Prophetic Callings
Major Themes From the Minor Prophets • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 3 viewsGod calls and equips some believers to minister as prophets
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God calls and equips some believers to minister as prophets
God calls and equips some believers to minister as prophets
Intro: Today we look at the prophets Amos, Habakkuk, and Jonah. Their messages, books are part of the group referred to as the minor prophets, just to be clear, this is not a reflection of the importance of their ministry, but an acknowledgement of the relatively short lengths of their books.
Each was given a mission from God to carry His message to His people and the surrounding nations.
Amos was sent from Judah to Israel with messages for Israel and the surrounding nations, the message, coming judgement for their sinful treatment of fellow humans.
Habakkuk’s call was focused on Judah warning of coming judgement at the hand of the Chaldeans.
Jonah’s call was to go to Nineveh, thou most of the narrative is on his response to God’s call.
GODLY SHEPHERD TURNED PROPHET
GODLY SHEPHERD TURNED PROPHET
The Unlikely Prophet
The words of Amos, who was among the sheep breeders of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
What we find in scripture concerning who Amos was is limited:
he was no prophet or a prophet’s son
God calls him from the town of Tekoa
no formal religious training
Amos relied completely on the Spirit of God to equip him and use him as His spokes man
Not Concerned with Our Economic Regardless of his economic status, God called him!
Tekoa is perhaps best known as the hometown of the prophet Amos. His prophecy begins this way: “The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa—the vision he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel”.
Tekoa is in the southern kingdom of Judah, but Amos was sent to prophesy to the northern kingdom of Israel. Amos prophesied against many of Israel’s neighbors but finally against Israel as well, showing that her behavior was no better than that or her pagan neighbors.
Unwavering Commitment
Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said: ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, And Israel shall surely be led away captive From their own land.’ ” Then Amaziah said to Amos: “Go, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah. There eat bread, And there prophesy. But never again prophesy at Bethel, For it is the king’s sanctuary, And it is the royal residence.” Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah: “I was no prophet, Nor was I a son of a prophet, But I was a sheepbreeder And a tender of sycamore fruit.
Then the Lord took me as I followed the flock, And the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’ Now therefore, hear the word of the Lord: You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, And do not spout against the house of Isaac.’ “Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Your wife shall be a harlot in the city; Your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword; Your land shall be divided by survey line; You shall die in a defiled land; And Israel shall surely be led away captive From his own land.’ ”
His prophecy against these nations, (Damascus, Gaza/Philistia, Tyre, Edom, Ammon and Moab was that the nations that do not acknowledge God. They were being judged according to God’s word:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Those that will rebel against the WORD!
The priest Amaziah did not appreciate Amos, he tried to put an end to Amos ministry by falsely accusing him of conspiring against the king.
When Your God Called
A role is was not seeking, God tells him to “Go prophecy unto my people Israel. When God call’s you, no one, no government no principality can nullify the call on a man or woman's life.
WATCHER AND WRITER
WATCHER AND WRITER
We know little of Habakkuk beyond the two mentions of his name in this book of prophecy. Both times, he identified himself as “Habakkuk the prophet” (Habakkuk 1:1; 3:1), a term that seems to indicate Habakkuk was a professional prophet.
The Book of Habakkuk is unique in that it does not speak messages from God to His people, but rather a conversation between Habakkuk and God about the people.
Habakkuk’s Complaint
The Book of Habakkuk is unique in that it does not speak messages from God to His people, but rather a conversation between Habakkuk and God about the people.
The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw.
The prophet complained about Judah’s sins and God responded. Then Habakkuk questioned God’s response.
The prophet initiated this conversation based on his distress and the perceived inaction by God in the world. He wanted to see God do something more, particularly in the area of justice for evildoers.
Habakkuk pondered the state of his nation, Judah. So much evil thrived, completely in the open, but God remained strangely silent. Where was He? How long would He allow this mess to continue?
The Prophet’s Patience
I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected. Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.
Habakkuk did not understand but he still believed God!
Not long, the Babylonians, would come and execute justice on the Lord’s behalf. The wicked in Judah, those who thought they would get away with their evil deeds forever, were soon to be punished.
The book of Habakkuk offers us a picture of a prideful people being humbled, while the righteous live by faith in God (2:4). It reminds us that while God may seem silent and uninvolved in world affairs, He always has a plan to deal with evil and His plan always works out justice .
The example of the prophet Habakkuk encourages believers to wait on the Lord, expecting that He will indeed work out all things for our good.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
“Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.
THE TWICE CALLED PROPHET
THE TWICE CALLED PROPHET
The Wrong Way Prophet
Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
What was the message given to Jonah for Nineveh: The word of the Lord came to Jonah, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”
Nineveh was a pagan city that has been hostile to Israel, and as such, Jonah was not inclined to warn the city but preferred for God to unleash His judgment upon them.
This should help remind us while it is sometimes tempting to see cities only as crime-filled urban center, God sees them as concentrations of people whom He love and who desperately need Him.
But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
Instead of going toward the city in obedience, Jonah went the opposite direction.
The Prophet Turned Around
Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.
Jonah 1:3, "But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish..."
Jonah 1:17, "But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights."
Jonah 2:2, "In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry."
Jonah 3:10, "When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened."
Brief Summary: Jonah’s fear and pride cause him to run from God. He does not wish to go to Nineveh to preach repentance to the people, as God has commanded, because he feels they are his enemies, and he is convinced that God will not carry out his threat to destroy the city. Instead he boards a ship for Tarshish, which is in the opposite direction. Soon a raging storm causes the crew to cast lots and determine that Jonah is the problem. They throw him overboard, and he is swallowed by a great fish.
In its belly for 3 days and 3 nights, Jonah repents of his sin to God, and the fish vomits him up on dry land (we wonder what took him so long to repent). Jonah then makes the 500-mile trip to Nineveh and leads the city in a great revival. But the prophet is displeased (actually pouts) instead of being thankful when Nineveh repents. Jonah learns his lesson, however, when God uses a wind, a gourd, and a worm to teach him that He is merciful.
Foreshadowings: That Jonah is a type of Christ is clear from Jesus’ own words. In Matthew 12:40-41, Jesus declares that He will be in the grave the same amount of time Jonah was in the whale’s belly. He goes on to say that while the Ninevites repented in the face of Jonah’s preaching, the Pharisees and teachers of the Law who rejected Jesus were rejecting One who is far greater than Jonah. Just as Jonah brought the truth of God regarding repentance and salvation to the Ninevites, so too does Jesus bring the same message (Jonah 2:9; John 14:6) of salvation of and through God alone (Romans 11:36).
Practical Application: We cannot hide from God. What He wishes to accomplish through us will come to pass, despite all our objections and foot-dragging. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that He has plans for us and will see to it that we conform to those plans. How much easier it would be if we, unlike Jonah, would submit to Him without delay!
God’s love manifests itself in His accessibility to all, regardless of our reputation, nationality or race. The free offer of the Gospel is for all people in all times. Our task as Christians is to be the means by which God tells the world of the offer and to rejoice in the salvation of others. This is an experience God wants us to share with Him, not being jealous or resentful of those who come to Christ in “last-minute conversions” or who come through circumstances dissimilar to our own.
