The Power of the Prophetic Voice
Teacher
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Lesson 9
BASIC BIBLICAL TEXT
1 Kings 17.1,13-16
18.44,45
BASIC BIBLICAL TEXT
1 Kings 17.1,13
1Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”
13Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son.
BASIC BIBLICAL TEXT
1 Kings 17.14-16
14For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”
15She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family.
16For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.
BASIC BIBLICAL TEXT
44The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”
45Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel.
1 Kings 18.44,45
GOLDEN TEXT
2 Peter 1.19
We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
AIMS
Comprehend that the prophet and the message are inseparables;
Be aware that oppositions and barriers will always be raised in order to limit or silence the prophetic voice;
Understand that the prophetic voice is not only for Christians but also, it’s a changing factor for society as a whole.
INTRODUCTION
Today's lesson will address the relationship between the prophet, his message, and the oppositions these prophets faced throughout their lives because of their ministry.
And, finally, some characteristics of the prophetic voice will be presented.
1.THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PROPHET
AND THE MESSAGE
The prophetic word is the very voice of God, given to the prophet. Upon receiving it, the predictor is transformed; and being transformed, that message becomes an inseparable part of him.
1.1. The received word transforms and constitutes the prophet
There is no way to separate the prophet's message from his person. The message is not something he memorized and then he can forget.
The message given to him is imprinted on his spirit. It is part of his own constitution as a person.
The prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel and the apostle John, had to eat the Word so that they could prophesy. Just as food becomes part of our physical constitution, the prophet becomes constituted by the Word that fills his bowels, as the prophet Ezekiel says.
Eating the words, the scroll or the book, was a colorful way of saying that Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and John should announce only the words that God had given them, nothing more. Eating, in this context, means accepting and assimilating the divine message, which is sweet because it comes from God, and bitter because it proclaims harsh judgments.
1.2. The prophet’s commitment to the message
This other name given to prophets is the translation of two Hebrew words: ro'eh or hozeh. Apparently, the first term is the oldest, used in 1 Samuel 9:9.
The term prophet refers to the objective function of God's messenger, that is, the proclamation of his message. The name seer, in turn, has a more subjective connotation, that is, he was someone who received a vision from God. That which was hidden from others would be revealed to this seer. In 1 Chronicles 21:9, the prophet Gad is called David's seer, implying that he was a kind of personal advisor to the king.
1.3. God’s commitment to the prophetic voice
The prophetic voice has its authority, because God told the prophet to speak, but there are cases where the prophet speaks, and God endorses his message.
In 1 Kings 17:1 Did Elijah have prior knowledge of what God wanted to do, or did he simply know that God would endorse his sentence?
The prophet Elisha smote the waters of the Jordan, after receiving the mantle of his mentor (2 Kings 2:14). There was no specific command from God for him to do so.
Annoyed with the boys who made fun of his baldness, Elisha releases a word, and forty-two boys are killed (2 Kings 2.23,24). This leads us to conclude that there is a divine commitment to the prophetic voice.
2. THE OPPOSITION TO THE
PROPHETIC VOICE
Prophets often had to deal with personal crises and all sorts of opposition.
2.1 Different kinds of opposition
The Old Testament prophets suffered various kinds of opposition.
2.1.1 apathy and indifference
Jesus suffered the contempt of a whole nation (John 1:11; Acts 4:11). Knowing that his disciples would also face the negligence of his hearers, He directs them to shake off the dust from their feet (Mark 6:11).
God warns Ezekiel about the Jews exiled in Babylon: Behold, you are to them like a love song, the song of one who has a sweet voice and who speaks well; because they hear your words, but do not do them (Ezek 33:32).
2.1.2 conspiracy
In Nazareth, the city where Jesus grew up - that is, the place where everyone knew him as well as his family - we see that contempt reached the level of hatred, which led people to conspire against his life (Lk 4:29 ).
The prophet Jeremiah speaks of a conspiracy against him (Jeremiah 11:19), and God himself warns him: Even your brothers and your father's house, they themselves have dealt disloyally with you (...) Do not trust in them (Jer 12:6).
2.1.3 violent oposition
When Jesus learns of Herod's intention to kill him, he declares the famous phrase: Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you (Lk 13:34)!
This speech seems to give life to the parable of the evil farmers, told by Jesus in Matthew 21:33-41.
3. FOUR CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROPHETIC VOICE
As a man of faith, who speaks in the name of God, one might assume that the prophet is a merely religious figure, but that is a big mistake.
The prophet is a man connected with God and to people’s problems. His performance normally transcends the religious environment. His voice almost always touches on social and political concepts.
3.1 A voice with authority
By calling Jeremiah, God made clear the authority of the prophetic voice (Jer 1:10). This means authority over authorities.
Prophets validate new forms of government (1 Sam 8); they anoint new kings (1 Sam 10:1; 1 Kings 19:15,16); they correct rulers, if necessary (1 Sam 15:10-23; 2 Sam 12:1-14); confirm the division of a kingdom and the emergence of a new dynasty (1 Kings 11:30-39). There are many other examples in this regard.
3.2 A voice with social influence
The text that narrates the arrival of Samuel in Bethlehem reveals the importance of the prophet for that community (1 Sam 16:4). Not just anyone was arriving, but someone worthy of being welcomed by the important people because they would address socially important issues.
In a historic moment when the nation of Israel was torn between serving God or Baal, the prophet Elijah took the initiative to gather the people in a great event to present a definitive solution to the problem (1 Kings 18:19-21). No other prophet would have the courage and influence to stand in such a way and bring those people back to the ways of the Lord, thus eliminating the threat that would wipe God out of the chosen nation's history.
3.3 A voice that directs
When people needed to make a decision, they usually turned to prophets. Like navigators, who looked to the stars to decide their routes, they looked to the counsel of the prophets for the right path to follow. Hearing this voice is crucial to being successful in any journey (2 Chr 20.20).
David is a great example of someone who always consulted the Lord to make his decisions: he did this when he wanted to know where his first capital would be (2 Samuel 2.1); he also did this in his first battle against the Philistines, at which time he uttered the famous question: Will I go up against the Philistines? Will we deliver them into my hands? (2 Sam 5.19)
3.4 A voice of hope in the midst of crisis
After David's unfortunate idea of conducting a national census, the nation was punished by an epidemic that killed seventy thousand men. In the midst of this crisis, God's answer, which would restore peace to the nation, came in the voice of the prophet Gad (2 Samuel 24:18-25).
Another example occurred during the Syrian king's siege of Samaria. The lack of food reached such a level that a donkey's head started to cost eighty silver bars. Even pigeon manure started to be sold. In the midst of this crisis, God raises up the prophet Elisha with the following statement: Tomorrow, about this time, there will be a measure of flour for a shekel, and two measures of barley, for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria (2 Kings 7.1 ).
CONCLUSION
The prophetic voice is the voice of a just, merciful, and compassionate God. As harsh as this voice may seem in situations, it is the voice of a shepherd trying to save his sheep from the abyss.
As uncomfortable as this voice sounds, it is the sound of a siren that warns of impending danger; blow the horn in Zion and cry with a loud voice in the mount of my holiness; let all the inhabitants of the land be troubled, for the day of the Lord is coming, he is near (Joel 2:1).
GOD BLESS YOU!
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