Stories of the Prophets (Before the Exile)

The company of inspired men commonly known as the prophets of Israel were the unique product of the Jewish religious genius. They were pre-eminently preachers of righteousness. Fearless and undaunted they told the house of Israel their sins and the house of Jacob their transgressions. They contemplated the facts of life from the highest point of view. For them religion and morality were blended ethics and politics were one. Theirs was peculiarly a social message; the demand for justice underlies all their thinking and speaking. They had a veritable passion for righteousness; through all the ages their words have been torches lighting the way of men struggling upward towards the truth.Though living over twenty-six hundred years ago these men are very modern. As a great thinker has well said The spirit of the prophets of Israel is in the modern soul. The foremost workers for the welfare of their fellowmen to-day posit social justice as the first article of their program. The world to-day as never before is filled with cries for social righteousness as the indispensable foundation for the structure of society. What is this but harking back to the eternal message of the ancient prophets? Let justice flow as water passionately and unreservedly demanded Amos of old; for him and his brother prophets this was the sine qua non for society''s welfare; the same may be said of the thousands and tens of thousands to-day of every creed and every nation who are toiling for the social salvation of their fellowmen the world over. Ages meet; the words of the ancient preachers of righteousness are still the inspiration for the seekers after justice everywhere.