22. Prophets’ Faith

Posted on Posted in Sermon Notes, Prayer Meeting Tagged with , , , ,

Hymns: 418 O Jesus, I Have Promised, 337 Never Give Up, 284 Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Hebrews 11:32g (KJV)

 32  And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of prophets …

 The Prophets’ Faith

OUTLINE

(1) Courage to Stand and Speak for God’s Honour

 

INTRODUCTION

God raised prophets, in the Old Testament time, to be His voice to His people, Israel, and to the world at large, as a witness to the words and works of the living and true God for His honour and glory. The prophets raised by God declared the will of God to His people so that they may be instructed to know the perfect will of God. Some were writing prophets like Moses (Pentateuch), Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the minor prophets. And there are the 12 minor prophets. These are the writing prophets, there were the non-writing prophets like Gad (with David in the wilderness and rebuked David when he numbered the people, Nathan (David’s advisor and chastised David for adultery with Beersheba), Elijah, Elisha.

In a time when the Scripture was in the process of being written, they were God’s voice to the people. Today, we have the completed canon of Scripture to instruct us to the truth that we may be nurtured toward spiritual maturity.

16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Tim. 3:16-17 KJV)

There were the ruling prophets from Moses whom we have studied at length, to Samuel, whom we saw last week spanning a period of 500 years from 1500 B.C., Israel was a theocracy, God ruled. When Israel demanded a king, the Lord allowed Israel to have their king, Israel was ruled by princes subsequently for a period of 500 years from 1000 B.C. from Saul to Zedekiah. This was recorded in 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles. However, God sent prophets to rebuke the nation, especially their kings when they were wayward and departed from God’s laws.

The prophets had to exercise faith in God. They did their work to confront kings, to speak against idolatry, spiritual adultery, trusting God for His protection, as they rebuke the people for their sins and utter divine judgment, on God’s behalf, predicting future events, anointing future kings, wrought miracles to authenticate their divine ministry.

(1) Courage to Stand and Speak for God’s Honour

One such prophet is Elijah. He exercised faith in God to rebuke sin and stand up to the challenge of idolators.

Jude wrote the last epistle before the Book of Revelation warning the church against departing from the faith when he wrote in Jude 3-4“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort youthat ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

It was a passionate plea to Christians to beware of spiritual contamination by evil men! The intention of Jude was originally intended to write a doctrinal epistle about the “common salvation”. Jude saw it necessary to remind the believers of the salvation that all born again believers possessed but he saw a more urgent need. This is because, evidently, the church was beginning to be infiltrated by false teachers who are attempting to destroy the Christian faith.

The phrase “for there are men crept in unawares” means to enter in craftily, secretly, without notice, like a thief, slip in (stealthily), join a group unnoticed, worm one’s way in; sneak in.[1] Used of the action of false teachers entering into the church under false claims (Jude 1:4). It has the idea of stealthy intrusion in camouflage. The Apostle Paul gave a similar warning to the church at Ephesus:

 Acts 20:28-30 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

What was Jude asking the church to contend for? The once for all delivered unto the saints FAITH. Faith may be understood as subjective faith (belief, trust, submission). But here it refers to the system of doctrines taught in the Scriptures.

How do you identify these false prophets? By their lives described as lascivious – living without any moral restraint licentiousness, sensuality, lustful indulgence. You identify these men by their moral lives! [Friberg Lexicon].

“A holy life is not ascetic, or gloomy, or solitary life, but a life regulated by divine truth and faithful in Christian duty. It is living above the world while we are still in it”, observes a conservative Christian pastor.

“Holiness is not an exemption from conflict, but victory through conflict” – Israel failed to fight the good fight of faith against sinful idolatry and they paid dearly with their wrecked lives.

Israel during Elijah’s time was in such a state when falsehood and Baal worship crept in through the marriage of Ahab to Jezebel. Amidst evil and idolatry, God raises Elijah to challenge the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel and called down fire from heaven to burn the sacrifice. Elijah’s ministery in Israel led to a revival in the land. The people returned to God and acknowledged Jehovah as their God.

 1 Kings 18:17-39 17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? 18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.

 God’s prophet Elijah was seen as a trouble maker. Why are you here to disturb the peace in the land? Elijah had to correct Ahab. It is not me who is troubling the land but you. You have departed the the commandments of God and went awhoring after other gods.

When Israel first entered into Canaan, God had warned them of the inhabitants of the land. They are to have nothing to do with them. Why does God want the inhabitants to be driven out so completely? The reason is seen in their wicked worship system. They practice a demonic and licentious worship system. Baal worship was a combination of sexual activity and human sacrifice. The inhabitants of that area of the world were farmers and herdsmen. Their income and livelihood were tied to the land, whether they were Canaanites or Israelites. So, the most important thing to all the people was fertility.

Baal means lord and Baalim means lords. Baal was the god of storm and the god of fertility. He was often pictured riding on a bull, one of the Canaanite symbols of fertility. One way in which Canaanites sought to pacify Baal was to offer their children as sacrifices. The children were to be offered without any display of emotions otherwise the sacrifice was worthless. Ashtoreth was the Canaanite goddess of regeneration and fertility. She was also considered as a goddess of war. Temple prostitution was a widespread practice and one that is thoroughly degrading. Also, intermarriages also led to formal recognition of the gods and gradual infiltration of pagan ideas into the community of Israel.

Firstly, their forefathers failed to obey the doctrine of biblical separation both personal as an individual and ecclesiastical separation as a people.

  • They were to make no alliance with the inhabitants of the land. (Judges 2:2a)
  • They are to destroy all the altars of idolatrous worship for the sake of their purity. (Judges 2:2b)

“…but ye have not obeyed my voice…” (Judges 2:2) was the rebuke that came through the angel of the LORD.

 Secondly, “they did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim and forsook the LORD God of their fathers…and followed after other gods…of the people that were round about them and bowed themselves down to them, and provoked the LORD to anger….They forsook the LORD and served Baal and Ashtaroth” (Judges 2:11-13)

We are exhorted to be holy because God is holy. The tribes of Israel failed to destroy the idolatrous nations as instructed by the LORD (Judges 2:2).

19Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table. 20So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.

It is interesting that Elijah knew who were those false prophets who crept into Israel. He identified them clearly. There were 450 of these prophets and 400 prophets of the groves who ate at Jezebel’s table. Jezebel therefore was the one strengthening this group to trouble Israel.

Mount Carmel would be the scene of battle between good and evil!

21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD beGod, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

 Elijah challenged the people to follow the truth. Walk in the path of righteousness. Following the true God of Israel. Depart from the false god Baal.

22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: 24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

 The battle for the truth is not one of numbers but the truth itself. When Martin Luther was awakened to the falsehood of the Roman Catholic Church, he raised the alarm. He pointed out the falsehoods in the system. He was one man against an established. Nonetheless, the truth prevailed.

 2 Corinthians 13:8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.

 What was the test? The living and true God will send fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice.

 25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. 27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. 28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

 God’s word provided many warnings against the worship of false gods. A false gospel like the prosperity gospel of some churches today.

 Psalm 135:15 The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.

 Psalm 96:5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

Habakkuk 2:18-19 What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? 19Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it islaid over with gold and silver, and there isno breath at all in the midst of it.

 30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that wasbroken down. 31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: 32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid himon the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour iton the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. 34 And he said, Do itthe second time. And they did itthe second time. And he said, Do itthe third time. And they did itthe third time. 35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water. 36 And it came to pass at the time ofthe offering of the eveningsacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou artGod in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and thatI have done all these things at thy word. 37Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou artthe LORD God, and thatthou hast turned their heart back again. 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that wasin the trench.

The power of God was gloriously manifested for His people to see so that they be not hoodwinked by these false gods brought in by evil men into the land.

39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.

 This was the witness of the people when they witnessed the power of God authenticating His Word.

There are three epochs in biblical history when God wrought notable miracles to show the people the truth.

During the time of the Exodus, the crossing of the Red Sea, a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day and shoes that will be wear out, the manna and quails from heaven. Here during Elijah’s time and thirdly during Jesus’ time. These were periods of great darkness where God had to intervene to distinguish truth from error. And His prophets had to be very courageous to trust God’s sovereign protection upon them to do His bidding.

We notice that God vindicated His servants because they exercised faith in Him to do His will for His glory – 6But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Heb. 11:6 KJV)

CONCLUSION

The prophets shone as God’s light in the midst of spiritual darkness. An encouragement for our learning how we ought to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints. Amen.

[1]From pará– unto or at the side of, and eisdúō, to enter in, which is from eis, into, and dúō, to go down, sink.