The feature event of the latter history of the Old Testament featured a tragic exile of the Israelite people to Babylon.
It was their rebellion towards Yahweh, their moral corruption, and their social injustice which led to this cruel activity. And both the historical writers (Kings, Chronicles) as well as prophets cover this period.
While the historians were clear about the demise of the people of Israel, the prophets of Israel, while also anticipating destruction, differed in this: they had immense hope for Israel.
As OT Scholar Leslie Allen said, “By a miracle of divine grace, the people who have no future are granted a future.” This is a perspective the historical writers of the OT never had. The prophets, who ministered in the presence of the Lord, saw both judgment as well as God’s hyper optimism for his people, as exemplified by his gracious promises in the prophets.
I said all of that to say this: Who are the prophets in your life?
Without a doubt, you have historians of your life. You remember clearly your own history, maybe your parents, your peers, even your enemies. And what they record may be demise, hopelessness, and a life of failure. But as the very structure of the Old Testament demonstrates, historians never have the last word–God does.
It is the prophet who experiences the heart of God and sees the vision of God for beyond our time, which tells us how our lives will turn out.
In the rocky trail of our lives, we’ll always need a prophetic voice in our life to consistently speak to us…”Keep going brother! Keep at it sister! The Lord has more for your life than where you are now!”
Find your prophetic voices and treasure their revelation–it will be life to you as it was to Israel.
