20120115
The Bible has many individuals who are known as prophets of God. These are people called by God to speak on His behalf with their “This is what the LORD says.” Prophet Amos was a shepherd called by God to prophesy to Israel. So he told the people “Hear the word of the LORD”. When God called him, he responded. Prophets were simply spokesmen for the LORD passing on the message God had for His people.
Moses was a prophet called by God but very reluctant in his response. It was always, “Who am I that I should go”. But finally he did go and became the great Deliverer of the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt into God’s Promise Land. God gave Moses a specific promise for future fulfilment: “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him” (Deut. 18:18). This promised Prophet came in the person of Jesus, sent by God to deliver His people from their bondage in sin. He was certainly not a reluctant prophet because He said: “Here I am, I have come to do your will” (Heb. 10:8).
However, Jesus was more than a Prophet. Prophets spoke for God – Jesus spoke as God! “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Jn. 1:1). Hebrews put it this way: “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Heb. 1:1, 2). The Word from heaven has finally spoken in the person of Jesus, the Incarnate Son of God. In His walk, work and witness on earth He was certainly a special Prophet but He spoke as God to the people. He spoke and taught as the “I AM” to the people and was the final Word to us because His Word means eternal life for us. “Jesus came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet all who did receive Him, to those who believed in his Name, He gave the right to become children of God.” (Jn. 1:11, 12). In our lives we need to be “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith”. We cannot go wrong when we follow this command from God – just do it!
