Can you trust in the prophets?

Tomb of Zechariah (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As I read the Old Testament prophets and read about the stuff they saw in visions it really makes me think. Some of those visions were really weird. I mean, what would you think if someone told you they saw a 30′ long scroll flying through the sky? Or, they said they saw two women with stork wings? Or, they see hallucinations of the devil and angels? Would you think they were crazy? Probably. They may need some medication and put into an institution. That’s what our society would do anyway.

Those are the types of visions that Zechariah, an Old Testament prophet, had. They were strange but they had an intended message. At the same time, Zechariah and all the other prophets were competing against false prophets. It was so bad, Israel rejected all the prophets unless they said something positive. Rejecting God’s messengers, and ultimately rejecting God, is what led Israel into all kinds of trouble. They weren’t in tune with what God wanted for them nor did they have any trust in God.

Prophets of Old

Why do we even waste our time reading these complex Old Testament prophecies? This is why: part of the message was intended for people during Zechariah’s time, part of it was for the time of Jesus, and some of it was intended for us today. Some of what is said in the Bible may sound crazy and strange, but it has a purpose. God is trying to get our attention any way He possible can.

Good Questions

It all comes down to one word: trust. Can we really trust what the prophets said over 2,500 years ago? Actually, can we trust what God says? That’s the real question. Everything God says and does has one goal in mind—our salvation.

I’m leaving you with many questions today. The biggest one is, can you really trust God? You need to dig down and answer this question for yourself. Nobody else can answer it for you. If you can’t answer it or you can’t trust God, then ask yourself why not. Have you studied the Scriptures lately?

Some Things Never Change

Tasty Food Abundance in Healthy Europe (Photo credit: epSos.de)

The more I read the Old Testament the more I realize how deeply entwined it is with the New Testament. Everything discussed in the Old is brought forth with a deeper revelation in the new. With this in mind, I was recently reading through Haggai.

If you haven’t read this short book in a while, let me fill you in. It’s about God speaking through Haggai to tell the people to build His temple. They had already built up their houses and were living well. But, they had only built the bronze altar from the temple and nothing else.

A New Home

This was a group of 50,000 people who were the first ones to return to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity. These people coming back spent most, if not all, of their lives in Babylon. That would be like me or you going to another country we have never been to because our ancestors are from there.

They wanted to feel comfortable. They wanted to rebuild a destroyed city. They wanted to live good. But, God told them to build His temple first.

This makes me think of something Jesus said. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus told His hearers to seek the Kingdom of God first. Before everything. Everything includes worrying about what you will wear, eat, or drink. These are basic needs to survive. Jesus said that when we seek God’s Kingdom first then He will give you everything you need.

Priority of Needs

This was true in Haggai’s day and in Jesus’ day. It is still true today. We often find ourselves looking for the perfect shoes to match our outfit. Or, the best restaurant to eat at. We seek out the soda (pop) we crave. We are concerned with our own basic needs (desires) because that is what we are told to do. Pop psychology tells us to fulfill our basic needs—worrying about God will come later. Jesus says fulfill our relationship with God first and our basic needs will be taken care of.

I don’t know about you, but I need to hear this message more often. Working as an associate pastor getting only a monthly stipend, I find myself worrying about bills, food, and water. But, I need to remind myself that God has everything under control. The only thing I need to worry about is pursuing His will for my life and living out His word in my daily life. I urge you to do the same.