The book of Deuteronomy,
which literally means second law, concerns with the covenantal relationship
between Yahweh and his people. It expounds the covenant in which Israel’s
society was to be established. It is only right, therefore, to look into the
legal legislation of the prophets and prophecy (Deut 13:2-6; 18:21-22) from the
perspective of covenant relationship between Yahweh and Israel. The crux of the
covenant relationship is that this covenant is based on the חסד character of Yahweh,
and that obedience fosters blessings and disobedience incurs Yahweh’s wrath.
Translating this covenant premise within the context of prophets and their
prophecy would mean that a prophet can actually prophesy both
peaceful/blessings as well as doom/judgment messages. However, it is true that
in many instances Yahweh’s prophet prophesies doom and judgment messages
because of the recalcitrant nature of Israel. Thus, in a way, Yahweh’s
persistent and perpetual sending of his prophets implies this חסד for his people.
Jeremiah’s recounting
that past prophets prophesied doom and judgment and that peace prophecy has to
be aided by fulfillment (Jer 28:8-9) can be understood as a commentary on Deut
18:22 within his context. The criterion of Deut 18:22, that is, that true
prophecy has to be substantiated by fulfillment, is thus more nuanced in its
meaning. In other words, this criterion has to be understood generally from
Yahwistic tradition and specifically from the חסד character of Yahweh. Yahweh’s prophets
are the manifestation of Yahweh’s חסד. Their role was largely to guide the Israelites away
from evil paths. Thus, their messages came with a condition: Repent or face
Yahweh’s judgement. In this case their prophecy was contingent on the response
of the audience.
Therefore, on the one
hand, if the audience receives the message and repents, then Yahweh’s wrath is
averted; on the other hand, if the audience ignores the message, then Yahweh’s
wrath is enforced. In the case of Jeremiah, the audience did not avail
themselves of Yahweh’s message and thus Jeremiah’s prophecy should understand
the issue of doom prophesy from this perspective. As noted above, there is
truth in Jeremiah’s statement that Yahweh’s prophets have more often than not
prophesied doom messages but there is also a scope and space within the
Yahwistic tradition for true Yahwistic prophets could also prophesy a peace prophesy
(see Jer 30-33). However, if a prophet prophesies peace without acknowledging the
covenantal premise, namely, the right relationship between Yahweh and his
people, such prophecy becomes utterly false. It should also be noted that, in
fact, a deeper reading of the so-called doom prophecy is closely related to the
salvation message, provided the audience takes the message to heart. (M. Sashi
Jamir, Prophetic Conflict and Yahwistic Tradition: A Synthetic Study of True
and False Prophecy (Jeremiah 26-29) [Glossahouse Dissertation Series vol.
3; Wilmore, Ky.: Glossa House, 2016], 212-14)
