… as something completely reliable,
Summary: God’s Word is very different than human words. God’s motives are pure, and his perspective is true.
For the sake of discussion, let us invent a first-century prophet. He is not a very good prophet, so we will call him Injuricus.
Injuricus makes a living by telling people what they want to hear. (We might say that Injuricus is a prophet in search of a profit.) Important people consult with Injuricus to learn what the spirits say about this investment or that course of action. Should I send an envoy to Caesar this year? Is this the right time to invest in chariots from Egypt? Can I trust Brutus?
Injuricus listens carefully to the questions put to him. He watches for telltale signs from his client that will tell him what he wants to hear. Perhaps he consults some entrails or the stars. When he is ready, he pronounces his prediction.
In the first century, Facebook and Twitter are not around to record his predictions. If something does not go well, no one else needs to know.
Injuricus, after all, is not completely reliable.
The Bible, on the other hand, is completely reliable. Unlike the prognostications given to Injuricus’ clients, the Bible does not always tell us what we want to hear. Instead, it tells us what we need to know.
I have always found it interesting that the Jews kept such detailed and accurate records of their failures. A majority of the stories in the Old Testament are about the failings and shortcomings of the Hebrews and their leaders. The successes recorded there are not about how smart or courageous the Jews are, but how God intervenes to protect and provide for Israel.
The prophecies in the Old Testament provide a roadmap to the future. They show us God’s sovereignty over time and future events. They also point to the coming of Jesus. Take the book of Jonah, for example.
As a prophet, Jonah is worse than a failure. He is a quitter. Confronted with the job of prophesying to people he does not approve of, he runs the other way. You have heard the expression, “To the ends of the earth?” Well, if Nineveh was at one end of the earth, Jonah was heading for the opposite end.
Eventually, Jonah has to obey God. Real prophets do not get to pick their messages or the people that they are to speak to. His story is short, and to our eyes improbable. Yet Jonah’s entire journey turns out to be a prophecy (see Matthew 12:40, 16:4).
The “prophetic message” that Peter refers to spans centuries and is never wrong. The record is there for everyone to see. Unlike Injuricus, who hides his failures and embellishes his occasional correct guess, Scripture is based on revelation from God. It is up to us to discern what is prophetic writing from what is historical record. There are many levels of subtlety in God’s revelation, but the record remains unchanged. It stands as a testimony to the eternal God.
Application: As you read God’s Word, keep your eye out for how passages are related to past or future events.
Food for Thought: What are examples of modern prophets who might not have the connection with God that Jonah did.
“A prophet in search of a profit”… 😊.
As to the question: I would say just turn on the TV to any prophet with a new word from the Lord.
Rich,
I was reading in Jeremiah this morning (Chapter 20) and Jeremiah is complaining that being a prophet of God is hard, but that he cannot help it:
“But if I say, “I will not mention his word
or speak anymore in his name,”
his word is in my heart like a fire,
a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in;
indeed, I cannot.” (Jeremiah 20:9)
Injuricus’ motives are quite different. He serves his own self-interests, quite unlike Jeremiah who suffered because of his prophecies instead of garnering any kind of benefit outside of God’s favor.
So yes, how does the prophet profit is a good question for determining who they work for. 🙂
10-09-2021, 2 Peter 1:19b, What are examples of modern prophets who might not have the connection with God that Jonah did.
Years ago BSF took a summer break. Sometime during the year we had studied false prophets and one brother and I thought it might be educational if we attended some of these off brand churches during the summer, to see some of these false prophets up close and personal. It was a very sad experience. The fast talkers, some men, some women, were busy telling others how to harness the power in themselves and rise to higher levels of existence as Jesus had. They gathered what money the could from people who were emotionally, psychologically, spiritually and monetarily broken.
Today is different. The compromise, and false teachings are in churches we once viewed as biblically solid, and people like Benny Hen, Joel Olsteen, Schuler and Baker, Roberts have led thousands away from God. Bible based no longer means “Bible Based” instead it is often someones very one special revelation of God’s word.
The largest church in the world is led by a man who is viewed as infallible by all people in the church. They worship and pray to dead people, and must confess their sins to, and be forgiven by their local church leader. Held in bondage and without direct contact to Christ. The Mormons claim to believe in Christ of the Bible, but do all their teachings from the book of Mormon and Pearls of great price, baptism for the dead and place personal works, and heritage as having great value in the church. Every good Morman will spend two years in the mission field and knows exactly how many generations His family has been Mormon.
the Bible warns us about false prophets Matthew 7:15-16, Mathew 23, Teachers and practices 1 Timothy 4:1-3, 6:3-7, and demonically inspired teachers, and genealogies.
We live by Gods word and the conviction of the Holy Spirit.Anyone who teaches anything other than Gods word should be considered questionable. Consistent false teachings should be fled from as fast as we can go.
Ron,
I appreciate what you and others bring to the table as we explore these verses together. My question for today was grounded in my observations of worldly “prophets” that claim to predict the future for a buck. You and Rich are both tracking real-life false prophets.
At the end of the Bible (Revelation 21: 18-19) there is a warning against adding to or taking away from God’s Word.
As you point out, it is wise to avoid such teachings, and wiser still to avoid being such a teacher.
I agree to the comments already. I’ve always valued the opinions of the wise that leave the comments on this blog. But like most of the time my mind has been created to work differently and think a little different. I would like to include those that are misleading people by selling them idols of this world. Stock market gurus, politicians, get rich scammers. Anyone that trys to distract people from Christ or the Word of God and trys to sell them on something else to fill a void that only God can fill.
Amen, Mr. T!
Well said.