Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His
servants the prophets. A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord
GOD has spoken! Who can but prophesy? Amos 3:7-8
This promise has often been quoted by the church, but in most times that it is quoted, it is done entirely outside the context of which the promise was made. Through the years, God had been warning Israel of a coming judgment because of its persistent sin. Every call that God made through His prophets was a call for Israel to repent. Amos prophesied on the same note as others before him had done. This time, however, he tells them that God will not do anything (in context, bring judgment to His people) without revealing it to His servants, the prophets. Revealing the pending judgment to the prophets was not a formality, it was for them to warn the people that there was consequence for sin.
O that that those seated in the office of the prophet today may know this truth, that their calling requires that they warn their hearers of the danger inherent in continuing in sin. How will a loving God hide a matter so grave as His coming judgment from His people? Will the prophet not receive from God that there will come a day when each member of the body of Christ will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account of Him for the things he/she did in his/her body?
How sad that when the pretender prophets stand to prophesy to the church, that the only thing they seem to hear from the Lord is that He is going to bless them. What a fraud? How will God send prophets to tell His church that He is going to bless them, when He has already blessed them? "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 1:3.
This promise has often been quoted by the church, but in most times that it is quoted, it is done entirely outside the context of which the promise was made. Through the years, God had been warning Israel of a coming judgment because of its persistent sin. Every call that God made through His prophets was a call for Israel to repent. Amos prophesied on the same note as others before him had done. This time, however, he tells them that God will not do anything (in context, bring judgment to His people) without revealing it to His servants, the prophets. Revealing the pending judgment to the prophets was not a formality, it was for them to warn the people that there was consequence for sin.
O that that those seated in the office of the prophet today may know this truth, that their calling requires that they warn their hearers of the danger inherent in continuing in sin. How will a loving God hide a matter so grave as His coming judgment from His people? Will the prophet not receive from God that there will come a day when each member of the body of Christ will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account of Him for the things he/she did in his/her body?
How sad that when the pretender prophets stand to prophesy to the church, that the only thing they seem to hear from the Lord is that He is going to bless them. What a fraud? How will God send prophets to tell His church that He is going to bless them, when He has already blessed them? "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 1:3.
When the Bible says that the
Lord will do nothing unless He reveals it to His servants the prophets,
it must not be understood as implying that there is nothing that He will
hide from them. Did He not hide the church age from the prophets of
old? The apostle Paul taught on the mystery of the church which God kept
secret from His prophets. So let no one deceive you into believing that
God has shown him everything about your life. God has not done so. He
didn't do it in the past, and He is not doing it now. Let the Holy
Spirit be your guide and you will not be deceived by any pretender
prophet.
Toni
Toni
