Three Verses – The Series (Part Two)

The Role Of The Prophet (Part One)

Luke 2 vs. 36 – 38

“Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. (or some translations say for four score and four years which is 84). She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.”

I continue in my study on the above three verses the introduction can be found here.

On this blog I would like to start expanding the role of the prophet and will touch on three aspects Prayer, Receiving The Word Of God and Suffering. Please note some is my own writing and some from articles I have read which I believe make a point very clearly so have not changes the text but attributed it to them. 

The role of the prophet was varied, and understanding the role of the Prophet as seen in scripture I believe has helped me and can help us when we think or talk about the gift of Prophecy within the Spiritual gifts laid out in 1 Corinthians 12 and it’s use within the three verses from Luke

Where I have used “he” to describe the prophet I also mean “she” at the same time.

A prophet is a spokesperson for God. The prophet challenges, warns, directs, encourages, intercedes, teaches and counsels God’s people. He brings the word of God to the people of God and calls the people to respond to that word. The prophetic ministry begins in the presence of the Lord.

When the prophet knows the heart and mind of the Lord, he speaks the word of the Lord to his people. He stands before the people, as one who has stood before God. Because his words come from the heart of God they are powerful and effective.

A prophet can undertake a huge variety of roles and often does. A prophet may carry out every one of the role on an occasional basis but most likely he will settle/move/focus in one or two of these roles. Prayer is the foundation of every aspect of ministry. As God is a God who creates each of us as unique individuals He also develops His prophets in the same way so that no two are identical but each of them should be a reflection of God’s creativity and calling.

The Role Of The Prophet – Prayer

An important even vital part of the prophet’s task is prayer. Because he knows the mind of the Lord, he is in a position to pray effectively. He has a clear picture of what God is doing, so he knows where prayer is needed most. The prophet watches over the word of the Lord and prays it into being. He must not rest until God has fulfilled his word (Isaiah 62:6).

Prayer is essential to the prophetic ministry. It came naturally to the prophets in the Bible and was the life-blood of their ministry. Prayer was and remains our/their principal means of communication with God and lays at the heart of our personal relationship with God

The Role Of The Prophet - Receiving the Word of the Lord

Another key role of the prophet is waiting in the presence of God to receive the word of God. This means listening and if we/they are trying to hear the word of the Lord then it will always require waiting. The task of the prophets is/was to know the will of God, so that they can convey it to the nation. Their ministry consisted in handling revelation, i.e. the knowledge that God has revealed to them. From the earliest times prophecy was conceived as being the activity of God, rather than the activity of man. This is true not only for the receiving of prophecy but also for it’s delivery. When the prophecy actually conveyed the word of the Lord to the people he was deemed to be under the power of God. The hand of the Lord was upon him, empowering and directing the delivery of the word (Clifford Hill - Prophecy, Past and Present with some small adjustments)

The Role Of The Prophet – Suffering

A prophet is often called to suffering. Deep dealing at the hand of God will often be needed to prepare the prophet for receiving the word of God. Sometimes he may actually have to experience beforehand, something of what his people will experience.

As an example Jeremiah spent many years in captivity before his people went into captivity. He was often rejected and ignored he was even accused of being a traitor. Another prophet Ezekiel had to lie on his side for 390 days to symbolise the judgement that would come upon his nation. This suffering made the prophets extremely aware of their human frailty (see Jeremiah 20:7-10 where Jeremiah pours out to God concerning the suffering he is under at that time).

But it also equipped the prophet to give what was often a very harsh message in a spirit of compassion. A true message is nullified if it is spoken in the wrong spirit. Suffering softens the prophet’s spirit, so that he can give the hardest word, in a spirit of love. Suffering contributed to Jeremiah’s compassion.

So we start to see some of the differing aspects of a role in scripture often simply titled the Prophet

In the next post I will pick up on some more of the Role’s Of The Prophet

Stick with me over the next few posts because it all builds to the importance and relevance of these three simple verses in Luke

God Bless