Who is called to prophesy?
The Old Testament details the story of the calling of multiple prophets. Who were they? How were they called? We will discuss the following prophets and how they were called:
Abraham
Did you know Abraham was the first person named a prophet in the Bible? Abraham never calls himself a prophet, but the Lord does:
Now then, return the man’s wife [Sarah], for he [Abraham] is a prophet, so that he will pray for you [Abimelech], and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.
Genesis 20:7
What makes someone a prophet? The most obvious is that the Lord called him a prophet directly. But he also does a couple things that (in my mind) also make him a prophet:
- He received prophecies from the Lord
- He told someone about the prophecies
- He lived out the prophecies
The first is that Abraham received prophecies from the Lord. We see two of them in Genesis 15, the first is that he would have a son and a great many people would be his descendants, and second that his people would go to Egypt (albeit unnamed in the prophecy) and eventually be delivered from there:
And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.”
Genesis 15:4
Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years.”
Genesis 15:13
So not only did 1) Abraham receive prophecies, but he must have 2) told someone because they are recorded in the book of Genesis. And most importantly, 3) he believed them and lived them out:
And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
Genesis 15:6
Belief is not intellectual, it is a lifestyle. There is action involved with belief. James puts it this way:
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”
James 2:21-23
Amos
Who can be called by the Lord to be a prophet? The story of Amos is how the Lord can and will use anyone who is obedient.
The book of Amos opens with a brief description of him:
The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds 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.
Amos 1:1
From this we know that Amos is a shepherd from Tekoa, a rural location far from the big city of Jerusalem. We get more information in Chapter 7 when he describes himself:
I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’
Amos 7:14-15
Amos says a couple interesting things:
- I was not a prophet: Previously he was not called a prophet by others, and was not acting as a prophet.
- Nor a son of a prophet: He doesn’t come from a linage of prophets, but that isn’t stopping him.
- I was a shepherd and a fig farmer: Amos is just some guy with a day job!
- But The Lord: Regardless of what Amos has done, is doing, or who he thinks he is, it all changes once the Lord speaks
Amos demonstrates an example of someone who is called by the Lord to prophesy, even though it’s not his day job. He also represents someone who is called later in life, as opposed to Jeremiah or John the Baptist, who were called in the womb.
Jeremiah
What makes Jeremiah a prophet? The book of Jeremiah tells how he was called:
Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
Jeremiah 1:4-5
Jeremiah pushes back because he is young and questions his call:
Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.”
Jeremiah 1:6
However, the Lord has chosen the right guy and encourages him:
But the Lord said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.”
Jeremiah 1:7-8
The Lord then gives him his mission:
Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”
Jeremiah 1:9-10
And immediately the Lord begins to train him:
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see an almond branch.” Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.”
The word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north.” Then the Lord said to me, “Out of the north disaster shall be let loose upon all the inhabitants of the land.
Jeremiah 1:11-14
I have heard it interpreted that Jeremiah is seeing a vision of an almond tree and a vision of a boiling pot. Could that be true? Yes, but it’s not obvious to me from the text as these are both common, everyday items that Jeremiah could have seen from his vantage point. Regardless, the concept is that the Lord speaks to Jeremiah, calls his attention to something which Jeremiah responds to, and the Lord gives him the interpretation. The Lord is training Jeremiah to listen to Him and be responsive to Him in real time.
What can we learn from Jeremiah’s call?
- He was designated to be a prophet while still in the womb
- He was called even in the womb
- The Lord empowered him to prophesy
- Once he accepted the call, the Lord began to train him
Elijah and Elisha
The call of Elisha started when he was found by another prophet, Elijah. After battling the false prophets of Baal, and winning, Elijah flees and hides in a cave. He is alone and scared, and that is when the Lord speaks to him:
And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.
1 Kings 19:13-14
The Lord sends Elijah on a mission to go find and anoint multiple people, including Elisha:
And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place.
1 Kings 19:16
Elisha was just doing his job dutifully on the family farm when Elijah came to find him:
So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him.
1 Kings 19:19-21
In doing so, the Lord sent a friend for Elijah. Elijah would be the mentor, and Elisha would be the mentee. Elisha follows Elijah (1 Kings 20 – 2 Kings 2) up until he is taken to heaven. Elisha asks Elijah: can you bless me before you go?
When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more.
We can learn a couple things from Elisha’s call:
- Elisha needed a mentor, but Elijah also needed a mentee
- Elisha being faithful in his other calling before he was called to be a prophet
- Blessings came to Elisha from being with Elijah, including up until the end
My Sheep Know My Voice
Have you ever questioned whether or not you hear from the Lord?
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27
Have you ever asked anyone how to hear from the Lord and they quote you this verse with no other guidance, as if that’s supposed to help in some way???
I want to make two points here:
- Sheep is plural in these verses
- Jesus ties together belief and following Jesus with “hearing”
Here the Shepherd calls the sheep individually, but they are also treated collectively:
But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. John 10:2-4
You are not alone when you are trying to hear from the Lord and be obedient to him! There are other sheep around you.
Jesus connects hearing his voice to belief and obedience. If you believe and if you follow Him, you already know His voice!
So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:24-27
Follow-on Reading
Kim Maas, Prophetic Community
Discussion Questions:
- Which calling from the prophets most resonates with you and why?
- What is your prophetic calling?
- How have you heard the voice of the Lord before?