Predictions/Commands and Their Fulfillment

Dtr pictures the word of God as often delivered by prophets who predict future events that unfailingly occur or who issue peremptory commands not to be questioned. Even before prophets begin to appear at the dawn of monarchy, Joshua utters an oath declaring that anyone who even starts to rebuild Jericho will do so “at the cost” of his older and younger sons (Josh. 6:26), and this curse is activated during the reign of Ahab, when Hillel of Bethel loses both of his sons upon laying the foundation stone and erecting the gates of Jericho (1 Kgs. 16:33–34). Ahijah prophesies the split into two kingdoms and later announces that the house of Jeroboam will be wiped out because of his idolatry (1 Kgs. 11:29–31; 12:12–5; 14:17–18; 15:29). When an old prophet of Bethel discovers a second prophet has lied, he announces that the lying prophet will not be buried in his family tomb, which proves to be the case after he is killed by a lion (1 Kgs. 13:20–32).

Shemaiah, by the word of the Lord, forbids Rehoboam to try to quell the rebellion of the north: “You shall not go up or fight against your kindred the people of Israel,” so Rehoboam doesn’t (1 Kgs. 12:22–24). Jehu ben Hanani announces the overthrow of the house of Baasha (16:1–4, 7). Elijah declares a three-year drought in the land (1 Kgs. 17:1) and ends it by defeating the prophets of Baal (1 Kgs. 18:1, 45). Elijah specifies that Ahab will die in Jezreel, the very place where he seized Naboth’s vineyard, and he does (1 Kgs. 21:17–19; 22:37–38).

The most awesome of these predictions is made by an unnamed “man of God” who not only declares that the altar at Bethel where Jeroboam worships will be destroyed, but actually names Josiah as the future king who will destroy the profane altar (1 Kgs. 13:1–2). In this instance, the prophet is described as foreseeing an action by a ruler who will not ascend the throne until nearly three hundred years later and will indeed destroy the altar at Bethel as prophesied (2 Kgs. 23:15–20). Isaiah, on hearing that God will spare the life of Hezekiah, declares that the sick king will be healed and add fifteen years to his life (2 Kgs. 20:1–7). Sometimes the prophet not only announces what is to come but also serves as the agent of fulfillment, as when Elisha incites Jehu to overthrow the house of Ahab because of the wickedness of Jezebel, the Baal-worshiping queen, who killed the prophets of God (1 Kgs. 9:1–3, 6–10). And Isaiah becomes the agent for Hezekiah to live on by applying a poultice of figs to the king’s boil (2 Kgs. 20:7).

These close engagements of prophets in the unfolding history emphasize that God determines the course of events in response to Israel’s fitful commitment to the covenant with YHWH. The prophetic words and actions underscore the thoroughly religious evaluation of the history of the two kingdoms. The literary effect of these prophetic interventions is to move the story forward, to compensate as it were for the interrupting name lists and to give implementation to the programmatic texts. In this way, God’s guidance of the history is implemented through persons who are active in the story, but whose authority is independent of the established political and religious leadership, and who as “outsiders” are able to anticipate the outcome of Israel’s adherence to or violation of its covenant with God.