Deck 10: Other Pre-Exilic Prophets: Hosea, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, and Habakkuk

Question 1

1. What are the major themes found in the books of Hosea and Micah [the instructor may prefer another prophet such as Amos]? How do these themes reflect the political and social issues of the time?

Answer 1

Hosea emphasizes the deep and profound love of YHWH for his people, who he portrays as adulterous due to their dalliances with foreign nations and foreign gods. Israel has betrayed its covenant with YHWH, producing children who are not in fact YHWH's people. In consequence, YHWH will punish them severely and remove them from his land. Micah similarly takes up a covenant lawsuit against YHWH's people, who have worshiped other gods, exploited the poor, and generally done evil things. In consequence, YHWH will destroy his people. These books each reflect a time of general prosperity but with a looming foreign threat (Assyria).

Question 2

2. How are Judah and Israel represented in the works of Hosea and Micah?

Answer 2

Each represents their respective focus as idolatrous, with Hosea comparing Israel's idolatry to adultery and prostitution and Micah claiming that Israel and Judah have violated their covenant. See previous answer for more details.

Question 3

3. What is the message of Micah? What are the major themes? Why were his prophecies considered important to later prophets such as Jeremiah?

Answer 3

Micah takes up a covenant lawsuit against YHWH's people, who he says have worshiped other gods, exploited the poor, and generally done evil things. In consequence, YHWH will destroy his people. These books each reflect a time of general prosperity but with a looming foreign threat (Assyria). His prophecies were especially important to later prophets who similarly proclaimed destruction because they gave credibility to those later prophets whose message corresponded with that of Micah.

Question 4

4. Jeremiah's message is sometimes understood as inconsistent because his focus appears to change over the course of the text. How can you explain this change?

Question 5

5. Describe the character of Jeremiah. How reliable is the book of Jeremiah as a biographical account of the prophet's life? What might be the purpose of the biographical information provided in the text?

Question 6

6. What is the primary theme of Habakkuk? How does he present his message, and what is the final takeaway from the book?

Question 7

1. Both Hosea and Micah were prophets from the north.

Question 8

2. Hosea believed that God's anger could be calmed and that Israel could be saved.

Question 9

3. Both Hosea and Jeremiah contain autobiographical material.

Question 10

5. Micah and Jeremiah were both southern prophets.

Question 11

6. Nahum centers on an oracle against Samaria and Jerusalem.

Question 12

8. Jeremiah shares many themes with the Deuteronomic writers.

Question 13

9. Jeremiah does not believe Judah can avoid God's judgment.

Question 14

10. Jeremiah does not believe that Israel's restoration after exile is possible.

Question 15

11. Like Isaiah, Jeremiah was involved in the politics of his day.

Question 16

1) Elijah and Hosea are both hostile toward the close identification of YHWH with

A) El.
B) Shamash.
C) Marduk.
D) Baal.

Question 17

5) The book of Hosea tells us that the prophet's wife had ____________ children.

A) one
B) two
C) three
D) four

Question 18

8) Micah's career spanned the reigns of all of the following kings except

A) Jotham.
B) Ahaz.
C) Hezekiah.
D) Manasseh.

Question 19

9) The day of ____________ is the day that God will come and fight Israel's enemies.

A) YHWH
B) wrath
C) vengeance
D) judgment

Question 20

10) This book rejoices over the destruction of Nineveh.

A) Jonah
B) Micah
C) Nahum
D) Habakkuk

Question 21

11) Because of the destruction of this city, Nahum rejoices that Judah can now celebrate its festivals in peace.

A) Babylon
B) Damascus
C) Samaria
D) Nineveh

Question 22

12) Jeremiah's confessions are most closely paralleled by

A) Lamentations.
B) Proverbs.
C) Psalms.
D) Isaiah.

Question 23

13) In 605, the Assyrians and their Babylonian allies were defeated at

A) Qadesh.
B) Qarqar.
C) Thebes.
D) Carchemish.

Question 24

15) Jeremiah shares phrasings with the book of

A) Deuteronomy.
B) Ezekiel .
C) Chronicles.
D) Isaiah.

Question 25

16) The nucleus of Jeremiah consists of chapters

A) 1-25.
B) 26-29.
C) 34-45.
D) 46-51.

Question 26

17) Jeremiah's career began during the reign of

A) Josiah.
B) Hezekiah.
C) Manasseh.
D) Jehoiachin.

Question 27

18) The only detail of Zephaniah's life that the text relates is that he was

A) from Jerusalem.
B) married.
C) related to Hezekiah.
D) not a prophet.

Question 28

20) This prophet says God will sweep away all living creatures from the earth.

A) Jeremiah
B) First Isaiah
C) Nahum
D) Zephaniah

Question 29

21) According to Zephaniah, the "day of YHWH" will be

A) a happy time for Judah.
B) a day of distress and anguish for all.
C) the time when YHWH uses Babylon to judge his people.
D) a time of messianic redemption.

Question 30

22) Oracles against the nations are found in all of the following except

A) Hosea.
B) Amos.
C) Isaiah.
D) Ezekiel.

Question 31

24) Habakkuk probably dates to the ____________ century B.C.E.

A) late eighth
B) early seventh
C) early sixth
D) late sixth