By Lane Rogers

The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament- Lesson 3-The Prophetic Spirit

20]“Knowing this, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, [21] for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Spirit” (2nd Peter 1:20-21)

I.  There are three things about the above text that should be noted!
A. No human (man) has ever been allowed to interpret prophecy from God. If a prophecy comes from God, God is the only one who can interpret that prophecy. (v.20)

B. No human was ever a volunteer prophet. At no time in the history of the universe did the occasion ever happen that a man woke up and decided he was going to be a prophet. All prophets were 'forced' into servitude. Never prophesied by their own will.(v.21)

C. No human words are prophecy. All prophecy comes from God, and it is delivered by the Holy Spirit. Once again, God through the Spirit gives prophecy and God is the only person who can tell us what that prophecy means. (v.21)

II. The New Testament Affirms the Work of the Spirit in the OT

A. We see the Spirit involved in leadership (the prophets)

B. We see the Spirit involved in the giving of God's Word.

III. In the NT we find that “All Scripture is God Breathed (2nd Tim. 3:16). An obvious reference to the Holy Spirit.

A. This is a precise reference to the OT and not the NT. (i.e. Scripture in the NT is nearly always a reference to the OT. )

 The term “thus says the Lord” means the words that follow come from the breath of God.

C. Notice the words of Micah:

“ As for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord. (Mic. 3:8)

D. Micah says he has been commissioned to speak to Israel

a. He has power

b. He is full of the Spirit

c. Compare these statement to 2nd Peter 1:20-21

I. SO, WHAT ABOUT THOSE FALSE PROPHETS!

A. Let's Listen to what Micah says about those guys!

“As for the prophets who lead my people astray,1if one feeds them they proclaim peace,” if he does not, they prepare to wage war against him. Therefore night will come over you, without visions,and darkness without divination. The sun will set for the prophets, and the day will go dark for them. The seers will be ashamed and the diviners disgraced. They will cover their faces because there is no answer from God”(Mic. 3:5-7).

B. These were people who claimed to speak for God.

a. Probably claimed the Spirit of God was doing so ( Cf. 1st Kings 22:24).

b. Rather than speak the Word of God they perverted it.

. And of course, it seems that those who Micah refers to were also after the money.

II. FALSE PROPHETS AND THEIR OWN SPIRIT!

“Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!'declares God through Ezekiel (Ezek 13:3). Also see Jeremiah 23:9-32, Ezek. 13 and Micah 2:6-11)

A. There are at least three Characteristics that seem to mark these false prophets.

        a. Lack of Personal Moral Integrity!

1) Public pronouncements usually were different than their private lives.

2) Drunkenness. The only spirit they knew was a trio of wines, beers and spirits.“Priest and prophets stagger from beer and are befuddled with wine; they reel from beer, they stagger seeing visions, they stumble when rendering decisions. All the tables are covered with vomit and there is not a spot without filth

(Is. 28: 7-8; cf. Mic. 2:11)

3) Sexual Immorality. They made pronouncements, but lived in private sin.

“Among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen something horrible: They commit adultery and live a lie.” (Jer. 23:14)

4) Greed. They were prepared to sell their cleaver words to the highest bidder. Much like a prostitute.

 her leaders judge for a bribe, her priest teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money (Mic. 3:11; Jer. 6:13).

4) Jesus made it simple for us: “by their fruits you will recognize them (Mt. 7:16).

b. Lack of Public moral courage.

1) These false prophets knew the mood of the public and simply reflected that mood in their prophecy.

2) While the nation was bleeding to death from an open sore, all these people could do is offer a patch.

“ They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. “Peace, peace,”they say, when there is no peace. Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they don not even know how to blush. (Jer. 6:14-15).

3) Far from offering any real solutions to the problems their society they acquiesced in its evil by condoning it.

“ They keep saying to those who despise me, “The Lord says: You will have peace.” And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, “no harm will come to you.” (Jer. 23:17).

4) Ezekiel says that they were building a wall that is so flimsy it will collapse. Devastation awaits. (Ezek. 13:10-16).

c. And finally a lack of a Prophetic Mandate from God!

“ Which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard His word? I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds” (Jer. 23:18, 21-22).

And again:

“ Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. They say, “The Lord declares, “when the Lord has not sent them; yet they expect their words to be fulfilled. Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, “The Lord declares,” though I have not spoken? (Ezek. 13:6-7).

A. These people have the publics ear. It is as if they are watching th mood of the nation and saying what that moods demands.

B. They never stop talking.

C. What ever spirit they claim, it isn't the Holy Spirit but rather their own spirit.

D. They sound impressive but there is no substance (Jer. 5:13) only hot air.

“ I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, 'I had a dream! I had a dream! How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds?....;Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who has my Word speak faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?...I am against those who prophesy false dreams, “declares the Lord. “They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least,”declares the Lord.” (Jer. 23: 25-26, 28, 30, 32).

E. False Prophets are still with us today.

a. The televangelist

b. The writer of books and movies (the Divinci Code)

c. Those religious groups who follow the doctrines of men and not the Bible.

d. False prophets abound.

F. We need to remember the words of Jesus:

“ Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of the Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive drive out demons and perform miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evil doers!” (Mt. 7:21-23).


GOD'S PROPHETS AND GOD'S SPIRIT

“ For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you admonished them through the prophets. Yet they paid no attention” . (Neh. 9:30)


I. Nehemiah is describing the prophetic ministry

A. It is teaching.

B. It is warning.

C. Most important for this study, he sees Prophecy primarily as the work of God's Spirit.

D. There could be a long list of characteristics but as related to the Spirit, we will dwell on only two points of the prophecy that comes from God.

I. They had a Compulsion to Speak!

A. This person was not even an Israelite. His name was Balaam. (Numbers 22-24). In Numbers 24:2, the Spirit of God came on him.

B. The King of Moab is terrified because he sees so many Israelites and hired Balaam to put a curse on Israel.

C. But---God had other plans. God had promised Abraham that “whoever cruses you I will curse them.” (Gen. 12:3).

D. Balaam makes three attempts to curse Israel while Balak promises to pay more and more money. Balaam finds that no matter what, all he can do is bless Israel.

E. Finally Balak becomes angry when all had failed.

Balak said to Balaam,” What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!”

He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?” (Numbers 23:11-12)

Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them or bless them at all.”

Balaam answered, “ Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?” (Num.23:25-26).

Then Balak's anger burned against Balaam. He struck his hands together and said to him:

“I summoned you to curse my enemy but you have blessed them these three times. Now leave at once and go home! I said I would reward you handsomely but the Lord has kept you from
being rewarded.”



Balaam answered Balak, “ Did I not tell the messengers you sent me, “Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord – and I must say only what the Lords says?” (Numbers 24: 10-13)


II. That is the mark of one with the Spirit of God.

A. Also see the same pattern in 1st Kings 22:14 with Micaiah and Ahab.

B. But lets look closer at Balaam when the Spirit of the Lord fell on him (Numbers 24:2).

How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom God has not denounced? (Num. 23:8).

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man that he should change His mind. Does he not speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it (Numbers 23:19-20).

C. Balaam speaking by the Spirit must do exactly what God tells him to do.

D. No wonder that Paul can make the statements about Moses and the Torah and the law given at Sinai. It is called “ the embodiment of knowledge and truth” (Rom. 2:20). No wonder, because Nehemiah says that the law was taught “by the Spirit” (Neh.9:20) and he is the Spirit of Truth.”

And finally as we close this section!

“ Are these not the words the Lord proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills were settled. And the Lord came to Zechariah: “This is what the Lord Almighty says: Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion on one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.” “But they refused to pay attention, stubbornly they turned their backs and stopped up their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or TO THE WORDS THAT THE LORD HAD SENT BY HIS SPIRIT through the earlier prophets. (Zech. 7: 7-12)


And Again:

But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin. (Mic. 3:8)



Warren Rogers











1Gee john Calvin, you can be lead astray?