Today, I want to preach about the prophet's walk, a walk that carries
the cross by referring to the book of Jeremiah. When we read the
old testament and learn about the history of Israel, we can find one outstanding
fact. When a king makes a mistake in his walk before God, there is always
a prophet sent from God to call the king into account.
God always sends his prophet to point out the mistakes of kings.
We have many examples in the Bible. For example, we can see it at the time
of David. David is a representative king of Israel. His name is written
in the ancestries of Jesus Christ like "son of Abraham and David."
His walk and obedience before God was most faithful compared to the other
kings of Israel.
However, he made a big mistake in his life time in his relationship with Bathsheba. This was a private matter that no one knew about, a secret relationship between a man and a woman. However, the prophet Nathan suddenly stands up with a word. Nathan never feared the king's sovereignty but boldly and accurately pointed out the sin of king David.
God told the prophet Nathan to confront David. And the prophet Nathan went out and told God's word to the guilty king. And David repented because of his word.
This pattern (God-prophet-king) is repeated many times in the old testament. At this time, since David repented he recovered his close relationship with God. But in the examples of some other kings, when their problems and sins were exposed by the prophet the kings would rage against the prophet. Yes, many kings became angry with the prophets.
Even if the attitude of the king will not change, the work of the prophet is not changed. That is to say, if God tells the prophet, he is to go out, and tell God's word to the king or people.
A prophet's work is precisely this kind of work. If we see it, it may not be a happy mission or a rewardable one but it is a necessary one.
Concerning the kings of the old testament, we can say this: When any king is bad, it does not mean, only the king himself has a problem (of course some of the blame for the problem is on the king). But there is also a problem with the people. Because a king represents the spiritual condition of the whole country of Israel (the north) or Judah (the south). If a king seeks for idol worship, the people follow and also commit the same kind of sin.
As the time period and age changes, the spiritual condition of that age will also change. So, the walk of a king is different depending on the period.
Though one king may be faithful before God, another king may be unfaithful before God by worshipping idols and neglecting the law. But whenever the king's or the people's hearts are separated from God, there is no case where God leaves them be without sending them a word. He always sends his prophet against the king or the people and gives them warning. Even though they may not hear the message of the prophet, God still sends his prophet anyway. Sometimes they may outright not listen to his message and kick him out, and may even persecute him or even kill him. But such an act will bring judgment against the king and the people. Anyway, God will send his prophet to a king at least once.
These stories are all of old testament. But, we can apply these stories to this present age. Yes, it pertains to our age. Because the Bible is written for our present age as well. In the new testament, Jesus said to the Pharisees in Matthew 23:34 "¦ Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes:" This is a prophecy within the new testament and refers to prophecy for the church age.
The Lord is speaking to us and saying that he will send his prophets even in this church age. At this time, there is no prophet in the strict definition of an old testament prophet. And there is also no king like David or Ahab who is to govern God's people as a church. But, there are current day correspondences for these figures in the Bible.
According to the word in 2 Peter chapter 2, a teacher in the new testament corresponds to the prophet in the old testament. Furthermore, a king corresponds to a leader among God's people today (a church leader).
If the pattern in the old testament of God-prophet-king is God's pattern, God must be telling us through the equivalency of the new testament pattern how we should be governed today. Yes, God really talks through this pattern even in this new testament age. Even in the new testament age, God always sends his servant, a prophet, to the counterpart of the king and the people when they stray out from God's way. Who are God's servants in this age? Luther, Calvin, Wesley and other servants of God have been used as prophets. God truly spoke to them and through them, and so they stood up. And their messages were really of God worth repeating in the generations to come. And because they opened their mouths in divine utterance, they received their share of the prophet-persecution pattern in their times. They were not welcomed by "the king" of God's people (whether political or ecclesiastical leaders).
Even in this century, if God has something to say against a king, God will tell it to his prophet. When told by God, there is a dilemma on the prophet. As a human, he does not like to be rebuked or criticized by the people. He is but flesh himself and has the common feelings as a human, so he has a dilemma. The powerful burning word of the Lord residing in his heart that must be told and made public and the powerful feelings of scorn and shame he would feel before an unreceptive audience. As we see in the above text, we can see Jeremiah's dilemma. His dilemma should be our dilemma. He carried his cross as a prophet. Are we?
But please note that not all of us are called by God to the work of a prophet. Instead, if you have not been truly told by God to speak, you should not open your mouth from yourself. But, if you are really told by God, you have to open your mouth. If you are called to stand before a king or the people or in church you must speak what God speaks. This is the way of a prophet - the way of bearing the cross.
Let's do the will of God in this end time.
end.