Thinking About the Prophets

God’s prophets in the Bible were men and women who spoke God’s word.
“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,has in these last days spoken to us by His Son” (Hebrews 1:1,2).
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“So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum . . . And they spoke with her. Then she said to them, ‘Thus says the LORD God of Israel . . .’” (2 Kings 22:14-16).

“Now when David arose in the morning, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, ‘Go and tell David, “Thus says the LORD . . .”’” (2 Samuel 24:11,12).

God spoke to Jeremiah, “Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: ‘Behold, I have put my words in your mouth . . .’” (Jeremiah 1:9).

Prophets are described as God’s servants, who gave warnings to encourage their contemporaries to turn from their wicked ways and to serve God. “I have also sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, ‘Turn now everyone from his evil way, amend your doings . . .’” (Jeremiah 35:15).

Prophets also foretold events, thus showing God’s purpose and power to make it happen. For instance, Isaiah in chapters 52 and 53 foretold the events of Jesus’ trial and crucifixion. David a 1000 years before accurately foretold the sorrow, temptation, agony and circumstances of Jesus’ crucifixion: “. . . The congregation of the wicked has enclosed me. They pierced my hands and my feet; I can count all my bones. They look and stare at me. They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots” (Psalm 22:16-18).

Long before this, Moses had spoken of a special prophet whom God would send. “And the LORD said . . . I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him” (Deuteronomy 18:17,18).
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Jesus is that special prophet, as the apostle Peter confirms: “But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled . . . For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever he says to you . . .’” (Acts 3:18,22).

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