Dec 30, 2011 5 min read

Scripture reading: Jeremiah 37:1-21. Text: “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.” 2 Peter 1:19-21.

Standing on the threshold of the new year, how wonderful it would be to know our future. Many assume they are wise enough to predict what we will face this coming year. If you are really a “prophet”, please write down your prediction, put it into an envelope, seal it, and open it on Jan. 1, 2013. Who will be surprised?

We can read about prophets (there are four major and 12 minor prophets in the Old Testament) and these especially gifted people rendered an important service. We cannot discuss here all the prophets and every prophecy; we can only concentrate on our situation, what we can expect and what we can know about God’s will concerning us.

“THEREFORE, PROPHESY AND SAY TO THEM: ‘THIS IS WHAT THE SOVEREIGN LORD SAYS . . .'” Ezekiel 37:12.

In the Old Testament, the chosen race received very specific guidance from the Lord through the prophets. At times, it was not easy for the true prophets to have credibility because at the same time, there were “self-appointed/false” prophets whose predictions had not come from the Lord. For instance, “‘I have not sent them,’ declares the LORD. ‘They are prophesying lies in my name.'” Jeremiah 27:15/a. Often the prophecy originating from the Lord was not a pleasant one. Prophet Jeremiah was told by God to put a yoke on his neck as a symbol of the bondage of Judah to Babylon, Jeremiah 27:2, and he was placed in a dungeon. Please see our Scripture reading. Isaiah declared God’s deliverance and reassurance, see Isaiah 38:4-6. However, the prophecy given was not always what the people wanted to hear. Jeremiah had to make it clear God’s decision was that Judah would be defeated, please read Jeremiah 37:4-10.

However, the historical predictions were not the most important. The most important were those prophesies that referred to Messiah’s arrival, please read Isaiah 9:1-7; 11:1-4, and 53:1-12. The 7th and 8th verses are quoted as pointing to Jesus in Acts of Apostles 8:32-33. Isaiah 61:1-2 was repeated and validated by Jesus in Luke 4:14-21. Christ approved the Old Testament’s prophecies, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them (the two disciples who went from Jerusalem to Emmaus) what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” Luke 24:27.

IN THE NEW TESTAMENT THERE WAS NO NEED TO POINT AHEAD TO A COMING MESSIAH.

The Old Testament prophecies became reality with the birth of Christ. Please remember how Herod called the chief priests and the teachers of the law to find an answer to the inquiry of the three wise men, Matthew 2:1-9, and how Prophet Micah’s prophecy was quoted, Micah 5:2. Prophets were still respected by the people in the New Testament; for instance John the Baptist was considered a prophet, Matthew 14:5, and the Samaritan woman said the same about Jesus, see John 4:19.

Our Lord made it clear that since he was sent by God and revealed his Father’s will, there was no need anymore for special messengers, please read Luke 16:27-31.

Even in the Old Testament the prophets dealt with issues involving the whole nation and their responsible leaders and not every private citizen’s future separately.

What helps us to “sense” or perceive God’s will about our own predicament in light of divine providence? The answer in short is faith, prayer, conscience, courage, wisdom, reading the Bible and the support of the brethren. The prophets were not concerned about the easy life of the individuals one by one. They were concerned with how to respond collectively to God even if it meant swallowing a bitter pill.

Meaningful communication depends on both the speaker and the listener. As far as the speaker is concerned, this is what Paul in Hebrews 1:1-2/a wrote, “In the past, God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son . . .” And for those who listen to Christ’s words this is the admonition, “‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.'” Hebrews 4:7.

The Rev. Alexander Jalso is a retired United Presbyterian minister living in Brownsville.