Prophets in Samuel, Kings and Chronicles

Prophets in Samuel, Kings and Chronicles

Lessons for the 21st Century

Smashwords edition

Copyright © 2018 by Jennifer Anne Cox

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Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 Rebuke and Warning

Chapter 2 Prophets Give Direction from God

Chapter 3 Prediction, Fulfilment and Interpretation

Chapter 4 The Authority of the Prophet

Chapter 5 The Prophet’s Relationship with God

Chapter 6 The Prophet’s Relationship with People

Chapter 7 Prophets and Worship

Chapter 8 Prophetic Words and Written Scripture

Conclusion

About the Author

Introduction

Why Write This Book?

The New Testament teaches that prophets and prophecy are vital to the health of the church (1 Cor 12:28; Eph 4:11). So the church will benefit by understanding prophets and prophecy. However, although prophets are mentioned over one hundred and fifty times in the New Testament, the majority of those references are to the prophets of the Old Testament. For this reason, we must go back into the Old Testament revelation in order to learn what God has to say about prophets. Without consideration of the ways in which God dealt with the nation of Israel through prophets and prophecy in the Old Testament, the church will have limited knowledge of the functions of the prophets that are so vital to her spiritual wellbeing.

The whole Bible is God’s word to us. What was written there has been given to us as examples for our instruction (1 Cor 10:6). We need the concrete examples of God’s people trusting the living God in the circumstances and difficulties of life. We also benefit by seeing what people did wrong so we can avoid doing the same, and by observing the way in which God worked. One source of prophetic material is the written prophets, both major and minor. Another rich source of prophetic material can be found in the prophets in Samuel, Kings and Chronicles. It is the latter to which I have turned in this book.

The books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles together narrate the history of Israel’s kings, from the time when Israel first asked for a king, through the separation of the nation into two kingdoms—Judah in the South and Israel in the North—until the exile of Judah from the land, a time when the last king of the nation of Israel was on the throne. Prophets played an important role in the nation (both North and South) during this time. These books contain a significant concentration of prophets and prophetic activity. Because so many prophets are mentioned in these books, they are an excellent source of information about the roles of prophets. The various prophets found there can serve as real examples to the church. They show us how to operate in the prophetic calling.

General Remarks about Prophets in Samuel, Kings and Chronicles

Prophets are generally considered to be one of three main leadership roles in ancient Israel. Priests performed a vital role in Israel’s worship in both tabernacle and temple. Kings led Israel and Judah for hundreds of years before both nations were sent into exile because of their sin. Prophets operated alongside both priests and kings. The prophet acted as God’s mouthpiece. In Samuel, Kings and Chronicles, prophets were particularly associated with God’s words to kings and the nation as a whole.

Both prophets and prophetic activity are extremely varied in these books. To begin with, prophets are not always labelled prophet. Many are called prophet but some are called man of God or seer. Others are not given any title but only marked out as prophets by the fact that the Spirit of God/the LORD came upon them or that the word of God/the LORD came to them. Some prophets had ongoing ministries that spanned the time of many kings. Others are mentioned only once. On occasion a prophet’s son was also set apart as a prophet. Others had no connection to earlier prophets. Many were named and others remain unnamed. Some rebuked, some encouraged, some made predictions, some performed sign-acts, some provided direction from God, some did miracles, and others did nothing but worship God musically. Many prophets have their words recorded, but some did not. Some prophets acted in groups and others alone. But all have something to teach the church.

Views about Present-Day Prophets in the Church

There are various different doctrinal stances on the presence or absence of prophetic activity in the church. Many Christians believe that prophecy is no longer needed in the church because the Scriptures are complete. On the other hand, Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians believe in ongoing prophetic activity. Different Pentecostal groups have particular expectations about the nature of prophecy in the church. I believe that this study of prophets in Samuel, Kings and Chronicles can provide some input into both of these Christian views.

Personally, I would classify my doctrinal position as Reformed-evangelical and charismatic. I believe in the authority of the Scriptures over and above any word that claims to be prophetic. All prophecy should be subjected to the test of Scripture. But I also believe that God still speaks to the church through people with prophetic gifting. I believe that God has called me and gifted me with gifts of both prophecy and teaching. These gifts operate together in my life. Coming from this theological position, I contend that the examples of prophets that are given to us in Samuel, Kings and Chronicles are able to inform us about the role of prophets in the church today.

If you fall into the cessationist camp, please don’t stop reading at this point. You can still benefit from this book, even if it is for no other reason than the fact that the book discusses what God has said in Samuel, Kings and Chronicles. Even if you believe that there are no prophets in the present-day church, you can learn from the prophets God used in the past. If, on the other hand, you are a Pentecostal, I pray that this discussion will provide you with a broader biblical viewpoint on prophets and prophecy than you have had previously.

In regard to the present-day church, who may be considered a prophet? Not every person who prophesies should be given the designation prophet. Although many people may prophesy (1 Cor 14:31), they are not considered leaders. But those who regularly prophesy and whom the church recognises as accurate can be called prophets and may be counted as leaders. When I refer to the office of prophet or the ministry of a prophet, I am referring to those people who have been consistent in bringing authentic words of prophecy that help the church and who have been recognised as leaders. I am not using office in any technical or hierarchical sense.

It should also be understood that the authority of prophets in the New Testament is not absolute like that of Old Testament prophets. In the Old Testament, when a genuine prophet of God spoke, his or her word would have to be obeyed as the authoritative word of God. The prophet was either a true prophet, in which case his or her words should be obeyed, or a false prophet, in which case the prophet should not be listened to. It was the prophet who was judged true or false, rather than the individual words of the prophet. In the New Testament, the apostles are those whose authority is absolute—in the sense that they spoke God’s words—and not prophets. In the New Testament the words of prophecies have to be tested (1 Thess 5:20-21).

Prophecy is more common in the New Testament church than it was in the Old Testament nation of Israel. Many people may prophesy in a Christian meeting. Paul instructed the Corinthians: Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop (1 Cor 14:29-30). If these words of prophecy carried the same level of authority as those in the Old Testament, then no one could interrupt the prophecy or cause the prophet to discard the revelation. Yet this is possible for congregational prophecy.

However, even though any prophetic word given to the church cannot carry the same weight as Scripture, prophecy should