Reflections: What a job description!

Studying 1 and 2 Chronicles in the Old Testament, one thing I’ve noticed is that God frequently sent prophets to correct the kings of Judah and Israel. And the other thing I’ve noticed is that, although some kings listened to the prophet’s advice and turned their hearts back to God, many did not; and it didn’t always go well for the prophet. 

For example, Jeremiah repeatedly warned a couple of kings about the impending Babylonian conquest and exile if they didn’t turn the nation back toward God; Jeremiah was dropped into a pit for his trouble-making. In 2 Chronicles 12, we read that King Joash started out well and made good decisions as long as the faithful priest Jehoiada was alive to guide him, but was distracted by bad counsel later. When the priest’s son, Zechariah, confronted him with a warning from the Lord, Joash had the prophetic messenger stoned. King Uzziah also accepted advice early on, but later became arrogant and treated prophets and priests badly. The trend continued into the New Testament, as John the Baptist was beheaded after calling out King Herod’s adultery. 

There were also some good responses—probably best-known is King David, whose repentance after being confronted by the prophet Nathan is preserved in Psalm 51, “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” King Hezekiah is recorded as heeding the advice of the prophet Isaiah; and there were some others. But overall, it seems that accepting the task of delivering messages from God was a risky job description! 

What can we as believers learn from this? Primarily that the job of sharing God’s message is not always easy, but needs to be done. Jesus warned his disciples they would encounter trouble as they shared the Gospel; but He also assured them that the Holy Spirit would give them the words to say. After Paul’s Damascus road encounter, the Holy Spirit directed a believer named Ananias to go and talk to him. Ananias was understandably concerned, but God assured him, “This man is my chosen instrument . . .  I will show him how much he must suffer for My Name” (Acts 9). Sure enough, Paul was receptive to Ananias’ message, but later, Paul himself really did suffer in his role as apostle. While Paul’s church-planting efforts were successful, some religious and government leaders called for his imprisonment, but he continued speaking and writing until his eventual execution. 

The situation hasn’t changed; leaders still need correction. A Chinese pastor who is now an American citizen is currently detained in a Chinese prison for daring to confront CCP leaders; he is suffering from cancer but not permitted to return home or even see his family. Sometimes, God places believers in staff positions for elected officials who need to be reminded of the biblical values on which our nation was founded. I recently heard a presentation challenging American citizens to speak up about the infiltration of Islam in our country and call on our leaders to stop being “tolerant.” It’s not about individuals practicing a religion; it’s about an ideology that fundamentally contradicts the Judeo-Christian values of our Constitution, and we must call it out for what it is. 

As believers, we are increasingly likely finding ourselves in position where we must speak truth even when it’s not popular with the majority. The Bible doesn’t tell us to withdraw from surrounding culture; rather, it tells us to be salt and light to a world that needs God’s Word. As we go about our daily tasks, that same tough job description given to the ancient prophets—listening for the voice of the Holy Spirit and faithfully delivering God’s message even if it isn’t well-received—still applies to all of us.