Jonah 1, Jeremiah 23:9-40, 1 Corinthians14:1-5, 2 Timothy 3:16-17
The prophets of old are the mouthpiece of God. They are the ones who proclaim God’s word, God’s truth and God’s revelation to God’s people. This is how they knew what was of God and what was not of God. In this devotional, I want us to focus on two things: 1. God uses broken people to speak his truth for his glory. 2. God still uses prophecy today, it just looks different.
Today we read the stories of Jonah’s disobedience and Jeremiah’s prophecy against the defiled prophets. Why? I wanted you to read that false prophecies exist, and prophets are sinful too. Jonah’s racism leads him to disobedience. He didn’t like what God told him, so he ran. This was common of prophets in that day - no one wanted to be like Jeremiah who was constantly telling Israel how sinful they were and that the Lord’s wrath was coming. They only wanted a prophecy of peace and blessings. God is the one giver of peace and blessing, when those things give him glory.
“But the one who prophesies speaks to people for edification, exhortation, and consolation.” (1 Corinthians 14:3) All God’s prophets (Old Testament and New Testament) are used to push God’s people towards him for God’s glory among the nations. That is why repentance is for all people - even prophets.
If prophecy is still existent today, how come we don’t see people shouting “thou sayeth the Lord''? I can hear God speak clearly but it must align with God’s given specific revelation - scripture. God uses his prophets today to do exactly what Paul is talking about in 1 Corinthians 14, but we also look to what he says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Our revelations cannot contradict God’s breathed out scripture.
What does this mean for the church? What does it mean for you who are reading this thinking you may have this gift? It means that we study diligently God’s word. It means we are those who look to God’s word, ask to hear his voice and speak truth to edify the Church. Edify means to instruct. So we as followers, in line with scripture, point the church to God - as what every prophet does for all time. We don’t let people or culture intimidate us into silence, but lean on the Spirit to use us to speak truth in gentleness and love.
We speak truth to build up one another that God’s glory may be seen amongst every tribe, tongue and nation.