Israelite Society in the Books of Isaiah and Amos - Essay Example

Name: Tutor Course: Date: Israelite society was caught up in changes which affected both its social structure and the structure of its religious belief. Discuss with reference to particular passages from any two prophets. Israelite society in relation to the books of Isaiah and Amos Isaiah Prophet Isaiah is the earliest prophets in the Bible of Hebrew, preceding Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. The initial 39 chapters prophesy disaster for a wicked Judah and for every country of the world that go up against God, whereas the last chapters prophesy Israel’s restoration and a fresh creation the future kingdom of God (Beyer, 2007). Chapter 1 of Isaiah indicates how the society of Israel turned out to be a rebellious nation. They rebelled against the Lord. The Israelites became a sinful nation, a nation filled with guilt, children of evildoers, and their children offered to corruption. The Israelites forsake the Lord; they had rejected the Lord by turning their backs on Him. The nation was deserted; the city of Jerusalem destroyed by fire, and foreigners stripped their land right before the Israelites. In chapter 3, we see how the Lord Almighty took from Judah and Jerusalem both support and supply; all supplies of water and food, the warrior and the hero, the prophet and the judge, the elder and the soothsayer, the counselor, clever enchanter, and the skilled craftsman (Childs, 2000). The Lord made boys become Israelites’ officials in the sense that simple children will rule them. There was oppression amongst each other, including neighbor against neighbor. The young people rose up in opposition to the old people. While Jerusalem was staggering, Judah was falling; the deeds and words of the Israelites were against God, challenging His glorious presence. The Israelites paraded their sins like Sodom; as they did not hide it. The Lord said that they had brought tragedy upon themselves. Chapter five states that the rich people acquired a lot of land and house until there was no space left (Beyer, 2007). They lived alone in these big houses. According to Isaiah’s prophecy, the Lord made those great houses deserted, and the excellent mansions were left without occupiers. The vast fields produced very little wine and insufficient grains. The Israelites went into exile due to lack of understanding; men with ranks died of starvation and masses burnt with thirst. Because of this, the grave enlarged its appetite and without limits, opened its mouth because into it, nobles and masses will descend (Childs, 2000). In chapter 8, God asked the Israelites why they had to seek information from mediums and spirits who whispered and muttered, instead of consulting Him. Chapter ten reveals how the Lords anger was directed to those who made unfair laws, to those who issued oppressive judgment, to deny the poor their rights and held back justice from the oppressed, turning widows into their prey and robbing the orphans (Beyer, 2007). The Israelites killed themselves and ate one another’s flesh. They also made human sacrifice in the sense that they killed their children in the gorges. Chapter thirty three reveals how sinners suffered from a drought and were burned. The righteous though, lived in a mountain fortress and had a lot of water. In chapter 34, every nation will be destroyed by God. The Israelites turned away from Him and started worshipping other gods. Chapter 44 of the book of Isaiah depicts how the Lord God said that He is the first and the last; apart from Him there is no other god. However the Israelites made and worshiped idols. They bowed down to them and worshiped them. Chapter 57 states that they poured out drinks and made grain offerings. They practiced sexual immorality illustrated by passion of lust (Childs, 2000). In chapter 58, the Israelites practiced hypocritical religion whereby they fasted but they did not obey God’s commands. This is demonstrated when they exploited their workers through injustices, neglected charity works like providing food to the hungry, shelter and clothing to the poor (Beyer, 2007). In chapter 65, God punished a number of individuals for worshipping and obeying other gods, however, he saved a small fraction of them. The final chapters of the book states how the ancient ruins were rebuilt and the place long destroyed. Ruins towns were rebuilt for generations. Amos The Amos’ book is prepared in a period when the Israelites have reached a rock bottom in their loyalty to God. The people have turned out to be greedy and have discontinued adhering and following to their values. The wealthy leaders are becoming prosperous at others’ expense. Peasant farmers, who previously practiced farming that is subsistence, were being coerced to cultivate what is excellent for foreign business, particularly oil and wine (Moller, 2003). Chapter 1 of the book is about the countries neighboring Israel. Chapter 2 and 3 entails the sins committed by the Israelites. For instance, the rich sold the righteous people for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes. They stepped on the poor’s heads like the dust on the earth and denied fairness to the oppressed people. Son and father used the same lady hence profaning God’s name (Bulkeley, 2005). In their god’s house, they took wine considered as fines. They forced the Nazirites to take wine even though they were not supposed to. They ordered the prophets not to make prophesies. This is because the Israelites did not want to hear the truth about God’s judgment upon them for their sins. Because of their sins, their temple was destroyed. The summer house and the winter house were torn down; the houses beautified with ivory were destroyed and mansions were destroyed (Bulkeley, 2005). In chapter four, women of Bashan ordered their husbands for drinks after robbing the poor their belonging and compressing the needy. God punished them by making them hungry in each town. They also lacked bread in each town. When their harvest was just three months due, God held back the rain, making them to stagger from city to city for water but were not able to obtain adequate to drink, yet they did not return to God (Moller, 2003). Vineyards and gardens were attacked by diseases such as mildew and blight. Locusts demolished their olive and fig trees. Just like in Egypt, God sent plagues to the Israelites, killed their young men using sword. In chapter five, the Israelites hated those who made accusations in court and looked down upon those who spoke the truth. They oppressed the poor by demanding grains from them. They built mansions but God punished them by not letting them stay in them. Even though they cultivated abundant vineyards, they did not take their wine. This is because God knew their offences and the extent of their sins. The Israelites oppressed the righteous people and took bribes, and deprived the needy of fairness within courts (Bulkeley, 2005). The Israelites wailed in every street and cried of agony in each public square. The farmers wept and mourners wailed. There was darkness in place of light during the God of the Lord. The Lord despised the Israelites’ religious feasts. The Lord did not accept the grain and burnt offerings brought to Him by the Israelites. God did not hear their songs. The Israelites practiced idolatry in that they lifted up their king’s shrine, the podium of their idols, their god’s star which they made themselves. For this reason, the Lord sent them into exile far away from Damascus (Moller, 2003). The Israelites were advised that the only path they could follow to prevent the forthcoming disaster is to return to God and allow justice to flow like the river, and honesty like a non-stopping stream. Chapter six states how the Lord stirred up a country against Israelites, which oppressed them all through from the entrance to the Arabah’s valley (Bulkeley, 2005). In chapter seven, Amos stated what the Lord said to him; that He had prepared a great swarm of locusts to destroy the king’s produce, however, following intervention from Amos, the Lord withdrew His punishment (Bulkeley, 2005). The forthcoming destruction is depicted in this chapter through the visions seen by Amos. The visions include swarm of locust, plumb line, and a fire used to measure the people for demolition. In chapter eight, Amos saw a vision in which Israel was regarded as ripe summer fruit meaning the Israelites were ready for demolition (Bulkeley, 2005). This indicated the short period that Israel had. The Lord turned Israelites’ religious banquet into mourning and every singing into weeping. Every Israelite wore sackcloth and shaved his or her head. The Lord declared famine on the land. The famine was not for food or water but for hearing God’s word which they did not find. The energetic men and lovely young ladies fainted as a result of thirst. Those who swore by Samaria’s idol fell and never rose again. The final verses in the prophecy of Amos provide hope as Amos talks of the Davidic strain restoration, basically the Messiah (Moller, 2003). The Israelites were later brought back from exile following the destructions. The destroyed cities were rebuilt and they drunk wine from their vineyards. Work cited Möller, Karl. A Prophet in Debate: The Rhetoric of Persuasion in the Book of Amos. London: Sheffield Academic Press, 2003. Bulkeley, Tim Amos: Hypertext Bible Commentary. Auckland: Hypertext Bible, 2005. Childs, Brevard S. Isaiah. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2000. Beyer, Bryan. Encountering the Book of Isaiah: A Historical and Theological Survey. Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Academic, 2007. Read More

The Israelites killed themselves and ate one another’s flesh. They also made human sacrifice in the sense that they killed their children in the gorges. Chapter thirty three reveals how sinners suffered from a drought and were burned. The righteous though, lived in a mountain fortress and had a lot of water. In chapter 34, every nation will be destroyed by God. The Israelites turned away from Him and started worshipping other gods. Chapter 44 of the book of Isaiah depicts how the Lord God said that He is the first and the last; apart from Him there is no other god.

However the Israelites made and worshiped idols. They bowed down to them and worshiped them. Chapter 57 states that they poured out drinks and made grain offerings. They practiced sexual immorality illustrated by passion of lust (Childs, 2000). In chapter 58, the Israelites practiced hypocritical religion whereby they fasted but they did not obey God’s commands. This is demonstrated when they exploited their workers through injustices, neglected charity works like providing food to the hungry, shelter and clothing to the poor (Beyer, 2007).

In chapter 65, God punished a number of individuals for worshipping and obeying other gods, however, he saved a small fraction of them. The final chapters of the book states how the ancient ruins were rebuilt and the place long destroyed. Ruins towns were rebuilt for generations. Amos The Amos’ book is prepared in a period when the Israelites have reached a rock bottom in their loyalty to God. The people have turned out to be greedy and have discontinued adhering and following to their values.

The wealthy leaders are becoming prosperous at others’ expense. Peasant farmers, who previously practiced farming that is subsistence, were being coerced to cultivate what is excellent for foreign business, particularly oil and wine (Moller, 2003). Chapter 1 of the book is about the countries neighboring Israel. Chapter 2 and 3 entails the sins committed by the Israelites. For instance, the rich sold the righteous people for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes. They stepped on the poor’s heads like the dust on the earth and denied fairness to the oppressed people.

Son and father used the same lady hence profaning God’s name (Bulkeley, 2005). In their god’s house, they took wine considered as fines. They forced the Nazirites to take wine even though they were not supposed to. They ordered the prophets not to make prophesies. This is because the Israelites did not want to hear the truth about God’s judgment upon them for their sins. Because of their sins, their temple was destroyed. The summer house and the winter house were torn down; the houses beautified with ivory were destroyed and mansions were destroyed (Bulkeley, 2005).

In chapter four, women of Bashan ordered their husbands for drinks after robbing the poor their belonging and compressing the needy. God punished them by making them hungry in each town. They also lacked bread in each town. When their harvest was just three months due, God held back the rain, making them to stagger from city to city for water but were not able to obtain adequate to drink, yet they did not return to God (Moller, 2003). Vineyards and gardens were attacked by diseases such as mildew and blight.

Locusts demolished their olive and fig trees. Just like in Egypt, God sent plagues to the Israelites, killed their young men using sword. In chapter five, the Israelites hated those who made accusations in court and looked down upon those who spoke the truth. They oppressed the poor by demanding grains from them. They built mansions but God punished them by not letting them stay in them. Even though they cultivated abundant vineyards, they did not take their wine. This is because God knew their offences and the extent of their sins.

The Israelites oppressed the righteous people and took bribes, and deprived the needy of fairness within courts (Bulkeley, 2005). The Israelites wailed in every street and cried of agony in each public square.

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