Borg uses several other examples of the “prediction-fulfillment” formula; which Matthew used thirteen times. After Matthew says Jesus was born in Bethlehem; he says “It has been written by the prophet.” He then quotes Micah:

“And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah: for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel”

“This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: Out of Egypt have I called my son”

Borg no longer sees the prophets as predictors of Jesus. The writers were very familiar with the Hebrew Bible and used it to show continuity from their traditions to Jesus. They used the passages to generate historical narrative in several ways:

• The gospel writers used the prophets to comment on the significance of things that did happen, like the crucifixion.
• They embellished their stories with details drawn from the Hebrew Bible, like the birth stories.

• Isaiah 7.10-17; Isaiah was speaking of King Ahaz of the southern kingdom. He does not refer to virgin birth but a sign from God that they will be safe from invasion.
• Hosea 11.1, is about the exodus and refers to Israel which is called God’s son.

If the purpose of the prophets was not to predict Jesus, What was it?

Marcus Borg tells us that the second way to listen to the prophets is as the social conscience of the kingdoms of Israel. The prophets weren’t writers; they were orators. He uses the example of Amos who speaks about the Judgment of God. It is not about the final judgment or the last judgment, but the judgment of God now. Unjust societies face God’s wrath now. For Amos, the sin was injustice. The kingdoms had become as bad as the exile in Egypt.

The most common form of prophetic speech was the indictment-threat oracle. The form has two major elements, and sometimes a third.

• The Indictment: an accusation or list of offences.
• The Threat: what will happen

The summons: Hear this, you rulers of the house of Jacob and chiefs of the house of Israel.

The Threat: Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.

Sometime the prophets performed attention getting symbolic acts to dramatize their message. These acts were street theater. As an example he tells of Ezekiel in a public place laying on his left side for 390 days and on his right side for 40 days, to symbolize the number of years Israel would spend in exile.

So Borg tells us that one way to read the prophets is as social consciences for Israel.

Aside: Norman Podhoretz, a Jewish scholar, has written a new book “The Prophets: Who They Were, What They Are,” which decries the secularization of Zionism through interpretations such as Borg’s. The writer believes that this “Christian” interpretation belies the fact that the Jews are still the chosen people, as described by the prophets. Borg goes on to describe Hearing the Prophets the Third Time. He says that hearing the prophets as social commentators is not wrong, but rather incomplete.

It does not include or require a God. It does not require the prophets to have experienced God. Borg now believes That the prophets did experience the sacred. The prophets regularly say, “Thus says the Lord.” They speak in the first person on behalf of God. The words don’t come from God but from their experience of God. This experience of God would account for their courage to speak out against the rulers and elite of the time at great risk to themselves. They also lived the traditions of Israel, namely the exodus and covenant traditions. They spoke out against actions that were contrary to God’s covenant and the traditions of the exodus. So Borg sees the prophet’s actions as a combination of: their experience of God, the traditions of Israel and their passion for social justice.

Another factor in how Borg hears the prophets now is a better understanding of the social system contemporary to the prophets. The social structure at the time of the prophets was started when the Israelites first became a monarchy about 1000 BCE. By the time of the prophets the major features of the domination system were in place; a politics of oppression centered on the monarchy, an economics of exploitation centered on the aristocracy, and a religion of legitimization centered in the temple in Jerusalem. The prophets are not speaking of the people of Israel as bad, but the ruling class as subverting the covenant with God. The conflict is between the law and the prophets together against the royal theology of the domination system.

Another feature of the prophets is that they don’t just criticize. They also energize. So far we only focused on the criticism. Energizing creates hope, affirms identity and creates a new future. The prophets who spoke after the destruction of the kingdoms were primarily engaged in energizing. Borg uses the example of Second Isaiah, an unnamed prophet who spoke to the people in exile beginning about 539 BCE. The Babylonian conquest brought death and destruction, but also desperation and despair. The returning exiles were a weaken community in power, wealth, identity and spirit. Second Isaiah’s task is to encourage, proclaim and empower, the return from exile. (read page 134, 135 and 136) Second Isaiah uses the energizing power of God to lead the people back to the promised land.

Conclusions: We need to hear the prophets in the context of their time and their situation. For much of Christian history, the prophets have been domesticated, usually by people would see them merely as predictors of Jesus. When Christianity slept with the dominance culture, it muted the prophets as voices for social justice. In our time, the end of Christendom, we can hear again the “dream of God” of justice and peace. (Micah 4.3-4) Social justice is more comprehensive than criminal justice and procedural justice. It is concerned with the social system as a whole, are the results just. The message of prophetic energizing is relevant today. It affirms that in God’s view, everyone’s identity, value and worth are important. Second Isaiah speaks to the return from exile. We can feel the effects of “exile”; grief, anguish, longing, weakness and homelessness. The return from exile is a journey of return to our roots. Our roots are in the presence of God. So when we repent, we are not sorry for our mistakes, we are returning to God’s presence.

Thank you, thank you Mr. D.!

We concluded the summary by reading Micah 4.3-4 where we hear the “dream of God” of justice and peace. We were moved by how the words of the prophets are “uplifting.” The large group discussed Borg’s process of reading the prophets - from seeing them as predictors of Jesus to realizing that they must have “experienced” God. We wondered about Borg’s own personal experiences of God and how these experiences impacted his revision of reading the prophets. We also wondered if Borg’s journey really just reflects a natural growth of faith.

We discussed how many churches are stuck in mode #1 of listening to the prophets - seeing them as predictors of Jesus. We wondered if St. Joan is pausing at the second way of listening to the prophets - as the social conscious of the kingdoms of Israel promoters of peace and justice. We noted how it is hard to talk to a large group about experiences with God.

For some, Wellstone’s death has made reading the prophets more poignant. When you step into the call of the prophets you can get a deeper God calling a deep faith experience. We also discussed how our world is paying the price for the prophet’s interpretation (Jewish people being the “chosen” people.) We wondered who has the ultimate authority the prophets? Jesus? Mohammad? How can everyone have God on their side and yet we are still killing each other?

Wheh!!! Did someone say treats????

Oh yes they did (and the wonderful homemade kind too.) Two, yes two, kinds of delectable morsels: scrumptious chocolate-chip cookies tender on the inside but crispy on the outside. And my favorite ginger cookies!!!! So moist and chewy. I love how the sugar gets settles into those ridges and valleys. But are we done? no way! There were scoops of delicious vanilla ice cream melting like a river around my cookies. Let justice roll like a river indeed! Are you kidding me?

The small groups discussed a number of topics including: Do we have prophets today? Who are they? Some ideas included Paul Wellstone, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Theresa. We noted how many of our suggestions were politicians and how we don’t often realize that someone is a prophet until they are dead.

(On a side note- one group learned that probability and statistics didn’t develop until after monotheism. Before then, it was viewed that the gods were interfering in activities so the concept of prediction didn’t exist. What an interesting tidbit!)

We concluded the evening with a wonderful prayer for hope and peace in our world…and don’t we need that right now.

Now on to the business of next week.

Next week we will look at the book of Wisdom. Read Chapter 7 in Reading the Bible Again and Chapter 5 in Borg’s Meeting Jesus Again. (Thank you Denny for making copies of chapter 5 for those of us without the book.)

Facilitator: Audrey
O. Prayer: David
C. Prayer: Margaret
Treats: Noel
Cleanup: Collette
After 9:
After 11: Jeanne

Thanks for a great evening and peace to all of you, Jeanne

"St. Joan of Arc Bible Study is an open and growing group that meets for fellowship and to discuss the Bible and other faith-centered literature. Our informal study group draws from biblical scholarship, historical perspectives, current events and personal reflections. We welcome honor and respect the personal ideas and spiritual journeys of all who join us."