Theological Commentary: Click Here
Discipleship Focus: Prophet
- Prophet: A prophet is one of the fivefold ministry categories that is used throughout the Bible and especially lifted up in Ephesians 4:11. The prophet is primarily concerned with whether or not the people are hearing the voice of God. The prophet is also concerned about whether or not the people are responding to God’s voice.
What good is
a prophet? What is the role of a
prophet? Are prophets important in
modern world? The answer to those
questions are all a part of this chapter.
If we look
at how this chapter opens, we hear several dark images. We hear a remembrance that at one time the
people of Jerusalem were considered valuable and treasured. But they fell and became spoils of war. The women of Jerusalem were once fair and kind
and honorable. But through the horrible
life of a city under siege, they end up surviving by cannibalizing their own
children. The city is brought low. The people are brought low.
Why does
this happen? Jeremiah is clear as to why
this happens. The people fall because the prophets fell. The people fall because people quit standing
up for truth. The people fall because
the prophets quit holding the people accountable. The people fall because the prophets let go
of God’s teachings and start embracing the will of the people. How important are the prophets? The prophets – through their dogged pursuit
of truth and holding people accountable to it – are key to holding society
together and keeping it from falling into chaos.
As we look
at prophets, I think that it is neat to look at Jeremiah’s reflection in
Lamentations 4:17. “We watched a nation
that we could not save.” Jeremiah’s
voice in the end was too small. His
followers – the ones loyal to following God – were too small. They could lift up truth within themselves,
but they could not have a lasting impact upon the culture around them because
the culture wasn’t willing to listen.
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