Messages from the Ancient Prophets: Lessons for Today

Most Americans feel that America is not on the right track and that our future is bleak. Much of this feeling is due to the belief that our entire political system is paralyzed and under the control of big money. America is not the first great empire to be in danger of collapse; numerous ancient empires failed. Many, especially ancient Israel, were warned by the prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechariah, Amos, Micah, Ezekiel, and others that they were heading for disaster. This paper demonstrates that the message of the prophets is as relevant today as it was more than 2,500 years ago. Perhaps if we heed the words of the ancient prophets, America’s confidence and leadership can be restored. Americans are demoralized. In fact, in a recent poll, 64 % of respondents believed that America was on the wrong track; apparently, Americans have little confidence in how the country is being run (Holland, 2011). America‟s confidence in Congress is at an all-time low – 12 % (Newport, 2011). Much of this feeling is due to the belief that our entire political system is under the control of big money. Wall Street, which is largely to blame for the financial meltdown, paid very little for almost destroying the financial system. In fact, corporate profits hit a record high and the financial sector receives more than 25 % of all American business profits (Rich, 2010). The wealthiest Americans are becoming even wealthier. Meanwhile, the rest of America is watching their incomes shrink and their jobs disappear. According to Lawrence Katz, Harvard University economist, “This is the first time in memory that an entire decade has produced essentially no economic growth for the typical American household ” (Eckholm, 2010). The unemployment rate, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistic