Dividing the Prophets

...rightly dividing the word of truth. – 2Ti 2:15

Rightly-dividing the Scriptures is a fine art that every studious reader of the Bible must embrace. It goes more than a general cut down the middle of the Bible to declare, “This side ‘new’; this other side ‘old’”. We need to go even further to divide even parts of each.

Take the prophets, for instance. The Bible identifies about 80 of them and they fill a broad spectrum of personalities and professions. Nevertheless, we can’t assay to emulate just about every one of them just because they’re prophets.

For example, Abraham, the very first person to be designated as “prophet” in scripture, got that appellation just right after he selfishly lied about his wife! (Gen 20:1-7). Similarly, the next “prophet”, Aaron, distinguished his prophetic office by making the famed “golden calf” for the Israelites (Ex 7:1; 32:1-5).

Clearly, no right-thinking Christian would possibly think of emulating lying and idolatry just because a Bible “prophet” did it; but what about cases where the moral line is not so distinct? The fashion style and even diets of Prophets Elijah and John the Baptist have inspired many modern day doctrines and lifestyles. And it’s impossible not to see the influence of Elijah and Elisha in the confrontational way many of our current “prophets” talk today.

So how do we divide the prophets? By divorcing their personal actions from their inspired ones. The Bible records the actions of every one of its characters just the way the events transpired; but documentation does not imply validation. Just as God never endorsed Abraham’s mendacity, or Aaron’s idolatry; He also did not endorse Elisha’s murderous ‘prophetic’ outburst on the jesting youths of Bethel (2Ki 2:23-24).

These of course, lead us to the iconic “fire-from-heaven” Elijah. Even though his actions were not only fear-instigated (not faith) but were also denounced by THE Prophet Himself, Jesus our Lord (2Ki 1:9-15; Lk 9:54-56), many a “Man of God” or “prophet” today still pride themselves in being like him.

Beloved, we do not receive instruction from the un-instructed actions of prophets. Rather we receive spiritual lessons from their inspired words. In this sense, the writing prophets – Isaiah to Malachi – have more to tell us than the powerful Elijahs/Eishas and their so-called “school of prophets”.

We know that “No prophecy of scripture ever comes about by the prophet's own imagination,” (2Pe 1:20, NET) but we don’t have such safe guarantee concerning their actions. 

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN