Hence it is that the prophets one and all preface their addresses so confidently, 'The Word of theLord,' or 'Thus saith the Lord.' They have even the audacity to speak in the first person, as ifJehovah himself were speaking. As in Isaiah: 'Hearken unto me, O Jacob, and Israel my called; Iam He, I am the First, I also am the last,'--and so on. The personality of the prophet sinks entirelyinto the background; he feels himself for the time being the mouthpiece of the Almighty."[325]

[325] W. Sanday: The Oracles of God, London, 1892, pp. 49-56, abridged with her, he would sanction everything at oncehe answered. .

"We need to remember that prophecy was a profession, and that the prophets formed aprofessional class. There were schools of the prophets, in which the gift was regularly cultivated.

A group of young men would gather round some commanding figure--a Samuel or an Elisha--andwould not only record or spread the knowledge of his sayings and doings, but seek to catchthemselves something of his inspiration. It seems that music played its part in their exercises. . . . Itis perfectly all of these Sons of the prophets ever succeeded in acquiringmore than a very small share in the gift which they sought. It was clearly possible to 'counterfeit'

prophecy. Sometimes this was done deliberately. . . . But it by no means follows that in all caseswhere a false message was given, the giver of it was altogether conscious of what he was doing.