Deuteronomy 18:15 – 22 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him. This is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God or see this great fire anymore, so that we will not die!” Then the LORD said to me, “They have spoken well. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. And I will hold accountable anyone who does not listen to My words that that prophet speaks in My name. But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put to death.”
You may ask in your heart, “How can we recognize a message that the LORD has not spoken?” When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the message does not come to pass or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.”
EARTHQUAKES!!! FIRE!!! SMOKE!!!! THE DEAFENING SOUND OF AN ENORMOUS RAM’S HORN BEING BLOWN!!!! When the Israelites were shaking in their sandals below Mount Sinai, they had plenty of reasons. Finally, things became so terrifying that the Israelites begged God to speak to Moses and to let Moses speak to them. “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God or see this great fire anymore, so that we will not die!”
God agreed with the Israelites and spoke his words through Moses; however, God also promised that He would raise up others who would speak for Him. “I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. And I will hold accountable anyone who does not listen to My words that that prophet speaks in My name.” But the Israelites were bound by oath to listen to God’s prophets and to follow what they would say.
Later in the Old Testament we realize the Israelites were much better at begging than they were at listening. Even when prophets were obviously legitimate and many of their prophecies had already come to pass, the Israelites still wanted to argue with God. Read the last several chapters of the Book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah had been prophesying for many years. Now the Babylonians had captured Israel and an assassin backed by the Ammonites had murdered Gedaliah, the military commander left in charge of the Israelites left behind. The remaining Israelites came to Jeremiah, begging for him to tell them what God wanted them to do. But they weren’t really interested in God’s Will; they already knew that they wanted to run off to Egypt and they were hoping that somehow God through Jeremiah would rubber stamp their schemes. When God through Jeremiah exposed the treachery of the remnant and warned them that they all would die if they left for Egypt, they all refused to listen and went to Egypt anyway. In this case, God did hold those people responsible and when the Babylonians invaded Egypt, they all died. Had they followed God’s instructions and remained in Judah, they would have lived.
Prophecy is a tricky business! There are many self – styled prophets; however, God has three tests for the truth of a prophecy: Does the prophecy come true? Does the prophecy line up with God’s word? In whose name is the prophecy being given?
“But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put to death… When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the message does not come to pass or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.”
APPLICATION: In this age of social media, it is easier than ever before to access prophecies of various kinds. But telling the fake from the real can be a daunting challenge. God actually calls very few people to be prophets, and there are many people who claim to be prophets and prophetesses who are not.
One of the hallmarks of God’s Holy Spirit is a peace that passes understanding. When someone gives a prophecy, no matter how loudly they shout or how dramatically they speak, if the Holy Spirit Peace does not accompany those words, don’t listen.
The calling to be a prophet is a very difficult one. Read the Bible and you will see that many of the most outstanding prophets suffered a great deal during their lives and died gruesome deaths. Anyone who is unwilling to suffer for the sake of the Word of God is not a true prophet and should be ignored.
Advent season is upon us, and some of the loveliest prophecies regarding the birth of Jesus came through the prophet Isaiah. But Isaiah was ostracized by his own people and eventually was murdered by those who hated his prophecies. Nonetheless, the words of Isaiah continue to live in our hearts.
“For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there shall be no end, Upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth, even forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for sending Your Word to advise us and to encourage us. Help us to trust You when a real prophet speaks. Help us to know when someone is faking prophecy and should be ignored. Thank You for fulfilling Your prophecies and sending Your Son Jesus to live and die as the ultimate Sacrifice for our sins. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
December 12, 2021 at 3:36 pm
Very Good Words!!