/. Accessed 2011. (24-10-
2019)
12
Robert R. Wilson, Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel…, 184-186.

3
confronts the power structures in uncompromising terms. Elijah is presented as the powerful champion
of Yahweh against the royally-patronized worship of Baal.13

2.1.2. Role and mission of Prophet Elijah

Elijah focuses on the confrontation with Baal and his advocates; they follow what report of Ahab’s
introduction of idolatrous practices (1 kings 16:31-33).14

There are three aspect of the role of Prophet Elijah- firstly, Elijah and the Famine (Ch 17)

Wicked king Ahab and his wife Jezebel, provoked the lord with their aggressive idolatry. 15 In response
Elijah called down a famine on the land and he himself fled to the brook cherith where God
miraculously provide food for him through raven. Elijah is shown ministering to a widow in the
Phoenician town of Zarephath during the widespread of famine 16 and performed miracles for the
widow of Zarephath-supplying food and raising up her dead son.17

Secondly, Elijah and the Contest in Mount Carmel (Ch.18)

As king Ahab and Israel were turning into wrongdoing worshipping the god Baal. Elijah challenged
four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah to a contest on the
promontory of Mt. Carmel.18 Prophet Elijah show them to whom Israelites shall worship to Baal or to
Yahweh as a result on the top of Carmel God miraculously vindicated himself and his prophet Elijah
by consuming the sacrifice on the alter with fire.19

Thirdly, The affair of Naboth’s Vineyard (1 kings 21)

Another aspect is the field of social relationship, Ahab wanted to purchase the vineyard of Naboth but
Naboth was not willing to give up because he was inherited from his father and it was not lawful to
give up their inheritance in Israel. But Jezebel killed Naboth and took the land. Thus, Elijah confronted
king Ahab for unlawfully taking Naboth’s vineyard.20

2.2.Elisha
Elisha is active during the reigns of Jehoram, Jehu, Jehoahaz, and Jehoash (847-786 BCE). Elisha was
appointed to succeed Elijah as head of the prophetic communities, a position which was authenticated

13
Bruce C. Birth, Walter Brueggemann, et al., A Theological Introduction in The Old Testament (Nashville
Abingdon Press, 2005), 272-273.
14
Bruce C. Birth, Walter Brueggemann, et al., A Theological Introduction in The Old Testament…, 273.
15
Norman L. Geisler, A Popular Survey of the Old Testament (Michigan: Baker Book House, 1977), 130.
16
Bernhard W. Anderson, Understanding of The Old Testament (New Jesy: Princeton University Press, 1955),
213.
17
Norman L. Geisler, A Popular Survey of the Old Testament…, 130.
18
Bernhard W. Anderson, Understanding of The Old Testament…, 214.
19
Norman L. Geisler, A Popular Survey of the Old Testament…, 130-131.
20
Bernhard W. Anderson, Understanding of The Old Testament…, 218-219.

4
in their presence by miracle (2 kings 2:13-14). The call of Elisha was to become something of a
paradigm for charismatic succession.21

2.2.1. Role and Mission of the Prophet Elisha

Elisha is engaged in activities associated with political and military crises. In 2 kgs 6:8-23, during a
war with Syria, Elisha is said to have used his prophetic powers to obtain information from the secret
strategy meetings of the Syrians. When the Syrians attempt to surround the prophet and cut off the
flow of information, he is protected by a heavenly army that blinds the would-be captors. Elisha
continued to work for changes in the political and religious establishments, even though those changes
would require the destruction of the old social order. However, unlike many peripheral prophets,
Elisha attempts at reform were at least partially successful. He then moved closer to the political
establishment and took on social maintenance function particularly in military contexts.22

3. Implication
This remarkable prophetic figures we studied above from Samuel to Elisha called the former prophet
who struggle in varies situation before kings and who carried the word of Yahweh in different period
of time. They stood as significant agents of yahweh in bringing about social transformation in the
society of the ancient Israelites. Likewise, the churches in our land should emulate the role of those
prophets so as to bring changes in this chaotic society of our people. While we see, on the other hand
the churches are more concerned about individualistic that relate to the evil of the social system that
leads to the fragmentation of in and round the individuals.

Now, we the minister of God must take prophets responsibility to equip God’s people to do his work
and build up the church, the body of Christ. By doing so we can be called as His disciples in
everything we do and can be called as prophets and we will be able to transform the churches, society
and the community that we are living in. To be able to transform we need to possess a character of
prophet such as courages, truthfulness, boldness etc. Further, we may not have a gift of power as
prophets like them, but we have a spiritual gift that is powerful and which is needed in today’s society.

Conclusion
Throughout from above discussion the 10th and 9th century’s prophetic figures inform us of the
emergent of prophetism as we understand today. Although the role they played are radically different
from one another and appear in different scenario, in two regards these early prophets testify to a
prophetic band from premonarchic times to the decay and collapse of monarchy in Israel and on into
the days of Jewish reconstruction. We can also see from the paper that the authority of prophets is
therefore neither designated by any predecessor, nor ordained, nor installed in office but divine called.
Therefore we want to conclude that a prophet that was perceived to be simply humanly appointed
would lack spiritual legitimacy because their positions were based on institutional and not divine
authority. So we need genuine prophet, chosen by Yahweh himself not humanly selected.

Bibliography
21
Joseph Blenkinsopp, A History of Prophecy In Israel (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1983), 76.
22
Robert R. Wilson, Prophecy And Society In Ancient Israel (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1973), 205-206.

5
Anderson, Bernhard W. Understanding of The Old Testament . New Jesy: Princeton University Press,
1955.

Blenkinsopp, Joseph. A History of Prophecy in Israel. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1983.

Birth, Bruce C. Walter Brueggemann, et al. A Theological Introduction in The Old Testament.
Nashville Abingdon Press, 2005.

Buttrick, George Arthur. “Nathan,” The interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, ed. Emory Stevens
Bucke. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1980.

Ceresko, Anthony R. The Old Testament: A Liberation Perspective . New York: Maryknoll, 1992.

Drane, John. Introducing the Old Testament .Sandy lane west: Albatross Books pty ltd, 1993.

Geisler, Norman L. A Popular Survey of the Old Testament . Michigan: Baker Book House, 1977.

L. Lester Grabbe & Martti Nissinen, ed. Constructs of Prophecy in the Former & Latter Prophets &
other texts .Atlanta: society of Biblical Literature, 2008.

Wilson, Robert R. Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984.

E-sources
Jim Cole-Rous, “Ahijah the Shilonite” https://journeyonline.org/ahijah-the-shilonite/. Accessed 2011.
(23-10-2019).
“God Question” https://www.gotquestions.org/Gad-in-the-Bible.html. (24-10-2019).
“The Book of Nathan the Prophet” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Nathan_the_Prophet,
accessed 14 April 2018. (23-10-2019).