The Call To Prophecy -- February 8th. 2010
Take Home Examination:  Due on Friday, February 12th, 2010. email: mf.kolarcik@utoronto.ca

Each prophetic or wisdom text which follows is from the Hebrew Bible or from the Deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament. With each text, explain why you would characterize it as a literary prophetic text or not.  Use all of the material at your disposal for determining the literary features of  prophetic texts.  Limit your answer to five double spaced pages (Times Roman 12 point, 1 inch margins). You may examine the texts separately or together. The point of this exercise is to sharpen your knowledge and skill for determining the particular style of literary prophetic writings in the Old Testament.

1)

Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, because he was determined to go after vanity. 
12 Therefore I am like maggots to Ephraim, and like rottenness to the house of Judah. 
13 When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria,
and sent to the great king. But he is not able to cure you or heal your wound. 
14 For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, and like a young lion to the house of Judah.
I myself will tear and go away; I will carry off, and no one shall rescue. 
15 I will return again to my place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face.
In their distress they will beg my favor: 
 "Come, let us return to the LORD; for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us;
he has struck down, and he will bind us up. 
2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. 
3 Let us know, let us press on to know the LORD; his appearing is as sure as the dawn;
he will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth." 
4 What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early. 
5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets,
I have killed them by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth as the light. 
6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

2)

 I also am mortal, like everyone else, a descendant of the first-formed child of earth;
and in the womb of a mother I was molded into flesh, 
2 within the period of ten months, compacted with blood, from the seed of a man and the pleasure of marriage. 
3 And when I was born, I began to breathe the common air, and fell upon the kindred earth;
my first sound was a cry, as is true of all.  4 I was nursed with care in swaddling cloths. 
5 For no king has had a different beginning of existence; 
6 there is for all one entrance into life, and one way out. 
7 Therefore I prayed, and understanding was given me;
I called on God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.  8 I preferred her to scepters and thrones,
and I accounted wealth as nothing in comparison with her. 
9 Neither did I liken to her any priceless gem, because all gold is but a little sand in her sight,
and silver will be accounted as clay before her. 
10 I loved her more than health and beauty, and I chose to have her rather than light,
because her radiance never ceases. 
11 All good things came to me along with her, and in her hands uncounted wealth. 
12 I rejoiced in them all, because wisdom leads them; but I did not know that she was their mother. 
13 I learned without guile and I impart without grudging; I do not hide her wealth, 
14 for it is an unfailing treasure for mortals; those who get it obtain friendship with God,
commended for the gifts that come from instruction. 
15 May God grant me to speak with judgment, and to have thoughts worthy of what I have received;
for he is the guide even of wisdom and the corrector of the wise.