In our continuing series on the relevance of the message of the prophets for today, Jock Stein looks at the Prophet Micah.

Micah was a seer (Mic 1:1), looking from God's perspective at cities, leaders and the events of three reigns that spanned some 50 years, from 740 to 690 BC. It is the lot of a prophet to see things and people as they really are before God, and that can be painful (Mic 1:8).

Judgment on Samaria and Jerusalem

The book of Micah begins with a word addressed to all the world but concerning two small parts of it, Samaria and Jerusalem. What God does in one location is to become a sign to many, just as Micah's weeping and wailing is to be a sign to all people (Mic 1:8). His actions are a prelude to judgment, for Samaria and Jerusalem are to be destroyed (Mic 1:6; 3:12).

It is a long time since a British city faced destruction – but the Lockerbie disaster and, more recently, the 2005 terror attacks in London are just tiny hints of what could so easily occur to our major cities. For decades the ultimate threat has been that of nuclear war, but many have chosen to ignore such dangers. In God's providence, nuclear catastrophe has so far been kept at bay.

The threat of global disaster is still there, however, as nuclear know-how proliferates, environmental pollution grows, and information systems become ever more vulnerable to 'knock-out'.

But Micah warns us that the reality of judgment is not some vague and distant threat, but comes at specific times to specific cities. It is unexpected, although not unheralded, and will come at a time when people are eating, drinking and getting married (Matt 24:38). It occurs as a result of the sins of a nation's leaders (Mic 2:1-2).

It is the lot of a prophet to see things and people as they really are before God.

Calling Leaders to Account

The prophet looks the leaders of Israel squarely in the eye, calling them to account (Mic 3). Many different elements go to make up the life of a nation, each one the responsibility of leaders whose job it is to know what is right, to love that which is righteous, and to do the right thing (Mic 3:1-2; 6:8). Those with responsibility could be categorised as follows:

• Those with political power (princes, elders and military officials)
• Those with economic power (landowners, accumulators of wealth and merchants)
• Those with judicial power (judges and elders)
• Those with religious power (prophets and priests)

But who would fit into such categories today?

The 'Movers and Shakers'

These are the people who make things happen: the cabinet ministers, captains of industry and so on. Others are less well known, but make up what used to be thought of as the 'Establishment'.

However, the scene has changed in Britain, not least with the incursion of 'European' directives, the Thatcherite revolution, the decline in power of the Trade Unions, the royal family's loss of credibility, and the demise of 'consensus government'.¹

For years, Britain has relied for its ethical stability on a moral consensus among 'the good and the great'. This would no longer appear to hold - indeed, sadly, today's 'movers and shakers' are more likely to reflect the interests of the rich and powerful than the poor.

It may well be that Christians within politics and the media, like the Jews in exile, have few options. But those in leadership - whatever their religious beliefs - are called to know, love and follow that which is good.

For years, Britain's ethical stability has relied on a moral consensus among 'the good and the great' – but this no longer appears to hold.

Police, Legislators and the Courts

Britain once had an excellent reputation for its legal system, judges and police, a reputation now tarnished through allegations of corruption and cover-ups. Many who work in the inner city, or on marginalised council estates, are quick to point out similar instances of injustice.

Our assessment of the situation may partly be coloured by the unreasonable expectations we have of the police to contain problems that in fact stem from decades of neglecting the moral and social fabric of society. It is clear that Britain's laws tend to favour the rich rather than the poor, though we have not yet reached the cruelty of 19^th Century France as portrayed by Victor Hugo in the novel Les Miserables. Micah reminds us that true justice is a matter of practice as well as of theory - that even good laws will fail to provide blessing unless those who carry them out act justly. In Micah 6:8 we read, "The Lord has told you mortals what is good, and what it is that the Lord requires of you: only to act justly, to love loyalty, to walk humbly with your God" (Revised English Version).

Church Leaders

Micah's word in 3:11 is most obviously addressed to those who preach a gospel of 'health and wealth', claiming the authority of Scripture for promises of blessing, when in reality judgment is about to fall.

And yet, when judgment occurs, the people "must go to Babylon", into the place of exile, in order that they might be saved. There is no easy road to blessing. So it is today, the rich Christians in Britain who "spin words" (Mic 2:6) may be saved, yet only just (1 Cor 3:15).

Micah's word is addressed to all leaders, not just the religious ones. Government can never be morally neutral, with politicians simply acting as referees, holding the ring for different sectors of society to have a 'fair fight'. Instead, those in authority are to look after the poor, restrain evil and promote what is good. It is this which creates conditions for prosperity and peace.

Christians Have a Special Responsibility

Yet no government can change the heart of a nation. Only the Lord can "lead the way" (Mic 2:13). That is why Christians, and Christian leaders in particular, have a special responsibility for the life of the nation. They should intercede, speak out and be a prophetic people, living out the word of God in such a way that unbelievers who see their lifestyles are challenged.

The book of Micah is not a weapon with which Christians can self-righteously knock the Government - is a call for us to repent.

The book of Micah is not a weapon with which Christians can knock the Government in self-righteous fashion, but is a call for us to repent. We need to see clearly that the result of disobedience is the withdrawal of God's hand. We need to embrace the promise of God (Mic 4), that beyond the days of exile lies a blessing for the world, a peace and prosperity born of loyalty to the Lord.

The word of God comes from Jerusalem (Mic 4:2). It is anchored in the specifics of God's revelation through Israel. What light still has to come from the book of Micah may not yet be clear to us - but we need to "watch for the Lord" (Mic 7:7), and intercede with him, for it is written, "You do not stay angry for ever, but delight to show mercy" (Mic 7:18).

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 10 No 2, March 1994. Revised July 2016.

Notes

1 These examples date from when the article was first published. Time has now moved on – more recent trends include the move to globalism, centralising world government and creating notable weaknesses in national leadership across the world. Even though the UK is withdrawing from Europe, we are still experiencing weakened leadership through division in our political parties and across the nation, accompanied by a rise in 'people power' fuelled in part by rapid communication through social media.

Over the next few weeks, we will be re-publishing a series from the original Prophecy Today magazine, looking at the Old Testament prophets and the relevance of their message today.

Prophecy Then and Now

Before we seek to learn from the examples of the prophets, it must be understood that there are significant differences between the prophetic ministry in the Old Testament and the prophetic ministry today.

For one thing, the biblical prophets (speaking and writing under the influence of the Holy Spirit) were used by God to create part of the canon of Scripture. Today the canon is complete. Modern prophetic speech and writing should be assessed by it and subject to its authority – it should not add to it.

Secondly, the Old Testament prophets were often lone voices, whereas today prophecy has been shared out among believers as a whole-Body ministry. Whilst individuals are still called and gifted prophetically, they now function within the Body of Messiah and are accountable to it. 'Lone voice' prophets are raised up only when the leadership structures within the Body have gone so badly astray that true accountability is no longer possible.

With this context established, we turn first to the ministry and message of Amos, who in the eighth century BC was the earliest of the writing prophets in the Bible.

WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE, WHO NEEDS ENEMIES?

John Fieldsend looks at the Prophet Amos.

Owing to the way in which our Bibles are laid out we could easily miss the impact that Amos must have had on his listeners and readers, because he was almost certainly the first of a new line of prophets who were now to confront Israel and Judah with their sins for several centuries to come.

Not only did he represent the appearance of a new type of ministry, but he arrived out of the blue, uninvited, unauthorised and without any credentials - in his own words, "neither a prophet nor a prophet's son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees" (Amos 7:14).

A Southerner from the tribe of Judah, Amos crossed the border into Israel to preach a dynamic, immediately challenging and socially and politically uncompromising message. But it was more than a just a challenge to social and moral corruption and the need for reformation. The prophet was captivated by his vision of the holiness of God - a holiness which demanded judgment upon all the nations of the world - but particularly one that would befall the people whom God had called into a special covenant relationship with him. Because his message was immediately relevant it remains permanently so, for men's hearts have not changed, and similar situations recur in different guises in every generation.

A New Style of Ministry

We cannot be sure of the exact date when Amos began his ministry but most biblical scholars think that Amos preceded Hosea by about 15 years and Isaiah by about 20 years. It could be that there was a period of overlap between these three men's ministries (for Hosea and Isaiah there clearly was an overlap).

As we begin to look at Amos, we need to understand that God was here bringing a new style of ministry into the life of Israel and Judah. It is not that prophets were unknown before; from Samuel onwards the prophetic ministry was part of Israel's heritage. But from the time of Amos we have prophets who not only spoke to particular situations, but who also wrote prophetically to the wider social order in which they lived.

From Amos onwards, we see prophets emerging who not only spoke into specific situations, but also wrote prophetically about the wider social order.

Implicit in Israel's mono-theism was the belief that God was Lord of all the nations of the world, but Amos brought out the fuller implications of that truth. His opening words were thundering denunciations of the injustice and conduct of the nations surrounding Israel. Through these he must have received the applause of those in Israel who heard him preach: one nation after another was denounced in God's name for the cruelty of their campaigns of military expansion under which Israel, as well as other nations, had suffered so much.

Now, however, Israel was experiencing something of a political and economic revival. Its people felt that the Lord was once again smiling upon them, and they were savouring the promise of divine retribution on their enemies.

But even as they applauded these sentiments, Amos thrust home not only the logic of God's total sovereignty and unquestionable justice, but also the full implications of what it meant for Israel to be the covenant people of the living God, "You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your sins" (Amos 3:2).

Not only did these threats strike at the root of what they understood as being the 'chosen' people; they hit especially hard because they were spoken at a time when - as we have just seen - Israel's political and economic fortunes were on the up and up. In one sentence Amos demolished two of the people's false foundations: a wrong understanding of what it meant to be 'chosen', and the view that prosperity was in itself a sign of God's favour.

Amos demolished the people's false assumptions about what it meant to be God's 'chosen' nation.

Amos did not, of course, deny the fact of God's covenant and of Israel's unique relationship with the Lord. Rather, he highlighted its significance, "Do two walk together unless they have agreed?...Does a lion roar...when he has no prey?...Does a bird fall into a trap where no snare has been set?" (Amos 3:3-5).

With a series of rhetorical questions Amos presses home his authority, "Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. The lion has roared - who will not fear? The Sovereign Lord has spoken - who can but prophesy?" (Amos 3:7-8).

Learning to Sift 'Prophecy'

There is so much that is socially, morally and politically relevant to the situation in which we ourselves live. It stares us in the face if we read the book of Amos with honest and open hearts. But it is the element of prophecy that I want to concentrate on, because there are so many voices that would speak to us in the Lord's name, and so much that is offered to us as being his word. How can we test such voices? By what principles can we sift that which is pressed upon us? How do we discern the wheat from the chaff?

Factual Fulfilment is Not Enough

The test of a prophet (according to Deuteronomy 18:22) is whether the things he/she prophesies actually come to pass. That test surely demands that prophecies are of a clear and distinct nature.

The test of a prophet is whether the things he or she prophesies actually come to pass.

Important though this is, however, it is not enough for 'prophecies' (and, in a similar vein, 'words of knowledge') to be factual in content. They can be factual and still not of the Lord. An obvious example is the girl possessed of a demonic spirit in Acts 16:16-18. Deuteronomy 13:1-5 gives us other vital principles regarding the testing of prophecy:

• Is it scriptural?
• Is it honouring to God?
• Does it draw the recipients of the prophecy nearer to God, or does it lead them away from him into error?
• Is the person giving the prophecy seeking God's honour or promoting his or her own status?

The same principles apply to other spiritual gifts, for example Acts 8:18-19; 19:13-16.

Spiritual Power is Dynamite

It is an awesome thought that in this matter of prophecy, indeed in the whole area of life in the Spirit, we are handling dynamite (literally, 'dunamis'). It would be convenient if, when its power was abused, God saw to it that the fuse somehow did not ignite.

However, that would be too artificial, and would negate our real humanity. Yet this has all too frequently been the teaching of the church, and in so doing it has trivialised the reality and objectivity of the life of God's Spirit in his church.

When the gifts of God are deliberately prostituted or just carelessly trivialised, they are not merely nullified - that would be too easy and convenient. They become the vehicle of God's judgment and - more distressingly - can become the vehicle of Satan's deception. It is therefore incumbent upon the Church, and especially its leadership, to discern where this is happening and to exercise its discipline with love, and yet with firmness. That is why, especially in the area of spiritual gifts, we need structures in which there is real accountability.

Spiritual power is dynamite - when the gifts of God are deliberately prostituted they become vehicles of his judgment.

We are not to create witch-hunts or seek to create the 'perfect church', but where we see people in positions of leadership and influence abusing spiritual power, we must not remain silent.

Speaking the Truth in Love

The parable of the wheat and tares recounted in Matthew 13:24-30 is sometimes wrongly put forward as an excuse to eschew this difficult task. The true interpretation of this parable is given an eschatological context by Jesus himself in verses 36-43. The teaching does not absolve the church from the responsibility of discerning the origin and nature of its spiritual life, nor its leadership from taking appropriate action.

Where error is seen to persist outside the area of our own leadership responsibility, and where such error is causing havoc among God's people, we cannot simply ignore it by remaining silent.

The pronouncement of God's judgment by Amos was specific, although having worldwide relevance. As a citizen of the Southern Kingdom he did not hesitate to speak against the specific sin of its Northern neighbour (Amos 7:10-17). Apparent interference in the life of a community other than our own is, of course, a serious matter, but we have to speak the truth to one another in love.

When error persists and causes havoc among God's people, we cannot simply ignore it by remaining silent.

Christians are all members of One Body, and we are responsible for one another and to one another, even across the divisions in the Church. We need one another. We need to encourage one another. We need to give and receive from one another all the riches of God's bounty. But, where necessary, we need to speak words of warning and godly discipline, even where we may be accused of it being 'none of our business'. That was part of the prophetic ministry of Amos that is still relevant for us today.

Originally published in Prophecy Today, Vol 11 No 4, July/Aug 1995.

For other articles in this series, click here.

There are many prophecies currently in circulation to do with Britain and her future in/out of the EU. Will you join with us so we can test these as a community?

The up-coming EU Referendum is drawing Christians all around the nation to think and pray about the direction in which Britain and Europe are headed. There have been a number of recent prophecies circulating churches and prayer groups, many of which call the UK to come out of the EU and give warnings about the direction in which the EU will eventually go.

It could not be more important for Christians to test these prophecies – so we are beginning a new series through which we might, as a community of faith, do this together. It also seems a pertinent time to re-print and test other significant prophecies for our nation that have been given historically.

Expecting Bias

In recent discussions within the Prophecy Today team we have noted that we should expect human bias in all contemporary prophecies, as a matter of course. Each of us is at a certain point in our biblical understanding and is still growing and this can shape the way we hear and speak out what we feel God is saying. We may also have denominational bias or be influenced by our educational background or life experiences.

There have been a number of recent prophecies about the EU circulating churches and prayer groups – it could not be more important for these to be tested.

There are times when the prophetic word is so strong that these biases are bypassed but we need not be embarrassed to put all prophecy to the test, or to question some elements of it. Sometimes we may deliver part of a prophecy accurately and then 'add a bit'. We are not the next Isaiah or Jeremiah, but part of the body of believers – a prophetic people acting together. All prophecy must be thoroughly tested and then we can be sure we really do have the word of God, as he confirms the understanding of his word to his people.

Seeing Prophecies in Context

Prophecy Today began in 1986 after major conferences in Israel where attention was drawn to Haggai's prophecy, repeated in the Book of Hebrews, concerning the shaking of the nations. We believe that this is the era we are in now and this is a prime reason for our re-publishing Prophecy Today online at this time. Though this view is still subject to testing, including by our readers, it continues to shape our work.

The outworking of this prophecy is involving much detail, and the prophecy itself fits into an overall 'end time' perspective. Among the issues for us to understand, therefore, is the UK's continuing membership of the EU – because whichever way we go, consequences will follow.

We believe we that the UK's membership in the EU needs to be understood in context of the wider fulfilment of Haggai's prophecy of a final great shaking of the nations.

Testing Prophecies: Things to Note

Testing of prophecy is best done methodically. We have chosen to begin our series by outlining three broad principles – though for a comprehensive testing, we recommend the list of 12 tests compiled by Dr Clifford Hill.¹

First, we know that sometimes God will do things unconditionally, even overriding human will (e.g. whilst steering us through a time of need), but apart from these times, most predictive prophecies (i.e. promises of blessing or judgment) are conditional. In these cases, 'if' is one of the big words of the Bible, and we would expect 'ifs' to feature within most contemporary prophecy.

Secondly, when we believe that the Lord has spoken, even if we feel strongly that it is from him, it is usually more helpful to ask others to test the prophecy using the words "I believe the Lord may be saying..." rather than as a direct word: "The Lord says...".

Thirdly, in testing prophecy for nations other than Israel, our reference point comes from Jeremiah 18. Jeremiah had been taken to the potter's house. Whilst telling Jeremiah what was to become of Judah, using the potter as a metaphor for how God could reform Judah, the following was revealed as God's promise for any nation: "If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned" (Jer 18:7) (note the ongoing nature of the prophecy and also the 'if').

In testing prophecy for nations other than Israel, our reference point comes from Jeremiah 18.

This Week: Test the 'Mother Barbara Prophecy'

Over the coming weeks we want to lay out some prominent prophecies spoken through the last century about our nation, and test them together. Take time alone in prayer and in prayer groups to do this.

This week, let us go back to reconsider a prophecy that has encouraged many Christians, especially women's prayer groups such as the Lydia Fellowship, for decades. This is the prophecy of 1911 passed on to Mother Barbara by Bishop Aristocoli shortly before his death:

Tell the women they must belong absolutely to God. They must believe in the great things that are happening that God is doing on the earth. They must prepare their souls, their children and their husbands. And they will have very much work to do for God. Oh, what a great work the women will have to do in the end time, and the men will follow them. Not one country will be without trial – do no be frightened of anything you will hear.

An evil will shortly take Russia and wherever this evil comes rivers of blood will flow. This evil will take the whole of the world and wherever it goes rivers of blood will flow because of it. It is not the Russian soul but an imposition of the Russian soul. It is not an ideology or a philosophy, but a spirit from hell.

In the last days Germany will be divided in two.

France will be just nothing.

Italy will be judged by natural disasters.

Britain will lose her empire and all her colonies and will come to almost total ruin, but will be saved through praying women.

America will feed the world, but will finally collapse.

Russia and China will destroy each other. Finally, Russia will be free and from her believers will go forth and turn many nations to God.

Let us begin to test aspects of this:

• Helpful Style: In what has come to be known as 'The Mother Barbara Prophecy', there is no claim that it is indeed a prophecy – no "thus saith the Lord" – more measured exhortation (though there is a prophetic nature to the foretelling of the future).
• Standing the Test of Time: Much has come to pass in world history which seems to verify the prophecy, especially relating to Russia and Germany, though Germany is now reunited. Now we are in the time when clarity is needed, since implications for contemporary Europe seem to be bound up in the last sections.
• Lack of Clarity: There has been tremendous encouragement for women called to prayer that through answered prayer Britain will be saved, yet what does it mean for a nation to be saved?
• Lack of Conditions: The prophecy states that Britain will be saved, but gives no conditions on such salvation.

What else do you notice about this prophecy? We encourage you to weigh it using the twelve tests of prophecy discussed previously, to assess once more this prophetic word in the light of Britain today and its relationship with the EU.

Do post your responses below for others to see, or email them in for our consideration.

Next week: Smith Wigglesworth's 1947 prophecy

References

1 Hill, C. Prophecy Past and Present: An Exploration of the Prophetic Ministry in the Bible and the Church. Copies available from the Issachar Ministries office – email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Edmund Heddle's series on the prophetic ministry comes to a close as we study the greatest prophet of all: Jesus the Messiah.

"Are you the one who was to come or should we expect someone else?" The question which John the Baptist addressed to Jesus from his prison cell is the one that had echoed down the ages of biblical history. "Are you the coming one?" (in Greek ho erkomenos) (Matt 11:3).

Messiah's Threefold Office

The 'coming one', called Messiah because he was anointed by God's Spirit for his ministry (Isa 61:1), had a threefold office to fulfil: prophetic, priestly and kingly. He was to be a prophet to save us from our ignorance, a priest to save us from our guilt and a king to save us from our self-will.

Eusebius, one of the early church fathers, spoke of him as "the only High Priest of all men, the only king of all creation and the Father's only supreme prophet of prophets". In Christ all the prophecies of Old Testament Scripture are fulfilled, as Peter told his hearers in one of his earliest sermons: "Indeed. all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days...the promises of God through the prophets are for you, and you share in the covenant which God made with your ancestors" (Acts 3:24-25, Good News Bible).

The promised Messiah was to be a prophet to save us from our ignorance, a priest to save us from our guilt and a king to save us from our self-will.

The Prophet God Will Raise Up

We now turn our attention to the role of prophet and seek to understand how Israel was made to expect the coming of a prophet. In Deuteronomy 18:15, Moses announces: "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him".

Fuller details of the raising up of this prophet are given in verses 15-18. First, he will be raised up by God, he will not be appointed by the men of Israel or their leaders. He will be God's choice. Secondly, he will be like Moses and resemble his ideals and outlook. Thirdly, he will be "one of your own people". No foreigner will be appointed to that office. He will speak God's words and God's people are required to obey him in an unquestioning way. There will be serious consequences for those who refuse to obey. God himself will make him answer for any disobedience. This was the kind of prophet Israel was told to expect.

The Circumstances that Demanded a Prophetic Ministry

There are three reasons why it was important to receive the promise of a prophetic ministry at that time in Israel's history:

1. Moses their leader was shortly to be taken from them.

2. The promised land ahead was riddled with occultic and spiritualist practices (Deut 18:14)

3. They were afraid of God's voice and the fiery aura that surrounded him. "For this is what you your¬selves begged of God at Mount Horeb. There at the foot of the mountain you begged that you might not have to listen to the terrifying voice of God again, or see the awesome fire on the mountain, lest you die" (Deut 18:16, Living Bible).

The promise of a prophet who would speak only God's words was of vital importance to the Israelites as they proceeded into Canaan, where horrible practices such as the offering of live babies into Molech's dreadful fire were conducted. How such a practice must have grieved a loving God! The Israelites would find themselves among peoples who practised divination, sorcery, witchcraft, casting spells, practising spiritualism, listening to mediums and calling up the spirits of the dead (Deut 18:10-13). Such customs are still carried out today in so-called Christian countries, bringing down the wrath of God on people who practice things he regards as destestable (Deut 18:12 and 14).

The Lord showed his approval of their reaction to his holiness: "The Lord said to me: What they say is good. I will do as they have requested. I will raise up for them a prophet" (Deut 18:17, 18).

Israel needed the promise of a prophetic ministry. Moses was to be taken from them, they were afraid to hear God directly and the land of promise ahead was riddled with witchcraft.

A Succession of Prophets?

The text of Scripture refers to one single prophet (Deut 18:15 and 18). Moffatt in his translation refers to a succession of prophets in his rendering: "The eternal your God will raise up for you prophet after prophet like myself". It is clear on reflection that both are true.

Moses is requesting a prophet who will go into action as soon as they enter the Promised Land and who will continually stand up against the powers of darkness throughout the coming years of the nation's history. Clearly a succession of prophets would be necessary to accomplish this obligation. The New Testament places the stress on one exceptional prophet, concerning which the question of John the Baptist was asked, "Are you the one who was to come or should we expect someone else?" (Matt 11:3).

Corporate or Individual?

In our understanding of the scriptures we need to realise that certain titles like 'the prophet', 'the servant of the Lord', 'the son of man' and others have both a corporate and an individual significance. To get the fullness of the meaning we need to accept both interpretations.

So to grasp the meaning of the Deuteronomy reference we need to see the ultimate appear-ance of some special person, one preceded by a long line of prophets who were able to speak God's word to their succeeding generations.

Jesus - the Final Fulfilment of Deuteronomy's Prophet

It is evident from the gospels that the believers had become convinced that Jesus was 'the prophet'. He is referred to as Jesus the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee (Matt 21:11). After the people saw the miracles that Jesus did they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world" (John 6:14). "On hearing his words, some of the people said surely this man is the Prophet" (John 7:40).

The central revelation conveyed to the people of Israel is that it is Jesus of Nazareth who is the fulfilment of the prophet promised by Moses and recorded in Deuteronomy. Peter in his sermon in Solomon's Porch at the Jerusalem Temple refers to Jesus, the one whom God raised up, as the fulfilment of the Deuteronomic prophecy (Acts 3:22-26).

The Deuteronomy prophecy refers to the ultimate appearance of some special person, preceded by a long line of prophets who spoke God's word to their succeeding generations.

The prophet "powerful in word and deed before God and all the people" is revealed by the Lord himself to the two travellers on the road to Emmaus. It is surely no wonder that, as they listened to his exposition of "Moses and all the prophets", their hearts burned within them (Luke 24:19-32).

Reasons Why People Believed Jesus to be the Prophet

The woman of Samaria cited the evidence that had led her to believe that Jesus was the prophet when she described to her fellow Samaritans how "he told me everything I ever did!" (John 4:29). The widow of Nain received back her dead son when Jesus said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" When the man subsequently started to talk the people were filled with awe and praised God. The crowd cried out, "A great prophet has appeared among us" (Luke 7:14-16).

On the last and greatest day of the feast, when Jesus was expounding the scriptures to both religious leaders and ordinary people, there was some discussion as to whether or not he was the prophet promised in the Old Testament scriptures. Some at least reached the right conclusion: "Surely this man is the Prophet" (John 7:40). There was, however, no clash of opinion after Jesus had fed the five thousand. "After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did they began to say, 'Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world'" (John 6:14}.

Some Had Difficulties in Accepting Jesus as the Prophet

The Jewish leaders refused to accept Jesus because he had come from Galilee. They were saying, "Look into it and you will find a prophet does not come out of Galilee" (John 7:52). But that was not all the scriptures had said about the Messiah's birthplace: "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler in Israel" (Mic 5:2). It was true that Jesus was brought up in Galilee. but it was in Judea that he was born.

After Jesus had opened the eyes of the blind man, the Pharisees were sent to investigate what had happened. The blind man had reached the only sensible conclusion that Jesus was a prophet and that he was operating with God's power. The religious leaders could not accept that conclusion because the man had been healed on the Sabbath (John 9:16, 17, 33).

There are still many people today who do not believe that Jesus is the prophet promised by Moses. Some have drawn inadequate conclusions by refusing, like the Pharisees, to accept parts of Scripture. Others do not acknowledge him because, like the religious leaders of the time of our Lord, they allow their own traditions to stand in the way of accepting the evidence which to ordinary people was so clear and convincing.

At the time, many people did not believe Jesus was the promised Prophet because they failed to accept parts of Scripture, or were blinded by their religious traditions.

God's Greatest Prophet

The answer to the question that has titled this series of Bible studies, What is a Prophet?, cannot be adequately answered simply by studying, as we have done, the prophets of the Bible. We need in the end to come face to face with Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth.

He, like Moses before him, "knew the Lord face to face" (Deut 34:10) but in his case uninterruptedly. Other prophets, like Samuel, were able to communicate God's word to the people (1 Sam 3:21). And what was true of Samuel was supremely true of Jesus in that God let none of his words fall to the ground (1 Sam 3:19).

Jesus is greater than Jonah (Luke 11:42), Solomon (Matt 12:42), Jacob (John 4:12), Abraham (John 8:53) and Moses himself, concerning whom the writer to the Hebrews said, "Jesus has been found worthy of greater honour than Moses" (Hebrews 3:3). To quote again the words of the early father Eusebius, Jesus is "the Father's only supreme prophet of prophets". Listen to him and learn to prophesy by his prophetic spirit.

If we are to understand what a prophet truly is, we must in the end come face to face with Jesus the Messiah.

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 7 No 6, November/December 1991.

Catch up with the rest of this series by following this link.

The New Testament points to the prophets as outstanding examples of patience in action. What can we learn from them?

When James, the Lord's brother and the leader of the church in Jerusalem, wrote a letter to the Christians of his day, he stressed the importance of patience and pointed to the prophets as an outstanding example of this quality. "Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord" (James 5:10).

Of the more than 50 commands in the 100 or so verses of this short letter, not the least significant for today's prophets is the command, "Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming" (James 5:7).

Examples of the Prophets' Patience

1. Job

Having referred to the patience of the prophets in general, James points to Job as a particular example of patience in suffering. This is the only place in which Job is mentioned in the New Testament. Job has traditionally been regarded as a prophet, and who can doubt that attribution when we consider his amazing picture of a Redeemer who would be resurrected and return to earth? "I know that my redeemer lives and that in the end he will stand upon the earth" (Job 19:25).

Meanwhile his patience had to withstand the vicious attack of his three friends, all of whom insisted that the terrible misfortunes Job had had to face were the result of some secret sin on his part.

Job's persevering patience has taught all subsequent prophets that hardships and, disappointments are not meaningless, but that God has some purpose and objective in them which will, in the end, fully justify what he has allowed us to go through.

Job's patience teaches us that hardships and disappointments are not meaningless, but that God has some purpose in them which will ultimately fully justify them.

2. Abraham

Abraham was called a prophet by his contemporaries (Gen 20:7) and, like Job, he had to wait for God to vindicate his purposes in him. God had promised him a son and many descendants:

A son coming from your own body will be your heir...Look up at the heavens and count the stars...so shall your offspring be...Abram believed the Lord and he credited it to him as righteousness. (Gen 15:4-6)

The writer to the Hebrews commends him for his patience: "And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised" (Heb 6:15). But that is not the whole story, for when there was a considerable delay in the fulfilment of God's promise and he and Sarah were beyond the age of child-bearing, Abraham agreed to Sarah's suggestion that he should father a child through Hagar. His impatience has had an awful consequence in subsequent history, as the angel foretold: "He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against every¬one and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility towards all his brothers" (Gen 16:12).

It is important that modern prophets should "let patience have her perfect work" (James 1:4, KJV).

Abraham's story shows that impatience - and taking matters into our own hands - can have awful consequences in subsequent history.

3. Moses

Moses is another example of an outstanding prophet who nevertheless lost out through impatience. Scripture teaches us that "no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face" (Deut 34:10). Moses was the prototype prophet, to be surpassed only by Jesus himself, concerning whom Moses said, "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him" (Deut 18:15).

Hosea tells us of the ministry of Moses in bringing Israel up out of Egypt: "The Lord used a prophet to bring Israel up from Egypt, by a prophet he cared for him" (Hos 12:13). But the Lord could not let Moses lead Israel into the promised land because of his impatience.

The Lord said to Moses, 'Take the staff...gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water...Moses said to them, 'Listen, you rebels'...Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you did not trust me enough to honour me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them'. (Num 20:7-12)

The Psalmist's commentary on the event tells us something of the emotions involved: "By the waters of Meribah they angered the Lord and trouble came to Moses because of them; for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses' mouth" (Ps 106:32-33).

It was not God but Moses who was angry with the people, and in his anger and impatience the Israelite leader struck the rock twice. If Moses had merely spoken to the rock, as he had been directed, the miracle would have pointed away from Moses to God and the Lord would have been glorified in the eyes of the people. As it was, the intended witness to God's power was confused, because the rock was struck twice and Moses attempted to do God's work in man's way.

Moses is another example of an outstanding prophet who nevertheless lost out through impatience, attempting to do God's work man's way.

Today's prophets need to remember that "the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God" (James 1:20 RSV), that impatience can spoil their presentation of the Lord's message. Notice that in the account of the rock being struck in Numbers 20 the verbs are plural: Moses and Aaron were held jointly responsible and neither was allowed to enter the Promised Land. Moses and Aaron acted together in their transgression and together they shared in the judgment. Today's prophets need to watch out that they are neither leading nor being led by their fellow prophets to go beyond what God has actually told them.

4. Simeon

Here is a man in whom patience had her perfect work. "There was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ" (Luke 2:25-26).

Simeon belonged to what has been called 'the quiet people', a group that included Zechariah the priest, Anna the prophetess and others who were "looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem" (Luke 2:38). Simeon had received a prophetic word informing him that he would not die before seeing the Messiah. He did not grow anxious as each year came and went but waited patiently for the fulfilment of the divine word he had received.

He must have often spoken of the promise of God and his conviction that it would be fulfilled, but by now he was an old man. However, he spent his time in the Temple precincts, which strengthened his patient anticipation that God would keep his promise.

Simeon is a man in whom patience had her perfect work, waiting until old age before God's promise to him was fulfilled.

Then one morning the child Jesus was brought to the Temple by his father and mother and Simeon knew that the moment he had been waiting for all these years had come. He took the child in his arms and praised the God who had fulfilled his promise in the words of his Nunc Dimittis: "Now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation" (Luke 2:29).

It is not given to us to know the day or the hour when Jesus will return but we may certainly sense that his coming is imminent (Matt 24:36). Like Simeon, we have the privilege of patiently awaiting his return. "For in just a very little while he who is coming will come and will not delay" (Heb 10:37).

The Written Prophets Teach Patient Waiting

Hosea says, "You must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always" (12:6). At a time when a man's enemies are members of his own household, Micah declares, "As for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Saviour; my God will hear me" (7:7). God speaks through Zephaniah and says, "Wait for me...for the day I will stand up to testify...to assemble the nations...to pour out my wrath on them" (3:8).

Jeremiah protests that it is not the idol gods that send down the rain. "No, it is you, O Lord our God. Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this" (14:22). Isaiah affirms the God who operates on behalf of his people: "Since ancient times no-one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him" (64:4). Isaiah sums up the happiness and security of those who wait for God in the words, "Blessed are all who wait for him!" (30:18). But they must wait patiently, as David writes in Psalm 37:7: "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him."

The prophets testify that God is our Saviour and justifier, our hope and portion. It is a blessing to watch and wait patiently for him.

I believe our patient waiting is precious to the Lord because it expresses our absolute confidence that he will not fail us and that all his promises to us will be kept.

Areas in Which a Prophet's Patience is Tested

The areas in which prophetic testing takes place are:

• Circumstances, where patience is the capacity for calmly enduring pain, delay, and other trying circumstances with an even temper.
• Other people, where patience is the equanimity that can cope with difficult people and their frustrating behaviour without getting worked up.
• God, where patience is the ability to go on trusting God when prayer appears to be unanswered and his promises remain apparently unfulfilled.
• Ourselves, when like the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane we are unable to keep awake, or on other occasions when we just cannot manage to call on our inner resources (Mark 14:40).

No 'Instant' Patience

We live at a time when 'instant' everything is the order of the day. We want the end-product but not the frustrating period of training or preparation. But there is no available supply of patience that we can call on. We can acquire it only by facing the things that make us impatient and by learning how to react to them - above all, by allowing the Holy Spirit's fruit of long-suffering and patience to get deeply rooted in our lives (Gal 5:22-23).

We can only acquire patience by facing the things that make us impatient, and learning how to react to them. Patience is a fruit that must be borne in us by the Holy Spirit.

In his teaching Jesus was keen on agricultural illustrations and following the parable of the sower he explains that the harvest the farmer looked for depended on his patience. "As for those in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience" (Luke 8:15 RSV).

Let the final word, as was the first, be from James' letter: "See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient...the Lord's coming is near" (James 5:7-8).

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 7 No 2, March/April 1991.

Part of the prophet's task is to correct the opinions and attitudes of God's people and their leaders. Examples of such correction may be found in all the Old Testament prophetic books - Edmund Heddle's study this week focuses on Malachi.

The prophecy of Malachi provides a clear illustration of how wrong ideas and mistaken habits on the part of the Children of Israel were corrected by the prophet, as he faithfully sought to get them to see things from God's point of view.

It is not certain whether the word 'Malachi' (which means 'my messenger') is a proper name or is the editor's title for an anonymous book (perhaps suggested by Malachi 3:1). This prophecy belongs to the period of Nehemiah's governorship, probably between his first (445 BC) and second visits (433 BC) to Jerusalem.

Two of the issues Nehemiah had sought to deal with are given prominence in Malachi. These were, first, neglect in sustaining the Temple services and the payment of tithes, and secondly, the divorcing of Hebrew wives and intermarriage with foreign women (Neh 10:37-39; Mal 3:8-10; Neh 13:23-27; Mal 2:11-16).

The framework of Malachi consists of seven dialogues between God on the one hand and Israel and her priests on the other (Mal 1:2; 1:6; 1:7; 2:13, 14; 2:17; 3:7 and 3:13). In these verses we note the recurring and prominent phrase, "But you say".

Two issues of the people's wrongful behaviour are given prominence in Malachi: neglect of Temple sacrifices and tithing, and divorcing and intermarriage with foreigners.

The Intimate Character of Malachi's Prophecy

This prophecy begins with the simple declaration on the part of God, "I have loved you." During the ensuing conversation the personal pronoun referring to God, namely 'I', occurs 35 times. The personal pronoun referring to Israel, namely 'you', occurs 48 times. Within a total of 54 verses in this prophecy, the name for God (ie 'Lord') occurs 35 times, and in 24 of these instances the whole phrase 'the Lord of Hosts' occurs.

This so-frequent repetition of the pronouns 'I' and 'you' stresses the vividness of the personal encounter that is taking place between God and his people, an encounter unequalled in any other prophetic book of the Old Testament. The pattern of the Malachi prophecy consists of an accusation on the part of the prophet followed by the people's reply of injured innocence. This calls forth the response of the Lord through his prophet correcting their mistaken ideas.

Malachi's prophecy is a vividly personal dialogue between God and his people, the people protesting innocence and the Lord correcting them.

The Day of the Lord

The seven dialogues of this prophecy are set against the background of the Day of the Lord. This event provides a solemn, or as Malachi puts it, a dreadful eventuality (Mal 4:5) as the setting for the dialogues. The prophet exclaims, "Who can endure the day of his coming?" and contemplates it further in the words, "Surely the day is coming, it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire."

Malachi predicts the coming of a forerunner in advance of that awesome event: "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes." He sees the wicked being trodden under the feet of those who revere the Lord: "The wicked will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I do these things." But in contrast, those who fear the Lord will escape the coming day of judgment. God says of them, "They will be mine...in the day when I make up my treasured possession" (Mal 3:2; 4:1; 4:5; 4:3; and 3:17).

The Hebrew word translated 'treasured possession' is segullah, which is the word used by Moses in Deuteronomy 7:6, "The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the people on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession." Malachi wanted the people of Israel in his day to be God's special folk, a people for his very own.

This was also the desire of Paul in his letter to Titus and of Peter in his first letter (Ti 2:14; 1 Pet 2:9). This should still be our ambition today. However, the people of Malachi's day were failing to judge their own behaviour and outlook, and so it was necessary to let them see themselves from God's point of view.

The people of Malachi's day were failing to judge their own behaviour and outlook, so it was necessary to let them see themselves from God's point of view.

So then, Malachi records the process in the following seven dialogues:

1. Failing to Love God for Himself

"'I have loved you', says the Lord. But you ask, 'How have you loved us?'" (Mal 1:2). It is as if they were saying, "We have seen no evidence of your love." Surely only those with hearts of stone could be oblivious of God's love for his covenant people. After the 70 years of exile, God had brought them back from Babylon and was establishing them in their own land.

In addition to past blessings they were a people with a future, guaranteed by the Almighty God himself. But we learn from Jesus that love can grow cold (Matt 24:12). Part of a prophet's task is to re-awaken the love of God's people.

2. Failing to Honour God's Name

"'If I am a father, where is the honour due to me? If I am a master, where is the respect due to me?' says the Almighty. 'It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name'" (Mal 1:6). This time the accusation is addressed specifically to the priests.

Malachi makes it clear that God's name is great. "Great is the Lord - even beyond the borders of Israel!" (Mal 1: 5). But he warns that they would be cursed "because you have not set your heart to honour me" (Mal 2:2). There were some who revered his name, and upon them the sun of righteousness would rise with healing in his wings (Mal 4:2).

It is commonplace for the names of God and of Jesus to be blasphemed on television, and pointless blasphemy plays a major role in the ordinary conversation of both men and women. Another part of the prophet's task is to encourage young and old to fear God and to be careful they do not use his name in vain (Deut 5:11).

Part of the prophet's task is to reawaken the love of God's people, and to encourage them to fear the Lord and not to use his name in vain.

3. Failing to Respect God's Sacrificial Offerings

"You place defiled food on my altar. But you ask, 'How have we defiled you?' You bring blind, crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong?" (Mal 1:7,8). It was essential that an animal be in perfect condition before it could be offered as a sacrifice (Deut 15:21). Only so could the Levitical sacrifice foreshadow the perfect sacrifice that would one day be offered.

But on a lower level altogether, Malachi asks the pertinent question, "Try offering them to your governor. Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" Only the best is fit for God, and another part of the prophet's task is to speak out on God's behalf against cheap religion or against offering him only second best.

4. Failing to Keep God's Law

The particular law which the prophet has in mind is the marriage covenant. "You weep and wail because he [God] no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. You ask why? It is because the Lord is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth...though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant" (Mal 2:13, 14). The prophet is showing that God does not approve of husband and wife breaking faith. This phrase occurs again and again in verses 10-16.

God's attitude to the violation of promises made during the wedding vows is expressed tersely: "I hate divorce" (mercifully, he does not say "I hate divorcees"!). Behind this statement is revulsion at the action of the men in abandoning now-ageing wives in order to marry the daughters of a foreign god.

As well as caring for these rejected wives, God is concerned that the children should be a 'godly offspring' (Mal 2:11, 15). Today, far too many children are left with only one parent. Contemporary prophets do well to encourage the Lord's people to support those who labour under the handicap of having to bring up their children single-handed, rather than to deepen their sense of rejection with thoughtless judgmentalism.

Another part of the prophet's task is to speak out on God's behalf against cheap religion and offering him only second best.

5. Failing to Understand God's Providential Overruling

"You have wearied the Lord with your words. 'How have we wearied him?' you ask. By saying, 'All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased with them', or, 'Where is the God of justice?'" (Mal 2:17). "But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape" (Mal 3:15).

The problem of the prosperity of the wicked has puzzled prophets and psalmists down the ages (Job 21:7-13; Ps 73:1-12; Jer 12:1). The argument runs like this: if there is a God of goodness, he would long ago have intervened to deal with the awful situations in which God's people find themselves. Meanwhile, law-breakers go on enjoying themselves and so the very existence of an omnipotent and caring God is called into question.

But God was listening and was sick of hearing people complain about his moral government of the universe. Prophets need to remind God's people constantly that he hates grumblers. He is on the throne and what he does is best.

6. Failing to Pay the Lord's Tithe

"'Return to me, and I will return to you,' says the Lord Almighty. But you ask, 'How are we to return?' Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' In tithes and offerings" (Mal 3:7,8). The people of God were suffering because pests were devouring their crops and their vines were casting their fruit. This was God's way of showing them that they were neglecting to pay their tithes and to provide for the maintenance of the Temple services.

The attitude we adopt to our money and the way we use it is a key to our commitment to God. But no doubt it came as quite a shock to God's people in the time of Malachi to be told that they were actually robbing him. If they were anything like some of his people today, they would have produced as many excuses as there were individuals. But God wanted to bless them (he always does!) and was willing to open the floodgates of heaven and to pour out such an abundance of blessing they would not have room for it.

Prophets have to assure the people of God that they lose nothing by giving but that they lose everything when they are mean. One of the most encouraging aspects of the house-church movement has been its more mature approach to giving, and the consequent blessing that has been poured out on them. How sad that the traditional churches still insult the Lord with fundraising gimmicks and stunts to persuade people to part with their money! Are you a robber?

Prophets have to assure the people of God that they lose nothing by giving but lose everything when they are mean.

7. Failing to Sustain a Costly Commitment

"'You have said harsh things against me,' says the Lord. Yet you say, 'What have we said against you?' You have said, 'It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements, and going about like mourners?'" (Mal 3:13,14).

Most people have at some time or other indulged in spells of complaining, querying the point of living a life of prohibition and restriction. We appear to gain nothing by carrying out religious duties and living soberly. Religion seems such a drag! But such whole-hearted devotion need not array itself in the dark clothes of mourners at a funeral (Mal 3:14). The prophet, rather, likens the experience of the wholly committed to the gambolling of calves just released from the stall (Mal 4:2).

So let the prophet show us religion from God's point of view. It is joyful, vigorous and care-free. It speaks of release, freedom and deep satisfaction. Even when our pathway takes us through disappointment and sorrow, we can share the experience of the "one who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross" (Heb 12:2). We would do well in future to help others and ourselves make a habit of looking at things from God's point of view.

Finally, it is the role of the prophet to show us religion from God's point of view: not as dark and dreary duty, but as joyful and vigorous freedom.

Last week we looked at the difficult task given to prophets to teach people to fear the Lord. This week, we explore another side to the prophetic ministry - the precious ministry of comfort.

Part of the prophets' ministry is to reveal a God to be feared and to warn his people of their danger if they persist in their wrongdoing. Using abrasive speech, they may castigate the people for their disobedience to God's laws and spell out the consequences of continuing rebellion.

But there is another side to the prophetic ministry. "Comfort, comfort my people" (Isa 40:1) is a commission not to Isaiah only but to all who are anointed by the Spirit for the prophetic ministry. We shall not have a complete picture of what a prophet is unless we include his ministry of bringing God's comfort to his people in distress.

We do not have a complete picture of the prophet unless we include the ministry of bringing God's comfort to his people in distress.

Words of Comfort

The Hebrew word for 'comfort' most frequently used in the Old Testament comes from a root meaning 'to sigh or to breathe deeply', and indicates the sympathy in the heart of God. The word for 'compassion' comes from a root meaning 'to fondle' and stresses the intimacy existing between God and his people. It is from this same root that the symbolic name given by God to Hosea's daughter (Lo-Ruhamah, meaning 'not loved') is taken (Hos 1:6).

In the New Testament the words which are translated 'comfort' mostly begin with the prefix 'para' which we have in our English word 'parallel', indicating a 'running alongside'. This gives us the verb parakaleo, meaning to call alongside, and parakletos, the noun which we know in English as 'Paraclete', Jesus' name for the Holy Spirit. These words stress the fact that God draws near and enters into our situation.

Jesus' promise translated in the older versions as "I will not leave you comfortless" is really "I will not leave you as orphans" (Greek: orphanous, John 14:18). These words in both Testaments reveal the heart of the God, whose total character prophets are called to proclaim.

Both Old and New Testaments reveal that God's heart is full of sympathy towards his people and that he desires intimacy and closeness with them.

The God of Comfort and 'Compassion'

God describes himself as the One who comforts his people. "I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mortal men?" (Isa 51:12). There is no reason to be afraid of men and of what they might do to us, when we have such a God caring for us.

David was under attack by ruthless men who were seeking his life. Mercifully there was a 'but' to be taken into consideration, for he goes on to say, "But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God" (Ps 86:15). We must always remember the God-factor in assessing the situation in which we find ourselves.

The writers of other psalms unite in declaring that "The Lord is gracious and compassionate" (Ps 111:4 and 145:8), and assure us that "The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made" (Ps 145:9). What a privilege prophets enjoy in being responsible for proclaiming God's goodness!

The prophet Isaiah instructs God's people to sing for joy as they are assured by the Lord that in his compassion he will bring his exiled people back to their homeland: "See, they will come from afar...shout for joy...for the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones" (Isa 49:12-13). God did not cease to care for his people because they had sinned against him, and that concern is still true today.

God did not cease to care for his people when they sinned against him – and that is still true today.

Isaiah also foretold that Yahweh would comfort Zion and rebuild her: "The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, and her wastelands like the garden of the Lord" (Is 51:3). Surely this is a promise to claim on behalf of some of the devastated churches of our day.

Jeremiah pictures God's people returning from exile with weeping but goes on to say, "Then maidens will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow" (Jer 31:13). How good when all ages can share together in the wonderful things that a God of comfort loves to do for his people.

Towards the end of Old Testament history when the seventy years' captivity in Babylon was nearly over, the question was addressed to the Lord, "How long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem?" In reply, "The Lord spoke kind and comforting words" (Zech 1:13). What a privilege the prophets of today enjoy when they speak 'comforting words' in the name of the Lord!

What a privilege today's prophets enjoy when they proclaim God's goodness and speak his comforting words!

God's Promised Comfort Delayed

The Old Testament makes it clear that God's comfort may be delayed, as the writer of the longest psalm discovered: "My eyes fail, looking for your promise; I say, when will you comfort me?" It is not long before we discover that we are in a hurry, but the Lord is not! God, from time to time, and for reasons best known to himself, does hide his face from his people and allow them to experience the 'dark night of the soul'. "Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning" (Ps 30:5). "For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will have compassion on you, says the Lord your Redeemer" (Is 54:7-8).

The prophet Jeremiah, with all the sad experiences described and wept over in his book of Lamentations, nevertheless comes to the conclusion that "It is because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithful¬ness" (3:22-23). God and his promises will not let us down and we can confidently pray, "May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant" (Ps 119:76).

For reasons best known to himself, God sometimes hides his face and allows his people to experience the 'dark night of the soul'. But this does not last forever - God's promises never fail.

God's Compassionate Comfort Described

God's care for his people is said to be like that of a mother for her child. "As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you" (Isa 66:13), but in another passage the same prophet affirms that God is more reliable in his caring than even the most devoted mother: "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!" (Isa 49:15).

The prophet Moses complained that God was expecting him to mother the children of Israel and he exclaimed, "Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land of promise?" (Nums 11:12). Moses is not the first leader, nor the last, who has found leading the Lord's people a heavier responsibility than he can discharge. Only the Lord's own compassion distilled into the prophets' hearts can keep them going.

God's caring for his people is also likened to that of a shepherd, as we see from many references. One of the most familiar descriptions of God's caring love is that which compares him to a shepherd. Isaiah says, "He tends his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young" (Isa 40:11). God's caring includes children, nursing mothers and all who have special need of the Good Shepherd's care.

Stories of Comfort in the Old Testament

According to Genesis 5:28-29, Lamech (son of Methuselah, the oldest man that ever lived), when a son was born to him, decided to call him Noah. He did this because the Hebrew name Noah sounds like the word for 'comfort' and he believed that his baby son would help him and his wife to cope with the problems of hard work on unrewarding soil, after God had cursed the ground. True prophets are 'comforters' of those who find life hard, and the earth is a better place for their ministry.

When Jacob was shown the torn, blood-stained coat he had given to Joseph he cried out, "It is my son's coat! Some ferocious beast has devoured him..." (Gen 37:33). But when his sons and daughters assembled in their concern for him, he refused to be comforted. Like forgiveness, comfort needs to be accepted before it can effect its healing work.

He refused to be comforted and yet the truth of the matter was that his favourite son was alive and God's good purposes were one day to be revealed. The plans made by men and demons may have all the appearance of unmitigated disaster but in the end we shall be able to repeat Jacob's words, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good" (Gen 50:20).

The plans made by men and demons may have all the appearance of unmitigated disaster, but in the end we shall be able to repeat Jacob's words that what others intended for harm, God intended for good.

Ruth had had a sad life and both she and her mother-in-law had lost their husbands. When the question was raised of their returning to Bethlehem, her sister-in-law Orpah went back to Moab, but Ruth insisted on returning with Naomi. When Ruth went into the field of Boaz to glean she found comfort in this upright man and she expressed her appreciation in these words: "You have given me comfort and have spoken kindly to your servant" (Ruth 2:13). In these days when so many marriages neither work out nor last, what compassion prophetic counsellors need to comfort single parents and their families and to attempt to sort out the complex problems brought about by child ¬abuse and homosexuality.

The God of All Comfort

When Jesus returned from his temptation by Satan in the wilderness he went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and in the synagogue on the Sabbath day he read from the scroll of Isaiah, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me..." He claimed in the presence of his audience that that Scripture had been fulfilled in their hearing. The passage in Isaiah, continuing from where he left off, reads "To comfort all who mourn" (Isa 61:2), so we can see that Messiah's ministry included that of bringing comfort.

Before Jesus left his disciples he introduced them to the One who was to come in his place. He explained that he was the Spirit of truth and the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 16:13), but he gave him a special name when he called him the paraclete, one who would come alongside his disciples after he had returned to his Father. The older versions of the Bible render this name the 'comforter'.

Jesus gave the Holy Spirit a special name when he called him the 'paraclete', one who would come alongside the disciples after he had returned to the Father.

As well as seeing in the coming of the Spirit the beginning of a new experience for the disciples as the paraclete comforted them at the return of Jesus to his Father, the New Testament shows that the coming of the Spirit makes possible a ministry of comfort to be conferred on Jesus' disciples as they receive the promised power from on high.

As Peter pointed out on the day of Pentecost, the result of the advent of the Spirit was that all Jesus' disciples would prophesy: "And they will prophesy" (Acts 2:18). This prophesying would take place in two main areas. First, in their world-wide prophetic witness (Acts 1:8), and secondly, in the assembly of God's people, where they would prophesy for the strengthening, encouragement and comfort of their fellow-believers (1 Cor 14:3).

Father, Son and Holy Spirit are thus seen to be each involved in a ministry of comfort and compassion, from which we have all benefited and in which we may all take part.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit are each involved in a ministry of comfort and compassion, from which we all benefit and in which we may all take part.

Let Paul have the last word: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we have ourselves received from God" (2 Cor 1:3-4).

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 6, No 1, January/February 1989.

Moses prophesied that a prophet like himself would one day be raised up by the Lord. This prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus – but does it end there?

It was Moses who prophesied that the Lord would raise up a prophet like himself, a prophet descended from the race of Israel who would be given God's words to proclaim. As one authorised to speak in God's name he would do so with divine authority, and God promised that he would punish anyone who refused to obey his message.

This provision was made when, on Mount Sinai, the people begged Moses that they would not again have to listen to God himself or to behold his fiery presence. God commended them for this request and promised instead that he would raise up in their nation a prophet who would mediate God's word to them (Deut 18:16-19).

God's Alternative to the Occult

The promise to send another prophet like Moses was (and is) given as an alternative to seeking guidance and help through witchcraft and spiritualism:

Don't let your people practise divination or look for omens or use spells or charms, and don't let them consult the spirits of the dead. The Lord your God hates people who do these disgusting things...in the land you are to occupy, people follow the advice of those who practise divination and look for omens, but the Lord your God does not allow you to do this. Instead, he will send you a prophet like me...and you are to obey him (Deut 18:10-15).

God's views do not change with the passing of time. He is still absolutely opposed to witchcraft, spiritism and any other kind of occult practices. Those who do these things arouse his anger. Such steps are in any case, unnecessary for his people because he has made provision for their guidance and well-being through the prophet like Moses.

God's Promise Fulfilled

The promise of God to send a prophet like Moses was fulfilled in two ways. Every time a prophet emerged in the course of Israel's history he would be seen to be the fulfilment of God's promise through Moses, even if only partially. Speaking to those who had witnessed the healing of the lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, Peter referred to God's promise of a prophet like Moses and saw its fulfilment in "all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken" (Acts 3:22-24).

An oft-repeated question down the years was, "Are you the prophet?", the question that was asked concerning John the Baptist and Jesus himself (John 1:21-25, Matt 16:14).

None of the succession of prophets that brought God's word to Israel down the years completely fulfilled Moses' promise - until the coming of Jesus. They spoke the words God gave them to speak, but he was the word, the complete speaking forth of the word of God. "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in many ways, but in these last times he has spoken to us by his Son..." (Heb 1:1-2).

None of the prophets through the years completely fulfilled Moses' promise – until Jesus. The prophets spoke the words of God - he WAS the Word of God.

After the crowd had witnessed the miraculous feeding of 5000 people they drew the conclusion, "Surely this is the prophet who is to come into the world" (John 6:14). The sermons preached to the early church show that Peter and Stephen believed that Jesus was the complete fulfilment of God's promise to raise up a prophet like Moses (Acts 3:22-23; 7:37).

Jesus is Like Moses

There are a number of fascinating parallels between the life of Moses and that of Jesus. Their young lives were spared in infancy (Ex 2:9-10; Matt 2:13-14). They both renounced a royal court to share their brothers' sufferings (Acts 7:22-23; Phil 2:6-8). Both were said to be meek (Num 12:3; Matt 11:29). Both were said to be faithful (Heb 3:2). Both were men with the compassion of a shepherd (Num 27:17; Matt 9:36). Each had the supreme privilege of beholding the face of God (2 Cor 3:7-13; John 1:18).

They were the ministers of covenants (Deut 29:12; Heb 8:6). Their ministry was to reveal God's will to his people (Deut 6:1; Matt 5:21-48) but where his will had been rejected both had a mighty ministry of intercession on behalf of those people (Deut 9:18-19; Heb 5:7 and 7:25).

Those with a prophetic ministry today do well to cultivate the qualities revealed in this summary of the characteristics of Moses and, supremely, those of the "greater than Moses" (Heb 3:3). Among the prophets heard today there are too many who have forgotten the warning "if I have no love my speech is no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell" (1 Cor 13:1).

There are many fascinating parallels between the lives of Jesus and Moses, including character qualities that those with a prophetic ministry today would do well to imitate.

Jesus Spoke Only God's Words

The most important characteristic of 'the prophet like Moses' that the Lord promised to raise up for his people is this: "I will put my words in his mouth and he will tell them everything I command him" (Deut 18:18).

Jesus claimed that the initiative in his speaking always came from the Father, and that he never opened his mouth to say what he wanted to say: "I do nothing on my own initiative but I speak these things as the Father taught me" (John 8:28). "For I did not speak on my own initiative, but the Father himself who sent me has given me commandment, what to say and what to speak" (NAS) or, as the NIV helpfully translates, "what to say and how to say it".

If it is still true that "man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matt 4:4) (and we can be sure that the Lord has not changed his ideas on the subject), then we must face up to the fact that the well-being of God's people depends upon their regular attention to his word, spoken through his prophetic messengers.

It is still true that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word from the mouth of God. The well-being of God's people depends on their regular attention to his word.

How tragic that so many of the Lord's people have dished up every Sunday the latest theories and ideas currently being circulated in their particular group of churches; the experience and theories of their leadership or the latest humanistic conclusions of their Bible critics. God's people need his word spoken in the power of his Spirit, for there is no hope of their spiritual growth if this element is missing from their diet.

Jesus is THE Prophet

Although Moses' promise that God would raise up a prophet like him was partially fulfilled in the prophets subsequently sent to Israel and Judah, it was not until the coming of Jesus that Moses' promise was finally fulfilled. Those who heard him and watched what he was able to do came to the unanimous conclusion that he was THE promised prophet.

When Jesus raised the son of the widow of Nain from death: "They were all filled with awe and praised God. 'A great prophet has appeared among us' they said" (Luke 7:16). When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey "the whole city was stirred and asked 'Who is this?' The crowds answered 'This is Jesus the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee'" (Matt 21:10-11).

After Jesus' crucifixion two disconsolate followers journeying to Emmaus nevertheless said of him: "He was a prophet powerful in word and deed before God and all the people" (Luke 24:19). Later on a New Testament writer compares and contrasts Moses and Jesus. He declares them both to have been faithful but expresses the difference between them: "Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house...but Christ is faithful as a son over God's house" (Heb 3:5-6).

Proclaiming God's Standards

If we ask the question 'What is a prophet?' we find many aspects calling for attention in order to reach a complete definition. One aspect which stands out in any study of Moses or Jesus as examples of what a prophet should be is that they took a courageous stand for God's standards. One answer to the question 'What is a prophet?' must therefore be 'someone who makes God's will known and who makes obedience possible'.

God's laws are not designed to make life as miserable as possible but to open our lives to the fullness of his blessing. Hear the heartbeat of God in the words: "Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!" (Deut 5:29).

God's laws are not designed to make life as miserable as possible, but to open our lives to the fullness of his blessing.

Prophets Like Moses Today

If a knowledge of God's standards and his will are the secret of his blessing in the church and in society as a whole, where are we to find those authorised to get the message over? There were prophets in the early church (e.g. Acts 11:28, 13:1-2, 15:32, 21:10). They were not office-bearers limited to one Christian community, neither were they elected to office or set apart by an ecclesiastical ceremony; they simply received a word from God and then proceeded to speak it wherever he sent them. They came and went as the Spirit moved them. The local church was required to test them and then to receive or reject their message.

The picture of these wandering prophets, unburdened by pastoral duties and uninvolved in ecclesiastical responsibilities, coming into a fellowship, speaking what God had given them to say and then departing elsewhere is one we need to recover today; that is, if we have the courage so to do.

Moses Spoke to the Nations

The word ecclesia is used in the Greek version of the Old Testament in Deuteronomy 18:16, where Moses refers to the 'church' of his day. What he said, however, was intended not just for a restricted community, but also, for all mankind.

In Old Testament days Nathan spoke to King David about his treatment of Bathsheba's husband (2 Sam 12:1-15); Elijah spoke about the way King Ahab and Queen Jezebel had appropriated Naboth's vineyard (1 Kings 21:17-29); Amos addressed the pampered women of Samaria who caused their husbands to oppress the poor so that they could sleep on ivory beds, over-eat and spend a fortune on beauty preparations (Amos 4:1 and 6:4-6); and Jonah was told to rebuke Nineveh (Jonah 1:2).

We accept that Old Testament prophets spoke the word of the Lord to rulers, cities and nations. Why then do prophets today operate almost exclusively in Christian circles?

In New Testament times, John the Baptist not only sought to prepare the hearts of the faithful for the coming Messiah but also rebuked Herod Antipas for his immorality and gave guidance to soldiers and tax-collectors (Luke 3:12-14, 19). We accept that Old Testament prophets spoke the word of the Lord to rulers, cities and nations. Why then are New Testament prophets today operating almost exclusively in Christian circles? In their day Chrysostom and Ambrose did not hesitate to speak God's word to emperors and others in authority. May God raise up prophets like Moses who will fearlessly declare God's standards to our rebellious, sick world.

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 4 No 2, March/April 1988.

Balaam: a biblical warning against mingling the exercise of spiritual gifts with unGodly living...

Balaam steps into the pages of Old Testament history at the request of Balak, king of the Moabites, at the time when the Children of Israel were on the point of moving into Canaan, the Promised Land. Like the inhabitants of Jericho, the Moabites had heard how Jehovah had rescued the Israelites from Egypt by drying up the Red Sea and by destroying Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings and - to quote the later words of Rahab the prostitute – "When we heard of it, our hearts sank and everyone's courage failed" (Josh 2:11).

It was because Balak and his people felt threatened by the proximity, strength and reputation of the Israelites that he sent a deputation to Pethor on the Euphrates to ask the well-known soothsayer Balaam if he would come and curse the children of Israel. In fact, Balak and his people need have had no such fear as Jehovah had given strict orders to Moses to pass through their country without hurting them in any way. It was a case of "there they were, overwhelmed with dread, when there was nothing to dread" (Psa 53:5).

Balak's request to Balaam

Balak, filled with fear, sent messengers to summon Balaam to come and curse Israel, in the belief that if the soothsayer did so the Moabite king would be able to defeat them and drive them out of his territory. The deputation brought with them the usual fee for Balaam's services (Num 22:1-7).

Balaam's reply was to give them overnight hospitality while he consulted Yahweh to discover whether it was right to go with these men on the long journey to where the Moabites and the Israelites were in close proximity on the east of the Jordan, where that river runs into the Dead Sea. The reply Balaam received from Jehovah was short but clear: "Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on them, because they are blessed" (Num 22:12). So the deputation returned to Balak and told him that Balaam had refused to come.

Convert to Yahweh

Before going further to discover what special understanding of prophetic character we may learn from the story of this strange man, we must come to terms with the fact that although Balaam was not numbered among the Children of Israel and indeed lived a long way from them, he had come to acknowledge Yahweh as the true God in a remarkable way.

The American scholar William F Albright, whose definitive work shed so much light on this era, described Balaam as "a north Syrian diviner from the Euphrates Valley...who became a convert to Yahwehism" (Journal of Biblical Literature, September 1944, p232).

There are elements in his way of doing things which are reminiscent of heathen divination (cf. Num 24:1), but it is clear beyond all doubt that Balaam knew the true God and could hear what he was saying.

Although Balaam was not an Israelite, and his ways incorporated elements of heathen divination, he had come to acknowledge Yahweh as the true God in a remarkable way.

A genuine prophet

The prophetic words of Balaam (which together number more than those written by the prophet Obadiah) were not the product of incantations or occultic rites, neither was he in any trance state when he spoke them; they were spoken directly under the direction of the Spirit of God (Num 24:2).

King Balak made three attempts at getting Balaam to curse the Israel people by taking him to different vantage points from which he could see less or more of their encampment (Num 22:41, 23:13, 23:27 and 24:2), but God caused Balaam to bless rather than curse them. Moses said that this was because the Lord loved them (Deut 23:5).

Evidence of genuine prophecy

We have already seen that the manner in which Balaam prophesied showed him to be a genuine prophet. To this we can add the testimony of the Bible writer as he reports the attitude of Balaam when he says; "I must speak only what God puts in my mouth...Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?...I must say only what the Lord says" (Num 22:38, 23:12 and 24:13).

The manner in which Balaam prophesied showed him to be a genuine prophet, speaking directly under the direction of the Spirit of God.

The writer himself records, "The Lord put a message in Balaam's mouth" (Num 23:5). The third line of evidence that Balaam was a genuine prophet may be seen in the subject matter of his prophesying, to which we now turn.

Balaam's four 'oracles'

Balaam spoke three oracles (an oracle means that which is spoken directly from God, see 1 Pet 4:11) in response to Balak's threefold request that Balaam should curse the Children of Israel (Num 23:7-10, 23:17-24 and 24:2-9). But instead of curses, on each occasion he blessed them. After these he added a fourth oracle describing how Israel would conquer her enemies, including Balak's own kingdom of Moab.

A short final oracle foretold the ruin of the Amalekites and the destruction of the Kenites. The reference to Asshur being subdued does not refer to Assyria, the mighty kingdom that conquered Israel in later years, but to an Arabian tribe (see Gen 25:3, 18 and Psa 83:8). This reference is therefore no evidence for the late dating of Balaam's story. As Albright (in the article noted above) says, "There is nothing in the matter of these poems which requires a date in the tenth century or later for original composition".

Theology of God

In his oracles Balaam refers to God as 'El' the mighty God, as 'Shaddai' the almighty provider, as 'Elyon' the supreme, and 'Melek' the King, and constantly calls him by his covenant name Jehovah or Yahweh. This reveals, for a heathen soothsayer, an amazing grasp of the nature of God.

He also makes a statement about the utter reliability of the God who keeps his promises, a passage that has brought untold reassurance to God's people in times of testing and doubt: "God is not a man that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and then not fulfil?" (Num 23:19).

Israel's future

The Lion Handbook of the Bible is right in calling Balaam's words "a remarkable prediction of Israel's future" (p190). Balaam declares that Israel is a separated nation: "I see a people dwelling alone, who do not consider themselves one of the nations" (Num 23:9). Israel is unique in the purposes of God, with its religious rites, its diet and its destiny. Israel is to be numerous like the dust; as God said to Abram, "I will make your offspring like the dust of the Earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted" (Gen 13:16).

Israel will be victorious over all her enemies: "The people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion that does not rest till he devours his prey" (Num 23:24). "Israel will grow strong" or, as some translators prefer, "Israel performs valiantly" (Num 24:18b).

For a heathen soothsayer, Balaam had an amazing grasp of the nature of God.

Balaam shows that the reason for these things is God's special care for her and her future. God acts on behalf of Israel (Num 23:23b). God rescued Israel from Pharaoh (Num 24:8). God's presence is with Israel (Num 23:21 b) and therefore she is protected and no sorcery or divination can hurt her (Num 23:23b). Misery and misfortune are not to be found in her borders (Num 23:21). Balaam draws our attention to God's people saying, "See what God has done!" (Num 23:23b).

The promised Messiah

Balaam is privileged to have his eyes opened to see the coming Messiah: "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not close at hand. A star will come out of Jacob and a sceptre will rise out of Israel...a ruler will come out of Jacob" (Num 24:17, 19). Was it this prophecy of Balaam that was treasured in the East, that brought wise men to Bethlehem because of the sight of an unusual star over the land of Judea?

Universal condemnation

With so much about Balaam that was commendable, why is it that the scriptures of both Old and New Testaments are unanimous in their condemnation of him? We do not know all the reasons but Scripture gives us sufficient information to constitute a terrible warning to any who dare to combine the exercise of supernatural gifts with unholy living.

He is shown to be headstrong and persistently disobedient. When Balak's deputation asked Balaam to go to their king, Balaam was told categorically by the Lord; "Do not go with them!" (Num 22:12). Because of this he sent Balak's deputation back to Moab, refusing to accompany them. However, when a second deputation arrived consisting of a larger number of more distinguished princes (Num 22:15), instead of telling them that God had forbidden him to go, he began to slip, saying he would see whether perhaps God might have changed his mind! (Num 22:19). Remember, this was the prophet who had affirmed that God never did change his mind! (Num 23:19).

Recognising that Balaam was determined to go to Balak, God gave him permission (Num 22:20), but made it abundantly clear through an opposing angel and a speaking ass that he did not approve of Balaam's action (Num 22:21-35).

Though so much about Balaam was commendable, Scripture uses his example as a terrible warning against the exercise of supernatural gifts with unholy living.

Other passages of Scripture make it clear that there was a financial aspect to Balaam's sin. At first sight this is surprising when we remember that in answering Balak's second deputation Balaam had claimed, "Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold I could not go" (Num 22:18). There are other Bible references however which accuse him of avarice, and Peter states that Balaam "loved the wages of wickedness" (e.g. Jude 11, 2 Pet 2:15). Matthew Henry in his famous commentary remarks, "We may here discern in Balaam a struggle between his convictions and his corruptions".

The third thing of which Balaam is accused in scripture is sexual immorality. No one would have suspected this had not the Bible made it clear that after his repeated refusal to curse Israel he joined himself to the Midianites and led them to corrupt Israel by blatant immorality (Num 25:1-9, Rev 2:14). The same passage in Revelation also accuses Balaam of idolatry in that he encouraged Israel to eat food sacrificed to idols.

Balaam is killed

In Balaam's first oracle he had expressed a wish concerning his death, which many people have echoed since that time: "Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my end be like theirs!" (Num 23:10b). Sadly, this was not to be his experience, for if we want to die the death of the righteous we must live the life of the righteous.

When the time came for Moses to take vengeance on the Midianites for the way they had corrupted Israel, they also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword (Num 31:1-8). Later on, when the time came to divide the Promised Land between the tribes, the record states: "the Israelites had put to the sword Balaam the son of Beor, who practised divination" (Josh 13:22).

If we want to die the death of the righteous, we must live the life of the righteous.

Not a false prophet but an unholy one

The story of this true prophet who lived an immoral life is a very strong warning to any who are manifesting prophetic or other supernatural gifts, but whose lives are at variance with the standards of Christ. Eagerness for financial remuneration and carelessness in the use of funds has wrecked the work of some whose words were irresistibly powerful.

Others have ended their effectiveness in ministry by wrong sexual relationships. Some have turned aside to the occult or to spiritualism, whilst many more have halted the power that once flooded through them by persistent disobedience.

By their fruits..!

Jesus said it was not by their gifts but by their fruit that we are to recognise those who are genuine (Matt 7:16). We reason that if people can hear God and bring a clear prophetic word, if they can bring an accurate word of knowledge or heal the sick, doesn't that prove they are living in a right relationship with God? The answer as seen in Jesus' words and Balaam's life is No! How tragic was the fall of Balaam!

People might hear God, bring clear prophetic words or words of knowledge, or heal the sick. That doesn't prove they are living in a right relationship with God.

How much more tragic is the fall of those who have much more light than Balaam had and yet whose spiritual gifts are not matched by holiness! Jesus said that many in that day will say to him, "Did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?" They like Balaam will merit the wrath of the Lamb and must at the last hear him say, "I never knew you!"

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 3 No 3, May/June 1987.

Edmund Heddle unpacks the connection between the prophetic ministry and the metaphor of a watchman.

It is a long time in this country since the watchman made his way around a city at night, calling out the hours and declaring all was well (Song of Songs 3:3).

However, we still have those who watch over our safety by day and by night. The Royal Air Force provides a radar screen over our airspace, coastguards seek to prevent dangerous drugs from being landed, police protect our property, and doctors and nurses, firemen and ambulance crews are on the alert to provide us with immediate assistance should we need it.

Together with others too numerous to mention, they maintain the defence of the realm and the well-being of its inhabitants.

Prophetic watchmen

But our country also needs to be protected from evil practices and powers that can wreck our national and family life and this, according to the Old Testament, is the responsibility of the prophets. These individuals were regarded as watchmen.

Just as our military and emergency service maintain the defence of the realm and the well-being of its inhabitants, so prophets are responsible for protecting people spiritually."

God spoke to Ezekiel and said, "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel" (Eze 3:17, 33:7). In his commentary on the prophecy of Ezekiel, Dr A B Davidson said, "The appointment of Ezekiel as a watchman was not a change upon his original appointment as a prophet, it is only a more precise definition of it".

Picture a tower set in a commanding position with the watchman climbing to the top of this look-out, from where he can see all that is happening and is able to sound the alarm immediately he sees danger approaching (Isa 21:6-7). This is the responsibility laid upon his prophets by the Lord both then and now (Jer 6:17; Hos 9:8; Acts 20:28-31).

Hebrew words describing watchmen

There are at least ten words in the Hebrew Old Testament that are translated into the English words watch/watchman/watchtower. One of these, which occurs twenty-eight times, means to lean forward, to peer into the distance. This word is used in Ezekiel 3:17 and 33:7.

A second word, also occurring twenty-eight times, means to hedge about with thorns, that is, to act as a deterrent to would-be invaders. This is the word used in Isaiah 62:6. The third word, occurring nine times, means to keep alert, to be sleepless on the watch. This word is used in Jeremiah 31:28 to describe God's watching.

The fourth word, used only four times, means to protect and preserve. It is used in Jeremiah 31:6.

A study of these words shows that the prophetic watchman requires a penetrating vision, an unsleeping alertness and an undiminishing concern if he is adequately to protect those for whom he has been made responsible.

The Hebrew words used for 'watch' and 'watchman' depict prophets as needing a penetrating vision, an unsleeping alertness and an undiminishing concern."

Watchmen must watch

The watchman's first responsibility, having found the best position for observing all that is going on, is to keep his eyes open so as to gain as accurate a picture as possible of the situation (2 Kings 9:17). We need watchmen today who are not afraid to open their eyes to the seriousness of the situation in our country.

Britain is flaunting God's law in the matter of homosexuality (Lev 18:22, 20:13), while the media continues to fill our eyes and our ears with ever more violence. In some of our schools the minds of little children are being corrupted whilst older children are indoctrinated by teachers determined to overthrow the forces of law and order. Meanwhile so many of the churches show no real concern and carry on as though we had all the time in the world, their only real objective being their survival and personal happiness. The situation is so like that in the days of Isaiah who said, "Israel's watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs that cannot bark" (Isa 56:10).

Watchmen must warn

It is not enough for the watchman to see the danger approaching; he is on his watchtower for the express purpose of warning the people. This is why an essential part of the equipment of a watchman is his trumpet. God explains this to the prophet in Ezekiel 33:3, 6. The watchman "sees the sword coming and blows the trumpet to warn the people...but if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people...I will hold the watchman accountable."

Watchmen are responsible for keeping their eyes open to the situation and warning the people."

Already our streets with their muggers, rapists and child molesters reflect the situation described in the book of Lamentations (4:18) where it states: "Men stalked us at every step, so we could not walk in our streets." The calamity that could totally overwhelm our country if today's watchmen fail to deliver the strongest possible warning is nothing less than the total breakdown of law and order.

Watchmen must weep

When Jesus contemplated what was going to happen to the Jerusalem of his day he wept over it (Luke 19:41). And so will all true prophet/watchmen. As they like Ezekiel sit where the people sit and contemplate their despair they too will be 'overwhelmed' or to quote the Jerusalem Bible rendering, they will be 'like a man stunned' (Eze 3:15).

As the watchman warns of coming danger, he can prevent his words sounding harsh and judgmental only if his hearers know that his own heart is breaking. This is the thought behind the Lord's instruction in Ezekiel's day: "Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it" (Eze 9:4).

How much genuine weeping for the nation is there in our churches and fellowships? Why is there an almost total absence of serious, informed prayer for the nation and those who govern it (1 Tim 2:1-4)? When will we care enough to pray through the hours when we might be sleeping? Twice in the New Testament there is mention of Paul's 'watchings oft' (2 Cor 6:5, 11:27). A number of modern versions render this as 'sleepless nights' and William Barclay comments "At all times Paul was willing to be the unsleeping sentinel of Christ." Are we?

Watchmen must wrestle

God does not always do things the way we think he should, and Habakkuk was neither the first nor the last prophet that had to wrestle with such problems. "Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?" (Hab 1:13). Ezekiel also felt he must object to what he saw God was about to do. "Ah, Sovereign Lord! Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel?" (Eze 9:8).

When we face the apparent contradictions in God's ways in human history we need to learn patience. It was seven days before the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel, and Jeremiah had to wait ten days. God does not always give us instant answers (Eze 3:16; Jer 42:7). But we need his answers before we can be certain we are making the right reaction to the situation that faces us. God's strategy for Jericho was different from that for Ai. Twice David sought guidance as to how to deal with his Philistine enemy, and God's strategy differed each time (2 Sam 5:18-25).

Watchmen must care enough to weep for the state of their nation, and to wrestle with God for answers."

Watchman's watch

Prophets/watchmen are not self-appointed. It is the Lord himself who stations them where he wants them to be. "I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem" (Isa 62:6). No one prophet could maintain continuous intercession night and day. He could do no more than take his turn to watch.

This method of working has given the name WATCHmen. The Jews divided up the night into three vigil periods which were called first, middle and morning watches (Lam 2:19; Judges 7:19; Ex 14:24). The Romans divided the night into four watches. The watch was the period when the watchman was on duty and it was only by co-operating with other watchmen that the whole twenty-four hours could be covered.

At the heart of this ministry was the necessity for co-operation, and today it will be only through churches working together that an effective warning can be given to the nation. That warning will fail unless all we do is in obedience to the Lord's strategy and in dependence upon his superior power. "Unless the Lord watches over the city the watchmen stand guard in vain" (Ps 127:1).

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 3 No 1, January/February 1987.