Readings for today: Isaiah 5-8, Psalms 110
There are many today that claim the title “Prophet.” They claim to hear messages from the Lord. They claim to have special revelations from God. They speak in all kinds of riddles. They string together all sorts of meaningless phrases. They pluck verses out of context from the Bible to predict the future. I see them all over YouTube. I see them all over social media. Many that I know and love have been taken in by them. They are grifters. They are con men and women. They use the Bible to exploit the vulnerable and weak and helpless. I believe God will judge them harshly when He comes again. How do I know? Because their supposed “prophecies” never come true. They always fail. And the Biblical test of any prophet is whether or not what they have to say actually comes to pass. If it doesn’t and they prove false, the command is clear. Execute them. Stone them to death for claiming to speak for God.
Biblically speaking, prophecy has more to do with “truth-telling” than “future-telling” though I readily admit it can be both. Prophets in the Old Testament were called to speak truth to power and confront the leaders of God’s people in an effort to turn them away from sin and back to God. It was a challenging call. It often put their lives at risk. They sacrificed much for the call. They were more often than not, discouraged and depressed by the lack of response to their message. Listen to how Isaiah describes his own call, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord asking: Who will I send? Who will go for us? I said: Here I am. Send me. And he replied: Go! Say to these people: Keep listening, but do not understand; keep looking, but do not perceive. Make the minds of these people dull; deafen their ears and blind their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand with their minds, turn back, and be healed. Then I said, “Until when, Lord?” And he replied: Until cities lie in ruins without inhabitants, houses are without people, the land is ruined and desolate, and the Lord drives the people far away, leaving great emptiness in the land. Though a tenth will remain in the land, it will be burned again. Like the terebinth or the oak that leaves a stump when felled, the holy seed is the stump.” (Isaiah 6:8-13 CSB)
Woof. Thanks but no thanks. Speak to a people who will not listen? Go to a people who are blind? Preach to those whose hearts are actively being hardened by God against your message? Until their cities lie in ruins and the people are in exile and death and destruction reign in the land? That’s the call? Are you serious, God? And yet, Isaiah obeys. He does exactly what God calls him to do. And God uses him to preach powerful messages of repentance to His people.
I don’t know about you but I believe we are living in a time similar to that of the ancient prophets. The church in North America, once so vibrant and full of life, has fallen on hard times. She seems more concerned with herself than with the mission God has entrusted to her. She seems more consumed with her own comfort than in sacrificing for the Lord. She seems more focused on building up herself rather than building up the Kingdom. What we need now are prophets who will speak God’s truth no matter the cost. Prophets who will challenge God’s people to push beyond personal preferences, move outside their comfort zones, and offer all they have in service to God. God won’t accept anything less. Nor should we. When I read Isaiah, I find myself deeply convicted. I find myself falling on my knees before the Lord and asking Him to show me how I can give more, serve more, offer more of myself back to Him. I know whatever I ask of God’s people must begin in my own heart. So this is my prayer.
Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 9-12, Psalms 111