We read in Jonah 3:3-4, “So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of Jehovah. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city, of three days' journey. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” (ERV)
When God sent Jonah, He gave him a word of warning which he was to convey to the people of Nineveh. Remember that our God is a loving God who is also extremely patient with human beings. God’s will as He sent Jonah on this mission was that the people of Nineveh should not perish because of their sin and wickedness. God wanted to give the people of Nineveh an opportunity to repent, receive God’s mercy, and thereby escape the impending destruction that was due them.
We read in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow to do what he has promised, as some think. Instead, he is patient with you, because he does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants all to turn away from their sins.” (GNB)
As those who live on this earth, we commit so many sins, wrong-doings and have numerous faults. It is God’s will that none of us should perish in our sins, and He therefore gives us many opportunities to repent, and change our ways.
Strangely, when Jonah went to preach against Nineveh, his desire was that after he had preached to the city of Nineveh, that God would destroy them. In a way what Jonah told the people of Nineveh was also prophetic, in that he foretold them of the impending doom that awaited them if they did not repent.
We live in days when there are many who are prophesying in the name of the Lord. Since we too are constantly hearing many prophecies, let us try to understand what the word of God has to teach us about the same. As we meditate on this, I am certain the Lord will certainly speak to us.
1. Do not treat prophecies with contempt
We read in 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21,“And don’t be one who scorns prophecies, but be faithful to examine them by putting them to the test, and afterward hold tightly to what has proven to be right.”(TPT)
The bible teaches us that we should not treat prophecies with disrespect. When one disregards a prophet, they will also scorn their prophecies. Some of the ways that one can show contempt is when they decry the prophecy, or when they show disdain to the prophet himself.
Let me explain this with an incident from the bible.
We read in 1 Kings 13:4, “And it came to pass, when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Beth-el, that Jeroboam put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back again to him.” (ERV)
King Jeroboam did many things that displeased the Lord, and the prophet of God was sent to confront the king. As the prophet spoke against the altar that King Jeroboam had set up in Bethel, the king in his rage put forth his hand, ordering that they lay hold of the prophet of God. Obviously as the king stood near that altar there must have been a huge crowd that was gathered there as well. When the king stretched out his hand against the prophet, his hand was paralyzed, and he could not draw it back again. Here was a king who not only disrespected the prophet of God, but also wanted to cause him harm. Generally, when a king pointed his hand at someone, it meant that the person could not escape the harm intended for them. However, when this king, stretched out his hand in anger against the prophet of the King of Kings, he got the punishment that was duly his.
The word of God in 1 Thessalonians 5:20 is forthright that one should not treat prophecies with disdain. We therefore understand that prophecies are still relevant for those of us who are believers in the New Testament as well. This goes against the grain of many who think and teach that the time of prophecies are all over, and done with.
We also read in 1 Corinthians 14:4, “The one who speaks in an unknown language is edifying only himself; but the one who prophesies is edifying the church.” (AFV)
From the above mentioned verse we understand that when one prophecies, he or she is edifying the church. If Paul wrote this to the church at Corinth, we perceive that this is applicable for the church of today as well.
2. Test every prophecy
We read in 1 Thessalonians 5:21, “Instead, test everything. Hold on to what is good.”(GW)
As children of God we hear many prophecies, but it is necessary that we discern what is right and what is not, for God has given us the responsibility to test everything we hear.
We read in 1 Corinthians 14:3, “But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.” (NKJV)
There are three aspects that every prophecy should fulfill. Firstly it should bring edification to those who hear them. To edify means to build up, or strengthen on in the faith. Secondly, they should be words of exhortation, which actually means that they should be words that spur us to draw closer to God. Thirdly, prophecies should be those that will comfort us, and bring a calmness to our souls.
Every time we hear a prophecy, we will have to test if it built up our faith, gave us wise counsel to draw closer to God, and if they were words that brought us a quiet comfort. If none of these happen, then it is a sure proof that such a prophecy does not come from God. We live in a time when many people prophecy many things, and when they don’t happen as they declared, they either explain it away, or try to cover it up with some other manipulation. As children of God we should therefore be extremely cautious when we hear these words of prophecies. Most of the prophecies that speak about the destruction or judgement, do nothing, but create a sense of fear in the hearts of people. Sometimes these prophecies are so appealing that they draw crowds of people to the one who prophesied. Either way we see that such prophecies do not proceed from God. It is therefore critical that we have the responsibility to test every prophecy that we hear.
3. Prophecy should motivate us to intercede for others
If the church should hear a prophecy about the impending judgement or destruction that should come on any other part of the world, let us consider to see what we as a church are called to do.
A great example is what transpired with God and Abraham when God decided to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. When Abraham heard God’s plan, he interceded and pleaded with God to have mercy, and not destroy the righteous with the unrighteous.
Whenever we hear such prophecies, we too must pray fervently, and beg God to be gracious and save those who are on the verge of destruction. God is no respecter of persons, and He loves everyone irrespective of their nationality, race, color, gender or background. Let us be reminded that God loved the whole world so much that He sent His only Son who willingly lay down His life for the sins of all mankind.
For instance if someone were to prophecy to another that they would die in an accident three months from now, we can be sure that such a prophecy does not come from the Lord. Remember that when God sends a word, it will always edify, exhort and comfort those who hear it. If these three aspects are missing, we can be sure that such prophecy is not from the Lord.
4. Prophecies from God will never contradict the word of God
The entire word of God was inspired by the Holy Spirit of God, and therefore no prophecy that comes from God will be in conflict with the word of God.
Let me give you an example of a married couple who went for prayer to a person, and the person counseled them to separate, stating that it was not God’s will for them to live together, we can be sure that this does not come from God, but is false prophesy.
God’s word is clear in Mark 10:9, “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (ESV)
So when we compare the prophecy spoken above, with the written word of God we are certain that such kind of prophecy will never come from God.
5. Prophecies must have love as their foundation
We read in 1 Corinthians 13:2, “And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”(ERV)
Prophecy as we all know is the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the Lord gives it to some, and this is manifested in the church. One who prophecies must listen to the voice of God, and in obedience share the word as received from God Himself. If one were to prophecy without love, it is of no value, or will be considered nothing. Any prophecy that is spoken should be shared in love, and not with anger or with condemnation. When such prophecies are spoken which are not from God, they will create a sense of fear, and will even shake the very foundations of our faith. If that were to happen we can be certain that such a prophecy did not come from the Lord. Love should be the foundation of all prophecies. Look at the life of Jesus while He was here on earth. Jesus was angry sometimes when He perceived sin, but the love He demonstrated was always far greater than his wrath.
We read in 1 John 4:8, “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (ESV)
Many people claim that love is God, which is in total contradiction to God’s word which declares that God is love. Think about an earthly father or mother, and the kind of love that they lavish on their child. It is this same love that also prompts them to discipline the child when he or she does wrong. If the child does not heed the discipline and continues in the wrong way, the parent will sometimes have to punish the child. To the child this may appear that the parent is angry with them or treating them unfairly, but in truth they need to understand that it is the love of the parent that motivates them to chastise them. So also, when God corrects us or punishes us, we must be willing to accept them as from the hands of a loving God, who desires and does things solely for our own good. It is only when we comprehend this, will we accept the discipline from God joyfully, and without any questions.
Jonah the prophet who could not extend grace
If we observe the life of Jonah, as a prophet of God, he was instructed to go to Nineveh and preach against it. However, Jonah was rebellious, chose to disobey God, and went in the opposite direction. The Lord had to send a tumultuous storm to stop Jonah, make him realize his mistakes, and kept him in the belly of a big fish for three days and nights. It was only in those extreme moments that Jonah looked unto God and prayed. Nonetheless, the Lord graciously heard the prayers of Jonah.
We may think God could have just let Jonah go, but God did not do that because God had a plan for Jonah. When Jonah preached to the people of Nineveh, he did so without any love, and was glad to preach destruction on the city of Nineveh. This was indeed a sad state for a prophet who had himself received so much of grace and mercy from the Lord. Jonah as a prophet of God also waited for the destruction of the city, even after the people repented of their sins.
Let us be reminded that God has a plan for each one of our lives. We are not here for nothing, but God has a perfect plan for our lives, and we need to pray and discover God’s purpose for our lives. Just like Jonah there are so many prophecies being shared today without love as a foundation. You can be sure that these prophecies do not come from God.
Beware of false prophets
We read in 1 John 4:1, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”(ESV)
There are many false prophets who have gone into the world, and therefore we need to test every spirit. It is good to be cautious to not go to anyone calling himself or herself a prophet, and allow them to place their hands over your head to pray for you. We should be careful that the ones we go to are the true prophets of God. We should also test them to see if the spirit that works inside them is from God, for this is what the word of God says to us.
Let us be reminded that just as the Kingdom of God, and his ministers are at work, so also there is a kingdom of Satan, and his cronies are at work too. The prophecies of those who belong to the enemy are false, but will appear to be true, and therefore we need to be warned about the same.
In conclusion, let me summarize this message briefly. God gave a word of warning which Jonah was to proclaim to the people of Nineveh that there was an impending doom ahead of them, because of their sinful and wicked ways. It was God’s heart and will that the people of Nineveh should hear the preaching of Jonah and repent, so that God could relent from punishing them. However, Jonah was so keen to have the Lord destroy the people of Nineveh.
We have studied in this sermon that it is important to discern the prophecies that we hear. There are three important facets of prophecies that we must bear in mind. Firstly, the prophecies we hear should always build and strengthen our faith. Secondly, it should exhort us, give us the wise counsel of God, and motivate us to draw closer to God. Thirdly, it should comfort us and make us stand firm in the Lord.
We should not treat prophecies with contempt, but at the same time we must test every prophecy to check whether it is from God, or are merely the words of man. All prophecies must have love as the foundation, as God is Himself a God of love. Have you observed how the Lord’s words of correction and discipline will never make us lose heart, but will admonish us gently to become Christ-like.
Think about the words of Jesus where He said, ‘Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.’ Jesus called people to repentance, but also gave them the hope of being part of God’s great kingdom. If any prophecy that you heard created a sense of fear and confusion in your heart, be sure to speak against it as this does not come from God. Let us remember that the word from God will strengthen us, establish us, and draw us closer to Him.
Finally let me close with this verse from 1 John 4:1, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”(ESV)
We live in perplexing times, when there is no dearth for prophecies. It is therefore our responsibility to test every prophecy to see if it comes from God or is from the enemy. If it is from God, let us receive it prayerfully, and be willing to obey it. On the other hand if they are false prophecies, let us set them aside, and continue our faith walk looking only to the Lord.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by: Sis. Esther Collins
