They were a combination of preacher, whistleblower, and counselor—they were the prophets of the Old Testament era. They warned people who had turned away from the Lord; and they encouraged the faithful to remain faithful. From time to time, they fortified their calls by foretelling the future intent and plans of the sovereign God.

Words of Faithfulness

The lessons of Unit 1 highlight the faithfulness of God, who reveals to his people their need to be faithful to Him. Lesson 1 recounts Moses’ foretelling of a prophet whom God would raise up within Israel to speak the Lord’s words to them. Israel’s necessary response would be to obey the prophet. These words anticipate the line of prophets God would send, culminating in the ultimate prophet, Jesus Christ (see Acts 3:17–26).

The faithfulness of Israel in response to the Lord’s faithfulness was on display in the conquest of Jericho, lesson 2. In lesson 3, God shows his faithfulness to Josiah, the king of Judah, who had wisely and humbly consulted a true prophet. The unit’s final study, lesson 4, focuses on the faithful prophet Elijah, who courageously confronted Ahab, the king of Israel, for forsaking the Lord in favor of the Baals.

Mark Hahlen, “Quarter at a Glance,” in The NIV Standard Lesson Commentary, 2020–2021, ed. Ronald L. Nickelson, Jane Ann Kenney, and Margaret K. Williams, vol. 27 (Colorado Springs, CO: Standard Publishing, 2021), 227.