The Prophetic Ministry

I get a kick out of the prophetic ministry. We recently had our church jammed pack with people ready to hear a prophet speak to edify the body of Christ. The sheep are hungry. They want to know that God is intimately involved in their lives. They can use some encouraging words to keep them going. They want to know what God has in store for them in the future. They can also use some advice to reassure them and put some of their fears at ease. They can use some personal words of hope and peace.

And who can blame them? This life isn't easy and Jesus says that in this world we will have trouble... (John 16:13). The bible even says that those who live a godly life will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12). Just look at Pauls life:

"... I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.

24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.

25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,

26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers.

27 I have laboured and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.

28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches." (2 Corinthians 11:23:28)

Wow! Who can identify with that these days?

Well anyway, I was thinking of some of the prophets in the Old Testament, specifically Hosea. Now, the prophets were usually people who would express their utterances using symbolic actions. In the case of Hosea, he married a harlot or prostitute. His relationship with Gomer, his unfaithful wife, was a symbol of God's relationship to unfaithful Israel. Israel was caught up forsaking their God for false idols again and was actually described as whoring after idols. Such graphic and maybe even vulgar speech. It is not for the Sunday school, that's for sure. But the Bible never sugar coats sin. Not for a second.

Can you imagine if Hosea came into our churches today? Here he is, marching down the aisle an onto what we westerners call the altar where holy preachers pound their pulpits and pump the congregations pulses. Today Hosea steps in with his immoral and sensual wife. He comes to the pulpit and talks about how his is heart broken because his wife has slept with a bunch of other men. He expresses his greif. We sympathize and mourn and maybe even squeeze out a tear! Than he says that he is actually expressing the heart of God who is mourning over the fact that we forsaked him for sin. We commit spiritual idolatry! Isn't it horrible?

And yet Hosea is still faithful. He could call for divorce but doesn't. He still loves Gomer even when she is unfaithful but he is hurt, even mad, but still remains faithful yesturday, today and forevermore. He will keep his vow and love his unfaithful wife anyway! Sure it hurts, sure he is suffering, sure he feels rejected, alone, broken. How could this happen to him? And yet that what God goes through with us. When we sin and forsake Him and run after other people or things at His expense.

This is the prophetic ministry of Hosea! It is much different than what we might expect? It has more to do with what God is going through than what you are going through. It has to do with God's broken heart! It has to do with God's feelings and hurts and problems. It has to do with God!

Well, I wonder if our modern day prophets would do this for God? I wonder if our churches would make room for Hosea's prophetic words? I wonder if we would allow for his prophetic actions? I wonder... Well, we'll just have to wait and see and dismiss the Sunday school in the meantime.