The Prophets, Part 3
The character of these men was important
and often tested. Prophets had to be bold
like Amos. Prophets had to represent God’s
character like Hosea. Prophets had to be humble
and submissive like Habakkuk. Prophets had to
trust God to take care of their needs like Elijah.
Prophets had to be persistent almost to the point
of stubbornness like Jeremiah. Prophets had to be
brave like Nathan. Prophets had to find their place
in uncomfortable surroundings like Daniel.
While these are specific attributes you would
have wanted from anyone who would serve as a
prophet of God, it is striking to note the differences
in the men who served. Amos’s preaching against
the nations in the northern kingdom is very
different from Daniel’s prophesying about the
coming nation of God (the church) in Babylon
from King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Sometimes
we get a lot of narrative mixed with specific
prophecies and object lessons like Jeremiah
or Ezekiel and other times we have very short
messages of communication between the prophet
and God recorded for the people like Habakkuk.
Some prophets are mostly known for the miracles
they performed like Elisha and others perform no miracles but are just as impressive with their
boldness in prophesying like Nathan. The bold
judgment against Nineveh from Joel is a stark
contrast to the relatively quiet praise of Simeon at
the appearance of the Messiah.
While we are amazed to read of all that these
prophets accomplished, we would do well to
remember that they were ordinary people who
were called by a great God to do great things. Jonah
was certainly an imperfect vessel to carry God’s
message to the Assyrians, and all the prophets must
have had their individual strengths, weaknesses,
styles, and preferences. Regardless, God could use
them all the same. While the work looks different
in the context of the New Testament church, we
should not fail to recognize that God still works
through everyday people to save souls eternally.
In that respect, our work is of greater importance.
A study of the prophets reminds us of the
unique qualities of God’s servants today. There is a
beautiful oneness in the church through doctrine
and fellowship (Eph. 4:1-6). Yet our differences
make us able to cover a greater span of needs with
our faithful service to the King.
-Ross Haffner