It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.
What sets a prophet apart is being called by God to be a messenger of God’s Word. I am capitalizing “Word” because these messages are holy. Mundane or spectacular, the Word from God is special. But never forget, prophets are people, too. They are not Superman. They have feelings like you and me.
Perhaps the most famous prophet of the Old Testament is Moses. When he was called to be a messenger of God he was eighty years old. Even though he was eighty, he acted like he was eight. (See Exodus 3-4) He objected so much to what God asked him to do that he made God angry! (Exodus 4: 14) Moses didn’t want to go. He was afraid, very possibly afraid of not being good enough. But God had made up his mind. Moses was his chosen instrument.
The key here is that both God and Moses knew that this was not going to be a joy ride. From a worldly standpoint, God wasn’t doing Moses any favors. The world, both Jew and Gentile would object to God’s will again and again. Being called to be a prophet isn’t “cool.”
From God’s viewpoint, there is no higher honor than being called as His servant. But not only does the prophet serve God, like Jesus, but they also serve all humanity. They are more than messengers of God, they are servants. Jesus himself said that, “… the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve….” (Matthew 20: 28)
Imagine that. The God of the Universe, the Creator of All Things, the Author of Life, calls himself a servant. It is a bit of a paradox when considering that God is also our Judge. But isn’t a father all these things? A father authors life in union with his wife. He supports the family as well as he can. When behaviors get out of hand he serves as judge and jury. He also doles out punishment. In all these roles he serves the family. In every case, the good father puts the family first.
Isn’t that the case with Jesus? God the Father put the needs of us, his earthly family, first. He allowed his son, Jesus, to be sacrificed for our sins. Jesus paid the price required for our redemption. Those he has called are his.
Let’s strive to model ourselves after God. As Father, he sacrificed his Son for us. Like Jesus, he sacrificed his life to redeem us. Jesus teaches that the way to being the greatest is serving others. (Matthew 23: 11) Think of this as a contest to see who is the most humble.
Application: Strive to be the servant of all.
Food for Thought: How do the prophets serve us by speaking of these things?
They are the human instruments that God uses to give us His word. 2 Peter 1: 20 – 21; 2 Timothy 3: 16 17. That is quite an important service as God’s word reveals His nature, our need and our hope.
Rich,
I really appreciate those verses! It is interesting the way you describe the prophets. It almost sounds like a waiter bringing a meal to the table for us to eat. They “serve” us His Word.
The prophets appointed by God for His service, God equipped them with insight and visions of His glory. They lived separate from the world, accurately proclaimed Gods word and message to the people, were commissioned to make sacrifices to God, to anoint with the Holy Spirit, to encourage, to correct, chastise. They were servants appointed by God to serve His people.
They pointed to God Himself coming as Jesus Christ to serve and give His life for all mankind, who became the pattern and power for Christian ministry—He came, not to receive service, but to give it (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; John 13:1-17 )
Ron,
You point out an interesting distinction. “Serving” someone doesn’t necessarily mean doing what pleases a person. Sometimes we serve someone by cleaning up after them, or helping them in an awkward situation. Ambulance medics serve people, but nobody wants to be in a position where they need service!
It can also give us confidence in God’s word being true and that we can depend on it.
Rob,
Thank you! Every ounce of confidence in God’s Word has got to be worth a pound of faith! 🙂
Serving can be messy, fulfilling, thankless, joyful, painful…I can tell you there were many times as a Paramedic I didn’t feel like delving into every medical crisis or trauma drama I was dispatched to treat/serve. I would draw on Gods presence to remind me who’s I was and not who I was , it gave me comfort and strength to serve in so many unimaginable human condition situations on this side of Heaven. Looking forward with great anticipation our faith becoming site. Come quickly Lord Jesus! Blessings.