Intro to the Fall series

            When something goes wrong with a car, the owner sends in a mechanic to get it running smooth again. The prophets are God’s mechanics for Israel, God’s people. God sends them when Israel is not functioning and living as they should or could.  These Spiritual Mechanics diagnose the problem and attempt repairs.  They speak God's word...

• ·         When Israel has bad fuel - when they put  deceptions, lies, or false values into their tank.  The mechanic brings the highest octane – God’s truth.
• ·         When Israel has yielded the wheel to idols or when other nations or false gods are steering them.  The prophet puts God back into the driver’s seat.
• ·         When Israel is off the road or heading in the wrong direction.  God sends the prophet with a road map to redemption.
• ·         When the tires need to be rotated, the oil changed, new filters installed to block that which is harmful, and when just going-through-the-motions in worship does not provide for their necessary or regular maintenance – the mechanic calls them to worship in Spirit and in truth to clean and maintain their system.
• ·         The mechanic makes sure there are no warning lights flashing so that Israel stays within the guidelines of the owner’s manual, which is the Covenant. The prophet looks at all the gauges - most of which measure the way they treat each other, even foreigners: Is there justice? Care for the poor? Stewardship? Prayer and devoutness? All of these are indicators of how well they are running.
• ·         Sometimes the mechanic allows them to stay broken down or stuck in the mud until they are ready to be responsible again.
• ·         And though the mechanic may be partial to Fords (or Chevys, or whatever you want me to say) - he knows the specs and guidelines of all makes and models - not just Israel, but for all nations.

The Prophets are God’s Spiritual Mechanics for God’s people. Come join us for this Fall Preaching Series on the Minor Prophets.  Get the sermon bullet points/notes for September 15 (the introduction) and for each week/prophet thereafter.  September was Amos and Hosea.  October will feature Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Haggai.

Fall Preaching Series on THE MINOR PROPHETS

September 15 Notes and Bullet Points

·         Scriptures: Exodus 6:2-9 and 2 Peter 1:19-21

·         Message/Theme: Introduction to the Minor Prophets series / the nature of prophecy and Prophets

Introduction

            Peter Stoner, an expert in mathematical probabilities, wrote in his book Science Speaks that if you take just eight of the Old Testament prophecies Christ fulfilled, and add up the probabilities that these eight prophecies could come to pass by accident, it would be one chance in 10¹⁷ that such an accident could happen – and yet every detail has come to pass.  One chance in 10¹⁷ would be like filling the state of Texas two feet deep in silver dollars, putting an X on one of them, and giving a blind man one pick.  He’d have one chance in 10¹⁷ of picking the one with an X on it.  That’s how much probability there is of these eight prophecies (with their specific details) ever coming to pass by accident.  That is incredible. 

·         But don't let it feed the stereo type that Prophecy is all about telling the future as if the prophet is a fortune teller or predictor of the future.  Instead, let it illustrate the point that Prophecy is the work of God... there is no other explanation.  There is no way the Bible’s prediction of historical events could conceivably come true unless we see God as the author.

            We are most familiar with the Major Prophets - we know them as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel.  The "Minor Prophets" is not a reference to their significance, but simply to the length of their book. In Hebrew tradition -- Amos, Hosea, Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Haggai, Zephaniah, Zechariah, Joel, Micah, and Malachi are treated as one book called, "The Book of the Twelve."  Each book is an anthology of the Prophet's messages, and often they are poetic because their message is so epic that only poetic speech can hint at and deliver the meaning.

We often encounter a resistance to studying the Minor Prophets because

·         They seem to all sound the same

·         All we hear is judgment, nagging, pouting

·         Confusion of audiences and timelines

·         We question if the Prophet's words are taking place at the time spoken or will take place in the future

·         And we question if the message relevant to us

But rest assured that their message is one for today as well.  Think of them as God's Mechanics.  When something goes wrong with a car – the owner sends in a mechanic to get it running smooth again. The prophets are God’s spiritual mechanics for Israel, God’s people. God sends them when Israel is not functioning and living as they should or could.  The Prophets know the problem and attempt repairs.  We are God's people too, and we often need a mechanic to get us running smoothly again.

I) Moses is the Archetypal Prophet

·         To help us understand the nature of a prophet and the nature of prophecy - we look to Moses.

·         When Moses comes on the scene he represents a very different way of relating to God and for God to speak to God's people. 

The way that God uses Moses, working in and through him is almost unparalleled.  What God does in that time on behalf of God's people, the deliverance of Israel unto a promised land, is theologically and historically epic.  More than epic.  The way that God worked through Moses as a prophet had not been seen before either.  He was the voice of God to the people.

Moses is not just freeing a little band of slaves – escaping the bad guys. His prophetic ministry is an assault on the entire world as they knew it. He confronted all the gods, all the values, all the nations, all their perceived power. Exodus is the emergence of a new social community in history – constructed by God. Emerged socially. Emerged geographically. Emerged spiritually.

A prophet has his work cut out for him. The people of God grow stubborn, forgetful, and complacent. It did not change by the eighth century either when Israel is more prosperous and settled.  This is when the Minor Prophets begin, and the epic nature of the Exodus had worn off.

Note that the background for the prophets is God’s covenant promises… to be their God and that they would be God’s people.

Remember what we read in Exodus 6 about covenant and promises

3I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to

Jacob as God Almighty...s

4I also established my covenant with

them to give them the land of Canaan,

where they lived as aliens.

5Moreover, I have heard the groaning of

the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are

enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.

6"Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am

the Lord , and I will bring you out from

under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will

free you from being slaves to them, and

I will redeem you with an outstretched

arm and with mighty acts of judgment.

7I will take you as my own people, and I

will be your God. Then you will know

that I am the Lord your God, who

brought you out from under the yoke of

the Egyptians.

8And I will bring you to the land I swore

with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to

Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you

as a possession. I am the Lord .' "

What runs Israel off the road is complacency with regard to keeping this Covenant.

Let’s look at the nature of being a prophet.

II) What a Prophet is like?

·         The Hebrew word for prophet is nabhi, and signifies an inspired person, an announcer of the words of God. The word of God, received from God, is shared and spoken to the people.

·         Sometimes the Hebrew word ro’eh is used for the prophet and is translated as ‘seer’. As in one who sees the future. Because God knows all, the words of the God often speak of what will take place in the future.

·         But prophecy is more about forth-telling than fore-telling. There may very well be words about things that will take place “(God makes many promises) but there is always a very present response expected.

·         And so – you cannot divorce the word from the historical context.  Zechariah’s words were not intended for Amos’ audience – or they might not bring about the desired response. And vise-versa.

·         When God acted in great power and confronted Pharaoh and all of Egypt with plagues and even death – it was also meant to instill great awe in Israel so they would put their faith in God. So they would have hope. Because as it says in Exodus 6 – they had trouble believing Moses because their suffering was so great. Once they left Egypt with a healthy respect for God’s greatness - they would not dare to approach God. But Moses could.

In order for a prophet to walk in power and authority he had to walk in total obedience. This is the nature of being a prophet: obedience. Remember that the prophetic word does not come from the prophet but from the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 1:19-21

"And we have the word of the prophets

made more certain, and you will do well

to pay attention to it, as to a light shining

in a dark place, until the day dawns and

the morning star rises in your hearts.

Above all, you must understand that

no prophecy of Scripture came about by

the prophet's own interpretation.

For prophecy never had its origin in

the will of man, but men spoke from God

as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."

So strict obedience was required. Let nothing be added to or taken away from God’s word. It is not to be the prophet’s words at all.

Obedience is born out in total humility. Remember Moses in Exodus 3 – in front of the burning bush… He has no confidence in himself. He doesn’t have the words or the power to perform miracles, or even to make people listen. But God does. If Moses/the prophets will be obedient, strictly obedient, then God will work in and through them as if it were God himself… God’s words and God’s actions. It is from strict obedience that the prophet gains any authority. My words are just my words but God’s word is GOD’S WORD.

And so we see in the prophets not just words that are conformed to God, but the entirety of their lives. Often, very often God’s message is communicated in very graphic and literal behavior.

·         Isaiah ‘went to work’ naked for three years at God’s command. The naked was a part of the message that, “in such a manner Israel would be led in humiliation into exile.” (Isaiah 20)

·         Ezekiel was to lay still on his left side for 390 days straight with a clay model of a besieged Jerusalem. Then on his right side for 40 days – one day per year of captivity. (See Ezekiel 4)

·         Jeremiah (chapter 27) wore a wooden yoke around his neck – like that for oxen under the control of a master. Because the exile would mean that they would be led away under another’s control. (Also read Hananiah’s response in chapter 28, then God’s response to him).

Even Moses is held accountable for any and every moment that he does not speak or act in total obedience. In Numbers chapter 20, toward the end of their 40 years of wandering around the desert, the people complain for the umpteenth time about having no water – they will die. So Moses brings this to God. God tells him exactly what to do. Exactly – right?! because prophets are to only operate under strict obedience. But Moses lets his own frustration show through (read the story) and fails to be exact. God allows water to come forth from the rocks, so Israel can have water and survive the desert, but Moses is still held accountable. This – what seems like a small act of disobedience – is the reason given for him not being allowed to enter the promised land.

Let’s look at the nature of the prophetic word: what is prophecy like?

III) The Nature of prophecy

The context for the minor prophets begins with a divided kingdom in the eighth century

(SD to insert more on this)

·         The Word of the Lord that comes through the prophet always has an intended impact for the audience/people – even if it is about something that will take place in the future. When it is a Word about  something in the future it is not unlike believing a promise… knowing that the promise will be fulfilled (for God always keeps his promises) we behave now as if it has already been completed. That is faith.

·         God’s word is TRUE. In Deuteronomy 18 we read that Moses is not the only prophet, but is clearly “the prophet.” And if there is any doubt about the Word given from a prophet (is it true or not) the verification is simple – “did the Word come to fulfillment?”

·         God sends a prophet like spiritual mechanics, and for the most part it was always the Covenant that was broken (our relationship to God). Other nations stand under judgement because of their complete defiance of God.

·         We shouldn't be surprised that a prophet’s words are rarely well received? Most people believed that nothing was broken, and so found the diagnoses offensive or ludicrous. Israel didn’t think they could do anything wrong because Abraham was their father. And pagan nations had their own Gods.

·         The word of God through the prophet becomes an assault (intentionally) upon their broken ways of believing.

Look at what God does using Moses, confronting the powers of the world

·         Moses/God confront the greatest powers in the world at that time. The people are powerless to escape Egypt – it must be God who acts and saves.

·         Moses confronts Pharaoh. Each of the 10 plagues directly confronts one of the Egyptian gods. Each plague tears down a belief/power that they believed in and asserts God’s dominion over all.

The prophetic word asserts God’s sovereignty, omnipotence, rule and reign, power and plan over all the world.

·         God is above and stands outside of all history, time, politics, economics, divination, or collected wisdom of man.

·         In the last plague God even asserts his power over death itself.

·         Exodus 14 -retell tell the story of Israel at the Red Sea.  14:31 "And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant."

Conclusion:

There is judgment in the prophetic word because it addresses something that is broken. There is often judgment in the prophetic word because it tears down every idol and false God that we place above God. There can be judgment in the prophetic word because God loves his children enough to discipline them.

But – if you read the prophets well, you will receive their words with hope. Hope of a better way. Hope of a Savior. Hope because God loves to redeem and save (fix) his broken people. God is our hope.

Ultimately the prophetic books find their fulfillment in Jesus. God sends the ultimate mechanic. God himself comes and offers a better way. We hear the truth when we realize it is also the only way.

John Calvin (and other Theologians) speak a lot about Jesus as prophet, priest, and king. Three significant ways to understand what he has done and who he is. Prophet – voice of God. Priest – mediates the worship and our relationship to God. And king – Lord of all. Jesus reorients our vision and understanding of the world.

An artist I have just recently started familiarizing myself with is Cody F. Miller. With his distinct style he draws up many biblical characters. It is well done and interesting. But I noticed that for more than one prophet – he has put them on stilts. Stilts that raise them way above the town. In such a manner they have a clear view of what is really going on. In the streets our heads are down and we just see what is right in front of us. But the prophet gives us the big picture. God’s point of view.

Luke 24 – the walk to Emmaus passage: “And beginning with Moses and all the prophets he (Jesus) explained to them what was said in all the scriptures concerning himself.”