Prophets on the Margins: Micah and Jeremiah 10 December 2014 Robbie Griggs

Life on the Margins How and why are Micah and Jeremiah ‘marginal’ prophets? What does it mean to be ‘marginal’ in the context of prophetic ministry? What are the advantages of being a marginal figure? What are the disadvantages? What are the particular limitations of being at the center? Think of a time when a marginal idea or figure became central. How did that happen?

Outline of the Evening Micah Jeremiah Historical Context Literary Structure Message Prophetic Praxis Jeremiah Literary Structure and Themes Jeremiah the Man and Prophet Jeremiah’s Confessions Closing Discussion: a marginal church?

Micah: Historical Context Roughly contemporary with Isaiah (740 – 686 BCE) What is happening at this time? Micah of Moresheth 23 miles southwest of Jerusalem Kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah Prophet to Judah, but concerned with the North too

The Assyrian Expansion 8th and 7th century BCE

Micah: Literary Context Outline I. Title (1:1) II. Oracles Against Israel and Judah (1:2-3:12) A. Judgment and Punishment (1:2-16) B. God’s Plans Against Man’s Plans (2:1-13) C. Leaders, Rulers, and Prophets Condemned (3:1-12) III. Hope of Restoration (4:1-5:15) A. Mount Zion’s Restoration (4:1-13) B. The Messiah from Bethlehem Promised (5:1-5) C. The Remnant Delivered and Enemies Destroyed (5:6-15) IV. Israel to Rise from Punishment and Misery (6:1-7:20) A. The Case Against Israel (6:1-16) B. Israel’s Misery (7:1-7) C. The LORD Restores Israel (7:8-20)

Micah 1 to 3 What reasons are given for the judgment prophesied in these chapters? Idolatry (1:5, 7) Injustice (2:1, 2; 3:1 – 3) How is this similar to Isaiah? What will the result be? ‘Samaria a heap’ 1:6 ‘Zion plowed as a field’ 3:13 Why is it significant that both the North and the South suffer the same fate?

Micah in Focus: 5:2 – 9 Group exercise: In terms of the Micah’s historical context and message, why Bethlehem not Jerusalem in 5:2? What is the significance of the imagery in this oracle? How does it contribute to Micah’s message?

Assyrian gods The British Museum

Micah: Message Micah 6:1 – 8 Micah 7:18 – 20 In what ways does this passage encapsulate the message of Micah? Micah 7:18 – 20 Why does the book end in this way?

Micah: Prophetic Praxis Micah and the Mainstream 2:6: ‘Do not preach…’ 3:5 – 12: ‘the prophets who lead my people astray…’ ‘But as for me…’ What is the significance of Micah’s message from the margins? Why is it crucial?

Jeremiah: Context From the Margins Again Historical Context ‘son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anatoth’ 1:1 Anathoth three miles northeast of Jerusalem Social dislocation: the line of Abiathar banished to Anathoth by Solomon for supporting Adonijah (1 Kgs 2:26 – 27) Historical Context 627 – 587 BCE Josiah (640–609 BC), Jehoahaz (609), Jehoiakim (609–597), Jehoiachin (597) and Zedekiah (597–587) The ascendence of Babylon and the Exile of Judah

Jeremiah: Literary Context and Themes Outline I. The Call of Jeremiah (1:1-19) II. Oracles of Judgment and Promise for Judah (2:1-29:32) III. Promises of Restoration (30:1-33:26) IV. The Last Days of Jerusalem (34:1-39:18) V. The Aftermath of the Fall (40:1-45:5) VI. Oracles Against the Nations (46:1-52:34)

Jeremiah: Themes The Prophet of Doom Jeremiah 1:10: “See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”” (Jeremiah 1:10 NRSV)

Durham Cathedral What is this place for?

Jeremiah: Themes Group Reflection: The Temple of the Lord Jeremiahs 7:1 – 23 Why is the Temple no guarantee? What does this tell us about the purpose of worship? How might this text apply to our attitudes towards Christian worship?

Jeremiah: Themes The Covenant and its Messenger Jeremiah 11:1 – 20 What is the covenant referred to hear? What are its operative conditions? How have the people broken it? What are the results?

Jeremiah: Themes The New Covenant “The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of humans and the seed of animals. And just as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring evil, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the LORD. In those days they shall no longer say: “The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” But all shall die for their own sins; the teeth of everyone who eats sour grapes shall be set on edge. The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the LORD,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:26–34 NRSV)

Jeremiah: Man and Prophet Jeremiah as critic “How can you say, “We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us,” when, in fact, the false pen of the scribes has made it into a lie? The wise shall be put to shame, they shall be dismayed and taken; since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what wisdom is in them? Therefore I will give their wives to others and their fields to conquerors, because from the least to the greatest everyone is greedy for unjust gain; from prophet to priest everyone deals falsely. They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying, “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace.” (Jeremiah 8:8–11 NRSV)

Jeremiah: Man and Prophet Jeremiah as critic “In the prophets of Samaria I saw a disgusting thing: they prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray. But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a more shocking thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from wickedness; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah. Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets: “I am going to make them eat wormwood, and give them poisoned water to drink; for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land.”” (Jeremiah 23:13–15 NRSV)

Jeremiah: Man and Prophet Jeremiah as critic and false prophecy Jeremiah 28:5 – 17 NB influence of Dt 18

Jeremiah’s Confessions What do we learn of the difficult ebb and flow of Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry in Jer 15:10 – 21? How do Jeremiah’s calls for judgment in Jer 18:18 – 23 without mercy relate to the theme of mercy in the book in general?

Map of the world with Babylon in the center British Museum

A Marginal Church? Concluding reflections/questions: What are the dangers of being at the center? In what respects is the Church always at the margins? Why? What are the potential pitfalls of coming from the margins? How do Micah and Jeremiah address these?