Prophets
Commentary
Unfortunately for us the word "prophet" has come to be a kind of category word that embraces a wide range of understandings. Clairvoyants, seers, visionaries, futurists, astrologers, and fortunetellers are understood to be prophets.
With such a general understanding of prophets and prophecy the church has a difficult time reserving the word to itself and what it understands these terms to represent.
Whatever else is meant (in the Bible and in the church) by prophecy we do not mean forecasting and predicting. Of course, there are instances of such forecasting and predicting in the Bible. Usually it comes true and the reason is that those who wrote it down knew of both the prediction and the fortuitous event. There are, of course, predictions that did not come true. Check out Haggai 2:23.
What is needed is for us to distinguish between predictions, which are often on target because they are our best guesses, and prophecy which generally can be identified by the words, "Thus saith the Lord."
Prophets are not foretellers, they are forthtellers. They "tell forth" God's message. They speak on behalf of God.
The Bible is full of vivid descriptions of the variety of ways in which prophets came to know God's word. There are visions, dreams, hearing voices, ecstatic trances, and the like. All are designed to dramatize the experience and claim realism. However, the experience is described, the truth embodied in it is that the speaker, one way or another, has gained insight into the way God deals with us and applied that to reality as it is perceived. Then one can begin sentences with, "Thus saith the Lord."
OUTLINE I
A Warning for Aspiring Prophets
Jeremiah 1:4-10
Introduction: Begin with a description of the life and times of Jeremiah. He lived in difficult days and was a man given a difficult task. Confronted by false prophets like Hananiah who were saying what the people wanted to hear, Jeremiah had a difficult time selling his message of realism. Being a relative youngster didn't help. After all, what could this upstart know?
Chosen: What a wonderful thing to live with a sense of destiny, to be gripped with a certainty that life has already marked out your place and your task. Not everybody has that sense of destiny and this is a good place to make those who do be grateful and those who do not to maintain their sense of worth.
Sent: When one faces overwhelming odds, as did Jeremiah, he had better have a sense of being sent, or survival is not likely. When one feels driven to "speak for God" there should be a sense of drivenness like that spoken of by Paul in his Corinthian letter. See 1 Corinthians 9:16b.
Empowered: Not only is Jeremiah told to speak, he is assured that his words will carry power. Things will happen when he speaks. Comment on the power of words. Words open doors, obtain hearings, protect by warning, break hearts, heal brokenness. Jeremiah's words will do all these things. Those who listen will prosper. See Jeremiah 29.
Conclusion: Prophets "show forth" or reveal the word (message) of God. One ought to be careful when daring to begin a sentence with, "Thus saith the Lord."
OUTLINE II
A Word to the Sentimental
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Introduction: It is important to rescue this "love chapter" from the clutches of twentieth century sentimentalists who read it and only hear mushy words about love. Do some research on Corinth and the Gnostics who were there. Research the cult of Aphrodite and her temple, her sacred prostitutes who had reduced the meaning of love (as the twentieth century has) to sexual intercourse.
A. The Gnostics: This crowd spoke of a secret wisdom, of knowledge (gnosis) which gave them insight into life and power for all occasions. By sheer will power they could fashion life. By personal sacrifice they could merit the blessings of God.
But Paul knew their proud and haughty spirit that led them to look down their noses at others.
Here the Gnostics receive the rebuke they richly deserve.
B. The Erotics: It is easy to be gullible enough to see some deep religious meaning in sexual rituals. By what one does with the sacred prostitutes one can influence the good graces of the gods. Great things will result and, of course, isn't this a wonderful way to do it?
These are not the faithful. They are the self-deluded, the self-indulgent, the demeanors of all that God meant to be sacred in sex.
These, too, are rebuked for their calling right wrong and wrong right, for their exploitation of others and taking advantage.
Conclusion: Love, Paul uses the word "agape," is something more than pride and eroticism. Agape calls for self-giving, humility, putting others first, and a willingness to be taught. Such love supercedes all other supposed spiritual gifts. Warn the sentimentalists of the tough talk and the strong demands of 1 Corinthians 13. This is no hymn to love; rather a rebuke and a call.
OUTLINE III
Sorting Out Prophets
Luke 4:21-30
Introduction: If one needed any evidence that many who claim to be prophets are truly not prophets, one only needs to gauge their popularity and success. There are those who claim to be speaking with a prophetic voice and yet speak to throngs of the admiring. Check out the real prophets and you'll discover that they seldom spoke to crowds, and almost never to anyone who wanted to hear what they had to say. See Micah 1:6.
A. Prophets speak to their own day, not to the long-delayed future. Those who imagine that they speak to a distant future have to account for the durability of their message. If no one in their own day understood what they were saying then why did they keep a record? The fact is they did understand and generally rejected what was said. Often the prophets had to put their message away and trust that some day it would be understood. See Isaiah 8:16 for a prophet who understood that. Jesus knew. See text (v. 24) and what nearly happened to him. (v. 29).
B. Nobody wanted to hear Jeremiah's word that they had better settle in for a long exile. Most in Corinth would rather hear of eros than agape. And the people of Jesus' day wanted no part of any declaration that God's word would come to an outsider. Little wonder they had a tough time.
Conclusion: It won't always work, but it might be a good thing to give a second listen to those who antagonize and aggravate and challenge. Anyway, your chances of identifying a real prophet will improve.
