G O D ' S S P O K E S M E N

A Survey of the Prophetic Ministry in the Bible

F. Wayne Mac Leod

Light To My Path Book Distribution

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written

in any form or by any means without written permission of the author.

CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright
- Genesis: God Speaks to His People
- Genesis: God Speaks Through His People
– Exodus: Moses, God's Spokesman
- The Law and Prophecy
- Joshua, Judges, and Ruth: The Word of the Lord was Rare
 
- Samuel
- Prophecy Under the Reigns of David and Solomon
- The Prophets of the  Divided Kingdom
- Elijah
- Elisha
- Jonah
- Amos
- Hosea
- Isaiah
- Micah
- Nahum
- Jeremiah
- Zephaniah

- Habakkuk
- Ezekiel
- Daniel
- Obadiah
- Haggai
- Zechariah
- Joel
- Malachi
- New Testament Prophecy in the Early Days of Jesus
- Old Testament Prophecy in the Life and Ministry of Christ
- Jesus as Prophet
- Prophecy in the Book of Acts
- Paul's Teaching on Prophecy
- The Apostle John
- False Prophecy
- Biblical Arguments Used Against the Prophetic Ministry Today
- Prophecy in the Church Today
About The Author

1 - GENESIS: GOD SPEAKS

TO HIS PEOPLE

s we begin this study on the role of Biblical prophecy, it is

important that I set some parameters. Prophecy, in its essence, is

a revelation from God to His creation about His purpose. This

may include the unveiling of future events, but prophecy is just as likely to

reveal the will of God for His people in the present time.

All of Scripture fits this description as it unfolds the purpose of God for us

today and our hope for the future. In this study, however, I want to focus on

how God revealed His heart to individuals and the men and women He used

to share that purpose. My goal, in these opening words, is not to define

prophecy but to give direction to the study. I hope that as the study unfolds,

the definition, purpose, and means of prophecy will become quite evident.

We begin in the first book of the Bible just after the creation of Adam and

Eve. There in that Garden, the Lord spoke to the first man and his wife,

revealing His purpose to them:

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may

surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the

knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that

you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2)

Notice two details in the words of the Lord, spoken to Adam and Eve.

First, God reveals His present plan for Adam and Eve. He told them that

they were to eat of every tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge

of good and evil. God made His purpose clear in these words. He showed

Adam and his wife what they could eat and what they could not eat. Were it

not for this direct revelation of God, Adam and Eve would never have

understood this purpose.

Second, God not only speaks about His present plan for Adam and Eve, but

He also tells them what would happen in the future if they did not follow

this plan. If they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they

would die. The words of this prophecy are conditional upon the actions of

Adam and Eve. In other words, the truth God was revealing to this couple

did not have to come to pass if they chose to walk in obedience. If,

however, they rebelled against the purpose of God, then death would

follow.

We have, in these words, what I call a conditional prophecy. If certain

conditions are met, then the words would come true. In this case, if Adam

or Eve at from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil then they would

die. If they chose not to eat from the tree, then they would continue to live.

This would not be the only time God would speak directly to this first

couple. In Genesis 3 we read how Satan sought to discredit the prophetic

words of the Lord by tempting Eve to eat from the forbidden tree. Eve

yielded to this temptation and gave the fruit of the tree to her husband.

Together they committed the first sin. Listen to the response of the Lord

God to this act of disobedience:

16 To the woman he said,

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;

in pain you shall bring forth children.

Your desire shall be contrary to your husband,

but he shall rule over you.”

17 And to Adam he said,

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife

and have eaten of the tree

of which I commanded you,

‘You shall not eat of it,’

cursed is the ground because of you;

in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;

18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;

and you shall eat the plants

you shall eat bread,

till you return to the ground,

for out of it you were taken;

for you are dust,

and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3)

That day, the Lord God revealed to Adam and Eve the results of their sin.

Pain and suffering were introduced for the first time –Eve would bear

children in pain. God also showed Eve that there would be brokenness in

her relationship with Adam – “Your desire shall be contrary to your

husband, but he shall rule over you.” The earth would be cursed – “cursed

is the ground because of you.” Finally, death would come to both the man

and the woman – “to dust you shall return.” We see the fulfilment of these

prophetic words in our world today.

In Genesis 4 we read how Cain, the son of Adam and Eve, would kill his

brother Abel. The Lord appeared to Cain after this murder and spoke to him

directly about what he had done:

8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the

field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 9

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He

said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 And the

Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s

blood is crying to me from the ground. 11 And now you are

cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive

your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the

ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be

a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” (Genesis 4)

The Lord revealed to Cain that the ground he worked to gain a livelihood

would be cursed for him. He would become a wanderer on the earth making

a living wherever he could. The prophetic words God spoke to Cain that

day were words of rebuke and judgement. They pronounced his sentence.

So far, we have seen from these prophetic statements of God that prophecy

reveals the purpose of God for His people. It also issues warnings of danger

when they wander from the path God has laid out for them. Now we see

from His words to Cain that prophecy also pronounced the judgement of

God on those who wandered from Him and His plan.

As we move on in the book of Genesis, we see that prophecy also gave

direction and announced blessings. In Genesis 12, for example, God

declared to Abraham that He would form his descendants into a great

nation:

1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and

your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will

show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will

bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a

blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who

dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the

earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12)

God told Abram to leave his country to go to a land that He would show

him. God spoke directly to Abram revealing the purpose He had for him–

“go… to the land that I will show you.”

Also, in these words of God to Abram was a great promise. God told him

that He would bless him and all nations through him. These prophetic

words of God announce great blessing to Abram and his descendants.

God would remind Abram of this prophecy several times in his life (see

Genesis 12:1-2; 15:1-6; 17:1-8). The promise is repeated to Abram’s son

Isaac (Genesis 26:1-5), and his grandson Jacob (Genesis 28:10-15). It was

essential to God that this family understand that they were chosen to be His

instruments of blessing to the nations. This was revealed to them directly

from God. In the case of Jacob, as recorded in Genesis 28, we see that this

revelation from God came in the form of a dream.

The revelation of this will of God for Abraham and his family would have

placed them under obligation to God. Knowing that God had a purpose for

them as a family, would help them to have a clear focus in life. They would

be God’s people, and as such, they would live for Him and worship Him

alone.

When the time approached for Sarah to conceive, God spoke to

her and her husband about this.

10 The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and

Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door

behind him (Genesis 18)

Notice how the Lord God announced the time in which Sarah, as an old

woman would give birth. When it took place as the Lord told them, they

would have the assurance that this was indeed from Him. There was no

obligation on the Lord’s part to tell Abraham and Sarah when this child

would be born. He did so, however, to encourage them and assure them that

this was from Him.

When the child Isaac was born, great jealousy arose between Sarah and her

servant Hagar, who had given birth to Abraham’s son Ishmael. The

intensity of this jealousy and bitterness between the two women was such

that Abraham sent Hagar and his son Ishmael away. This was a tough

decision for Abraham. The Lord, however, spoke directly to him about this

matter:

10 So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with

her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with

my son Isaac.” 11 And the thing was very displeasing to

Abraham on account of his son. 12 But God said to Abraham,

“Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your

slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you,

for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. 13 And I will

make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is

your offspring.” 14 So Abraham rose early in the morning and

took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it

on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And

she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

(Genesis 21)

Through these words spoken to Abraham, God promised a future for his son

Ishmael and reaffirmed to Abraham that he was right to send him away.

God gave encouragement and direction to Abraham through this prophetic

word. Abraham was able to send Hagar and her son away, knowing that

God would look after them and provide a good future for them.

As Isaac grew up and took a wife, he too would become a father. His wife

Rebekah experienced many problems with her pregnancy. This worried

Rebekah so much that Isaac asked the Lord about it:

21 And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was

barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife

conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her, and

she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she

went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb,

and two peoples from within you shall be divided;

the one shall be stronger than the other,

the older shall serve the younger.” (Genesis 25)

The Lord told the couple that twins were in Rebekah’s womb. These twins

represented two nations who would be a war with each other. Through this

prophecy, the Lord brought clarity and comfort to Rebekah by revealing

what was happening.

The examples of prophecy we have examined so far in the book of Genesis

have all been related to God speaking directly to His people. In these

examples, we learn some valuable lessons about prophecy and its purpose.

We see first that God spoke directly to Adam and Eve to reveal to them how

He wanted them to live. Prophecy in this sense is a revelation of God’s

purpose and teaches us what God expects of us. There is a teaching element

in prophecy.

Second, God warned His people of dangers through prophetic words. He

told Adam and Eve that if they disobeyed His commands, they would die.

God warned Cain before he killed his brother that “sin was crouching at his

door. Its desire is for you” (Genesis 4:7). God revealed these things to

Adam, Eve and Cain to keep them from falling into sin and death.

Third, when God’s people turn from Him and rebel against His purpose,

God spoke prophetically to pronounce His judgement. This was the case for

Adam and Eve when God told them that the result of this sin would be

suffering, broken relationships, cursed ground, and death. It was also the

case for Cain when God told him that the land he tilled would be cursed and

that he would become a wander on the earth.

Fourth, in the passages, we have considered we see that God spoke

prophetically to announce His blessing. He announced to Abram that He

would make him into a great nation. He repeated this promise to Isaac and

Jacob.

Fifth, God spoke prophetically in the book of Genesis to give direction to

His people. He called Abram out of Ur to travel to an unknown land. He

told Abraham that he was to let Ishmael and his mother Hagar go.

Finally, God’s prophetic words were used to bring His people assurance

under challenging times. When Abraham was troubled about letting Hagar

and Ishmael leave, God promised that He would make Ishmael into a great

nation. When Rebekah struggled to understand what was going on in her

womb, God reassured her that He had a purpose.

So far, we have examined how God spoke directly to various individuals in

the book of Genesis. God also spoke indirectly to individuals by giving His

message to one person to share with another. In the next chapter, we will

see what the book of Genesis has to teach us about how God used people to

speak on His behalf.

For Consideration:

What evidence do we have in the book of Genesis that God spoke directly

to His people?

What is a conditional prophecy? Give an example of a conditional

prophecy.

How does prophecy in the book of Genesis warn God’s people of coming

danger? Give an example.

How does prophecy in Genesis give direction and comfort to the people of

God? Give an example.

What was the purpose for God to speak directly to His people in the book of

Genesis?

For Prayer:

Take a moment to give thanks to the Lord for the times He has very

specifically lead you in the path He had for your life.

Have you ever felt the Lord speaking encouragement and comfort to your

soul? Thank the Lord that He knows what you need and brings the blessing

you need at the right time.

Ask God to help you to be more open to how He wants to lead and direct

you today. Ask Him to forgive you for a time when you did not listen to the

warnings He gave or the direction He wanted you to take.

2 - GENESIS: GOD SPEAKS

THROUGH HIS PEOPLE

e have seen how God spoke openly and directly to His people

in the book of Genesis. As we continue in Genesis, we see

another aspect of the prophetic ministry. Not only did God

speak directly to individuals but He also communicated His message

through these individuals to others.

In Genesis 27 we read how Isaac blessed his sons Jacob and Esau.

Blessings were taken seriously because of their prophetic nature. Disguised

as Esau, Jacob approached his father to receive a blessing.

26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me,

my son.” 27 So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac

smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said,

“See, the smell of my son

is as the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed!

28 May God give you of the dew of heaven

and of the fatness of the earth

and plenty of grain and wine.

29 Let peoples serve you,

and nations bow down to you.

Be lord over your brothers,

and may your mother’s sons bow down to you.

Cursed be everyone who curses you,

and blessed be everyone who blesses you!” (Genesis 27)

In these words, Isaac told Jacob that the Lord would bless him with the

“fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine.” He prophesied that

people would serve him, and whole nations would bow down to him. Even

his brother Esau would bow to him. These truths were revealed to Isaac

from God about his son.

When Esau came to receive his blessing from the Lord and discovered that

his brother had taken it, he begged his father to bless him also. Isaac gave

this blessing to him:

39 Then Isaac his father answered and said to him:

“Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling

be,

and away from the dew of heaven on high.

40 By your sword you shall live,

and you shall serve your brother;

but when you grow restless

you shall break his yoke from your neck.” (Genesis 27)

Isaac prophesied that Esau would struggle in life. He would live away from

the “fatness of the earth.” He would fight enemies and serve his brother.

The day would come, however, when he would break the burden of his

brothers control over him.

As we examine the stories of Jacob and Esau, we see how these prophecies

came true. The words of Isaac were not just blessings but prophetic

statements about the lives of his sons. God gave him these words to show

his sons what was going to happen in their lives. God would confirm these

words to Jacob when He spoke to him personally in Genesis 28:10-15.

Not all who spoke prophetically were aware that they were doing so. In

Genesis 22, God commanded Abraham to take his son and offer him as a

burnt offering. Obedient to the Lord, Abraham took Isaac and brought him

to the mountain where he laid him on the altar and prepared to offer him to

the Lord as a sacrifice. Before he could do so, however, the Lord stopped

him and showed him a ram stuck in a thicket by his horns. In the place of

his son, Abraham offered this ram as a burnt offering.

What we need to understand about this incident is that God was not only

testing His servant Abraham but also conveying a vital message through

him to those who would read this story. It is generally understood that the

mountain on which Abraham offered his son was where the Heavenly

Father would sacrifice His Son, the Lord Jesus on the cross. Just as God

substituted the ram for Abraham’s son Isaac, the Lord Jesus would sacrifice

His life on our behalf on that mountain. It is unlikely that Abraham and

Isaac understood the details of this prophetic act, but by their obedience,

they were declaring what would happen in the years to come and how God

would provide for the salvation of His people.

As we move toward the end of the book of Genesis, we meet a man by the

name of Joseph. God used Joseph as a spokesman on many occasions. As a

young boy, Joseph had dreams revealing what would happen in the days to

come. In Genesis 37 we have two examples of this kind of dream. We have

a record of the first dream in Genesis 37:5-8:

5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers

they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream

that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the

field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And

behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my

sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign

over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him

even more for his dreams and for his words. (Genesis 37)

In this dream, Joseph and his brothers were binding sheaves of wheat in the

field. As he watched, his brother’s sheaves gathered around him and bowed

down to him. Joseph’s brothers mocked him saying: “Are you indeed to

reign over us?”

The second dream was quite similar:

9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers

and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the

sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10

But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father

rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have

dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed

come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his

brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in

mind. (Genesis 37)

In this second dream, the sun, moon and eleven stars bowed down to

Joseph. His father understood this to mean that he and his eleven other sons

would bow down to Joseph. Joseph’s brothers became angry with him, but

his father kept the memory of this dream in his mind.

The day would come when each of his brothers would bow down to Joseph

as the ruler of Egypt. None of them had any way of knowing how this

would be fulfilled in their lives. When Joseph explained these dreams, his

brothers dismissed them as foolishness. God, however, was using Joseph’s

dreams to show him and his family what was to come.

This was not the only time dreams were used in the life of Joseph to convey

the purpose of God. Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers

and brought to Egypt where he would remain for the rest of his life. There

in Egypt he was falsely accused of sexual abuse by his boss’ wife and

thrown into prison. There in prison, he met the king’s cupbearer and baker.

One day the king’s cupbearer had a dream that affected him deeply. Joseph

noticed that something was troubling him and asked what was wrong. The

cupbearer told Joseph his dream.

9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph and said to

him, “In my dream, there was a vine before me, 10 and on the

vine, there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its

blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes. 11

Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and

pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup and placed the cup in

Pharaoh’s hand.” (Genesis 40)

Hearing the dream, Joseph explained its prophetic meaning to the

cupbearer. He told him that in three days the king would release him from

jail and restore him to his position.

The chief baker also has a dream. When he heard that Joseph had revealed

the meaning of the cupbearer’s dream, he too wanted to know what his

dream meant. He also shared his dream with Joseph:

16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was

favorable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream: there were

three cake baskets on my head, 17 and in the uppermost basket

there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds

were eating it out of the basket on my head.” (Genesis 40)

Joseph again interpreted the meaning of the dream, telling the baker that in

three days the king would cut off his head and hang him on a tree where the

birds would eat his flesh.

In time, the Pharaoh of Egypt had two dreams that troubled him. In the first

of these dreams, he saw seven fat cows come up out of the Nile to feed on

the reed grass. Behind them came seven thin cows. These thin cows

attacked and ate the fat cows.

1 After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was

standing by the Nile, 2 and behold, there came up out of the

Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed

grass. 3 And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up

out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the

bank of the Nile. 4 And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven

attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke. (Genesis 41)

When Pharaoh went to sleep again, he dreamed a second dream. The dream

was very similar but related this time to seven good ears of grain that were

eaten up by seven thin and blighted ears.

5 And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold,

seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one

stalk. 6 And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and

blighted by the east wind. 7 And the thin ears swallowed up the

seven plump, full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold; it was

a dream. (Genesis 41)

Pharaoh believed that these dreams had a prophetic meaning but could not

find anyone to interpret them until the cupbearer told him how Joseph had

interpreted his dream. The king released Joseph from prison to hear his

dreams.

When asked by Pharaoh to interpret his dream, Joseph is quick to remind

him that the interpretation was not from him but God:

15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there

is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that

when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph

answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a

favorable answer.”

In speaking these words, Joseph was telling the king that the words he

would speak to him were not of his own origin. He would only speak what

God gave him to say. God revealed to Joseph that the dream foretold seven

years of plenty in the land of Egypt followed by seven years of intense

drought. Joseph challenged Pharaoh to prepare for these years of drought by

selecting a man to oversee the gathering of produce in preparation for the

years of famine that were to come. Through these dreams, God was

revealing to Pharaoh that trials were ahead for the nation.

While the dreams of the cupbearer, baker, and Pharaoh were revealed

directly to them in their sleep, they had no way of understanding them.

These prophetic dreams revealed the future but needed someone to explain

what God was saying through them. Joseph spoke prophetically to the

people of his day through the interpretation of dreams. God would give a

dream to an individual and then give Joseph the meaning of that dream. It

was by this means that God revealed His purpose to these individuals.

Just before he died, Joseph gave final instructions to his bothers:

24 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God

will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that

he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph

made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit

you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” (Genesis 50)

These last words of Joseph were prophetic. In these words, Joseph told his

brothers that God was going to bring them out of Egypt and give them their

own land. When they left Egypt, they were to take his body with them so

that he could returned to his homeland. The words were not just meant to

give instructions about his death but also to encourage them and reveal the

purpose of God for them as a nation.

We see from these passages that God not only spoke directly to individuals

but also through His servants to others. Jacob told his sons Isaac and Esau

what God had planned for their lives. Joseph explained to his family the

purpose God had for them in the days to come. He also communicated the

will of God for the cupbearer, baker, and Pharaoh.

We see also in this book of Genesis the means God uses to communicate

His purpose. Sometimes God spoke directly to His people. He also spoke

prophetically through the blessing a father gave to his son. He illustrated

His plan in Christ through Abraham when He asked him to sacrifice his son

on the mountain. God spoke to Joseph in dreams and used him as a

prophetic interpreter of dreams.

In the book of Genesis, we learn several things about prophecy. First, we

see that God was interested in communicating with His people. Second,

God used His people as instruments to convey His message. Third, God

was not limited to any one means to deliver this message. He spoke in

different ways either directly to individuals or through His servants in

whatever way He deemed best.

For Consideration:

How does Isaac speak prophetically to his sons when he blessed them?

What message did he convey to them?

How did God convey a message about the Lord Jesus and His sacrifice

through Abraham and his son Isaac?

Did the person who communicated prophetically always understand what

they were saying or doing?

List how God communicated His purpose as discussed in this chapter.

What does prophecy look like? Can we limit God to using only one method

of speaking to us?

Has God ever used anyone to reveal His purpose for your life or to

encourage you in His purpose? How did He do this? What method did He

use to bring this encouragement or direction?

For Prayer:

Thank the Lord for the way He wants to communicate with us and reveal

His purpose.

Ask the Lord to give you ears to hear what He wants to say to you and how

He wants to direct your life.

Thank the Lord for the way He has used others to speak to you in times of

need.

Ask God to make you willing to be an instrument in His hands to encourage

or bless His people with the words He gives you to share.

3 – EXODUS: MOSES,

GOD'S SPOKESMAN

s we move to the book of Exodus the people of God were in

Egypt. Their Egyptian slave masters harshly treated them. At that

time, a young mother gave birth to a son by the name of Moses.

He would become a powerful leader in the movement to set the nation of

Israel free from Egyptian bondage.

Moses, as an Israelite, grew up in the home of Pharaoh’s daughter and had

all the privileges afforded to him as her adopted son. As he grew up,

however, the Lord placed a burden on his heart for the Israelites and their

plight. His efforts on their behalf failed, however, when he attempted to win

their favour by killing an Egyptian taskmaster. The death of this Egyptian,

at the hands of Moses, brought the wrath of Pharaoh on him and he was

forced to flee the nation and live in exile in the land of Midian.

After forty years, the Lord spoke to Moses and called him back to Egypt to

set his people free. Moses’ call came when he saw a burning bush in the

desert. The voice of God spoke out of that bush commanding him to return

to Egypt. Listen to the words of God to Moses that day as recorded in

Exodus 3:10-12:

10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my

people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said

to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the

children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “But I will be with

you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you:

when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve

God on this mountain.” (Exodus 3)

In those words, God not only gave Moses the direction He wanted him to

take but also a promise of success. God promised to be with Moses and

assured him that the day would come when he and his people would

worship him at the mountain at which he was grazing his sheep. When that

happened, Moses would know that God was faithful to His promises.

Moses heard the direction and promise of the Lord but struggled with what

he was being asked to do:

10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not

eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your

servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” (Exodus 4)

Moses did not feel that he could do what God had asked him to do. He told

the Lord that he was not an eloquent man and could not speak. Moses

understood that if he were to set the people free, he would have to convince

Pharaoh to let them go. He did not feel that he had the skills necessary for

this task. Moses looked to himself for the skills necessary. He is not looking

to God. He had not yet come to understand that God did not need human

ability and skill. God responded to Moses’ argument in verses 11 and 12:

11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth?

Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I,

the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth

and teach you what you shall speak.” (Exodus 4)

Notice what God told Moses in these verses. He would be with Moses’

mouth and teach him what he was to speak. When God is with our mouth,

our words are empowered. When God teaches us what to speak, all we need

to do is share what God has given us. God was showing Moses that He did

not have to figure out what to say to Pharaoh. God would give him the

words. He did not have to spend hours trying to prepare his logical

arguments for Pharaoh. He just had to say what God gave him to say. God

was simply asking Moses to be His human mouth to communicate to

Pharaoh.

When Moses continued to object, God became angry with him. Despite His

anger, however, God proposed a solution for Moses that he found easier to

accept:

14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and

he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know

that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you,

and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 You shall

speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with

your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to

do. 16 He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be

your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. (Exodus 4)

God proposed that Moses’ brother Aaron do the speaking. God would tell

Moses what He wanted to speak to Pharaoh. Moses would share those

words with Aaron and Aaron would pass them on to the people. Notice

what God told Moses in verse 16: “he will be your mouth, and you shall be

as God to him.”

This discussion between God and Moses reveals to us the nature of

prophecy. God shows us what we are to say, and we share what He gives us

with those to whom He sends us. Prophecy is not sharing our wisdom and

insights. It is sharing what God has been giving us.

Speaking God’s words did not guarantee success for Moses. He went with

the words God gave him to Pharaoh. Pharaoh rejected those words:

2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his

voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I

will not let Israel go. (Exodus 5)

The Lord was with Moses’ mouth, and He taught him what to say, but those

words were rejected. Being God’s spokesman did not mean that Moses or

his words would be received by those to whom he spoke. This was a hard

lesson for Moses to learn. When Pharaoh responded to the words of Moses

by making Israel’s burden greater, Moses cried out to God:

22 Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have

you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? 23

For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has

done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people

at all.” (Exodus 5)

Speaking God’s word was, on the one hand, an exciting ministry. Seeing

how people responded to those words, was another matter. Moses had to

learn that as a prophet, he would not always be accepted. His words, though

they were from God, would often be rejected. This would be a painful

lesson for many prophets in Scripture.

Over the course of months that followed, God would direct Moses through

the unfolding of a series of ten plagues on the nation of Egypt. Ten times,

Moses returned to Pharaoh with the word of the Lord and a warning of a

plague if he rejected that word. As Pharaoh resisted the prophetic word of

the Lord, the nation was left suffering and starving for food.

The prophetic ministry of Moses was not only directed toward Pharaoh. A

good portion of the book of Exodus is devoted to the Lord’s words through

Moses for the nation of Israel. In Exodus 12, for example, God instructed

Moses on how to prepare for the final plague that would kill the firstborn of

every home in the nation of Egypt. In these instructions God instituted the

celebration of the Passover –a yearly event celebrated by the Jewish

community. God’s directions for this celebration were quite precise. God

shared with Moses, the kind of lamb that he was to slaughter, what he was

to do with the blood of the lamb, what God’s people were to eat and how

they were to eat the evening meal. Moses, as God’s mouthpiece, shared

every detail with the people.

God called Moses up to the mountain in Exodus 19 and spoke with him

about the requirements He had for His people. There on the mountaintop,

God summarized His moral requirements in ten commandments (Exodus

20:1-17). He taught him how to offer sacrifices (Exodus 20:22-26), how to

treat slaves (Exodus 21:1-11) and the obligation of every citizen toward

each other (Exodus 21:12-35). God told Moses what He expected when a

man was caught stealing from his neighbour (Exodus 22:1-4) and what He

expected of those who loaned money to a friend (Exodus 22:14-15. He told

Moses about the various festivals He wanted his people to practice each

year and the types of offerings they were to bring to Him on those occasions

(Exodus 23:10-19). Finally, God promised that He would bring His people

to their own land and bless them as a nation if they walked with Him

(Exodus 23:20-33).

What is significant for us to note is what Moses did with all the words the

Lord spoke to him on that mountain:

3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and

all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and

said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” 4

And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early

in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain,

and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

(Exodus 24)

As the prophetic mouthpiece of God, Moses gathered all the people and

shared with them “all the words of the Lord and all the rules.” To be sure

that they would be remembered, Moses took this a step further and wrote

the words of the Lord down on a scroll. This is the first record of prophecy

put into writing. The words of God through Moses were intended not just

for that generation but for generations to come.

The ministry of Moses, as a prophet, was to communicate the purpose of

God for the people. In this sense, the prophetic ministry of Moses was also

a teaching ministry. Through this gift, God instructed His people in what He

expected from them. These words were written down so that they could be

passed on from generation to generation. Teachers would later instruct

God’s people in these prophetic words and help them to understand and

apply these principles. What would become Israel’s laws and regulations

were given prophetically to Moses from God.

Not only did the laws and regulations of Israel come through a prophet who

spoke directly with God, but we see from Exodus 25 that God instructed

Moses in how to build the tabernacle and each article used in its service.

God’s instructions about the items used in worship were precise. He told

Moses how much gold or silver to use for each item. He gave him exact

measurements for the ark of the covenant and the table used to hold the

bread. From the decorations on the candlesticks to the colour and designs

that were embroidered on the curtains, all these details were carefully laid

out by God for Moses. Moses, in turn, would share the words of God with

the people and oversee the production of each article to be sure that it was

in line with the instructions God gave him. Every detail of the tabernacle

came to Israel through prophecy, spoken directly to Moses from God.

Moses’ prophetic calling was not only used for teaching the people the

requirements of God but also to guide them through the wilderness. As the

people left the land of Egypt, God spoke to Moses to tell him the direction

the people were to take:

1 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the people of Israel to

turn back and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol

and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing

it, by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel,

‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them

in.’ 4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue

them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and

the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.

(Exodus 14)

When Pharaoh pursued the children of Israel with his army, everything

looked hopeless. God, however, instructed Moses in what to do:

15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the

people of Israel to go forward. 16 Lift up your staff and stretch

out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of

Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. (Exodus 14)

No human wisdom would lead the people to expect that waters of the sea

would open to them and set them free from the pursuing army. This was a

word from the Lord to Moses.

When the people were without food, the Lord told Moses that he would rain

down bread from heaven (Exodus 16:4). When the people grumbled

because they had no water, God told Moses to take his staff and strike a

rock, and it would provide water for the nation (Exodus 17:5-7). When the

water in Marah was so bitter the people could not drink it. It was a word

from the Lord to Moses that brought the solution (Exodus 15:22-26).

While Moses seems to be the one who heard from God and conveyed His

truth to the people, it is important to note a reference to Moses’ sister

Miriam in Exodus 15:

20 Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a

tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her

with tambourines and dancing. 21 And Miriam sang to them:

“Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;

the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”

Miriam is called a prophetess in Exodus 15:20. This appears to be the only

place in Scripture that indicates that Miriam was a prophetess. We know

very little about how she exercised her prophetic ministry. The context of

Exodus 15:20-21 may, however, give an example of how she used her gift –

through music.

As we continue our study of prophecy and the prophetic ministry, we will

see other connections between music and prophecy. Suffice it to say here

that this is the first connection that is made between a prophetess and

music. It is not without coincidence that many of the prophetic passages of

Scripture come in the form of poetry. God inspired people to communicate

His word in a variety of ways. Moses wrote down the words God gave him

so that they would be preserved for generations to come. Sometimes God

will speak to His people through the music He has inspired, to remind them

of His promises or His purpose for their lives. Like the words of Moses

written down on a tablet, these prophetic words put to music are passed on

for generations and sung repeatedly by God’s people.

What does Exodus teach us about prophecy and the prophetic ministry? We

learn that God sometimes directed His people into His purpose by speaking

directly to them. This was the case for Moses and his call at the burning

bush to return to Egypt.

Secondly, prophecy is not about sharing personal ideas or thoughts, but

speaking what God has given. God told Moses that He would give him the

words to speak to Pharaoh. Moses did not have to study and organize these

thoughts before he went to Pharaoh. He merely conveyed to Pharaoh what

God had put on his lips.

Thirdly, the prophetic ministry, though it is from God, was not always

accepted or appreciated. Moses learned this the hard way. Though he spoke

what God gave him, Pharaoh rejected what Moses said. The lives of the

Israelite slaves became more difficult before they were released. Moses had

to share what God gave him to say even when it proved difficult.

Fourthly, God used the prophetic ministry of Moses to teach His people

about His requirements for them as a people. He instructed Moses in the

sacrifices and lifestyle He expected, and Moses taught these truths to the

people just as God had shown him.

Fifthly, God used the prophetic ministry of Moses to provide solutions for

His people in difficult times. When the people did not know what to do,

God spoke to Moses and showed him the answer. It was the advice of the

Lord that provided water from the Rock. It was the counsel of the Lord that

showed the people that they were to cross the Red Sea.

Finally, we see how prophetic words were sometimes written down or

memorized to preserve them for future generations. This was the case for

the Law of God given to Moses. It may also have been the case for

prophetic words set to music and sung by God’s people in worship.

For Consideration:

What is the connection between the Law of Israel and the prophetic

ministry of Moses?

What is the difference between human logic and prophecy?

How did Moses use his prophetic calling to lead the people of God through

the desert?

Can there be a connection between prophecy and music? How could music

preserve the prophetic message?

Why is it essential that we understand that the Bible comes from God

through His prophets and is not of human origin?

For Prayer:

Thank the Lord that the truth of Scripture has been given to us as God’s

servants faithfully wrote what He told them. Thank Him that it is reliable

and trustworthy because it is from Him.

Thank the Lord that He is still willing to direct and guide you personally in

times of struggle and confusion.

How has God spoken to you? Have you ever been encouraged by the Lord?

Has he ever directed you in the way you should go? Take a moment to

thank Him for how He guides and strengthens His people.

4 - THE LAW AND

PROPHECY

s the people of God left Egypt and set out into the desert, it was

Moses who led them. Moses had a powerful prophetic calling

from the Lord. He was God’s national spokesman for the people.

God would often speak to Moses and tell him what to say the nation.

In Leviticus 24 we have the story of a son of an Israelite mother and

Egyptian father. This young man fought with a man in the Israelite camp.

During the fight, it appears that this young man blasphemed the name of the

Lord. He was brought to Moses and put in custody until Moses could ask

the Lord what to do about him.

10 Now an Israelite woman’s son, whose father was an

Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel. And the

Israelite woman’s son and a man of Israel fought in the camp,

11 and the Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the Name, and

cursed. Then they brought him to Moses. His mother’s name

was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. 12

And they put him in custody, till the will of the Lord should be

clear to them. (Leviticus 24)

Moses went to the Lord to inquire about this man. The Lord told Moses in

Leviticus 24:13-16:

13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 14 “Bring out of the

camp the one who cursed, and let all who heard him lay their

hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him. 15

And speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever curses his

God shall bear his sin. 16 Whoever blasphemes the name of the

Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall

stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he

blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death. (Leviticus 24)

The Lord made it clear to Moses that day what he was to tell the people.

This young man was to be stoned to death and a warning given to the entire

Israelite camp that whoever blasphemed the name of the Lord would be put

to death. The word that Moses heard that day came directly from God and

was to guide the people in what they were to do.

We sometimes get the idea that prophecy is about future events. This is not

always the case. Prophecy relates to God’s revelation of His purpose, will,

and heart. Some prophecy refers to the future purpose of God, but a good

part of prophecy speaks to the here and now.

A quick search for the phrase “the Lord spoke to Moses” in Exodus,

Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy show us that the phrase is repeated

about 79 times in these books. This is significant. It shows us that Moses

had a significant role to play in revealing the purpose of God to his people.

That purpose was not only explained in specific details, as in the case of the

young man who cursed the Lord but also through the various laws God

gave Moses as recorded in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. All these

requirements came directly from God through His servant Moses.

We see the significance of this prophetic role of Moses when his brother

and sister complained that he had married a Cushite woman (Numbers

12:1). Their complaint did not stop there, however. They went on to

grumble about the prophetic ministry of Moses:

2 And they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through

Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord

heard it. (Numbers 12)

Miriam was described as a prophetess in Exodus 15:20. When Moses told

God that he could not speak, God told him that He would make his brother

Aaron his prophet (see Exodus 4:14-16). Both Miriam and Aaron felt they

had a prophetic gift and calling. What they were seeing, however, is that the

Lord was speaking much more through Moses. The people were looking to

him to seek that Lord on their behalf. There may have been an element of

jealousy here in these siblings. What is crucial for us to see, however, is that

the gift of prophecy was not limited to Moses.

When the Lord heard Aaron and Miriam grumbling about Moses and his

prophetic calling, He demanded that they approach Him at the tabernacle.

That day Moses, Miriam and Aaron all stood before God to hear from Him.

As they stood before Him, a pillar of cloud came and remained at the

entrance to the tabernacle.

There in the presence of that cloudy pillar, the Lord spoke these words to

Miriam and Aaron:

6 And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among

you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak

with him in a dream. 7 Not so with my servant Moses. He is

faithful in all my house. 8 With him, I speak mouth to mouth,

clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord.

Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant

Moses?” 9 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them,

and he departed. (Numbers 12)

God told Miriam and Aaron that the usual way He spoke through a prophet

was through dreams visions and riddles that needed interpretation. God

chose, however, to talk to Moses face to face. He even revealed His form to

Moses. God had a special relationship with Moses. He had called him to a

very particular prophetic ministry. When God gave instructions to Moses

about His law, He was very clear. There were no riddles or any chance of

misunderstanding. The words of the law God gave to Moses were too

important to commit to the interpretation of any human being. What God

taught Moses was direct, clear and precise. This is what Moses wrote down

for the people to follow.

That day God was angry with Miriam and Aaron because they were jealous

and spoke harshly about the role He had given Moses. Miriam seemed

particularly jealous and angry with Moses. When the cloud departed from

the tabernacle, she became leprous and was separated from the people of

God until was again restored to health. God protected His servant Moses

from the grumbling of his brother and sister and reminded them that God

chooses the people He pleases to be His representatives. This appears to be

the first conflict we see in Scripture between fellow prophets. It would not,

however, be the last.

In Numbers 22 we meet another prophet by the name of Balaam. He is a

very different type of prophet. Balaam was not even an Israelite. From

Deuteronomy 23:4 we discover that Balaam, the son of Beor was from

Pethor in Mesopotamia. He was known as a prophet or diviner. Israel was

not the only nation to have prophets. Many of the foreign countries of the

day consulted prophets and diviners to understand the will of the gods. God

warned His people about these prophets and diviners in Deuteronomy 18:

10 There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his

son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices

divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer 11

or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who

inquires of the dead, 12 for whoever does these things is an

abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations

the Lord your God is driving them out before you. 13 You shall

be blameless before the Lord your God, 14 for these nations,

which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and

to diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed

you to do this. (Deuteronomy 18)

The difference between these diviners and the prophets of God was, in part,

the fact that the prophets of God sought the God of Israel and His guidance.

Diviners often did not know God, and they consulted other gods or spirits

for direction.

At this time, Israel’s army was marching toward the Promised Land. God

was giving them great military victories in this region. The king of Moab

was fearful of what would happen to him and his people if the Israelites

were not stopped. He did not want to fight them, however, because God was

with them. King Balak of Moab consulted with the Midianites to see what

they could do to defeat Israel. Together they sent for Balaam the diviner and

asked him to curse the Israelites. It appears that Balaam had a reputation as

a powerful diviner:

4 And Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will now

lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the

field.” So Balak the son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at

that time, 5 sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at

Pethor, which is near the Rivera in the land of the people of

Amaw, to call him, saying, “Behold, a people has come out of

Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling

opposite me. 6 Come now, curse this people for me, since they

are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them

and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you

bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.” 7 So the

elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees

for divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam and gave

him Balak’s message. (Numbers 22)

When these Moabite and Midianite messengers arrived with an invitation,

Balaam told them that he would first consult with the God of Israel before

he gave them an answer. We have a record of the conversation between the

Lord God of Israel and this pagan diviner in Numbers 22:

9 And God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with

you?” 10 And Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor,

king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, 11 ‘Behold, a people has

come out of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Now

come, curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to fight

against them and drive them out.’” 12 God said to Balaam,

“You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for

they are blessed.” 13 So Balaam rose in the morning and said

to the princes of Balak, “Go to your own land, for the Lord has

refused to let me go with you.” (Numbers 22)

God made it clear to Balaam that He did not want him to go with the

servants of King Balak, so Balaam sent them home.

When the king sent his servants back to Balaam, the Lord agreed to let him

return with them to King Balak but told Balaam that he was only to say

what He gave him to say (Numbers 22:20). When King Balak asked

Balaam to curse the Israelites, instead of cursing the people of Israel,

Balaam blessed them. On two other occasions King Balak asked Balaam to

curse Israel, but on each occurrence, Balaam received the words from the

Lord and blessed them instead (see Numbers 23:18-24; 24:3-9).

What is significant for us to see is what happened to the Israelites after this

incident:

1 While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with

the daughters of Moab. 2 These invited the people to the

sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to

their gods. 3 So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the

anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. (Numbers 25)

6 And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a

Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the

sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while

they were weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting. 7

When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw

it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his

hand 8 and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and

pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through

her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped.

(Numbers 25)

The Moabite and Midianite women tempted the Israelite men into corrupt

religious practices. The Lord sent a curse upon the land in those days.

According to Numbers 25:9 the plague that resulted from this immorality

took the lives of twenty-four thousand people.

In Numbers 31 the Lord commanded the Israelite army to take vengeance

on the Midianites. The military went out in obedience to the Lord’s

command and killed every male in the region (Numbers 31:7). They

captured the woman and children, however, and did not put them to death

(Numbers 31:9). When Moses heard that they did not kill the women, he

was angry with them and spoke these words:

15 Moses said to them, “Have you let all the women live? 16

Behold, these, on Balaam’s advice, caused the people of Israel

to act treacherously against the Lord in the incident of Peor,

and so the plague came among the congregation of the Lord.

(Numbers 31)

What is striking is that it was these pagan women who led the men of Israel

to sin and brought the plague on the nation. The men, however, refused to

kill those who had drawn them away from God. Moses reminded the men

that it was on Balaam’s advice that the women began to tempt them to sin.

The apostle John repeats this in Revelation 2 when he said:

14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there

who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a

stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat

food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.

(Revelation 2)

According to Revelation 2:14, Balaam taught King Balak how to put a

stumbling block before the men of Israel so that they would bow down to

idols and practice sexual immorality.

What is quite clear is that Balaam was not a true prophet of God. He heard

from God and spoke the words God gave him—possibly because he feared

for his life. While he appeared to be speaking the words of God, Balaam

taught Israel’s enemies how to tempt them and weaken their faith. His

ungodly advice was responsible for the death of twenty-four thousand

Israelites at the hand of God. Not all who speak for God truly belong to

him. Balaam is one of the first false prophets we meet in the Bible. He,

however, would not be the last.

In Deuteronomy 13 the Lord God warned His people about prophets who

would lead them astray:

1 “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and

gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or wonder that he

tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other

gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ 3 you

shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of

dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether

you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all

your soul. 4 You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear

him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you

shall serve him and hold fast to him. 5 But that prophet or that

dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught

rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of

the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery,

to make you leave the way in which the Lord your God

commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your

midst. (Deuteronomy 13)

Notice what Deuteronomy 13 tells us about the false prophet. The prophet

described in this passage was able to perform signs and wonders. These

signs and wonders were supernatural occurrences designed to prove the

authenticity of the prophet and his or her message. People would see these

unexplainable signs and believe that they were from God.

Notice also in Deuteronomy 13 that the words the prophet spoke came to

pass. Again, there is no greater confirmation of the validity of a prophet

then the fact that what they say comes to pass.

There is one more detail about the prophet in this passage, however. Verse 2

tells us that this prophet encouraged the people to seek other gods. This

detail alone was enough to turn from this prophet and reject what he or she

said – “you shall not listen to the words of that prophet” (Deuteronomy

13:3). In fact, verse 5 tells us that this prophet was to be put to death. He or

she was not to be allowed to spread a message of rebellion against the one

true God.

What we need to understand here is that a false prophet could predict the

future and perform great signs and wonders. This would deceive many. The

true prophet, however, was not judged by his signs and accurate predictions,

but by the message he or she spoke. Did the word spoken lead people to

God? No true prophet of God would lead people to worship other gods. No

true prophet of God would lead them to do what God forbade in His law.

The prophet was subject to the Law of God.

This same truth is repeated in Deuteronomy 18 where Moses tells the

people that God would raise up another prophet like him in the days to

come. Notice, however, what the passage tells us about discerning whether

this prophet was a true prophet from God:

18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their

brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall

speak to them all that I command him. 19 And whoever will not

listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will

require it of him. 20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a

word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or

who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall

die.’ 21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the

word that the Lord has not spoken?’— 22 when a prophet

speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to

pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken;

the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be

afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18)

The true prophet of God spoke with authority. That authority came from

God who gave him the message to share. Because the word came from

God, those who received it were responsible for listening and obeying.

Deuteronomy 18 also warns us, however, that not all prophets are from

God. Verse 20 tells us that there were those who presumed to speak a word

from the Lord, but the Lord did not send them. These prophets spoke from

their own heart and understanding, but they did not speak the words God

gave them. This shows us that prophecy has its origin in God and not

human reason. There have been times in my teaching when the Lord

seemed to give me a specific application of the passage I was teaching for

the individuals in the room. This application or truth was not something I

prepared, but it was given as I taught.

In some cases, this application was for a particular person. True prophets

speak what God gives them to say. They are sent and compelled by God to

share what He has given them.

We see also from Deuteronomy 18:20 that all true prophecy comes from

God alone. The prophet who spoke in the name of another god was a false

prophet. Any such prophet was not tolerated in Israel. Those who spoke in

the name of other gods were killed and their influence removed from the

land. The people of God would know that a prophet’s words were not from

God because they encouraged disobedience to the one true God and His

revealed Word (see Deuteronomy 13:1-5).

The people of God would also know the difference between a true and a

false prophet by the fact that the word they spoke came to pass. The God of

Israel was a God of truth. If He gave a message to a prophet, it would come

to pass as He said –He would fulfil His purposes as revealed through His

servants.

There is an interesting passage in Numbers 11 that sheds some light on the

ministry of prophecy. Here in this passage, the Lord told Moses to take

seventy elders and bring them to the tabernacle. God told Moses that He

would put a portion of His Spirit on them. In obedience to the Lord, Moses

called these elders to the tabernacle.

[25] Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him,

and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the

seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they

prophesied. But they did not continue doing it. (Numbers 11)

Notice what happens here. The presence of the Spirit of God on these elders

caused them to prophesy. We are not told what they said, but the experience

was a sign from God that something had happened to them. What is vital

for us to see is that while the Spirit of God did not necessarily leave them,

they did not continue to prophesy. This was a one-time occurrence showing

those present that God had placed a portion of His Spirit on them. This,

however, was not how God’s Spirit would continue to work in them. They

would prophesy no more but be empowered to minister as elders of God’s

people. We see from this that it is possible for a person to prophesy even

though they are not a prophet. God can give a prophetic word to anyone He

chooses and uses them to communicate His purpose.

What do Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy teach us about the prophet

and the prophetic ministry? Let me summarize what we have seen in these

three books.

First, God spoke prophetically through Moses to direct and guide His

people in the path He had laid out for them. He showed them how to apply

the truth of the revealed Law to life. The Law of God that Moses wrote

down was given through direct revelation from God. God spoke to Moses

and told him what He required from His people. Prophecy is not always

about future events but also about what God expects of us here and now.

God speaks to our present situation and reveals His purpose.

God spoke in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy to His prophets using

dreams, visions, and riddles. These dreams, visions, and riddles needed to

be interpreted to be understood by the intended listener. Moses was the

exception to this rule. To Moses, God spoke face to face as a man would

speak to a friend.

We are introduced in these books to the false prophet. Balaam was a

foreigner who heard from God and spoke the words God gave him to speak.

You don’t have to be a believer to hear from God. Balaam, however, proved

his true character by advising King Balak on how to cause the Israelite men

to stumble and follow other gods.

Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy encourage us to make a clear

distinction between the true prophet of God and the false prophet. True

prophecy comes from God and is in line with His revealed truth as found in

the Scripture. False prophecy came from the human mind, other gods or

spirits and encouraged disobedience to the Law of God.

False prophets were able to predict the future. Some of them could even

perform signs and wonders. The child of God was not to be deceived by

these false prophets. The word of these prophets was to be judged by how it

fell in line with the revealed truth of God in His word. If what the prophet

said was not in agreement with God’s law, it was to be judged false and the

false prophet killed. True prophecy honoured God and His purpose.

Because true prophecy came from a God who could not lie, it would come

to pass.

It would have been easy for the people of God in the days of Moses to say,

“If there are false prophets out there and they can easily deceive us, why not

reject prophecy completely and focus only on the Law of God which is very

clear?” While this attitude may avoid being deceived by false prophets, it

was not the purpose of God who called true prophets to speak on His

behalf. In Deuteronomy 18 God commanded His people to listen to the

prophets He sent them:

18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers.

And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I

command him. 19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall

speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. (Deuteronomy 18)

Notice in verse 19 that the Lord expected that His people listen to the words

His prophets spoke to them. The requirement of God was not only that His

people obey the Law Moses had written out for them but also to listen to

His prophets who would speak to them in His name. These prophets would

correct the people of God when they were going astray. They would

challenge them in the practical application of the truth of the Law in their

lives. While prophecy was to be held in subjection to the Law of God, it

was not to be despised or rejected.

For Consideration:

How did God use prophecy to reveal His Law to the people of Moses’ day?

In what way was Moses unique as a prophet? How did God usually reveal

His purposes to prophets at this time?

Was Balaam a true or false prophet? How do we know?

Can unbelievers or false prophets hear from God? Is it possible for a false

prophet to speak a word from the Lord? Consider Balaam in your answer.

What is the connection between the Law of God and true prophecy? Does

true prophecy ever encourage disobedience to God and His revealed

purpose in the Law?

Can the prophecies of a false prophet come true? If their predictions come

true, how are we to discern if these prophets are false?

If it is possible to be deceived by false prophets, should we avoid prophecy

altogether so as not to fall into error? What does Deuteronomy 18:18-19

teach us?

For Prayer:

Thank the Lord that He encourages and challenges His people through

those who hear from Him and speak His heart.

Do you know believers who are involved in pagan divination, astrology,

and other such practices? Ask the Lord to set them free from such practices.

Thank the Lord that He doesn’t just give us His written word to figure out

by ourselves but also His Spirit and His servants to encourage us in the

understanding and application of that written Word.

Ask God to help you to evaluate everything you hear against the truth that

has been written down for us in the Bible. Ask Him to enable you to be a

greater student of His Word, so that you are not deceived.

Thank the Lord for how he rose up prophets in the books of Leviticus,

Numbers, and Deuteronomy to guide His people into the application of the

truth of His Law and His specific purpose for their lives. Thank the Lord

that He did not leave His people in sin but rose up prophets who challenged

them to live in obedience to that truth.

5 - JOSHUA, JUDGES, AND

RUTH: THE WORD OF

THE LORD WAS RARE

or many years, Moses had been a prophet to the people of God. At

his death, there was a significant loss, and the prophetic ministry

seemed to decline in Israel. Under the leadership of Joshua, there

does not appear to be any key prophetic figure. God continued to speak to

Joshua and lead him into His purpose, however. We have for example of the

command of the Lord to Joshua in chapter 5:

2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and

circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” 3 So Joshua made

flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-

haaraloth. 4 And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised

them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the

men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they

had come out of Egypt. (Joshua 5)

As the people prepared to take over the land of Canaan, the Lord gave

Joshua a word for the people. They were to circumcise every male in the

nation. There was not to be any disobedience in the camp as they prepared

to face their enemies.

In Joshua 6, the Lord again instructed Joshua on how he was to take the city

of Jericho. The priests were to walk around the wall once for six days. On

the seventh day, they were to walk around its perimeter seven times and

blow the trumpet. The Lord told Joshua that only then were they to attack

the city. God spoke directly to Joshua to show him the purpose He had for

this battle.

Joshua destroyed the city of Jericho and killed its inhabitants with the

sword. When the task was completed Joshua declared a prophetic curse on

the city:

26 Joshua laid an oath on them at that time, saying, “Cursed

before the Lord be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city,

Jericho.

“At the cost of his firstborn shall he

lay its foundation,

and at the cost of his youngest son

shall he set up its gates.” (Joshua 6)

Joshua declared that day that anyone who tried to rebuild the city would do

so at the cost of their youngest child. About five hundred years later, a man

Hiel of Bethel decided to rebuild the city of Jericho. Notice what happened

to him as a result:

34 In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its

foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its

gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the

word of the Lord, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun. (1

Kings 16)

Heil laid the foundation at the cost of his firstborn son. When he set up the

gates of the city, his youngest son died. This was in direct fulfilment of the

prophecy of Joshua when he destroyed the city in his day.

When the city of Jericho was defeated, nothing was to be taken from it.

Everything was to be destroyed. A man by the name of Achan, however,

took a beautiful cloak, 200 shekels of silver and a gold bar from Jericho and

hid it in his tent. This resulted in the defeat of Israel’s army at the town of

Ai. When Joshua asked the Lord why the army had been defeated, the Lord

told him that it was because someone in their midst had taken forbidden

articles from Jericho. The Lord revealed to Joshua what was hidden from

his eyes. He also would expose the person who had taken these articles.

Achan was confronted with his sin. He and his family were killed, and the

blessing of God restored to the nation. The only way that this sin could be

discovered was by direct revelation from God. God revealed these things to

Joshua for the good of the nation.

In Judges 2 we read how the angel of the Lord appeared to the people of

God to bring them a word of encouragement and exhortation:

1 Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim.

And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you

into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will

never break my covenant with you, 2 and you shall make no

covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break

down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is

this you have done? 3 So now I say, I will not drive them out

before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and

their gods shall be a snare to you.” (Judges 2)

We are not told in the passage who this angel was but what is clear is that

he came with a direct word from the Lord for the people. He reminded them

that he would never leave them or break his covenant with them. He also

warned them about pursuing false gods, telling them to drive them out of

the land they were about to settle.

This same angel would later appear to a man by the name of Gideon in

Judges 6. He had a message from the Lord for him:

11 Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth

at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son

Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from

the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him

and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of

valor.” (Judges 6)

The angel would go on to tell Gideon that the Lord God had called him to

be a deliverer of His people. This was the farthest thing from Gideon’s

mind at the time. The word spoken by this angel was a surprise to Gideon,

but he would go on to be a great leader among his people as the angel

prophesied. Gideon realized the call of God on his life through that

prophetic word from the angel.

At the time that the angel of the Lord spoke to Gideon, the nation of Israel

had reached a low point. The Midianites had overpowered them and were

making life very difficult. Judges 6 describes the oppression of the

Midianites in those days:

2 And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel, and because of

Midian the people of Israel made for themselves the dens that

are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. 3 For

whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites and the

Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against

them. 4 They would encamp against them and devour the

produce of the land, as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in

Israel and no sheep or ox or donkey. 5 For they would come up

with their livestock and their tents; they would come like

locusts in number—both they and their camels could not be

counted—so that they laid waste the land as they came in. 6

And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the

people of Israel cried out for help to the Lord. (Judges 6)

Israel found themselves in desperate need, with no food or proper homes.

When they cried out to the Lord for help, Judges 6 tells us that the Lord sent

a prophet to speak to them:

7 When the people of Israel cried out to the Lord on account of

the Midianites, 8 the Lord sent a prophet to the people of Israel.

And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I

led you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of

slavery. 9 And I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians

and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them

out before you and gave you their land. 10 And I said to you, ‘I

am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the

Amorites in whose land you dwell.’ But you have not obeyed my

voice.” (Judges 6)

The prophet of God reminded the people of how they had disobeyed the

Lord, and their condition was a direct result of that disobedience. Through

the prophet, the Lord brought clarity and understanding of their situation.

This prophet connected their deplorable conditions to their rebellion against

God.

In Judges 4 we are introduced to the prophetess Deborah. She was the wife

of one of Israel’s judges. Judges 4:5 tells us that the people would come to

her seeking the will of the Lord:

5 She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah

and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of

Israel came up to her for judgment. (Judges 4)

In Judges 4 Deborah challenged the military commander Barak to take up

arms against Sisera. Fearful of this challenge, Barak told Deborah that he

would only fight Sisera if she went with him. Deborah agreed but told

Barak that he would not receive the glory for the conquest. God would give

this glory to a woman. As the battle ensued, Israel gained the upper hand,

and commander Sisera fled. Exhausted, he came to the tent of a woman by

the name of Jael. Inviting him in to rest, Jael waited until he was asleep and

drove a tent peg through his head, killing him. She would receive the credit

for conquering this great enemy of Israel, just as Deborah prophesied.

While the Lord did continue to direct His people during the conquest of

Canaan and the period of the judges, we read in 1 Samuel 3:1 that the word

of God was becoming rare:

1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the

presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those

days; there was no frequent vision. (1 Samuel 3)

The word of the Lord spoken of here did not refer to the written Law of

Moses. This was available to the people. Notice how the author explains

what he meant when he said that the word of the Lord was rare. He went on

to say that there was no frequent vision. The word of the Lord refers to the

prophetic word that came through visions and dreams. In other words,

prophets were rare or were not receiving revelations from the Lord for His

people.

It may be that the prophetic word was rare because of the spiritual condition

of the land. The prophet who spoke in Judges 6:7-9 reminded the people of

the day that they had been disobedient to the Lord. They were not in a place

spiritually where they were ready to listen to the Lord. As a result, the Lord

withdrew His prophets, and only rarely did He speak through them.

This period of Israel’s history adds yet another layer to our understanding of

the prophetic ministry. In these books, the Lord spoke directly to His people

to direct them. He revealed to Joshua how he wanted him to take the city of

Jericho. He showed Gideon that He wanted him to be a leader among His

people.

God also revealed hidden things through prophecy. When Joshua asked the

Lord what it was that had caused their defeat at Ai, the Lord show him that

there was sin in the camp. He also revealed the person who had sinned. God

did this to remove sin and restore His blessing. Prophecy sometimes

exposes what is hidden from human eyes.

Prophecy also brings clarity and connections. When the people of Israel

cried out to God because they had no food, the Lord sent his prophet to

teach them why this was happening. That prophet connected their problems

with the fact that they were disobedient.

Finally, we see from 1 Samuel 3:1 that there are times when God seems to

refrain from speaking to His people because of their disobedience. God

wants listening ears. If we are not willing to listen, then He may refrain

from talking.

As we consider the nature of the prophecy that took place in this period of

Israel’s history, we see that it would have been a fearful thing for Israel to

hear from the Lord rarely. Using prophecy, God directed His people into

His purpose. He showed them the obstacles that hindered blessing. His

prophets warned them of danger and clarified God’s will. Without this

prophetic ministry, God’s people were left confused and without specific

direction in their lives.

I wonder if we would miss this ministry if it were taken from us today?

Have we come to a place in our lives where we feel that we no longer need

to hear from God? What would happen if we no longer sensed the direction

of the Lord in our ministry? What would happen if we no longer felt the

prompting of the Holy Spirit to go somewhere or to speak something from

the Lord to a needy believer? What would happen if everything was left to

human reason and understanding—if we spoke only what came from our

own understanding and not from the Lord? How long would it be before we

began to sense a significant loss of spiritual power and intimacy with God?

For Consideration:

Was the Law of Moses enough to guide Joshua into the purpose of God for

the conquest of Jericho? How did God specifically lead Joshua in the

method he wanted to use to defeat Jericho?

How did Joshua understand the reason why he could not defeat the city of

Ai? Does God bring this kind of revelation today?

How did Gideon and commander Barak come to understand the call of God

on their lives? Does God still call people to ministry in this way?

How has God directed you in what He wants you to do or what He wants

you to say?

What keeps God from revealing His purpose today?

For Prayer:

Thank the Lord that He not only gives us His written word but also directs

us personally into His purpose.

Thank the Lord that when we pray, we speak to a God who is more than

willing to reveal His purpose.

Ask God to help you to understand that while we may be dull of hearing He

still wants to lead us and speak to us?

6 - SAMUEL

n the book of 1 Samuel, we meet a young mother who struggled to

have a child. We find her in the temple of the Lord. She is praying.

With tears in her eyes and a heart filled with grief, she pleads with

God to give her a child. That prayer was answered, and Hannah bore a son

by the name of Samuel, whom she committed to the Lord.

Samuel grew up at the temple as a young servant of the priest Eli. The days

in which Samuel lived were difficult spiritually. Samuel’s sons are

described very bluntly in 1 Samuel 2:

[12] Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not

know the LORD. (1 Samuel 2)

We have examples in 1 Samuel 2 of how these two sons of Samuel would

take portions of the offering from the people by force. (1 Samuel 2:14-16).

Further evidence of their evil is seen in 1 Samuel 2:22-23:

[22] Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons

were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who

were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting. [23] And he

said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your

evil dealings from all these people. (1 Samuel 2)

The very men who were to be an example of morality and godliness were

sleeping with the women who worked at the temple entrance.

Eli, the priest, for whom the young Samuel worked, was not without his

own faults and sins. In 1 Samuel 2:27 the Lord sent a prophet to rebuke

him:

[27] And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him,

“Thus says the LORD, ‘Did I indeed reveal myself to the house

of your father when they were in Egypt subject to the house of

Pharaoh? [28] Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to

be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an

ephod before me? I gave to the house of your father all my

offerings by fire from the people of Israel. [29] Why then do

you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for

my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening

yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people

Israel?’ (1 Samuel 2)

God rebuked Eli for honouring his sinful sons more than Him. These sons

took the choicest meat by force from the people who came to offer their

sacrifices. Samuel did not hesitate to eat this meat and fatten himself on it.

God was angry with him for this.

1 Samuel 3:1 tells us that the word of the Lord was rare in those days. This

reference to the word of the Lord being rare is not a reference to the written

law that Moses wrote but rather the prophetic word of the Lord spoken

through prophets. In other words, God was only rarely speaking through

His prophets in those days—for the most part, God was silent.

These were the days in which Samuel lived. The priests of the land did not

know the Lord or walk in obedience to the Law of God. Prophets were not

hearing from the Lord. The general public went through the motions, but

there was a general spiritual apathy in the land.

One night when young Samuel went to bed, the Lord God spoke to him and

called him by name. (1 Samuel 3:4-5). Samuel had never heard from the

Lord in this way but the voice that called him was very clear. Thinking that

Eli had called him, he went to the priest and asked him why he had called.

Eli told him that he had not called him, so Samuel went back to bed.

That same night the voice of the Lord called again. For a second time,

Samuel went to Eli to ask him why he had called him. Eli again let Samuel

know that he had not called him. Wondering why Samuel felt he heard his

name being called, Eli wondered if the Lord wanted to speak to him. Before

sending him back to bed this time, Eli has a word of advice for the young

boy:

[9] Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls

you, you shall say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant hears.’” So

Samuel went and lay down in his place. (1 Samuel 3)

Eli opened Samuel’s mind to the fact that God could be speaking to him.

Samuel had never experienced this before, so it was all new to him.

When the Lord called a third time, Samuel followed the advice of Eli and

asked the Lord to speak to him. That night the Lord had an important word

for Samuel:

[11] Then the LORD said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do

a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it

will tingle. [12] On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I

have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. [13]

And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house

forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were

blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. [14] Therefore

I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall

not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.” (1 Samuel 3)

God told Samuel that He was going to do something in Israel that would

cause the people to be shocked and dismayed. He was going to punish Eli

and his family for their blasphemy. Their sins would never be forgiven.

These would have been hard words for Samuel to hear

When he woke the next morning, Eli demanded to know what the Lord had

said to Samuel. It would not have been easy for Samuel to share these

words with Eli. This, however, was part of his training in the prophetic

ministry. God gave him this message for a purpose. He was to share it with

Eli as a warning and judgement. I am sure that as Samuel shared the word

of the Lord to Eli, he discovered just how difficult the ministry of the

prophet would be. Not everyone would like what he had to tell them, but he

was to be obedient in sharing what God gave him, nonetheless. This would

be the beginning of the ministry of Samuel as a prophet.

For the rest of his life, Samuel would serve as a prophet and judge in Israel.

His reputation as a prophet of God grew, and people would come to him to

seek the will of the Lord. This was the case in 1 Samuel 8 when the people

of God demanded that Samuel ask the Lord to give them a king like the

nations around them. To this point, the Lord was their King. The people,

however, wanted a king they could see and hear. They preferred a human

king to God.

When Samuel brought this matter to the Lord, the Lord gave him a word for

the people. In 1 Samuel 8:10-17 the Lord told the people through Samuel

that a king would take their sons and put them in his army. He would take

their sons and daughters and make them servants for his cause. He would

demand the best of their fields, vineyards, and orchards for himself. He

would demand one-tenth of their produce for his own needs. The day would

come when they would cry out to God because of the abuse of their king

but God would not answer their prayers. These prophetic words of Samuel

did not deter the people. They willingly accepted these conditions and

continued to demand a king.

While people did not always listen to Samuel, they kept coming to him for

help. In 1 Samuel 9, we read about a young man by the name of Saul. His

father’s donkeys escaped, and he and another young man went out looking

for them. When they could not find the donkeys, Saul decided to return

home, lest his father started to worry for them. Before returning home,

however, the young man with Saul told him that Samuel was in the region.

He suggested that they consult him to see if he could show them where the

donkeys were. Together they agreed and went in search of Samuel.

This incident shows us what people thought about the prophet in those days.

They consulted the prophet not just for critical spiritual matters but also for

everyday situations. They understood that God knew where those donkeys

were, but they needed someone who heard from God to find out where they

were.

As these two young men were preparing to see Samuel, God speak to him

about them. He told Samuel that they would be coming and that he was to

anoint Saul as the first king of Israel.

In obedience to the word of the Lord, Samuel secretly anointed Saul, telling

him that God had chosen him to be king (1 Samuel 9:27-10:1). To prove

that what he said was from the Lord, Samuel told Saul what would happen

as he returned home. When Samuel’s prophecy came to pass, Saul would

know that the word he spoke to him was true.

Samuel told Saul that when he left to return home, he would meet two men

by Rachel’s tomb. They would tell him that his father was anxious about

him (1 Samuel 10:2). He would go on from there and come to the oak of

Tabor. This time he would meet three men who were going to Bethel. One

of these men would be carrying three young goats. The second would be

carrying three loaves of bread. The third would be carrying a skin of wine.

They would greet him and give him two loaves of bread. Samuel instructed

Saul to accept these loaves (1 Samuel 10:3-4). Finally, Samuel told Saul

that when he arrived at Gibeath-elohim, he would meet a group of prophets

with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre. They could be prophesying (1

Samuel 10:5).

The details Samuel gives here are amazing. Samuel saw these events before

they happened. He knew who Saul would meet on the way home. He knew

what those he met would be carrying. He knew the type of instruments the

prophets would be playing. Samuel knew the exact timing of Saul’s trip.

These details were revealed to him by God to confirm Saul in his calling to

be king.

Samuel told Saul that when he met the prophets, the Spirit of the Lord

would rush upon him and he would prophesy and be turned into another

man.

[6] Then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and you

will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. [7]

Now when these signs meet you, do what your hand finds to do,

for God is with you.

The Spirit of God would be poured out on Saul to enable him to exercise

the ministry he had been called to do.

It is important to notice that the prophets who met Saul carried musical

instruments (see 1 Samuel 10:5). We saw in Exodus 15:20-21 that Miriam,

the sister of Moses was a prophetess. As a prophetess, she took up a

tambourine and led the women of that day in a dance as she prophesied.

This shows us that music and prophecy were connected. It may be that

some of the prophets sang words they received from the Lord. As we

continue this study we will see further connections between prophecy and

music.

The day came for Saul to be officially proclaimed king of Israel. Samuel

gathered the people to him at Mizpah. Notice what happened that day:

[20] Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the

tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. [21] He brought the tribe of

Benjamin near by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was

taken by lot, and Saul, the son of Kish, was taken by lot. But

when they sought him, he could not be found. [22] So they

inquired again of the LORD, “Is there a man still to come?”

and the LORD said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the

baggage.” (1 Samuel 10)

Saul hid when Samuel came to anoint him. To find him, Samuel asked the

Lord if there was a specific man God had chosen. The Lord told him, before

the people that the man he had chosen had hidden among some baggage.

They went and found Saul and anointed him as Israel’s first king. This

prophetic revelation from God confirmed when they found Saul, was proof

to the people that he was the Lord’s choice. Again, the word given to

Samuel was very specific and easily confirmed.

Samuel was an old man when Saul became king. Knowing that the time of

his death was approaching, Samuel addressed the people and gave them

what would be his final prophetic word for the nation. In this address,

Samuel challenged the people to walk with the Lord. Listen to part of this

challenge as recorded in 1 Samuel 12:

[14] If you will fear the LORD and serve him and obey his

voice and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD,

and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the

LORD your God, it will be well. [15] But if you will not obey

the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of

the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you and

your king. (1 Samuel 12)

In these words, Samuel told Israel that all would be well for them if they

served the Lord and walked in obedience to Him. If, on the other hand, they

rebelled against His commandments then the hand of the Lord would be

against them. To show them that these words were from the Lord, Samuel

asked God for a sign:

[16] Now, therefore, stand still and see this great thing that the

LORD will do before your eyes. [17] Is it not wheat harvest

today? I will call upon the LORD, that he may send thunder

and rain. And you shall know and see that your wickedness is

great, which you have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking

for yourselves a king.” [18] So Samuel called upon the LORD,

and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day, and all the

people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. (1 Samuel 12)

Samuel asked the Lord to send thunder and rain. God responded to that

prayer and sent the thunder and rain. By this means the people knew that

Samuel’s words were from the Lord. The words of the prophet Samuel were

often confirmed by an immediate sign from the Lord. This does not seem to

be the case for all prophets, but in the case of Samuel, we do see a

connection between his prophetic words and a miraculous sign from God to

confirm his word.

In 1 Samuel 13, we see Samuel rebuking Saul for offering a sacrificed to

God even though he was not king. He warned Saul that the day was coming

when God would rip his kingdom from him and give in to another.

In 1 Samuel 15, Saul was commanded by God to fight the Amalekites. He

was to destroy them and take nothing from their land. Saul only partially

obeyed the Lord. He defeated the Amalekites but took their king hostage as

well as a large quantity of sheep and cattle. The Lord sent Samuel with a

word of rebuke for Saul:

[22] And Samuel said,

“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and

sacrifices,

as in obeying the voice of the LORD?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,

and to listen than the fat of rams.

[23] For rebellion is as the sin of divination,

and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,

he has also rejected you from being king.” (1 Samuel 15)

In place of Saul, Samuel would anoint David as king (see 1 Samuel 16).

There is one more detail I would like to mention before concluding our look

at prophecy in 1 Samuel. In 1 Samuel 28 we see that near the end of Saul’s

life after Samuel had died, he was no longer hearing from the Lord. It

seemed that the presence of the Lord had withdrawn from him. This grieved

Saul, and he wanted to know why God was no longer speaking to him.

Samuel had given him this answer before he died when he told him that

God had rejected him because he had rejected the word of the Lord (see 1

Samuel 15:23). Saul, however, seemed to have forgotten this word and

needed to hear once again.

1 Samuel 28 recounts the story of how Saul, went to see a medium and

asked her to bring up the spirit of Samuel so he could speak to him and

know why the Lord was silent. The medium was successful in bringing up

the spirit of Samuel. That day the spirit of Samuel spoke to Saul:

[16] And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the

LORD has turned from you and become your enemy? [17] The

LORD has done to you as he spoke by me, for the LORD has

torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your

neighbor, David. [18] Because you did not obey the voice of the

LORD and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek,

therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day. [19]

Moreover, the LORD will give Israel also with you into the

hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall

be with me. The LORD will give the army of Israel also into the

hand of the Philistines.” (1 Samuel 28)

Samuel’s spirit told Saul what he had already told him when he was alive –

God had torn his kingdom from him and would give it to another. He

reminded Saul that it was because he did not obey God’s voice that this

would happen to him. The spirit of Samuel told Saul that he and his sons

would die the very next day.

It is important that we note here what the Law of God taught about

consulting the dead through mediums:

[10] There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his

son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices

divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer

[11] or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who

inquires of the dead, [12] for whoever does these things is an

abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations

the LORD your God is driving them out before you.

(Deuteronomy 18)

God commanded that any kind of medium or anyone who inquired of the

dead were an abomination in His sight. Saul was breaking the Law of God

in consulting Samuel.

As we examine the life of Samuel, we see that he had to learn to listen to

the voice of God. He initially confused the voice of God with the voice of

Eli.

We see also that the young Samuel had to learn how to share what God

gave him even when those words rebuked those he loved. This was a

challenging part of the prophetic ministry. The prophet was sometimes

required to speak words of judgment and condemnation.

In the case of Samuel, we see how God revealed precise details to him.

Saul’s return trip home after seeking his father’s donkeys was shown in

detail to Samuel. He saw where Saul was hiding because God told this to

him. Prophecy reveals what is hidden and is sometimes used by God to

uncover details that need to be exposed.

There were times in the ministry of Samuel that his message was confirmed

by miraculous signs. Whether this was rain and thunder from heaven or

confirmation by showing Saul what would happen when he returned home,

these miraculous signs were proof of the truth he spoke from the Lord.

While not all prophecy in Scripture is confirmed by immediate signs, there

are clear examples of this in the ministry of Samuel.

Finally, we learn from 1 Samuel that mediums and diviners were able to

connect with the spirits of the dead. Saul heard from Samuel’s spirit that he

would die the next day. That prophecy came to pass. There are people who

can predict what is going to happen by consulting mediums and spirits of all

sorts. Just because these prophecies come true, does not mean that we

should consult them. The Word of God teaches believers are never to

consult mediums, horoscopes or anything of this nature.

While God made it clear that the believer was not to consult the spirits of

the dead or mediums of any kind, the Word of God is also clear that God

demanded that His people listen to the prophets He sent. They were to make

a clear distinction between the true prophet of God and those who consulted

other spirits and gods. They were to reject the false prophets but listen

carefully to those who came from God.

For Consideration:

Samuel had to learn how to open his mind to the reality of God speaking

and learn to discern His voice. Does God still speak today? How do we

learn to listen?

Was the ministry of a prophet always an easy ministry? What was it about

prophecy that was difficult? Is this a ministry that we should desire or take

lightly?

What is the difference between true prophecy and occultic practices of

consulting the spirits? What does the Law of God teach us about mediums?

How easy is it to reject prophecy because there are many counterfeits

around us? What does God teach about the need to listen to those He sends.

How do we distinguish true prophecy from false prophecy?

For Prayer:

Ask the Lord to make you more sensitive to His leading and direction in

your life. Thank Him that He wants to direct us.

Ask the Lord to give those He has called to a prophetic ministry the grace

and strength to say what God tells them to say. Ask God to give us more

people who will speak from God in our churches.

Do you know of individuals who have become involved in occulting

practices? Ask the Lord to set them free from these ways.

7 - PROPHECY UNDER

THE REIGNS OF DAVID

AND SOLOMON

uring the reigns of David and Solomon, Israel reached the peak

of its glory and power. At this time, there is evidence of a number

of prophets, but two names seem to stand out above the rest –

Nathan and Gad.

Nathan

Probably the best-known prophet of this period of Israel’s history is a man

by the name of Nathan. We first read about him in 2 Samuel 7:

[7:1] Now when the king lived in his house and the LORD had

given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, [2] the king

said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of

cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” [3] And Nathan said

to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is

with you.” (2 Samuel 7)

From this passage, we see that David had a concern to build a temple for

the worship of the Lord. We see him in 2 Samuel 7 speaking with Nathan

the prophet about his desire. This leads us to believe that David had

prophets close to him to advise him. Nathan appears to be one of these

prophetic advisers.

Notice how Nathan advised David to do what was in his heart to do for the

Lord because the Lord was with him. That night, however, the Lord spoke

to Nathan and gave him a word for David. The Lord told Nathan that He

was indeed with David (2 Samuel 7:15). A temple would also be built

where his people would worship the name of their God. David, however,

was not the man to build this temple. God’s purpose for David was to bring

rest to Israel from their enemies (2 Samuel 7:9-11). When David died, his

son would build this temple for God (2 Samuel 7:12-13).

What is interesting to note here is that the advice of Nathan had to be

corrected. Initially, Nathan told David to do whatever was on his heart. The

Lord told him, however, that David was to leave this task of building the

temple to his son. It may be that Nathan spoke from his own wisdom and

understanding the first time. I am sure that this correction was something he

had to learn from in his prophetic ministry. It was important for the prophet

to seek the Lord and wait for His counsel. The temptation for the prophet

was to speak his own mind.

We meet Nathan again in 2 Samuel 12. David had just committed adultery

with Bathsheba and had her husband murdered in battle to cover up his sin.

The Lord sent Nathan to rebuke David for this sin. Nathan’s message to

David is quite interesting. He brought him a case about a rich man and a

poor man’s sheep:

[12:1] And the LORD sent Nathan to David. He came to him

and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one

rich and the other poor. [2] The rich man had very many flocks

and herds, [3] but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe

lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew

up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel

and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a

daughter to him. [4] Now there came a traveler to the rich man,

and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to

prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the

poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to

him.” (2 Samuel 12)

When David heard this story, he was outraged and told Nathan that the rich

man deserved to die. He was to restore four-fold all he had taken from the

poor man. Nathan then went on to inform David that he was the rich man in

the story. Although he had many wives, David took Uriah’s only wife,

Bathsheba, to satisfy his pleasure.

The prophecy of Nathan was hidden in a story that David could understand.

Like the parables of Jesus, sometimes prophecies had hidden meanings that

required interpretation. In this case, Nathan interpreted the story to David.

[10] Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your

house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife

of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ [11] Thus says the LORD,

‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house.

And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to

your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of

this sun. [12] For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing

before all Israel and before the sun.’” (2 Samuel 12)

Nathan told David that the rest of his days would be days of fighting. His

battles would not just be with foreign enemies but with members of his own

household. His own wives would be taken from him and given to a

neighbour. That individual would have a sexual relationship with his wives

before all Israel.

That prophecy would come true when David’s own son would revolt

against him and sleep with his father’s concubines on the rooftop to make a

public statement. Nathan also told David that the child born of the

illegitimate relationship between him and Bathsheba would die. These

would have been difficult words for Nathan to speak to his king.

We see from 1 Kings 1 that when David’s son Adonijah determined to make

himself king near the end of David’s reign, it was Nathan who counselled

Bathsheba in what to do. He understood that it was the will of the Lord that

Solomon be king and so he advised her to speak to David and urge him to

proclaim Solomon, his successor.

Nathan was a trusted adviser to King David. As a prophet, he also spoke the

word of the Lord to him. This word was sometimes harsh and rebuked the

king, but Nathan faithfully shared what God had given him.

Gad

The second important prophet during the reigns of David and Solomon was

a man by the name of Gad. In 2 Samuel 24, David decided to take a census.

This census was not commanded by God. It was an act of pride on David’s

part. Through this census, David discovered that he had about 1,300,000

fighting men. We can only imagine the sense of power that this brought

David. The fact of the matter, however, was that the strength of Israel was

not in the number of fighting men but in the Lord. David’s eyes were taken

away from this reality.

God was angry with David for turning from Him to his trust in his fighting

men. He sent the prophet Gad to rebuke David for his pride. Gad told David

that he had three options for his punishment.

1. Three years of famine in the land

2. Three months of fleeing from his enemies

3. Three days of pestilence

David chose three days of pestilence. The result was the death of 70,000

men in the nation. God reminded David that day that He could take every

man he trusted in to do battle for him. He showed him just how fragile his

trust in his army was.

Gad the prophet would then counsel David to set up an altar on the

threshing floor of Araunah, the Jebusite (2 Samuel 24:18). When David

obeyed, the pestilence ceased in the land, and God’s blessing was restored.

It was the counsel of Gad that got David through those days.

According to 2 Chronicles 29 Gad, like David had an interest in the music

that took place in the worship of God:

[25] And he stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD

with cymbals, harps, and lyres, according to the commandment

of David and of Gad the king’s seer and of Nathan the prophet,

for the commandment was from the LORD through his

prophets. (2 Chronicles 29)

Nathan and Gad were not the only prophets in those days. We read of at

least three other men who exercised this ministry during the reign of David.

Zadok was a priest who helped David frustrate the plans of his enemy to

kill him. It appears from 2 Samuel 15:27 that he was also a prophet:

[27] The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a

seer? Go back to the city in peace, with your two sons, Ahimaaz

your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. (2 Samuel 15)

1 Chronicles 25 introduces us to a man by the name of Heman:

[5] All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer, according

to the promise of God to exalt him, for God had given Heman

fourteen sons and three daughters. (1 Chronicles 25)

Heman was, according to this verse the “king’s seer.” The Lord blessed

Heman with many children. The passage goes on to say that Heman

oversaw the music of the house of the Lord (1 Chronicles 25:6-7).

It is interesting to note that both Gad and Heman had responsibilities for the

music in the worship of God. While it is not explicitly stated in these

verses, their prophetic gifts may have been used through this music.

There is one more detail I would like to mention from 1 Chronicles 29:29:

[29] Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are written

in the Chronicles of Samuel the seer, and in the Chronicles of

Nathan the prophet, and in the Chronicles of Gad the seer (1

Chronicles 29)

Notice the use of the word seer and prophet in this verse. Samuel and Gad

are described as seers, while Nathan is described as a prophet. Was there a

difference between a seer and a prophet? Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown

make the following statement in their commentary on 1 Samuel 9:9:

The recognized distinction in the latter times was, that a seer

was one who was favoured with visions from God—a view of

things invisible to mortal sight and a prophet foretold future

events. (Jamieson, Robert; Fausset, A.R.; Brown, David:

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible,

Notes on 1 Samuel 9:9, Laridian, 1871)

According to this, the seer was one who could see what was invisible.

Samuel saw the donkeys of Saul’s father safely at home, though he was far

away. He also saw where Saul was hidden when he came to anoint him. The

foretelling of future events was more the role of the prophet. We should not

focus on this distinction, however, for the use of the words seem to merge

later in the history of Israel. We see this from 1 Samuel 9:9:

[9] (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he

said, “Come, let us go to the seer,” for today’s “prophet” was

formerly called a seer.)

The lives of the prophets in the days of David and Solomon show us that

they were called at times to act as advisers for they had the ability to hear

from the Lord. There was a temptation for the prophets, however, to assume

they knew God’s will without first consulting Him. They were used by God

to correct or rebuke His people. Their message was sometimes direct, but at

other times it was hidden in stories or possibly even in music which needed

to be interpreted and applied to a given situation. The prophetic ministry

included both a revelation from God of present things that were hidden

from human view or a foretelling of future events.

For Consideration:

Why would prophets be used as advisers to King David?

We see how Nathan assumed that he knew the will of the Lord about David

and the construction of the house of the Lord. This had to be corrected. Is it

possible for us to assume we know the will of the Lord without consulting

Him? How important is it to seek the will of the Lord in the circumstances

we face each day?

Why do you suppose God used stories or parables in His messages to His

people?

What was the traditional difference between a seer and a prophet?

For Prayer:

King David used prophets to seek the will of the Lord. Ask God to help you

to seek Him and His will for the situations you face each day.

Thank the Lord that He continues to guide and direct His people in our day.

Ask God to forgive you for the times you have not sought His will in the

details of your life.

Take a moment to confess that as a human being there are many things you

cannot see. Thank the Lord that He is willing to direct you and show you

what you need to know as you navigate through the obstacles of life.

8 - THE PROPHETS OF

THE DIVIDED KINGDOM

Ahijah

oward the end of his reign, King Solomon had many enemies. One

of those enemies was a man by the name of Jeroboam. Jeroboam

had not always been an enemy. In fact, he had gained the favour of

the king who put him in charge of forced labour (1 Kings 11:28). One day,

Jeroboam was leaving the city of Jerusalem when he was approached by a

prophet whose name was Ahijah. Ahijah was dressed in a new garment.

When they were alone, Ahijah took hold of his new garment and ripped it

into twelve pieces. He told Jeroboam to take ten pieces for himself. He

proceeded to prophecy saying that the day would come when the Lord

would take the kingdom from Solomon and give Jeroboam the leadership of

ten tribes:

[29] And at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem,

the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Now

Ahijah had dressed himself in a new garment, and the two of

them were alone in the open country. [30] Then Ahijah laid

hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve

pieces. [31] And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten

pieces, for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I

am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and

will give you ten tribes [32] (but he shall have one tribe, for the

sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city

that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), (1 Kings 11).

I am sure this was a surprise to Jeroboam, who likely had no such

aspirations at that moment in time. The prophecy of Ahijah, however,

would come to pass after Solomon’s death, during the reign of his son

Rehoboam. At this time, the kingdom of Israel would be divided into the

Northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. Jeroboam,

as prophesied by Ahijah, would take ten of the tribes in the northern

kingdom and lead them as their first king.

King Jeroboam would lead the nation of Israel into rebellion against God by

establishing a new religion in Israel. In 1 Kings 14, we read how

Jeroboam’s son became seriously ill. He thought about the prophet Ahijah

who had predicted his kingship. He told his wife to go to Ahijah and inquire

about their son. Ahijah had terrible news for Jeroboam’s wife. He said to

her that God would bring harm to her husband. Every male descendant

would be cut off (1 Kings 14:10). Their home would be burnt (1 Kings

14:10). There would be no burial for the bodies of Jeroboam’s descendants

(1 Kings 14:11). The child she had come to inquire about would die (1

Kings 14:12).

We only read about Ahijah in connection with Jeroboam. He was used of

God to announce both the beginning and the end of Jeroboam’s reign.

Shemaiah

The king of the southern kingdom of Judah at that time was Solomon’s son

Rehoboam. When ten of the tribes were taken from him by Jeroboam,

Rehoboam determined to engage him in battle to get these tribes back.

Rehoboam assembled 180,000 warriors to face Jeroboam. As he prepared

for battle, the Lord God spoke to a prophet by the name of Shemaiah:

[22] But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God:

[23] “Say to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and

to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the

people, [24] ‘Thus says the LORD, You shall not go up or fight

against your relatives the people of Israel. Every man return to

his home, for this thing is from me.’” So they listened to the

word of the LORD and went home again, according to the word

of the LORD. (1 Kings 12)

Through the prophet Shemaiah, God stopped this battle.

As king of Judah, Rehoboam turned from the Lord. The result was that the

Lord send an Egyptian army against him. The Egyptians defeated Judah and

took several cities. The Lord sent the prophet Shemaiah to speak with him

about this:

[5] Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the

princes of Judah, who had gathered at Jerusalem because of

Shishak, and said to them, “Thus says the LORD, ‘You

abandoned me, so I have abandoned you to the hand of

Shishak.’” (2 Chronicles 12)

Shemaiah made it clear to Rehoboam that his rebellion against the Lord had

grave consequences. When Rehoboam and his officers humbled themselves

and repented, God sent Shemaiah back with another word:

[7] When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the

word of the LORD came to Shemaiah: “They have humbled

themselves. I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some

deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out on

Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. [8] Nevertheless, they shall

be servants to him, that they may know my service and the

service of the kingdoms of the countries.” (2 Chronicles 12)

God chose to relent and give Rehoboam some relief from their oppression,

but they would still be under the power of Egypt because of their sin.

Shemaiah seems to be the mouthpiece of God to Rehoboam in the southern

kingdom of Judah. God to raise up prophets who would speak to the

authorities of the nations. These prophets revealed the will of God to the

kings of Israel and Judah.

Jehu

In 1 Kings 16, God sent the prophet Jehu to speak with King Baasha of the

northern kingdom of Israel. Like Jeroboam before him, Baasha rejected the

Lord God and turned to idols. Jehu’s words to Baasha were very similar to

the word the prophet Ahijah spoke to Jeroboam’s wife in 1 Kings 14:10-12.

[16:1] And the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of

Hanani against Baasha, saying, [2] “Since I exalted you out of

the dust and made you leader over my people Israel, and you

have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made my people

Israel to sin, provoking me to anger with their sins, [3] behold,

I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house, and I will

make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

[4] Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city the dogs

shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the field the birds of the

heavens shall eat.” (1 Kings 16)

Jehu speaks harsh words to the king telling him that God would sweep

away his house. All who belonged to his family would either be eaten by

dogs or the birds of the field.

We find Jehu again in 2 Chronicles 19:1-2 where he rebuked king

Jehoshaphat for an alliance, he had made with evil King Ahab of Israel.

That rebuke of Jehu seemed to change King Jehoshaphat who would go on

to bring many reforms and restore the worship of God in the nation of

Judah (see 2 Kings 19-20).

Azariah

In 2 Chronicles 15, we have another example of religious reform that took

place through the words of a prophet. Here in this chapter, we meet the

prophet Azariah.

According to 2 Chronicles 14:9, Ethiopians attacked the nation of Judah.

King Asa was successful in fending off this attack, and after this victory, the

Lord sent the prophet Azariah with an encouraging word for King Asa.

[15:1] The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded,

[2] and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Hear me,

Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The LORD is with you while

you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but

if you forsake him, he will forsake you. (2 Chronicles 15)

[7] But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for

your work shall be rewarded.” (2 Chronicles 15)

Through Azariah, the Lord reminded Asa that if he served Him, all would

go well for him. Azariah encouraged Asa to be strong for the work for the

work of the Lord, and his efforts would be rewarded. Those words were a

blessing and great encouragement to the king. When he heard them, he had

all foreign idols removed from the land (2 Chronicles 15:8). He

commanded that repairs be made to the altar of God (2 Chronicles 15:8).

When those repairs were made, he sacrificed 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep to

the Lord God of Judah. He then led the nation into a renewal of their

covenant with God, promising to serve Him alone. Anyone who refused to

do so was put to death (2 Chronicles 15:13).

Clearly, Azariah would have been encouraged to see how the Lord used him

to stir up the king in this way. While not all prophets saw the Lord work in

this way, both Azariah and Jehu seemed to be used of God to stir His people

to reform and renewal. They did this by warning and challenging the people

of God.

Hanani

In 2 Chronicles 16, there was trouble between King Baasha of Israel and

King Asa of Judah. To deal with this, King Asa of Judah took the treasure

from the temple of the Lord and paid the king of Syria to attack Israel. This

action displeased the Lord. He sent a prophet by the name of Hanani to

King Asa to speak with him.

[7] At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and

said to him, “Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did

not rely on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Syria

has escaped you. [8] Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a

huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because

you relied on the LORD, he gave them into your hand. [9] For

the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole

earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless

toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on

you will have wars.” (2 Chronicles 16)

God was angry with Asa because he did not seek Him but chose to look to

Syria. Hanani prophesied that because Asa did not seek the Lord, he would

experience wars for the rest of his reign. For daring to confront King Asa

and tell him this news, Hanani was put in stocks (see 2 Chronicles 16:10).

Hanani paid the price for obedience and sharing the word of the Lord.

Those who shared the word of the Lord were not always appreciated.

Micaiah

2 Chronicles 18 recounts the story of the marriage alliance that King

Jehoshaphat of Judah made with the evil king Ahab of Israel. On one

occasion, King Ahab asked Jehoshaphat to join him in a battle at Ramoth-

gilead (see 2 Chronicles 18:3). Jehoshaphat felt it was important to consult

the prophets before deciding about this battle. Ahab called on the prophets

of Israel and sought their advice. All of them predicted that the campaign

would be a success. Remember, however, that the nation of Israel had

turned away from the Lord God and followed another religion. King

Jehoshaphat, understood that these prophets were not seeking the will of his

God, so he asked Ahab if there was a prophet of the God of Judah in the

nation, they could consult

[6] But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of

the LORD of whom we may inquire?” (2 Chronicles 18)

King Ahab brought Micaiah before them. Micaiah would ultimately

prophesy that Ahab would perish in battle and the army would be scattered:

[16] And he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains,

as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These

have no master; let each return to his home in peace.’” (2

Chronicles 18)

Despite this prophecy, King Ahab went to battle. To assure that he would

not be recognised, however, he disguised himself. As the battle ensued, a

man shot a random arrow which struck Ahab so that he died, fulfilling the

words of Micaiah (2 Chronicles 18:28-34). Micaiah was the only prophet

among all who were summoned before Ahab and Jehoshaphat who spoke

the word of the Lord. This was obviously a lonely place to be. God’s true

prophets sometimes stand alone with the Word of God. The false prophets

of Ahab’s day spoke what he wanted them to speak. They did not seek the

heart of God for the people but told them what they wanted to hear.

Iddo

2 Chronicles tells us about a seer or prophet by the name of Iddo. What we

read about Iddo is particularly interesting. His ministry as prophet seemed

to be exercised through writing books. The first record of him is found in 2

Chronicles 9:29:

[29] Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are

they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the

prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the

seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? (2 Chronicles 9)

Notice the reference to the “visions of Iddo the seer.” These visions were

written down in a book and related, in part, to the acts of Solomon.

Apparently, the Lord communicated to Iddo through these visions which he

wrote in a book that was available for people to read at that time.

Further reference to the writings of Iddo is found in 2 Chronicles 12:15:

[15] Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not

written in the chronicles of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo

the seer? There were continual wars between Rehoboam and

Jeroboam. (2 Chronicles 12)

According to this verse, the acts of Rehoboam the son of Solomon were

written in the chronicles of Iddo the Seer. Iddo, as a seer, recorded the

events of the reign of Rehoboam in this written chronicle. Notice that Iddo

was not the only one to write down his prophetic insights. Shemaiah also

wrote down his prophetic words in a history of the life of Rehoboam.

The final reference to the writings of Iddo is found in 2 Chronicles 13:22:

[22] The rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways and his sayings,

are written in the story of the prophet Iddo. (2 Chronicles 13)

The reference here is to the story of the prophet Iddo. In these three verses,

the author mentions the visions of Iddo, the chronicles of Iddo, and the

story of the prophet Iddo. There is no mention of Iddo speaking directly to

anyone in the Scriptures. That is not to say that God didn’t call him to speak

directly to individuals. The focus of 2 Chronicles is in the writing of this

prophet which seemed to be available to the people of his day. Not all

prophets stand before crowds of people; God calls some to use the medium

of books and writing to communicate His message.

The Man Of God And The Old Prophet

There is one final story we need to examine regarding the prophets of this

period of Israel’s history. 1 Kings 13 tells us about an unnamed prophet

who confronted King Jeroboam of Israel who was offering pagan sacrifices

on an altar in Bethel. Listen to the words of this unnamed prophet:

[2] And the man cried against the altar by the word of the

LORD and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the LORD: ‘Behold,

a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and

he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who

make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on

you.’” [3] And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is

the sign that the LORD has spoken: ‘Behold, the altar shall be

torn down, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.’” (1

Kings 13)

In the days to come, a son by the name of Josiah would sacrifice the bones

of the false priests of Israel. The altar on which this would take place would

be torn down, and the ashes of these dead priests poured over it. The

prophecy is very direct and even contains the name for the man who would

fulfil it. That prophecy would be fulfilled many years later. The record of its

fulfilment is found in 2 Kings 23:15-20.

The events of that day and the prophecy of this unnamed prophet were

reported to another prophet who lived in Bethel. Hearing what had

happened, this man found the unnamed prophet and asked him to come to

his home. God specifically told the unnamed prophet that after sharing His

word, he was not to eat or drink anything in that region. The man who

invited him to his house, however, told him that he was also a prophet and

that the Lord had told him to seek him out and bring him back to his home.

1 Kings 13:18 tells us clearly that this man lied to the prophet.

Deceived by the man, the unnamed prophet ate a meal with him, against the

will of the Lord. As he returned home, he was killed by a lion for his

disobedience to the word of the Lord (see 1 Kings 13:24).

The story is a powerful reminder to us of just how easy it is to take our eyes

off the Lord. Even prophets can be deceived. The unnamed prophet listened

to the old man and was misled by the fact that he told him that the Lord had

spoken to him.

As we examine the prophets of this period of history, we see how they were

used of God to confront those who were straying from His purpose. They

also revealed why things were happening in their land.

We can be sure that the enemy will cause a great struggle for those who are

the true prophets of God. We see how Hanani was put in stocks for sharing

what God gave him to share. Micaiah stood alone against the numerous

prophets of Israel.

We also see the battle that raged for truth. Micaiah alone stood for the truth,

but other prophets stood against that truth and told a lie. The unnamed

prophet of 1 Kings 13 was approached by the old man who lied to him in

the name of God. The enemy will sow confusion and lies to distract the

people of God from the truth God wants to proclaim. Prophets who stand up

for the truth of God must also stand firm against the attacks of the enemy to

distract, confuse and deceive.

In these days of the divided kingdom, Satan was very much alive. He had

his prophets lie and distract. God, also, however, was working through His

servants countering those lies with the truth of His purpose. Many were

deceived by the false prophets. God, however, continued to speak through

His servants. All who discerned His voice and walked in obedience knew

his blessing and favour.

For Consideration:

Look at the messages the prophets of this period proclaimed. Was it easy to

preach these messages? What does this tell us about the difficulty in the

ministry of the prophet?

What was the response of the people to the messages of the prophets of this

period of Israel’s history? Was their response always positive?

What evidence do we have of the attacks of Satan and his false prophets in

this chapter? How does this make it more difficult to discern the truth?

Iddo seemed to exercise his prophetic gifting through writing. Are there

writers today who speak prophetically to our culture?

For Prayer:

Thank the Lord for the men and women of Scripture who risked everything

to communicate the truth of God? Ask God for greater courage to stand up

for that truth in our day?

Ask God for discernment to distinguish truth from error. Ask Him to expose

the false prophets of our day.

The story of the old man and the unnamed prophet of 1 Kings 13 shows us

how easy it is to be deceived. Ask God to protect you from such deception.

Take a moment to pray for those who have been deceived by false prophets

in our day. Ask God to open their eyes to the truth.

9 - ELIJAH

robably one of the best-known prophets in the early years of the

divided kingdom was a man by the name of Elijah. As a prophet,

Elijah ministered primarily in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. At

the time of his ministry, Ahab and his wife Jezebel were on the throne.

They were responsible for great evil in the land. 1 Kings 16 describes the

reign of Ahab:

[30] And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the

LORD, more than all who were before him. [31] And as if it

had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam

the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of

Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and

worshiped him. [32] He erected an altar for Baal in the house

of Baal, which he built in Samaria. [33] And Ahab made an

Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of

Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before

him. (1 Kings 16)

As king of Israel, Ahab promoted the worship of Baal in Israel. Verse 33

tells us that he did more to provoke the anger of the Lord than all the kings

before him. The days in which Elijah ministered were evil days in Israel.

We first meet Elijah in 1 Kings 17. As 1 Kings 17 begins, Elijah is speaking

to King Ahab

[17:1] Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to

Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I

stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by

my word.”

Through Elijah, the Lord warned King Ahab of a drought that was going to

come to the land. This drought was very likely the result of the spiritual

climate at the time and part of the judgement of God on His people.

Knowing what the response of the king would be to the message of Elijah,

God told the prophet to hide by the brook Cherith where H would use the

ravens to feed him. At that brook, Elijah would also have water to drink. As

the Lord said, the drought came to Israel and even the small stream at

Cherith dried up because there was no rain (1 Kings 17:7).

When the brook at Cherith dried up, the Lord told Elijah to go to the region

of Zarephath where he would find a widow to care for him. The widow God

chose to provide for Elijah was living with her son, and when Elijah met

her, she was gathering a few sticks to prepare her last meal (1 Kings 17:12).

When Elijah asked her for something to eat and drink, she explained her

situation. Elijah told her, however, to make a cake for him and promised

that her jugs of oil and flour would not be used up until the day the Lord

sent rain on the earth. 1 Kings 17:15-16 describe the fulfilment of Elijah’s

prophecy:

[15] And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and

her household ate for many days. [16] The jar of flour was not

spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the

word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah. (1 Kings 17)

In time, the widow’s son became sick and died. Elijah cried out to the Lord

on his behalf, and the Lord restored his life. For the widow, this was a clear

sign that Elijah was a true prophet of God.

[23] And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the

upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother.

And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.” [24] And the woman

said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and

that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.” (1 Kings

17)

The ministry of Elijah seems to be filled with miraculous events and

occurrences. Through Elijah, the Lord revealed His power to the nation of

Israel in a time of spiritual decline.

Elijah, through the foremost of the prophets of his day, was not the only

prophet. In fact, 1 Kings 18:3-4 tell us that Ahab and his wife Jezebel were

killing the prophets of God in Israel. A man by the name of Obadiah is

credited with hiding one hundred of these servants of God to keep them

from being killed:

[3] And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household.

(Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly, [4] and when Jezebel

cut off the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took a hundred

prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with

bread and water.) (1 Kings 18)

While the prophets of God were being sought out and killed, the prophets of

Baal were numerous in Israel. To demonstrate the power of God over the

prophets of Baal, Elijah set up an encounter with them on Mount Carmel.

As he stood before the people gathered on Mount Carmel, Elijah spoke:

[21] And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How

long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the

LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And

the people did not answer him a word. (1 Kings 18)

As the people listened, Elijah called for two bulls to be laid on an altar. The

prophets of Baal would prepare one, and he would prepare the other. Four

hundred and fifty prophets of Baal were present that day. Elijah told them

that they were to call on their god, asking him to send fire from heaven to

consume their offering. He would do the same. The God who responded

was the true God. The prophets of Baal agreed to this sign.

The prophets of Baal cried out from morning until evening, cutting

themselves with knives to get the attention of their god but there was no fire

from heaven. When Elijah’s turn came, he built his altar and had water

poured over the offering until it ran down the altar and filled a trench he had

dug beside it. When all these preparations were in place, Elijah called out to

the Lord, and the Lord rained fire from heaven consuming not only the

offering but the wood, stones, and water as well. By this means, Elijah

demonstrated that the God of Israel was the one true God. He then called

for the false prophets of Baal to be slaughtered.

This incident did not win Elijah favour with Ahab and Jezebel. Jezebel was

very angry with Elijah and swore to kill him within the day.

[2] Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may

the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as

the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” (1 Kings 19)

After this event, the Lord gave Elijah an assistant by the name of Elisha.

Elisha would follow Elijah wherever he went, learning from him and

assisting him in his ministry (see 1 Kings 19:19-21).

In 1 Kings 21, King Ahab spotted a piece of property that he wanted to use

as a vegetable garden. The property belonged to a man by the name of

Naboth. Naboth refused to exchange the property for one the king offered in

exchange, claiming that it had belonged to his family for many years. When

the king informed his wife Jezebel of what had happened, she was angry

and immediately set out to obtain this property. She hired two false

witnesses to claim that Naboth had blasphemed the king and God. She then

had Naboth stoned for this false charge and seized his property (1 Kings

21:1-16).

Even though Ahab and Jezebel were seeking to kill him, the Lord sent

Elijah with a message for the king and his wife:

[21] Behold, I will bring disaster upon you. I will utterly burn

you up, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in

Israel. [22] And I will make your house like the house of

Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the

son of Ahijah, for the anger to which you have provoked me,

and because you have made Israel to sin. [23] And of Jezebel

the LORD also said, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the

walls of Jezreel.’ [24] Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in

the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the

open country the birds of the heavens shall eat.” (1 Kings 21)

These were very harsh words, but they hit their mark. The result was that

King Ahab repented of his actions and humbled himself before God.

[27] And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and

put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and

went about dejectedly. [28] And the word of the LORD came to

Elijah the Tishbite, saying, [29] “Have you seen how Ahab has

humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself

before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his

son’s days I will bring the disaster upon his house.”

God chose to spare Ahab of the disaster He had planned for him.

When Ahab died, Ahaziah became king in his place. As a result of a fall,

the king lay sick. Wondering if he was going to recover from this fall,

Ahaziah sent messengers to inquire of the god Baal-zebub whether he

would get well again. Elijah met these messengers on their way to consult

this pagan god.

The Lord told Elijah to ask these messengers why Ahaziah was consulting

Baal-zebub and not the Lord God of Israel. The prophet went on to say that

because Ahaziah had chosen Baal-zebub rather than God, he would never

recover from his illness (see 2 Kings 1:3-4).

The messengers returned with this word for Ahaziah, explaining that they

had met a prophet on their way to consult Baal-zebub. When the

messengers described the prophet, who had given them this message, the

king identified him as Elijah. Ahaziah sent 50 men to search for Elijah,

demanding that he present himself before him. Elijah’s response to these 50

soldiers, however, was not what they expected:

[10] But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of

God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and

your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed

him and his fifty. (2 Kings 1)

The king sent another fifty men making the same demand of the prophet.

These men met with the same fate. (2 Kings 1:11-12). The captain of the

third group of fifty had another approach:

[13] Again the king sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty.

And the third captain of fifty went up and came and fell on his

knees before Elijah and entreated him, “O man of God, please

let my life, and the life of these fifty servants of yours, be

precious in your sight. [14] Behold, fire came down from

heaven and consumed the two former captains of fifty men with

their fifties, but now let my life be precious in your sight.” (2

Kings 1)

This time the Lord told Elijah to follow these men to Ahaziah. There before

the king, the prophet Elijah spoke the word of God announcing the death of

the king. Ahaziah died just as Elijah prophesied.

The account of the final days of Elijah is as spectacular as his ministry.

[11] And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of

fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah

went up by a whirlwind into heaven. (2 Kings 2)

2 Kings 2:11 tells us that Elijah went to heaven in a whirlwind accompanied

by chariots and horses of fire.

What characterised the ministry of Elijah were these miraculous signs. God

used this man to raise the dead, bring down fire from heaven and

miraculously provide food for a widow and her son. He was fed by ravens

and ascended to heaven in a chariot of fire. His prophetic ministry was

accompanied by miraculous signs. He not only spoke the word of God but

demonstrated the power of God to a society that had completely turned its

back on the faith of their fathers.

He was prone to discouragement and lived a good part of life in hiding. His

life was not an easy one. Despite the mighty signs given to him by God, he

was often rejected. He felt alone and left this life without seeing great

results for his efforts. He was a faithful servant who demonstrated, in a

remarkable way, the reality and power of God in a pagan world.

For Consideration:

What characterized the prophetic ministry of Elijah? How was his ministry

different from some of the prophets we have examined so far?

What did God accomplish through the miraculous signs He gave Elijah?

How did these signs demonstrate the power of Elijah’s God?

How would you describe the faith and courage of Elijah? Do you have this

kind of faith and courage?

Prayer:

While God may not use us all in the way He used Elijah, ask the Lord to

make His power and presence known through your life.

Ask God to give you more of the courage of Elijah who often had to stand

alone against the forces of evil in his day.

Every ministry is unique. Ask God to help you to walk in tune with Him

and what He has for you and your ministry. Ask God to enable you to be

open to reaching your full potential for Him.

10 - ELISHA

efore the prophet Elijah went to be with the Lord, he was told to

anoint his successor –a man by the name of Elisha:

[16] And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king

over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you

shall anoint to be prophet in your place. (1 Kings 19)

Elisha was ploughing with twelve yoked oxen in front of him when the

prophet Elijah found him. This shows us the Elisha was a cultivator of the

ground. The Tyndale Bible Dictionary has this to say about the 12 yoked

oxen:

Elisha’s use of 12 yokes of oxen in his agricultural work has

been taken as a sign that he was wealthy, for normally two

yoked oxen would have been handled by one person (Comfort,

Philip W., Elwell, Walter A, “Elisha” Tyndale Bible Dictionary,

Cedar Rapids: Laridian, Electronic edition formatted for

Pocket Bible)

When Elijah saw Elisha, “cast his cloak upon him.” This symbolic act

showed Elisha that God had called him to follow Elijah and become a

prophet. Elisha accepted this calling, said goodbye to his parents, sacrificed

his oxen, and shared the meat with the people in his neighbourhood. After

this, he followed Elijah (see 1 Kings 19:19-21).

We learn something about Elisha in 2 Kings 2. Just before he went to be

with the Lord, Elijah asked his disciple if there was anything he could do

for him. Listen to Elisha’s response in 2 Kings 2:9:

[9] When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I

shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said,

“Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.”

[10] And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see

me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if

you do not see me, it shall not be so.” (2 Kings 2)

There is an incredible boldness in this request. In the last chapter, we saw

how Elijah was a prophet known for the many signs and wonders he

performed. Elisha was asking for a double portion of his master’s spirit.

Despite the boldness of the request, the prophet Elijah granted him this

favour.

The first evidence of his power as a prophet is seen when Elisha took

Elijah’s cloak and struck the waters of the Jordan with it. The water parted,

allowing him to cross over on dry land into the city of Jericho:

[13] And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him

and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. [14] Then

he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck

the water, saying, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?”

And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the

one side and to the other, and Elisha went over. (2 Kings 2)

This would be the first of many recorded miraculous signs that Elisha

would perform during his ministry. While he was in Jericho, the people of

the city complained to him about the bad water and unproductive land.

Elisha had them bring him a bowl of salt. Throwing salt into a spring of

water, he declared: “Thus says the LORD, I have healed this water; from

now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.” (2 Kings 2:21).

From that point on the water was healed (2 Kings 2:22).

We learn something else about Elisha in 2 Kings 2:23. From this verse, we

learn that he was bald. In fact, as he was traveling to Bethel, he was met by

some small boys who mocked him because of his bald head.

[23] He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going

up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered

at him, saying, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!”

(2 Kings 2)

Elisha cursed these young boys, and the result was that two she-bears came

out of the woods and attacked them. 2 Kings 2:24 tells us that there were 42

boys who were attacked by those bears that day. His position as prophet

demanded respect, and when these young boys mocked him, they suffered

the judgement of God for their words.

2 Kings 3 tells us about Elisha’s encounter with both the kings of Israel and

Judah. Under King Ahab, Israel had an alliance with Moab. When Ahab

died, however, Moab rebelled against Israel. At that time Israel asked for

support from Judah. King Jehoshaphat of Judah agreed to support him in a

battle against Moab. Together with the nation of Edom, this coalition army

marched for three days without water. The situation became desperate for

them, and they wondered what they were to do. King Jehoshaphat asked if

there was a prophet of the Lord they could consult. When he was informed

that Elisha was in the region, all three kings went down to see him.

When Elisha saw the king of Israel he said:

[13] … “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of

your father and to the prophets of your mother.” (2 Kings 3)

Elisha knew that the nation of Israel had rebelled against the Lord and no

longer served Him. He was not interested in speaking to the King of Israel

because of his rebellious heart. In fact, Elisha told the king of Israel that

were it not for the presence of King Jehoshaphat with him, he would not

even see him:

[14] And Elisha said, “As the LORD of hosts lives, before

whom I stand, were it not that I have regard for Jehoshaphat

the king of Judah, I would neither look at you nor see you. (2

Kings 3)

Out of respect for Jehoshaphat, however, Elisha agreed to consult the Lord

on their behalf. Notice in this the boldness of Elisha to speak to the King of

Israel in this way.

In his attempt to hear from the Lord, Elisha called for a musician. It was as

the musician played that the word of the Lord came to him. The Lord told

Elisha that while there would be no rain, the dry streambeds would be full

of water enough for them and their animals to drink (2 Kings 3:15-17). He

also told the kings that the Lord would give them victory over the Moabites,

but they were to destroy everything. They were to chop down the trees in

the region of Moab, stop up all the springs of water and ruin every good

piece of land with stones. Just as Elisha had predicted, the very next day, a

great flood of water filled the region. The three kings would go on to defeat

Moab as Elisha told them.

It is interesting to note the use of music and its connection with the

prophecy of Elisha. While we do have instances in Scripture where

prophecy was put to music, it does not appear that this is the case here. The

music seems to be a means of preparing Elisha’s heart and mind to receive a

word from the Lord. It may have been that the music played was a

worshipful type of music that helped him to get his heart in tune with God,

or it may have been a piece of music that calmed his heart and mind to

enable him to hear from God. Even the prophets of God had to deal with

distractions before they could hear from the Lord. In the case, Elisha found

that music was helpful to clear his mind enough to hear from God.

Elisha was not the only prophet in those days. In 2 Kings 2:7, 15 we read of

fifty “sons of the prophets.” It appears that these “sons of the prophets”

were a group of prophets who gathered to hear from God. We read about

these groups in several Old Testament passages (see 1 Samuel 10:5; 1 Kings

18:3-4; 2 Kings 2:7, 15; 2 Kings 4:38; 2 Kings 6:1).

From 2 Kings 4, we learn that the wife of one of these prophets came to

Elisha for support when her husband died. It appears that their creditors had

come to take her two children as slaves to work off her debt. She had

nothing left in her house but a jar of oil. Elisha told her to borrow as many

jar vessels from her neighbours as she could. She was to shut the door of

her house and pour the contents of her jar into these vessels. When she

obeyed, she found that she filled every container she had borrowed with oil

from that one jar. Elisha then told her to sell the oil and pay off her debts.

Also, in 2 Kings 4, we meet a rich Shunammite woman who offered a room

to Elisha whenever he was in the region. Wanting to repay her for her

kindness, Elisha prophesied that she would have a son. As prophesied, the

woman conceived and bore a son. When that son died, Elisha was called

upon to raise him from the dead (see 2 Kings 4:8-37).

On one occasion, the sons of the prophets gathered around Elisha. Elisha

called his servant and asked him to make a large pot of stew for them to eat.

The servant when out into the fields and picked herbs and wild gourds.

Among the food gathered that day was a poisonous vine. This was only

discovered when the men were eating the stew. Elisha called for some flour

to be added to the pot of stew and the poison was neutralised, so no harm

came to the prophets (see 2 Kings 4:38-41). The context seems to indicate

that this was a miracle from God.

On another occasion, a man came to Elisha bringing an offering of twenty

loaves of barley and some ears of grain. Elisha told the servant to offer it to

the sons of the prophets. The servant responded in disbelief saying: “How

can I set this before a hundred men?” (2 Kings 2:43). When Elisha insisted,

however, the servant obeyed:

[44] So he set it before them. And they ate and had some left,

according to the word of the LORD. (2 Kings 4)

The food was multiplied so that everyone had what they needed and there

was more left over.

2 Kings 5 recounts the story of a Syrian military commander by the name of

Naaman who went to Elisha to be healed of his leprosy. Elisha told him to

bathe seven times in the Jordan River. When Naaman reluctantly obeyed he

was cured of his disease.

According to 2 Kings 6:1 Elisha had several prophets under his charge:

[6:1] Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See, the

place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us. (2

Kings 6)

These prophets seemed to be living in a common home, but the home

became too small for them, so the men asked Elisha for permission to build

a larger dwelling. As they were doing so, one man lost a borrowed axe head

when it fell into the water. Elisha cut a stick and threw it in the water, and

the axe head came to the surface of the water. This was again a sign of the

miraculous power that God had given him as a prophet (see 2 Kings 6:1-7).

It is important for us to note here how the prophets of Elijah’s day were

gathering together in groups. These gatherings became known as the

“schools of the prophets” and were established to train men in the prophetic

ministry. Commenting on these schools of the prophets M.G. Easton says:

Colleges, "schools of the prophets," were instituted for the

training of prophets, who were constituted, a distinct order (1Sa

19:18-24;2Ki 2:3,15;4:38), which continued to the close of the

Old Testament. Such "schools" were established at Ramah,

Bethel, Gilgal, Gibeah, and Jericho. The "sons" or "disciples"

of the prophets were young men (2Ki 5:22; 9:1,4) who lived

together at these different "schools" (4:38-41). These young

men were taught not only the rudiments of secular knowledge,

but they were brought up to exercise the office of prophet, "to

preach pure morality and the heart-felt worship of Jehovah,

and to act along and co-ordinately with the priesthood and

monarchy in guiding the state aright and checking all attempts

at illegality and tyranny." (Easton, M.G. Easton's Bible

Dictionary, “Prophet” L A R I D I A N: Cedar Rapids, Iowa,

electronic edition formatted for Pocket Bible).

Elisha was involved in teaching at these schools and preparing the next

generation of prophets to preach and share God’s heart.

During the days of Elisha, there was an ongoing problem between Israel

and the nation of Syria. Elisha played a vital role in the battle between these

two nations. According to 2 Kings 6:8-10 the Lord would show Elisha

where the Syrians were camping. He would pass this information to the

king of Israel so that he would not fall into the Syrian trap. The king of

Syria concluded that there was a traitor in his camp who was passing on

information to the king of Israel. He was informed, however, that it was

Elisha who was telling the king what he spoke in secret:

[12] And one of his servants said, “None, my Lord, O king; but

Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the

words that you speak in your bedroom.” (2 Kings 6)

This angered the king of Syria who determined to seize Elisha so he could

not pass on this information. They Syrians surrounded the city where Elisha

and his servant were sleeping. When the servant woke up and saw the army,

he was afraid and asked Elisha what they were to do. Elisha prayed for his

servant and asked God to open his eyes. When the Lord opened the

servant’s eyes, he saw chariots of fire surrounding them. The Lord was

protecting them. Elisha, as a prophet, saw what his servant could not see.

He had been given a spiritual sight that saw the spiritual reality around him.

When the Syrian army approached, Elisha asked God to blind them. He

then led them to the city of Samaria, the capital city of Israel. Their eyes

were opened the moment they arrived in Samaria, and they saw they had

fallen into a trap.

Elisha told the king of Israel to set bread before the Syrians and feed them.

He was not to kill them. This act of charity had such an impact on the

Syrians that they retreated.

In 1 Kings 6:24, Ben-Hadad of Syria surrounded the city of Samaria with

his army. This resulted in a severe famine in Samaria. The seriousness of

this famine came to light when the king of Israel spoke with two mothers at

the wall of the city:

[28] And the king asked her, “What is your trouble?” She

answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we

may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ [29] So

we boiled my son and ate him. And on the next day I said to her,

‘Give your son, that we may eat him.’ But she has hidden her

son.” [30] When the king heard the words of the woman, he

tore his clothes—now he was passing by on the wall—and the

people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth beneath on his

body— [31] and he said, “May God do so to me and more also,

if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on his

shoulders today.” (2 Kings 6)

Mothers were forced to eat their own children to survive. The king was so

angered by these conditions that he swore to kill Elisha (2 Kings 6:31).

Elisha, however, prophesied that the next day the famine would be over,

and the nation would feast in abundance. That prophecy came true when

that night the Lord caused the Syrians to hear the sound of chariots. They

fled in fear, leaving everything behind (see 2 Kings 7).

While the Syrians left Samaria, they continued to be a burden to the nation

of Israel. On one occasion, King Joash approached Elisha with his deep

concern about the threat Syria was posing for his country. We read in 2

Kings 13:14 that Elisha was sick at this time and about ready to die. Laying

his hand on the king’s hand, Elisha asked him to take his bow shoot an

arrow out the window. As he prepared to shoot his arrow, the prophet told

King Joash to strike the ground with the arrow to indicate the level of

victory he would have over the Syrians. When the king hit the ground three

times, Elisha told him that he would have three victories over Syria, but he

would not totally defeat them (see 2 Kings 13:15-19). These would be the

last words of Elisha the prophet but not his miraculous deeds.

After Elisha was buried, bands of Moabites invaded the land. They

interrupted a funeral service and those carrying the man had to throw his

body into the grave of Elisha, presumably because they needed to defend

themselves or flee for their lives. 2 Kings 13:21 tells us that when the body

of the dead man touched the bones of Elisha, life was given to him and he

was revived and stood on his feet. What is interesting about this is that this

shows that the power for the miracles was not in Elisha but in God. Even

when there was no life left in his body, the power of God was still at work.

As a prophet in Israel, Elisha had no formal training. He was likely a farmer

by occupation until he was called by God. Elisha followed the footsteps of

Elijah and was known for his miraculous deeds. These deeds pointed people

to the power of God to minister to them in their daily needs. Elisha was

influential in the lives of the kings of Israel. He directed them and revealed

the purpose of God for victory over both the Moabites and the Syrians.

Elisha’s influence was not only felt by the general Israelite community, but

he was also involved in the schools of the prophets and ministered to the

next generation of prophets who would continue when he was gone. As a

prophet, Elisha was given the ability to see into the spiritual realm. He saw

what no one else saw. We don’t have a record of lengthy prophecies by

Elisha. The words of other prophets in Scripture were written in books. This

is not the case with Elisha. He spoke to his day but more than that, he

demonstrated the power of God to a people who were wandering from Him.

Not all prophets minister in the same way. Moses as a prophet acted as a

law-giver, communicating and instructing people in the ways of the Lord.

Samuel seemed to function more like a priest and is often seen making

sacrifices and anointing God’s servants. Iddo, the prophet, wrote the history

of the nation from a prophetic perspective. Elijah and Elisha demonstrated

the miraculous power of God through their ministry. All these prophets

heard from God but exercised their ministry in different ways. It is crucial

then that we not try to define the ministry of the prophet too tightly. There

seems to be a great diversity in personality and ministry style among the

prophets of Scripture.

For Consideration:

Elisha, following in the footsteps of his mentor Elijah, was known for his

miracles. What connection did these miracles have to the prophetic ministry

of Elisha? How did these miracles demonstrate who God was and His heart

for His people?

When mocked by the young boys about being bald, Elisha cursed them. The

Lord responded by sending a bear to maul the boys. How did that act

demonstrate the importance of respecting the servants of God?

What role did music have in the prophetic ministry of Elisha? How did

music contribute to his ministry?

What was the school of the prophets? What role did Elisha play in these

schools?

How did Elisha’s ministry differ from the ministries of other prophets in

Scripture?

For Prayer:

Thank the Lord that He personalises His gifts and calling. You may have a

similar spiritual gift or calling as someone else, but the outworking of that

gift and calling will be very different. Ask the Lord to show you how He

wants you to serve Him with the gifts He has given you. Ask the Lord to

forgive you for times when you have tried to imitate someone else’s

ministry.

Elisha was involved in a ministry of equipping the next generation for the

prophetic ministry. Ask the Lord to help you to have an influence on the

next generation after you. Ask Him to show you how you can exhort and

encourage those who will follow in your steps.

11 - JONAH

robably one of the most famous prophets of the Old Testament is a

man by the name of Jonah. The first record we have of him is found

in 2 Kings 14:25. Speaking about King Jeroboam II, we read:

[25] He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far

as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the LORD,

the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son

of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher. (2 Kings

14)

While we do not have a written record of this prophecy in Scripture, it

appears that Jonah prophesied that the border of Israel would be restored. It

is clear from this verse that Jeroboam II fulfilled this prophecy of Jonah.

From 2 Kings 14:23 we understand that Jeroboam II became king in Israel

in the fifteenth year of Amaziah, the son of Joash of Judah:

[23] In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of

Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to

reign in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. (2 Kings 14)

The prophet Elisha died during the reign of Amaziah’s father Joash (see 2

Kings 13:14). This would place Jonah’s ministry somewhere around the

time of Elisha.

We also learn from 2 Kings 14:25 that Jonah lived in Gath-hepher. This was

a town located a few kilometres north of Nazareth and east of Bethlehem.

2 Kings give us a sense of the days in which Jonah lived. When Elisha the

prophet ended his ministry, the people of God were facing serious problems

with the Syrians.

[22] Now Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of

Jehoahaz. (2 Kings 13)

This was not the only conflict that raged in those days. According to 2

Kings 14:11-14, King Jehoash of Israel determined to wage war against

Judah. A battle took place in Beth-shemesh in Judah. Judah was defeated by

Israel, and Jehoash broke down the wall of Jerusalem and plundered the

temple, stripping it of gold, silver, and vessels used in the service of the

Lord. He took hostages from Judah with him on his return to Samaria, the

capital of Israel.

As for King Amaziah, he would ultimately be assassinated by his own

people after fleeing Jerusalem from a plot to kill him:

[17] Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen

years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel.

[18] Now the rest of the deeds of Amaziah, are they not written

in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? [19] And

they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled

to Lachish. But they sent after him to Lachish and put him to

death there. (2 Kings 14)

2 Kings 14:26 describes the days in which Jonah likely lived in the

following words:

[26] For the LORD saw that the affliction of Israel was very

bitter, for there was none left, bond or free, and there was none

to help Israel. (2 Kings 14)

These were difficult days for the people of God.

It was in this setting that the word of the Lord came to the prophet Jonah,

asking him to leave Gath-hepher and go to Nineveh for the purpose of

speaking out against the evil of the city. Nineveh was the principal city of

the Assyrians at this time and located about 1,000 kilometres (600 miles)

from Gath-hepher where Jonah lived. This was a significant distance for

Jonah to travel in those days. Jonah’s response to that call of God is

recorded in Jonah 1:3:

[3] But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the

LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to

Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with

them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. (Jonah

The prophet rebelled against the call of God and chose instead to travel to

Joppa where he boarded a ship headed for Tarshish. Most Bible

commentators believe that Tarshish was in present-day Spain, which was in

the opposite direction to Nineveh. The attempt of Jonah here is to run as far

away from the call of God as possible.

God pursued Jonah, and a great storm blew against that ship. Coming to

realize that the cause of this storm was the rebellious heart of Jonah, the

sailors reluctantly throw him overboard to save their lives (Jonah 1:7-15).

The wind stopped the moment Jonah was thrown into the sea. The sailors

were so touched by this that Jonah 1:16 tells us that they “feared the LORD

exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.”

The Lord used Jonah in his rebellion to touch the lives of these sailors.

There on the ship, they came to fear the Lord God of Israel. We are not told

what vows they made that day, but we can only imagine that some of those

vows related to honouring the God of Israel when they returned home.

Their lives would never be the same after meeting Jonah. Jonah’s heart was

rebellious. He was living in disobedience to the Lord, but the Lord used him

to touch these sailors in a powerful way.

The Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah and for three days he lay

in the belly of that fish. After three days, the fish spit up Jonah on dry land.

Again, it is vital that we understand what is happening here. Listen to what

the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 12:39-40:

[39] But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation

seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of

the prophet Jonah. [40] For just as Jonah was three days and

three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man

be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

(Matthew 12)

Jesus used the story of Jonah in the belly of the fish to illustrate what would

happen to Him. Jonah was cast into the sea to save the lives of the sailors on

the ship. The Lord Jesus would suffer death to save His people from sin.

Jonah would remain three days in the belly of the fish. The Lord Jesus

would remain three days in the darkness of the tomb. After three days Jonah

was released from the belly of the fish when it vomited him up on dry land.

The Lord Jesus would also be released from the tomb after three days when

He rose from the dead.

Even as Jonah was running away, the Lord God was using him. The time

Jonah spent in the belly of the fish was prophetic in nature. He was living

out a prophecy about the Lord Jesus and how He would die, be buried and

rise again from the dead. I don’t think Jonah was aware of what God was

doing. He had not seen the sailors bow down to God when he was thrown

overboard. He was not likely aware of how the belly of the fish was a

prophetic picture of the Messiah’s work. God was using Jonah in powerful

ways, without him knowing it.

When God renewed His call to Jonah to go to Nineveh, this time Jonah

determined he would go. The entire message of Jonah to the people of

Nineveh is summarized in eight words: “Yet forty days and Nineveh shall

be overthrown!” (Jonah3:4).

The results of those words, however, were powerful. Jonah 3:6 shows us the

response of the people of Nineveh to his message:

[5] And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a

fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least

of them. [6] The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he

arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with

sackcloth, and sat in ashes. [7] And he issued a proclamation

and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and

his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste

anything. Let them not feed or drink water, [8] but let man and

beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily

to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the

violence that is in his hands. [9] Who knows? God may turn

and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not

perish.” (Jonah 3)

What is particularly interesting is the response of Jonah to the revival that

broke out that day in Nineveh:

[4:1] But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.

[2] And he prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD, is not this

what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made

haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious

God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast

love, and relenting from disaster. [3] Therefore now, O LORD,

please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to

live.” (Jonah 4)

Jonah was “exceedingly displeased” and “angry” with the Lord. He told

God that the reason he did not want to go to Nineveh in the first place was

that he knew God would forgive its inhabitants. He did not want God to

forgive them. In fact, his anger with God over this matter was so great,

Jonah asked God to take his life. He told God that he would rather die than

see the people of Nineveh receive the mercy and compassion of God.

Notice the rebellion and prejudice of Jonah. He hated the people of

Nineveh. He wanted to see them perish. The last thing in the world he

wanted to see was that they come to His God. Despite this great hatred in

his heart, God used Jonah’s message that day to bring an entire city to its

knees in repentance.

The life of Jonah teaches us several lessons about the prophetic ministry.

Consider first, the difficulty of the ministry. God asked Jonah to do

something he did not want to do. In fact, it was the last thing in the world he

wanted to do. He asked him to go where Jonah did not want to go. Those

who are called to be prophets are called to surrender everything to the Lord.

They are to go and say what God wants them to say, even when that

message clashes with their own ideas and desires. The prophetic ministry is

not an easy one. The word God asks the prophet to speak is not always an

easy word to share. True prophets of God, however, will die to their own

ideas and go where God calls them to go and say what He tells them to say,

even when it makes them uncomfortable.

Second, the power of the prophetic ministry is not in the person but in God

and His word. Jonah is a clear example of this. His ministry is characterized

by rebellion against God. We can hardly attribute his success in preaching

to his level of maturity in faith. His attitudes were wrong. His heart was not

in the right place. God worked through Jonah, despite his attitude. Jonah

reluctantly confessed his sin to the sailors on the ship, and this resulted in

them bowing down in worship of his God. He lay helplessly in the belly of

the fish, but God used it to illustrate the work of the Messiah to come. He

preached a very bitter and angry message in Nineveh and God brought

repentance and revival in the city. The power of Jonah’s ministry was in

God and God alone. Even the word preached with anger accomplished

God’s purpose. This is not an excuse for the prophet to live in rebellion, but

it is a reminder for us not to exalt the prophet but to recognize the Lord in

his or her words.

Third, notice the evangelistic thrust to the prophetic ministry of Jonah. The

sailors on the ship came to know about the God of Israel and bowed down

to Him. The people of Nineveh repented and cried out to the God of Israel.

Even the time Jonah spent in the belly of the fish spoke of a Saviour who

would die on behalf of His people, spend three days in the tomb and be

resurrected. This is the message of the gospel. Jonah spoke to unbelievers,

and God used his prophetic ministry to bring these unbelievers to Himself.

We see the great diversity in the prophetic ministry. Prophets speak the

word of God, but they do so in many ways and to many different people.

Jonah was a reluctant prophetic evangelist, speaking to unbelievers about

the Saviour and their need to repent.

For Consideration:

What were the conditions in Israel and Judah when Jonah was a prophet?

Why do you suppose God sent Jonah to a foreign country when the

conditions in his homeland were so needy? What does this teach us about

missions and the call of God on the life of a missionary?

How did God use Jonah’s rebellion to speak to those with whom he came

into contact? What was the reason for Jonah’s effective ministry? Why do

we look so much at the instrument God uses rather than to God?

How is Jonah’s time in the belly of the fish a prophetic statement about the

coming Messiah?

Jonah’s prophetic ministry seemed to have an evangelistic focus. What does

this teach us about prophecy? Does God still send prophets to the

unbeliever today?

For Prayer:

Ask the Lord to help you to be more sensitive to His leading and not on

your human understanding. Thank Him that He has a purpose for your life.

Ask Him to show you what He has for you to do.

Thank the Lord for a time when He worked out His purpose in your life

even when you failed Him. Thank Him that He is in control.

Ask the Lord to forgive you for times when you took glory due to Him for

yourself. Thank the Lord that He is the source of our success in ministry.

Thank Him for the way He wants to empower and use you.

Ask the Lord to give you a heart that is wholly surrendered to Him so that

you are willing to go where He wants you to go and speak what He wants

you to say.

12 - AMOS

he prophet Amos likely ministered just after the time of Jonah.

From Amos 1:1 we read:

[1] The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of

Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah

king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash,

king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. (Amos 1)

Notice that Amos lived during the reign of King Uzziah of Judah and King

Jeroboam II of Israel in the region of Tekoa, a community about 10

kilometres (6 miles) southeast of Bethlehem. We also learn that Amos was a

shepherd by profession. Further details about the prophet are revealed in

Amos 7:1-2:

[14] Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was no

prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a

dresser of sycamore figs. [15] But the LORD took me from

following the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to

my people Israel.’ (Amos 7)

It appears that Amos cared for sycamore figs. While he had no training as a

prophet, the Lord called him away from his flock to speak to His people.

To understand the ministry of the prophet Amos, we need to understand the

times in which he lived. Jeroboam II was king in the northern kingdom of

Israel. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, but Jonah had prophesied that

prosperity would still come to Israel:

[24] And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did

not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat,

which he made Israel to sin. [25] He restored the border of

Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah,

according to the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, which he

spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who

was from Gath-hepher. [26] For the LORD saw that the

affliction of Israel was very bitter, for there was none left, bond

or free, and there was none to help Israel. (2 Kings 14)

Jeroboam II, through his military campaigns, restored land that had been

taken from them and there is evidence of great prosperity in Israel in his

days. The Tyndale Bible commentary says this about the reign of Jeroboam

II who reigned from the capital of Samaria in Israel:

The archaeological evidence at Samaria indicates a

reconstruction program in the royal palace during the

prosperous reigns of Joash and Jeroboam II. In 1910

excavators found over 60 inscribed potsherds that were

invoices or labels for oil and wine sent to the royal stores for

use in the king's service…These illustrate the extensive

holdings and opulence of the royal house in Israel during the

reign of Jeroboam II.

Large numbers of carved decorative plaques and panels of

ivory were also found in the ruins of Samaria, a reminder of the

wealth of the northern kingdom in its latter days. The influence

of the pagan societies of Syria, Assyria, and Egypt can be seen

by the various figures of deities on the ivories…

The northern kingdom reached its greatest extension since the

time of Solomon as the result of God's care for Israel during

Jeroboam's reign. The boundaries stretched from Hamath on

the Orontes River in the north to the Gulf of Aqaba, with its

cities of Elath and Ezion-geber, in the south. (Comfort, Philip

W., Elwell, Walter A., ed. Tyndale Bible Dictionary,

“Jeroboam,” Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Laridian, electronic edition,

formatted for Pocket Bible)

In the southern kingdom of Judah, King Uzziah reigned. King Uzziah was

also known as Azariah. Unlike Jeroboam II, King Uzziah was a good king

who served the Lord (2 Kings 15:3). From 2 Chronicles 26:5 we learn that

if he sought the Lord, he prospered:

[5] He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who

instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the

LORD, God made him prosper. (2 Chronicles 26)

2 Chronicles 26 indicate that there was great prosperity in Judah during the

days of Uzziah. The Lord gave him victories over the Philistines. He would

even build cities in the Philistine territory (verse 6). He had victory also

over the Arabians and the Meunites (verse 7). The Ammonites paid tribute

to Uzziah (verse 8). He fortified Jerusalem by building defence towers

(verse 9). He built cisterns for water (verse 10). He had a large and

powerful army (verse 11) and even invented and constructed military

weapons for the defence of his nation (verse 15). 2 Chronicles 26:15 tells us

that “his fame spread far.”

When he was prosperous and famous, Uzziah became proud and turned

from the Lord. He died as a leper as a result of his pride (see 2 Chronicles

26:19-21).

The days in which Amos lived were days of prosperity. They were,

however, not days of faithfulness to God. Jeroboam II, though prosperous,

turned his back on the Lord God. King Uzziah, began his ministry as a good

king but prosperity and fame caused him to wander from God. This

prosperity and pride created a variety of social problems that needed to be

addressed by Amos.

In the first two chapters of the book of Amos, the prophet has a word from

the Lord for the nations surrounding Israel and Judah. He rebukes the

country of Syria because they oppressed Gilead (1:3). He expressed the

anger of the Lord against Gaza for how they took people from their

homeland and carried them into exile (1:6). He reminded the leadership of

Tyre of how they delivered their neighbours into the hands of Edom (1:9).

He reprimanded Edom because they pursued their brother without pity

(1:11). He chastised the Ammonites for ripping open pregnant women in

Gilead (1:13). Finally, he condemned the Moabites for burning the bones of

the king of Edom (2:1). Amos is angered by the injustice, cruelty, and

oppression of these nations.

Amos rebuked the nation of Judah and Israel for rejecting the law of God

and in Amos 2:6-8 lists a series of crimes that were being committed in

Israel:

[6] Thus says the LORD:

“For three transgressions of Israel,

and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,

because they sell the righteous for silver,

and the needy for a pair of sandals—

[7] those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the

earth

and turn aside the way of the afflicted;

a man and his father go into the same girl

so that my holy name is profaned;

[8] they lay themselves down beside every altar

on garments taken in pledge,

and in the house of their God they drink

the wine of those who have been fined. (Amos 2)

Notice the injustice and oppression that broke the heart of God. Israel sold

the needy into bondage and slavery to enrich the pockets of the wealthy.

The poor of the nation were being trampled in the dust. Sexual immorality

was rampant in the land. Amos lamented the fact that God’s people

accumulated wealth by means of violence and robbery:

[10] “They do not know how to do right,” declares the LORD,

“those who store up violence and robbery in their

strongholds.” (Amos 3)

In his anger toward the women of Israel, Amos addressed them as cows of

Bashan. Bashan was a fertile and prosperous plain in the nation of Israel.

Listen to what Amos had to say to these women:

[1] “Hear this word, you cows of Bashan,

who are on the mountain of Samaria,

who oppress the poor, who crush the needy,

who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!’ (Amos

The picture here is of ladies who spent their time in luxury at the expense of

the poor and needy. They demanded that their husband provide them with

the good things of life. The needy were being crushed to provide for the

cravings of these insensitive and proud women.

Amos pleaded with the people of Israel to seek the Lord and live (5:6). He

begged them to turn from injustice to a life of righteousness

[7] O you who turn justice to wormwood

and cast down righteousness to the earth! (Amos 5)

The prophet defines this injustice in Amos 5:10-12:

[10] They hate him who reproves in the gate,

and they abhor him who speaks the truth.

[11] Therefore because you trample on the poor

and you exact taxes of grain from him,

you have built houses of hewn stone,

but you shall not dwell in them;

you have planted pleasant vineyards,

but you shall not drink their wine.

[12] For I know how many are your transgressions

and how great are your sins—

you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe,

and turn aside the needy in the gate. (Amos 5)

The people of Amos’ day hated those who spoke the truth about God’s

requirements. They wanted to enrich themselves. The god of materialism

had captured their hearts. They trample on the poor by demanding heavy

taxes. They took bribes and refused justice to the needy because they could

not pay them. Amos reminded these Israelites that God would turn His back

on them because of this injustice:

[21] “I hate, I despise your feasts,

and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.

[22] Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain

offerings,

I will not accept them;

and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,

I will not look upon them.

[23] Take away from me the noise of your songs;

to the melody of your harps I will not listen.

[24] But let justice roll down like waters,

and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. (Amos 5)

God would no longer accept their offerings. He described their worship

songs as a “noise” in His ears. They only way they could again experience

His blessing and favour was if they “let justice roll down like waters.” In

other words, they would have to repent of their injustice and treat their

citizens with the respect they deserved. They would have to stop oppressing

them and reach out instead in compassion and mercy to them in their need.

Amos has some strong words to say to the oppressive rich in his nation.

Notice that he describes them as “those who are at ease in Zion” (6:1).

These individuals lived the easy life and had no worries –they felt secure on

the mountain of Samaria (6:1). Amos reminded them, however, that there

was cause for worry. Other men as rich and prosperous as they, had fallen

under the wrath of God (6:2). They were rich, oppressive and violent but

enjoyed the good life:

[4] “Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory

and stretch themselves out on their couches,

and eat lambs from the flock

and calves from the midst of the stall,

[5] who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp

and like David invent for themselves instruments of music,

[6] who drink wine in bowls

and anoint themselves with the finest oils,

but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! (Amos 6)

These rich people slept in fancy beds, stuffed their faces with delightful

food, sang songs, anointed themselves with the finest oils, and drank wine

by the bowl. They had no concern for the injustice around them. Their only

concern was for themselves and their prosperity. Amos reminded these

people that they would be the first to go into exile when the judgement of

God fell (see Amos 6:7).

It is easy to see what the prosperity of the day was doing to the people.

They enjoyed their riches. In fact, their possessions had become gods to

them. They wanted more and more and greedily took from others to make

their life more comfortable. Amos speaks out strongly against the injustice

of his day. As a simple shepherd, he understood the needs of the poor. He

felt their pain and the injustice done to them.

In Amos 3:7 we read:

[7] “For the Lord GOD does nothing

without revealing his secret

to his servants the prophets. (Amos 3)

God does not punish without giving a warning to His people. He sends His

prophets to bring a warning of coming judgement. He gives His people

every opportunity to repent before pronouncing His sentence. God sent

Amos to rebuke the people of Israel for the injustice and oppression in their

land. In Amos 7 God also gave his servant three visions that showed him

what would happen in Israel because of their sin and rebellion.

The first vision was a vision of locusts that came when the crop was just

beginning to sprout. These locusts destroyed the crop and left nothing for

the people to eat (see Amos 7:1-2). God was showing Amos that He was

going to remove the blessings of the land and leave them destitute.

The second vision was a vision of fire that devoured the land. Again, God

was showing Amos what would happen to the land of Israel. It would be

left destitute and stripped of its blessing (see Amos 7:4).

In the final vision, the Lord gave Amos a picture of a wall with a plumb line

to measure how straight the wall was. God told Amos that He was going to

set the plumb line against the wall of Israel to determine if they were

straight. In other words, God was going to evaluate the nation of Israel

against the standard of His law to see if they followed His purpose. The

result was that the land would be found guilty and laid waste (Amos 7:9).

These visions reminded the people of God that their oppression and

injustice would not go unpunished.

To show Amos how soon this judgement would come, the Lord gave him

another picture in Amos 8:1:

[8:1] This is what the Lord GOD showed me: behold, a basket

of summer fruit. [2] And he said, “Amos, what do you see?”

And I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the LORD said to

me,

“The end has come upon my people Israel;

I will never again pass by them. (Amos 8:1)

The word for summer fruit is the Hebrew word “qayis.” After showing

Amos the summer fruit (qayis), God went on to tell him that Israel’s end

had come. The Hebrew word for end is the word “qēs.” The word for

summer fruit and the word for “end” sound quite similar. This has led some

commentators to say that God is using a play on words here. What is clear

is that the Lord was showing Amos that the day of judgement was drawing

near for the people of Israel.

The message Amos delivered to the people of Israel about injustice and

oppression was not well received. In fact, Amaziah the priest sent word to

the king that Amos had conspired against him. According to Amaziah, the

“land could not bear his words”:

10] Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of

Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of

the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words.

(Amos 7)

The words of Amos were rejected by the religious leaders of his day.

As Amos concludes his prophecy, he reminded the people of Israel that

while their punishment would be severe, God would not forget them. The

day would come when blessing would be restored, and the fortunes of Israel

would be replenished (see Amos 9:11-14).

As a prophet, Amos ministered at a time of great prosperity in Israel and

Judah. That prosperity had captured the hearts of God’s people. The result

was a lust for power, luxury, and comfort at the expense of the poorest in

the land. Amos cried out against this injustice. He reminded people of their

responsibility to support the helpless and needy in their society. Amos was

concerned for social justice and warned his people that they were

accountable to God for how they treated even the lowest person in society.

He shared with his people God’s heart for the poor and needy.

For Consideration:

What evidence do we have in the book of Amos that the prosperity of the

nations of Israel and Judah had become a curse in their countries?

Compare the ministry of Jonah with that of Amos. How did God use Jonah?

What burden did He give to Amos? What does this teach us about the

prophetic ministry? Are all prophets the same? Do all prophets have the

same burden and focus?

What would Amos have to say to your society today? What injustice would

he find and speak out against?

For Prayer:

What burden has the Lord given you? Ask Him to help you to communicate

that burden with those who need to hear.

Take a moment to pray about the injustice in our world today. Ask the Lord

to raise up men and women to speak to this injustice. Ask God to raise up

people to do something about the injustice in our nations.

Thank the Lord that He takes a personal interest in the hardships we face. If

you are experiencing this right now, ask the Lord to reveal His heart for you

in your suffering and pain.

13 - HOSEA

osea the prophet lived around the time of Amos and likely

ministered from the northern kingdom of Israel. Evidence of this

is found in the first verse of his prophecy:

[1] The word of the LORD that came to Hosea, the son of

Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings

of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of

Israel. (Hosea 1)

Notice that Hosea prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz,

and Hezekiah of Judah. A quick look at the reigns of these kings show us

the following:

From the beginning of Uzziah’s reign to the death of Hezekiah there is a

span of 114 years. It was during the reign of Jotham that Amos died, so

Hosea’s ministry began during the time of Amos but continued after Amos

had died. It is likely that Hosea started his ministry toward the end of the

reign of Uzziah and finished at the beginning of Hezekiah’s reign.

The other important detail we need to understand from verse 1 is that it was

during the reign of Hezekiah of Judah that the Assyrians would invade

Israel and take them captive. Hosea was one of the last prophets in Israel to

speak to the people before this invasion of Assyria and the loss of their

land.

While not stated in the book, we believe that Hosea lived in the northern

kingdom of Israel. Support for this idea is found in his prophecy which

seems to speak primarily to the northern kingdom of Israel. While Hosea

does occasionally speak to the southern kingdom of Judah during the reigns

mentioned above, much of his message is focused on Israel. To appreciate

fully the ministry of Hosea, it may be helpful for us to consider what was

taking place at this time in the northern kingdom of Israel.

Jeroboam II led the northern kingdom of Israel into prosperity and

expansion that was unparalleled since the time of Solomon. Jonah

prophesied about this expansion in 2 Kings 14:25. The wealth of Israel,

however, led its citizens to become proud and turn from God. God led

Amos to speak to them about this pride and the social injustice that resulted

from it. The blessing of God would ultimately be removed from Israel and

the years that followed Jeroboam II would be years of tremendous

confusion.

Jeroboam’s son Zechariah would come to power after the death of his

father. He continued to promote his father’s evil ways. According to 2

Kings 15:8 he would only reign in Israel for six months before he was

assassinated by Shallum, who took his place on the throne.

Shallum’s reign was even shorter than that of Zechariah. 2 Kings 15:13 tells

us that he was king for only one month before he was assassinated by

Menahem.

Menahem took the throne after killing Shallum. He reigned for ten years in

the capital of Samaria. To guarantee his continued rule, however, Menahem

had to pay tribute to the Assyrians. 2 Kings 15:20 tells us where he obtained

the money necessary to pay this tribute:

[20] Menahem exacted the money from Israel, that is, from all

the wealthy men, fifty shekels of silver from every man, to give

to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back and

did not stay there in the land. (2 Kings 15)

While Menahem was able to pay Assyria to remain in power, it is clear that

Israel was subject to the Assyrians and was fearful of what they might do if

that money was not paid.

When Menahem died, Pekakiah, his son sat on the throne. He reigned two

years before Pekah conspired against him and assassinated him in Samaria

(see 2 Kings 15:23-26).

After assassinating Pekakiah, Pekah took the throne in Israel. Pekah reigned

for twenty years in Israel. During his reign, however, the Assyrians invaded

the land of Israel and captured many cities (see 2 Kings 15:29). The nation

was growing weaker and smaller with each Assyrian invasion. Eventually, a

conspiracy rose up against Pekah and Hoshea assassinated him and took his

place on the throne (2 Kings 15:30).

Hoshea reigned 9 years in Israel. Like Pekah before him, however, he was

not able to shake off the Assyrian threat. When Assyria attacked and

demanded tribute from him, Hoshea sought the help of Egypt and refused to

pay the tribute Assyria demanded. When his rebellion was discovered, the

Assyrians captured him and put him in prison. These Assyrians then

invaded Samaria and oppressed it for three years before eventually taking

its citizens into captivity.

We can see from this that the days in which Hosea prophesied were difficult

for Israel. Of the six kings, who reigned after Jeroboam II, four were

assassinated, and one was captured and imprisoned by the Assyrians. There

was tremendous political confusion. The nation of Israel was under constant

threat from Assyria and paid a regular tribute to maintain peace. This

resulted in the wealth of the land being stripped away and its people’s

freedom limited. It was into this political and religious climate that God

sent His prophet Hosea.

The prophecy of Hosea begins with a command from the Lord to the

prophet:

Hosea’s Wife And Children

[2] When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said

to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have

children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by

forsaking the LORD.” (Hosea 1)

God commanded Hosea to marry a “wife of whoredom,”, he was to find a

wife who lived an immoral lifestyle and who would not be faithful to him.

While this appears to be strange, as it is contrary to the desire of God for

any marriage, there was a clear purpose in this command of God. Hosea 1:1

gives us that reason when it says: “for the land commits great whoredom by

forsaking the LORD.” Hosea’s marriage to this wife would be a symbol to

the people of how they were treating God. When Israel saw Hosea and his

wife, they would see a picture of themselves and their own unfaithfulness.

Hosea took a wife by the name of Gomer. They would have three children.

The Lord gave Hosea the names he was to give these children. The first

male child was to be called Jezreel meaning God will scatter (see Hosea

1:4-5). The second child was a daughter. God told Hosea to call her “No

Mercy” because He would no longer show mercy and compassion to His

people (see Hosea 1:6-7). The third child was a son given the name “Not

My People” because God had ceased to see these people as His (see Hosea

1:8-9).

What is essential for us to see here is how God not only called Hosea to

speak His words to the people of Israel but also to demonstrate the truth he

was communicating to them by how he lived. As we continue in our

reflection of the prophetic ministry in Scripture, we will see that not all

prophecy is spoken. God sometimes communicates his message in visual

ways through His servants. In this case, Hosea’s family life was a powerful

illustration of how God saw Israel.

In chapter 3, we discover that Gomer was living with another man. God

called Hosea to go to the home where she was living and take her back.

This was to illustrate the incredible mercy and forgiveness of God for His

people. Just as Hosea took his unfaithful wife back, so God would restore

His unfaithful people to Himself. This would not have been an easy thing

for Hosea to do. His life with Gomer was a difficult one. She betrayed him

and hurt him deeply. This, however, was the cost of serving the Lord and

being a prophet. Many desire a prophetic ministry but not all have counted

the cost.

While Hosea lived out his prophetic message, God also called him to speak

to the people and bring them His word. Let’s take a moment to examine that

message under four main headings.

Accusation Of God

Through His servant Hosea, God reminded His people of their rebellion and

unfaithfulness. Listen to what Hosea told the Israelites in chapter 4:

[1] Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel,

for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the

land.

There is no faithfulness or steadfast love,

and no knowledge of God in the land;

[2] there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing

adultery;

they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.

(Hosea 4)

There are some strong accusations in these two verses. As God looks on the

land of Israel, He finds no faithfulness, love or acknowledgement of God.

Instead, all He saw was swearing, lying, murder, stealing, adultery,

lawlessness, and bloodshed. This was a nation that was guilty of great sin

and rebellion.

While Israel did not acknowledge her Creator God, she did acknowledge

other gods. Hosea would confront her idolatry in chapter 4 when he said:

[12] My people inquire of a piece of wood,

and their walking staff gives them oracles.

For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray,

and they have left their God to play the whore.

[13] They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains

and burn offerings on the hills,

under oak, poplar, and terebinth,

because their shade is good.

Therefore your daughters play the whore,

and your brides commit adultery. (Hosea 4)

God accused His people of being a “whore.” The sin of whoredom,

however, was much deeper than this. In Hosea 5:4 Hosea told the people

that they were trapped by a spirit of whoredom to the point that they could

not return to God or even escape this sinful lifestyle of rebellion against

God.

[4] Their deeds do not permit them

to return to their God.

For the spirit of whoredom is within them,

and they know not the LORD. (Hosea 8)

According to Hosea 8:14, their rebellion against God was so great that they

had completely forgotten Him. He no longer even entered their thoughts:

[14] For Israel has forgotten his Maker

and built palaces,

and Judah has multiplied fortified cities;

so I will send a fire upon his cities,

and it shall devour her strongholds. (Hosea 8)

Hosea’s language reflects the life he experienced with his wife. She played

the whore and lusted after other men. He spoke with the pain of a husband

whose wife no longer loved him and chose other men before him.

Desire Of God

God’s people had been accused of great unfaithfulness. That did not mean

that God no longer loved them, however. In fact, through Hosea, the Lord

communicated the intensity of His love and devotion for His people. This is

what made their rebellion so difficult. God still loved them with deep and

unbreakable love.

God would judge His people because of their sin, but there was a purpose in

this judgement. Listen to the words of God through Hosea in chapter 5:

[14] For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,

and like a young lion to the house of Judah.

I, even I, 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,

and in their distress earnestly seek me. (Hosea 5)

God promised that He would punish His people for their sin and whoredom

but notice in Hosea 5:15 that His desire was that this punishment would

force them to “acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their

distress earnestly seek me.” It was the profound desire of God that Israel

seek His face. Notice that he wants them to “earnestly seek” him in verse

15. He wanted them to love Him and seek Him passionately.

God’s desire was not just for service and devotion but for His people to

truly love Him:

[6] For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,

the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. (Hosea 8)

Though His people had wandered from Him and found other lovers, it was

the desire of God to redeem them and bring them back to Himself:

[13] Woe to them, for they have strayed from me!

Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against me!

I would redeem them,

but they speak lies against me. (Hosea 7)

You can sense the broken heart of God in these words: “I would redeem

them, but they speak lies against me.”

The depth of God’s love for His people can be seen in Hosea 9 when He

said:

[10] Like grapes in the wilderness,

I found Israel.

Like the first fruit on the fig tree

in its first season,

I saw your fathers.

But they came to Baal-peor

and consecrated themselves to the thing of shame,

and became detestable like the thing they loved. (Hosea 9)

God compares finding Israel to a person wandering through a hot desert

discovering a beautiful cluster of ripe and juicy grapes. He describes the

thrill of meeting Israel to a farmer who sees the first fruits growing on a

young fig tree in its very first season. There is excitement and joy in these

illustrations. They show us the passion of God toward His people. He is

thrilled by them and overwhelmed with love and compassion for them.

Hosea 11 describes God’s relationship with Israel as a young child:

[11:1] When Israel was a child, I loved him,

and out of Egypt I called my son.

[2] The more they were called,

the more they went away;

they kept sacrificing to the Baals

and burning offerings to idols.

[3] Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk;

I took them up by their arms,

but they did not know that I healed them.

[4] I led them with cords of kindness,

with the bands of love,

and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws,

and I bent down to them and fed them. (Hosea 11)

As a father, the Lord God loved His son Ephraim. He taught him to walk,

healed his wounds when he fell, fed him, and led him with kindness and

love. Verse 2, however, describes this father calling out to this young child

to come back to him but “the more they were called, the more they went

away.” The heart of the Father is deeply grieved watching the child he

taught to walk, walk away from him.

Hosea reminds his people that the Lord God had deep compassion and love

for them. Their wandering and whoredom grieved Him and He longed to

have them return to Him and be blessed. God would, in fact, ask Hosea to

take his own wandering wife, Gomer, back and love her as God loved His

people (Hosea 3:1). The prophet was to illustrate this incredible love and

forgiveness of God by forgiving and loving his own rebellious wife.

Judgment Of God

While God’s love for His people was beyond question, as a holy God, He

would punish her for her sin and rebellion. Hosea was sent to warn his

people of this coming judgement of God. Through Hosea, the Lord God

pleaded with His people to put away her whoredom and return to him:

[2] “Plead with your mother, plead—

for she is not my wife,

and I am not her husband—

that she put away her whoring from her face,

and her adultery from between her breasts;

[3] lest I strip her naked

and make her as in the day she was born,

and make her like a wilderness,

and make her like a parched land,

and kill her with thirst. (Hosea 2)

Through Hosea, God warns Israel that if she did not return to Him, He

would strip her naked and make her land like a parched wilderness. That

prophecy would be fulfilled as the Assyrians marched against Samaria,

destroying its buildings, removing its wealth and leading its inhabitants into

captivity.

Everything would be taken from these unfaithful people of God.

[3] Therefore the land mourns,

and all who dwell in it languish,

and also the beasts of the field

and the birds of the heavens, and even the fish of the sea are

taken away. (Hosea 4)

They would be swallowed up by the nations:

[8] Israel is swallowed up;

already they are among the nations

as a useless vessel.

[9] For they have gone up to Assyria,

a wild donkey wandering alone;

Ephraim has hired lovers. (Hosea 8)

Hosea prophesied that the nation of Assyria would take Israel as captives.

They would eat “unclean food in Assyria” (see Hosea 9:3). These words

would not have been easy for the prophet to proclaim. God’s people,

however, knew the threat of Assyria and understood that the prophecy could

very quickly become a reality.

Promise Of God

There is one final detail we need to examine in the prophecy of Hosea.

While God promised to judge His people, He also reassured them that He

had not given up on them. God promised that there was a day coming when

they would be restored in their relationship with Him:

[18] And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the

beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping

things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and

war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety.

(Hosea 2)

God would abolish the bow and sword, and His people would live securely,

free from all enemies. The day would come when His exiled children would

be restored to their land:

[10] They shall go after the LORD;

he will roar like a lion;

when he roars,

his children shall come trembling from the west;

[11] they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt,

and like doves from the land of Assyria,

and I will return them to their homes, declares the LORD.

(Hosea 11)

Notice that as Israel returned, she would return like trembling birds and

doves from the land of Assyria. This is a picture of humility and repentance.

They would not return the same as they left. The work of God would be

accomplished in them, and they would return a different people. They went

in pride but would return in humility. They left as rebellious whores but

returned as a loving and devoted wife of God.

God promised through Hosea that he would redeem His people from death:

[14] I shall ransom them from the power of Sheol;

I shall redeem them from Death.

O Death, where are your plagues?

O Sheol, where is your sting?

Compassion is hidden from my eyes. (Hosea 13)

Not only would God redeem His people from death, but He also promised

to heal and restore their blessing:

[4] I will heal their apostasy;

I will love them freely,

for my anger has turned from them.

[5] I will be like the dew to Israel;

he shall blossom like the lily;

he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon;

[6] his shoots shall spread out;

his beauty shall be like the olive,

and his fragrance like Lebanon. (Hosea 14)

God would heal their rebellious heart and turn His great anger from Israel.

He would love them freely (generously and with great extravagance). He

would once again pour out His blessing on them and make them a great

nation under Him.

Hosea spoke of a God who longed for more than acts of service from a

people whose heart was elsewhere. He challenged the people of God to

walk in deeper intimacy with God. Just as Hosea grieved the unfaithfulness

of his wife, so God grieved over the unfaithfulness of his people. Just as

Hosea longed to be truly loved by his wife, so God was grieved by the

divided heart of His people.

Hosea spoke to a people who had lost sight of God and His beauty. He

challenged a people whose wandering heart looked longingly to other gods.

He longed to see God’s people restored to intimacy with God. As he looked

around him, he saw a people who had become distracted. Their relationship

with God was in heartless dutiful sacrifices and mindless celebrations. Their

hearts were not in love with God. There was no passion for God, but they

delighted in other things. Here were people who needed a powerful touch of

God. Here was a nation whose whoring hearts and entrapped them so that

they could no longer return to God. Only the grace and mercy of God could

forgive and restore them. Only the reviving power of God’s Spirit could

renew them. Hosea’s own marriage reflected in a powerful way the message

he preached. Hosea’s great concern as a prophet was that God’s people

experience deep intimacy with God.

For Consideration:

Is prophecy spoken in words only? How did the marriage of Hosea and

Gomer speak prophetically to the people of Israel?

What was the spiritual condition of the people of Israel at the time of

Hosea? How does this compare to the spiritual climate in your society

today?

What does the prophecy of Hosea teach us about the desire of the Lord for a

close and personal relationship with His people? How would you describe

your relationship with God?

How was that judgement of God proof of His intense love for His people?

What was the intention of God in judging His people?

God promised that He would heal the apostasy of His people and give them

a new heart? What does this show us about our inability to heal ourselves?

What needs to be healed in your life? Are you able to trust God for this

healing?

For Prayer:

Take a moment to thank the Lord for the depth of passion He has for you.

Ask the Lord to show you if there is anything that keeps you from a deeper

intimacy with Him. Ask Him to heal that area of your life and restore you to

a right relationship.

Thank the Lord for servants like Hosea who are willing to serve Him at

great personal cost. Ask the Lord to give you the grace to surrender to Him

and His purpose like Hosea.

Thank the Lord for the passion of Hosea to preach about a God whose love

for us is very passionate and intense. Ask the Lord to renew His people so

that they find great delight in Him once again.

14 - ISAIAH

nlike Hosea, who ministered in the northern kingdom of Israel,

Isaiah appears to minister in the southern kingdom of Judah. This

is evident in the opening verse of the prophecy:

[1] The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw

concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham,

Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. (Isaiah 1)

The prophecy of Isaiah, according to this verse, was “concerning Judah and

Jerusalem.” While God would also use Isaiah to speak to several nations,

the primary focus of his ministry would be the nation of Judah.

Verse 1 gives us more information about the prophet. We see that his

father’s name was Amoz. The Bible does not give us any details about

Amoz. We also understand that the prophet ministered during the reigns of

Uzziah, Jothan, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. This places him at the

time of Hosea (see Hosea 1:1). The period between the beginning of

Uzziah’s reign and the death of Hezekiah is about 114 years. As in the case

of Hosea, it is likely that Isaiah began his ministry in the final years of

Uzziah. Some historians estimate that Isaiah would have prophesied for

over 60 years. Isaiah’s name means, “the salvation of Jehovah.”

Isaiah was married. We do not have a record of his wife’s name. She is

referred to in Isaiah 8:3 as the “prophetess.” This may be because she, like

her husband, had prophetic gifting or simply because she was married to a

prophet. We know from the book that Isaiah and his wife had two sons.

Both sons were given names that bore a prophetic significance.

In Isaiah 7:3 we read:

[3] And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you

and Shear-Jeshua your son, at the end of the conduit of the

upper pool on the highway to the Washer’s Field. (Isaiah 7)

According to this verse, Isaiah’s first son was named Shear-jashub. This

name means “a remnant shall return.” The name foretold the future of

God’s people. They would be punished for their sins and sent into exile, but

God would not abandon them. A remnant would return to their homeland

and rebuild the ruins of the city.

We read about Isaiah’s second son in Isaiah 8:3-4:

[3] And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a

son. Then the LORD said to me, “Call his name Maher-shalal-

hash-baz; [4] for before the boy knows how to cry ‘My father’

or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of

Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.”

(Isaiah 8)

Isaiah’s second son was named Maher-shalal-hash-baz. This name means,

“swift to plunder, quick to spoil.” It prophesied of the invasion of the

northern kingdom by Assyria and how they would plunder and spoil the

city of Samaria. It was also a warning to the southern kingdom of Judah of

what could happen to them if they did not turn to the Lord.

Isaiah began his ministry in the final years of Uzziah king of Judah. While

Uzziah had started his reign as a faithful servant of God, his prosperity and

success made him very proud. 2 Chronicles 26 says this about the king in

the final years of his reign:

[16] But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction.

For he was unfaithful to the LORD his God and entered the

temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. (2

Chronicles 26)

Notice the phrase, “he grew proud, to his destruction.” Judgement for the

pride of Uzziah came in the form of leprosy (see 2 Chronicles 27:20-21).

As a leper, King Uzziah live in isolation as a leper while his son Jotham

governed the land on his behalf. Uzziah would die as a leper in rebellion

against God.

[21] And King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death, and

being a leper lived in a separate house, for he was excluded

from the house of the LORD. And Jotham his son was over the

king’s household, governing the people of the land. (2

Chronicles 26)

The nation of Judah enjoyed prosperity under King Uzziah, but they were

aware of the disaster that was taking place in the northern kingdom of

Israel. The Assyrians were a constant threat to their neighbour to the north

and would not hesitate to make advances south toward Judah. Isaiah

described the spiritual climate in the northern kingdom of Israel in the early

days of his ministry in chapter 1:

[2] Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the LORD has

spoken: “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have

rebelled against me. [3] The ox knows its owner, and the

donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do

not understand.” [4] Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with

iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly!

They have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy

One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. (Isaiah 1)

Israel despised the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah describes a godless and sinful

generation that had no love for God nor concern for the principles of His

laws. Isaiah describes a horrible sickness in Israel:

[5] Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to

rebel? The whole head is sick,

and the whole heart faint. [6] From the sole of the foot even to

the head, there is no soundness in it,

but bruises and sores and raw wounds; they are not pressed out

or bound up or softened with oil. (Isaiah 1)

Remember that King Uzziah was stricken with leprosy because of his pride.

Like Uzziah, the whole nation was sick from the “sole of the foot even to

the head.” They were filled with bruises, sores and raw wounds that had not

been bound up. The people of Isaiah’s day would have understood this

imagery especially when Uzziah was experiencing this very thing as a leper

under the judgment of God.

Uzziah was known for his strong army. 2 Chronicles 26:11 describes an

“army of soldiers, fit for war.” This army of 307,500 men was a strong

army with “mighty power” (2 Chronicles 26:12). Uzziah became famous

for his military and provided them with all the weapons they needed to be

successful in battle. In fact, under his reign, Judah was known for their

invention of military machines:

[14] And Uzziah prepared for all the army shields, spears,

helmets, coats of mail, bows, and stones for slinging. [15] In

Jerusalem he made machines, invented by skillful men, to be on

the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and great stones.

And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he

was strong. (2 Chronicles 26)

These weapons and military strength, however, would not mean anything

when the judgement of the Lord fell upon Judah. Listen to the words of the

prophet to this great military power:

[3:1] For behold, the Lord GOD of hosts is taking away from

Jerusalem and from Judah support and supply, all support of

bread, and all support of water; [2] the mighty man and the

soldier, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder, [3]

the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor and the

skillful magician and the expert in charms. (Isaiah 3)

Isaiah prophesied that the efforts of Uzziah to fortify and strengthen his

military would come to nothing. The strength of Judah was not in her

military but in her relationship with God. Isaiah warned his people that just

as their northern neighbours suffered the judgement of God, so Judah would

experience that same wrath if they did not turn from their sin.

It was in the year that King Uzziah died that the Lord appeared to Isaiah in

great vision. In that vision, the angels of heaven reminded the prophet of the

holiness and glory of God.

[2] Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with

two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and

with two he flew. [3] And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;

the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6)

The vision of God’s great holiness and glory terrified the prophet Isaiah,

and he cried out:

[5] … “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean

lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my

eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” (Isaiah 6)

Sensing his fear, one of the angels took a burning coal from the altar and

touched Isaiah’s mouth with it saying: “Behold, this has touched your lips;

your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” It was by this means that

the prophet Isaiah was anointed as a prophet of God. His lips were set apart

and consecrated to God by this anointing.

That day, God gave Isaiah his orders:

[9] And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “‘Keep on

hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not

perceive.’ [10] Make the heart of this people dull, and their

ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes,

and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and

turn and be healed.” (Isaiah 6)

Isaiah’s ministry would not be an easy one. God told him that people would

hear what he had to say but not understand. He was to go to a people whose

hearts were insensitive, whose ears were deaf, and whose eyes were blind.

In other words, Isaiah would speak the word of God to them, but they

would not receive it. God told the prophet that he was to continue

preaching, however, until the cities of Judah lay waste without inhabitants

(Isaiah 6:11).

Consider this commission for a moment. God revealed His holiness and

glory to Isaiah and touched his lips to speak as His prophet. He would go in

the power of the Lord, commissioned by the holy God of Judah, but despite

his commission and anointing, people would not listen or obey the word of

the Lord through him. A prophetic anointing does not mean that people will

receive his or her message. Some prophets never see results from their

ministry. The gifting of a true prophet should never be measured by how

people respond. In fact, if people always react well to a prophet, we may

have cause to wonder if he or she is preaching what God is asking them to

preach. Prophets often preach against evil and corruption in society. Their

words often confront our sinfulness. This kind of message will not always

be appreciated. God told Isaiah from the very beginning that he is to expect

rejection, but he was to be faithful in preaching what God put on his lips.

King Jotham reigned in Judah after the death of Uzziah and Isaiah’s

commissioning as a prophet. He was a good king who “became mighty

because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God” (2 Chronicles

27:6). During his reign, God gave Judah victory over the Ammonites (2

Chronicles 27:5). As king of Judah, he was engaged in a series of

construction projects building walls, cities, towers and forts (2 Chronicles

27:3-4). All this indicates that the people of Judah were living in security

and prosperity at this time.

While Jotham brought stability and prosperity to Judah, it is important to

note that the spiritual climate of the land was not good. Listen to what 2

Chronicles 27 says about Judah’s spiritual life in the days of Jotham:

[2] And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD

according to all that his father Uzziah had done, except he did

not enter the temple of the LORD. But the people still followed

corrupt practices. (2 Chronicles 27)

There was a general apathy toward the things of God. Jotham did not enter

the temple of the Lord. His people followed evil practices. This spiritual

apathy in the generation of Jotham paved the way for open rebellion in the

next generation who had not been taught the ways of God. Jotham’s son

Ahaz would turn from the Lord to the practice of Baal worship. 2

Chronicles 28 describe the spiritual conditions under King Ahab:

[1] Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he

reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was

right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done, [2]

but he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. He even made

metal images for the Baals, [3] and he made offerings in the

Valley of the Son of Hinnom and burned his sons as an offering,

according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD

drove out before the people of Israel. (2 Chronicles 28)

By making images for the pagan god Baal, and practicing child sacrifice in

Judah, Ahaz was openly rebelling against the holy and glorious God of

Judah. 2 Chronicles 28 goes on to say that Ahaz sacrificed to the gods of

Syria (2 Chronicles 28:23), cut up the vessels used in the worship of God (2

Chronicles 28:24), shut down the worship of God in the temple (2

Chronicles 28:24) and set up pagan altars in every city (2 Chronicles

28:25). The result of this terrible rebellion was that God allowed Ahaz’s

enemies to attack. Two of those nations were the nations of Syria and Israel.

As these two nations prepared their advance against Judah, the Lord sent

Isaiah to speak to King Ahaz. Isaiah told Ahaz not to fear what would

happen to him, for the Lord God would not utterly abandon Judah at this

time, and the nations who attacked him would themselves be scattered (see

Isaiah 7:5-7).

As the battle unfolded, 120,000 men of Judah were killed in one day.

Ahaz’s son was one of those who perished. Another 200,000 were taken

captive. Judah was greatly humbled. God, however, spoke to Ahaz and told

him that he would have another child. He was to call this child Immanuel

(meaning God with us). Before that child was old enough to know how to

refuse evil and choose good, the two nations that had attacked him (Syria

and Israel) would be deserted. Although Ahaz was defeated in battle, as

Isaiah prophesied, the countries that had come against him would be

scattered and abandoned.

In Isaiah 8 God gave Isaiah another word for King Ahaz. This time God

warned him that because Judah continued to rebel against God, He would

bring another nation against them. The king of Assyria, who had been

threatening Israel in the north would move southward and sweep into

Judah:

[5] The LORD spoke to me again: [6] “Because this people has

refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over

Rezin and the son of Remaliah, [7] therefore, behold, the Lord

is bringing up against them the waters of the River, mighty and

many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over

all its channels and go over all its banks, [8] and it will sweep

on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to

the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your

land, O Immanuel.” (Isaiah 8)

Isaiah would go on to tell Ahaz, however, that while these Assyrians would

invade the land of Judah, a day of great victory was coming. A child would

be born who would become King. This child would give peace and ultimate

victory for the people of God:

[6] For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the

government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty

God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

[7] Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be

no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to

establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness

from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of

hosts will do this. (Isaiah 9)

Of course, we know this child to be the Lord Jesus. He would be the One

True King who would bring victory over all enemies. He would reign

forevermore over His people in a reign of peace and righteousness.

Before the coming of the Messiah, however, God had a cleansing work to

do in Judah. The Assyrians would be part of the purifying. In Isaiah 10,

however, the prophets told his people that when God had finished his work

with Judah, he would them punish the nation of Assyria for their arrogance

and pride

[12] When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion

and on Jerusalem, he will punish the speech of the arrogant

heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes.

(Isaiah 10)

Isaiah prophesied that God would send a “wasting sickness” to Assyria’s

warriors and the glory of the God of Israel would burn them like fire (Isaiah

10:16). Assyria would become an insignificant nation:

[18] The glory of his forest and of his fruitful land the LORD

will destroy, both soul and body, and it will be as when a sick

man wastes away. [19] The remnant of the trees of his forest

will be so few that a child can write them down. (Isaiah 10)

In the northern kingdom of Israel, Assyria would take captive great

numbers of Israelites and bring them to Assyria as prisoners. Isaiah

prophesied, however, that this captivity would not be forever. The day was

coming when a remnant of Israel would return to their homeland. While

their destruction was decreed, God was a compassionate God and would

restore them in His time.

[20] In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the

house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but

will lean on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. [21] A

remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.

[22] For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea,

only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed,

overflowing with righteousness. [23] For the Lord GOD of

hosts will make a full end, as decreed, in the midst of all the

earth. (Isaiah 10)

Isaiah would go on to say that God would raise up from the people of God a

“Righteous Branch” (Isaiah 11:1). This branch would be from the lineage of

Jesse, the father of David (11:1). The Spirit of the Lord would be on him

giving him wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and the fear

of the Lord (11:12). This great ruler would “strike the earth with the rod of

his mouth,”, he would judge the earth. His breath would kill the wicked

(11:4). He would usher in a reign of peace and security as never before

seen. Isaiah 11:6-9 describe this reign:

[6] The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie

down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the

fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. [7] The

cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down

together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. [8] The

nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the

weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. [9] They

shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth

shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover

the sea. (Isaiah 11)

Once again, Isaiah predicts the reign of the Lord Jesus who would fill the

earth with the knowledge of God and restore righteousness and peace.

The reign of God would not be over Israel and Judah only. He would reign

over the whole earth. As if to emphasize this point, God gave Isaiah a word

for the enemies of Israel and Judah. In chapters thirteen to twenty-four,

Isaiah prophesied to seven different nations. He told Babylon that God was

raising up the Medes and Persians to destroy them (13:17-19). God would

break the power and authority of the Assyrians (14:25). The Philistines

would be killed by famine (14:30). The nation of Moab would be laid waste

(15:1). Syria’s capital city Damascus would cease to be a city of any

influence (17:1). God would cut the blossom of the fruit tree before they

could produce crops in Cush (18:5). Egypt would be given over to a hard

master and the branches of her great river would diminish (19:4-6).

Jerusalem would experience a day of confusion and the breaking down of

her walls (22:5). Tyre would be laid waste and her pride broken (23:1,9).

The Assyrians would raise a siege tower against Sidon (23:13). In fact,

Isaiah describes a day when the whole earth would be empty and plundered

(24:3). The God of Isaiah was sovereign over all nations, and all peoples

were accountable to Him. Isaiah’s righteous Branch would one day bring all

things under submission to the purpose of God the Father.

To demonstrate this sovereignty of God over all nations, God told Isaiah to

take off the sackcloth and sandals he was wearing. Isaiah obeyed and

walked around naked for a period of about three years (Isaiah 20:2). Only

after these three years did the Lord explain to the people why He had asked

his servant Isaiah to do so:

[3] Then the LORD said, “As my servant Isaiah has walked

naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent

against Egypt and Cush, [4] so shall the king of Assyria lead

away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, both the

young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks

uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt. (Isaiah 20)

God told the people that the king of Assyria would lead Egyptian and

Cushite captives into exile barefoot and with their buttocks uncovered.

When this prophecy was fulfilled, the people would know that God was

sovereign over all nations and their destiny was in His hands.

Isaiah proclaimed that his God was sovereign, just, and holy but he was also

a God of tremendous compassion and mercy. He reminded his people in

Isaiah 26:21, that as a God of holy justice, He was going to punish the

inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity:

[21] For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place to

punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the

earth will disclose the blood shed on it and will no more cover

its slain. (Isaiah 26)

While God would punish the earth for sin, He would also move in

compassion. Isaiah went on to prophecy that a day was coming when the

iniquities of God’s people would be atoned for, and their sin removed:

[9] Therefore by this the guilt of Jacob will be atoned for, and

this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin: when he

makes all the stones of the altars like chalkstones crushed to

pieces, no Asherim or incense altars will remain standing.

(Isaiah 27)

God would establish a reign of justice and righteousness for His people:

[17] And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the

plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and

waters will overwhelm the shelter.” (Isaiah 28)

At the head of this wonderful kingdom of justice and righteousness would

be one who is described as a tested and precious cornerstone:

[16] therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am the one

who has laid as a foundation in Zion,

a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure

foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’ (Isaiah 28)

This passage is quoted in the New Testament. In Matthew 21:42, Jesus

compares Himself to the precious cornerstone Isaiah speaks of here.

Defending the preaching of the apostles before the Jewish council, Peter

said:

[11] This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the

builders, which has become the cornerstone. (Acts 4)

Both Paul and Peter would connect this prophecy of Isaiah to the Lord Jesus

(see Ephesians 2:20 and 1 Peter 2:4-8). What Isaiah is saying in Isaiah 28 is

that the Lord Jesus, as that tested and precious cornerstone would reign over

a future kingdom of justice and righteousness.

In this kingdom of justice, Israel’s covenant with death and the grave also

be annulled. That is to say, death and the grave would have no more hold on

them. They would live eternally.

[18] Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your

agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overwhelming

scourge passes through, you will be beaten down by it. (Isaiah

28)

Death would be swallowed up forever:

[8] He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord GOD will

wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people

he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken.

(Isaiah 25)

God’s people would know and rejoice in His salvation in that new kingdom:

[9] It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we

have waited for him, that he might save us.

This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and

rejoice in his salvation.” (Isaiah 25)

There in that kingdom of justice and righteousness with no more pain or

dying, God would keep His people in perfect peace and security:

[26:1] In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

“We have a strong city; he sets up salvation

as walls and bulwarks. [2] Open the gates, that the righteous

nation that keeps faith may enter in. [3] You keep him in perfect

peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

[4] Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an

everlasting rock. (Isaiah 26)

Isaiah also prophesied in the days of King Hezekiah. Hezekiah was a good

king who served the Lord. He opened the temple doors that had been closed

by his father Ahaz and re-established the worship of God. Under his

administration, Judah would experience a measure of success against the

Philistines (2 Kings 18:8). He repaired the city walls and built up his

weapons of war (2 Chronicles 32:5). 2 Chronicles 32:3-4 and 2 Kings 20:20

tells us that Hezekiah blocked the supply of water from outside the city and

set up a system that would guarantee water for the city. 2 Chronicles 32:4

shows us that he did this in anticipation of an Assyrian invasion.

[4] A great many people were gathered, and they stopped all

the springs and the brook that flowed through the land, saying,

“Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?”

(2 Chronicles 32)

It may be that Hezekiah understood the threat of an Assyrian invasion

because of reports that he had heard from Israel but also because of the

prophecy of Isaiah. Isaiah had made it clear that there would be an invasion

of Jerusalem:

[1] Ah, Ariel, Ariel, the city where David encamped! Add year

to year; let the feasts run their round. [2] Yet I will distress

Ariel, and there shall be moaning and lamentation, and she

shall be to me like an Ariel. [3] And I will encamp against you

all around, and will besiege you with towers and I will raise

siegeworks against you. (Isaiah 29)

Likely, with this coming invasion in mind, God told Isaiah to speak to his

people about not seeking refuge in Egypt. In the northern kingdom of Israel,

the people of God had turned to Egypt for help against their invaders. God

told Judah, however, that despite the overwhelming numbers of Assyrians

that were coming against them, they were not to seek help from Egypt.

Isaiah warned Judah that Egypt would not be any help for them:

[3] Therefore shall the protection of Pharaoh turn to your

shame, and the shelter in the shadow of Egypt to your

humiliation. (Isaiah 30)

This word from Isaiah would be a real test for the people of Judah. Listen to

how the Lord described the inhabitants of Judah in the days of Isaiah:

[9] For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children

unwilling to hear the instruction of the LORD;

[10] who say to the seers, “Do not see,” and to the prophets,

“Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth

things, prophesy illusions, [11] leave the way, turn aside from

the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.”

(Isaiah 30)

God’s people were rebellious and unwilling to hear the instructions of the

Lord. They did not want to listen to the truth but only things that would

please them. We can imagine that the instruction of Isaiah not to seek the

help of Egypt would be severely tested when the Assyrians invaded.

God had a plan for His people, however. Listen to what God told Isaiah

about this plan:

[23] For when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in

his midst, they will sanctify my name;

they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe

of the God of Israel. [24] And those who go astray in spirit will

come to understanding, and those who murmur will accept

instruction.” (Isaiah 29)

It was God’s intention to restore His people to a right relationship with

Himself. He wanted to demonstrate His power and compassion so that His

people would again stand in awe of Him and sanctify His name as holy.

Isaiah prophesied that God would move in power when the Assyrians

invaded:

[30] And the LORD will cause his majestic voice to be heard

and the descending blow of his arm to be seen, in furious anger

and a flame of devouring fire, with a cloudburst and storm and

hailstones. [31] The Assyrians will be terror-stricken at the

voice of the LORD, when he strikes with his rod. (Isaiah 30)

When God moved in power to defend His people from Assyria, they would

see the futility of trusting in mere flesh:

[3] The Egyptians are man, and not God, and their horses are

flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD stretches out his hand, the

helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall, and they will

all perish together. (Isaiah 31)

It would not be a human sword that brought victory to Gods’ people over

Assyria but an act of the Lord on their behalf:

[8] “And the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of man; and a

sword, not of man, shall devour him; and he shall flee from the

sword, and his young men shall be put to forced labor. (Isaiah

31)

The Lord asked His people to refrain from seeking any human help, so He

could demonstrate His power to be their defender. When the Assyrians

invaded in Isaiah 36:1, they openly mocked Jerusalem declaring that even

their God would not give them victory. Hezekiah was troubled but prayed

and sought the word of the Lord from Isaiah. Isaiah told him that the

Assyrians camped outside the city would not be any threat to them. In fact,

Isaiah prophesied that they would return to their homeland without any

battle. The commander who had so openly ridiculed them would perish in

his homeland and no longer be a threat to Judah. As impossible as this

seemed to be, the Lord was true to His word through the prophet. Isaiah 37

describes what took place:

[36] And the angel of the LORD went out and struck down

185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose

early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. [37]

Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home

and lived at Nineveh. [38] And as he was worshiping in the

house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons,

struck him down with the sword. And after they escaped into the

land of Ararat, Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place. (Isaiah

37)

Without Judah lifting a sword, 185,000 Assyrians were killed in one night

as the angel of the Lord moved throughout the camp. The commander of

the army returned, and his very own sons slew him with the sword.

In an incredibly powerful way, the Lord God demonstrated His power on

behalf of His people. What was seen that day was only the beginning of

what the Lord wanted to do. Isaiah 31-33 describe an even more important

work of God:

[7] For in that day everyone shall cast away his idols of silver

and his idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for

you. [8] “And the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of man;

and a sword, not of man, shall devour him; and he shall flee

from the sword, and his young men shall be put to forced labor.

[9] His rock shall pass away in terror, and his officers desert

the standard in panic,” declares the LORD, whose fire is in

Zion, and whose furnace is in Jerusalem. (Isaiah 31)

While the Assyrians would desert their posts in panic when the fire of Zion

ravaged their camp, the hand of God would also purify the nation of Judah

from their idols of silver and gold. A great King would come to rule in

righteousness

[1] Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will

rule in justice. (Isaiah 32)

During the reign of this reign of righteousness God’s people would be

changed:

[3] Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the

ears of those who hear will give attention.

[4] The heart of the hasty will understand and know, and the

tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak distinctly. (Isaiah

32)

Eyes would see what they had never before seen. Ears would hear a voice

they had for a long time resisted (see Isaiah 30:9-11). Hearts that had been

hardened would again become tender to the things of God. God would

change their city:

[5] The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion

with justice and righteousness, [6] and he will be the stability

of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;

the fear of the LORD is Zion’s treasure. (Isaiah 33)

Justice and righteousness would replace pride and sinfulness. God would

provide stability and security for His people. They would see this

demonstrated by how He defeated the Assyrians who invaded their land.

God would be their salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. They would not

need to look to other nations for support or help for God would be all they

needed.

In Isaiah 38 the prophet received a word from the Lord for Hezekiah. He

was to tell him to put his house in order because he would die (Isaiah 38:1).

Upon hearing this, Hezekiah pleaded with the Lord, and the Lord listened to

his request and sent Isaiah back with a word that his life would be extended

for another fifteen years (Isaiah 38:4-6).

During those fifteen years, envoys would come from Babylon for a visit

with Hezekiah. The king showed them all the treasures of the kingdom.

Again, the Lord sent Isaiah to speak to Hezekiah. God told him that the day

would come when this nation of Babylon would return to take away the

treasure that he had shown them (see Isaiah 39:5).

When the prophet Isaiah was called by God in Isaiah 6, he saw a vision of a

glorious and holy God. This vision was inscribed on his heart and mind.

When he saw that vision, Isaiah fell to his face in awe, reverence, and fear.

The theme of the holiness and glory of God are everywhere present in the

book of Isaiah. There is however another prominent theme in his prophecy

–the tender love of God for His people.

Isaiah 40 begins with words of comfort from a holy and glorious God –

“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God (Isaiah 40:1). Isaiah goes on

in the chapter to prophesy a time of great blessing for the people of God

when that glory of the Lord would be revealed to them:

[3] A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the

LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. [4]

Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be

made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough

places a plain. [5] And the glory of the LORD shall be

revealed,

and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD

has spoken.” (Isaiah 40)

Matthew 3:1-3 tells us that this prophecy was fulfilled by John the Baptist

who cried out to the people of his day and announced the coming of the

Lord Jesus who would be the revelation of God’s glory on this earth.

The glory of Isaiah’s God is recorded for us in Isaiah 40. Here in this

chapter, He is described as a tender shepherd (verse 11). It was this tender

shepherd who measured the waters of the earth in his hands, personally

spread out the heavens and weighed the mountains (verse 12). He depended

on no one for counsel or advice or understanding (verse 14). The power and

majesty of the nations are a “drop from a bucket” compared to the Lord

God of Isaiah (verse 15). This God brought princes and rulers to nothing

(verse 23). He is the creator of the heavens and knows all the stars by name

(verse 26). Nothing is hidden from His knowledge and insight (verse 27).

His power is unlimited, and He never grows tired (verse 28).

Isaiah reminded his people that it was this glorious and majestic God of

power and wisdom who claimed them as His people and called friends.

[8] But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the

offspring of Abraham, my friend; [9] you whom I took from the

ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to

you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you

off”; [10] fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am

your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold

you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41)

The power and resources of this God were at their disposal. As His

servants, God wanted to use them to be a light to the nations:

[6] “I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will

take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a

covenant for the people, a light for the nations, [7] to open the

eyes that are blind,

to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison

those who sit in darkness. (Isaiah 42)

While the potential for Israel under the empowering blessing of God was

beyond imagination, the reality of their life was far from this.

[21] The LORD was pleased, for his righteousness’ sake, to

magnify his law and make it glorious. [22] But this is a people

plundered and looted; they are all of them trapped in holes and

hidden in prisons; they have become plunder with none to

rescue, spoil with none to say, “Restore!” (Isaiah 42)

Instead of empowerment and blessing, God’s people were plundered and

looted. Hiding in prisons and trapped in holes of the earth. This was a far

cry from what God intended for them. They were a desperate people crying

out in poverty when a great table had been set out for them. They were an

imprisoned people in a prison that had no locks. You can sense the grief of

Isaiah and the Lord God for these people of potential who wasted away in

poverty and shame.

As a tender God of compassion, the Lord God of Israel would not sit back

while His children wasted away. Isaiah speaks comfort to his people in

Isaiah 43:1-2:

[1] But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob,

he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed

you; I have called you by name, you are mine. [2] When you

pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the

rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through

fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume

you. (Isaiah 43)

The prophet reminds his people that even in their weakness and rebellion,

their God would protect them. Beyond this, Isaiah assured them that in His

tender compassion their God would blot out their sin and remember them

no more:

[25] “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own

sake, and I will not remember your sins. (Isaiah 43)

The shame of God’s people would be removed as God extended His

forgiveness and healing. Along with that forgiveness, God would also pour

out His refreshing and empowering Spirit:

[3] For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the

dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my

blessing on your descendants. [4] They shall spring up among

the grass like willows by flowing streams. (Isaiah 44)

This ministry of God toward His people would not be without cost. For

their sins to be blotted out and for the Spirit to be poured out on them, the

Lord God would pay a very dear price. Isaiah prophesied of a “servant”

who would come to sprinkle or cleanse the nations:

[13] Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and

lifted up and shall be exalted.

[14] As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so

marred, beyond human semblance,

and his form beyond that of the children of mankind— [15] so

shall he sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths

because of him, for that which has not been told them they see,

and that which they have not heard they understand. (Isaiah

52)

This servant is described as “high and lifted up.” Before Him, the kings of

the earth would be silent. Isaiah would go on in chapter 53 to describe this

servant in more detail:

[2] For he grew up before him like a young plant and like a

root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we

should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

[3] He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows,

and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide

their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. [4]

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we

esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. [5] But he

was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our

iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us

peace,

and with his wounds we are healed. [6] All we like sheep have

gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and

the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. [7] He was

oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth;

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that

before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. (Isaiah

53)

There can be no question about the identity of this servant. He is the Lord

Jesus who perfectly fits this description. This was the cost of Israel’s

redemption –it is the cost of our redemption. His life would be laid down in

payment of our debt so that our sins could be forgiven, and the Spirit

poured out on us as children of God. Isaiah’s holy and glorious God

expressed His tender love by laying down His life for us. Isaiah made it

clear that it was sin that separated God’s people from their God:

[2] but your iniquities have made a separation between you

and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so

that he does not hear. (Isaiah 59)

Through the Messiah, the Lord Jesus, and His death on our behalf, this

separation would be abolished. A great invitation is extended to the nation

of God’s people to turn from the futility of their ways and taste this

wonderful salvation of the Lord:

[55:1] “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and

he who has no money, come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. [2]

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and

your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to

me and eat what is good and delight yourself in rich food. [3]

Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live;

and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast,

sure love for David. (Isaiah 55)

Through Isaiah, the Lord called His people to forsake their sinful ways and

call on Him. He promised to have compassion on all who would come to

Him:

[6] “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him

while he is near; [7] let the wicked forsake his way, and the

unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that

he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will

abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55)

Isaiah conveys a sense of urgency in this invitation. God’s people were to

seek the Lord while He could still be found and call on Him while He was

near. This invitation would not last forever.

Isaiah reminded his people that God loved them as a husband loved his

wife.

[5] For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his

name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of

the whole earth he is called. [6] For the LORD has called you

like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth

when she is cast off, says your God. (Isaiah 54)

He delighted in her and wanted to care for her and love her as His bride. As

his bride, the Lord God would abundantly bless her. He would enlarge her

tent, and their offspring would spread out and possess whole nations:

[2] “Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your

habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your

cords and strengthen your stakes. [3] For you will spread

abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will

possess the nations and will people the desolate cities. (Isaiah

54)

As her husband, God would make her secure.

[18] Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation

or destruction within your borders;

you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise.

(Isaiah 60)

Foreigners would join with Israel in the worship of her God. This tender

compassion of God and the salvation He offered would be extended to the

whole earth.

[6] “And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to

minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his

servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane

it, and holds fast my covenant— [7] these I will bring to my

holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer;

their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my

altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all

peoples.” (Isaiah 56)

Foreigners and Israelites would be joined together under one God and the

salvation He offered. Isaiah describes the blessing that will one day be

theirs as a united people under God:

[19] The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for

brightness shall the moon give you light; but the LORD will be

your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. [20]

Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw

itself; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your

days of mourning shall be ended. [21] Your people shall all be

righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my

planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified.

(Isaiah 60)

Notice several details in this prophecy of Isaiah. First, there was a day

coming when there would be no more sun to shine on them for the Lord

God would be their “everlasting light.” The Lord God told the apostle John

the same thing in Revelation 22:

[5] And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp

or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign

forever and ever. (Revelation 22)

Second, Isaiah prophesied of a day when all “mourning shall be ended.”

Again, this corresponds exactly with what the apostle John heard in his

vision of heaven in Revelation 21:

[4] He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death

shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying,

nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

(Revelation 21)

Finally, Isaiah prophesied that the day was coming when “your people shall

all be righteous.” Once again John expressed this same understanding when

he spoke about the holy city in Revelation 21:

[27] But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who

does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written

in the Lamb’s book of life. (Revelation 21)

Isaiah looked forward to the day when God would create a new heaven and

new earth where He would dwell forever with His people. In that new

heaven and earth, everything would be made new, and God’s people would

be “glad and rejoice forever” (Isaiah 65:17).

[17] “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and

the former things shall not be remembered

or come into mind. [18] But be glad and rejoice forever in that

which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and

her people to be a gladness. [19] I will rejoice in Jerusalem

and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the

sound of weeping and the cry of distress. (Isaiah 65)

There in that eternal city, nothing would harm the bride of God.

[25] The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall

eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They

shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,” says the

LORD. (Isaiah 65)

Eternal blessing, security, and peace in the presence of God would be the

portion for all, Jew or Gentile who received from Him the salvation He

came to offer at the cost of his dear Son’s life.

The message of Isaiah is a powerful one. His sense of the glory and holiness

of God penetrates the entire prophecy. He was also profoundly aware that

this majestic and all-powerful God was a God of tender compassion and

grace. He pleaded with his people to enter the joy of intimacy with God and

spoke of an enduring relationship beyond the sin and corruption of this

earth in a new heaven and new earth.

Isaiah speaks to sin and corruption in His day. He was intensely evangelistic

as a prophet and described in detail that purpose of God to send His Son to

die for our sin. He describes for us the blessing of salvation and eternal life

in the presence of God. His heart cries out to Israel and Judah to come to

this God and accept His offer of salvation.

For Consideration:

Consider the similarities in the message of Hosea and Isaiah regarding

intimacy with God and the illustration of marriage as an example of the

relationship God wanted with His people.

What was the spiritual climate in Israel and Judah at the time of Isaiah’s

ministry according to Isaiah 1?

How did the vision of Isaiah in chapter 6 impact his message?

What do we learn from Isaiah 6:9-10 about the ministry of Isaiah? How do

we measure the success of a prophet?

Give some examples of Isaiah’s prophecy about the coming Messiah. Why

was this important to Isaiah and the people of his day?

How would you give a presentation of the gospel using only the book of

Isaiah?

What was the focus of Isaiah’s prophetic ministry? What his heartfelt desire

for his listeners?

What does the prophet Isaiah teach us about God?

For Prayer:

What vision has God given you? How does this impact your life and

actions?

Take a moment to consider what Isaiah teaches about the barrier of sin to a

relationship with God. Ask God to help you see if there is anything in your

life right now that keeps you from experiencing a deeper relationship with

Him.

Take a moment to thank the Lord for the provision of Isaiah’s prophesied

Messiah in the person of the Lord Jesus. Thank Him for His willing

sacrifice on your behalf.

Thank the Lord for the vision of the new heavens and new earth Isaiah saw.

Thank the Lord that this will one day become a reality for all who know the

Lord Jesus as their Saviour.

15 - MICAH

e are introduced to the prophet Micah in the first verse of his

prophecy:

[1] The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth in

the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which

he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. (Micah 1)

According to this verse he came from the region of Moresheth. Moresheth

was likely a border town located close to the Philistine city of Gath about

34 kilometres (21 miles) southwest of Jerusalem in the southern kingdom of

Judah. In fact, the town is called Moresheth-gath in Micah 1:14, likely

because of this proximity to this Philistine city.

Notice also from Micah 1:1 that the prophet ministered during the reigns of

Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, Kings of Judah. We have examined this

historical context in other chapters, but I will touch on it briefly again for

the sake of clarity in this chapter.

Under Jotham, Judah experienced a time of prosperity and blessing. 2

Chronicles 27:1-4 detail several construction projects that he undertook

during his reign. He also engaged the Amorites in battle and was victorious

over them, forcing them to pay an annual tribute (2 Chronicles 27:5). 2

Chronicles 27:6 describes his reign:

[6] So Jotham became mighty because he ordered his ways

before the LORD his God.

Along with the prosperity came several social problems, among them was

the oppression of the poor and needy. Micah would speak to these issues.

When Ahaz came to power, he rebelled against the Lord and began to offer

sacrifices to Baal. He would go as far as providing his own sons as an

offering to this pagan god (2 Chronicles 28:1-4). Ahaz closed the doors of

the temple, and the worship of God cease in Judah (2 Chronicles 28:24).

Because of his rebellion, the Lord send enemies against him. The Syrians

would invade (2 Chronicles 28:5). The northern kingdom of Israel would

pose a significant threat to Judah. 2 Chronicles 28:5-6 tells us that they

invaded Judah and killed 120,000 in a single day and took 200,000 captives.

Edom (2 Chronicles 28:17), Philistia (2 Chronicles 28:18), and Assyria (2

Chronicles 28:20) all oppressed Judah during the reign of Ahaz. All this

was because of his rebellion against the Lord God. It was only when

Hezekiah became king that the temple doors were once again opened, and

the worship of the Lord God restored to the land (2 Chronicles 29:3-11).

The northern kingdom of Israel was struggling with the Assyrians. In fact, it

would be during the ministry of Micah that the nation of Israel would go

into captivity in Assyria. These were the days in which Micah lived.

There is one more detail we need to see in Micah 1:1:

[1] The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth in

the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which

he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. (Micah 1)

Notice that the word of the LORD came to him concerning Samaria and

Jerusalem. Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel.

Jerusalem was the capital of the southern country of Judah. This shows us

that Micah was a prophet not only to his own nation of Judah but also to

Israel. He would be among the last prophets to speak to Israel before they

went into exile in Assyria.

Micah begins his prophetic message with a warning:

[3] For behold, the LORD is coming out of his place, and will

come down and tread upon the high places of the earth. [4]

And the mountains will melt under him, and the valleys will

split open, like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a

steep place. (Micah 1)

He speaks here about the Lord coming to tread upon the high places of the

earth. That day would be a day of terror. Mountains would melt, and valleys

would be split open in the presence of this awesome and terrifying God.

Micah went on to tell his listeners the reason God was coming:

[5] All this is for the transgression of Jacob and for the sins of

the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it

not Samaria? And what is the high place of Judah? Is it not

Jerusalem? (Micah 1)

The Lord was manifesting His presence because of the sin of His people.

He had come in power to judge.

Speaking to the northern kingdom of Israel and its capital of Samaria he

said:

[7] All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces, all her

wages shall be burned with fire, and all her idols I will lay

waste, for from the fee of a prostitute she gathered them, and to

the fee of a prostitute, they shall return. (Micah 1)

Micah told the people of Samaria that the Lord God was angry with their

unfaithfulness. He would destroy the carved images and idols she had used

in rebellion against Him. Micah warned the people of Israel that the Lord

would bring a great nation against them to conquer them. This nation would

take them into exile away from their land and their idols.

[15] I will again bring a conqueror to you, inhabitants of

Mareshah; the glory of Israel shall come to Adullam. [16]

Make yourselves bald and cut off your hair, for the children of

your delight; make yourselves as bald as the eagle, for they

shall go from you into exile. (Micah 1)

It was not just for their idol worship that the Lord would punish His people.

They were guilty of many other sins as well. In Micah 2, the prophet also

addressed the sins of deceit, oppression, and greed:

[1] Woe to those who devise wickedness and work evil on their

beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in

the power of their hand. [2] They covet fields and seize them,

and houses, and take them away; they oppress a man and his

house, a man and his inheritance. (Micah 2)

There were people of power and influence in the land who were greedy for

gain. They would devise evil schemes on their bed at night and put them

into practice in the morning. These plans involved seizing land that was not

theirs, taking away homes and depriving citizens of their inheritance. All

this was to satisfy their lust for possessions.

Another matter that grieved the heart of God was related to how His people

responded to the prophets He sent to them. Listen to what they said to these

prophets:

[6] “Do not preach”—thus they preach— “one should not

preach of such things; disgrace will not overtake us.” (Micah

The people of God despised the prophets. They did not want to hear them

preach about coming judgement. They refused to believe that any harm

would come to them despite the warnings these prophets brought. They

blocked their ears to the word of the Lord through His servants. While they

blocked their ears to the true prophets of God they loved those who spoke

“wind and lies.”

[11] If a man should go about and utter wind and lies, saying,

“I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,” he would be

the preacher for this people! (Micah 2)

They liked people who preached what they wanted to hear. They delighted

in those who justified an immoral and ungodly lifestyle. They were

entertained by these preachers but wanted nothing to do with those who

promoted a righteous life.

Micah spoke boldly to the leaders of the nations of Israel and Judah.

[3:1] And I said: Hear, you heads of Jacob and rulers of the

house of Israel! Is it not for you to know justice? — [2] you

who hate the good and love the evil, who tear the skin from off

my people and their flesh from off their bones,

He accused the leaders of God’s people of loving sin and hating good. They

were oppressors who would tear the skin off God’s people and the flesh

from their bones. They had no concern for these they led. In fact, they

oppressed them and took advantage of them for their own sinful purposes.

These were bold words from Micah. By speaking them, he risked his own

life.

It was not just the influential secular leaders who were guilty before the

Lord. Micah also speaks against his fellow prophets:

[5] Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who lead my

people astray, who cry “Peace” when they have something to

eat, but declare war against him who puts nothing into their

mouths. (Micah 3)

Micah accused his fellow prophets of speaking what people wanted to hear.

If someone gave these prophets something to eat, they would proclaim a

message of peace to them. They would, on the other hand, declare war

against those who gave them nothing. These prophets were not concerned

about the word of the Lord but were greedy for gain and profit.

Micah reminds these prophets that he was different from them.

[8] But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the

LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his

transgression and to Israel his sin. (Micah 3)

Micah was not interested in pleasing people. This was not his motivation.

He spoke because he was filled with the Spirit to talk about justice and the

sin of God’s people. In this statement, we have the focus of Micah’s

ministry. He understood that God had called him to speak to the nations

about their sin and injustice.

It grieved Micah to see the condition of the nation and know that they were

under the judgement of God. It caused great pain to know that God’s people

would not listen to his warning. You can sense this grief in Micah 3:11-12:

[11] Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a

price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean

on the LORD and say, “Is not the LORD in the midst of us? No

disaster shall come upon us.” [12] Therefore because of you

Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap

of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.

(Micah 3)

Micah told his people what God required of them:

[7] Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten

thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my

transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” [8]

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the

LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6)

Despite their sinful ways, the people of Judah continued to worship God by

bringing their offerings. Micah told them, however, that the Lord was

interested in much more than mindless offerings. He required justice,

kindness, and humility. The people who came to worship, however, were

oppressing their neighbours and fellow citizens. They were showing no

concern for their friends in need. All they could think of was themselves.

This is what they lived for. Micah rebuked this attitude. In essence, he told

his people that God was not interested in offerings from those whose heart

and life was not in tune with Him.

The prophet would go on in Micah 6 to speak to the people who came to the

temple with their offerings:

[11] Shall I acquit the man with wicked scales and with a bag

of deceitful weights? [12] Your rich men are full of violence;

your inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their

mouth. (Micah 6)

Do you think God will accept the offerings of those who continue to

deceive their customers with dishonest weights, he asked? Do you really

believe that you can come to God with an acceptable offering when you are

filled with violence and lies?

In Micah 7 the prophet goes on to declare by the Spirit, the condition of the

land in his day.

[2] The godly has perished from the earth, and there is no one

upright among mankind; they all lie in wait for blood, and each

hunts the other with a net. [3] Their hands are on what is evil,

to do it well; the prince and the judge ask for a bribe, and the

great man utters the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it

together. [4] The best of them is like a brier, the most upright of

them a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, of your

punishment, has come; now their confusion is at hand. [5] Put

no trust in a neighbor; have no confidence in a friend; guard

the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms; [6] for

the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up

against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-

law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house. (Micah 7)

The society Micah describes is a broken society. The godly are perishing.

People attack one another to advance their own cause. Bribery, dishonesty,

injustice abounded. No one could trust the word of even the closest member

of his or her family. Even parents and children treated each other with

contempt.

Micah warned his people that the day of judgement was quickly coming. He

told the northern kingdom of Israel that a conqueror would come against

them (1:15). He also prophesied that Judah would go into captivity in

Babylon:

[10] Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in

labor, for now, you shall go out from the city and dwell in the

open country; you shall go to Babylon. There you shall be

rescued; there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your

enemies. (Micah 4)

Notice, in Micah 4:10 that while God would send Judah into captivity in

Babylon, there was still hope for her. “There the LORD will redeem you

from the hand of your enemies,” Micah told them (Micah 4:10). The anger

of God was real, and He would indeed strip them of everything, but He

would not abandon them.

Micah prophesied of a day when God would release His people from

bondage, just as he had done for their ancestors in Egypt:

[15] As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I

will show them marvelous things. (Micah 7)

The God of Israel and Judah was a pardoning God:

[18] Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing

over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does

not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast

love. [19] He will again have compassion on us; he will tread

our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the

depths of the sea. (Micah 7)

The day was coming when, after they had been punished, the people of God

would know His forgiveness. He would cast their sins far from them to

remember them no more. In fact, there were glorious days coming for the

people of God. Micah describes these days in chapter 4:

[1] It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of

the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the

mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples

shall flow to it, [2] and many nations shall come, and say:

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,

to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways

and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go

forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

(Micah 4)

The day was coming when the word of the Lord would go out from

Jerusalem and touch many nations. Those nations would come to the God

of Israel and walk in His paths. This was a foreign concept to the people of

Micah’s day, who saw themselves alone as the people of God and foreign

nations as Gentile pagans. According to Micah, however, these things

would change, and the God of Israel would be the God of the nations.

Micah went on to describe a time of peace among the nations of the world

under the reign of the Lord God of Israel:

[3] He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide

disputes for strong nations far away; and they shall beat their

swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they

learn war anymore; [4] but they shall sit every man under his

vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid,

for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken. (Micah 4)

Micah prophesied that there would be no more need for swords and spears.

People would live in a world where a nation no longer lift a sword against

another nation. All people would live in peace and security.

How would this time of peace come about? Micah prophesied that it would

all begin in the little town of Bethlehem. A great ruler would be born who

would shepherd His people and lead them into this peace:

[2] But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be

among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one

who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old,

from ancient days. [3] Therefore he shall give them up until the

time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of

his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. [4] And he

shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD,

in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall

dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.

(Micah 5)

Notice several details about this ruler, according to the prophecy of Micah.

He would come from Bethlehem (verse 2). He is described as a ruler (verse

2). His “coming forth” was from ancient days (verse 2). The term coming

forth shows the origin of this ruler. In other words, the ruler that would be

born was from ancient days—he came from eternity past. Through he was

from eternity past, he would be born of a woman into this world (verse 3).

This ruler would be a shepherd for his people (verse 4). He would shepherd

his people with the all-powerful “strength of the Lord.” He would reign in

the “majesty of the name of the LORD his God” (verse 4).

There is only one person who could fit this description. The Lord Jesus, the

Son of God who existed in eternity past, was born of a woman and came

into this world to be the Great Shepherd. He demonstrated to us the power

and majesty of God. By his death, he drew men and women of all nations to

the God of Israel. His work is still being felt in our day as people from

every country come flocking to the God of Israel. He alone would be able to

restore peace with God and peace between brothers and sisters.

Micah prophesied that the Lord would purify the nation of its sinful ways

and restore them to a relationship with her God:

[10] And in that day, declares the LORD, I will cut off your

horses from among you and will destroy your chariots; [11]

and I will cut off the cities of your land and throw down all

your strongholds; [12] and I will cut off sorceries from your

hand, and you shall have no more tellers of fortunes; [13] and I

will cut off your carved images and your pillars from among

you, and you shall bow down no more to the work of your

hands; [14] and I will root out your Asherah images from

among you and destroy your cities. [15] And in anger and

wrath I will execute vengeance on the nations that did not obey.

(Micah 5)

In this restored kingdom, the Lord Himself would be their ruler. He would

gather His people from all over the world, heal them and care for them:

[6] In that day, declares the LORD, I will assemble the lame

and gather those who have been driven away and those whom I

have afflicted; [7] and the lame I will make the remnant, and

those who were cast off, a strong nation; and the LORD will

reign over them in Mount Zion from this time forth and

forevermore. (Micah 4)

Notice particularly in Micah 4:7 that Micah prophesied that the Lord would

reign over His people “from this time forth and forevermore.” This reign

would have no end, nor would it have anyone to challenge it for the Lord

God all-mighty would be the King.

Micah summarizes his own ministry in Micah 3:8. He had been anointed

and filled with the power of the Spirit to “declare to Jacob his transgression

and to Israel his sin.” I would go on to say that not only did he declare to

the people of God their sin and transgression, but he also revealed to them

the solution in the person of the Lord Jesus born in the town of Bethlehem.

Micah’s longing was to see the people of God restored to fellowship with

their God. He spoke powerfully about the obstacle to this fellowship and

called them to return to the Lord with all their heart. He rebuked a people

who brought their offerings to the Lord but whose heart was far from Him.

He spoke to their greedy and materialistic attitude. Micah did not hide the

fact that God would judge His people’s sin but reminded them that their

God was a pardoning God who not forget those who came to Him.

For Consideration:

Describe the historical context of Micah’s day. What was the spiritual

climate in his day? What was the economic climate?

How did the economic climate impact the society of Micah’s day? What

was happening between the rich and the poor?

How did the people of God respond to the message of the true prophets of

God? What was the message of the false prophets according to Micah 2:11

and 3:5?

Micah described his ministry as a revelation of transgression and sin. Have

we lost sight of our own sins? How important is a ministry like Micah’s in

our own day?

What does Micah teach us about the Lord Jesus and His ministry? What

parts of Micah’s prophecy about Jesus have been fulfilled? What parts of

his prophecy are yet to be fulfilled through the ministry of Jesus?

For Prayer:

Ask the Lord to forgive you for times when you have failed to see your own

sin.

Ask God to raise up true prophets in our day who can speak the truth of

God. Ask Him to expose the false prophets of our day.

Take a moment to consider the grace of Micah’s “pardoning God” in

sending His Son to be our “Ruler” and “Shepherd.” Thank the Lord Jesus

for His tender care and sacrifice. Thank Him that the day is coming when

He will reign physically over His people, and we will know peace and

security forevermore.

Thank the Lord Jesus for the peace He gives presently and for His spiritual

reign over us as His people.

16 - NAHUM

e know very little about the prophet Nahum. In fact, Nahum

1:1 is the only place in the Bible we read about him. All we

know about him, therefore, is found in this one verse.

[1] An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of

Nahum of Elkosh. (Nahum 1)

The prophet’s name means “comfort.” We will see that his message was

designed to be a comfort to a people who were suffering at the hand of their

enemy. Verse 1 tells us that the prophet was from the region of Elkosh.

Once again, the region is as obscure as the prophet. Historians have debated

the location of this unknown region. It is not in our interest to enter this

debate in this context. Suffice it to say that Nahum is a relatively unknown

prophet from an equally unknown region.

Nahum 1:1 also tells us that the focus of the prophecy is about Nineveh.

Nineveh was the capital city of the nation of Assyria. This city was in the

northern part of current day Iraq. We need to understand here that the

prophecy of Nahum is not directed exclusively to this city. The city, as the

capital, represented the entire nation of Assyria. In speaking to Nineveh,

Nahum addresses nation as the whole.

At this point in history, the city of Nineveh was a mighty city. The

Assyrians were at the height of their power and were attacking and

conquering many lands. Tribute from these nations was pouring into the

nation and Nineveh was benefitting from this wealth.

Nahum 1 seems to give us the context of his prophecy. Speaking to the

people of Judah he said:

[15] Behold, upon the mountains, the feet of him who brings

good news, who publishes peace!

Keep your feasts, O Judah; fulfill your vows, for never again

shall the worthless pass through you;

he is utterly cut off. (Nahum 1)

Notice that Nahum speaks about a worthless people who were passing

through the land. Nahum prophesies, however, that peace would return to

the land of Judah. Nahum went on to say that, although these invaders were

powerful, they would be cut down. The Lord would deliver His people from

their oppression:

[12] Thus says the LORD, “Though they are at full strength

and many, they will be cut down and pass away. Though I have

afflicted you, I will afflict you no more. [13] And now I will

break his yoke from off you and will burst your bonds apart.”

(Nahum 1)

These invaders, with the powerful army, were the Assyrians. In the context

of this Assyrian threat, Nahum offers “comfort” to his people by telling

them what the Lord God would do to their enemy.

Nahum’s words of comfort to Judah under Assyrian oppression comes in

two forms. First, he speaks to his people about their God and who He was.

Second, he tells his people what their God would do to the enemy.

Who God Is

First, Nahum speaks to his people about the nature of God. He reminded

them that their God was a jealous and avenging God:

[2] The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD is

avenging and wrathful; the LORD takes vengeance on his

adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. (Nahum 1)

The jealousy of the Lord was for His people. He longed for them and would

not share them with anyone else. He cared for them with a jealous yearning.

Nahum told the people of Judah that this jealousy of God for them would

drive him to seek vengeance on anyone who harmed them. God would take

revenge on the Assyrians for the oppression of His people.

It is hard to understand why the Lord God would care for us as His people

in this way, but Nahum was confident that God would not stand by and

watch His people suffer needlessly. His jealous longing for those He loved

would stir Him to act on their behalf.

Second, Nahum told his people that the Lord their God was slow to anger

and great in power:

[3] The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and the

LORD will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in

whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. [4]

He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; he dries up all the rivers;

Bashan and Carmel wither; the bloom of Lebanon withers. [5]

The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth

heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it. [6] Who

can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of

his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are

broken into pieces by him. (Nahum 1)

Nahum’s God was slow to anger but He was a mighty God who would rise

and strike fear in the hearts of His enemies. No one who stood against His

purpose could stand. As powerful as these Assyrian invaders were, they

were no match for the God of Israel whose anger would make the

mountains quake and the rocks break in pieces.

Finally, Nahum told his people that this jealous and powerful God was also

a good God who was a stronghold for his people:

[7] The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he

knows those who take refuge in him.

[8] But with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end

of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.

(Nahum 1)

Consider this for a moment. The God of Judah was a jealous and avenging

God of anger and power. He would be a terrifying God were it not for the

fact that He was also good and a stronghold for His people. Nahum reminds

his people here that this great and awesome God was a good God. There

was no evil in Him. His purpose for them was good. He would stand with

them. His jealous anger would progress the cause of righteousness on the

earth. His strength would be a stronghold for His people. He would defend

them from all enemies.

Nahum comforts his people by reminding them about the nature of their

God and His relationship with them as His children. If there is one thing the

enemy would love to do in our trial, it would be to take our eyes off our

God and our relationship with Him. Our comfort is in our God. Nahum

knew this and began his prophecy by reminding his people that they were in

the hands of a loving and all-powerful God who would fight jealously for

them and their good.

What God Would Do

Next, Nahum prophesied that God would restore the majesty of Israel. They

had been plundered and oppressed, but all that would end:

[2] For the LORD is restoring the majesty of Jacob as the

majesty of Israel, for plunderers have plundered them and

ruined their branches. (Nahum 2)

In a poetic and descriptive way, Nahum paints a picture of the devastation

that was about to happen to the Assyrians. While Assyria’s impressive

soldiers and chariots dash here and there in the city the power of the Lord is

against them. There is panic in the city the enemy approaches Nineveh and

sets up its siege tower against it. Notice that, in fear, the officers stumble as

they race to defend the wall of the city:

[5] He remembers his officers; they stumble as they go, they

hasten to the wall; the siege tower is set up. (Nahum 2)

The efforts of these military officers are to no avail. The enemy breaks

through:

[6] The river gates are opened; the palace melts away; (Nahum

Nineveh’s palace is destroyed (2:6). The women residing in that palace are

carried off into exile weeping (2:7). Nahum compared the city of Nineveh

to a pool that was quickly emptying:

[8] Nineveh is like a pool whose waters run away.

“Halt! Halt!” they cry, but none turns back. (Nahum 2)

The enemy has come into the city, and the inhabitants now run for their

lives abandoning their homes and possessions. The enemy plunders the

massive wealth of Nineveh:

[9] Plunder the silver, plunder the gold! There is no end of the

treasure

or of the wealth of all precious things. (Nahum 2)

The people who had caused terror to so many, now fall on their knees in

anguish and fear (2:10). The once great city of Nineveh would be left

desolate and in ruins (2:10). Nahum proclaims the word of the Lord to the

Assyrians:

[13] Behold, I am against you, declares the LORD of hosts, and

I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour

your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the

voice of your messengers shall no longer be heard. (Nahum 2)

Nahum makes it clear that the reason God was against Assyria was because

of its great sin. He describes this sin in chapter 3. Nineveh was a bloody

city full of lies and plunder:

[1] Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and plunder—

no end to the prey! (Nahum 3)

Assyria had accumulated her wealth by plundering and slaying other

nations. This prosperity and wealth brought along with it many problems in

Nineveh. Nahum describes the immorality that was also rampant in its

streets:

[4] And all for the countless whorings of the prostitute,

graceful and of deadly charms,

who betrays nations with her whorings, and peoples with her

charms.

[5] Behold, I am against you, declares the LORD of hosts, and

will lift up your skirts over your face;

and I will make nations look at your nakedness and kingdoms

at your shame. (Nahum 3)

God would judge this immorality. In fact, He would make an example of

the nation. People would be amazed that such a great and powerful nation

could fall:

[7] And all who look at you will shrink from you and say,

“Wasted is Nineveh; who will grieve for her?”

Where shall I seek comforters for you? (Nahum 3)

Notice the reference to comforters for Nineveh. This was apparently a

concern for Nahum, whose name meant “comfort” and whose prophesy was

intended to bring comfort to the people of God under oppression. In the

case of Nineveh, however, there would be no one to comfort them in their

destruction.

Nahum compared the vast wealth of Nineveh to a fig tree with ripe fruit.

When the tree was shaken, the fruit would fall into the mouths of those who

shook the tree (Nahum 3:12). Their once prosperous merchants and

powerful princes would be dispersed like locusts taking wing in large

numbers (Nahum 3:16-17). There would be no easing of their hurt. Their

wound would be mortal (Nahum 3:19). The once glorious nation of Assyria

would be reduced to nothing.

Nahum’s message is a simple one. God is for His people. He will destroy

their enemy. His message, as simple as it may appear, is a powerful one and

one we need to consider again in our day. Who among us does not need to

be reminded of the nature of our God in times of trouble? How easy it is for

us to lose sight of the Lord in our pain. Nahum challenges us to lift our eyes

and see the majesty and power of our God who is a good God of jealous

anger. He will do what is right. He will stand for us. Our enemies cannot

win the battle as long as He is with us.

As a prophet, Nahum was an encourager. As his name suggests, his heart

was to bring comfort to a people struggling under heavy oppression. He

prophesied to bring comfort to a hurting people.

For Consideration:

What does Nahum’s name mean? How did this work itself out in his

ministry?

How easy is it to lose sight of God and His promises in our trials? Have you

ever found yourself giving in to despair when you lost sight of God?

What did Nahum teach his people about God? How would this have been a

comfort to them in their struggle?

What would God do to the Assyrians? Can our enemies ever triumph over

us if God is on our side?

Nahum was a prophet who brought comfort to his people. He reminded

God’s people of God’s undying care and jealousy for them. Do we need

prophets like this in our day?

For Prayer:

Take a moment to consider the jealous love and care of God toward you.

Thank the Lord that you are safe and secure in Him.

Ask God to help you to keep your eyes fixed on Him in your struggle and

pain. Thank Him that in Him there is a great comfort.

Ask God to help you to be a “prophet of comfort” to those who are

struggling around you. Ask Him to give you words to speak to those in

need.

17 - JEREMIAH

eremiah the prophet was from the town of Anathoth about 5

kilometres (3 miles) northeast of Jerusalem. We learn from Joshua

21:18 and 1 Chronicles 6:60 that this town had been set aside for the

priests. Jeremiah’s father, a man by the name of Hilkiah was one of the

priests who lived in this town (see Jeremiah 1:1). Jeremiah was, therefore,

the son of a priest and would have inherited this responsibility, as the

priesthood was passed on from father to son.

Jeremiah 1:2-3 gives us the date of Jeremiah’s ministry:

[2] to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah

the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his

reign. [3] It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of

Josiah, king of Judah, and until the end of the eleventh year of

Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the captivity of

Jerusalem in the fifth month. (Jeremiah 1)

According to these verses, Jeremiah ministered from the reign of Josiah to

Zedekiah. This period of time also included the reigns of Jehoahaz,

Jehoiakim, and Jehoiachin. Jeremiah ministered in Judah, therefore, during

the reigns of four kings. To get a sense of the days in which Jeremiah lived,

it is essential that we consider what was happening during the reigns of

these five kings of Judah.

Josiah

Josiah was a good king but came to power at a time of tremendous evil in

the land of Judah. King Manasseh before him had turned the nation from

God and had defiled the land with idols and pagan gods. The temple was in

disrepair.

It was the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign at the age of 26 that he ordered

the repair of the temple of the Lord (2 Kings 22:3-7). It was during the

restoration of the temple that the priests found a copy of the Book of the

Law containing the law of God as given by Moses (2 Kings 22:8). When

the book was read to Josiah, he was deeply touched by it and convicted by

the sins of the nation (2 Kings 22:11-13).

Josiah, set out to cleanse not only the temple but the entire land of idolatry.

2 Kings 23 describes in some detail the efforts of Josiah to rid the nation of

the idols and pagan practices introduced by King Manasseh. It is quite

shocking to read the report of this cleansing that took place in the temple:

[4] And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the

priests of the second order and the keepers of the threshold to

bring out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels made for

Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven. He burned

them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron and carried

their ashes to Bethel. [5] And he deposed the priests whom the

kings of Judah had ordained to make offerings in the high

places at the cities of Judah and around Jerusalem; those also

who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and the moon and the

constellations and all the host of the heavens. [6] And he

brought out the Asherah from the house of the LORD, outside

Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook

Kidron and beat it to dust and cast the dust of it upon the

graves of the common people. [7] And he broke down the

houses of the male cult prostitutes who were in the house of the

LORD, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah. (2

Kings 23)

The priests removed the “vessels made for Baal, Asherah and the hosts of

heaven” from the temple. Notice also from verse 7 that the king broke down

the houses of the male cult prostitutes who were in the house of the Lord.

We can see just how defiled the temple had become with these pagan altars

and ungodly practices.

Josiah destroyed these shrines, altars, and images. According to 2 Kings

23:5 Josiah deposed the priests who had offered sacrifices and offerings to

pagan gods. He defiled the region where child sacrifices were practiced (2

Kings 23:10). 2 Kings 23:21 tells us that he also “put away” mediums and

necromancers (those who communicated with the dead):

[24] Moreover, Josiah put away the mediums and the

necromancers and the household gods and the idols and all the

abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in

Jerusalem, that he might establish the words of the law that

were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the

house of the LORD. (2 Kings 23)

The word translated “put away” in the Hebrew language literally means to

burn. It is possible then that Josiah burned these mediums and

necromancers to death. Under Josiah, not only was the land cleansed of its

evil, but the worship of the Lord God was restored (see 2 Kings 23:21-23).

What is important for us to note, however, are the words of 2 Kings 23:26-

27:

[26] Still the LORD did not turn from the burning of his great

wrath, by which his anger was kindled against Judah, because

of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked him.

[27] And the LORD said, “I will remove Judah also out of my

sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will cast off this city that I

have chosen, Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, My

name shall be there.” (2 Kings 23)

Despite the many reforms made in the days of Josiah, the anger of the Lord

was not appeased against His people. He set His heart to punish them for

the great evil they had allowed to fill the land from the time of Manasseh.

Jehoahaz

After the death of Josiah, his son Jehoahaz became king. He reigned for

three months in Jerusalem before Pharaoh Neco of Egypt captured and

imprisoned him. 2 Kings 23:32 describe him as a king who did evil in the

sight of the Lord. With the capture of Jehoahaz, Pharaoh Neco forced the

nation of Judah to pay a tribute of one hundred talents of silver and one

hundred talents of gold (see 2 Kings 23:33). Pharaoh Neco placed

Jehoahaz’s son Eliakim on the throne of Judah. The Pharaoh changed

Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. The name Eliakim, means, the Lord

establishes or raises up. It is possible that Pharaoh Neco changed his name

because of its meaning. During the reign of Jehoahaz, the people of God

were experiencing political and social instability.

Jehoiakim

To raise the money necessary to pay the tribute imposed by Egypt, King

Jehoiakim imposed a tax on the people of Judah (2 Kings 23:35). This

increased the financial burden for the average person in Judah.

Jehoiakim’s eleven-year reign is described as evil in the sight of the Lord

(see 2 Kings 23:37). During this time Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon

came up against Judah. Jehoiakim was forced into submission and is

described in 2 Kings 24:1 as being his servant for a period of three years. At

the end of three years of servitude to the king of Babylon, however,

Jehoiakim revolted. While Jehoiakim may have rebelled against Babylon,

his military struggles were not resolved. 2 Kings 24:2 describes what

happened after his rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar:

[2] And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldeans

and bands of the Syrians and bands of the Moabites and bands

of the Ammonites, and sent them against Judah to destroy it,

according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by his

servants the prophets. (2 Kings 24)

The send bands of Chaldeans, Syrians, Moabites, and Ammonites against

Judah to destroy it. Jehoiakim would not be able to escape the judgement of

God. God was determined to punish Judah for her great sin and rebellion in

the days of Manasseh:

[3] Surely this came upon Judah at the command of the LORD,

to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh,

according to all that he had done, [4] and also for the innocent

blood that he had shed. For he filled Jerusalem with innocent

blood, and the LORD would not pardon. (2 Kings 24)

Under Jehoiakim, the nation of Judah was steadily declining. Heavy

taxation had been stripping the people of the land of their hard-earned

money. The raids of the Chaldeans, Syrians, Moabites, and Ammonites not

only created an atmosphere of instability but also created more hardship for

the people of God. Jehoiakim did not turn to God in these days or repent

and seek His forgiveness.

Jehoiachin

Jehoiachin, the son of Jehoiakim, took his father’s place on the throne of

Judah. He was an evil king (2 Kings 24:8). As we have seen, these were

days of instability for Judah. Jehoiachin would only reign three months

before Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon besieged the city of Jerusalem (2 Kings

24:10). The rebellion of his father against Babylon may have been, in part,

the reason for this invasion.

According to 2 Kings 24:12, Jehoiachin gave himself up without a fight to

the king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar took him as a prisoner. It is clear

from this that there was no fight left in Judah. The nation had been steadily

declining from the time of Manasseh and his sinful ways. They had no

power to resist Babylon, and so Jehoiachin surrendered.

Nebuchadnezzar plundered the temple of God, stripping it of its gold (2

Kings 24:13). The Babylonian king also carried off to Babylon 10,000

skilled craftsmen and smiths. He left only the poorest and most unskilled

people in Judah (2 Kings 24:14). Jehoiachin and his family were taken back

to Babylon as captives, ending his reign.

In the place of Jehoiachin, Nebuchadnezzar appointed Jehoiachin’s uncle,

Mattaniah as king. Nebuchadnezzar changed his name to Zedekiah (2 Kings

24:17).

[17] And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s

uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah. (2

Kings 24)

Zedekiah

Zedekiah was the last king of Judah. He came to power at the age of

twenty-one and reigned for 11 years in Jerusalem (2 Kings 24:18). He is

described in 2 Kings 24:19 as an evil king. During his reign, he rebelled

against Babylon (2 Kings 24:20). This likely precipitated the next invasion

by Nebuchadnezzar’s forces.

The Babylonians laid siege to Jerusalem during the reign of Zedekiah

causing severe famine in the city (2 Kings 25:3). In desperation, Zedekiah

and some followers escaped through a hole in the city wall. The escape

attempt was foiled, and the group was captured and brought to the king of

Babylon. 2 Kings 25:6-7 describes what happened as a result:

[6] Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king

of Babylon at Riblah, and they passed sentence on him. [7]

They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and put

out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains and took him

to Babylon. (2 Kings 25)

Zedekiah was forced to watch the death of his sons. This would be the very

last thing he would see for, after this, the Babylonians pulled out his eyes

and led him in chains, a defeated and starving king, into captivity in

Babylon.

These were the days in which Jeremiah the prophet lived. They were days

of instability and political unrest. These were the last days of the nation of

Judah. Jeremiah watched them steadily decline under the judgement of God

and go off into captivity losing everything they had. These were difficult

days for Judah. Their end was near. Jeremiah would be the last prophet they

would hear before they lost their land and homes. He would be their last

chance before the judgement of God fell.

Jeremiah’s call to be a prophet comes in the first chapter of his book. His

call is important because it gives us a sense of what God was asking him to

do. There are several details we need to see from Jeremiah’s calling in

chapter 1.

Notice first in Jeremiah 1:5 that God appointed Jeremiah to be a prophet to

the nations even before he was born. There is much in this verse that we

will not touch in this context. The critical point for us to notice is that God

appointed him to be a prophet to the nations.

[5] “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before

you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to

the nations.”

The implication here is that Jeremiah’s ministry would be an international

one. God had some things to say to the nations of the world and Jeremiah

would be the man he would use to communicate those messages.

From Jeremiah 1:6 we understand that Jeremiah felt unworthy of the task,

but God told him that he was not to be afraid to go in His name and speak

what He commanded him to speak (Jeremiah 1:7). Jeremiah 1:9-10 tells us

that the Lord touched Jeremiah’s mouth and said:

[9] … “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. [10] See, I

have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck

up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and

to plant.”

This was the call of Jeremiah. He was to pluck up and break down, destroy

and overthrow, build and plant. He was to do this with the words the Lord

would give him. Jeremiah would announce the destruction and overthrow of

nations at the hand of God. He would also, however, announce hope for his

own country and remind them that they would be rebuilt and replanted in

the Lord’s time.

A Word To The Northern Kingdom Of Israel

Jeremiah begins his prophecy with the word of the Lord to the northern

kingdom of Israel. He reminded them of how they had, at one point been

“holy to the LORD” (Jeremiah 2:3). They turned from their God, however,

and “became worthless” (Jeremiah 2:4). Those who should have led the

people to God did not even know Him. The served other gods instead:

[8] The priests did not say, ‘Where is the LORD?’ Those who

handle the law did not know me;

the shepherds transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied

by Baal

and went after things that do not profit. (Jeremiah 2)

According to Jeremiah the people of Israel had committed two evils –they

had forsaken their god, and they made other gods for themselves:

[13] for my people have committed two evils:

they have forsaken me,

the fountain of living waters,

and hewed out cisterns for themselves,

broken cisterns that can hold no water. (Jeremiah 2)

God punished His people to correct their evil ways, but they resisted his

correction. In fact, they killed the messengers of God who came to them:

[30] In vain have I struck your children; they took no

correction;

your own sword devoured your prophets like a ravening lion.

(Jeremiah 2)

Because they refused God’s correction, they would be put to shame:

[36] How much you go about, changing your way!

You shall be put to shame by Egypt as you were put to shame by

Assyria.

[37] From it too you will come away with your hands on your

head,

for the LORD has rejected those in whom you trust, and you

will not prosper by them. (Jeremiah 2)

Jeremiah prophesied that the nation of Israel would be put to shame by

Egypt just as they had been devastated by the kingdom of Assyria that had

invaded the left them broke and helpless. We will see as this story unfolds

how God’s people, during the days of Jeremiah, would return to Egypt for

protection against Babylon but that protection would not be provided.

A Word To The Southern Kingdom Of Judah

In Jeremiah 3, the prophet turns his attention to the southern kingdom of

Judah. The northern nation of Israel had been defeated by the Assyrians by

this time. All the skilled workers and craftsmen had been taken into exile

leaving only the poorest people in the land to care for it. Judah had not yet

been defeated. She saw what had happened to Israel but according to

Jeremiah 3:8-10 she did not learn a lesson from this:

[7] And I thought, ‘After she has done all this she will return to

me,’ but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah

saw it. [8] She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless

one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce. Yet

her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and

played the whore. [9] Because she took her whoredom lightly,

she polluted the land, committing adultery with stone and tree.

[10] Yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return

to me with her whole heart, but in pretense, declares the

LORD.” (Jeremiah 3)

Because Judah refused to learn from the example of Israel, God would also

punish her. Jeremiah was sent with a word to the southern kingdom in

Jeremiah 4:

[5] Declare in Judah, and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say,

“Blow the trumpet through the land; cry aloud and say,

‘Assemble, and let us go into the fortified cities!’ [6] Raise a

standard toward Zion, flee for safety, stay not, for I bring

disaster from the north, and great destruction. [7] A lion has

gone up from his thicket, a destroyer of nations has set out; he

has gone out from his place to make your land a waste;

your cities will be ruins without inhabitant. (Jeremiah 4)

Jeremiah prophesied that disaster and destruction would come to Judah

from the north. A great lion would pounce on them and make their land

waste. Their cities would be in ruins without inhabitants. Like her evil sister

Israel, Judah would also lose her nation and be sent into exile.

It did not please the Lord to punish his people. Jeremiah speaks of the deep

anguish of the heart of God over the punishment of His people:

[19] My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain!

Oh, the walls of my heart!

My heart is beating wildly; I cannot keep silent,

for I hear the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

[20] Crash follows hard on crash;

the whole land is laid waste.

Suddenly my tents are laid waste,

my curtains in a moment.

[21] How long must I see the standard and hear the sound of

the trumpet? (Jeremiah 4)

The heart of God was broken for His people, but they refused to listen to

Him and repent:

[5:1] Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look and

take note!

Search her squares to see if you can find a man,

one who does justice and seeks truth,

that I may pardon her.

[2] Though they say, “As the LORD lives,” yet they swear

falsely.

[3] O LORD, do not your eyes look for truth? You have struck

them down,

but they felt no anguish; you have consumed them,

but they refused to take correction. They have made their faces

harder than rock;

they have refused to repent. (Jeremiah 5)

The Lord called for someone to run throughout the city to see if there was

even a single person who had repented so He could pardon that person. He

longed to forgive but His people “refuse to take correction.” They rejected

the words of the prophets the Lord send to warn them (Jeremiah 5:12-13).

Because of this stubborn refusal to repent, the Lord has a word for His

servant Jeremiah:

[14] Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of hosts: “Because

you have spoken this word, behold, I am making my words in

your mouth a fire, and this people wood, and the fire shall

consume them. (Jeremiah 5)

The words of Jeremiah, like a fiery judgement of God, would judge His

people of wood. This was the calling of Jeremiah. He was to announce

disaster and destruction. God announced to the people of Judah that He was

bringing a nation from afar who would bring great devastation to them:

[15] Behold, I am bringing against you a nation from afar, O

house of Israel, declares the LORD.

It is an enduring nation; it is an ancient nation,

a nation whose language you do not know,

nor can you understand what they say.

[16] Their quiver is like an open tomb;

they are all mighty warriors.

[17] They shall eat up your harvest and your food;

they shall eat up your sons and your daughters;

they shall eat up your flocks and your herds; they shall eat up

your vines and your fig trees;

your fortified cities in which you trust they shall beat down with

the sword.” (Jeremiah 5)

This foreign nation would strip Judah of her harvest, her sons, her

daughters, her flocks, her herds, her vines and fig trees, and her fortified

cities. They would have nothing left.

In Jeremiah 7, the Lord told the prophet to go to the temple in Jerusalem

and preach to those who came to worship.

[7:1] The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: [2]

“Stand in the gate of the LORD’s house, and proclaim there this

word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all you men of

Judah who enter these gates to worship the LORD. [3] Thus

says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways

and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. [4] Do

not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the

LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.’

(Jeremiah 7)

“Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place”

(verse 3). These were bold words for Jeremiah to preach to those who were

coming to worship. The people who came to worship had taken for granted

that they would live out the rest of their lives in this land and worship at this

temple. Jeremiah was telling them, however, that if they didn’t change how

they lived, God would take it all from them. These were difficult words for

these worshippers to accept.

Jeremiah went on to tell the people who came into the temple that day just

how severe their punishment would be if they did not amend their ways:

[33] And the dead bodies of this people will be food for the

birds of the air, and for the beasts of the earth, and none will

frighten them away. [34] And I will silence in the cities of

Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the

voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of

the bride, for the land shall become a waste. (Jeremiah 7)

How difficult it was for these “good” people coming to worship to hear

these words! They could not grasp what he was telling them that day. The

Lord described their response to Jeremiah’s prophesies in Jeremiah 8:6-8:

[6] I have paid attention and listened,

but they have not spoken rightly;

no man relents of his evil, saying,

‘What have I done?’

Everyone turns to his own course,

like a horse plunging headlong into battle.

[7] Even the stork in the heavens knows her times,

and the turtledove, swallow,

and crane keep the time of their coming,

but my people know not the rules of the LORD.

[8] “How can you say,

‘We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us’?

But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie.

(Jeremiah 8)

“I have paid attention,” they said. “What have we done,” they asked. They

did not see themselves as sinners. They believed they were religious people

coming to worship the Lord. They did not see themselves as God saw them.

They had lost all sense of right and wrong. Jeremiah told them that they felt

no shame and did not know how to blush (Jeremiah 8:12).

In Jeremiah 9-11 God revealed the sins of His people. Through Jeremiah,

He told them that they were an adulterous, treacherous, and deceitful people

(9:2-3). Though they were religious, they did not know God (9:3). God saw

them as deceivers, slanders, and oppressors (9:4-6). God accused His

people of being idolatrous Baal worshippers whose pagan gods were as

numerous as the streets in Jerusalem (see Jeremiah 9:1; 10:1; 11:13). Their

spiritual shepherds did not seek God (Jeremiah 10:21). How would you feel

if one Sunday morning you heard these words from the pulpit of your

church about yourself?

As you can imagine, those who heard Jeremiah did not like what he had to

say. It wasn’t long before Jeremiah began to feel the bitterness of the people

toward him and his message. In Jeremiah 11 we read:

[18] The LORD made it known to me and I knew;

then you showed me their deeds.

[19] But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter.

I did not know it was against me they devised schemes, saying,

“Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the

land of the living,

that his name be remembered no more.” (Jeremiah 11)

The people Jeremiah preached to, began to devise schemes to destroy him.

They hated him for what he taught. From Jeremiah 11:21 we discover that it

was the people of Anathoth (his home town) who sought to kill Jeremiah.

God, in fact, warned Jeremiah not to trust the people them:

[6] For even your brothers and the house of your father, even

they have dealt treacherously with you;

they are in full cry after you; do not believe them, though they

speak friendly words to you.” (Jeremiah 12)

To illustrate the sin of the people, God told Jeremiah to buy a linen

loincloth. He was to wear this loincloth but never to wash it. After some

time, the Lord told him to take his unwashed loincloth to the Euphrates

River and hide it under a rock. After many days, the Lord told Jeremiah to

return to the Euphrates and retrieve his loincloth. When Jeremiah did, he

discovered that it was “good for nothing” (Jeremiah 13:7). The Lord then

told Jeremiah that this is what would happen to his people. They had been

the pride of the Lord, but they refused to be cleansed of their sin and as a

result would be taken away into exile where their pride would be broken

(see Jeremiah 13:9).

We discover in Jeremiah 14:13 that other prophets ministered at the same

time as Jeremiah in Jerusalem and the surrounding region. These prophets

prophesied a different message from Jeremiah:

[13] Then I said: “Ah, Lord GOD, behold, the prophets say to them, ‘You

shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you

assured peace in this place.’” (Jeremiah 14)

Jeremiah appears to be alone in his proclamation of doom for Jerusalem.

This only complicated matters for him as he had no support from these

fellow prophets in what he preached. They told people that what Jeremiah

said would not happen. When Jeremiah brought this to the Lord, the Lord

told him:

[14] … “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did

not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They

are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and

the deceit of their own minds. (Jeremiah 14)

All Jeremiah had in those days was the Lord his God. The people of his

home town wanted to kill him, and his fellow prophets contradicted his

message. Jeremiah’s faith would have been stretched as he continued to

trust in the word the Lord gave him to preach. His ministry would have

been a lonely one. This loneliness and isolation were difficult for Jeremiah.

We see his pain in chapter 15 when he openly pours out his soul to God:

[16] Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words

became to me a joy

and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name,

O LORD, God of hosts. [17] I did not sit in the company of

revelers,

nor did I rejoice; I sat alone, because your hand was upon me,

for you had filled me with indignation. [18] Why is my pain

unceasing,

my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?

Will you be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail?

(Jeremiah 15)

Notice how Jeremiah told God that he sat alone because God’s hand was

upon him (verse 17). He spoke about an unceasing pain and an incurable

wound refusing to be healed. The prophetic ministry was not what Jeremiah

had expected. It was a painful and lonely ministry. Added to this was the

fact that Jeremiah was forbidden by the Lord to have a wife (Jeremiah

16:1). He was not to attend funerals (Jeremiah 16:5), nor was he to attend

any feasts (Jeremiah 16:8). This only increased his loneliness and sense of

isolation.

God did not promise that people would listen to Jeremiah. In fact, in

Jeremiah 17:19 the Lord told him to stand at the People’s Gate and warn the

people about carrying a burden into the city on the Sabbath day. These

words fell on deaf ears. The people did not listen to Jeremiah’s warning:

[23] Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but stiffened

their neck, that they might not hear and receive instruction.

(Jeremiah 17)

There would be no crowds repenting of their sin. There would be no one

gathering to hear Jeremiah preach. Instead, they would turn their backs on

him and consider him to be a fool.

When people would not listen to his words, Jeremiah illustrated his

message. On one occasion he went to the potter’s house to watch him make

a jar. When the clay did not cooperate with the potter, he simply reshaped it

into something else. God used this to show Jeremiah that He had the right to

do whatever He wanted with His uncooperative people (see Jeremiah 18).

On another occasion, Jeremiah took a pottery jar and broke it in pieces

before the people to communicate what God would do to the city of

Jerusalem (see Jeremiah 19:10ff).

These messages only served to intensify the bitterness of the people toward

Jeremiah and his ministry. In Jeremiah 20 Pashhur the priest had Jeremiah

arrested, beaten, and put in stocks to humiliate him. Jeremiah’s response to

this event is recorded in verse 7:

[7] O LORD, you have deceived me,

and I was deceived;

you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed.

I have become a laughingstock all the day;

everyone mocks me.

[8] For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout,

“Violence and destruction!”

For the word of the LORD has become for me a reproach and

derision all day long.

[9] If I say, “I will not mention him,

or speak any more in his name,”

there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my

bones,

and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.

[10] For I hear many whispering.

Terror is on every side!

“Denounce him! Let us denounce him!” say all my close

friends,

watching for my fall. “Perhaps he will be deceived;

then we can overcome him

and take our revenge on him.” (Jeremiah 20)

There was a strange relationship between Jeremiah and the word he spoke.

This word burned in his bones. There were times when he didn’t want to

speak what God was giving him to say but he could not hold in that word.

The word he spoke made him a laughingstock. It caused people to hate him

and seek his life. Those who heard him preach wanted to see him dead. This

was a weighty burden on Jeremiah, and there were times when he was

overwhelmed. Listen to his deeply felt grief in Jeremiah 20:

[14] Cursed be the day on which I was born!

The day when my mother bore me, let it not be blessed!

[15] Cursed be the man who brought the news to my father,

“A son is born to you,” making him very glad.

[16] Let that man be like the cities that the LORD overthrew

without pity;

let him hear a cry in the morning and an alarm at noon,

[17] because he did not kill me in the womb;

o my mother would have been my grave, and her womb forever

great.

[18] Why did I come out from the womb to see toil and sorrow,

and spend my days in shame? (Jeremiah 20)

Those who seek to be God’s spokesmen would do well to count the cost of

such a ministry. Jeremiah literally wanted to die because of the difficulty of

his ministry.

Jeremiah prophesied that Babylon would invade and take Jerusalem

captive. He told King Zedekiah that any resistance to Babylon would be

futile (Jeremiah 21:4). In fact, Judah would remain in captivity for seventy

years before the Lord punished Babylon and set His people free from their

oppression (see Jeremiah 25:8-12). God’s people, according to Jeremiah,

would be brought back from their captivity (Jeremiah 16:14-15). The day

was coming when God would raise up a “Branch” from the line of David

[5] “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I

will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign

as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and

righteousness in the land. [6] In his days Judah will be saved,

and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he

will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’ (Jeremiah 23)

The name of that righteous Branch would be “The Lord is our

righteousness.” This is very likely a reference to the coming of the Lord

Jesus who would reign as Lord over His people.

As the threat of Babylon became more real, Jeremiah preached the need to

submit to their domination. He told his people that it was the will of God

that Babylon invade and take them into captivity. He made it clear in his

messages that any nation that did not submit to Babylon would be punished

by God:

[8] But if any nation or kingdom will not serve this

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and put its neck under the

yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the

sword, with famine, and with pestilence, declares the LORD,

until I have consumed it by his hand. (Jeremiah 27)

As you can imagine, these words were considered treasonous. The prophet

Hananiah opposed what Jeremiah was preaching.

[1] In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah

king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, Hananiah

the son of Azzur, the prophet from Gibeon, spoke to me in the

house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and all the

people, saying, [2] “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of

Israel: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. (Jeremiah

28)

Hananiah contradicted Jeremiah and preached another message. In Jeremiah

28:15-16, Jeremiah confronted Hananiah and told him that because he was

not teaching the truth, he would die before that year was over. Hananiah

would die that year as Jeremiah predicted. This would have been a sign to

the people of the truth of Jeremiah’s prophecy.

By this time, Babylon had invaded Judah had taken some of its citizens as

prisoners. The city of Jerusalem was still intact, but Babylon would return

to destroy it and take more captives. Jeremiah recounts the story of this

final invasion and devastation of Jerusalem in Jeremiah 52.

In Jeremiah 29, the prophet wrote a letter to this first wave of exiles who

were in Babylon. In this letter, he gave the instructions of the Lord for them

as they lived in exile.

[4] “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the

exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:

[5] Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their

produce. [6] Take wives and have sons and daughters; take

wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that

they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not

decrease. [7] But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent

you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its

welfare you will find your welfare. (Jeremiah 29)

According to Jeremiah, it was the will of the Lord that his people settle

down and enjoy their lives in exile. Jeremiah would go on to tell them that

they would remain in exile for seventy years:

[10] “For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are

completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you

my promise and bring you back to this place. (Jeremiah 29)

God’s people would not leave Babylon until these seventy years were over.

While the prospect of remaining in this foreign land may not have been

very encouraging, Jeremiah did give them something to look forward to. He

told his people that the Lord would restore them and bring them back to

their homeland.

[7] I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of

Israel and rebuild them as they were at first. [8] I will cleanse

them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive

all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me… [10] “Thus

says the LORD: In this place of which you say, ‘It is a waste

without man or beast,’ in the cities of Judah and the streets of

Jerusalem that are desolate, without man or inhabitant or

beast, there shall be heard again [11] the voice of mirth and

the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice

of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank

offerings to the house of the LORD… (Jeremiah 33)

In fact, Jeremiah promised that the Lord would establish a new covenant

with them.

[31] “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I

will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the

house of Judah, [32] not like the covenant that I made with

their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring

them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke,

though I was their husband, declares the LORD. [33] For this

is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after

those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them,

and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and

they shall be my people. [34] And no longer shall each one

teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the

LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the

greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity,

and I will remember their sin no more.”

This new covenant would not be like the old covenant they had broken

(verse 32). This new covenant would be different in one key way—God’s

people would have His law written on their hearts, and they would all know

God and be forgiven of their sin. In other words, those who were part of this

new covenant would be a changed people who followed God not because

some external law required that they do so, but because their hearts would

be so changed that they would desire to follow him from the very core of

their being. This was a work that could only take place when the Lord Jesus

came and provided for the forgiveness of sin and placed His Holy Spirit in

their lives as a seal of guarantee that they were indeed his not only in name

but also in heart.

To symbolize the restoration of Israel, while the Babylonians were

invading, Jeremiah purchased a field in his own hometown. He told those

who wondered why he would buy a field when the Babylonians were about

to conquer the land, that the day would come when it would be restored to

them (see Jeremiah 32).

In the days leading up to the final invasion and conquest of Jerusalem,

Jeremiah continued to prepare the people for what was ahead. Even though

Babylon was at their doorstep, the people of Jerusalem refused to listen to

him. In fact, we discover from Jeremiah 36:4-6 that he had been banned

from preaching at the temple. To communicate his message, Jeremiah was

forced to write out his prophecies and have his secretary read them in

public. Even this did not spare him from insult. When his secretary Baruch

read what Jeremiah had written on a scroll, the word was taken to the king.

After hearing what Jeremiah wrote, the king burned the scroll, rejecting its

message (Jeremiah 36:23).

Despite the burning of his scroll, Jeremiah persisted in preaching the

message of judgment and submission to Babylon. For this message, he was

thrown in prison, falsely accused of deserting to the Babylonians, the

enemy of Judah:

[11] Now when the Chaldean army had withdrawn from

Jerusalem at the approach of Pharaoh’s army, [12] Jeremiah

set out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to receive

his portion there among the people. [13] When he was at the

Benjamin Gate, a sentry there named Irijah the son of

Shelemiah, son of Hananiah, seized Jeremiah the prophet,

saying, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans.” [14] And

Jeremiah said, “It is a lie; I am not deserting to the

Chaldeans.” But Irijah would not listen to him, and seized

Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. [15] And the officials

were enraged at Jeremiah, and they beat him and imprisoned

him in the house of Jonathan the secretary, for it had been

made a prison. (Jeremiah 37)

Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jucal, and Pashur believed Jeremiah was “weakening

the hands” of the soldiers and people left in the city through his message.

Not content to have Jeremiah in prison, they felt he needed to be put to

death and silenced completely. They approached King Zedekiah with their

request:

[4] Then the officials said to the king, “Let this man be put to

death, for he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who are left

in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such

words to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of this

people, but their harm.” (Jeremiah 38)

Zedekiah released Jeremiah into their hands, and the men had him thrown

into a cistern and left to die. Were it not for the help of an Ethiopian in the

king’s court, Jeremiah would have died in the cistern. Ebed-Melech,

however, rescued him, saving his life (see Jeremiah 38:7ff). From these

details, we can see the intensity of hatred for Jeremiah and the message he

preached in those final days of Judah.

In Jeremiah 39 we read how Jerusalem fell and its inhabitants were taken

captive and led off into captivity in Babylon. Gedaliah was given the

responsibility of governing the poor, unskilled people who were not worthy

of captivity. Jeremiah was entrusted into the hands of Gedaliah and would

remain with him in Judah (Jeremiah 39:11-14).

Apparently, the people of Judah were not content with their circumstances.

Ishmael the son of Nethaniah was not satisfied with having Gedaliah being

appointed by the Babylonians to be their governor. He and a group of ten

men rose up in rebellion and killed the governor, his officials and the

Babylonian soldiers around him (see Jeremiah 41:1-3).

This act of rebellion on the part of Ishmael threw the inhabitants of Judah

into a panic. They feared the response of Babylon. They were not prepared

to defend themselves against another Babylonian invasion. They

approached Jeremiah and ask him to seek the Lord’s will for them in these

circumstances:

[42:1] Then all the commanders of the forces, and Johanan the

son of Kareah and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the

people from the least to the greatest, came near [2] and said to

Jeremiah the prophet, “Let our plea for mercy come before you,

and pray to the LORD your God for us, for all this remnant—

because we are left with but a few, as your eyes see us— [3]

that the LORD your God may show us the way we should go,

and the thing that we should do.” (Jeremiah 42)

Jeremiah consulted the Lord, and after ten days Jeremiah returned to tell the

people that it was the will of the Lord that they remain in the Judah under

the hand of God. They were not to fear the Babylonians because God would

protect and keep them (see Jeremiah 42:10-11). The shattered faith of the

people who remained in Jerusalem, however, was not strong enough to

believe this word from the Lord. They had seen their nation crushed and

could no longer trust God to be their deliverer.

Instead of trusting the Lord, the people rejected the words of Jeremiah,

calling him a liar (see Jeremiah 43:2-4). They packed their bags and set out

for Egypt to live under the protection of the Pharaoh (Jeremiah 43:5-7). The

nation of Judah was abandoned. Jeremiah was forced to travel with them to

Egypt.

There in the land of Egypt, the Lord spoke to Jeremiah:

[8] Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in

Tahpanhes: [9] “Take in your hands large stones and hide them

in the mortar in the pavement that is at the entrance to

Pharaoh’s palace in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of

Judah, [10] and say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the

God of Israel: Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar the

king of Babylon, my servant, and I will set his throne above

these stones that I have hidden, and he will spread his royal

canopy over them. [11] He shall come and strike the land of

Egypt, giving over to the pestilence those who are doomed to

the pestilence, to captivity those who are doomed to captivity,

and to the sword those who are doomed to the sword. [12] I

shall kindle a fire in the temples of the gods of Egypt, and he

shall burn them and carry them away captive. And he shall

clean the land of Egypt as a shepherd cleans his cloak of

vermin, and he shall go away from there in peace. [13] He shall

break the obelisks of Heliopolis, which is in the land of Egypt,

and the temples of the gods of Egypt he shall burn with fire.’”

(Jeremiah 43)

God told His people that day that the sword they feared would reach out to

them even there in Egypt. This great nation, in which they put their

confidence would also be destroyed.

In the remainder of Jeremiah’s prophecy, the Lord gave him words for the

surrounding nations fulfilling His promise to make him a prophet to the

nations. God revealed His judgement against Egypt (Jeremiah 46), Philistia

(Jeremiah 47), Moab (Jeremiah 48), Ammon (Jeremiah 49:1-7), Edom

(Jeremiah 49:8-22), Damascus (Jeremiah 49:23-27), Kedar and Hazor

(Jeremiah 49:28-33), Elam (Jeremiah 49:34-39) and Babylon (Jeremiah

50:1-51:64).

The book of Lamentations is devoted to grieving over the destruction of the

great city because of the sins of God’s people. Jeremiah’s message was a

message of doom and judgement. God was going to break down and tear

apart. Jeremiah, also, however, spoke of how God would also build up the

nation when their day of judgement had passed. God would make a new

covenant with His people, and they would be restored to Him and know

Him with all their heart.

Jeremiah’s ministry prepared his people for the judgement of the Lord and

the renewal that would come about through that judgement. It cost him

much to be a prophet at this time in Judah’s history. He had no significant

following of disciples. He was not allowed to have a wife or family. He was

not allowed to rejoice with the people or comfort them in their times of

mourning. There were times when the word he was called to preach was so

heavy that he wanted to die. His message was rejected. The people of his

home town wanted to kill him. He was publicly mocked and ridiculed even

being put in stocks. He did time in prison and was thrown into a cistern and

left to die. He watched as the remaining inhabitants of Jerusalem abandoned

the city and went to Egypt, not able to trust the Lord. Through it all,

however, Jeremiah persevered, making him one of Judah’s most faithful

servants of God.

For Consideration:

Describe the days in which Jeremiah the prophet lived from a political and

spiritual point of view. How do these days compare to today?

In Jeremiah 1:9 the Lord God revealed the purpose for the prophet. How

would this purpose be worked out in Jeremiah’s life and ministry?

What was Jeremiah’s attitude toward Babylon, the enemy of Judah? How

did this bring him into conflict with the people of his day? What would

have been your response had you heard the message of Jeremiah in that

day?

Was it always a joy for Jeremiah to preach the word of the Lord? Why or

why not?

What did Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles and his counsel to them teach us

about God’s discipline and the trials we face?

What kind of relationship did Jeremiah have with the other religious leaders

in his community?

Jeremiah prophesied that God would establish a new covenant with His

people that was very different from the old covenant. How did this new

covenant come about? How was it different from the old covenant?

For Prayer:

Ask God to show you the purpose He has for your life. Ask Him to give

you strength to be obedient to His will even when it is not easy.

Ask the Lord to teach you through the things you suffer. Thank Him that He

refines us through the things He allows to come our way.

Take a moment to thank the Lord for the support He has given you in

friends and fellow servants of God. Ask God to help you to be an

encouragement to them in their struggle.

Thank the Lord for the new covenant that Jesus has established by his death

and the coming of the Holy Spirit to be our guide and holiness. Ask God to

help you to walk faithfully in this new relationship you have with Christ,

the mediator of this new covenant of which Jeremiah spoke.

18 - ZEPHANIAH

ephaniah 1:1 gives us some insight into the time of Zephaniah.

[1] The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of

Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of

Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of

Judah: (Zephaniah 1)

Notice here that Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of Josiah of Judah.

At this time, the northern kingdom of Israel had been taken captive by the

Assyrians. This places Zephaniah roughly at the time of Jeremiah, although

he does not appear to have prophesied in Judah for as long as Jeremiah

whose prophetic ministry extended for another four Judean kings.

Josiah was a good king who restored the worship of God in Judah after a

time of tremendous evil. Under the reigns of his father and grandfather,

Judah had reached a spiritual low. The doors of the temple had been closed,

and the people of Jerusalem were worshipping the god Baal. 2 Kings 23

describes what Josiah discovered when he opened the doors of the temple to

have it cleansed:

[4] The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in

rank and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the

LORD all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the

starry hosts. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of

the Kidron Valley and took the ashes to Bethel. [5] He did away

with the pagan priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn

incense on the high places of the towns of Judah and on those

around Jerusalem—those who burned incense to Baal, to the

sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts.

[6] He took the Asherah pole from the temple of the LORD to

the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem and burned it there. He

ground it to powder and scattered the dust over the graves of

the common people. [7] He also tore down the quarters of the

male shrine prostitutes, which were in the temple of the LORD

and where women did weaving for Asherah. (2 King 23)

Notice what was discovered in the temple of God in those days. Those who

cleansed the temple had to remove “articles made for Baal and Asherah and

all the starry hosts.” 2 Kings 23:7 tells us that they also had to tear down

“the quarters of the male shrine prostituted, which were in the temple of the

Lord where women did weaving for Asherah”. This meant that the temple

of God had been completely defiled. Pagan idols and immoral practices

were taking place in its walls.

Josiah was 8 years old when he became king. It would not be until the

eighteenth year of his reign that he would order the repair and cleansing of

the temple (age 26). This cleansing was accompanied by a great revival.

Josiah would initiate a cleansing not only of the temple but of the entire

nation. Until that time of revival, however, the people of God were

worshipping Baal, Asherah, and the “starry hosts.”

It appears that Zephaniah began his ministry before the renewal that took

place under Josiah. We draw this conclusion because of his condemnation

of specific sins and the worship of foreign gods. We read, in the opening

statement of his prophecy:

[4] “I will stretch out my hand against Judah, and against all

the inhabitants of Jerusalem;

and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal and the

name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests, [5] those

who bow down on the roofs to the host of the heavens,

those who bow down and swear to the LORD and yet swear by

Milcom, (Zephaniah 1)

These two verses say a lot about the spiritual climate in Judah in those days.

Reference is made here to the god Baal. Notice also, that Zephaniah speaks

out against the “idolatrous priests.” These priests were not serving the God

of Judah but the pagan idols that were in the land. Zephaniah mentions

people who would go up to the roofs of their houses and bow down in

worship to the stars. Finally, he rebukes those who were swearing by

Milcom, and by the Lord God of Judah. The days of Zephaniah were days

of pagan worship and idolatry in Judah. These were days when God’s

people were described as:

[6] those who have turned back from following the LORD,

who do not seek the LORD or inquire of him.” (Zephaniah 1)

Zephaniah announced a day of judgement. That day of wrath was being

prepared for a number of people. In Zephaniah 1:8 he declared the

condemnation of the officials who dressed in foreign attire. The Lord would

judge these officials because they no longer upheld the values of the Law of

Moses but chose to follow foreign ways:

[8] And on the day of the LORD’s sacrifice—

“I will punish the officials and the king’s sons

and all who array themselves in foreign attire.

God would also punish those who stepped over the threshold and filled their

master’s house with violence and fraud:

[9] On that day I will punish everyone

who leaps over the threshold,

and those who fill their master’s house with

violence and fraud.

The phrase “leaps over the threshold” can be seen in two ways. The first is

that this is a reference to the Philistine practice of not stepping on the

threshold of the temple of Dagon (see 1 Samuel 5:5). If this is the case, then

the verse would be further evidence of the influence of pagan worship in

Judah.

The second way of understanding what Zephaniah is saying here is to see

this as those who stole what was not theirs. These individuals leapt over

thresholds of their neighbour’s houses for violence and fraud. They harmed

and stole from their neighbours and filled their houses with belongings that

they obtained by theft and oppression. Either way, we see that God was also

going to punish these people for their sin.

Zephaniah goes on in verse 11 to tell the people of Judah that the Lord

would also punish the traders and merchants.

[11] Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar!

For all the traders are no more;

all who weigh out silver are cut off.

Obviously, the reason for the punishment of these traders and merchants

was because of their dishonest and corrupt dealings.

Finally, Zephaniah spoke against those who were complacent:

[12] At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will

punish the men who are complacent,

those who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good, nor

will he do ill.’

The individuals described in verse 12 are those who said in their heart that

God would do neither good nor ill. That is to say, they didn’t really concern

themselves with the evil in their society. They did not speak out against the

sin. They did not have a passion for the glory of God

and lived their lives as if God didn’t exist. Zephaniah tells these individuals

that God would search them out and punish them as well.

The prophet describes this day of judgement in Zephaniah 1:15-16:

[15] A day of wrath is that day,

a day of distress and anguish,

a day of ruin and devastation,

a day of darkness and gloom,

a day of clouds and thick darkness,

[16] a day of trumpet blast and battle cry

against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements.

(Zephaniah 1)

This day of the Lord was going to be a brutal day for His people. There

would be great devastation and ruin. They would not be able to escape this

judgement. Their silver and gold would mean nothing to them when that

judgement fell. Their high position would not keep them from God’s

justice:

[18] Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver

them on the day of the wrath of the LORD.

In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a

full and sudden end

he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth. (Zephaniah 1)

Notice that Zephaniah speaks of “all the earth” being consumed and the end

of “all the inhabitants of the earth.” There was a partial fulfilment of this

prophecy in the days when Babylon invaded Judah and stripped her of

everything she had. The greater realization of this prophecy, however, has

yet to take place. The apostle Peter prophesied:

[11] Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of

people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, [12]

waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God,

because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved,

and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! (2 Peter 3)

According to Peter, this earth will be destroyed in the day of the Lord’s

judgement (see also Revelation 21:1).

This day of the Lord’s judgment would not be only for Judah. Zephaniah

spoke about God’s judgement of the Philistines (2:4-7), the Moabites and

the Ammonites (2:8-11), the land of Cush (2:12) and the Assyrians (2:13-

15). All these nations would experience the heavy hand of God’s wrath

because of their sin.

In Zephaniah 3, the prophet expresses the grief of the Lord over the sins of

the people of Jerusalem. Here in these verses, he described them as a people

who did not trust or obey the Lord:

[2] She has not obeyed His voice,

She has not received correction;

She has not trusted in the LORD,

She has not drawn near to her God. (Zephaniah 3)

Jerusalem’s leaders were as ravenous lions and wolves devouring those they

were meant to serve:

[3] Her princes in her midst are roaring lions;

Her judges are evening wolves

That leave not a bone till morning. (Zephaniah 3)

Her spiritual leaders were no better. They were an insolent people who

polluted the temple of God with their evil practices:

[4] Her prophets are insolent, treacherous people;

Her priests have polluted the sanctuary,

They have done violence to the law. (Zephaniah 3)

All the inhabitants of the city of Jerusalem were corrupt. They had rejected

the Lord from the average citizen to the political and religious leaders.

Zephaniah prophesied, however, that while there was a day of judgement

coming, the Lord would not abandon His people. God’s people would be

scattered from their land because of their sin but the day was coming,

according to Zephaniah, when the Lord would gather these scattered

people, and they would again go to Him and offer Him worship:

[10] From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia

My worshipers,

The daughter of My dispersed ones,

Shall bring My offering. (Zephaniah 3)

On the day that they returned to Him, God would do a beautiful work in

their midst. Zephaniah told his people that the Lord would restore a pure

language to his people so that they would call on his name.

[9] “For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language,

That they all may call on the name of the LORD,

To serve Him with one accord. (Zephaniah 3)

God would remove the names of the pagan God’s from the lips of His

people. The discipline of God would have a purifying effect on His people.

Their discipline would cleanse their hearts and minds and restore them to

God.

God would remove from His people all who were proud and rebellious.

Those who would not submit to him would no longer be part of His people

nor would they be permitted to dwell on His holy mountain:

[11] In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds

In which you transgress against Me;

For then I will take away from your midst

Those who rejoice in your pride,

And you shall no longer be haughty

In My holy mountain. (Zephaniah 3)

What Zephaniah speaks about here is not just forgiveness of sin but

complete removal of all who did not honour and love the Lord God of

Israel. No one who was proud and rebellious would live on His holy

mountain. This is very similar to what the apostle John said in Revelation

21:

[25] Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no

night there). [26] And they shall bring the glory and the honor

of the nations into it. [27] But there shall by no means enter it

anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but

only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

(Revelation 21)

The scattered who returned to the Lord are described as those who did no

unrighteousness:

[13] The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness

And speak no lies,

Nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth;

For they shall feed their flocks and lie down,

And no one shall make them afraid.” (Zephaniah 3)

God would do a powerful work in the lives of these people. They would

obey Him and walk with Him with a new heart. God would forgive their

sins, and they would live in perfect security in His presence:

[15] The LORD has taken away your judgments,

He has cast out your enemy.

The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;

You shall see disaster no more. (Zephaniah 3)

There would be a restoration of the relationship between God and His

people. They would know the salvation and presence of God and delight

His heart:

[17] The LORD your God in your midst,

The Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3)

Zephaniah announced that the Day of the Lord was coming. That day would

have a two-fold purpose. First, it would be a day when God judged the earth

for its sin and rebellion. Second, it would also be a day of cleansing and

healing for His people.

What is interesting about Zephaniah’s prophesy about the Day of the Lord,

is that it appears to have a double fulfilment. Of course, the initial

fulfillment came when the city of Jerusalem was captured by the

Babylonians and its inhabitants were taken away into captivity. There are,

however, hints of an even greater judgement where, “in the fire of his

jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed,” and God would make a “sudden

end” to “all the inhabitants of the earth” (Zephaniah 1:18).

What is true for the judgement of God also seems true for the renewal and

restoration of His people. Zephaniah prophesied that those who were

scattered would return to their land and bring their offerings to God (see

Zephaniah 3:10). This did happen in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah when

the king of Persia gave permission for the Jewish people to return to their

homeland. The description, however of the spiritual condition of God’s

people in Zephaniah 3 seems to look forward to a time when no proud or

rebellious person would live on God’s Holy Mountain (3:11), where there

would be no unrighteousness or lies (3:13), where all would live in one

accord with a pure language (3:9), and all enemies will be cast out (3:15).

There seems to be a connection between what Zephaniah prophesies and

what the apostle John describes in Revelation about heaven and its

inhabitants. Zephaniah announced a coming Day of the Lord. This day

would be a day of judgement but also a day of tremendous hope and

renewal for those who belonged to the Lord God.

For Consideration:

What were the spiritual conditions in Jerusalem during the days of

Zephaniah?

What pagan practices were being observed in Judah in the days of

Zephaniah? Are there any practices in the church today that are not from

God?

Zephaniah announced a day of judgement and renewal for God’s people.

How did his prophecy come to pass for Jerusalem and its inhabitants?

What is the connection between the prophecy of Zephaniah and the vision

of John in the book of Revelation?

For Prayer:

What are the spiritual conditions of your society today? Take a moment to

bring your community to the Lord. Ask Him to convict of sin and bring

healing and renewal to your community.

Take a moment to thank the Lord for the hope he gives of a time when

righteousness will reign, and evil will be judged.

Ask the Lord to cleanse you from rebellion or complacency. Ask Him to

give you a devoted heart that loves and willingly surrenders to Him.

Thank the Lord for men like Zephaniah who are willing to speak about the

sins of our nations and churches.

Thank the Lord that He is willing to discipline those He loves to bring them

to a place of deeper surrender and commitment to Him.

19 - HABAKKUK

ery little is known about the prophet Habakkuk. In fact, all we

know about him is contained in his book. The only clue we have

to the date of the book is found in Habakkuk 1:5-6:

[5] “Look among the nations, and see;

wonder and be astounded.

For I am doing a work in your days

that you would not believe if told.

[6] For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans,

that bitter and hasty nation,

who march through the breadth of the earth,

to seize dwellings not their own. (Habakkuk 1)

Habakkuk 1:6 refers to the Chaldeans and the fact that God was raising

them up to march through the “breadth of the earth to seize dwellings are

not own” (verse 6). The Chaldeans were inhabitants of Babylon. The

context of the book of Habakkuk seems to indicate that the nation of Judah

was already experiencing oppression and loss. Because there is no

reference, however, to the people of God being taken into exile by the

Babylonians, it may be safe to assume that Habakkuk prophesied around

the beginning of the Babylonian invasion of Judah.

Habakkuk begins his book with a question:

[2] O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not

hear?

Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? (Habakkuk 1)

The prophet asks the Lord why He did not hear his prayers. Notice the

reason for Habakkuk’s prayers in verse 2. There was violence in the land

and Habakkuk was not being spared from that violence. He went on in

verse three to ask God another question:

[3] Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look

at wrong?

Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention

arise. (Habakkuk 1)

As Habakkuk looked around him, he saw great trouble and pain. He saw

people being plundered and their belongings were taken by force. We can

picture the nation of Babylon invading the land and stripping away its

wealth while God’s people watched helplessly. Habakkuk cried out to the

Lord in this chaos, but his prayers did not seem to move God or change

their circumstances. He was perplexed and questioned why the Lord would

allow this to happen to His people without stepping in and stopping their

enemy.

The Lord answered the prophet in Habakkuk 1:5-11, but the answer left

Habakkuk with more questions. God told Habakkuk that He was raising up

the Babylonians to march through the earth and take territory that was not

theirs (1:6). These Babylonians would bring judgement to the earth (1:7).

That judgement would come swiftly and be fierce (1:8). No nation would be

able to conquer them—this was not a wrath they could escape (1:10). God

was using the Babylonians to execute His sentence on the earth.

As difficult as it was to accept the purpose of God, Habakkuk understood

that the Lord God of Israel and Judah had every right to correct and punish

His people for sin and rebellion. He confessed this in Habakkuk 1:12:

[12] Are you not from everlasting,

O LORD my God, my Holy One?

We shall not die.

O LORD, you have ordained them as a judgment,

and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof. (Habakkuk

Clearly, Habakkuk understood that God had appointed these Babylonians

“as a judgement,” and established them to be a “reproof” and correction to

the nations. While He understood that God was punishing the nations for

their sin, Habakkuk’s struggle was that these Babylonians were no better

than the people they were invading. Habakkuk questioned why God

allowed evil Babylonians to “swallow up the man more righteous than he?”

(Habakkuk 1:13)

[13] You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look

at wrong,

why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the

wicked swallows up

the man more righteous than he? (Habakkuk 1)

Habakkuk 2:2 is an important verse. The verse is part of the Lord’s answer

to Habakkuk’s question, but it is also his calling:

[2] And the LORD answered me: “Write the vision; make it

plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. (Habakkuk 2)

This verse is a direct command of God to Habakkuk. Here the Lord told

him to write down his vision. This is likely why we have a record of

Habakkuk today. God told him to write down his struggle and the questions

he had so that those who were struggling with the same problems would

have a record of the answer of the Lord. We can be sure that Habakkuk was

not the only one struggling with these questions. God wanted to use him to

answer the questions of a confused people facing the harsh judgment of the

day. Habakkuk’s burden was to make sense of this horrible judgement of

God at that hands of the cruel Babylonians.

In answering Habakkuk’s question, the Lord makes two significant points.

The first point God makes is found in Habakkuk 2:4:

[4] “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,

but the righteous shall live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2)

Speaking about the Babylonians, God agreed with Habakkuk and said:

“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him.” In other words,

the Babylonians were indeed proud and sinful people. They were not right

with God.

Notice also, however, that God told Habakkuk that the righteous were to

live by faith. If we live by faith, we do need an answer to everything God

does. We simply trust Him. God is telling Habakkuk that while he did not

understand why He did things the way He did, he was to trust Him. This

was the word of God to the nation of Judah who faced this harsh opposition

at the hands of the enemy. In reality, God was saying: “I know you don’t

understand what is happening to you right now but trust me, I know what I

am doing.”

The second point God made in His answer to Habakkuk is found in

Habakkuk 2:6. Speaking to the Babylonians, God said:

[6] Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with

scoffing and riddles for him, and say, “Woe to him who heaps

up what is not his own— for how long? — and loads himself

with pledges!” [7] Will not your debtors suddenly arise, and

those awake who will make you tremble? Then you will be spoil

for them. [8] Because you have plundered many nations, all the

remnant of the peoples shall plunder you, for the blood of man

and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them.

(Habakkuk 2)

Babylon had heaped up “what is not his own” (verse 6) and plundered many

nations (verse 8). The day was coming, however, when his debtors would

“suddenly arise” (verse 7). These debtors would spoil Babylon (verse 7).

The nations Babylon had plundered, would one day plunder them (verse 8).

God made it clear to Habakkuk that sinful Babylon was His instrument to

judge the nations. Babylon would not be spared, however, from the same

judgement. She would also have to give an accounting to God. She would

also be judged in the end.

This answer of God seems to quieten the heart of Habakkuk. As he reflects

on this two-fold response of God, he is moved to pray prophetically. In this

prophetic prayer, Habakkuk speaks directly to God, but God gives Him an

understanding of what was going to happen.

In his prayer, Habakkuk’s speaks of a God who came in splendour and

holiness to the earth. The earth trembled before His awesome majesty. He

came to judge and punish the nations for their sin and evil. Notice, however,

that God also came to bring salvation to His people:

[13] You went out for the salvation of your people,

for the salvation of your anointed.

You crushed the head of the house of the wicked,

laying him bare from thigh to neck. Selah (Habakkuk 3)

Through God disciplined His people, He would not forget them. He would

bring His salvation. Through this judgement, God would purify His people.

Habakkuk committed himself to wait on the Lord to bring justice and

judgment on those who had invaded them:

[16] I hear, and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound;

rottenness enters into my bones; my legs tremble beneath me.

Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble

to come upon people who invade us. (Habakkuk 3)

While that time of waiting would not be easy, Habakkuk chose to keep his

eyes focused on the Lord. By faith, he would wait for the Lord to

accomplish His purpose and bring salvation to His people:

[17] Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the

vines,

the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food,

the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the

stalls,

[18] yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God

of my salvation. (Habakkuk 3)

God showed Habakkuk that He was in control, even amid the great

confusion in his nation. He reminded him that the pathway to victory was

by faith and confidence in God and His purpose. God would not abandon

His people in this pain. He would punish and discipline, but ultimately, he

would also bring salvation as His people waited on him.

Notice, finally in Habakkuk 3:19 that Habakkuk’s prayer was set to music.

This meant that it would be sung in the land and serve as a reminder to the

people of God in their time of trouble. As this prayer was sung, it would

have given direction and comfort to a people who, like Habakkuk could not

make sense of what was happening in their nation. Habakkuk’s prophesy,

though very brief, was a powerful message that spoke directly to a confused

people in a time of crisis.

His prophecy comes from his own weakness and misunderstanding. It

reflects his own struggle and pain. God used his struggle to speak to the

nation. For some, the only way they would have known about this prophet

was through his words put to music. We have nothing more from this

prophet. His personal struggle was used, however, to speak prophetically to

his nation at a very difficult time. It pointed them to the Lord and reminded

them of his sovereign control and goodness.

For Consideration:

What is the historical context for the book of Habakkuk? What was

happening in the nation at the time of his prophecy? What would have been

the questions on the minds of the people of God in his day?

How do you respond to difficult circumstances you do not understand?

Can God use the unbeliever to accomplish His purpose on this earth?

What was the purpose of Habakkuk’s prophecy?

What role does faith have in the trials that we face in our lives?

How did God use the confusion and questions of Habakkuk to speak to the

nation?

For Prayer

Take a moment to thank the Lord that He is bigger than the tragedies you

experience in life.

Are you struggling with things in your life you do not understand? Ask the

Lord to give you the faith Habakkuk speaks about in this book. Confess

your doubts, anxieties, and lack of confidence in God.

Ask the Lord to give you strength and patience to wait on Him as He

unfolds His purpose in your life. Ask Him to keep you faithful and focused

on Him in these difficult times.

20 - EZEKIEL

[1:1] In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day

of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal,

the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. [2] On the

fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of King

Jehoiachin), [3] the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the

priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the

Chebar canal, and the hand of the LORD was upon him there.

(Ezekiel 1)

zekiel 1:1-3 teaches us several details about the prophet. Notice

first that Ezekiel was “among the exiles by the Chebar canal.” The

Chebar canal was in Babylon. This means that Ezekiel was among

those who were taken from Judah and brought to Babylon as a captive.

These Jewish captives were not all taken to Babylon at the same time. In the

days of King Jehoiachin, Babylon captured the city of Jerusalem and took

many Jews captive to Babylon. At that time the Babylonian king removed

King Jehoiachin from the throne and put his uncle Zedekiah in his place

(see 2 Kings 24:10-17). King Zedekiah, however, would eventually rebel

against this Babylonian authority. This brought Babylon back to Jerusalem

to deal with the rebellion. This time the Babylonians destroyed the city of

Jerusalem and took the remaining Jews captive, leaving only the poorest

and unskilled in the land (see 2 Kings 25:1-21).

It appears from the context of Ezekiel’s prophecy that he went into exile

with the first group under Jehoiachin. We come to this conclusion for two

reasons. First, because in chapters four and five of his prophecy, Ezekiel

prophesies about the destruction of Jerusalem that took place in the days of

King Zedekiah. He was already in captivity in Babylon when he gave this

prophecy.

The second reason we understand that Ezekiel went into captivity with the

first group of exiles under Jehoiachin is because of what is said in verse 2.

Here Ezekiel identifies himself with the “exile of King Jehoiachin”:

[2] On the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the

exile of King Jehoiachin) (Ezekiel 1)

Ezekiel prophesied from Babylon. God sent him with the first wave of

exiles. The Jews of captivity would not be without a prophet to speak the

word of God. The other detail of some significance in the opening verses of

Ezekiel is that he was the son of Buzi, the priest. Ezekiel was a priest by

profession. We understand from Ezekiel 24:18 that Ezekiel was married but

his wife died in Babylon.

From Ezekiel 1:2 we discover that it was the fifth year of exile that Ezekiel

was called as a prophet. In Ezekiel 29:17 we read:

[17] In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first

day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: (Ezekiel

29)

Notice that the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel in the twenty-seventh

year. This may indicate that he served as a prophet for over twenty-two

years. He would prophesy to a nation that had lost everything and was

being held captive in a foreign land. He lived among them and experienced

what they were experiencing.

Ezekiel’s call to ministry is found in chapters one to three of his book.

Ezekiel introduces this call by telling us:

[1] In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of

the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the

heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. (Ezekiel 1)

The heavens were opened to Ezekiel and he saw a vision of God. It is not

our purpose in the context of this study to examine this vision of God in

detail. Ezekiel records what he saw in that vision in Ezekiel 1:4-28. What is

of interest to us here is the response of the prophet to what he saw:

[28] Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the

day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.

Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the

LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the

voice of one speaking. (Ezekiel 1)

The glory of the Lord was so powerful in that vision that Ezekiel fell on his

face before Him. The God of glory revealed Himself to Ezekiel in exile. In

Ezekiel 2:1 told Ezekiel to stand on his feet so that He could speak to him.

The prophet obeyed, and God spoke:

[3] And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of

Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They

and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day.

[4] The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send

you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord

GOD.’ (Ezekiel 2)

Notice two details in these verses. First, God told Ezekiel that He was

sending him to the people of Israel. God would use other prophets to speak

to many nations. Ezekiel’s ministry, however, would be to the Jews. It

would be easy at this time to speak out against the Babylonians because of

what they had done. This was not God’s call. God made this clear to the

prophet in Ezekiel 3:

[5] For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a

hard language, but to the house of Israel— [6] not to many

peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words

you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would

listen to you. (Ezekiel 3)

Ezekiel’s calling was to minister to his own people.

Second, God told Ezekiel that he was to go to his people and say to them,

“Thus says the Lord GOD.” In other words, the message Ezekiel was to

speak was from God. He was to speak with authority. The words he spoke

were not his own words. They were given to him by God, and he was to

share them clearly to his people. God wanted to speak to His people at this

time of exile. He wanted to teach them and encourage them in their

discipline. Ezekiel would be His spokesman at this time.

God told Ezekiel that He was going to make him a watchman for his

people:

[17] “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house

of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall

give them warning from me. [18] If I say to the wicked, ‘You

shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to

warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life,

that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will

require at your hand. [19] But if you warn the wicked, and he

does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he

shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.

(Ezekiel 3)

As a watchman, Ezekiel had a great responsibility. God would give him a

warning, and he was to speak that warning to the people of his day. If he

refused to share what God had given him with the people, their blood would

be on his hands. From that moment onward, Ezekiel was to dedicate

himself body and tongue to the Lord and to speak what God gave him.

Listen to what the Lord said to the prophet in Ezekiel 3:24-27:

[24] But the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and

he spoke with me and said to me, “Go, shut yourself within

your house. [25] And you, O son of man, behold, cords will be

placed upon you, and you shall be bound with them, so that you

cannot go out among the people. [26] And I will make your

tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be

mute and unable to reprove them, for they are a rebellious

house. [27] But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth,

and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ He who

will hear, let him hear; and he who will refuse to hear, let him

refuse, for they are a rebellious house. (Ezekiel 3)

From these verses, we can see the dedication that was required for the

ministry of Ezekiel. God told him that he would shut him up in his house

and bind him with cords so that he could not go out among the people. God

would also bind up his tongue so that he could not speak to the people until

God opened his mouth and gave him a word to speak. Like Jeremiah,

Ezekiel’s ministry would be a lonely one. His body and tongue were to be

entirely devoted to the Lord and to proclaiming His words alone.

We have examples of how God would use Ezekiel’s body and tongue in

chapters four and five of his prophecy. In chapter 4 God asked Ezekiel to

act out the siege of Jerusalem. He was to take a brick and engrave a picture

of the city on it (4:1). He was to place siege works around the image of the

city (4:2-3). We are not told where the prophet was to set this representation

of the siege of Jerusalem, but it would have been visible for people passing

by to see.

As part of this image, God then told Ezekiel to lie on his left side for 390

days to represent the time that Israel would be in captivity –one day for

every year. When he had completed this, he was to lay on his right side for

forty days to represent the time that Judah would be in captivity –also one

day for every year. To help Ezekiel to accomplish this task God told him:

[8] And behold, I will place cords upon you so that you cannot

turn from one side to the other, till you have completed the days

of your siege. (Ezekiel 4)

God required the use of Ezekiel’s tongue but also of his body. Ezekiel

would not only preach the message of God with his lips but also

demonstrate this message in his body.

We have another example of how God used Ezekiel’s body to communicate

His message to the people. He was to take his hair and divide it into thirds.

He was to strike one-third of the hair with a sword in front of the people.

The second third he was to scatter to the wind. The final third was to be

kept safe in his robe. Of that final third, however, he was to take some hair

and burn them. God asked him to do this to show the people what would

happen to them in the days to come (see Ezekiel 5:1-4).

As we come to chapter 8 of Ezekiel, we find the reason why God was angry

with His people. On this occasion, the elders of Israel were at his home in

Babylon. We are not told why they came to see the prophet but clearly God

had a purpose. That purpose was to show them the reason for their exile and

the discipline of the Lord.

As the elders sat before Ezekiel, the Lord gave him a vision. In the vision,

“a form that had the appearance of a man” (8:2) appeared to Ezekiel and

brought him in his vision to the city of Jerusalem (8:3). There at the north

gate, Ezekiel saw a pagan image. The man in his vision then told Ezekiel:

[6] And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are

doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel are

committing here, to drive me far from my sanctuary? But you

will see still greater abominations.”

True to his word, the man took Ezekiel in the vision to the entrance of the

temple court where there was a hole in the wall. He told Ezekiel to dig into

the wall. When the prophet obeyed, he found an entrance. He was told to go

through the hole (8:7-8). Ezekiel 8:10 describes what Ezekiel saw:

[10] So I went in and saw. And there, engraved on the wall all

around, was every form of creeping things and loathsome

beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel. [11] And before

them stood seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, with

Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan standing among them. Each had

his censer in his hand, and the smoke of the cloud of incense

went up.

Engraved on the walls were images of unclean beasts. Seventy elders stood

there worshipping these images.

The man in Ezekiel’s vision then took him to the north entrance of the

temple. There at that entrance, Ezekiel saw women weeping for the pagan

God Tammuz (8:14). In the inner court of the temple, Ezekiel watched

twenty-five men facing the east worship the sun (8:16). When Ezekiel had

seen all these things, the man in his vision spoke to him and said:

[17] Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is

it too light a thing for the house of Judah to commit the

abominations that they commit here, that they should fill the

land with violence and provoke me still further to anger?

Behold, they put the branch to their nose. [18] Therefore I will

act in wrath. My eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. And

though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear

them.” (Ezekiel 8)

Ezekiel’s vision seems to continue in chapter 9. Here he heard the Lord call

for executioners to come forward. Among the executioners was a man with

a writing case. The Lord issued a command to the man with the writing

case:

[4] And the LORD said to him, “Pass through the city, through

Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who

sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in

it.” (Ezekiel 9)

When this man had marked the foreheads of those who were grieved over

the evil in their society, the executioners went through the city slaughtering

those who did not have a mark. God revealed to Ezekiel and the elders of

the nation why He was so angry with His people. They had fallen into deep

sin and rebellion against God but had no shame or grief over this rebellion.

God used Ezekiel to show His people the reason for their punishment.

God used Ezekiel to proclaim a message of deliverance and security to

those in exile. Listen to his words in Ezekiel 11:

[16] Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: Though I

removed them far off among the nations, and though I scattered

them among the countries, yet I have been a sanctuary to them

for a while in the countries where they have gone.’ [17]

Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: I will gather you from

the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you

have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’

(Ezekiel 11)

Notice two details from these verses. First, God promised to be a

“sanctuary” to His people in the countries where they had been scattered

(verse 16). It would have been an encouragement to the exiles to know that

God had not left them. He would protect them in their discipline so that

they would be preserved for His future purpose.

Notice second, that God promised to gather His people from the various

countries where they had been scattered and return them to Israel. The day

was coming when their land would be restored to them (verse 17).

Through Ezekiel, the Lord also promised that He would not only restore

Israel’s homeland, but He would also restore their fellowship with Him. He

would give them a new heart and spirit, and they would again be His people

and walk in intimacy with Him.

[18] And when they come there, they will remove from it all its

detestable things and all its abominations. [19] And I will give

them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will

remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart

of flesh, [20] that they may walk in my statutes and keep my

rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be

their God. (Ezekiel 11)

In these words of Ezekiel, the exiles were given hope.

Ezekiel 12 is a fascinating passage that predicts in detail what would

happen to King Zedekiah, the last king of the divided kingdom. Remember

that Ezekiel was in exile, but many of the Jews remained in Jerusalem

under the leadership of King Zedekiah. In Ezekiel 12, the Lord spoke to

Ezekiel and told him to act out an escape from the city.

[3] As for you, son of man, prepare for yourself an exile’s

baggage, and go into exile by day in their sight. You shall go

like an exile from your place to another place in their sight.

Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious

house. (Ezekiel 12)

God told Ezekiel to dig a hole through the wall and bring his bags through

that hole. He was to do this in the sight of the people:

[4] You shall bring out your baggage by day in their sight, as

baggage for exile, and you shall go out yourself at evening in

their sight, as those do who must go into exile. [5] In their sight

dig through the wall and bring your baggage out through it.

(Ezekiel 12)

The next day, when all the people were wondering what this meant, the

Lord gave Ezekiel the interpretation:

[10] Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: This oracle

concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel

who are in it.’ [11] Say, ‘I am a sign for you: as I have done, so

shall it be done to them. They shall go into exile, into captivity.’

[12] And the prince who is among them shall lift his baggage

upon his shoulder at dusk and shall go out. They shall dig

through the wall to bring him out through it. He shall cover his

face, that he may not see the land with his eyes. [13] And I will

spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare. And

I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, yet he

shall not see it, and he shall die there. (Ezekiel 12)

Ezekiel told the people that what he had done symbolized what would

happen to the prince or king of Israel. Ezekiel prophesied that he would

make an escape through a hole in the wall. The result of this attempted

escape, however, would be that he would be captured, and his face covered

so that he could not see the land. He would be brought to Babylon where he

would die.

Listen to the description of what took place when King Zedekiah of Judah

rebelled against Babylon:

[25:1] And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on

the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon

came with all his army against Jerusalem and laid siege to it.

And they built siegeworks all around it. [2] So the city was

besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. [3] On the

ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the

city that there was no food for the people of the land. [4] Then

a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled by

night by the way of the gate between the two walls, by the king’s

garden, and the Chaldeans were around the city. And they went

in the direction of the Arabah. [5] But the army of the

Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of

Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him. [6] Then they

captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at

Riblah, and they passed sentence on him. [7] They slaughtered

the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and put out the eyes of

Zedekiah and bound him in chains and took him to Babylon. (2

Kings 25)

Ezekiel prophesied precisely what took place. He told the people how the

king would attempt an escape through a hole in the wall. He explained to

them how he would be captured and brought to Babylon. He also predicted

how the king would be blinded and now see the land. We can only imagine

the response of the people to the arrival of King Zedekiah in Babylon, just

as Ezekiel has prophesied.

We discover another vital aspect to the ministry of Ezekiel to the exiles in

Ezekiel 14. Here in chapter 14, the elders of Israel came to see the prophet.

We are not told why these elders had come, but we can assume that they

had come to hear the word of the Lord or to get the word of the Lord about

a situation they were facing.

As the elders sat before Ezekiel, the word of the Lord came to him:

[2] And the word of the LORD came to me: [3] “Son of man,

these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the

stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I

indeed let myself be consulted by them? (Ezekiel 14)

God revealed something very important to Ezekiel that day. These elders

were living in sin. They had idols in their heart. We are not told what those

idols were but the fact that they were described by the Lord as being in their

hearts may indicate that to all outward appearance these elders were fine

men, but their hearts were not right with God. God exposed this sin to

Ezekiel.

Ezekiel was to speak to these elders and call them to repent:

[6] “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord

GOD: Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn away

your faces from all your abominations. (Ezekiel 14)

Even in exile, Israel and her leaders were still turning from God and

following idols. This may not have been done openly, but from Ezekiel 14

we understand that God saw their hearts and was not pleased with them.

God exposed the hearts of these men who came to inquire of the Lord. With

human eyes, we see that the elders had come to seek the Lord. With the

eyes of God, however, we see the evil hearts of these elders lusting after

false gods. This was part of Ezekiel’s call as a prophet. He was to expose

the hidden sin of God’s people and challenge them to be made right with

God. If the people of God were to be healed and restored, it was necessary

that this hidden sin be addressed.

To reveal the importance of addressing their sin, God gave Ezekiel a series

of pictures in chapters fifteen to seventeen.

In chapter 15, the Lord asked Ezekiel about the wood of a vine. He asked

him particularly what the wood of a vine could be used for. He reminded

him that the wood of a vine could not be used even as a peg to hang a vessel

on because it was not strong enough. The only thing that the wood of the

vine was good for was to be used in a fire. God compared His sinful people

to a vine. Because they were sinful, they were of no use to Him. He would

have to discipline them in the fire of His judgement.

[6] Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Like the wood of the

vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire

for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

(Ezekiel 15)

God also compared His people to a faithless bride in chapter 16. In this

chapter, he spoke to Ezekiel about how he found Israel like a young child

abandoned at birth. His heart was moved with compassion for her, and He

provided all her needs so that this young child grew up to be a beautiful

young woman. God then entered a covenant with her as His bride. As a

husband to Israel, the Lord God blessed her abundantly with every good

thing. She lacked nothing she could have ever wanted.

Israel, however, was an unfaithful wife. In fact, she is described in verse 15

as a whore:

[15] “But you trusted in your beauty and played the whore

because of your renown and lavished your whorings on any

passerby; your beauty became his.

Because of her unfaithfulness, God would judge her. She would be

separated from Him and His blessings.

Chapter 17 describes Israel as a vine planted beside abundant waters.

Because of its ideal location, it flourished and spread out its branches. It had

every potential of producing wonderful fruit:

[8] It had been planted on good soil by abundant waters, that it

might produce branches and bear fruit and become a noble

vine.

Even though God planted the nation of Israel in this beautiful location and

promised to bless them, Ezekiel 17:7 describes what took place instead.

[7] “And there was another great eagle with great wings and

much plumage, and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him

and shot forth its branches toward him from the bed where it

was planted, that he might water it. (Ezekiel 17)

In Ezekiel 17:7 the prophet saw a picture of an eagle with great wings and

plumage. When Israel saw this eagle, they bent their roots toward him and

put their trust in him instead of trusting God. This great eagle was likely the

nation of Egypt. When Babylon invaded Judah, Jeremiah the prophet told

them to trust in the Lord and remain in the land. They chose, however, to

seek the help of Egypt instead. They trusted Egypt more than the word of

the Lord. Through the prophet Ezekiel, the Lord told the people:

[17] Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not

help him in war, when mounds are cast up and siege walls built

to cut off many lives. (Ezekiel 17)

The nation in which God’s people put their trust would not help them in the

end.

In these chapters, Ezekiel pictured his people as a useless and wandering

vine and an unfaithful bride. God wanted His people to understand why

they were being punished. Ezekiel taught them about their sin. It was sin

that separated them from the Lord and His blessings. It was only by

confessing and rejecting this sin that the people of God could be restored to

fellowship.

There was a lot of confusion in the minds of God’s people about this matter

of sin and the reason God was punishing them. Listen to the words of the

Lord through Ezekiel in chapter 18:

[18:1] The word of the LORD came to me: [2] “What do you

mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel,

‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth

are set on edge’? [3] As I live, declares the Lord GOD, this

proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. [4] Behold, all

souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the

son is mine: the soul who sins shall die. (Ezekiel 18)

From these verses, we understand that there was a proverb being repeated

by the people of God in exile – “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the

children’s teeth are set on edge” (verse 2). The image is quite clear. If you

have ever eaten something sour, you can recall the effect that this had in

your mouth. This proverb, however, paints a picture of a father eating sour

grapes but the impact was felt not by him but by his children.

What the people were saying by repeating this proverb was that their fathers

had sinned, but they were suffering the consequences of what their

ancestors had done. In other words, they did not see themselves as sinners

deserving the punishment of God. They recognized the sins of their parents

but could not see this sin in themselves.

This becomes even more clear in verse 25 when Ezekiel challenged their

concept of the justice of God in punishing them:

[25] “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now,

O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that

are not just? [Ezekiel 18]

Ezekiel needed to correct the misconceptions and false theology of his

people. They could not see how they deserved their punishment. They did

not understand their sin. Instead, they felt that God was punishing them for

their parent’s sins.

One of the biggest lessons the people in exile needed to learn was that they

were sinners. They just could not see this. Ezekiel needed to teach them, as

a prophet, how God saw them. He had to place them before the standard of

God and His requirements. They measured their lives by a different

standard. Ezekiel told the people that God’s punishment was merited:

[4] Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as

the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die. (Ezekiel

18)

It was the soul that sinned that would die. It was not God who was unjust

but His people. This is a problem that continues to exist in our day. Our

society sets its own standard and measures itself against that standard

instead of submitting to the purpose of God. God will judge us by His

standard and not by our ideas of right and wrong. His Word alone is the

measurement by which we will be judged. Ezekiel’s ministry was a difficult

one. He was called to reveal the truth of God’s requirements to a people

who really did not even understand why they were being punished.

In Ezekiel 20, the elders came again to Ezekiel to inquire of the Lord. God

used this opportunity to teach his people about their personal sin and guilt.

Remember that they had been saying that it was because of the sins of their

fathers that they were being punished. On this occasion, the Lord spoke

through Ezekiel:

[3] “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them,

Thus says the Lord GOD, Is it to inquire of me that you come?

As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by

you. [4] Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them?

Let them know the abominations of their fathers. (Ezekiel 20)

Notice particularly here that God told Ezekiel to speak to these elders about

the “abominations of their fathers.” In the words that followed, Ezekiel

spoke freely of the ways in which the fathers of these elders had rebelled

against God. While these elders would not have had an issue with what

Ezekiel was telling them about their fathers, Ezekiel did not stop there. He

went on in verse 18 to speak of the children also:

[18] “And I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not

walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor keep their rules, nor

defile yourselves with their idols. [19] I am the LORD your

God; walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules, [20]

and keep my Sabbaths holy that they may be a sign between me

and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.’

[21] But the children rebelled against me. They did not walk in

my statutes and were not careful to obey my rules, by which, if

a person does them, he shall live; they profaned my Sabbaths.

“Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend

my anger against them in the wilderness. (Ezekiel 20)

Ezekiel reminded the elders that the Lord brought a challenge to the next

generation as well. He set out His law to the children of these fathers and

called them also to walk in obedience. Like the fathers, however, the

children also rebelled against the Lord and chose not to walk in His laws.

The result was that the children would be punished just as the fathers.

Ezekiel ends his exhortation to the elders with these words:

[30] “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord

GOD: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your

fathers and go whoring after their detestable things? [31]

When you present your gifts and offer up your children in fire,

you defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I

be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, declares the

Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you. (Ezekiel 20)

Ezekiel told these elders that they had defiled themselves, like their fathers,

“to this day” (verse 31). In other words, they continued in the rebellion of

their fathers and would be judged by God for that rebellion. These elders

needed to see their sin was a great as the sins of their fathers. They had been

blinded to their own failures and shortcomings. Ezekiel sought to expose

their sin. Until they recognized this sin in themselves, there could be no

victory.

According to Ezekiel, there was still hope of great renewal among the

people of God:

[33] “As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty

hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out I will

be king over you. [34] I will bring you out from the peoples and

gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a

mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured

out. [35] And I will bring you into the wilderness of the

peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to

face. [36] As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the

wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment

with you, declares the Lord GOD. [37] I will make you pass

under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the

covenant. [38] I will purge out the rebels from among you, and

those who transgress against me. I will bring them out of the

land where they sojourn, but they shall not enter the land of

Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD. (Ezekiel 20)

Ezekiel prophesied that the day was coming when the Lord would stretch

out His mighty hand anger. On that day the Lord would judge His people

“face to face” (verse 35). This judgement would be very personal. Each

person would have to answer for his or her sin. God would purge out the

rebels from among them and restore His people to their land. This

restoration, however, would only come as the people of God faced their sin.

This time of exile would force people to face this horrible reality of their

sinful state before God.

Repeatedly in his prophecy, Ezekiel confronts the sins of his people. We

have an example of this in Ezekiel 22:

[6] “Behold, the princes of Israel in you, every one according

to his power, have been bent on shedding blood. [7] Father and

mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner suffers

extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are

wronged in you. [8] You have despised my holy things and

profaned my Sabbaths. [9] There are men in you who slander to

shed blood, and people in you who eat on the mountains; they

commit lewdness in your midst. [10] In you men uncover their

fathers’ nakedness; in you they violate women who are unclean

in their menstrual impurity. [11] One commits abomination

with his neighbor’s wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-

in-law; another in you violates his sister, his father’s daughter.

[12] In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest

and profit and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but

me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 22)

Speaking of the leaders of the nation Ezekiel says:

[26] Her priests have done violence to my law and have

profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction

between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the

difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have

disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.

[27] Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey,

shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain. [28] And

her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false

visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord

GOD,’ when the LORD has not spoken. (Ezekiel 22)

In fact, the Lord sought for even one man in the land who would stand for

Him and the principles of righteousness but there was no one:

[30] And I sought for a man among them who should build up

the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I

should not destroy it, but I found none. (Ezekiel 22)

How different Israel’s view of herself was from God’s view of her. This

barrier needed to be broken down. Israel’s eyes needed to be opened to the

reality of her sin and evil. God called Ezekiel to prophesy and teach His

people about this sin.

One of the most challenging lessons Ezekiel had to teach is found in chapter

24 of his book.

[15] The word of the LORD came to me: [16] “Son of man,

behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from

you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your

tears run down. [17] Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning

for the dead. Bind on your turban, and put your shoes on your

feet; do not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.” [18] So

I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife

died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded.

(Ezekiel 24)

As a lesson to His people, the Lord allowed Ezekiel’s wife to die. As the

“delight of his eyes,” losing his wife would have been a painful experience

for the prophet. Notice, however, that God told Ezekiel that he was not to

sigh out loud or mourn for her publicly. Instead, he was to go on with life as

usual, without the customary period of mourning. This was to show the

people that God would take away what was precious to them as well. They

would lose their temple and their homes. Their sons and daughters would be

separated from them, but they would not have the time to mourn or grieve

because they would be brought into captivity. While Ezekiel was currently

in exile when he spoke these words, he was prophesying about the fall of

Jerusalem to the Babylonians and the removal of the remainder of Jews

from their homeland.

What is significant here is that Ezekiel needed to be willing to lose what

was most precious to him to convey the message God was trying to get

across to His people. He acted out this message at the cost of his wife. I

have met individuals who longed to have the gift of prophecy. This,

however, is not a gift to be taken lightly, for God demands the surrender of

our tongues, our lives and all that belongs to us. As a prophet, Ezekiel had

to surrender all these things to the Lord.

Ezekiel’s ministry was focused on the people of God in exile, but the Lord

did use him to communicate with other nations as well. In chapters 25-32

God gave His servant a series of messages for a number of nations. We will

not take the time here to discuss these messages. Suffice it to say that God

spoke to the nations of Ammon (25:1-7), Moab and Seir (25:8-11; 35:1-15),

Edom (25:12-14), Philistia (25:15-17), Tyre (26:1-28:19), Sidon (28:20-24),

Egypt (29:1-32:32) and Gog (38:1-39:24).

It is in Ezekiel 33:21 that we read about the fall of Jerusalem to the

Babylonians as Ezekiel had predicted. In this same chapter, the Lord pleads

with His people through Ezekiel to turn to Him:

[11] Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no

pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn

from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways,

for why will you die, O house of Israel? (Ezekiel 33)

Ezekiel not only taught his people about sin but pleaded with them to

submit to the discipline of the Lord and repent. He showed his people that

their God was a compassionate God who would forgive and restore all who

came to Him. In fact, God grieved over the condition of His people. He was

angry with those who had been given the responsibility to shepherd the

nation. It was because of these evil and self-centred leaders that the people

of God wandered and were led astray. Their spiritual leaders had failed

Israel, so God made a promise to them that day:

[10] Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I am against the

shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a

stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds

feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that

they may not be food for them. (Ezekiel 34)

God promised to be a shepherd for His people. He promised to rescue them

from evil shepherds who were taking advantage of them. While the people

of God had been scattered because their spiritual shepherds had failed to

care for them, God would seek them out and restore them to their land and

its blessings:

[11] “For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will

search for my sheep and will seek them out. [12] As a shepherd

seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been

scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them

from all places where they have been scattered on a day of

clouds and thick darkness. [13] And I will bring them out from

the peoples and gather them from the countries and will bring

them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains

of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the

country. (Ezekiel 34)

The God who disciplined His people would also care for them and restore

the fullness of their blessing. Under the care of the Great Shepherd, God’s

people would flourish and again experience great security:

[25] “I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish

wild beasts from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the

wilderness and sleep in the woods. [26] And I will make them

and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send

down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of

blessing. [27] And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit,

and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure

in their land. And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I

break the bars of their yoke, and deliver them from the hand of

those who enslaved them. (Ezekiel 34)

The day was coming, according to Ezekiel when the mountains of Israel

would again yield their fruit:

[8] “But you, O mountains of Israel, shall shoot forth your

branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel, for they will

soon come home. [9] For behold, I am for you, and I will turn

to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. (Ezekiel 36)

God would draw near to His people to renew and revive them. Ezekiel

describes this in chapter 36:

[25] I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean

from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will

cleanse you. [26] And I will give you a new heart, and a new

spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone

from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. [27] And I will

put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes

and be careful to obey my rules. (Ezekiel 36)

Note the work God would do in His people. He would cleanse them from

their sin and idolatry. He would give them a new heart and spirit. In other

words, He would transform their character. He would take their old, hard

and sinful heart away and replace it with a heart that was responsive to

Him. He would put His Holy Spirit in them enabling them to walk in His

ways. They would no longer be the same. This transforming work of God

would take place as the Spirit of God indwelt and empowered them to serve

their God. It was this Spirit who would enable them to walk with God in a

way they could never have walked in their human strength.

In Ezekiel 37 God gave Ezekiel a vision of a valley filled with dry bones. In

this vision, the Lord asked the prophet to speak to these bones. When

Ezekiel did, life was given to the bones, and they were again covered with

flesh and lived. God told him that this was a picture of what He wanted to

do for His people. Sin had stripped them of blessing and left the spiritually

dead. God would place His Spirit in them and restore their life. We can

imagine just how encouraging it must have been for the people to hear that

God had such an excellent plan for them and that he had not abandoned

them in their exile. Ezekiel’s ministry to the exiles was to give them hope of

a future and remind them that God had not left them.

Ezekiel goes into detail in chapters 40-46 about a vision he saw of a temple.

While we do not have the time in this chapter to go into detail about this

temple, what is important to note is that impact this would have had on the

people of God in exile. It would have given them hope. They would again

worship the Lord God freely in their homeland. Once again, they would

celebrate His goodness and bring their offerings to Him.

What is significant about this vision of the temple of Ezekiel is what he saw

in chapter 47. From the back door of the temple, water began to flow. In his

vision, Ezekiel was led through the water. It grew deeper and deeper until

he could no longer walk in it but had to swim (see Ezekiel 47:3-6). Of note

are these words of Ezekiel:

[9] And wherever the river goes, every living creature that

swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this

water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh;

so everything will live where the river goes. (Ezekiel 47)

The river that flowed from this temple of God brought life wherever it

went. Ezekiel went on to say:

[12] And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will

grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor

their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month,

because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit

will be for food, and their leaves for healing.” (Ezekiel 47)

The river gave life to fruit trees of all kinds. The leaves on these trees did

not wither nor did the fruit ever fail. In fact, the fruit of these trees and their

leaves brought healing for all who tasted them.

Ezekiel prophesied of a time when from the nation of Israel, God would

pour out His Spirit and bring blessing to all people. Since the time of

Pentecost in the book of Acts, the good news of the gospel continues to

flow across the world bringing life and renewal to people of every nation.

God would not only rescue His people from exile in Babylon, but in time,

He would use them to bring salvation and hope to the entire earth.

As a prophet in exile, Ezekiel spoke for the Lord to his fellow exiles. He

helped them understand the discipline of the Lord and what God wanted to

accomplish in that discipline. He corrected wrong theology and behaviour

by teaching and rebuking both the people and their leaders. He offered them

great hope and reassured them that the God who disciplined them would not

forget them. God had a beautiful purpose for those who loved Him. Ezekiel

was an important figure in the instruction and discipline of God’s people in

their time of exile. Jeremiah the prophet prepared God’s people for their

discipline. Ezekiel guided them through it.

For Consideration:

Ezekiel was among the first captives to arrive in Babylon. Why was it

important that God have a spokesman in exile?

God demanded the use of both Ezekiel’s tongue and his body to speak and

act out the message He had for His people. What sacrifices did Ezekiel

make as a prophet? How willing are you to surrender your tongue and body

to the Lord to do with as He pleases?

The people of God in exile failed to see their own sin. Ezekiel helped them

to understand what God saw in them. How easy is it to be blind to our own

failures and shortcomings? How important is it that we see these

shortcomings?

How did Ezekiel bring hope to the exiles? What did he reveal about the

future purpose of God for the nation as a whole? How did that purpose

affect us today?

For Prayer:

Take a moment to thank the Lord for the people He has sent you in your

time of need. Ask God to show you if you can be God’s spokesman or

spokeswoman to those who are struggling under a heavy burden.

Ask God to give you the grace to surrender yourself mind, body, and words

to Him for His use. Ask forgiveness for any lack of surrender in your life.

Ask God to show you if there are sins that you do not see in your life right

now. Ask Him to give you victory over those sins so that you can move

forward in your spiritual walk with Him.

Thank the Lord for the promises in the Bible that give you hope for a bright

future in the presence of the Lord forever.

21 - DANIEL

aniel lived under the reign of King Jehoiakim in Judah.

According to Daniel 1:1 it was in the third year of the reign of

Jehoiakim that Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem. Like

Ezekiel, Daniel was among the first people taken into exile to Babylon.

Daniel 1:3 gives us a clue as to the identity of the prophet:

[3] Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to

bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and

of the nobility, [4] youths without blemish, of good appearance

and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge,

understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s

palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the

Chaldeans.

Nebuchadnezzar commanded his chief eunuch to bring youths from the

royal and noble class of Jewish society to the king’s court to teach them the

literature and language of the Babylonians. Among these youth were

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah from the tribe of Judah. This shows

us Daniel was likely from a noble family who had influence and wealth in

Judah.

These chosen men were fed at the king’s expense and educated in the

Babylonian culture, literature, and language for three years. After those

three years, they would appear before the king, and he would determine

how they could best serve his cause in the court. Daniel was given a new

name. This new name was Belteshazzar meaning “Bel protects his life”. Bel

was a Babylonian god. It is interesting to note that the name Belteshazzar

occurs about 10 times in the book of Daniel. The first occurrence is in

chapter 1 where we are told that his name was changed. Five times he is

called Belteshazzar by the Babylonian king. The remaining four

occurrences of the name appear in the phrase “Daniel who was called

Belteshazzar.” For the most part, the prophet is simply referred to as Daniel.

We learn another significant detail about the prophet in Daniel 1:8:

[8] But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with

the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore, he

asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.

Daniel made a commitment to follow the Jewish dietary laws found in the

law of Moses. Although he was in exile, he chose to be obedient to His

God. Remember that Daniel had been taken from Israel by force as a youth

and was now in a foreign land learning another language and culture.

Despite this, he refused to forget his God and his Jewish heritage. When the

king offered him the finest foods in Babylon, Daniel refused and requested

permission to eat only what was permitted by his Jewish faith –in this case,

he chose a diet of vegetables and water (Daniel 1:12). After a ten-day trial,

the king’s steward granted them this privilege. (Daniel 1:15-16).

As Daniel walked faithfully with God, God blessed him with the ability to

learn the literature and wisdom of Babylon (1:17). In fact, when Daniel and

his friends were interviewed by the king, he found them ten times more

understanding and knowledgeable in Babylonian literature and culture than

his magicians and enchanters:

[20] And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about

which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better

than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his

kingdom.

God gave Daniel this knowledge of the culture, language, and literature of

Babylon. He became an expert in this field. This qualified him to serve in

the king’s court. Daniel 1:21 tells us that he served the king until the first

year of King Cyrus:

[21] And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.

(Daniel 1)

According to the IVP Bible Backgrounds Commentary Daniel held this

position for about 65 years:

1:21. first year of Cyrus. This is most likely a reference to the

first year of Cyrus' reign over Babylon, which began in October

539 B.C. This would mean that Daniel's tenure of service

extended over a sixty-five-year period. (Walton, John H.,

Matthews, Victor H., Chavalas, Mark W., The IVP Bible

Background Commentary, Old Testament: Comments on Daniel

1:21, Laridian: Cedar Rapids, 2000).

There is one more detail about Daniel that is important for us to consider in

chapter 1:

[17] As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill

in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in

all visions and dreams. (Daniel 1)

We have already seen that the Lord blessed Daniel with great knowledge

and understanding in Babylonian culture, literature, and language. Daniel

1:17 tells us that He also gave him an understanding of visions and dreams.

Daniel’s God-given ability to interpret dreams and visions would be the

means by which God communicated His message through him in Babylon.

In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar had some dreams that troubled him

greatly. To understand what they meant, the king called for his magicians,

enchanters, and sorcerers. They the king to share his dreams with them so

they could interpret them. Not trusting these men and their interpretation

the king said:

[5] “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me

the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from

limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. [6] But if you show

the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts

and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and

its interpretation.” (Daniel 2)

Nebuchadnezzar demanded that the magicians tell him not only what the

dream meant but also what he dreamed. He told them that if they could not

do both, they would be killed, and their homes destroyed. It is clear how

much this dream troubled Nebuchadnezzar. He could not entrust it to people

who would make up a false interpretation. He needed to know the truth.

Because the men could not tell him what he had dreamed and its

interpretation, Nebuchadnezzar commanded that all wise men of Babylon

be destroyed (Daniel 2:12)

When the soldiers came to collect Daniel and his friends to kill them,

Daniel asked the king’s guard why the king had made this decree. The

captain of the guard explained the matter to Daniel. Daniel requested an

appointment with the king to interpret the dream (Daniel 2:16). In

preparation for this, Daniel asked his friends to pray that God would reveal

both the dream and interpretation to him. God answered that prayer, and

Daniel requested an audience with the king to interpret his dream (Daniel

2:24).

Standing before the king, Daniel told him that it was his God who had given

him the interpretation and that this same God was speaking to

Nebuchadnezzar about the things that were to take place in his future.

Daniel went on to describe in detail the dream the king had seen (see Daniel

2:31-35). He then proceeded to tell him what the Lord was saying about his

future and the kingdoms that would rise after him. When Daniel finished,

the king fell on his face, commanding that offering and incense be offered

to him (see Daniel 2:46). In doing so, he was treating Daniel like a god. He

then promoted Daniel by making him “ruler over the whole province of

Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon” (Daniel 2:48).

Later, in Daniel 4, we read that King Nebuchadnezzar had a second dream.

When the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers could not

interpret it, the king explained the dream to Daniel and committed its

interpretation to him. The Lord again revealed its meaning to Daniel. The

interpretation, however, was not an encouraging one for the king. Daniel

told Nebuchadnezzar that God would humble him because of his pride by

driving him from among mankind and making him live like an animal (see

Daniel 4:24-25). Daniel offered a word of advice to the king that day:

[27] Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you:

break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your

iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may

perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.” (Daniel 4)

Daniel encouraged the king to repent of his sin by showing mercy to the

oppressed. Daniel’s prophetic interpretation of that dream came true and is

recorded for us in Daniel 4:28-33.

[28] All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. [29] At the end

of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace

of Babylon, [30] and the king answered and said, “Is not this

great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a

royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” [31] While

the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from

heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The

kingdom has departed from you, [32] and you shall be driven

from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of

the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and

seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that

the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom

he will.” [33] Immediately the word was fulfilled against

Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass

like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his

hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like

birds’ claws. (Daniel 4)

Sometime later when Belshazzar was king in Babylon, he was celebrating

with his officials and drinking from cups taken from the temple of

Jerusalem. As they were drinking from these cups, fingers of what appeared

to be a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall. This

greatly disturbed the king, and he called for his magicians to read what was

written and interpret it. Not of these wise men, however, could give the

meaning of the words. This made Belshazzar even more afraid.

It was the queen who suggested that they call Daniel to interpret the

meaning of the words. Daniel was summoned and appeared before

Belshazzar. Daniel reminded King Belshazzar of Nebuchadnezzar’s fate

because of his pride. He also told the king of how he had blasphemed the

name of the God of heaven by drinking from the holy vessels of the temple

of Jerusalem. Having revealed his sin, Daniel went on to interpret the four

words that had been written on the wall. He told him that the words meant

that his days were numbered as king. He had fallen short of his obligations

before God. His kingdom was going to be divided and given to the Medes

and Persians. The fulfilment of this prophecy did not take long in coming.

Daniel 5:30-31 tells us:

[30] That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed.

[31] And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about

sixty-two years old. (Daniel 5)

The Medes and Persians would conquer Babylon and become the dominant

empire in its place. The king of this empire was Darius the Mede. Darius

setup 120 administrators throughout his kingdom. Over these administrators

were three high officials to whom these administrators were accountable.

Daniel was one of these officials (Daniel 6:1). It appears that Daniel

distinguished himself above all the officials and administrators to such an

extent that Darius planned to set him over the whole kingdom (Daniel 6:3).

This stirred up the jealousy of the other officials. They immediately began a

campaign to find fault with him. The only way they could do this was in

connection with his relationship to his God, for they understood him to be a

very spiritual man.

Together they conspired to trap Daniel. Approaching the king, they

suggested that for a period of thirty days no one in the kingdom was to

make a petition to any god except to King Darius. In making this

suggestion, they were calling all people of the land to recognize Darius as a

god. The officials asked the king to sign a document to make this a law that

could not be changed. Anyone who disobeyed this law would be thrown

into a den of lions. King Darius signed the document, and it became law for

those thirty days.

Despite the law, Daniel continued to pray three times a day to the Lord

God. He did this openly and without fear of what might happen to him. This

was precisely what these jealous officials were anticipating, and they were

more than happy to report it to the king.

When the king heard that Daniel had broken the law, he was distressed and

tried to figure out a way to deliver him. When he could not find a way, he

submitted to having Daniel thrown to the lions. He did so with great regret,

however, for he understood now the false motivations of his officials and

their jealousy. God protected Daniel that night, and when the king found

him alive in the morning, he had the officials and their families thrown into

the same den where they were devoured. That event had a powerful impact

on King Darius. He saw that the God of Daniel was the true God. In fact,

Daniel 6:26-27 tell us that he made a national decree as a result of this

experience. That decree read:

[26] I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are

to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living

God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed,

and his dominion shall be to the end. [27] He delivers and

rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth,

he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.” (Daniel

In this decree, King Darius of Persia demanded that people in all his

dominion tremble before the God of Daniel. The Persian King Darius

declared Daniel’s God to be a “living God” who lived forever. He

recognized that the kingdom of Daniel’s God was eternal. He was a God

who rescued His people and did great signs and wonders on the earth and in

the heavens.

It is interesting to note how Daniel used his prophetic gift as he served

under these three kings. While the prophets we have examined to this point

heard directly from the Lord and communicated that message to the people,

there is another dimension in the ministry of Daniel. God spoke directly to

these foreign kings but brought Daniel an interpretation of what they had

heard from God. Daniel acts as a prophetic interpreter of dreams visions

and signs.

This method of communicating God’s prophetic heart would have been

much easier for these pagan kings to accept. Along with their dreams and

visions, God placed a deep sense of urgency and fear. They wanted to hear

the interpretation. Daniel would not be prophesying to people whose ears

were closed. These foreign kings begged him to explain these troubling

dreams, visions, and signs. When Daniel enlightened them, they knew that

what he spoke was from God.

Daniel also had dreams and visions of his own. The first of these recorded

dreams is found in Daniel 7:1-8. It took place in the first year of King

Belshazzar of Babylon (verse 1).

The Four Beasts

In this dream, Daniel saw four beasts coming out of the sea. The first of

these beasts was a lion with eagle’s wings (verse 4). The wings of this lion

were plucked off. The second beast was like a bear. This bear was ferocious

with three ribs between its teeth, an indication that it had just devoured its

prey. This bear was told, “Arise, devour much flesh” (verse 5). The third

beast was like a leopard with four wings of a bird on it back. This leopard

had four heads and great power. The final beast was terrifying and

“exceedingly strong.” It had ten horns. Daniel saw another horn grow up

among them which had the eyes of a man and a mouth boasting of great

things. When this horn appeared three of the other horns were plucked up

by the roots.

Eventually, in Daniel’s dream, thrones were set out, and someone Daniel

called the “Ancient of Days” took his seat (verse 9). Daniel describes him

dressed in clothing as white as snow with hair like pure wood. His throne

was filled with fiery flames. The Ancient of Days had thousands and

thousands of servants, and a great multitude of people stood before him

(verse 10). The Ancient of Days sat as a judge. Books were opened.

Judgement was passed, and the fourth beast was killed, and his body

destroyed by fire. Dominion was taken away from the other three beasts,

but their lives were prolonged for a time (verse 11).

After this, Daniel saw the clouds of heaven open and one he described to be

the “son of man” appeared and stood before the Ancient of Days. The

Ancient of Days gave him dominion, glory and a kingdom. All peoples,

nations, and languages were to serve him (verse 14). The kingdom given to

the “son of man” is described to Daniel in his dream as an “everlasting

dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be

destroyed” (Daniel 7:14).

Daniel was perplexed about this dream and its meaning. He inquired about

the interpretation and was told:

[17] ‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out

of the earth. [18] But the saints of the Most High shall receive

the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’

(Daniel 7)

Daniel was told that the dream spoke of four kings that were going to be

raised up in the coming years. He was also told that after these four kings

another kingdom would come. This would be the kingdom of the saints of

the Most High. Unlike these first four kingdoms, however, this kingdom of

the Most High would be forever and ever.

While there are many details in this dream we cannot discuss in this brief

chapter on Daniel, let me make some comments about this important dream.

There can be no question that the “son of man” to whom glory, and an

eternal kingdom were offered is the Lord Jesus Christ. The Father –the

Ancient of Days, bestowed this honour on Him. He is the king of this

spiritual kingdom that crosses every language and cultural barrier. Before

the Lord Jesus appeared on this earth, however, other powerful nations had

their time. In Daniel’s day, the Babylonians were the dominant power. They

were defeated, by the Medes and Persians. Daniel would serve under Darius

the Mede when he conquered Belshazzar, the Babylonian king as

prophesied by the writing he saw on the wall. Under Alexander the Great,

the Medes and Persians would be defeated, and the nation of Greece would

become the next great world power. Greece would eventually be conquered

by the Romans. It was during the time of the Romans that the Lord Jesus

would be born. God was showing Daniel that four great nations would

arise before the coming of the Lord Jesus who would set up His own

kingdom.

The Ram And The Goat

The second vision of Daniel is recorded in Daniel 8 and took place in the

third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, about two years after the first vision

of the four beasts. In this second vision, Daniel saw a ram standing by the

Ulai canal. The ram had two horns, but one was longer than that other. This

ram was charging toward the west, the north and the south and no one could

stand against its power.

As Daniel watched, a male goat came from the west and began to sweep

across the earth. This goat had a single horn between his eyes. When the

goat saw the ram with two horns, he ran into him with great force, breaking

its two horns and trampling on him.

The goat became very powerful, but his horn was also broken and four

other horns took its place. From among them a little horn would grow up

and become “exceedingly great” (verse 9). It would lift itself as high as

heaven. Under its authority truth was thrown to the ground (verse 12), and

the holy sanctuary of God was trampled underfoot (verse 13).

Daniel was again perplexed as to the meaning of the dream. God gave him

the interpretation. Daniel was told that the ram with the two horns was the

kingdom of the Medes and the Persians.

[20] As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are

the kings of Media and Persia. (Daniel 8)

The goat that charged and conquered the Medes and Persians was the

kingdom of Greece:

[21] And the goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn

between his eyes is the first king.

It is generally understood that this great horn between the eyes of the Greek

goat was Alexander the Great who forcefully conquered one nation after

another. After the death of Alexander the Great, his kingdom was divided

into four parts and governed by Seleucus, Cassander, Ptolemy, and

Lysimachus. These were the four horns that replaced the one that was

broken on the Grecian goat:

[22] As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four

others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not

with his power. (Daniel 8)

Finally, from among those four kings, another would arise (a small horn).

This king would grow in strength and evil. It would be under this king that

truth would be cast to the ground and the sanctuary trampled. This

demonically inspired and empowered king is described in Daniel 8:24-25:

[24] His power shall be great— but not by his own power; and

he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he

does and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints.

[25] By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his

hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without

warning he shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up

against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken—but by

no human hand. (Daniel 8)

As an evil king, he would rule with a power that was not his own (verse

24). He would cause fear and destroy many saints. Deceit would prosper

under his hands, and he would lift himself up. He would even revolt against

the Prince of princes (the Lord God). In the end, however, he would be

defeated. His defeat, however, would not be by human hands.

Many commentators see the fulfilment of this prophecy in the person of

Antiochus Epiphanes whose desire was to exterminate Judaism.

Historically, it is believed that he died from an infestation of worms in

direct fulfilment of the prophetic dream of Daniel that he would not die of

human hands. The dream of Daniel revealed the struggle that was to come

in the coming years for the Jews under Greek domination.

During this time of exile, Daniel reflected on the prophecy of Jeremiah and

discovered an important word:

[9:1] In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by

descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the

Chaldeans— [2] in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel,

perceived in the books the number of years that, according to

the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass

before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy

years. (Daniel 9)

Jeremiah prophesied that the exile of the people of God would last seventy

years. This stirred Daniel’s heart to pray and fast for God’s mercy on His

people. In his prayer, recorded in Daniel 9:3-19, Daniel confessed Israel’s

guilt before the Lord and recognized that God was utterly just in punishing

His people for their sin. He pleaded, however, that God would turn His

anger and wrath from the city of Jerusalem and look on His people in their

time of need (Daniel 9:17-19).

As Daniel prayed for his people, God sent an angel to speak with him about

what was to come and how God would answer his prayer. The angel,

Gabriel spoke to Daniel saying:

[22] … “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and

understanding. [23] At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a

word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are

greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the

vision. (Daniel 9)

Gabriel went on to tell Daniel that God had decreed seventy weeks to put an

end to and atone for sin. At that time, He would bring in everlasting

righteousness. The word “week” is not so strictly defined in the Hebrew as

it is in the English language. The word refers to seven or a group of seven

days or years. Most commentators agree that when Daniel refers to seventy

weeks, he is referring to seventy groups of seven years or 490 years.

Gabriel was telling Daniel that within a period of 490 years, God would

atone for sin and bring everlasting righteousness.

Gabriel divided these seventy weeks or 490 years into three distinct periods

of time. The first 7 weeks (49 years) would see the rebuilding of the city of

Jerusalem (Daniel 9:25). This would take place under the administration of

Ezra and Nehemiah.

After the next sixty-two (434 years) weeks passed, an anointed one would

be killed (Daniel 9:26). These 434 years bring us to the time of Jesus and

His crucifixion.

The final week (7 years) would see great desolation in the city of Jerusalem

and an end to sacrifices and offerings (Daniel 9:27). This may refer to the

great persecution that broke out in Rome against the Jews. By the year 70

AD, the temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Romans ending

Jewish sacrifices and offerings as Gabriel had predicted.

Daniel is given a vision of future events past the coming of Jesus the

Messiah to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD. We can

only imagine how this would have impacted Daniel who had been praying

that God would release his people from bondage. Through the words of the

angel Gabriel, Daniel learned that while God would answer his prayer and

liberate His people from bondage to rebuild their homeland, within less

than 500 years, it would all be destroyed again. In fact, the revelation that

Daniel received was a significant burden to him and caused great conflict in

his soul. This is evident in Daniel 10 where we read:

[10:1] In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was

revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word

was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the

word and had understanding of the vision. [2] In those days I,

Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. [3] I ate no delicacies,

no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at

all, for the full three weeks. (Daniel 10)

Daniel mourned for three weeks after the revelation of Gabriel. Revelations

given to prophets are not always pleasant. Sometimes the weight of these

revelations takes a significant toll on the lives of God’s spokesmen.

In Daniel 11, the Lord God told Daniel that four Persian Kings would reign

until the time of Alexander the Great and the defeat of the Persians at his

hand (11:1-2). Alexander’s kingdom would be divided into four at his death

but not to his own children (11:4). It is not in the interest of this study to go

into detail about chapter 11. Suffice it to say that the Lord God revealed to

Daniel what was to happen in the kingdom of Greece after the death of

Alexander the Great. These details include who these rulers would marry,

the battles they would fight, and the result of those battles. The chapter

predicts alliances that would be made between kings and the betrayals that

would take place in those years. A comparison of ancient history the

prophecy of Daniel reveals stunning similarities.

While much of what Daniel was told in those days could be understood to

refer to events that took place up to the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, there

appears to be another deeper sense to his prophecy as well. A comparison

between the vision of John in the book of Revelation and the words of

Daniel reveals some striking similarities. There are elements to the

prophecy of Daniel that we have yet to see fulfilled. Listen to what he said

in Daniel 12:

[1] “... And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has

been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time

your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be

found written in the book. [2] And many of those who sleep in

the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and

some to shame and everlasting contempt. [3] And those who

are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and

those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and

ever. [4] But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book,

until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and

knowledge shall increase.” (Daniel 12)

Daniel prophesied of a time of trouble for the people of God. This trouble

was not related to the exile he was in at that time of writing, but a time after

the death of the anointed one, the Lord Jesus. He declared a time of

deliverance for those whose name was found written in “the book” and a

time when those who had been buried would raise from the dead, either to

eternal life of eternal shame. This would happen at a time when people

travelled to and fro, and knowledge was increasing (Daniel 12:4). While the

destruction of Jerusalem may have been a partial fulfilment to Daniel’s

prophecy, the resurrection and final judgement have yet to take place.

Daniel’s prophesy continues, therefore, to look forward to the return of the

Lord and the final judgement.

Daniel was likely a young man from a wealthy Jewish family when he was

taken into exile. God gave him great wisdom and understanding, and he

mastered the culture, literature, and language of the nation to which he had

been exiled. Though he was skilled in Babylonian culture and literature,

Daniel’s commitment was to the Lord God of Israel. He honoured and

walked with God all the days of his life. God blessed this and gave him a

position of authority in the land of Babylon.

As a prophet, Daniel was gifted in the interpretation of dreams. We have no

record of him preaching or teaching. He experienced visions which he

wrote down. The dreams he interpreted and those he experienced himself,

related to the future of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. They pointed

directly to the time when an “Anointed One” would come to bring

forgiveness and peace. His prophetic dreams seem to move past the time of

Jesus Christ to the Day of resurrection and Final Judgment when God

would bring final victory over all His enemies. While his visions would

have been an encouragement to the people of God, Daniel does not appear,

in this book, to speak directly to the Jewish people in exile. Instead, God

seems to use him to speak directly to his foreign captors. Daniel’s prophetic

ministry would have a powerful impact, particularly on the Babylonian

kings.

For Consideration:

What would it have been like for a young man from a rich family in Israel

to be stripped of his wealth and taken captive by a foreign power? How did

Daniel deal with this? How do you deal with tragedy?

How would you describe Daniel’s commitment to God? Give some

examples of his willingness to suffer for His God.

How did God use Daniel’s gift of interpreting dreams to impact the life of

the Kings of Babylon?

Does God still speak through dreams and visions today?

Many of the prophets before Daniel preached the word God gave them.

This does not seem to be the case for Daniel. How would the interpretation

of the king’s dreams capture his attention more than preaching?

We have no record of Daniel preaching sermons or teaching the Word of

God in the book of Daniel, yet Daniel’s ministry before the kings of

Babylon was an important and powerful one. What gifts has the Lord given

you? How can you use those gifts for His glory?

For Prayer:

Ask the Lord to give you the faithfulness of Daniel, even when you find

yourself in less than ideal circumstances.

Ask the Lord to show you how you can be faithful with the gifts He has

given you. Thank Him that the gift to interpret dreams was so powerfully

used in the life of Daniel.

Thank the Lord that He knows every detail that will take place in the years

to come. Thank Him that the future of this world is in His hands and that

nothing takes Him by surprise. Thank Him that your life is also in His

hands.

22 - OBADIAH

he book of Obadiah is the shortest of all the prophet books in the

Bible. In fact, we know nothing about him as a person. He does

not speak of himself at all in his prophecy.

Obadiah’s prophecy concerns the nation of Edom. We learn from Genesis

25 that the Edomites were the descendants of Esau:

[30] And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew,

for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.)

The word Edom refers to the colour red. Genesis 25 recounts the story of

how Esau was out in the field hunting and came home exhausted. His

bother, Jacob, was home cooking a red stew when Esau returned from his

hunting trip. Esau asked Jacob for some of the stew. Jacob only agreed to

give it to him if Esau sold him his birth right. Esau agreed and sold his birth

right to Jacob for a pot of red stew. His descendants would bear the name

“Red” (Edom), the colour of the stew that cost them their birth right.

There would be tension and bitterness between Jacob’s descendants (Israel)

and Esau’s descendants (Edom) throughout their history. In Numbers 20 we

read how, after being released from slavery in Egypt, Moses led his people

through the wilderness. Arriving at Kadesh, Moses wanted to pass through

the land of the Edomites as he travelled on his way to the Promised Land.

Numbers 20:14-18 describe the conversation between Moses and the King

of Edom:

[14] Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom:

“Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the hardship that

we have met: [15] how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we

lived in Egypt a long time. And the Egyptians dealt harshly with

us and our fathers. [16] And when we cried to the LORD, he

heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt.

And here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory.

[17] Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass

through field or vineyard, or drink water from a well. We will

go along the King’s Highway. We will not turn aside to the right

hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”

[18] But Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through, lest I

come out with the sword against you.” (Numbers 20)

The king of Edom refused to let Israel step on his soil and threatened to

attack them with his army if they did. We can see the bitterness of Edom

toward Israel in this declaration to Moses.

The prophet Ezekiel had some words to say to Edom in his prophecy

(referred to here as Mount Seir, the mountain range that ran through Edom’s

territory).

[35:1] The word of the LORD came to me: [2] “Son of man, set

your face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it, [3] and

say to it, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you,

Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against you, and I

will make you a desolation and a waste. [4] I will lay your

cities waste, and you shall become a desolation, and you shall

know that I am the LORD. [5] Because you cherished perpetual

enmity and gave over the people of Israel to the power of the

sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of their final

punishment (Ezekiel 35).

Of note here is what Ezekiel said in verse 5 about Edom cherishing

perpetual hostility toward Israel. Notice that Ezekiel tells us that the

evidence of this enmity was seen in how the Edomites handed the nation of

Israel over to the power of the sword at the time of their final punishment.

This appears to be the context for the prophecy of Obadiah.

Obadiah began his prophecy with the words “Thus says the Lord GOD

concerning Edom” (verse 1). The whole prophecy is devoted to

communicating the word of God to these enemies of Israel. Obadiah told

Edom that a messenger had been sent among the nations to raise up an army

against her (verse 1). God spoke particularly to the pride of Edom. We have

already seen that a mountain rage ran through Edom’s territory. This

mountain range gave the Edomites a sense of security. Obadiah refers to the

Edomites as living in the “clefts of the rock” (verse 3) and soaring aloft like

the eagle (verse 4). They were secure in their “lofty dwelling” (verse 3) and

boasted saying: “Who will bring me down to the ground?” (verse 3). They

trusted in their geography to protect them from their enemies.

Obadiah prophesied, however, that even though their nest was “set among

the stars” (verse 4), God would bring them down. They would be betrayed

by those at peace with them (verse 9).

Obadiah made it clear to the Edomites why God was going to bring them

down:

[10] Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame

shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. (Obadiah)

God was angry with the Edomites because they had been violent toward His

people. Obadiah explained this more fully in verses 11-15. Here he accused

the Edomites of standing aloof when strangers carried off Israel’s wealth,

and foreigners entered his gates (verse 11). This took place when Judah was

invaded by the Babylonians and her wealth stripped from her. Esau’s

descendants watched as her brothers and sisters were ravaged by Babylon

but did nothing to help.

Obadiah went on to say that not only did Esau not help her brother in his

time of need, but she was like one of her enemies and “cast lots for

Jerusalem” (verse 11). In other words, she wanted to have something of the

loot found in the city to enrich herself at the expense of her brother.

Obadiah accused the Edomites of “gloating over the day of your brother in

the day of his misfortune,” and “rejoicing over the people of Judah in the

day of their ruin.” The destruction of Judah brought rejoicing to the heart of

Edom. She delighted in his fall. Watching her brother fall to the

Babylonians gave Edom a sense of superiority. Obadiah rebuked Edom for

boasting in the day of Judah’s distress (verse 12).

Obadiah accused Edom of “standing aloof” when her brother was being

invaded and of rejoicing at his downfall. In verse 13 he takes this a step

further by reminding the Edomites that they had entered the city to loot her

brother’s wealth. Beyond this, they also stood at the crossroads to cut off

those who were fleeing. They then handed these fugitives over to the enemy

(verse 14). They sided with Judah’s enemy.

Obadiah told the Edomites: “As you have done, it shall be done to you;

your deeds shall return on your own head” (verse 15). God would defend

His people and punish the Edomites for their betrayal.

As for the nation of Judah, God would restore His blessing and restore them

to Himself:

[17] But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape, and it

shall be holy,

and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions.

(Obadiah)

Obadiah prophesied that the day was coming when Jacob would be like a

great fire and Esau like stubble. Jacob would consume the “house of Esau”

until there was not a single survivor left (verse 18).

All we know of Obadiah and his message is contained in this short

prophecy. He has a single message to deliver to the Edomites. He has a

single issue to address in this message. He rebuked the nation of Edom for

how they refused support to their brother, rejoiced and profited from his

downfall. He told the Edomites that God had seen what they had done and

would destroy them as a nation. His message is short and to the point. We

have no record of any further prophecies of Obadiah.

While men like Daniel, Jeremiah and Ezekiel spoke many times over many

years, Obadiah is a relatively unknown prophet. God used him to address a

single issue in the nation of Edom. Some prophets seem to rise out of

nowhere to share a single message and disappear into obscurity when that

message is delivered. God determines how He will use His prophets. He

may give them a single message or many messages. The prophet needed to

be willing to be used or not used as God saw fit.

For Consideration:

Who were the Edomites and what caused the enmity between their

descendants and the descendants of Judah and Israel?

Are their hurts from the past you have not been able to forget? How has this

affected your relationship with those who hurt you?

What was the message of Obadiah to the Edomites?

Consider the prophet Obadiah. Obadiah seems to be a prophet with a single

message who disappeared into obscurity. Are you willing to be unknown

and forgotten? How tempting is it for us to draw attention to ourselves in

ministry?

Have you ever wanted to do more than God had called you to do? Would

you be content to be like Obadiah if this is what God called you to do?

For Prayer:

Have you ever been hurt by someone and not able to forgive that person?

Ask the Lord to help you to put aside all bitterness. Ask Him to help you to

forgive and love those who hurt you.

Ask the Lord to help you to be more concerned about being obedient than

about making a name for yourself?

Ask the Lord to enable you to be faithful to Him and His purpose. Pray that

no matter how big or small that purpose may be, you would walk faithfully

and with a joyful heart in that purpose.

23 - HAGGAI

ittle is known about the prophet Haggai. We know from the first

chapter of his book that Haggai lived in the time of King Darius of

Persia.

[1] In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the

sixth month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet

Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and

to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest: (Haggai 1)

During the time that Israel and Judah were in exile, three dominant world

powers arose. The Assyrians captured Israel and brought them into exile.

These Assyrians were defeated by the Babylonians who invaded Judah in

the south and took them into captivity as well. In time, the Medes and

Persians conquered the Babylonians and became the dominant power of the

day. It was Cyrus of Persia who decreed the release of all Israelites captives.

Ezra 1:2-4 records this momentous decree:

[2] “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD, the God of

heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has

charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in

Judah. [3] Whoever is among you of all his people, may his

God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in

Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel—

he is the God who is in Jerusalem. [4] And let each survivor, in

whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place

with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides

freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”

(Ezra 1)

The Lord led Cyrus of Persia to declare this freedom to the Jews in his

kingdom. Notice that Cyrus proclaimed that the Lord had charged him to

build Him a house in Jerusalem. He, therefore, commissioned the Jews to

return to Jerusalem to build a temple for the Lord their God. Under the

capable leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah, the people of God returned to

Israel to rebuild the broken ruins.

Ezra 5:1 and 6:14 mention that Haggai was among those who returned from

exile.

[1] Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo,

prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in

the name of the God of Israel who was over them. (Ezra 5)

[14] And the elders of the Jews built and prospered through the

prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of

Iddo. They finished their building by decree of the God of Israel

and by decree of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of

Persia; [15] and this house was finished on the third day of the

month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

(Ezra 6)

According to Ezra 6:14, King Darius confirmed the decree of Cyrus that the

Jews were to rebuild the temple of Jerusalem. Notice also from this verse

that the Jews “prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet.”

His ministry was obviously vital and fruitful.

When Haggai was a prophet, the people of God who returned from exile

were rebuilding the ruined city of Jerusalem. They had been commissioned

by the king of Persian to rebuild the temple of God. Notice, however, what

was happening.

[2] This is what the LORD Almighty says: “These people say,

‘The time has not yet come for the LORD's house to be built.'”

(Haggai 1)

The people were saying that the time was not right for them to rebuild the

temple. Instead of rebuilding the temple of the Lord, they focused on

rebuilding and decorating their own homes:

[3] Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet

Haggai: [4] “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your

paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” (Haggai 1)

The people had time to panel their homes but no time to rebuild the ruined

temple.

Haggai reminded them that they were suffering the judgment of God

because of their indifference to the worship of His name. He challenged

them to consider what was happening in their lives:

[6] You have planted much but have harvested little. You eat,

but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You

put on clothes but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put

them in a purse with holes in it.” (Haggai 1)

It was evident that the blessing of God was no longer on the returned exiles.

They worked hard but had little to show for their hard work. Haggai

showed them that there was a connection between this lack of blessing and

their refusal to rebuild the temple and restore the worship of God.

Haggai challenged the people to go up to the mountains and bring down

timber to rebuild the house of the Lord. This was the only way they could

experience restored blessing and renewal.

[9] “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What

you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the LORD

Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while

each of you is busy with his own house. [10] Therefore, because

of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its

crops. [11] I called for a drought on the fields and the

mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the

ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your

hands.” (Haggai 1)

Haggai’s message hit its mark, and the people listened to what he was

saying. They began the construction of the temple.

As the new temple was being constructed, some of the older individuals

who had seen the temple in Jerusalem prior to the exile began to complain

saying that it was “nothing” (Haggai 2:3) compared to the former temple.

Obviously, this would have been a discouragement to the younger ones.

God gave Haggai a word for the people at that time:

[4] But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD. ‘Be

strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong,

all you people of the land,' declares the LORD, ‘and work. For

I am with you,' declares the LORD Almighty. (Haggai 2)

Haggai challenged the leaders to be strong. He reminded them that the Lord

was with them. He encouraged them to persevere in the work of rebuilding

despite the discouragement of their fellow Jews. Haggai told them that the

Lord was with them in their effort. These words would have lifted the

spirits of those discouraged by the words of the older generation.

Beyond this general encouragement to persevere, Haggai told these faithful

workers that the Lord would bless their efforts in a very unexpected way:

[6] “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘In a little while I

will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the

dry land. [7] I will shake all nations, and the desired of all

nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the

LORD Almighty. [8] ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,'

declares the LORD Almighty. [9] ‘The glory of this present

house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says

the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,'

declares the LORD Almighty.” (Haggai 2)

Haggai told those working on the restoration of the temple that the glory of

God would fall on it and it would be more glorious than the former temple.

Again, this would have been a powerful motivation to continue the work.

In Haggai 2:15 the prophet challenged the people to watch what God was

doing. He reminded them of what had taken place before they started the

construction of the temple. At that time, the blessing of God had been

removed. They would go to a heap of twenty measures and find only ten.

They would go to draw fifty measures from a wine vat but discover there

were only twenty left (Haggai 2:15-16). God struck their work with blight,

mildew, and hail (Haggai 2:17). There were no seeds left in their barns

(Haggai 2:19). Their fig, pomegranate and olive trees had not been bearing

fruit (Haggai 2:19).

“Now then, consider from this day onward,” Haggai challenged his people.

Now that you have chosen to rebuild the temple, in obedience to the

command of the Lord, watch and see what God will do. “From this day on,”

the Lord will bless you, he told them (Haggai 2:19). Their obedience to God

and the restoring of worship in the land would change everything. The

blessing of God would be restored. Even the governor would experience

this favour of God. Haggai prophesied that God would shake the heavens

and the earth and overthrow thrones and foreign power for Governor

Zerubbabel (Haggai 2:10-22). All this would come about because God’s

people returned to their God and walked in obedience to Him.

As a prophet, Haggai was an encourager. He challenged the people to get

right with God. When they were discouraged by the older generation, he

gave them the courage to persevere. He strengthened their resolved by

telling them that God would bless their efforts and the glory of the temple

they built would surpass that of the former temple. He urged them to open

their eyes to what God was going to do because of their faithful obedience.

Haggai’s ministry was well received, and the work on the temple was

completed.

There were prophets in the Bible whose desire to encourage the people was

so strong that they would even lie to build them up. They would tell them

that everything would be fine when judgement was about to fall. Haggai

does on compromise the Word of God in his attempt to encourage. Every

statement he made in this book was from the Lord. It was the Lord’s desire

to bless and encourage the people in their work. Haggai was merely an

instrument of that encouragement. While prophets like Jeremiah were

called to rebuke and announce judgement, Haggai’s task was much more

pleasant—he was to bring the encouragement of God.

For Consideration:

How did God use the Persian King Cyrus to convey His purpose for the

nation of Israel? Can God still use the unbeliever to communicate His

mission to the church of our day?

What problem did Haggai need to address in the land of Israel?

What was the result of neglecting the temple? What does this show us about

the priorities of God’s people in those days? What are your priorities?

How did Hosea encourage the people in the work God had called them to

do? How important do you think that encouragement was for the people of

God at that time?

What did Haggai say would be the result of obedience to God?

For Prayer:

Ask the Lord to show you if your priorities in life are right? What stands

between you and God today? Ask God to help you to overcome any

obstacle to blessing and intimacy with Him.

Are their people who need encouragement in your midst? Ask the Lord to

show you how you can be a blessing to them in their time of need.

Take a moment to thank the Lord for the encouragement He brings you in

your time of need.

Ask God to give you the perseverance you need to be obedient to the

calling He has placed on your life.

24 - ZECHARIAH

he name Zechariah was a popular name in Old Testament times. It

means “the Lord remembers.” Our interest here is the writer of the

book of Zechariah who lived during the reign of Darius the Mede.

In Zechariah 1:1 we understand that he was the son of Berechiah and

grandson to Iddo. According to Ezra 5:1 and 6:14, Zechariah lived at the

time of Haggai and worked with him prophesying to the people who had

returned from exile to rebuild the temple and city of Jerusalem.

Zechariah begins his prophecy with a reminder that the Lord had been

angry with their fathers. Because of this, He sent them into exile. Zechariah

challenges the people of his day not to repeat the same mistake:

[4] Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets

cried out, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, Return from your evil

ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay

attention to me, declares the LORD. (Zechariah 1)

The people who returned from exile now had an opportunity to learn from

the sin of their fathers. Zechariah encouraged them to start fresh and to

walk in obedience to God.

Unlike his co-worker Haggai, who spoke plainly to the people, Zechariah’s

prophecies are filled with symbolism. The Lord spoke to him in visions,

dreams, and pictures. The prophet records the first of these pictures in

Zechariah 1:7-17. Here he saw a man riding a red horse standing among

some myrtle trees. Behind him were other horses of differing colours. This

appears to be all he saw. The picture intrigued him, however, and he asked

the Lord what it meant. The Lord told him that the man on the red horse

was the angel of the Lord. He and the other horsemen had “patrolled the

earth,” and found everything to be at rest (1:11). The angel who explained

this picture to Zechariah told him that the Lord was “exceedingly jealous

for Jerusalem” and that He would pour out His blessing once more so that it

would “overflow with prosperity” (1:17). As you can imagine, these words

would have been a tremendous comfort and assurance to the exiles during

the rebuilding the city and temple in Jerusalem. The Lord God was

promising to prosper the work of their hands.

Zechariah saw a second picture in chapter 1. This again was a very simple

picture. He saw four horns. It is interesting to see the simplicity of these

pictures. Despite their simplicity, however, there was profound significance

attached to these pictures. When Zechariah asked what the meaning of these

horns was, he was told that they represented the nations that had scattered

and oppressed Judah. The angel speaking to Zechariah explained that God

was going to destroy these horns because of what they had done to His

people (1:18-21). The Lord God who promised to prosper His people would

now punish the nations that had pursued them.

In chapter 2 Zechariah saw a picture of a man with a measuring line in his

hand. He was able to interact with the man in this vision and asked him

what he was doing. The man told him that he was measuring the city of

Jerusalem. As Zechariah spoke, an angel approached to say:

[4] … ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls,

because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. [5] And I

will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the LORD, and

I will be the glory in her midst.’” (Zechariah 2)

As Zechariah listened to the angel, a call went out to the exiles in Babylon:

[7] Up! Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of

Babylon. [8] For thus said the LORD of hosts, after his glory

sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches

you touches the apple of his eye: [9] “Behold, I will shake my

hand over them, and they shall become plunder for those who

served them. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has

sent me. (Zechariah 2)

It was time for the people of God to return to their homeland. God had not

forgotten them. They were the “apple of His eye,” and He would restore

them to their blessings and punish those who had plundered them.

Zechariah’s vision in chapter 3 concerned the high priest. In this vision,

Zechariah saw the high priest dressed in filthy clothes standing before the

angel of the Lord. Beside him was Satan accusing him. The Lord rebuked

Satan and told him that this priest was His chosen instrument.

In the vision, the Lord then called for his angels to remove the priest’s filthy

clothes and dress him with clean priestly garments. The Lord told Joshua

the priest that all his sins were forgiven. After dressing him in clean clothes,

the angel told Joshua:

[7] “Thus says the LORD of hosts: If you will walk in my ways

and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have

charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access

among those who are standing here. (Zechariah 3)

The angel charged Joshua the high priest to walk in obedience and

faithfulness. If he did, God would give him authority and blessing in his

ministry. The angel went on to tell Zechariah that the day was coming with

the Lord would bring a servant called the Branch who would remove the

iniquity of the land in a single day (3:9). That Branch was none other than

the Lord Jesus, who by his death, would bring pardon for sin. There was a

bright future for the nation.

In the fourth chapter, the prophet saw a picture of a golden lampstand. It is

interesting to note in Zechariah 4:1 that Zechariah prefaces the description

of what he saw by telling us that an angel came and woke him. The

implication seems to be that he saw the lampstand when he was awake.

While God spoke in dreams, he also spoke in pictures and vision when his

prophet was awake.

The lampstand Zechariah saw in his vision seemed to be fed from a bowl

that was being supplied by two olive trees (one on the right and the other on

the left). When Zechariah asked the Lord what this picture meant, he was

told:

[6] Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to

Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says

the LORD of hosts. [7] Who are you, O great mountain? Before

Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring

forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”

(Zechariah 4)

While there is much that could be said about this vision, the Lord was

making a point to the governor. God told Zerubbabel that it was not by his

might that he would accomplish that task of rebuilding the city and temple.

It would be by the power of His Spirit that this work would be

accomplished. The picture of the lampstand being supplied with an

abundance of oil represented the willingness of the Spirit of God to

empower the governor with all the wisdom, skill and strength necessary to

complete the task he had been called to do. Through Zechariah, the Lord

told Zerubbabel:

[9] “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this

house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that

the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. (Zechariah 4)

Zechariah’s vision in chapter five was that of a large flying scroll. The angel

told Zechariah that this scroll represented a curse on anyone who would

steal or swear falsely (5:3). Through this picture, the Lord reminded His

people that while His blessing would be on them, they would need to walk

faithfully in His purpose to assure that it remained.

This reminder of sin and its curse is pictured again in chapter five in the

vision Zechariah had of a basket with a lead cover. Inside the basket was a

woman who was described as “wickedness” (5:8). She was thrust into that

basket, and the heavy cover placed over it so that she would not escape. In

his vision, the basket was being taken away from Judah to the land of

Shinar (where the tower of Babel had been built). There she would remain,

separated from the people of God. There are two points we need to make

here. First, that God was willing to take away the sin of the nation and

restore them to a good relationship with Himself. Just as the wicked woman

was thrust into a basket and taken away from the land, so God would

remove their sins. The second point to this vision, however, was a warning

to the people of God. They could lose all that they had if they chose to

wander from God. They could be the ones to be thrust into that basket and

taken away from their land. They had just experienced this in their exile.

The vision of the basket was a warning to the returned exiles, not to repeat

the error of their ancestors.

In chapter 6 we read about Zechariah’s vision of four chariots. These

chariots appeared out of two bronze mountains. The chariots were drawn by

a red, black, white and spotted horse (6:2-3). When Zechariah asked about

these horses, he was told that they represented the four winds of heaven that

had been sent out to patrol the earth. Mention is made in verse 8 of the

horse that went to the north (from where Israel’s enemies had come). This

horse had set God’s Spirit at rest. This rest may have come in the defeat of

Israel’s enemies and the fact that justice had been done in their defeat and

the return of His people to their homeland.

We have already seen that Zechariah prophesied that the day was coming

when a man called, The Branch would bring forgiveness in a single day. In

Zechariah 6:10, Zechariah it told to take three of the exiles who had

returned from Babylon to the house of Josiah. He was to get silver and gold

from these men and make a crown. He was then to take this crown and set it

on the head of Joshua, the high priest. When he had done this, he was to

declare:

[12] … ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, the man whose

name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and

he shall build the temple of the LORD. [13] It is he who shall

build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honor and

shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on

his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them

both.”’

This crowning of Joshua, the high priest was highly symbolic. The name

Jesus is the Aramaic form of Joshua. This was the language that was spoken

when Jesus was living on this earth. This should not go unnoticed. Joshua,

the high priest, bore the same name and the Branch who was to come. That

name literally meant “Jehovah is salvation.” The second detail we need to

notice here is that a crown was given to the priest. This was not normal. The

priest did not exercise the role of king. In this case, however, the crowning

of Joshua was a symbol of the Lord Jesus who would come to exercise both

the function of priest and king. Third, it was at this time that the people of

God under the direction of Joshua the high priest were rebuilding the

temple. This was also symbolic of what the Branch (the Lord Jesus) would

do. He too would build a temple. His temple, however, was not made with

human hands. His temple would be composed of men and women who were

joined together to worship the Lord God. In fact, Zechariah 6:15 tells us

that people would come from afar to help build this temple. In other words,

foreigners would be part of this great work God would accomplish. God’s

kingdom would expand from the people of Judah and Israel to the ends of

the earth under the reign of this righteous Branch. This symbolic crowning

of Joshua, the high priest looked forward to the day when a true priest/king

would come to rule over His people. The Lord told Zechariah that the

crown that was made for Joshua was to be placed in the temple as a

reminder of the king who was to come.

[14] And the crown shall be in the temple of the LORD as a

reminder to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of

Zephaniah. (Zechariah 6)

In the fourth year of King Darius, people came from Bethel to see

Zechariah. They had a question for him about the celebration of the firth

month. It was on this month that the temple of Jerusalem had been

destroyed about seventy years prior. They had regularly remembered this

month with mourning and fasting. Now that the new temple was being

built, they wondered if the Lord wanted them to continue grieving for the

old one.

Zechariah sought the Lord about this matter, and the Lord answered:

[5] “Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When

you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh,

for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? [6] And

when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves

and drink for yourselves? (Zechariah 7)

The Lord told these individuals who had come to consult Zechariah that this

grieving and fasting they were doing was not for Him. They grieved

because of what they had lost. They mourned because of their judgement,

but they did not grieve because they had sinned against God. They were a

religious people, but they had no relationship with God. Zechariah told

those present that day that this was why the Lord had scattered their

ancestors and sent them into exile. He reminded them that God was looking

for more than religious celebrations and rituals. He was looking for a people

who delighted in Him with all their heart.

Zechariah went on in chapter 8 to remind his people of the jealous love of

the Lord for them as His people.

[8:1] And the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying, [2]

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great

jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. (Zechariah

In saying this, the Lord was reminding His people that He wanted a

relationship with them and not just religious celebrations and traditions. In

fact, Zechariah went on to declare that the Lord had returned to Jerusalem

and was in their midst (8:3). With the return of the Lord came wonderful

blessings for His people. Listen to the words of Zechariah to the returned

exiles in Zechariah 8:4-8:

[4] Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women

shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in

hand because of great age. [5] And the streets of the city shall

be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. [6] Thus says the

LORD of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of

this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my

sight, declares the LORD of hosts? [7] Thus says the LORD of

hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and

from the west country, [8] and I will bring them to dwell in the

midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be

their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.” (Zechariah 8)

With the presence of the Lord in their midst, the city of Jerusalem would be

a place of security and rich blessing. God had reached out to His people and

declared that they were His. He promised to be faithful to them as their

God. Under His care, they would experience peace and fruitfulness:

[12] For there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give

its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens

shall give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people

to possess all these things. (Zechariah 8)

God would be faithful to His people. In return, however, He required that

they walk faithfully with Him by loving and respecting their brothers and

sisters:

[16] These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to

one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and

make for peace; [17] do not devise evil in your hearts against

one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate,

declares the LORD.” (Zechariah 8)

As the people of God walked in faithfulness and love for their God, His

blessing would fall to such an extent that people from far away nations

would hear and come seeking this blessing for themselves:

[20] “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come,

even the inhabitants of many cities. [21] The inhabitants of one

city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the

favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am

going.’ [22] Many peoples and strong nations shall come to

seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of

the LORD. [23] Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten

men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe

of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that

God is with you.’” (Zechariah 8)

Zechariah reminded his people that the Lord their God would punish the

nations that had oppressed them. In chapter 9 he spoke to a variety of cities

and countries, revealing that their judgement was coming. He told

Damascus that the Lord had His eye on all the tribes of Israel (9:1) Tyre

would be stripped of her possessions and devoured by fire (9:4). The

Philistine cities of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and Ashdod would writhe in

anguish when the judgement of God fell on them. They would be cut off

(9:5-6).

As for Jerusalem, however, Zechariah prophesied that a King would come

to them (9:9). Notice how Zechariah described this king:

[9] Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king is coming to you;

righteous and having salvation is he,

humble and mounted on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9)

This king was a righteous king who would bring salvation to His people. He

would also be a humble king who would come to them mounted on a colt,

the foal of a donkey. A quick reading of Luke 19:30-38 reveals the identity

of this King. The king spoken of here is the Lord Jesus who rode into

Jerusalem on a colt. He was the righteous King who would bring salvation

to His people.

Zechariah went on in chapter 9 to describe this righteous King. He would

bring an end to battle and speak peace to the nations (9:10). His rule would

not be in Jerusalem alone but over the entire earth (9:10). He would set

prisoners free by the blood of His covenant (9:11). Zechariah describes

those who belonged to this King as being like the jewels of His crown

(9:16). They were precious and beautiful. We can only imagine the

encouragement that this would have brought to the people of God who had

just recently returned from exile.

As “jewels” in the crown of their Lord, Zechariah challenged his people to

seek the favour of their God who loved them:

[1] Ask rain from the LORD

in the season of the spring rain,

from the LORD who makes the storm clouds,

and he will give them showers of rain,

to everyone the vegetation in the field. (Zechariah 10)

It grieved the heart of God that His people were not being cared for by their

own earthly shepherds.

[3] “My anger is hot against the shepherds,

and I will punish the leaders;

for the LORD of hosts cares for his flock,

the house of Judah,

and will make them like his majestic steed in battle. (Zechariah

10)

Zechariah prophesied that God would strengthen those who had been

neglected and weakened because of a lack of pastoral care from their

earthly shepherds. God would have compassion on them (10:6). God restore

His people, and their hearts would again rejoice in the Lord (10:7). Through

Zechariah the Lord promised His people:

[12] I will make them strong in the LORD,

and they shall walk in his name,”

declares the LORD. (Zechariah 10)

Fellowship would be restored and God’s people would again become strong

as they walked in His name.

After encouraging his people to walk with the Lord and in the fullness of

His blessing, the prophet Zechariah seems to look forward in time to the

days of the righteous King who would come. Zechariah 11 describes a time

when God’s people would turn from their Shepherd/King.

[7] So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be

slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I

named Favor, the other I named Union. And I tended the sheep.

[8] In one month I destroyed the three shepherds. But I became

impatient with them, and they also detested me. [9] So I said, “I

will not be your shepherd. What is to die, let it die. What is to

be destroyed, let it be destroyed. And let those who are left

devour the flesh of one another.” [10] And I took my staff

Favor, and I broke it, annulling the covenant that I had made

with all the peoples. [11] So it was annulled on that day, and

the sheep traders, who were watching me, knew that it was the

word of the LORD. (Zechariah 11)

Notice from these verses how the shepherd cared for his sheep, but because

they detested him, he grew impatient and annulled his covenant with them.

For his efforts as their shepherd, the sheep weighed out thirty pieces of

silver. This money was refused, however, and thrown into the house of the

Lord for the potter.

[12] Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my

wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my

wages thirty pieces of silver. [13] Then the LORD said to me,

“Throw it to the potter”— the lordly price at which I was

priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw

them into the house of the LORD, to the potter. (Zechariah 11)

These details cannot go unnoticed. Matthew 26:15 tells us how Judas

betrayed the Lord for the price of thirty pieces of silver. He would

eventually realize the seriousness of what he did and return the money to

those who had given it to him. Listen to the account of what happened that

day:

[3] Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was

condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty

pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, [4] saying, “I

have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is

that to us? See to it yourself.” [5] And throwing down the

pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and

hanged himself. [6] But the chief priests, taking the pieces of

silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since

it is blood money.” [7] So they took counsel and bought with

them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. (Matthew

27)

Judas threw down the money in the temple fulfilling the words of

Zechariah, “so I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the

house of the Lord.” Notice also that Zechariah tells us that the money that

would be thrown into the house of the Lord would not remain there. It

would go to the potter. Matthew 27:7 tells us that the money Judas threw

into the temple would go toward the purchase of a field from a potter.

Zechariah prophesied that the day would come when the Great

Shepherd/King who would come to God’s people would be rejected and

betrayed by those He came to save. This is clearly a picture of what would

happen when the Lord Jesus lived among His people

Despite their rejection of the Lord Jesus as their Messiah, Zechariah

declared that their God would not forsake them. He told Israel that the Lord

their God would give them wonderful victories over their enemies:

[8] On that day the LORD will protect the inhabitants of

Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be

like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the

angel of the LORD, going before them. [9] And on that day I

will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

(Zechariah 12)

These were words of tremendous compassion and grace to a people who

would reject His Son, the Lord Jesus. Notice, however, that even this matter

would be addressed. Zechariah prophesied that the day was coming when

the Spirit of God would work in the lives of the Jewish people and they

would grieve over the one they had pierced:

[10] “And I will pour out on the house of David and the

inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy,

so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced,

they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and

weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.

(Zechariah 12)

Zechariah prophesied about how the Lord Jesus would be pierced by a

Roman sword on the cross. He also declared that the day was coming when

the Jews would come to understand what their ancestors had done in

crucifying the Messiah. He went on to say that the Lord their God would

one day open a great fountain to cleanse them from their sin:

[13:1] “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the

house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse

them from sin and uncleanness. (Zechariah 13)

A great renewal would take place, and God’s people would return to Him.

Idols would be removed from the land, as well as all the false prophets who

spoke lies and deceived the people (Zechariah 13:2).

Zechariah concludes his prophecy with a statement about the future of

God’s people. He tells them that there were difficult times coming for them.

In fact, he describes in chapter 14 a time when foreign nations would rise

up against the people of the Lord to plunder, rape and kill

[1] Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken

from you will be divided in your midst. [2] For I will gather all

the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be

taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of

the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall

not be cut off from the city. (Zechariah 14)

It is interesting to compare what Zechariah says here to what the vision of

the apostle John in the book of Revelation. Zechariah speaks here about the

gathering of all nations against Jerusalem. John records a similar event in

Revelation 16 when he said:

[12] The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river

Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for

the kings from the east. [13] And I saw, coming out of the

mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out

of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like

frogs. [14] For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who

go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for

battle on the great day of God the Almighty. [15] (“Behold, I

am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake,

keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and

be seen exposed!”) [16] And they assembled them at the place

that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. (Revelation 16)

According to John, the demons of hell would invite all the nations of the

earth to do battle against the Lord and His people. Zechariah clearly spoke

of nations gathering against Jerusalem to do battle.

Zechariah went on to prophesy that that Lord would take a stand against

these enemies. When he made his stand the mount of Olives would be split

and God’s people given a way of escape

[3] Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations

as when he fights on a day of battle. [4] On that day his feet

shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on

the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east

to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount

shall move northward, and the other half southward. [5] And

you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the

mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled

from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then

the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.

(Zechariah 14)

In John’s vision in Revelation he said:

[17] The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a

loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It

is done!” [18] And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings,

peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had

never been since man was on the earth, so great was that

earthquake. [19] The great city was split into three parts, and

the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the

great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his

wrath. (Revelation 16)

Like Zechariah, John speaks of a day when the Lord would take His stand.

On that day there would be great earthquakes and a splitting apart of the

city.

What would be the result of this great judgement of the Lord? First,

Zechariah tells us that the Lord would conquer His enemies. They would be

defeated and suffer greatly for their actions:

[12] And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will

strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their

flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their

eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their

mouths. (Zechariah 14)

Second, the prophet describes a time in which the light of the sun, cold and

frost would cease. There would be no more darkness. Even in the evening,

there would be light (Zechariah 14:6-7). The apostle John speaks of a very

similar time in Revelation 21:

[23] And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for

the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. [24]

By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will

bring their glory into it (Revelation 21)

Third, Zechariah saw in his vision what he describes as living waters from

Jerusalem to bless the earth.

[8] On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem,

half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western

sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. (Zechariah 14)

John describes this in Revelation 22 in the following way:

[22:1] Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life,

bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the

Lamb [2] through the middle of the street of the city; also, on

either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of

fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were

for the healing of the nations. (Revelation 22)

Fourth, Zechariah tells us that after that day of judgement, the Lord would

be king over the entire earth.

[9] And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day

the LORD will be one and his name one. (Zechariah 14)

Finally, Zechariah tells us that all the nations would worship the King and

the earth would be filled with holiness.

[16] Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have

come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship

the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths…

[20] And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the

horses, “Holy to the LORD.” And the pots in the house of the

LORD shall be as the bowls before the altar. [21] And every pot

in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the LORD of hosts, so

that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the

meat of the in them. And there shall no longer be a trader in the

house of the LORD of hosts on that day. (Zechariah 14)

The apostle John puts it this way:

[25] and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be

no night there. [26] They will bring into it the glory and the

honor of the nations. [27] But nothing unclean will ever enter

it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only

those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Revelation

22)

Like Zechariah, John tells us that the glory of the nations would enter the

city to bring honour to the Lord God. Nothing false or detestable would

ever enter this great city of God.

Zechariah prophesied that while there were difficult days coming for the

exiles who returned, the Messiah would come and set them free. He would

work powerfully in the midst of His people and renew their hearts.

Ultimately, He would arise and bring final victory over their enemies and

usher them into a kingdom of righteousness and peace that would never

end.

Like Haggai, his co-worker, Zechariah brought great encouragement to the

people of God who returned from exile. While Haggai encouraged the

people practically to complete the work of rebuilding the temple, Zechariah

encouraged them spiritually. He spoke of the intense jealousy of the Lord

for them. He told the Jews that it was the intention of the Lord their God to

prosper them in the land He had given them. To do this, He would empower

them by his Spirit and take away their sin. He would send a Great Shepherd

to bring forgiveness and renewal. While things would not be comfortable in

the coming years for them, The Lord would arise and bring final judgement

against their enemies and reign supreme over all the earth in a kingdom that

had no end.

For Consideration:

At the beginning of his prophecy, the Lord showed Zechariah a series of

simple pictures which had spiritual significance. Give an example of one of

these pictures and its meaning.

What does Zechariah teach his people about the kind of relationship God

wanted to have with them and the purpose He had for them as His people?

What does Zechariah tell us about the Lord Jesus in his prophecy?

What was the heart of God for the world according to Zechariah?

How would the words of Zechariah be an encouragement to the people who

returned from exile? What encouragement do you receive from Zechariah’s

prophecy?

For Prayer:

Has the Lord ever used a simple picture to teach you a great spiritual

lesson? Ask Him to help you to be sensitive to the ways He wants to

challenge and speak to you.

Take a moment to thank the Lord for His grace and compassion. Even

though we have often fallen short of His standard, He continues to accept

us.

Thank the Lord for what Zechariah teaches about the Lord Jesus who was

to come. Thank the Lord Jesus that He came as the Branch, the Great King,

and Shepherd to reach out to us in our need.

It seems that John the apostle saw many of the same details as Zechariah

although they were separated by many years. Thank the Lord that His truth

never changes and is confirmed in many ways through His servants.

Thank the Lord that He has opened the door for all nations to worship Him

and know His favour and grace.

25 - JOEL

ll we know about the prophet Joel is recorded for us in his book,

that is to say, he was the son of Pethuel. Apart from the name of

his father, there is no other information about him in Scripture.

There is no date recorded in the prophecy, so it is difficult to discern the

time in which he lived. A quick reading of the book, however, may give us

some clues. Let’s take a moment to examine these clues.

In Joel 3 we read:

[3:1] “For behold, in those days and at that time, when I

restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, [2] I will gather

all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of

Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on

behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have

scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land,

[3] and have cast lots for my people, and have traded a boy for

a prostitute, and have sold a girl for wine and have drunk it.

(Joel 3)

There are three details we need to see in these verses. First, in verse 1 we

read that the days were coming when God would restore the fortunes of

Judah and Jerusalem. The implication here is that these fortunes had already

been lost. Second, in verse 2 we see that the nations had scattered God’s

people and would be judged by God for this. The assumption is that this

scattering had already taken place. Third, notice the reference to the casting

of lots for the people of God. Compare this to Nahum 3:10 and Obadiah 11

which speak about the time that God’s people were taken off into exile:

[10] Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity;

her infants were dashed in pieces at the head of every street;

for her honored men, lots were cast,

and all her great men were bound in chains. (Nahum 3)

[11] On the day that you stood aloof,

on the day that strangers carried off his wealth

and foreigners entered his gates

and cast lots for Jerusalem,

you were like one of them. (Obadiah)

In both passages, the nations were condemned because they cast lots for the

people of God who were going off to exile. These details would lead us to

believe that Joel wrote his prophecy after these events had taken place.

God’s people had already lost their fortunes and had been scattered to the

nations.

The other detail of significance in the prophecy of Joel is the reference to

the temple and the city of Jerusalem. Consider what the prophet said in Joel

[14] Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly.

Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land

to the house of the LORD your God and cry out to the LORD.

(Joel 1)

Through the prophet Joel, the Lord calls His people to a solemn assembly at

the house of the Lord. Notice a similar reference in Joel 2:

[17] Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the

ministers of the LORD, weep

and say, “Spare your people, O LORD, and make not your

heritage a reproach,

a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the

peoples,

‘Where is their God?’” (Joel 2)

This call for the people to come to the temple and for the priests to weep

between the vestibule and the altar leads us to understand that the temple

the Babylonians had destroyed by the Babylonians, who had scattered

God’s people and cast lots for them, had now been rebuilt. If we understand

these clues correctly, this would place Joel after the Jews had returned from

exile.

The prophet Joel begins his message with a call to the elders of the nation to

look back in history to see if they could recall a time like what the people of

God had been experiencing in his days.

[2] Hear this, you elders; give ear, all inhabitants of the land!

Has such a thing happened in your days, or in the days of your

fathers?

[3] Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their

children,

and their children to another generation. (Joel 1)

Joel goes on to describe what had been happening. He describes a vast

swarm of locusts that had been devastating the land. Notice that he

describes four types of locusts –the cutting locust, the swarming locust, the

hopping locust, and the destroying locust.

[4] What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten.

What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten,

and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has

eaten. (Joel 1)

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown have the following to say about these four

locusts:

The Hebrews make the first species refer to Assyria and

Babylon; the second species, to Medo-Persia; the third, to

Greco-Macedonia and Antiochus Epiphanes; the fourth, to the

Romans. Though the primary reference be to literal locusts, the

Holy Spirit doubtless had in view the successive empires which

assailed Judea, each worse than its predecessor, Rome being

the climax. (Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset, and David Brown:

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible,

Notes on Joel 1:4, Laridian, 1871)

If Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown are correct in their interpretation, Joel may

be referring to the struggles the people of God were experiencing as their

nation was being devastated by these successive empires. This

interpretation seems to be supported by verses 6 and 7 which say:

[6] For a nation has come up against my land, powerful and

beyond number;

its teeth are lions’ teeth, and it has the fangs of a lioness.

[7] It has laid waste my vine and splintered my fig tree;

it has stripped off their bark and thrown it down; their

branches are made white. (Joel 1)

The locusts appear to be described here as a series of nations that have been

laying waste the land of Israel and Judah. Joel speaks at a time when the

people of God were trying to process the devastation they had been

experiencing at the hand of these nations.

God’s people were called to grieve like a young bride who had lost her

bridegroom (1:8). The land had been devastated. The grain fields had been

destroyed (1:10-11). The supplies of wine, oil, and fruit had dried up (verse

10-12). In light of this devastation, Joel calls the people to declare a fast and

assemble the people to cry out to the Lord for mercy and blessing (1:14).

The Lord alone could restore what had been stripped from them. Joel

challenges the people to return to their God as the source of their blessing.

According to Joel, there was a day of great judgment coming. That day of

judgement would be announced by the sound of a trumpet (2:1). It would be

a terrible day of clouds and thick darkness (2:2). Joel describes this

judgement as coming from an enemy, the likes of which had never been

seen, nor would there ever be anything like them in the generations to come

(2:2). He described the appearance of this enemy as follows:

[4] Their appearance is like the appearance of horses, and like

war horses, they run.

[5] As with the rumbling of chariots, they leap on the tops of

the mountains,

like the crackling of a flame of fire devouring the stubble,

like a powerful army drawn up for battle. (Joel 2)

A comparison of what Joel describes with Revelation 9 reveals some

important similarities. In Revelation 9 the apostle John speaks of an angel

who announced the judgement of God by blowing a trumpet. When that

trumpet was blown, thick cloud and darkness rose from a bottomless pit

(Revelation 9:2). Out of that pit came terrifying locusts whose appearance

John described as follows:

[7] In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for

battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold;

their faces were like human faces (Revelation 9)

These locusts ravaged the earth like a mighty army (Revelation 9:8-10).

These similarities cannot go unnoticed. It is possible that John and Joel saw

the same vision describing a terrible judgment yet to come.

Joel went on to say that this day of judgment would be a day when the sun

and the moon would be darkened, and the stars would withdraw their

shining.

[10] The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble.

The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw

their shining. (Joel 2)

Notice what the apostle John saw in his vision in Revelation 8 after the

fourth angel blew his trumpet:

[12] The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun

was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so

that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the

day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the

night. (Revelation 8)

Both John and Joel seem to predict a similar day of judgement to come.

Considering this coming day of judgement, the prophet Joel called his

people to return to the Lord with all their heart (2:12). He pleaded with

them to “rend your hearts and not your garments” (2:13). The Lord was

looking for a broken and sincere heart. Joel reassured the people that God

was a gracious and merciful God (2:13) and might relent of the judgement

He had planned and leave them with a blessing instead (2:14). Joel called

the priests to take their stand and plead with God to spare His people from

the terrible wrath to come (2:17). Joel prophesied that great blessing

awaited those who would return to the Lord (2:18-27). In fact, according to

Joel, the Lord would pour out his Spirit not just on the Jewish nation but on

all flesh (2:28).

Joel declared that the day would come when their sons and daughters would

prophesy. Their old men would dream dreams and their young men would

see visions. Even the lowest male and female servants among them would

experience this outpouring of God’s Spirit (2:28-29). The Spirit of God

would not distinguish between class or nationality. The day was coming

when all flesh from the lowest class to the highest rank would experience

this presence of God’s Spirit.

In the book of Acts, we read of how the Holy Spirit fell on those who were

praying in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. This outpouring of the Spirit

caused quite a stir among the people who witnessed it. Some even accused

the believers upon whom the Spirit fell of being drunk. On that day,

however, Peter stood up and addressed the crowd with these words:

[14] But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and

addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in

Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.

[15] For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is

only the third hour of the day. [16] But this is what was uttered

through the prophet Joel:

[17] “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,

and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,

and your old men shall dream dreams;

[18] even on my male servants and female servants

in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

(Acts 2)

It is quite clear from what Peter told those present that day, that the

outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost was in fulfilment of

the prophecy of Joel.

Joel would go on to say that in the last days, God would show wonders in

the heavens and earth:

[30] “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth,

blood and fire and columns of smoke. [31] The sun shall be

turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and

awesome day of the LORD comes. (Joel 2)

Preaching in the temple in Jerusalem one day the Lord Jesus told those

present that there would be difficult days coming. He made it clear that in

the days before His return there would be great signs in the heavens:

[29] “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun

will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the

stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will

be shaken. (Matthew 24)

[25] “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and

on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the

roaring of the sea and the waves, [26] people fainting with fear

and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the

powers of the heavens will be shaken. [27] And then they will

see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great

glory. (Luke 21)

It appears that Joel speaks of the same events. His prophecy has yet to see

its complete fulfilment.

In Joel 3, the prophet speaks of a day when God would restore the fortunes

of His people and judge those who had oppressed them (3:1-2). On that day

the Lord God would judge the nations (3:12). While the nations would be

judged for their sin and evil, those who belonged to the Lord would be

spared. Joel prophesied that the Lord would reign from Jerusalem (3:17).

The city would be holy, and no stranger to God would ever pass through it

again (3:17). A great stream of water would flow from the house of the

Lord to water the valleys (3:18) and the city would be inhabited forever

under the blessing of God (3:20).

Listen to the description of the apostle John of the heavenly Jerusalem in

the book of Revelation:

[24] By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth

will bring their glory into it, [25] and its gates will never be

shut by day—and there will be no night there. [26] They will

bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. [27] But

nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is

detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s

book of life. (Revelation 21)

[1] Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life,

bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the

Lamb [2] through the middle of the street of the city; also, on

either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of

fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were

for the healing of the nations. [3] No longer will there be

anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will

be in it, and his servants will worship him. [4] They will see his

face, and his name will be on their foreheads. [5] And night

will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the

Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and

ever. (Revelation 22)

The apostle John speaks here about the heavenly city of Jerusalem as a city

where the glory of the Lord reigned. It was a holy city where no stranger to

God would ever enter (Revelation 21:26). From that city, a great stream of

water flowed bringing healing and blessing to the nations (Revelation 22:2-

3). Again, the similarities between the prophecy of Joel and John cannot go

unnoticed. Joel appears to be speaking about the fulfilment of God’s

purposes in the last days.

Joel began his prophecy by challenging his people to look at how the Lord

had judged them by sending them into exile. He told them, however, that

there was another even greater day of judgement coming. This judgement

would be worse than the exile they had experienced. Joel encouraged his

people to learn from their past and return to the Lord before this great and

final day.

In the days preceding this final judgement, the Lord would pour out His

Holy Spirit bringing many to Himself. There would then be great signs in

the sky and on the earth announcing the approach of this final judgement.

Those who refused to repent would suffer the wrath of God. Those who

belonged to Him would dwell under His reign in a place where sin would

be forever banished.

Joel speaks to a people who had returned from exile. He challenged them to

learn the lessons God taught them through their discipline. There would be

days of great victory ahead for them if they would submit to their God and

walk with Him but a great and final judgement for those who turned from

Him.

For Consideration:

What internal evidence do we have in the book of Joel that indicates the

time in which he prophesied?

Joel challenged his people to learn from their past. How much have you

learned from your past? How has the Lord taught you through the things

you have suffered?

How do the teaching of Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament help us

to understand and interpret the prophecy of Joel?

Joel prophesied that the day was coming when the Lord God would pour

out His Spirit on all flesh. Peter tells us that that event took place on the day

of Pentecost. How has the ministry of the Holy Spirit changed your life?

Joel pointed people to a day of final judgement for the unbeliever and

eternal blessing for those who belonged to God. How do you know that you

belong to God and will be part of those who reign with Him in the New

Jerusalem?

For Prayer:

Ask the Lord to help you to learn from His discipline in your life.

Thank the Lord that we are living in days when the Holy Spirit has been

poured out into our hearts. Thank the Lord that He has given us such a

precious gift to enable us to live for Him. Ask God to allow you to be more

sensitive to the leading and empowering of His Spirit.

Take a moment to thank the Lord that justice will prevail and that He will

judge sin and bring an end to it in His time.

Thank the Lord for the promise of eternity under His reign in a city where

sin no longer dwells.

26 - MALACHI

alachi is the final Old Testament prophet we will consider in

this study. His name means “my messenger.” He gives us no

clue in his book as to his identity or family. While the date of

the prophecy is not provided, there is evidence in the book of the time in

which Malachi lived.

The first clue to the date of the prophecy of Malachi is seen in the

references to the temple of God and the sacrifices that were being made. In

fact, the Lord spoke directly to the priests through Malachi and accused

them of offering polluted food on the altar (1:7). Malachi accused Judah of

profaning the sanctuary of the Lord (2:11). The Lord challenged His people

to bring their full tithe to the storehouse of the Lord (3:10). These details

are important because they place Malachi at a time when the temple was in

place, and the worship of God was taking place. This means that he either

prophesied before the exile and destruction of the temple or after the temple

had been rebuilt when the people of God had returned from their captivity.

The second important clue as to the date of the book comes in Malachi 1:8:

[8] When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil?

And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil?

Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you

favor? says the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 1)

God accused His people in this verse of bringing defiled offerings to Him.

Notice how He told them to present these same offerings to their governor

to see if he would accept them. This shows us that the nation was at this

time being ruled by a governor and not a king. Malachi prophesied at a time

when God’s people were under a governor and his people worshipped in the

temple.

The last king of Judah was Zedekiah. 2 Kings 25 tells us that he rebelled

against the Babylonians. King Nebuchadnezzar sent his forces to Jerusalem

to quiet this rebellion. These forces took the city of Jerusalem and captured

King Zedekiah. At that time, the Babylonians destroyed the temple of God

and took its sacred articles back with them to Babylon. In the place of a

king, Nebuchadnezzar chose a governor to administer the city. Gedaliah, the

first governor, however, ruled over a city with no temple. It would not be

until after the return of God’s people from exile that they would have both a

temple and a governor. We deduce from this, then that Malachi prophesied

after the arrival of God’s people from exile and after the rebuilding of the

new temple under Ezra and Nehemiah. He would be the last of the Old

Testament prophets.

Malachi likely prophesied after Haggai and Zechariah who encouraged the

people to rebuild the temple and restore the worship of God in the nation.

The ministry of Haggai and Zechariah was significant, but it did not take

long for the people of God to become lax in their faith and relationship with

God.

Malachi begins his prophecy with a reminder to God’s people of the love

and devotion of God toward them— “I have loved you,” says the LORD

(Malachi 1:2). Notice, however, the response of God’s people to this

statement in Malachi 1:2:

[2] “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How

have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares

the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob (Malachi 1)

The words, “how have you loved us?” are striking. They reveal something

about the people of God. They had become blinded to the love and devotion

of God toward them. I have often found myself challenging the people of

God to open their eyes to the presence and care of God in their lives. There

are many times that God demonstrates His love, but we do not notice. We

live our lives as if these things happened by chance but do not see the

protection or devotion of God toward us in these events. God’s people were

no longer seeing God. They were no longer aware of His provision and

tenderness toward them.

Malachi makes another revealing statement in chapter 1:

[6] “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I

am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is

my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise

my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’

(Malachi 1)

This statement is directed to the priests of the day. Malachi told them that

they despised the name of the Lord. The word “despise” is a strong word. It

shows that the priests showed no respect for the Lord. What is even more

surprising here is that response of the priests to this accusation: “How have

we despised your name?”

The priests were guilty of despising the name of the Lord, but they had no

idea as to how they were doing this. As spiritual leaders of God’s people,

they were to teach them how to honour the Lord their God. The problem,

however, was that these religious leaders were so blind to the truth of God

and the teaching of his Scripture that they didn’t even know how to honour

Him themselves.

Malachi had to explain to these priests that by offering blind, lame and sick

animals as sacrifices to the Lord they were not respecting Him. In fact, God

took such offense at their offerings that he said:

[10] Oh that there were one among you who would shut the

doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have

no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not

accept an offering from your hand. [11] For from the rising of

the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations,

and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a

pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations,

says the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 1)

God wished that someone would have the courage to shut the doors of the

temple so that His people would no longer blaspheme His name by their

polluted sacrifices. The children of God did not respect Him enough to offer

Him their best. Instead, they offered him what they themselves no longer

wanted.

Malachi went on in chapter 1 to address the attitude of the priests of that

day toward their responsibilities:

[13] But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it,

says the LORD of hosts. You bring what has been taken by

violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering!

Shall I accept that from your hand? says the LORD. (Malachi

Those who had been chosen by God detested their responsibilities. “What a

weariness this is,” they said. They had lost all sense of awe and respect for

God. Their priestly duties were a monotonous repetition. They went

through the motions but had no awareness of God in their duties. Their

heart was no longer in what they were doing.

God has a word to speak to these priests. The seriousness of this word is

such that God told the priests that if they did not take it to heart, they would

be cursed:

[2:1] “And now, O priests, this command is for you. [2] If you

will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my

name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon

you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already

cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. (Malachi 2)

Through Malachi, the Lord reminded the priests of their obligation to Him.

He had entered a covenant with the Levites and promised them life and

peace. In return, He expected that they reverence and stand in awe of His

name:

[5] My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave

them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He

stood in awe of my name. (Malachi 2)

God also expected the priests to teach the truth and demonstrate it in the

way they lived. In doing so, they would keep the people from sin:

[6] True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found

on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and

he turned many from iniquity. [7] For the lips of a priest should

guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his

mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. (Malachi

The priests of Malachi’s day, however, had turned away from the truth. As a

result, the people of God stumbled in their spiritual walk. God accused

these priests of corrupting the covenant of Levi (2:8). As a result, God

promised that they would be despised and humiliated before the people

(2:9).

Because the priests did not faithfully teach the truth, the people of God

wandered. They became “faithless” (2:11) and committed “abomination,”

profaning the temple of the Lord through their alliance with foreign gods.

This faithlessness was seen not only with their God but also in their

marriages and family life. They had been unfaithful to their wives. The

Lord rebukes the men for divorcing their wives and refusing to show them

the respect they deserved.

[16] “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her,

says the LORD, the God of Israel, covers his garment with

violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in your

spirit, and do not be faithless.” (Malachi 2)

The people of Malachi’s day had lost a sense of the glory and beauty of

their God. The priests were no longer teaching the truth and found their

responsibilities to be a burden. The worshippers who came to the temple

were not being taught the truth of God and their obligations to Him. This

resulted in the worshippers turning to other gods. Families in the nation

were being broken up by divorce and disrespect for marriage partners.

These were days of spiritual and moral decline.

In light of this spiritual and moral decline, God made a promise to His

people through Malachi:

[3:1] “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the

way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly

come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom

you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.

(Malachi 3)

Through Malachi, God told His people that a messenger would come to

prepare the way of the Lord. The Lord Jesus interprets this prophecy in

Matthew 11 to refer to Himself and John the Baptist:

[7] As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds

concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to

see? A reed shaken by the wind? [8] What then did you go out

to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear

soft clothing are in kings’ houses. [9] What then did you go out

to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

[10] This is he of whom it is written,

“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,

who will prepare your way before you.’ (Matthew 11)

John the Baptist would be the messenger to come. He would announce the

coming of the Lord Jesus to this world. Malachi tells us that when the Lord

Jesus came, He would come like refiner’s fire and fullers soap (3:2). In

other words, He would come to purify and deal with the sin that separated

His people from their God. Malachi promised that God would draw near to

His people to judge them and cleanse their land of evil (3:5).

The Israelites, however, did not understand what Malachi was saying. God

was calling them to return to Him, but they didn’t know that they had

wandered. The priests of the day did not understand the truth and had not

been teaching it, so the people didn’t understand the ways of God. In fact,

when the Lord called His people to return, they asked: “How shall we

return?” (3:7).

God explained through Malachi what the priests ought to have been

teaching the people. He accused His people of robbing Him by not bringing

their tithes and contributions. He told them that if they repented and brought

their tithes to Him, His rich blessing would once again fall.

[10] Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be

food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the

LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you

and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

(Malachi 3)

God went on to tell the people that they had been speaking “hard things”

against Him. Notice again that the people have no clue that they have been

doing this and ask: “How have we spoken against you?” (3:13). God

reminded them of what they had been saying:

[14] You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit

of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before

the LORD of hosts?’ (Malachi 3)

In speaking these words, the people of God openly mocked the Lord and

His ways. They proved that they did not love the Lord or respect Him and

His purposes. Through Malachi, the Lord revealed the sin of His people.

They did not even understand that they had been sinning. Their lack of

instruction in the ways of the Lord blinded them to God’s purposes.

It appears that the message of Malachi had an impact. Among those who

heard the word of Malachi were some who recognized their sin and turned

to the Lord:

[16] Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another.

The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of

remembrance was written before him of those who feared the

LORD and esteemed his name. [17] “They shall be mine, says

the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured

possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who

serves him. (Malachi 3)

God promised to remember those who returned to Him through the

preaching of Malachi. He promised to spare them in the day of His

judgement. This, however, would not be the case for those who continued

in their rebellion. Malachi describes a day that was coming for them in

chapter 4.

[4:1] “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven,

when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day

that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so

that it will leave them neither root nor branch. (Malachi 4)

That day would be like a great oven burning the arrogant and evildoers.

According to Malachi, the fire of God’s wrath would leave them “neither

root nor branch.” In other words, they would be destroyed, never to rise

again.

Listen to the promise of the Lord, however, through Malachi to those who

repented and feared the Lord their God:

[2] But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness

shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like

calves from the stall. [3] And you shall tread down the wicked,

for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day

when I act, says the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 4)

There would be healing for those who feared the Lord. They would rejoice

in the Lord and His presence. They would tread down the wicked under

their feet.

Malachi concludes with a word about “Elijah.” He prophesied that Elijah

would come before the “awesome day of the Lord” (4:5).

[5] “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great

and awesome day of the LORD comes. (Malachi 4)

Jesus taught the people of His day that John the Baptist was the Elijah who

was to come:

[11] Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has

arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is

least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. [12] From

the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven

has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. [13] For

all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, [14] and if

you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.

(Matthew 11)

Malachi declared the salvation of those who would turn to God. He told his

people that this salvation would be accomplished through the Messiah who

was to come. The Lord Jesus, announced by John the Baptist, would bring

freedom and forgiveness. According to Malachi, the Messiah would turn the

hearts of the fathers to their children and their children to their fathers and

spare them from “utter destruction”:

[6] And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and

the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the

land with a decree of utter destruction. (Malachi 4)

The work of this Messiah, announced by John the Baptist, would restore

relationships and renew the families of the nation. The Messiah would save

His people from the judgement to come. In this Messiah, there would be

hope, forgiveness, and healing.

Malachi spoke to a people who considered themselves to be religious, but

they had not been instructed in the ways of the Lord. The priests of the day

had failed in their obligations toward the people had not taught them. When

confronted with their sins, the people could not understand what Malachi

was telling them. They did not know how they had offended God. When

instructed in what God required, some of them came to see their sin and

repented.

What we need to see here is that ignorance is not an excuse for sin. God

held the people of Malachi’s day accountable even though their priests had

failed to teach them. Malachi was sent as a prophet to show the people how

they had fallen short of God’s purpose. He revealed the plan of God for

their marriages, their tithes and their attitudes toward God. He shed light on

their sin and exposed their shortcomings.

We need people like Malachi today. How easy it is for us to blindly go our

way without questioning if what we are doing is truly honouring to God and

in His purpose. We can blindly follow our traditions and become stagnant in

our relationship with God. Malachi awakens us from this blind pursuit and

calls us to lift up our eyes and examine our ways in light of the truth of

God’s Word.

For Consideration:

What does the evidence in the prophecy of Malachi indicate about the date

in which it was written?

What was the attitude of the priests of Malachi’s day toward their duties?

How had they neglected these duties?

What was the impact of the lack of priestly instruction in the nation?

What was the role of Malachi as he spoke to a nation ignorant of God’s

purpose?

Malachi announced a judgement to come. He also prophesied of a coming

messenger who would prepare the way for the Messiah. What role would

this Messiah play in the lives of His people?

For Prayer:

Have you ever forgot lessons the Lord taught you? Ask God to help you to

be faithful in the things He teaches? Ask Him to help you never to forget

these lessons.

Take a moment to confess the sinfulness of your nature that seems inclined

toward sin. Thank the Lord that He has given us His Holy Spirit to indwell

those who belong to Him, enabling them to live for God.

Ask God to give you a renewed zeal for Him and His purposes in your life?

Ask Him to show you if you are blinded to certain sins in your life? If so,

confess those sins and ask Him for victory over them.

Take a moment to thank the Lord for coming to this earth to set us free from

our sin. Ask Him to help you to live a life that is worthy of His name.

Do you belong to a church where the Word of God is faithfully taught?

Take a moment to thank the Lord for those who open your eyes to the truth

of God and His purposes for your life.

Take a moment to pray for people who are not being instructed in the truth

in the church they attend. Ask the Lord to help them to see the truth. Ask

the Lord to send a prophet like Malachi to them to open their eyes to the

purpose of God for them.

27 - NEW TESTAMENT

PROPHECY IN THE EARLY

DAYS OF JESUS

o this point, we have examined the ministry of prophecy in the Old

Testament. We come now to the birth and early days of the Lord

Jesus on this earth and to the role of the prophet in the New

Testament period.

The story of the birth of the Lord Jesus is filled with prophecy. The Old

Testament ends with a prophecy that a messenger would come to announce

the coming of the Lord Jesus (see Malachi 2, 3). We read how that came

about in Luke 1.

Zechariah

As Luke begins his account about the Lord Jesus, he tells the story of a

priest by the name of Zechariah who was serving the Lord at the temple

during his appointed time. Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth had never had

any children, and now they were “advanced in years” (Luke 1:7). As

Zechariah ministered at the temple, an angel appeared to him. This angel

had a message for Zechariah:

[13] But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah,

for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will

bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. [14] And you

will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,

[15] for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink

wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit,

even from his mother’s womb. [16] And he will turn many of the

children of Israel to the Lord their God, [17] and he will go

before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts

of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom

of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

(Luke 1)

The angel revealed to Zechariah that he and his wife would have a son. That

son would bring gladness to their hearts. God had a particular purpose for

their child. He would be great before the Lord and minister in the power of

Elijah.

Zechariah had difficulty believing what the angel had to tell him that day,

but his wife did conceive and gave birth to a son, who would be known as

John the Baptist. John’s birth had already been announced by the prophet

Malachi, but here in Luke 1, we read of the prophetic word of the angel to

Zechariah declaring that he would be the father of the child spoken of by

Malachi.

The angelic prophecy came true and when John the Baptist was born to

Zechariah and Elizabeth, Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit,

would himself prophesy about this event. His prophecy is recorded for us in

Luke 1:67-79.

In his prophecy, Zechariah blessed the Lord God who had visited and

redeemed his people by raising up a “horn of salvation” (1:68-69). That

“horn of salvation” would save them from their enemies (1:71) so that those

who were delivered would serve the Lord in holiness and righteousness all

their days (1:74-75). Speaking about the child born to him, Zechariah

prophesied:

[76] And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most

High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

[77] to give knowledge of salvation to his people

in the forgiveness of their sins, (Luke 1)

According to Zechariah, his son John would be called a prophet of the Most

High. He would prepare the way for the Messiah who was prophesied from

ancient times. That Messiah would bring salvation and forgiveness of sin to

His people. Zechariah the priest not only heard the prophecy of the angel

but he himself prophesied about the future of his own son.

Elizabeth

John’s mother Elizabeth also prophesied. In Luke 1:39-45 we read how

Mary, who was then pregnant, visited Elizabeth. Luke tells us that when

Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby John, leaped in her womb.

Elizabeth was filled with the Spirit and spoke:

[41] And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby

leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy

Spirit, [42] and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are

you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! [43]

And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord

should come to me? [44] For behold, when the sound of your

greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

[45] And blessed is she who believed that there would be a

fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” (Luke 1)

There is a connection here between the Spirit of God filling Elizabeth and

the words she spoke. That day she proclaimed that the fruit of Mary’s

womb was blessed. Elizabeth declared Mary to be the mother of her Lord.

She also blessed Mary for believing the word that had been prophetically

spoken to her by the angel. We are not sure if Elizabeth even knew these

details prior to speaking these words, as Mary had just arrived at her home.

The prophetic words of Elizabeth, however, were designed to bring

encouragement and strength to Mary at this time in her life.

John The Baptist

We have seen how John’s father, Zechariah prophesied that his son would

be called a prophet of the Most High (Luke 1:76). How did John the Baptist

fulfil his role as a prophet? He did so in several ways.

John the Baptist announced the coming of the Messiah.

This was the central theme of his prophetic word. He preached that the

kingdom of God was a hand. That is to say, the king of this kingdom had

come, and He would set up His kingdom

[3:1] In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the

wilderness of Judea, [2] “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is

at hand.” (Matthew 3)

John pointed people to the Lord Jesus and to the work that He would do. He

saw the work of Jesus as being of infinitely greater value than his own:

[7] And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is

mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to

stoop down and untie. [8] I have baptized you with water, but

he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1)

According to the prophecy of John, Jesus would baptise His people with the

Holy Spirit. That is to say; He would place His Holy Spirit in them to

transform their lives.

On one occasion, seeing the Lord Jesus approach, John uttered these

prophetic words:

[29] The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said,

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the

world! [30] This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man

who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ [31] I myself

did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with

water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” (John 1)

According to John, Jesus was the Lamb of God who would be sacrificed for

the sin of the world. Through Him would come salvation and deliverance

from sin.

John announced the judgement of God

While the central focus of John’s prophetic ministry was to announce the

coming of the Lord Jesus and the work would do, this was not the only

aspect to his ministry. Like the Old Testament prophets before him, John

also announced the judgement of the Lord to those who were walking in

sin. Luke recounts how John would speak boldly to those who came to hear

him speak:

[7] He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized

by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the

wrath to come? [8] Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And

do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our

father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up

children for Abraham. [9] Even now the axe is laid to the root

of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is

cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Luke 3)

John told the people of his day that the axe was laid to the root of the tree.

In other words, the axe of God’s wrath was ready to fall on the tree of their

lives. John challenged those who listened to him to produce fruit “in

keeping with repentance.” He encouraged the people of his day to open

their eyes to the needs of those around them. If a brother or sister was in

need, they were to offer them their tunic or provide them with the food they

needed (Luke 3:10). He told tax collectors to stop oppressing people by

collecting more than they were authorized to collect (Luke 3:12). He

rebuked soldiers who extorted money by threat and false accusations (Luke

3:14). He called the religious leaders a “brood of vipers” (Matthew 3:7).

Matthew 14:1-5 tells us that John the Baptist even rebuked Herod for taking

his brother’s wife. This accusation made Herod so angry that he imprisoned

John and eventually beheaded him. John’s role as a prophet is seen not only

in how he announced the coming of the Lord Jesus but in how he boldly

spoke out against the evils in his society.

Angels

When the Lord Jesus was born, there were a series of prophetic statements

made by the angels of heaven. Consider first the words of the angel Gabriel

to Mary:

[28] And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one,

the Lord is with you!” … [31] And behold, you will conceive in

your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.

[32] He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most

High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father

David, [33] and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever,

and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Gabriel informed Mary of the purpose of God for her life and how the child

who would be born to her would rule over a kingdom that would never end.

When Joseph contemplated what to do with his pregnant fiancée, an angel

appeared to him saying:

[20] But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the

Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of

David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is

conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. [21] She will bear a

son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his

people from their sins.” (Matthew 1)

In his time of confusion, the angel brought a prophetic word to Joseph. The

child Mary carried was from the Holy Spirit and had come to save His

people from sin. The prophetic words given to Mary and Joseph at this time

were intended to encourage and provide them with a sense of God’s

purpose for the child they would raise.

After the birth of the Lord Jesus, angels again appear with a word from the

Lord. This time the word is for some shepherds in the field watching their

sheep.

[10] And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring

you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. [11]

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who

is Christ the Lord. [12] And this will be a sign for you: you will

find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a

manger.” (Luke 2)

To these shepherds, the angels announced that the Christ had been born.

They told the shepherds where they could find Him and how to identify

Him.

Through the prophetic word, the angels announced the birth of Jesus. They

also taught His people about the purpose of His coming. The prophetic

words of the angels strengthened and encouraged both Mary and Joseph in

the responsibilities God had given them to care for this young child.

Simeon

Luke 2:25 tells us that there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. The

Holy Spirit revealed to him that he would see the Lord’s Christ before he

died (Luke 2:26). Luke 2:27 tells us that “he came in the Spirit to the

temple.” While he was at the temple, Mary and Joseph arrived with the

Lord Jesus. Taking the infant in his arms, Simeon prophesied:

[29] “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,

according to your word;

[30] for my eyes have seen your salvation

[31] that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

[32] a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2)

Simeon proclaimed that this child would be the salvation of His people and

a light of revelation to the Gentiles. Turning to Mary, Simeon said:

[34] And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,

“Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many

in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed [35] (and a sword will

pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many

hearts may be revealed.” (Luke 2)

Simeon also prophesied that the child he held in his arms had come both to

judge and save many. He would be opposed by his people and Mary would

be struck with grief as she watched what would happen to Him in His role

as Saviour and Judge. These prophetic words prepared Mary for the coming

crucifixion and rejection of the Lord Jesus.

It is worth mentioning that there was an elderly widow who remained at the

temple in those days as well. Her name was Anna, and she is described in

Luke 2:36 as a prophetess. According to Luke 2:37-38, she remained at the

temple worshipping, praying and speaking of Christ to all who were waiting

for redemption and salvation.

It is important to note in this context that the gospel writers speak of the

details surrounding the birth of the Lord Jesus as being a fulfilment of

prophecy. Let me summarize this in the form of a chart:

The prophets of the Old Testament predicted the details of the birth of the

Lord Jesus and the events surrounding that birth. They spoke of that fact

that He would be born of a virgin. They prophesied the town in which he

would be born. They talked about how Jesus would go to Egypt as an infant

and return from there to live in Nazareth. They warned of the slaughter of

young children by Herod. They prophesied about John the Baptist who

would announce the coming of Jesus. The birth of Christ and the early years

of his life perfectly fulfilled the words of the prophets. This fulfilment of

prophecy down to the smallest detail confirmed that He was the Messiah

who was to come. Prophecy played a significant role in the early years of

the Lord Jesus.

For Consideration:

How did the prophecy about Jesus and John the Baptist prepare the people

of their day for their ministry?

Consider the prophecies given to Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, and Joseph.

How did these prophecies prepare them for the work God had in store for

them?

While the focus of John the Baptist was to announce the coming of the Lord

Jesus as Messiah, he also had an important prophetic ministry in his

community. How did he exercise this role of a prophet in his community?

How did the prophetic words of Simeon prepare Mary for the death of her

son?

To what extent does prophecy about the details of the birth and events of the

early life of Jesus confirm Him as the undisputed Messiah who was to

come?

For Prayer:

Thank the Lord for how He perfectly fulfilled all the Old Testament

prophecies spoken about Him. Thank Him that we can have absolute

confidence that He is the Messiah who was to come.

Thank the Lord for how He encouraged and strengthened His servants for

the ministry He had for them through the prophetic word. Ask God to give

you the grace to be His instrument to encourage and bless His people in

their time of need.

John the Baptist boldly spoke to the people of his day about their sin. Ask

the Lord to raise up prophets who will speak and teach the Word of God

with boldness. Ask God to give them the ability to address the evils of our

society.

28 - OLD TESTAMENT

PROPHECY IN THE LIFE

AND MINISTRY OF

CHRIST

n the last chapter, we saw how Jesus’ birth fulfilled the Old Testament

prophesies. I would like to take a moment in this chapter to examine

how Jesus viewed Old Testament prophets and their prophecies.

Speaking to those who were persecuted for their faith in Matthew 5, Jesus

said:

[11] “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you

and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

[12] Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven,

for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

(Matthew 5)

Notice how Jesus elevated the example of the prophets who faithfully

preached the truth even when they were persecuted for doing so. He

challenged those who suffered for their faith to look to these prophets as an

example.

In Matthew 13:17 Jesus describes the Old Testament prophets, who longed

for His coming, as righteous people:

[16] But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for

they hear. [17] For truly, I say to you, many prophets and

righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it,

and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. (Matthew

13:17)

It is clear from these verses that the Old Testament prophets were true men

and women of God who were to be respected and honoured for their role in

the purpose of God. The people of Israel, however, did not always have this

opinion of the prophets. Speaking in Luke 11, Jesus said:

[49] Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them

prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and

persecute,’ [50] so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from

the foundation of the world, may be charged against this

generation, (Luke 11)

The words of Jesus in these verses reminded the people of that day that they

would be accountable for rejecting and killing the prophets God sent from

the beginning of creation. These men and women were God’s

representatives, and their words were from God. By rejecting what they

prophesied, the people of Jesus day were rejecting God and His Word.

Speaking to the disciples who walked with Him on the road to Emmaus

after His resurrection, the Lord Jesus said:

[25] And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to

believe all that the prophets have spoken! [26] Was it not

necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter

into his glory?” (Luke 24)

Notice how Jesus calls these disciples foolish because they were slow to

believe what the prophets had spoken. From the perspective of Jesus, these

prophets spoke about Him, His death and His resurrection. They faithfully

proclaimed the truth of God.

Speaking about the Old Testament prophets, in Matthew 5 the Lord Jesus

said:

[17] “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the

Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

(Matthew 5)

As we have mentioned, the prophets of the Old Testament pointed to the

Messiah who would come to rescue His people from sin. Jesus was the

fulfilment of their prophetic words. Throughout His ministry, the Lord

continually pointed His listeners to the ways in which He was the fulfilment

of the prophecies of the Old Testament.

After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples and said to them:

[44] Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to

you while I was still with you, that everything written about me

in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be

fulfilled.” (Luke 24)

Jesus made it clear that everything written about Him by the Law and the

Prophets “must be fulfilled.” The words of the prophets were very much on

the mind of the Lord as He lived His earthly life. He saw His life as an

unfolding of the prophetic purpose of God as spoken of by the prophets His

father had sent.

At the time of Jesus’ arrest, a group of soldiers came to the garden where

He and His disciples had been praying. One of the disciples drew his sword

and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. That boldness, however, did

not last and eventually, he and the remainder of the disciples fled, leaving

Jesus alone with those who had come to arrest Him. Speaking to those who

remained in the garden, the Lord Jesus said:

[53] Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he

will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? [54]

But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be

so?” [55] At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you

come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture

me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not

seize me. [56] But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of

the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him

and fled. (Matthew 26)

Jesus told the soldiers present that day that He could call on the Father and

He would send angels to protect Him. He refused to do so, however.

Instead, He chose to walk in the purpose of the Father revealed through the

prophets. He submitted to this arrest so that the “Scriptures of the prophets

might be fulfilled” (Luke 26:56).

One day Jesus went to the synagogue in the city of Nazareth. At that time,

unrolling the scroll, He read from Isaiah 61:

[18] “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has

anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim

liberty to the captives

and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who

are oppressed,

[19] to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4)

When He finished reading, He rolled up the scroll, gave it to the attendant,

and sat down to speak. With every eye on Him, He declared:

[21] And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has

been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4)

He declared Himself to be the fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah. He had

been anointed by the Father to preach and proclaim the good news. He had

come to announce liberty to the captive and oppressed. He had come to heal

the blind.

When Judas betrayed Jesus and delivered Him over to the religious leaders

to be killed, Jesus once again saw this as a direct fulfilment of prophecy.

Speaking to His disciples about this, He said:

[18] I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have

chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my

bread has lifted his heel against me.’ [19] I am telling you this

now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may

believe that I am he. [20] Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever

receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me

receives the one who sent me.” (John 13)

There are two details we need to see in these verses. First, quoting from

Psalm 41:9, Jesus reminded His disciples of the prophetic words of the

psalmist who spoke about being betrayed by one who ate bread with him.

Jesus told His disciples that this prophecy would be fulfilled in their midst.

He was, of course, speaking about Judas, who would very soon betray them

and hand Jesus over to the religious leaders.

The second, detail we need to see is found in the words of Jesus in John

13:20. Here He told His disciples that whoever received one He sent,

received Him. Jesus reminded His disciples here of the importance of

listening to the prophets He would send. They were to receive them as they

would receive Jesus, for they spoke on His behalf.

As Jesus prepared His disciples for what was ahead, He told them that there

would be hard times for them. Just as the world persecuted Him, so they

would persecute His followers. The world would hate them and what they

stood for. Jesus made it clear that this was also a fulfilment of the prophetic

words of the psalmist in Psalm 35:19 and Psalm 69:4:

[20] Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not

greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also

persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

[21] But all these things they will do to you on account of my

name, because they do not know him who sent me. [22] If I had

not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty

of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. [23] Whoever

hates me hates my Father also. [24] If I had not done among

them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of

sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.

[25] But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled:

‘They hated me without a cause.’ (John 15)

Notice how Jesus quotes the Old Testament in verse 25: “They hated me

without a cause.” This phrase is taken from Psalm 35:19 and Psalm 69:4.

Jesus told His disciples that those words would be fulfilled during their

ministry.

Jesus was very skilful in using the prophecy of the Old Testament in His

teaching and encounters with the people of His day. Speaking to the

grieving disciples on the road to Emmaus, Jesus used the Old Testament

Law and Prophets to explain that He had to die and be raised again from the

dead:

[27] And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he

interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning

himself. (Luke 24)

One day the disciples came to Jesus with a question. They were wondering

about His teaching technique of speaking in parables. Listen to the response

of Jesus in Matthew 13:

[13] This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing

they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they

understand. [14] Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is

fulfilled that says:

‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,

and you will indeed see but never perceive.”

[15] For this people’s heart has grown dull,

and with their ears they can barely hear,

and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their

eyes

and hear with their ears and understand with their heart

and turn, and I would heal them.’ (Matthew 13)

Jesus explained His teaching technique by pointing the disciples to the

words of Isaiah the prophet. Isaiah prophesied to a people who heard but

could not understand. Jesus told His disciples that this was the kind of

people He was teaching. His parables simplified His lessons by illustrating

them through everyday examples the people could grasp. Even in answering

this simple question, Jesus returns to the teaching of the prophets for His

answer.

While there are more illustrations of Jesus use of Old Testament prophecy,

those I have cited are enough to help us to see how Jesus viewed the

prophets. He saw Himself as the subject of many of the Old Testament

prophecies. He lived His life with the realization that He was fulfilling the

words of the prophets of old. He valued the words of the prophets sent by

his father and taught that those who rejected the prophetic Scriptures would

be condemned. He would often use the Old Testament prophets in His

teaching and rebuked the foolishness of being slow to believe their words.

Jesus respected the Old Testament prophets and their message and by His

actions and words, reaffirmed them and their message.

For Consideration:

How did Jesus view the Old Testament prophets?

How did Jesus use the prophecy of the Old Testament in His ministry?

Is Old Testament prophecy important in our day? Is our tendency to avoid

the Old Testament prophetic books “foolish”?

Jesus used the Old Testament prophets and the law to explain the message

of the gospel to the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Could you share the

gospel using only the Law and the Prophets?

For Prayer:

Thank the Lord for how the prophecies of the Old Testament perfectly point

to Him as the Saviour and Messiah who was to come.

Thank the Lord for how He confirms the authority of the Old Testament

Prophets. Ask Him to show you the message of these prophets and its

importance for our society today.

29 - JESUS AS PROPHET

e have seen how Jesus was the fulfilment of Old Testament

prophecy. In the last chapter, we also examined how Jesus

used Old Testament prophecy in His teaching. He had a high

regard for these men and women who faithfully proclaimed the word of the

Lord. What we want to examine in this chapter is the role of Jesus as a

prophet.

In Matthew 21 we read the story of how the Lord Jesus entered the city of

Jerusalem on a donkey. A great crowd welcomed him that day. There were

many, however, who did not know Jesus. They asked those who gathered to

see Him about Him:

[10] And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred

up, saying, “Who is this?” [11] And the crowds said, “This is

the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” (Matthew 21)

Notice how the people of that day saw Jesus as a prophet: “This is the

prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee,” they said (Matthew 21:11).

After the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, He met some disciples

traveling to Emmaus and engaged them in conversation. As he approached

them, Jesus asked them what they had been speaking about. Listen to their

response:

[19] And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him,

“Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet

mighty in deed and word before God and all the people (Luke

24)

Notice again the reference to the fact that Jesus was “a prophet mighty in

deed and word.” The people of Jesus’ day recognized Him as a prophet.

Beyond this, however, we have an account in Matthew 13:53-58 about how

the Lord Jesus went to Nazareth to speak to the people of His own home

town. While they marvelled at His wisdom, they could not accept what He

said. Matthew tells us that they “took offense” at what Jesus told them.

Listen to the response of the Lord Jesus to this rejection in Nazareth:

[57] And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A

prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his

own household.” (Matthew 13)

In these word to the people of Nazareth, the Lord Jesus declared Himself to

be a prophet. Jesus was not only seen as a prophet by the people of His day,

but He also saw Himself as a prophet.

In our examination of the prophets of the Old Testament, we discovered that

the prophetic ministry has many aspects. Each prophet seemed to have a

different way of exercising his or her ministry. Some like Moses were

teachers of the Law and revealers of God’s purpose. Elijah and Elisha were

mighty in signs and miracle. Jonah’s message was a message of salvation.

Amos spoke to the social injustice of his day. Jeremiah announced the

judgement of God. Prophets like Daniel revealed future events. Haggai and

Zechariah were encouragers. In the prophetic ministry of the Lord Jesus, we

have evidence of all these characteristics.

Prophetic Teaching

In Matthew 5, we have a record of Jesus’ sermon on the mount. Speaking to

those present, the Lord Jesus said:

[21] “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall

not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’

[22] But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his

brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother

will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will

be liable to the hell of fire. (Matthew 5)

Going on further in the passage we read:

[27] “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit

adultery.’ [28] But I say to you that everyone who looks at a

woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with

her in his heart. (Matthew 5)

In these verses, the Lord Jesus instructed the people of His day in the

purpose of God. Notice how Jesus said: “You have heard it said.” In other

words, the Law of Moses told you that you were not to murder or commit

adultery. Jesus would go on, however, to introduce a higher standard than

that of the Law of Moses. He introduced this new standard with the phrase,

“but I say to you.” These words are repeated six times in these verses

(Matthew 5:22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44).

Like Moses, Jesus exercised His prophetic ministry by instructing His

people in the purpose of the Father. He introduced them to a standard that

went beyond external actions and traditions and demanded obedience from

the heart, thought, and attitude. Jesus’ prophetic teaching educated His

people in the purpose of God for living under the new covenant He was

going to establish through His death and resurrection.

The Announcement Of The Judgement Of God

Like Jeremiah Jesus also exercised His prophetic ministry by announcing

the judgment of God. As a prophet, Jesus did not hesitate to speak of the sin

that separated His people from their God. Talking about religious people of

His day, Jesus proclaimed:

[21] “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the

kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father

who is in heaven. [22] On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord,

Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons

in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ [23]

And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from

me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7)

Jesus offers a stern warning to the religious of His day. He told them that

just because they served Him did not mean that they belonged to Him. He

warned them that the day was coming when many of their religious leaders

would stand before His Father and hear Him say to them: “Depart from me,

you workers of lawlessness.”

Speaking to cities that refused to repent of their sins the Lord Jesus said:

[20] Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his

mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. [21]

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the

mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon,

they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. [22]

But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment

for Tyre and Sidon than for you. (Matthew 11)

Jesus announced the judgement of God on these cities because they did not

turn to God even after seeing the “mighty works” of God.

In Matthew 21 Jesus entered the temple and what He saw made Him angry.

Listen to Matthew’ account of that incident:

[12] And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold

and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the

money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. [13]

He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a

house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” (Matthew

21)

Jesus saw the money-changers, and the merchants gathered in the temple

that day. They were offering a service to the people who came to bring their

offerings. Some of these people came from different lands with their foreign

currency. They needed to exchange their money when they arrived in

Jerusalem. Instead of taking animals with them on this long journey, some

of these Jewish believers brought money to purchase an offering when they

arrived. While this exchange service may have been necessary, Jesus

addressed the money-changers and merchants as “robbers” (verse 13). In

other words, they were taking advantage of God’s people and seeking to

make an excessive profit at their expense. Jesus, in anger, turned over the

tables of the money-changers and merchants and spoke boldly against their

immoral practice. As a prophet, the Lord Jesus saw the evil in what

appeared to be a service to the people of the day and openly rebuked them

for this.

Exposing Sin

As a prophet, Jesus exposed the sin of the day. In many cases, the people

Jesus spoke to were blinded to the reality of their sin and accepted their

behaviour as normal. Jesus, however, opened their eyes to their sinful ways.

Speaking about the religious leaders of His day, Jesus said:

[23:1] Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, [2]

“The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, [3] so do

and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do.

For they preach, but do not practice. [4] They tie up heavy

burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but

they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.

[5] They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make

their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, [6] and they

love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the

synagogues [7] and greetings in the marketplaces and being

called rabbi by others. (Matthew 23)

Jesus exposed the sinfulness of the religious leaders and showed them how

they fell short of the purpose of the Father for their ministries. Jesus

demonstrated that the ministry of the prophet is to expose sin that is hidden

from our eyes and point us to the purpose of God.

Prophetic Insight

Jesus also had prophetic insight into the things that were happening around

Him. There are several examples of this in the gospels. On one occasion a

ruler came to Jesus to tell him that his daughter had died. He wanted Jesus

to lay His hands on her so that she would live again (Matthew 9:18-19).

Jesus decided to go to the home of the ruler to see his daughter. Matthew

tells us what happened when Jesus arrived at the home of this ruler:

[23] And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the

flute players and the crowd making a commotion, [24] he said,

“Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they

laughed at him. [25] But when the crowd had been put outside,

he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.

(Matthew 9)

What is important for us to see here is the knowledge Jesus had about this

young girl. “The girl is not dead but sleeping,” he told those present. Her

physical death had been evident to all present, but Jesus knew what they did

not know. He knew the purpose of the heavenly Father to raise her up from

the dead.

Mark recounts the story of the healing of a paralytic in Capernaum. Jesus

was teaching in a home, and the crowds had gathered to hear Him. As He

taught, four men removed a section of the roof of the house and dropped

down a paralytic man for Jesus to heal. Listen to the words of Jesus to the

paralytic:

[5] And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,

“Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2)

Clearly, not all sickness is the result of personal sin. In this case, however,

Jesus knew that this man had sinned, and his paralysis was the judgment of

God for that sin. That day He forgave the sin of this paralytic. The result

was that he was healed and rose up from his bed and walked out of the

house.

In John 5 Jesus was passing through Jerusalem when He saw a man laying

at a pool. This man had been invalid for thirty-eight years (John 5:3). Jesus

approached him and engaged him in a conversation. During that

conversation, Jesus said to the man: “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.”

(John 5:8).

Later the Lord Jesus found the man in the temple. The words Jesus spoke to

him are important:

[14] Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him,

“See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may

happen to you.” (John 5)

Notice again the prophetic insight of Jesus here. He knew that the man had

been crippled all these years because of sin. He challenged him not to sin

anymore, lest something worse happen to him. Jesus understood the reason

for this man’s affliction.

Let me give one more example of this prophetic insight of Jesus. In Mark

10 we read the story of a rich young ruler who approached Jesus and asked

Him what he could do to have eternal life. After a brief conversation with

the ruler, Jesus said:

[21] And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him,

“You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the

poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow

me.” (Mark 10)

The response of the young man is significant:

[22] Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for

he had great possessions. (Mark 10)

Jesus saw clearly this man’s problem. He loved his riches and was

unwilling to part with them. He loved his fortune more than he loved God.

This is what kept him from eternal life. Jesus spoke as a prophet that day.

He exposed hidden sin and revealed what kept this man from heaven.

Prophetic Vision

As a prophet, Jesus’ vision was not limited to what His physical eyes could

see. In Mark 11 Jesus was preparing to enter the city of Jerusalem on a

donkey. In preparation for this, He told His disciples:

“Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you

enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat.

Untie it and bring it. [3] If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you

doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back

here immediately.’” (Mark 11)

Notice that Jesus knew exactly where this donkey would be. He knew that

there would be a colt tied by it that no one had ever ridden. They were to

untie the colt and bring it to Him. The disciples went into the city and found

everything as Jesus had told them.

In John 1 Philip invited Nathanael to meet Jesus. Nathanael came to see

Him with serious doubts about Jesus being the Messiah. As he approached,

Jesus spoke to Nathanael and said:

[47] Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,

“Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”

(John 1)

Surprised that Jesus spoke as if He knew him, Nathanael replied: “How do

you know me?” Jesus answered: “Before Philip called you when you were

under the fig tree, I saw you” (John 1:48). When Nathanael heard this

response of Jesus, he declared: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the

King of Israel!” Nathanael was convinced that Jesus was the Son of God

because Jesus spoke as a prophet who understood things about him that no

one else could have known.

Speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well about her husband, she

replied: “I have no husband,” (John 4:17). Jesus replied:

[17] … “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; [18] for

you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not

your husband. What you have said is true.” (John 4)

Jesus knew details about this woman that she had never revealed to Him.

This surprised the women who immediately said: “Sir, I perceive that you

are a prophet” (John 4:19). The Samaritan women saw Jesus as a prophet

because he had knowledge of hidden facts about her life.

Let me give one more illustration of this prophetic sight. In Matthew 17 tax

collectors came to Peter and asked about paying taxes. Listen to what the

Lord Jesus told Peter to do:

[27] However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and

cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you

open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to

them for me and for yourself.” (Matthew 17)

Peter was to go to the sea, cast his hook into the water, and take the first fish

that came up. He was to open the fish’s mouth and take out a shekel and use

the coin to pay their taxes. Jesus saw what no one else saw. He saw with

spiritual eyes the location of that coin and knew exactly what was required

to get it. As a prophet, Jesus saw with spiritual eyes what was normally

hidden from physical eyes.

Foretelling The Future

The spiritual eyes of the prophet also showed Jesus what would come to

pass in the future. Time does not permit us to examine the many predictions

of Jesus in detail. By way of example, however, let’s look at a few of these

prophecies.

Speaking to His disciples in Matthew 12, Jesus prophesied:

[16] “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of

wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. [17]

Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog

you in their synagogues, [18] and you will be dragged before

governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them

and the Gentiles. (Matthew 12)

Jesus told his disciples that persecution awaited them as they served Him

and preached the good news.

He told the Scribes and Pharisees that he would be killed and lay in the

grave for three days:

[40] For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the

belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and

three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12)

In Matthew 24-26 Jesus prophesied about many things that were to happen

after He returned to the Father. He spoke of the destruction of the temple

(24:1-2). He told His disciples that there would be many false Christs (24:4-

5), wars (24:6-7) and the persecution of believers (24:9). In these difficult

times, many would fall from the faith and betray one another (24:10).

Before He returned, there would be great signs in the sky, and the powers of

heaven would be shaken (24:29). We have yet to see the fulfilment of these

words of Jesus, but they warn us of what is to come for those who love and

serve Him.

As a prophet, Jesus spoke what the Father gave Him to say. He made this

clear when He told the Jews:

[16] … “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. [17] If

anyone’s will be to do God’s will, he will know whether the

teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own

authority. (John 7)

He repeated this same thought when he said:

[28] … “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will

know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority,

but speak just as the Father taught me. (John 8)

Jesus spoke the words of the Father who sent Him. He taught what the

Father gave Him and spoke in the authority of the Father because His

teaching was from the Father. This is the nature of the prophetic ministry.

The prophet is taught by God, and he or she speaks what the Father gives

them to those to whom they are sent.

As a prophet, Jesus taught the purpose of God for His people. He

announced the judgment of God and exposed sins that had been accepted in

His day. He had prophetic insight into the purpose of God in ordinary

circumstances and a vision from God that allowed him to see what could

not be seen with the human eye. As a prophet, He also revealed details of

what was yet to come.

Prophecy is often seen as the prediction of future events. While this is an

element of the prophetic ministry, Jesus makes it clear that true prophecy

has to do with a revelation of God’s purpose and will even in the present.

Many of the prophets of both the Old and New Testament spoke to the

people of their day, challenging them in their walk with God and in His

purpose for their lives.

For Consideration:

What is the connection between the prophetic ministry and teaching? To

what extent must a prophet teach?

What is the connection between the prophetic announcement of judgment

and evangelism? To what extent does a prophet evangelize?

Prophecy exposes hidden sin. How important is it to speak to these issues in

the church today? What would be the response to a prophet who spoke to

the hidden sins in your church today?

Jesus, as a prophet, had prophetic insight into the lives of those who

approached Him. He also understood the purpose of God for the struggles

in their lives. How important is this discernment in the church today?

For Prayer:

Thank the Lord Jesus for demonstrating the ministry of the prophet through

His life and ministry.

Ask the Lord Jesus to reveal any sins that you need to address in your life.

Thank the Lord that He knows your heart and the future He has for you.

Thank Him that nothing will take Him by surprise in your life. Ask Him to

help you to walk in that purpose.

30 - PROPHECY IN THE

BOOK OF ACTS

he ministry of prophecy continued to be a respected ministry in the

early church. I want to take a moment here in this chapter to

examine prophecy in the book of Acts.

As the book of Acts opens, we read of how Peter spoke to the early church

and reminded them that the prophecy of David had been fulfilled

concerning Judas who had betrayed Jesus (Acts 1:16). Peter went on to tell

the church, however of the words of David in two Psalms. The first Psalm

Peter brings to the attention of the church is Psalm 69:25:

[25] May their camp be a desolation;

let no one dwell in their tents. (Psalm 69)

Peter believed this psalm to be prophetic in nature. He saw in it a reference

to Judas and how he had betrayed the Lord resulting in his camp being

desolate. Judas’ place was now empty. The words of David had become

true for Judas.

Peter went on to quote another passage from David. This time he quoted

from Psalm 109:8:

[8] May his days be few;

may another take his office!

Again, in these words, the apostle Peter saw a prophetic message. He saw

Judas whose days had been cut short. He also saw a command of the Lord

for another person to take the office of Judas. It was on the basis of these

words that the apostle suggested that they chose men from among them

who would be qualified to fulfil the role of apostle and ordain one of them

to replace Judas. This resulted in Matthias being selected to be an apostle.

The selection of a new apostle was motivated by the words of David, which

were seen as prophetic instructions for the church at that time.

In Acts 2 we read about how the Holy Spirit fell on those who heard Peter

preach at Pentecost. As the Spirit moved in their midst, the apostles began

to speak in other languages. People listened to the message of the gospel in

their own tongue. This confused those who listened. What was happening?

How was it that these men could speak their language? Sensing this

confusion, Peter addressed the crowd and said:

“Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be

known to you, and give ear to my words. [15] For these people

are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of

the day. [16] But this is what was uttered through the prophet

Joel:

[17] “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,

and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,

and your old men shall dream dreams;

[18] even on my male servants and female servants

in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

(Acts 2)

There are a couple of details we need to see from this word of Peter. Notice

first that Peter explained what was happening that day as a fulfilment of the

prophecy of Joel. Peter believed that Joel’s prophecy was coming true in

their day. There is no question about how Peter viewed prophecy in his day.

He allowed prophecy to guide him and used it to explain what was taking

place in his day.

Beyond this, however, Peter used prophecy to back up what he preached.

He preached that Jesus was the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy. He

told his listeners that David had prophesied that the Lord would rise from

the dead:

[25] For David says concerning him,

“‘I saw the Lord always before me,

for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;

[26] therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;

my flesh also will dwell in hope.

[27] For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,

or let your Holy One see corruption. (Acts 2)

Peter explained that this prophecy spoke about the resurrection of Jesus

from the dead:

[30] Being therefore a prophet and knowing that God had

sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his

descendants on his throne, [31] he foresaw and spoke about the

resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades,

nor did his flesh see corruption. (Acts 2)

In Acts 3 Peter used the prophecy of Moses to challenge his listeners to

repent.

[19] Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be

blotted out, [20] that times of refreshing may come from the

presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed

for you, Jesus, [21] whom heaven must receive until the time

for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth

of his holy prophets long ago. [22] Moses said, ‘The Lord God

will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You

shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. (Acts 3)

He reminded his listeners how Moses prophesied that God would raise up a

prophet like him. According to Peter, that prophet was Jesus who came to

set them free from the burden of sin and law.

When challenged by the high priest about his authority, Peter boldly

proclaimed that it was in the name of Jesus that he spoke and found his

authority. This Jesus was the one of whom the psalmist prophesied when he

wrote:

[22] The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone. (Psalm 118:22)

Peter saw the rejection of the religious leaders as the fulfilment of these

prophetic words of David. Peter recognized the fulfilment of prophecy in

his day and encouraged people to consider seriously what the prophets said.

Peter was not the only apostle to use prophecy in his preaching. In Acts 13

the apostle Paul preached the message of the gospel to the people of

Antioch. Quoting from both Isaiah and the Psalms in Acts 13:16-43, Paul

explained to the people of Antioch how prophecy spoke of Jesus and His

work.

Both Peter and Paul believed the prophecies of the Old Testament to be an

authoritative guide into truth. They trusted what these prophets spoke and

preached confidently quoting from them.

To this point, we have spoken about how the apostles used the prophecies of

the Old Testament. We need to understand, however, that the prophetic gift

was not limited to the Old Testament only. We have a record of the gift of

prophecy being used in the early church as well. God continued to speak

and reveal His purpose to both the apostles and ordinary believers in the

early church.

Consider, for example, the case of Ananias and Sapphira as recorded in

Acts 5:1-11. In those days, God was moving powerfully in the lives of the

believers. They were selling their lands and possessions and distributing the

funds received to the needy of their community. Ananias and his wife

Sapphira joined with the other believers in selling their property and

brought the money to the apostles for distribution.

When Ananias received the proceeds from the sale of his property, he kept

back a portion and brought the remainder to the apostles. While this was in

his right to do so, Ananias intended to deceive the church into thinking that

he had given one hundred percent of the proceeds to the Lord. Listen to the

words of Peter, however, when Ananias came with his donation:

[3] But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to

lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the

proceeds of the land? (Acts 5)

Notice that Peter was aware of what had taken place. It appears that this

was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit. God spoke directly to Peter to

expose this deceit. In bringing this to light, the Lord was protecting His

church. One of the aspects of prophecy is that it reveals the secrets of the

heart and exposes sin. Peter appeared to be exercising this gift and

confronted the sin of Ananias.

We see a similar event in the ministry of the apostle Paul in Acts 14:8-10.

Paul was ministering in the region of Lystra when he met a man who had

been crippled from birth. Notice what verse 9-10 tell us:

[9] He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at

him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, [10] said in a

loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and

began walking. (Acts 14)

What is important for us to note here is that Paul looked at the man and saw

that he had faith to be made well. This was not something that can be seen

with physical eyes. God gave Paul the ability to see what his physical eyes

could not see. He revealed to Him that the man was ready to be healed. It

was based on this prophetic insight that Paul cried out, “Stand upright on

your feet.”

God revealed hidden details to Peter and Paul. Peter was given prophetic

insight to see the deceit of Ananias. Paul was given that same insight to

know the purpose of God to bring healing to the crippled man. Both Peter

and Paul trusted that insight and acted upon it for the glory of God.

There were times when the will of God was not clear for the early church.

This was particularly the case when it came to the role and place of the

Gentile in the body of Christ. For many of the early believers, the Gentiles

were unclean and unworthy of salvation. They refused to associate with

them. It was the purpose of God, however, to reach out to the Gentiles and

bring His salvation to them as well. One of these Gentiles was a man by the

name of Cornelius. As a religious man, Cornelius sought to walk in the

ways of God. One day he had a vision of an angel of God calling out to

him. Cornelius answered the angel and asked him what he wanted. The

angel told him to call for Simon Peter (Acts 10:4-5). Cornelius did not

hesitate to listen to the words of the angel and sent for Peter.

While God had spoken to Cornelius, He also needed to talk to Peter. Peter

was of the mentality that salvation belonged to the Jews and that Gentiles

were unclean and unworthy of the salvation of God. Peter was praying on

the roof of the home where he was staying. As he prayed, Peter fell into a

trance (Acts 10:10). In this trance, he saw heaven open, and a sheet

descended with all kinds of unclean animals.

The apostle heard a voice call out for him to rise, kill and eat (Acts 10:12).

His response was to tell the Lord that as a good Jew, he had never eaten

anything that was unclean according to the Old Testament law. In his vision,

however, God told Peter that he was not to call anything God had made

unclean. This scene was repeated three times. Peter did not understand the

vision, but as he was contemplating what it could mean, three men came to

the door to ask him to go with them to Cornelius. Assured by God that this

was His will, Peter went to the home of this Gentile man. When he shared

the message of the gospel with him and his family, Cornelius came to know

the Lord Jesus.

The Lord revealed His purpose directly to Peter through a prophetic vision.

In that vision, the Lord showed Peter that he had a purpose for the Gentiles.

Were it not for that vision, Peter might never have considered speaking to

Cornelius.

We have seen how God often called prophets to speak out against the sin of

the day. In Acts 7:51-53 we read about Stephen and his message.

[51] “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears,

you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do

you. [52] Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?

And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of

the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and

murdered, [53] you who received the law as delivered by angels

and did not keep it.” (Acts 7)

Stephen proclaimed the judgement of God on the people of his day. His

boldness led to his death when people lashed out in anger against him and

his message, just like they did many other prophetic figures before him.

In Acts 8, the Lord spoke to Philip and sent him with a message for an

Ethiopian who was passing through the desert. Philip was sent as a prophet

to communicate the will of God for the salvation of this Ethiopian official.

We read the story of Ananias in Acts 9. After the conversion of the apostle

Paul, the Lord sent him to speak to Paul about his future. While Ananias

hesitated to talk to a man who had been a powerful enemy of the church,

the Lord revealed to him that Paul would become an instrument of God to

carry His name to the Gentiles.

[15] But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen

instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and

kings and the children of Israel. [16] For I will show him how

much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” (Acts 9)

Ananias went with this prophetic word from the Lord and informed Paul

that he would suffer much to advance the cause of the Lord Jesus he had

persecuted. Paul would receive this prophetic word as from the Lord.

Acts 11 recounts the story of some prophets who came from Jerusalem to

Antioch.

[27] Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to

Antioch. [28] And one of them named Agabus stood up and

foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all

the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). [29] So the

disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send

relief to the brothers living in Judea. [30] And they did so,

sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. (Acts

11)

When Agabus prophesied that there would be a great famine, the believers

determined that they would respond appropriately. They sent relief to the

elders of the various churches through Barnabas and Saul. The prophetic

word of Agabus was not doubted. It stirred the believers to action and

resulted in the support of those in need.

What do we learn about the prophetic ministry in the book of Acts? We see

that the apostles stood firmly behind the Old Testament prophets and their

message. Their preaching was solidly founded on the prophecy of these

saints of God. They interpreted the events of their day in light of the

prophecy of the Old Testament.

Prophecy was not limited to the words of the Old Testament prophets,

however. God continued to speak directly to believers in the book of Acts.

God revealed the sin of Ananias to Peter. He showed Paul his purpose for

the man who was crippled from birth. It was through a prophetic vision that

the Lord revealed to Peter that He had a plan for the Gentiles. Philip, who

was not an apostle, was sent by God with a word for the Ethiopian official

who was seeking to understand the Scripture he was reading. God sent

Ananias to speak to Paul about what he had in store for him in the years to

come. The church did not question the words of Agabus who predicted a

famine in the land. In fact, they demonstrated their belief in the message of

Agabus by making great sacrifices for the welfare of the believers in Judea.

God continued to speak through His servants (both apostles and ordinary

servants). There is no indication of the ministry of prophet ceasing in the

book of Acts. The church continued to be directed by God in particular

ways through this ministry. God continued to send His prophets to reveal

His purpose, expose sin, and direct His people.

For Consideration:

How did Old Testament prophecy direct the New Testament church? What

practical matters were addressed as a result of Old Testament prophecy?

How did the apostles use Old Testament prophecy in their preaching and

teaching?

Give some examples, from the book of Acts about how God revealed

hidden secrets to his servants.

Give some examples, from the book of Acts about how God gave a word to

His servants for someone else.

What did Ananias and Agabus reveal from the Lord about the future?

What did the response of the church to the prophecy of Agabus about a

coming famine reveal about how the church in Acts felt about the prophetic

ministry?

For Prayer

Thank the Lord for the ministry of His servants the prophets in the Old and

New Testaments who revealed to us the truth about God and His purposes.

Thank the Lord for how He continued to reveal Himself through His

servants in the book of Acts.

Ask the Lord to give you an open heart and mind to hear from His Word

and His Spirit.

31 - PAUL'S TEACHING ON

PROPHECY

n the book of Acts, we saw that the ministry of the prophet was still a

respected and operational ministry in the church. It now falls on us to

examine the teaching of Paul about the use of the prophetic gift and

office in the New Testament church.

We have seen how the apostles used the Old Testament prophets to preach

the message of the gospel. In his epistles, the apostle Paul demonstrates that

he saw these prophets as speaking authoritatively on the matter of salvation.

Consider his opening statement in the book of Romans:

[Romans 1:1] Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an

apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, [2] which he promised

beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, [3]

concerning his Son, who was descended from David according

to the flesh [4] and was declared to be the Son of God in power

according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the

dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, [5] through whom we have

received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of

faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, [6]

including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ (Romans

Paul told the Romans that he had been called to be an apostle for the gospel

of God which had been promised beforehand through His prophets in the

holy Scripture. Paul makes it clear that the messages of these prophets were

authoritative and trustworthy. The gospel was not a new idea, but the

purpose of God from ages past. This was confirmed through the prophetic

words of the Old Testament prophets.

These prophets spoke of a righteousness that would come apart from the

practice of the Old Testament law:

[21] But now the righteousness of God has been manifested

apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear

witness to it— [22] the righteousness of God through faith in

Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:

(Romans 3)

The message Paul preached was an unfamiliar message to the Jews of his

day. For the Jew of Paul’s day, it was of utmost importance that one practice

the law of Moses. They could not imagine salvation apart from this

practice. Paul taught that salvation had nothing to do with the law of Moses.

He supported and proved this by reminding those who heard him that the

Old Testament prophets bore witness to this teaching.

This salvation that Paul preached was not just for the Jew but also the

Gentile. Paul confidently preached to the Gentiles inviting them to join the

Jews in the salvation being offered freely to all who came to Christ. This

was a radical step for his time. Paul’s assurance that salvation was also for

the Gentile came through the clear teaching of the prophets of the Old

Testament. Writing to the Ephesians, the apostle said:

[4] When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the

mystery of Christ, [5] which was not made known to the sons of

men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his

holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. [6] This mystery is

that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body,

and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the

gospel.

The prophets preached that the Gentiles would be fellow heirs of salvation.

Paul believed this revelation and invited the Gentiles to come to Christ. He

based his ministry on the revelations of these Old Testament saints and

preached a message of righteousness apart from the law.

Paul saw the words of the prophets to be authoritative and inspired by God.

The teachings of these men and women of faith were part of the sacred

Scriptures that Paul revered.

While all Scripture is prophetic, not all prophecy is Scripture. Paul

recognized that there were prophets whose words would never be part of

Scriptures. These individuals, however, still had an important function to

play in the church. Paul believed in the office of prophet in the church.

Writing to the Corinthians, the apostle would say:

[28] And God has appointed in the church first apostles,

second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of

healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.

[29] Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do

all work miracles? [30] Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all

speak with tongues? Do all interpret? (1 Corinthians 12)

The apostle told the Corinthians that God gave spiritual gifts to the church.

Notice that one of those gifts was the gift of prophecy (verse 28). This was

not a gift that every believer possessed. God gave some to be apostles.

Others, He made prophets. Others were given the role of teacher. Each

person had a task to accomplish in the church of Jesus Christ. According to

Paul, God appointed prophets in the New Testament church.

The apostle Paul repeated this same thought to the Ephesians when he told

them:

[10] He who descended is the one who also ascended far above

all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) [11] And he gave

the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and

teachers, [12] to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for

building up the body of Christ, [13] until we all attain to the

unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to

mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of

Christ (Ephesians 4)

According to Paul, the Lord gave the New Testament church apostles,

prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers. The purpose of these roles

was to build up the body, so it matured into the fullness of Christ. Paul

believed that the function of the prophet was not just to write Scripture but

also to encourage and build up believers in the church.

Paul encouraged the use of prophetic gifts in the New Testament church. He

told those who had such a gift to use it in proportion to their faith:

[6] Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us,

let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith (Romans

12)

In other words, if prophets believed they had a word from the Lord, they

were to share this with the understanding that God had given it to them for

the good of the church.

[7] To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the

common good. [8] For to one is given through the Spirit the

utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge

according to the same Spirit, [9] to another faith by the same

Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, [10] to

another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to

another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another

various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of

tongues. [11] All these are empowered by one and the same

Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. (1

Corinthians 12)

Paul specifically mentioned the gift of prophecy in verse 10. This gift,

according to Paul was given by God to the New Testament church as He

saw fit. Those who had this gift were to be careful to use it for the good of

the church.

Paul expressed his appreciation for the gift of prophecy in 1 Corinthians 14

when he told the Corinthians to pursue love and desire spiritual gifts,

especially prophesy.

[14:1] Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts,

especially that you may prophesy. (1 Corinthians 14)

He repeats this later in the same chapter when he said:

[39] So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not

forbid speaking in tongues. (1 Corinthians 14)

Notice the words, “earnestly desire.” Paul wanted the believers in Corinth

not only to respect the gift of prophecy but zealously seek after this gift. Of

all the spiritual gifts mentioned in Scripture, this is the one gift Paul seems

to desire more than others. He warned the Thessalonians not to despise

prophesies:

[20] Do not despise prophecies, [21] but test everything; hold

fast what is good. (1 Thessalonians 5)

In challenging the Thessalonians to test everything, Paul recognizes that

there is the potential for false prophets to lead people astray. He does not

want to see the gift of prophecy ignored because of a chance of false

prophets, so he encouraged the testing of all prophetic words to be sure they

were from God.

Paul believed that prophecy was for the good of the church and had a

significant role to play in a mature church. Speaking to the Corinthians, the

apostle said:

[14:1] Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts,

especially that you may prophesy. [2] For one who speaks in a

tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands

him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. [3] On the other hand,

the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding

and encouragement and consolation. [4] The one who speaks

in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies

builds up the church. [5] Now I want you all to speak in

tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is

greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone

interprets, so that the church may be built up.

Notice how Paul the Corinthians that the gift of prophesy had a three-fold

purpose –upbuilding, encouragement and consolation (see verse 3).

Through this gift, God would strengthen the church, encourage it in the way

it should go, and bring it comfort in suffering. The prophetic ministry has a

wide variety of applications for the church.

It is worth noting how Paul compared the gift of prophecy with the gift of

tongues in 1 Corinthians 14. The individual who spoke in a tongue spoke in

words that were not understandable unless they were interpreted. Notice,

however, that the person who spoke in tongues “utters mysteries in the

Spirit.” When interpreted, these words could be for the building up of the

church and had a prophetic purpose.

According to Paul, prophecy was also intended to bring conviction and

expose the secrets of the heart.

[24] But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters,

he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, [25] the

secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he

will worship God and declare that God is really among you. (1

Corinthians 14)

How often have we sought to move the church forward only to be met by

obstacles? Many of these obstacles are spiritual and cannot be seen with the

human eye. The prophet of God is given insight into the hidden secrets and

hindrances to the work of the kingdom of God. This gift allows the prophet

to see what others cannot see. When obstacles are exposed and dealt with,

the work of God can advance. If the church is going to progress, we need to

hear from God, and we need people who are gifted to see what God wants

to show us.

What is true for the church is also true for our personal lives. There are

times when we need to hear from God about hindrances and sins that we

cannot see ourselves. The role of the prophet is to hear from God and

expose those sins and obstacles.

Writing to Timothy, the apostle Paul said:

[18] This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in

accordance with the prophecies previously made about you,

that by them you may wage the good warfare (1 Timothy 1)

Apparently, Timothy had a prophetic word spoken to him about his

ministry. Paul encouraged him to accept this word as being from the Lord

and to fight a good fight for the cause of Christ. The prophetic words

uttered to Timothy were intended to give him courage and direction in the

ministry God had for him.

There appears to be an even greater connection between Timothy and the

prophetic word spoken to him. In 1 Timothy 4 the apostle wrote:

[14] Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by

prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. (1

Timothy 4)

Paul speaks in this verse of a gift that was given to Timothy by prophecy

when the elders laid hands on him. While it is difficult to understand what

happened that day, it appears that as Timothy was being ordained to the

ministry, a word of prophecy was spoken. That word was a word from God

to Timothy giving him a direction and purpose in his calling. Through this

prophecy, God commissioned Timothy to a specific task and showed him

what He had for him to do. Along with that prophetic word, came the

authority and gifting necessary to accomplish his role. It was by means of a

prophetic word that Timothy was given clarity and authority to exercise his

ministry.

While Paul believed that prophecy was an important aspect of the ministry

of the church, he also realized that there was potential for confusion through

this ministry as well. In 1 Corinthians Paul gives some basic guidelines on

how to prophecy.

Paul speaks first to women in the church of Corinth. The gift of prophecy is

given to both men and women equally. Paul, however, advised women to

cover their head when they prophesied in church.

[4] Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered

dishonors his head, [5] but every wife who prays or prophesies

with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the

same as if her head were shaven. (1 Corinthians 11)

We do not have the time here to discuss the matter of head coverings.

Suffice it to say that Paul is teaching that women who prophesied were to

be respectful and submissive in their speaking. They were not to take

control or assert authority over the leadership of the church through their

gift.

Paul also admonished those with the gift of prophecy to exercise it in love.

[2] And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all

mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to

remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. (1

Corinthians 13)

Sometimes the words the prophet spoke were difficult. God would

sometimes challenge the church in areas of sin and rebellion. When

delivering their message, the prophet was to do so with love in his or her

heart, seeking the well-being of the people of God. Jonah is an example of a

prophet who delivered his message without love.

The early church allowed time for prophecy during its worship service. This

was a time when the Lord would speak to the congregation to bless or

challenge them in His purpose. In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul gave some

practical guidelines to the church of Corinth in regard to prophecy in their

regular times together.

[29] Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh

what is said. [30] If a revelation is made to another sitting

there, let the first be silent. [31] For you can all prophesy one

by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, [32] and

the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. (1 Corinthians

14)

Paul makes some significant points in this passage. Let’s consider them

briefly.

Paul told the church in Corinth that two or three prophets should speak. In

saying this, he is limiting the number of people who could prophecy in any

meeting. It was not the intention of Paul that prophecy take over the church

service.

Second, Paul told the church that when a prophet was speaking others were

to weigh what was said. In other words, the church was to consider

carefully what the prophet was saying and its application to their lives.

They were to take the word of the prophecy seriously because by means of

this word, the Lord was speaking to them. They were also to weigh the

words of the prophet against the teaching of Scripture to be sure that it was

from God.

Third, Paul told the church that those who prophesied were to speak one at

a time. There was a reason for this. The purpose of prophecy was to

communicate the heart of God to His people. If many prophets were

speaking at the same time, the people of God could not hear what was said.

Instead of a clear word from the Lord, there would be confusion.

Four, if someone was speaking and another person had a revelation from

God, the first person was to sit down and listen to the second. In other

words, if God was clarifying a matter through the second prophet, it was

important that the people hear that clarification. Prophets were to be willing

to sit down and give the floor to another person if God was speaking to

them. This required humility and seeking God’s heart.

Five, notice the purpose of prophecy in 1 Corinthians 14:31 – “so that all

may learn and all be encouraged.” God spoke through His prophets to

teach and encourage His people. This was to be the intention of the

prophets when they shared the message God was putting on their heart.

Finally, notice that Paul told the Corinthians that the spirit of the prophets

was to be subject to the prophets. There are two ways we can understand

this phrase. First, the words of the prophets are subject to the examination

and judgement of other prophets. So that when a prophet spoke, other

prophets would listen and judge what he or she was saying to see if it was

from God. Second, we can also understand this to imply that when a

prophet spoke, he or she did not have such high regard for themselves that

they would not listen to what other prophets were saying. They would

willingly sit down when that Lord began to speak through another prophet.

They who expected others to hear them when they had a word from the

Lord, were also to listen to other prophets with the same attentiveness. They

were not to consider their message as being more important than anyone

else’s. This kept the prophets humble. We might also understand this word

of Paul to refer to the written prophecy in Scripture. In other words, the

words of the prophet were to always fall in line with the Scriptures.

I have already mentioned that while all Scripture is prophetic, not all

prophecy is Scripture. The implication of this is that while God was

speaking through His servants, their words did not carry the same authority

as Scripture. In 1 Corinthians 14, in giving his guidelines for the use of

prophecy in the church, Paul concludes with this statement:

[37] If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he

should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a

command of the Lord. (1 Corinthians 14)

Paul is telling the Corinthian prophets that what he was writing were the

commands of the Lord. The guidelines Paul brought to the church of

Corinth were not merely his opinion but the authoritative and definitive

Word of God. As prophets, Paul expected them to submit to this Word. Any

prophetic statement that went counter to what he taught was to be rejected.

All prophecy was to be evaluated by the Word of God. If what a prophet

said ran counter to the teaching of that Word, he or she was preaching

falsehood.

Paul recognized that that day would come when prophecy would no longer

be necessary.

[8] Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as

for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass

away. [9] For we know in part and we prophesy in part, [10]

but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. (1

Corinthians 13)

Prophecy, tongues and the teaching of knowledge would one day be

unnecessary. The reason for this is that we will be in the presence of the

Lord. We will hear from Him directly. We will know Him and no longer

need to be taught the truth for we will understand that truth. Until that day

arrived, however, prophecy would remain.

For Consideration:

How did the apostle Paul use the prophecy of the Old Testament to give

authority to his message?

Paul taught that the gift of prophecy was a gift given to the church? Do you

see evidence of this gift in your church?

Why is the gift of prophecy rejected by many churches of our day?

How did Paul’s guidelines to the use of prophecy in the church help identify

false prophets and those who prophesied with wrong motives?

What is the difference between the authoritative Word of God as found in

Scripture and the prophetic word spoken in the church?

For Prayer:

As God to help you to better understand the gift of prophecy and its purpose

in the church.

Thank the Lord that He continues to speak to us through His servants. Ask

Him to help you to be more open to the things He wants to teach you

through these servants.

Ask the Lord to help us as believers today to demonstrate true humility in

the prophetic ministry. Ask God to expose those whose motivation is self-

centred.

As the Lord to help you to be open to what He might want you to

communicate to others. Ask Him to give you ears to hear what He wants to

say and eyes to see what He wants you to see.

32 - THE APOSTLE JOHN

part from the Lord Jesus, the apostle John was probably one of

the greatest prophets in the New Testament. The entire book of

Revelation is devoted to his prophecy. It is not our purpose here

to interpret the prophecies of John in the book of Revelation. It is, however,

helpful to examine John as a prophet and to examine the various aspects of

his prophetic message.

The prophecy of John in the book of Revelation can be divided into two

sections. The first of these sections is found in Revelation 1-3. In these

chapters, the Lord gives John a series of messages for seven local churches

in Asia. The remainder of the book speaks about the end times and what is

going to happen as the end draws near.

John was on the island of Patmos when the Lord spoke to him and gave him

a message for the seven churches in Asia.

[10] I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind

me a loud voice like a trumpet [11] saying, “Write what you see

in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to

Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to

Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” (Revelation 1)

Notice that John tells us that he heard a loud voice speaking to him. As

there is no record of anyone else present that day, we cannot say if the voice

John heard could be heard by anyone else. It is clear, however, that the Lord

spoke directly to John with words he could hear.

Words, however, were not the only means of communication with John.

When the apostle turned to look in the direction of the voice he heard, he

describes what he saw:

[12] Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me,

and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, [13] and in the

midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a

long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. [14] The

hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His

eyes were like a flame of fire, [15] his feet were like burnished

bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of

many waters. [16] In his right hand he held seven stars, from

his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like

the sun shining in full strength. (Revelation 1)

John saw the Lord Jesus “in the midst of” seven lampstands with seven

stars in His right hand. He was told that the lampstands represented seven

churches and the stars in the Lord’s right hand were the seven angels of

these churches (see Revelation 1:20). This image was very symbolic and

reminded John that the Lord was with these churches and held their leaders

in His hands.

What is crucial for us to see here is how the Lord spoke to John. He spoke

in words that John heard and through pictures and symbols that needed

interpretation.

The prophetic messages of John to the churches of Revelation 2 and 3

demonstrate four characteristics. By examining these four characteristics,

we gain some insight into the purpose of prophecy.

First, John’s messages to the seven churches have as their purpose to expose

what was hidden from human view. Consider the words of the Lord through

John to the church in Ephesus:

[2] “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance,

and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have

tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and

found them to be false. [3] I know you are enduring patiently

and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown

weary. [4] But I have this against you, that you have

abandoned the love you had at first. (Revelation 2)

The Lord reveals to the church that He was aware of their toil, patient

endurance and faithfulness to the truth. To all appearances, this church was

a very vibrant church standing firmly for the truth. In Revelation 2:4,

however, the Lord exposed an issue that even the members of the church

had not seen. He reminded that that they had lost their first love. This was

not a detail that John would have known personally. It was revealed to him

by the Lord.

We see a similar detail in the letter to the church of Sardis:

[3:1] “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The

words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven

stars. “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being

alive, but you are dead. [2] Wake up, and strengthen what

remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works

complete in the sight of my God. (Revelation 3)

Notice that the Lord told the church of Sardis that they had a reputation of

being alive but were dead. To all appearances, the church of Sardis was a

vibrant church. God, however, revealed through John that this was not the

case. God saw what human eyes could not see. He saw the heart of the

church and exposed its deadness. The prophetic messages of John revealed

hidden sins and secrets.

As a Christian leader, I have often been aware of my inability to understand

the real issues in the church and relationships? I remember one time praying

about this, and the Lord seemed to give me a picture of a blindfolded man

swinging his sword. Knowing that the enemy was all around him, he swung

that sword blindly hoping that the sword would strike its mark. How

successful can we in the battle before us if we cannot see the enemy or are

deceived into fighting the wrong enemy? We need to see as God sees. The

prophetic messages of John exposed what was unseen to the human eye and

gave the church a precise target to overcome.

Second, John’s prophecies brought the encouragement of the Lord to the

seven churches of Asia. Consider the words of the Lord through John to the

church of Smyrna:

[9] “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are

rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and

are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. [10] Do not fear what

you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some

of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you

will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you

the crown of life. (Revelation 2)

Here was a church that did not have much. They were struggling with

poverty and tribulation. Through John, however, the Lord told the church

that He considered them to be rich. Notice that while the church would

continue to face persecution God promised that their suffering would be

limited, and those who persevered would receive a crown of life. We can

only imagine the encouragement this would have brought to the church of

Smyrna in their tribulation.

Consider also the words of John to the church of Philadelphia:

[8] “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open

door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but

little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied

my name. [9] Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of

Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I

will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they

will learn that I have loved you. [10] Because you have kept my

word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of

trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell

on the earth. [11] I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have,

so that no one may seize your crown. [12] The one who

conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God.

Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of

my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new

Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and

my own new name. (Revelation 3)

Through John, the Lord told the church of Philadelphia that God was aware

of their weakness and that they had been faithful to Him. He prophesied

that God would keep them from the trial that was going to fall on the earth.

To a church that was feeling weak, how encouraging it would have been to

know that God was pleased with them and would protect and keep them

from being overwhelmed by the trials that came their way. Through his

prophetic ministry, the apostle John brought the encouragement of the Lord

to those in need of support and comfort.

Third, John’s prophecies not only exposed the sin of the seven churches but

also called for repentance. Writing to the church in Pergamum the apostle

would say:

[14] But I have a few things against you: you have some there

who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a

stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat

food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. [15] So

also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

[16] Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war

against them with the sword of my mouth. (Revelation 2)

God reminded that church of Pergamum of their sins, and through the

apostle John warned them of the danger of continuing on this path. He

called them to repent or suffer the consequences of their sin.

To the church of Thyatira, the apostle John said:

[19] “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and

patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.

[20] But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman

Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and

seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat

food sacrificed to idols. [21] I gave her time to repent, but she

refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. [22] Behold, I will

throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with

her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her

works, [23] and I will strike her children dead. And all the

churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart,

and I will give to each of you according to your works.

(Revelation 2)

The Lord called the church of Thyatira to repent for their toleration of

immorality in their midst. John warned them that if they did not repent, God

would strike them. Sometimes the message of the prophet is a harsh

message, revealing the anger of God toward sin and rebellion. The prophet

not only exposes sin but calls the sinner to repentance.

Finally, John’s prophetic messages gave the church an understanding of

future events. We have already seen how God told the church of Smyrna

that they would be further testing for them (see Revelation 2:10). He also

informed the church in Philadelphia that an hour of trial was coming, but

God would keep them from this trial (Revelation 3:10).

As we move from the letters to the churches in Asia to the next section of

the book of Revelation, there is a focus on the foretelling of the future. As

the scrolls of Revelation 6 are unfolded one event after another began to

unfold. The contents of the scroll predicted wars, famines, earthquakes,

persecution and great signs in the sky.

The trumpets of Revelation 8 predicted great devastation on the earth and

the unleashing of what is described as locusts and scorpions to inflict pain

and harm to its inhabitants. Great bowls of wrath were poured out on the

earth in Revelations 16 causing massive damage to the sea, the sky and

surface of the earth.

Revelation 13 describes a time of massive persecution under the dominion

of two beasts whose control would be felt world-wide. Beyond this,

however, John tells of the defeat of a worldview based on the accumulation

of riches and pleasure. He speaks of how Satan, sin and death were cast into

the pit of hell and assures us that the Lamb of God will have complete

victory.

While most of the Revelation 4-22 is a revelation of future events, there are

also other prophetic elements evident in this section of John’s prophecy.

John offers great prophetic encouragement to us in light of the difficult

times that are approaching. To those coming out of the great tribulation

John said:

[14] I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These

are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have

washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the

Lamb.

[15] “Therefore they are before the throne of God,

and serve him day and night in his temple;

and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his

presence.

[16] They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;

the sun shall not strike them,

nor any scorching heat.

[17] For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their

shepherd,

and he will guide them to springs of living water,

and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

The day is coming when there will no longer be any more hunger or thirst.

God will wipe away all tears from our eyes. God is aware of our suffering

and pain and will reward all who are faithful in these difficult times.

The picture of heaven in Revelation 21 has been a blessing for countless

believers who have stood at the doorsteps of death and eternity. John’s

description of heaven offers us hope and comfort amid suffering here

below. Again, we see the encouragement of God through John’s prophetic

message in Revelation.

The prophecy of John also warns us and calls us to repentance. Consider his

words in Revelation 20:

[10] and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the

lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet

were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and

ever. (Revelation 20)

Consider also his warning in verses 11-15 of the same chapter:

[12] And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the

throne, and books were opened. Then another book was

opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by

what was written in the books, according to what they had

done. [13] And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death

and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were

judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.

[14] Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.

This is the second death, the lake of fire. [15] And if anyone’s

name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown

into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20)

John tells us that those who were deceived by the devil and followed the

beast will be thrown into a lake of fire and tormented day and night. This is

a prophetic warning we must take seriously.

Throughout the book, John reflects the heart of God that those who heard

his prophecy repent of their sins and turn to the Lord. He reveals to us a

Lord who went to extreme measures in calling us to repentance.

Throughout the book, John presents the Lord as a Lamb who was slain for

our sin (see Revelation 5:6; 5:9; 13:8).

The severe judgements that unfold in the book of Revelation were intended,

according to John, to reveal sin and cause human beings to return to God.

John describes for us in Revelation 9 a series of plagues that will destroy

large parts of the earth and humankind. He concludes the chapter with this

word in Revelation 9:20-21:

[20] The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues,

did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up

worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and

stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, [21] nor did

they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual

immorality or their thefts. (Revelation 20)

There is in these words a tone of deep grief and pain. What was intended to

warn people and open their hearts to the reality of judgement, did not move

them to repentance.

John made a similar statement in Revelation 16 after the Lord sent a

scorching heat on the earth:

[9] They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the

name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not

repent and give him glory. (Revelation 16)

Notice the connection between the judgement of God in the fierce heat, and

the desire of God for repentance.

In his concluding challenge, the apostle hares the words of Jesus who said:

[12] “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with

me, to repay each one for what he has done. [13] I am the

Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and

the end.”

[14] Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may

have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city

by the gates. [15] Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the

sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone

who loves and practices falsehood. (Revelation 22)

Jesus warns those who read this book that He was returning to this earth

and when He does, He will come with rewards and punishments in His

hands. He will come to judge. Those who have walked in obedience will

have the right to the tree of life, but those who refuse Christ and His

purpose will be forfeit that eternal blessing. The challenge of John in this

prophecy is clear. We must repent and turn to Jesus. Through the prophecies

of his book, John is calling humanity to turn to Jesus as their only sure and

certain hope.

As we examine the prophecy of John in the book of Revelation, we see how

he exposed sin, and evil attitudes. He revealed Jesus as the Lamb who had

paid for sin and the only solution to the problem of evil. He warned about

the coming days of persecution and judgement. He also encouraged true

believers to persevere as they awaited the final victory that would surely be

theirs in the Lord Jesus their Saviour and Lord.

For Consideration:

John’s prophecy exposed sin and evil. Give some examples of how the

apostle revealed evil and sin in his letters to the churches of Asia.

How important is it that hidden sin is exposed in the church today? Can we

truly advance with secret sins in our midst?

How does the prophecy of John bring encouragement to the body of Christ

in our day? What is the need in the church for this kind of prophetic

encouragement?

John spends a significant amount of time revealing future events in his

book. Why do you suppose the Lord wanted to show these events to us?

What warnings do we need to consider from John’s prophecy today?

For Prayer:

Thank the Lord for how He has gifted people like John to hear from Him

for the encouragement and blessing of the larger body of Christ.

Ask God to reveal the sins that keep you or your church from advancing

more fully in your relationship with Him.

Thank the Lord for the encouragement you receive from the book of

Revelation, knowing that the Lord Jesus will overcome sin and evil.

Ask God to help you to take the warnings of Revelation seriously. Ask Him

to help you to make the best use of the time you have.

Ask God to give you the grace to be a faithful warrior for Him, despite the

trials that are ahead for those who belong to Him.

33 - FALSE PROPHECY

o say that all prophecy is from God would be foolish. Scripture is

clear on this point and speaks quite often about false prophets.

These false prophets are in both the Old and the New Testament.

We have in 1 Kings 22 the story of how King Ahab of Israel asked King

Jehoshaphat of Judah to join forces with him against the Syrians. Before

going to battle, however, Jehoshaphat wanted to hear from the Lord. He

asked Ahab if there were any prophets he could consult. Ahab brought his

prophets before them, and they predicted success in battle. Unconvinced by

the prophets of a king who did not serve the Lord, Jehoshaphat asked if

there were any prophets of the Lord God. Ahab reluctantly sent for

Micaiah.

Listen to what happened when the servants of Ahab went to fetch Micaiah.

[13] And the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to

him, “Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are

favorable to the king. Let your word be like the word of one of

them and speak favorably.” (1 Kings 22)

The messenger sent to bring Micaiah to Jehoshaphat told Micaiah what to

say. As a prophet of God, however, Micaiah refused to listen to the words of

the messenger, realizing that he had been called to speak not what people

wanted him to say but the truth given to him by God.

Micaiah contradicted the prophets who spoke to Ahab and Jehoshaphat said

that he saw Israel scattered without a shepherd—an indication that the battle

with Syria would take Ahab’s life.

What is essential for us to see here is what was expected of the prophets of

the day. They were supposed to say what pleased the king or the people

who listened to them. They were not hearing from God but spoke what

people wanted them to say. They were false prophets.

In the book of Jeremiah, we meet several false prophets. Jeremiah told the

people of Judah that the Babylonians were going to take them into captivity

and they would remain in exile for seventy years. A prophet by the name of

Hannaniah however, contradicted Jeremiah by saying:

[3] Within two years I will bring back to this place all the

vessels of the LORD’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of

Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. [4]

I will also bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of

Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who

went to Babylon, declares the LORD, for I will break the yoke

of the king of Babylon.” (Jeremiah 28)

Those two years would pass, but he prophecy of Hannaniah was not

fulfilled. God’s people would remain in exile as Jeremiah had prophesied.

Hannaniah was a false prophet.

Shemiah the prophet openly contradicted Jeremiah by telling the people of

his day that God would break the bondage of Babylon. He encouraged

people not to listen to Jeremiah. Listen to what the Lord said to Shemiah

because of his rejection of Jeremiah and his message:

[30] Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: [31]

“Send to all the exiles, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD

concerning Shemaiah of Nehelam: Because Shemaiah had

prophesied to you when I did not send him, and has made you

trust in a lie, [32] therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I will

punish Shemaiah of Nehelam and his descendants. He shall not

have anyone living among this people, and he shall not see the

good that I will do to my people, declares the LORD, for he has

spoken rebellion against the LORD.’”

According to Jeremiah, Shemaiah was speaking rebellion against the Lord.

For this, he would be punished. His descendants would perish. His family

line would end.

Jesus warned His listeners about false prophets in His day. Listen to His

words in Matthew 7:15:

[15] “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s

clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. (Matthew 7)

The Lord calls these false prophets, “ravenous wolves.” They disguised

themselves as innocent sheep but were in very dangerous.

In Matthew 24 Jesus warns us that as the day of His return draws near, there

will be more and more false prophets:

[11] And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.

(Matthew 24)

The message of these false prophets will be convincing. It will even be

backed up by signs and wonders, deceiving many.

[24] For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform

great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even

the elect. (Matthew 24)

Some of these false prophets may also be deceiving themselves. Believing

themselves to be sincere, they go in the name of Christ, but they do not

belong to Him.

[22] On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not

prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and

do many mighty works in your name?’ [23] And then will I

declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you

workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7)

The people Jesus describes here go out in the name of Jesus and speak in

His name. They even do miracles in the name of Jesus, but Jesus has not

sent them nor do they represent Him and His purpose. Jesus calls them

workers of lawlessness in Matthew 7:22.

The apostle John spoke about a false prophet who will come in the days of

the end. Listen to what John saw in his vision in Revelation 16:

[13] And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out

of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false

prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. [14] For they are

demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings

of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day

of God the Almighty. (Revelation 16)

Notice that out of the mouth of the false prophet came unclean, demonic

spirits performing signs and assembling people to fight against the Lord

God. Revelation 19:20 reminds us that the destiny of this false prophet is

the Lake of fire that burns forever.

There is no question that false prophets existed in Bible times and will

continue to exist to the end of days. Accepting the ministry of prophecy

brings with it a challenge because not all prophets speak from the Lord.

Speaking through Jeremiah, the Lord told His people:

[14] Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive

visions; they have not exposed your iniquity to restore your

fortunes,

but have seen for you oracles that are false and misleading.

(Lamentations 2)

Ezekiel condemns the prophets of his days who were seeing false visions

and deceiving the people:

[6] They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They

say, ‘Declares the LORD,’ when the LORD has not sent them,

and yet they expect him to fulfill their word. [7] Have you not

seen a false vision and uttered a lying divination, whenever you

have said, ‘Declares the LORD,’ although I have not spoken?”

[8] Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Because you have

uttered falsehood and seen lying visions, therefore behold, I am

against you, declares the Lord GOD. [9] My hand will be

against the prophets who see false visions and who give lying

divinations. They shall not be in the council of my people, nor

be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they

enter the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord

GOD. (Ezekiel 13)

These prophets spoke when God had not sent them. God stood against them

and would punish them for pretending to represent Him and His purpose.

They were impostors speaking what they wanted the people to hear and

using God’s name as their authority.

Because false prophets speak what people want to hear, they are popular.

Listen to the words of Jesus in Luke 6:

[26] “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so

their fathers did to the false prophets. (Luke 6)

The prophet Micah reflects the heart of the people of his day when he said:

[11] If a man should go about and utter wind and lies,

saying, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,”

he would be the preacher for this people! (Micah 2)

Where there are people who want to justify their sinful lifestyle, there will

always be prophets to comfort and reassure them in that lifestyle. Be

assured, however, that these prophets do not come from God. Jeremiah said

this about these false prophets:

[14] And the LORD said to me: “The prophets are prophesying

lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them

or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision,

worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.

(Jeremiah 14)

The apostle Peter challenges us to be aware of the danger of false prophets

in the church today.

[2:1] But false prophets also arose among the people, just as

there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring

in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought

them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. [2] And

many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way

of truth will be blasphemed. [3] And in their greed they will

exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago

is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. (2 Peter 2)

Peter prophesied that there would be false teachers and false prophets

would rise up secretly in the church. These false teachers and prophets will

introduce heresies into the church. They would even encourage the pursuit

of fleshly desires. The result of this would be that the name of the Lord

would be blasphemed.

How careful we need to be in our day! Scripture warns that there will be

false prophets seeking to dilute the truth and introduce false teaching into

the church. It is for this reason that the apostle John tells us in 1 John 4:

[4:1] Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to

see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have

gone out into the world. (1 John 4)

Notice that John tells us that because there are many false prophets in the

world, we need to be careful to subject every prophesy to a test to see if it is

really from God. How are we to test what we hear? How can we know if a

prophet is from God? Scripture provides the answer for us so that we can

discern true prophecy from false.

RECOGNIZING TRUE PROPHECY

In Deuteronomy 18 the Lord underlined the seriousness of speaking as a

prophet in His name.

[20] But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name

that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the

name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ (Deuteronomy

18)

To speak a word in God’s name that He did not give, was an offense worthy

of death. This statement brings up an important question:

[21] And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word

that the LORD has not spoken?’— (Deuteronomy 18)

How can we tell if the word that the prophet speaks is from God and not the

invention of his or her thoughts and imaginations? The Lord taught His

people in verse 22 that the word of a true prophet will come to pass.

[22] when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the

word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that

the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it

presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy

18)

The first simple test of a true prophet, according to Deuteronomy 18 is in

the fulfilment of the word spoken. If I say something is going to happen and

it does not happen, then I am lying.

Fulfilment of a prophecy, however, is not the only test of a true prophet.

Listen to the words of Deuteronomy 13:1-5:

[13:1] “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you

and gives you a sign or a wonder, [2] and the sign or wonder

that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after

other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’

[3] you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that

dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to

know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart

and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 13)

In this illustration, the prophet performs a miraculous sign before the

people, and while the sign came to pass, the prophet then called people to

worship other gods. The Lord told His people that they were not to listen to

this prophet for he or she was a false prophet. True prophecy will always be

in harmony with the character of God and His established purposes. When

we hear a prophet telling us to do something that is contrary to the revealed

will and heart of God, we know that even through that prophet performs

signs and wonders that come to pass, he or she is not from God.

Jeremiah tells us something more about the character of a false prophet. In

Jeremiah 23 he writes:

[13] In the prophets of Samaria I saw an unsavoury thing: they

prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray. [14] But in

the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they

commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of

evildoers, so that no one turns from his evil; all of them have

become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.”

[15] Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the

prophets: “Behold, I will feed them with bitter food and give

them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of

Jerusalem ungodliness has gone out into all the land.”

(Jeremiah 23)

The prophets of Israel “prophesied by Baal” (verse 13). A true prophet of

God will not draw his or her prophecies from the well of pagan religions or

secular thought. If a prophet finds his or her source in pagan religions or

worldly ways, that the prophet is not speaking from God. All true prophets

of God are inspired by God and speak only what He gives them. They will

not draw their inspiration from other sources.

Jeremiah goes on in chapter 13 to tell us that the prophets of Israel

committed adultery, walked in lies and strengthened the hand of evildoers

(verse 14). You can distinguish a true prophet by how he or she lives. A

genuine servant of God will not speak one word and live another. We must

examine the life of a prophet to see whether they walk in a manner worthy

of the Lord. A prophet who does not live a life that is in tune with God and

His purpose is to be regarded with suspicion.

Jesus said something very similar in Matthew 7 when He said:

[15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s

clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. [16] You will

recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from

thornbushes, or figs from thistles? [17] So, every healthy tree

bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. [18] A

healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear

good fruit. [19] Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut

down and thrown into the fire. [20] Thus you will recognize

them by their fruits. (Matthew 7)

Jesus warned His listeners not to be deceived by “ravenous wolves” (false

prophets) who come to them dressed in sheep’s clothing. He told them that

they would be able to recognize them by their fruit (verse 16). If a fruit tree

is healthy, it will bear good fruit. A prophet who is sincere will live a life

that is godly. If the lives of the prophets speaking did not conform to the

purpose of God, they were to be rejected as false prophets.

Peter describes false prophets and teachers in 2 Peter 2:

[2:1] But false prophets also arose among the people, just as

there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring

in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought

them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. [2] And

many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way

of truth will be blasphemed. [3] And in their greed they will

exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago

is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. (2 Peter 2)

Peter tells us that false prophets and teachers “bring in destructive

heresies.” In other words, they teach doctrines that are contrary to the

principles taught in the Word of God. Prophecy is always in subjection to

the truth of the Bible. Any prophecy that is not in full agreement with the

teaching of Scripture must be rejected.

Notice also that the false prophets Peter speaks about here “follow their

sensuality.” They are filled with lust and greed. Peter tells us that they

exploit people because of their greed (verse 3). Their concern is for

themselves, their pleasures and their profit. Any prophet who is more

concerned about their profit than the truth of God, must be considered false.

The apostle John concludes his prophesy with the following words:

[18] I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of

this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the

plagues described in this book, [19] and if anyone takes away

from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away

his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are

described in this book. (Revelation 22)

Notice that John tells us that no one has the freedom to add or take away

from the prophecy he spoke. The implication is that if a prophet speaks a

word that is adding to or taking away from the instruction of God’s Word,

that prophet is false. Again, all prophecy is to be in submission to the

inspired Word of God which will never change.

PROPHECY AND SORCERY

The Lord God is the source of all true prophecy. While this should go

without saying, there are many passages in Scripture that show that not all

prophets who speak in the name of God receive their messages from God.

We can be sure that Satan is busy seeking to counterfeit the truth and

deceive the people of God. The Lord God challenged His people as they

prepared to enter the Land of Promise with the following words:

[13] You shall be blameless before the LORD your God, [14]

for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to

fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the LORD your

God has not allowed you to do this. (Deuteronomy 18)

Through Moses, the Lord reminded His people that the nations he was

driving out of the land before them, consulted fortune-tellers and diviners.

He warned them not to seek counsel from these people. They were to seek

Him alone. They were not to allow anyone who practiced these arts to live

among them:

[10] There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his

son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices

divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer

[11] or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who

inquires of the dead (Deuteronomy 18)

Though they were warned about the practices of divination, sorcery and

fortune telling, the people of God would quickly fall into this trap. 2 Kings

17:17 describes the people of God in the northern Kingdom of Israel:

[17] And they burned their sons and their daughters as

offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to

do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. [18]

Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed

them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only.

Notice how the people of God practiced divination. This was not just the sin

of the people but the prophets as well:

[11] Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a

price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean

on the LORD and say, “Is not the LORD in the midst of us? No

disaster shall come upon us.” (Micah 3)

Micah condemns the prophets for practicing divination for money. They

were finding their messages in these magic arts and not from the Lord.

When Paul and Silas were in Philippi, they met a slave girl who had a spirit

of divination. Her owners used her as a fortune-teller and made much

money as a result.

[16] As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a

slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her

owners much gain by fortune-telling. (Acts 16)

Notice the message this young fortune teller spoke:

[17] She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are

servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of

salvation.” (Acts 16)

Consider these words. The young girl told everyone that Paul and Silas

were servants of God and had come to tell them the way of salvation. This

message was true. Notice, however, the response of Paul to this young girl

in Acts 16:18:

[18] And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having

become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I

command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.”

And it came out that very hour. (Acts 16)

Paul became very annoyed and commanded the spirit of divination to come

out of her. The declaration of this young woman was correct, but it came

from an evil spirit of divination. Because this message came from an evil

spirit, Paul had to deal with the woman and cast out this spirit.

We learn from this passage that Satan can use people to speak and predict

the future. Here was a woman who told fortunes. Likely many of those

fortunes came true, but the source of this information was not God.

Believers should not be deceived into thinking that because something

comes to pass it must be from God. They must also be careful not to turn to

or trust any other source of prophetic insight apart from God and His Word.

Listen to the words of Peter regarding the message of the apostles:

[16] For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we

made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus

Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. [17] For when

he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice

was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved

Son, with whom I am well pleased,” [18] we ourselves heard

this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the

holy mountain. [19] And we have the prophetic word more fully

confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a

lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the

morning star rises in your hearts, [20] knowing this first of all,

that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own

interpretation. [21] For no prophecy was ever produced by the

will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried

along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1)

Peter assures us the apostles were eyewitnesses and heard the “voice borne

from heaven.” Their prophetic message was “fully confirmed” because it

was not of their own interpretation but “spoke from God” as they were

“carried along by the Spirit.” There can be no question as to the source of

Peter’s prophecy –God was His source.

The distinction between true Biblical prophecy and fortune-telling or

divination is the source of the message. Fortune-tellers or diviners conjure

up spirits to give insight and understanding, but Scripture forbids co-

operation with demonic beings and relying on them to guide and show us

the path we must take. For the believer, our source is God and His Word.

We must not be deceived by the spirit of divination even when it speaks the

truth and performs great signs and wonders.

Is it possible that many who claim to be prophets of God are being

empowered by a spirit of divination? Do they speak truth from this spirit?

Do they receive their power from this spirit? We need to be careful lest we

are deceived.

The apostle John warns us that the day is coming when a great beast will

arise to deceive the world. Listen to his description of this beast in

Revelation 13:

[11] Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two

horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. [12] It exercises

all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the

earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal

wound was healed. [13] It performs great signs, even making

fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, [14]

and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the

beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make

an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet

lived. [15] And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the

beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and

might cause those who would not worship the image of the

beast to be slain. [16] Also it causes all, both small and great,

both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the

right hand or the forehead, [17] so that no one can buy or sell

unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the

number of its name. [18] This calls for wisdom: let the one who

has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is

the number of a man, and his number is 666. (Revelation 13)

The beast John describes here looked like a lamb but spoke like a dragon

(verse 11). It performed may signs (verse 12). It made the people of the

earth worship the first beast (verse 12). Its power and authority were great,

and no one could buy or sell unless they received his mark as a sign of

allegiance (verse 17). The mighty beast was demonic and fought against the

purpose of God. His miraculous signs and wonders were from hell, yet he

deceived many.

PUNISHMENT FOR FALSE PROPHECY

Let me conclude with a brief review of what Scripture teaches about the

destiny of false prophets. Moses told his people what they were to do with

anyone who sought to take their people away from true God:

[6] “If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or

your daughter or the wife you embrace or your friend who is as

your own soul entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve

other gods,’ which neither you nor your fathers have known,

[7] some of the gods of the peoples who are around you,

whether near you or far off from you, from the one end of the

earth to the other, [8] you shall not yield to him or listen to him,

nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him, nor shall

you conceal him. [9] But you shall kill him. Your hand shall be

first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of

all the people. [10] You shall stone him to death with stones,

because he sought to draw you away from the LORD your God,

who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of

slavery. [11] And all Israel shall hear and fear and never again

do any such wickedness as this among you. (Deuteronomy 13)

There was to be no pity on anyone who prophesied and sough to lead

people astray –these individuals were stoned to death and their wickedness

removed from the land. Deuteronomy 18:20 tells us that any prophet who

presumed to speak from God when the Lord did not send him was to be

killed:

[20] But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name

that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the

name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ (Deuteronomy

18)

Revelation 19:20 describes the destiny of the false prophet who will come

in the last days:

[20] And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet

who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived

those who had received the mark of the beast and those who

worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake

of fire that burns with sulfur. (Revelation 19)

The Lake of Fire was the destiny of the false prophet of Revelation. He will

be cast into this lake along with all who were deceived by him. Speaking

about false prophets and teachers in 2 Peter 2:1-4, the apostle tells us that

their destruction is “not asleep.” In other words, their judgement was

coming. God reserved a severe punishment for false prophets and teachers.

Scripture assumes that the ministry of prophecy is ongoing. It also warns us

that there will be many counterfeit and false prophets who seek to infiltrate

the church and deceive the people of God. For this reason, the New

Testament takes the time to instruct believers in how to discern a true

prophet from a false prophet. Not all who claim to speak from God belong

to Him.

For Consideration:

Give some examples of false prophets in the Bible.

Do false prophets exist today? How do you know they are false?

What is the difference between sorcery or fortune-telling and Biblical

prophecy?

Why must we reject a false prophet even when he or she speaks the truth in

a given situation and confirm it with a sign?

Take a moment to examine those who claim to be prophets in our day. Do

they demonstrate the characteristics of a true prophet of God?

For Prayer:

Thank God for those who stand firm on the truth of God’s Word in our day.

Ask God to give your church great discernment to distinguish true from

false prophecy.

Ask the Lord to open the eyes of those who have been deceived by false

prophets. Pray that they would come to the truth and resist the lies they

have been led to believe.

34 - BIBLICAL

ARGUMENTS USED

AGAINST THE

PROPHETIC MINISTRY

TODAY

e have examined a variety of verses in both the Old and the

New Testament relating to the prophetic ministry. In the New

Testament, we saw how the apostles not only taught about

prophecy in the church but encouraged believers to prophesy (see 1

Corinthians 14:1). Not all churches, however, believe that the prophetic

ministry is for the church in our day. There are a variety of arguments used

to support this position. Let me take a moment to consider these arguments.

The Bible Is Complete –No Further Revelation

Needed

Those who reject the prophetic ministry for today stand firmly on the

authority of the Word of God as our only true and complete revelation of

God and His purpose. They teach that no further revelation is needed. The

Bible, as we have it, is God’s complete revelation of Himself and His

purpose and nothing more can be added to it. There is a feeling that if God

continues to reveal Himself and His purpose through prophets today than

this undermines the completeness of God’s Word and its sufficiency to tell

all we need to know about God. For these individuals, there is no need for

prophecy today because we have the Word of God which teaches us all we

need to know. This Word has answers to all the questions we will ever have.

If we would study and apply the truth of this Word, there would be no need

for a prophetic ministry.

There is no question that the Bible, as we have it today, is complete. It does

have the answers we need and is our guide in all matters pertaining to life

and faith. Every believer must walk in complete and total obedience to this

Word.

While God has given us His Word as our guide, He has also given spiritual

gifts to the church. For example, God has given teachers to help believers

understand the truth He has given in His Word. He has given us pastors to

help us apply the truth to our daily life. He has given us evangelists to take

the message of salvation found in the Word to the masses who do not know

the Saviour.

The prophet who taught or encouraged anything that was contrary to the

Scriptures was a false prophet. True prophecy will never add to or take

away from the the Word of God. The Word judges its genuineness. Prophets

in the Bible were held accountable to the written Word –not only regarding

what they spoke but also in how they lived.

What is the nature of true prophecy? True prophecy reveals the God found

in Scripture. It speaks to our shortcomings and failures to comply with His

standards. It encourages us in the work we have been called to do by the

God of Scripture and shows us how to apply the truth of Scripture to our

walk with Him. It strengthens, encourages and comforts us as we seek to

live in the purpose of Scripture.

If you find a prophet who is seeking to add to the Scriptures or take away

from the Scriptures than that prophet is a false prophet. If that prophet is

encouraging the church to do what is contrary to the teaching of the Bible,

he or she must be rejected and disciplined. If a prophet is not living in

submission to the principles taught in the Scripture, that prophet’s message

in to be regarded with deep suspicion. Prophecy is not designed to add

anything to the Word of God but to encourage believers as they seek to live

in tune with that Word.

The Possibility Of False Prophets

Prophecy is not without its difficulty for the church. The potential for false

prophecy has always been real. This is why the New Testament encourages

the testing of all prophecies to be sure they are from God and in tune with

the teaching of the Bible. In 1 Thessalonians 5, the apostle Paul wrote:

[19] Do not quench the Spirit. [20] Do not despise prophecies,

[21] but test everything; hold fast what is good. (1

Thessalonians 5)

There is a connection in this verse between quenching the Spirit and

despising prophecies. The idea is that the Spirit of God wanted to convey

His purpose, but the church in Thessalonica was rejecting the prophetic

ministry. Instead of dismissing what the Spirit was saying through these

prophets, Paul challenged the Thessalonians to test each prophecy and to

hold fast to what was from God.

It was not just prophecy that caused difficulties for the early church. They

also had to deal with evangelists who were passing through the region

teaching that to be a believer one needed to be circumcised and follow the

Jewish law. Paul speaks very sharply against these evangelists:

[6] I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who

called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different

gospel— [7] not that there is another one, but there are some

who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. [8]

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a

gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be

accursed. [9] As we have said before, so now I say again: If

anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you

received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1)

The church in Galatian had to deal with “false evangelists.” They submitted

their message to the microscope of God’s Word and found that what they

preached was not in line with what the apostles taught. They fought false

evangelists with the truth of God’s Word. They accepted those who spoke

the truth and rejected those who sought to divert people from the genuine

gospel.

False evangelists were not the only problem for the early church. Listen to

the words of Paul to Timothy:

[3] As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at

Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach

any different doctrine, [4] nor to devote themselves to myths

and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather

than the stewardship from God that is by faith. (1 Timothy 1)

Paul urged Timothy to charge certain teachers not to teach a doctrine that

was contrary to what had been handed down to them by the apostles. These

teachers devoted themselves to myths, genealogies and speculations. They

were not, however, communicating the truth of God’s Word.

In his letter, Jude writes:

[3] Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about

our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing

to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to

the saints. [4] For certain people have crept in unnoticed who

long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly

people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and

deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (Jude)

Jude told his readers that they were to “contend” for the faith that was

“delivered to the saints.” He reminded them that individuals who had crept

into their midst who were perverting the truth they had heard and not

walking in a way that pleased the Lord God.

Whether it be prophecy, teaching or sharing the gospel, the possibility exists

that there will be those who present a wrong message. We need to be

prepared for this. The way to deal with this problem, however, is not to

reject all teaching, evangelism and prophecy, but to subject them all to the

examination of the authoritative word of God. Whatever does not pass the

test of conformity to that Word must be corrected or rejected entirely.

God has given gifts to the church for its edification and encouragement. We

cannot reject these gifts, but we must be ever watchful that these gifts do

not wander from the truth. To despise what God has given is to grieve the

Holy Spirit who wants to use these gifts for the building up of the body.

Biblical Arguments

1 Corinthians 13

Finally, I would like to address two key passages that are used today to

teach that the prophetic ministry has ceased. The first of these passages is 1

Corinthians 13:8-12:

[8] Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as

for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass

away. [9] For we know in part and we prophesy in part, [10]

but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. [11]

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I

reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish

ways. [12] For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to

face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have

been fully known. (1 Corinthians 13)

Notice what Paul told the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 13:8 – “As for

prophecies, they will pass away.” The apostle Paul told the Corinthians that

there would be a time when prophecy will cease. What he told them about

prophecy he also said about the gift of tongues and the gift of knowledge.

Tongues will stop, and knowledge will pass away (verse 8).

The question we need to ask ourselves is this: When will these gifts cease

and be no longer necessary? Paul goes on to answer this question in verse

10 when he says: “when the prefect comes, the partial will pass away.”

These gifts will no longer be necessary when the “perfect comes.” What are

we to understand by the word “perfect?”

Some understand that the word perfect refers to the Lord Jesus or the Holy

Spirit. The problem with this is that the Lord Jesus had already come when

Paul wrote this to the Corinthians. The Holy Spirit had already fallen on

believers in Acts 2. Even after the coming of the Lord, and the Holy Spirit,

the apostles continued to encourage the use of prophecy and the gift of

tongues. While the Lord Jesus is perfect, it seems clear that Paul is not

speaking about the first coming of the Lord Jesus or the Holy Spirit in this

passage.

Others have understood the word “perfect” to refer to the Bible as a perfect

and complete revelation of God. They believe that ever since we have the

entire Bible than these gifts have ceased as they are no more necessary.

Again, there is an element of truth in this. The Word of God does provide us

with the answers we need for our life and faith. The problem with this

interpretation, however, comes in the remainder of what Paul goes on to

say.

[12] For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.

Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been

fully known. (1 Corinthians 13)

Paul speaks here of a time when the perfect comes, and we see face to face

and know as we are known. There is no question that the Bible reveals the

Lord Jesus to us, and we come to know Him more and more as we read the

pages of His Word. As much as I seek the Lord through the Word, however,

I come up short of knowing Him fully. As much as I encounter Him in the

truth revealed I cannot say that I have seen Him face to face. I have grown

in my knowledge of God through the Word, but I cannot say that I know

Him as he knows me.

The word “perfect” here is described as a time when I will see Christ face to

face and know Him as he knows me. As we walk with Him in eternity, we

will know him just as He knows us. On this earth, we will always fall short

of this. We look forward to a day when sin is destroyed, and the perfect is

restored. There in heaven, I shall see my Saviour and know Him as I have

never known him on this earth. There in heaven, I will no longer need to

hear Him through hidden prophetic messages or commune with him in

unknown languages. There I shall no longer need anyone to teach me about

him for I will know Him just like He knows me.

It seems logical to assume, therefore, that Paul is telling us that when we

get to heaven, these spiritual gifts will no longer be necessary. Prophecy

will cease because we will be in direct communion with the Lord.

Knowledge or the teaching of knowledge will end because we will know

God and His purposes. As long as we live in this imperfect world, we will

need the gifts that God has given to the church. Those gifts include

prophecy and the teaching of knowledge.

Hebrews 1

The second passage used by those who believe that prophecy is no longer

for today is in Hebrews 1:

[1] Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to

our fathers by the prophets, [2] but in these last days he has

spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all

things, through whom also he created the world. (Hebrews 1)

The writer of Hebrews seems to speak of two periods of history. The first

was “long ago” when God spoke to His people through prophets. The

second is in “these days” when God speaks through His Son. The writer to

the Hebrews continues in the book to speak about how Christ is greater than

the angels, Moses and the priests of the Old Testament. The covenant He

made was greater than the covenant made through Moses. His sacrifice

completely cleansed us from sin in a way that all the sacrifices of the Old

Testament failed to do. The author then concludes his book with these two

statements:

[17] Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are

keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give

an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for

that would be of no advantage to you. (Hebrews 13)

[22] I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of

exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. (Hebrews 13)

Because God speaks to us through His Son, we are to obey our leaders and

bear with the “word of exhortation.”

In the Old Testament (“long ago”) the God spoke to His people revealing

that the Saviour would come. In the New Testament, however, the Lord

Jesus fulfilled that prophecy and came to this earth to be a sacrifice for our

sin. He speaks to us by His life. He points us to His Word. He places His

Holy Spirit in us to enable us to walk in obedience. According to Hebrews

13:17, 22 He also speaks to us through the gifts He gives the church and the

exhortations He brings through His servants.

If God speaks to us through Christ now, do we have any need of the Holy

Spirit? If God’s revelation of Himself is through Christ, do we need to study

the Word of God? If God uses Christ to show His purpose is there any use

for the gifts He gives to the church? The context reveals that because Christ

has come as the fulfilment of prophecy, we need to be more diligent in

obeying the leaders He has given us to guard us in our relationship with

Him. We are also to listen to the word of exhortation brought by the

servants He sends. Hebrews 1 does not remove our obligation to submit to

the authority of the church, its leadership, or to obedience to the prophetic

voices He sends. If anything, it challenges us to be even more diligent in

listening so that we can grow to know Him even more.

For Consideration:

Does true prophecy add or take away from the Bible? How should you

respond to any prophet who presents a message that is contrary to the

principles of God’s Word?

How do we deal with false teaching or false prophecy? Is rejecting

prophecy or teaching because there may be false teachers and prophets the

answer? Why or why not?

Will prophecy always be necessary? Why is it necessary today?

If God reveals Himself through Christ, why is evangelism, teaching or

prophecy necessary?

For Prayer:

Ask the Lord to give you discernment as a church to distinguish falsehood

from truth. Ask God to provide you with a deeper knowledge of His Word

so that you can receive what is from Him and reject what is not.

Thank the Lord that the day is coming when we will know Him and hear

from Him directly. Thank Him that in the meantime, we have men and

women gifted to teach and exhort us on His behalf.

35 - PROPHECY IN THE

CHURCH TODAY

n this study, we have examined the teaching of both the Old and the

New Testament about the ministry of prophecy. We discussed

objections to the ministry in the modern church. If prophecy is an

ongoing ministry and gift for the church today, what should it look like and

how do we use it? I will attempt to close this study with some answers to

this question.

Let me begin by saying that the question of what the ministry of prophecy

should look like today is not easy to answer. Consider the prophets we have

studied. Each one exercised his or her gift differently. Each prophet had a

message or burden that was unique to them. How they received their words

was also different. We must understand that this will be true in the church of

our day as well.

To answer the question, however, we must go back to the Scriptures to see

what the prophetic ministry looked like in the time when the Bible was

being written. As we look at the ministry of the prophet in the Bible, we get

a better understanding of what it should look like today.

Preparation And Direction For What God Has In

Store

As I look back on my preaching and teaching ministry, I have become

aware that the ministry is not just a ministry of teaching the Word, but it

also has a prophetic side to it. If a pastor is in tune with the Lord, the Lord

will give him messages and help him apply that truth to real life situations.

The Lord will speak through the pastor to the congregation, preparing them

for His purposes and helping them to make the right decisions. The pastor

may not always understand this. I have had times when people came up to

me after speaking and said, “Wayne, you have no way of knowing how that

message answered a particular need. The Lord used you to speak to a

situation I was going through. Now I know what I need to do.”

It is not just the pastor who has a prophetic ministry. There have been times

when the Lord has used individuals to share His heart for the church.

Maybe you have had a time where someone shared a burden for a ministry

in the community. The Lord seemed to speak through this to the church and

used that challenge to direct it into a whole new ministry focus. The Lord

leads His people through those who speak what He puts on their heart.

Speaking Directly To Our Need

Maybe you come to church with a burden on your heart. You don’t know

what to do with that burden, and your heart is weighted down. The pastor

begins to speak, and you sense that he is addressing the very need of your

heart—it is as if God Himself was talking to you through the word preached

from the pulpit.

Maybe that encouragement comes in the form of a conversation with a

fellow believer. That onversation was from the Lord. Your friend speaks

right to your heart, and again you feel that all this was from God who knew

your need.

Rebuke

Sometimes the church falls into error or apathy. Members of the church

may not even aware of this. The Lord may bring someone to speak to this

issue. By this means the Lord opens the eyes of the church to false

motivations, wrong attitudes, or sinful behaviour.

It is so easy for us to fall into a rut and content ourselves with our routine.

The prophet stirs us up to leave our comfort zones and challenges our

apathy or proud spirit.

How blind we are to our own errors and faults! How we need men and

women in our day, who will challenge us with the heart of God. Those who

are not afraid to lovingly speak the rebuke of God so that we can again find

the path He has laid out for us.

Example For Us To Follow

Not every prophet speaks with words. The Lord called His servants also to

live out the message by their lifestyle. Throughout the history of the church,

God has called individuals to live a lifestyle that speaks powerfully to the

church of the day. Some have sacrificed all they had to lay their lives down

on the mission field. Others have offered time and effort to serve the Lord

in prayer or social outreach. These individuals are not “ordinary”

individuals. They are seen as extreme or excessive in their devotion, but

they are being used by the Lord to challenge the church of our day to

consider its priorities and ministries.

Insight Into The Purpose Of The Lord

There are times in the life of the church when it appears that growth has

stopped and there no longer any blessing or fruit. What is true of our life as

a church is also true in our personal lives. Sometimes we face moments

when we feel like everything is going wrong and we don’t know what to do

or what direction to take. We wonder why we are experiencing so many

difficulties.

Sometimes, the Lord brings His servants into our situations to reveal His

purpose and expose what He is doing. These prophets show us the lessons

God is teaching us and encourage us to learn these lessons. They show us

that God has a purpose in our pain or barrenness. They remind us that God

is using what we are facing to purify our hearts and lives. Sometimes the

lessons they show us are not ones we are willing to learn. God gives insight

through His servants so that we can learn and more fully grow in His

purpose.

Application Of Scripture

Prophecy is subject to the Scriptures, and the true prophet will never

prophecy anything that is contrary to the principles taught in the Bible. I

remember speaking to a pastor friend of mine some time ago about a book

he had read. He told me that that book spoke directly to him in his need.

The book was a book I had written expounding the truth of Scripture. The

Lord took the teaching of the word and practically applied it to the life of

that pastor in a time of need. There is a prophetic dimension to this.

I have sat under the preaching of the word of God and heard it explained to

me in such a way that it went beyond teaching. Suddenly, I saw the truth

and the application of that truth in a new way. It was as if the Lord, Himself

was opening the Scriptures to me. God will empower His servants to open

His word in such a way that it powerfully communicates His heart and will

to us personally.

Pointing Us To God

The prophets of both the Old and New Testament led people to God. They

often spoke about His character and attributes. They spoke of Him as a

jealous and loving God who would not share His glory or His people with

another. They spoke of Him also as a righteous and just God who would

bring the sinner to judgement. It is the heart of God to reveal Himself to us.

It is the heart of prophecy to reveal God.

This revelation of God strengthens, encourages, warns and challenges us. In

our time of trouble, it comforts us. In our time of wandering, it draws us

back. Some of the most powerful prophets of our day are musicians. There

is often a connection between music and prophecy in Scripture. Through

hymns and spiritual songs, these musical prophets remind us of who God is.

They inspire and urge us to walk worthy of His name.

Practical Demonstration Of The Power Of God

The ministry of the prophet can be a powerful demonstration of the power

and character of God. Sometimes God will reveal things to the prophet that

no one else knows. The prophet of God then speaks to the person concerned

about this matter. Not only does this bring personal rebuke but it can also

bring tremendous encouragement. I remember being in a meeting many

years ago where an individual was speaking and said that he felt that there

were individuals present to whom God had given a ministry of writing. That

word spoke directly to me. There was no laying on of hands or prayer, but

even years later I believe that God was talking to me and encouraging me in

this ministry. I have watched this unfold in my life. Sometimes God reveals

things through His servants that no one else knows about. He shows

Himself as an all-knowing and all-powerful God through His servants.

A Revelation Of The Tactics Of The Enemy

Just as the Lord God exposed the attitude of Ananias and Sapphira to Peter,

so He will reveal the tactics of the enemy to disrupt and confuse the church.

The Lord will sometimes give His prophets insight into the techniques

being used by the enemy to hinder the work of His kingdom. This enables

us to focus our prayers and efforts in a way that is most effective in dealing

with the attack of Satan.

I remember a time in my life when I felt like I was in a great spiritual battle.

I saw myself blindfold with a sword in my hand. I swung that sword in

every direction possible hoping that I would somehow strike the enemy. I

remember feeling hopeless and fearful because, blindfolded, I could not see

where I was swinging my sword. I sensed my blindness in a powerful way.

I thought of how much better it would be to be able to focus my attention

on enemies I could see rather than wearing myself out trying to strike

enemies I could not see.

We need eyes to see the enemy before us. We need discernment to know

what enemies we need to fight. God does not leave us blind. Sometimes He

gives us the insight to acknowledge the presence these enemies. Sometimes

He gives sight to His prophets and challenges them to speak to us about the

tactic of the enemy. The Lord may give you insight into the struggle of a

brother or sister that they cannot see. He has made us dependant on each

other.

We have spoken so far about what the prophetic ministry could look like in

the church of our day. The question we need to address now is whether our

church is setup to allow this kind of ministry to thrive. As a church, we

have recognized the significance of the teaching ministry. We have Bible

studies and preaching times where the focus is on teaching. We also

understand the importance of evangelism and encourage our members to

share their faith.

The question we need to address here briefly is whether the prophetic

ministry deserves attention in our worship services and life as a church.

Where does the person who feels he or she has a prophetic word to share

use this gift?

First, the prophet may use his gift through the preaching of the Word of

God. The Lord has often chosen to speak through His servants in the church

through the sermon. Here the prophet can not only open the Word of God

but share the heart of God in that Word. He can challenge the church and

bring words of comfort and warning from God through the preaching of the

Word.

Second, the prophet can make use of his or her gift through private

conversations with people in the body of Christ. This means that the church

needs to provide opportunities for believers to get together informally to

interact. In the church where I attend, we have lunch after the worship

service where everyone present can have a chance to share informally

together. I have often had times to interact with believers and unbelievers in

these times.

Sometimes the Lord gives us a word not for an individual but the larger

body. The church in Corinth gave time for believers to share publicly in the

service of worship. There is value to allowing people to share publicly what

God has been doing and what God has put on their heart. This gives the

Lord the opportunity to use His people to communicate encouragement and

challenge from Him.

Prophets can also communicate what God has put on their heart through the

ministry of writing. Maybe you have read a book that has spoken directly to

your need and revealed a particular sin in your life. That book may have

unlocked an attitude that was keeping you from growing in the Lord. Books

are not the only way prophets can communicate. Hymns and spiritual songs

are also a means of sharing what God has put on our heart for the church.

Many prophetic words are written in the form of poetry. A quick look at the

prophecies of the Old Testament shows that many were written in this way.

These songs, poems or prose can be shared with the larger body as a means

of conveying the heart of God.

We need to recognize that the Lord wants to use our brothers and sisters to

speak to us and challenge us in our spiritual walk. Not everyone who speaks

prophetically is called to the office of a prophet. There are people God has

gifted as evangelists, pastors and teachers. This does not mean, however,

that those of us who are not gifted in this way do not need to share our faith.

Even those who are not gifted teachers can teach someone else. I may not

be gifted as an encourager, but there are times when I encourage. What is

true for these gifts is true for prophecy as well. I may not feel that I hear

from the Lord, but there are times when God will use me to convey His

heart to another person. There are times when the Lord will give me words

to speak.

It is for this reason that all of us need to be open to the Lord and His

leading. He may challenge me to speak to another person and communicate

His heart. I don’t have to be a prophet to speak what He has given me. I can

speak prophetically without being called to the office of a prophet. What I

am describing here is a ministry in the church where even the simplest

believer can share the heart of God.

Let me share a word about our modern day “prophetic meetings.” I have

been in a number of meetings where someone who appeared to have a

prophetic gifting has spoken. These meetings seem to draw a crowd. People

come from great distances to get a word from the Lord. This is not new.

People in Bible times did the same thing.

The people gathered in the meeting are amazed at the gifting of the prophet

who sometimes walks through the crowd with a microphone in hand

sharing publicly what God has given them for various individuals.

It is not my intention to judge the method used here. What I do want to

speak about, however, is that there is a hunger in the heart of God’s people

to hear from Him. If the local church is not allowing for the Lord to speak

to their members through each other than God’s people will seek to hear

from Him in other ways. The attraction to large prophetic meetings may be

because needs are not being addressed in local settings.

The other detail I want to bring to our attention is the need for us to be

careful not to elevate the prophet above God. There can be a tendency for

those who prophecy to draw attention to themselves and not to the Lord.

People can be so impressed with the gift of the prophet that they do not see

the Lord. It is easy for the prophet to take attention away from the Lord and

place that attention on themselves. While this can still be a temptation in the

local church, it is moderated by the fact the people know us and can keep

our pride in check.

Some individuals have become so addicted to prophetic words that that

seem to be unable to discern the will of the Lord personally. I have known

individuals who rarely read their Bible but crave a prophetic word. Rather

than going to the Lord and seeking His will through His Word and the godly

counsel of their church leaders, these individuals continuously seek out the

word of a prophet. They become dependent on those they perceive to have a

prophetic gifting. This is not helpful in the end. We must all seek to know

God and His purpose as revealed through His Word. The ministry of a

prophet is no substitute for the study of God’s word and regular fellowship

with His people.

Does God speak today? From what we have studied it seems obvious that

He does. He has called us to share the message of salvation with the world.

He has called us to teach and disciple those who come to Him. He has

called us to share words of encouragement, insight, and warning.

Sometimes we think of prophets as special people who have a special

relationship and walk with God that we could never have. The reality of the

matter, however, is that God wants to use each of us to communicate His

will and purpose. Prophecy is simply sharing what God puts on our heart to

share. That may be a word of encouragement and comfort to a person in

need. It may be a strong warning to someone wandering from the truth. Will

you share what He gives you to share? Will you take the words and burdens

He gives and bring them to those for whom they are intended? Will you

boldly and lovingly speak what God puts on your heart for the

strengthening, encouragement and comfort of the body of Christ (see 1

Corinthians 14:3)?

For Consideration:

Have you ever read a book, listened to a message or had a song speak

directly to a need in your life? Could you say that God spoke to you through

this medium?

Have you ever felt a burden on your heart to speak a word of

encouragement or challenge to another person? Could it be that the Lord

has been giving you a message for them?

How does prophecy demonstrate the power and presence of God?

Can prophecy help us to understand the tactics of the enemy?

Is your church set up in a way that enables the Lord to use your brothers

and sisters to speak to each other in the name of the Lord?

For Prayer:

Thank the Lord for the way He has led individuals to speak to you and

challenge you in your spiritual walk.

Ask the Lord to help your church to understand that God still wants to use

us to be instruments of His care and concern. Pray that the Lord would

make you a faithful messenger.

Ask God to reveal to you and your church how you can be aware of the

tactics of the enemy and his efforts to distract you. Thank the Lord that He

is willing to reveal these things to us so that we can grow in our faith and

intimacy with Him.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Light To My Path Book Distribution

Light To My Path (LTMP) is a book writing and

distribution ministry reaching out to needy

Christian workers in Asia, Latin America, and

Africa. Many Christian workers in developing

countries do not have the resources necessary to

obtain Bible training or purchase Bible study

materials for their ministries and personal

encouragement.

F. Wayne Mac Leod is a member of Action

International Ministries and has been writing

these books with a goal to distribute them to needy pastors and Christian

workers around the world. To date, tens of thousands of books are being

used in preaching, teaching, evangelism and encouragement of local

believers in over sixty countries. Books have now been translated several

languages. The goal is to make them available to as many believers as

possible.

The ministry of LTMP is a faith-based ministry, and we trust the Lord for

the resources necessary to distribute the books for the encouragement and

strengthening of believers around the world. Would you pray that the Lord

would open doors for the translation and further distribution of these books?

For more information about Light To My Path Book Distribution visit our

website at www.lighttomypath.ca