The Prophet, part 1!

I will write about the prophet in the Old testament, the prophetic ministry and the prophetic gift of the Spirit. I really pray that the Holy Spirit will help me since I want this to be of encouragement and blessing to you. I do not know everything there is to know about this subject, but will share with you what I do know.

I might start with the very beginning, with Moses. He was absolutely a great prophet, but he was also appointed to be a leader for his own people. God had already chosen Moses while he was in his mother’s womb. The Bible says that about many prophets. All male babies should be killed at the time of his birth, but God had a plan for his salvation. You can read the story in Ex.2. Moses got nursed by his own mother, she was even paid for it by the daughter of Pharaoh. He was adopted by the daughter of Pharaoh and was brought up in the house of Pharaoh. He was given an upbringing and an education unlike anybody else. He remained a Jew in spite of that and was called to become their deliverer. When God has called somebody, He keeps His hand over that person in spite of difficult and even impossible situations. Moses is a wonderful example of this.

God does not choose the perfect. Moses was asked by God to be his spokesman and talk to Pharaoh, but Moses felt that he wasn’t good enough. You can read in Ex.6:30 “But Moses said before the Lord, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised, how shall Pharaoh heed me?” Then the Lord said to Moses: “See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron, your brother shall be your prophet. Aaron should in other words be the spokesman of Moses. A PROPHET IS A SPOKESMAN, ONE WHO SPEAKS ON BEHALF OF GOD. Sometimes God spoke only to Moses, but other times to both Aaron and Moses. God did not speak to the people, but to those whom He chose to have an intimate relationship with. They should speak to the people. They were not perfect, but God could trust them. He did not allow them to look at Him face to face. I do not believe that they could have managed to be in the light of the glory coming from His face.

The Lord gave Moses the Ten Commandments and Moses wrote them down on tablets of stone. The Lord also gave laws for all aspects of everyday-living, for the tabernacle and for almost every aspect of life on earth. This is what we call The Law. Moses was the spokesman of the Lord. No one else has written and spoken so much about the will of God as Moses. The Bible is full of great prophets, but we read in Deut.34:10-12 “But since then there has not risen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, in all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, before Pharaoh, before all his servants, and in all his land, and by all that mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.” Even so, Moses was not allowed to come into the promised land. He had been unfaithful to the Lord and that was his punishment. He died in the land of Moab and the Lord, Himself, buried him. No one knows where he is buried.

As a woman I want to mention the prophetess Deborah. She was a judge in Israel. We can read about her in Judges, chapter 4+5. She prophesized victory over Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, the enemy of Israel. Barak was her commander and he conquered the Philistines. After that, Israel had peace for 40 years.

The Lord doesn’t only reveal Himself to adults, but also to children and young people. Samuel is such an example. He served the Lord under the supervision of the priest Eli. Samuel was a boy, not older than ten years, most likely younger. One night Samuel heard someone speaking to him and he thought it was Eli. He ran to him, but it was not him and after some repetitions, they understood that it was the Lord. Then Samuel said: “Speak Lord, Your servant hears.” The Lord said that He came to judge the house of Eli for the sins of his sons. Eli had known about it, but had done nothing about it. Samuel was brave and obedient and told this to Eli.

A PROPHET IS ALSO CALLED A SEER. We can read in 1.Sam.9 about the servant of Saul who was looking for a “seer”. They found Samuel and the Lord said to him that He had chosen Saul to become the king over Israel. Samuel told Saul what he should do and then he anointed him as King. There are a lot we could write about this, but you can read for yourself.

A prophet is also to-day called a seer and it isn’t always easy to know the difference between prophesying and fortune-telling. They might say the same thing, but the source might be different. A true prophesy comes from God, but false prophesies comes either from our flesh or from the devil. We read in the Bible about spirits of divinations and they come from the devil. Paul was driving them out and commanded them to leave him in peace. The spirits knew Jesus and they revealed Who He was, but still, it was the demons speaking. I recently heard about a healer who had seen demons in a man. She tried to get rid of them by cleansing and closing his aura. In the Bible it says that we should get rid of demons by using the name of Jesus. The revelation was right, but the method was occult. We must be careful so we do not swallow every revelation as divine. A true prophesy is revealed by God. He gives the prophetic gifts and prophetic ministries to the people He chooses.

I have some non-saved relatives that call me when they have lost something or need some advice. They think that I can push a button and out comes the answer. I have to tell them that I am totally dependant on God and sometimes God has showed me what they ask for and they are happy, but God is given the honor. That is also a sign of true prophesies. If you take the credit yourself, it is either a fleshly or a demonic prophesy. Sometimes people ask me about people in media who have certain gifts or abilities. Is this from God? I always ask them then if they give God the honor, do they use the name of Jesus or the Word of God. The answers to these questions help me to clarify the source. Some people do have certain powers, but some of these lay in an area that we Christians should close. As Christians we should be led by the Holy Spirit, not by other spirits. In New Age they are called good and bad guides or spirits. The Holy Spirit is our Helper.

Almost all of the prophets in the Old Testament, prophesied about Messiah, some more clear than others. Next time I will continue you with the same subject, but will close for now by quoting a well know prophesy from Is.53:4+5 “Surely He has borne our grieves and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him. And by His stripes we are healed.

BE OPEN FOR PROPHESIES, BUT TEST THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mother Else