Who Is a Prophet?Sýnishorn

After a prophet exposed the sinful practices of the people, the natural next step was to call them to repentance.

These prophets genuinely cared about the spiritual condition of their people and didn’t want to see God’s judgment poured out, so they actively and passionately implored the people to repent. When the people refused, these prophets were so heartbroken that many of them wept, mourned, and fasted. Their main focus was the spiritual condition of the people, not their physical or material condition.

Once again, as we assess the validity of modern-day prophets, they must focus primarily on an individual’s spiritual condition, not just their physical wellness or material possessions.

After a prophet made the people aware of their sin and called them to repent, their third primary function was to warn of the consequences of continuing to rebel against God. This is where we see a distinct break between the true prophets in the Old Testament and many people who claim to be prophets today.

Old Testament prophets were hated because they delivered messages from God that people didn’t want to hear. Let’s be honest: Who wants to hear that if they don’t repent and turn from their sin, they can expect God’s judgment? That’s not a popular message. For that reason, the prophets were hated, persecuted, and even killed at the hands of godless people. The role of a prophet wasn’t glamorous. They were literally risking their lives.

Prayer:

Lord, I am sorry for sinning against You. Please help me turn away from my sins and to stop rebelling against You. Amen.