According to Coogan (281), the kings and the prophets in the Old Testament had their roles and responsibilities which were well explained and distinguished from each other. The Kings had three distinctive roles as seen all through the old testament. First of all, they were supposed to be political leaders. That is, they ruled over the people and made sure that law and order was maintained throughout Israel. Secondly, they acted as military leaders. This meant that when the people went to war, the king had to accompany them, such as King David did (Jewish Bible, 1 Kings 1-3). Lastly, the king could be a religious leader who sought to make the people mend their ways and get back to God.
The prophets, on the other hand, were charged with helping the Kings in making the right judgment. They also acted as the link between God and the king hence making sure that the king kept his ways pure. Such a relationship is seen in the case of King David and Prophet Nathan (Jewish Bible, 1 Kings 1-3).
The prophets, in dispensing their duties, often used complex situations and examples to convey their message. Hosea, for instance, warns the nation about the threat of the Assyrians (Tanakh, Hosea 1). Amos was another prophet whose message was equally tough to communicate to the people. He was to warn Israel about the fact that God was to punish them just as he had punished their neighbors (Tanakh, Amos 8). Looking at the two prophets, they relayed their messages in different ways. Amos was more vigorous and zealous in relaying God’s message of righteousness and justice. He, therefore, declared that God would judge the people who disobeyed him and broke his covenants, just like he did in the past. Hosea, on the other side, was an ambassador for God’s mercy, forgiveness, grace and love. He showed the other side of God which gave his people a second chance even after they had gone away from him.
Works Cited
The Jewish Bible: Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures—The New JPS Translation According to the Traditional Hebrew Text: Torah’ Nevi’im, Kethuvim. Jewish Publication Society (1st ed), 1985.
Coogan, Michael D. A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament: The Hebrew Bible in its Context. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Nov. 2011.
