THE prophets were interpreters of the ... purpose of God, in the fullest sense of the term. They had seen the vision of the Almighty, and their task was to make the vision real to their fellows. To begin with, they were progressive revealers of the character of God. Through them God unveiled Himself "by divers portions and in divers manners." . . . But the prophets were as directly concerned with the conduct which God required of His people. Thus they became the great moral teachers of Israel. The people as a whole believed that God was satisfied with the ritual obligations of Sabbath-keeping, sacrifice, and prayer; the prophets insisted that He cared above all things for justice, mercy, and loving-kindness.
A great part of their teaching was devoted to social questions. In the most emphatic terms they denounced the social sins of graft, monopoly, greed, oppression and exploitation of the poor, bribery, luxury, sensuality, and drunkenness; with the same boldness they called for honesty, truth, good will, and humanity in all men's dealings with one another. Nor did they hesitate, if need arose, to lay hold on the affairs of state, and try by wise counsel and direction to guide the destinies of the people along the right paths.
In doing so, however, they acted not as political partisans, but as divinely commissioned representatives of the kingdom of righteousness, love, and peace, which God was establishing on earth, and for which they were appointed to prepare the way. Though prediction is not of the essence of prophecy, the prophets were as vitally interested in the future as they were in the present. Being in such intimate touch with the mind and purpose of God, they were able to forecast the broad lines of His activity for Israel and the world in general.
