Ouija Board Preachers
During World War II, Gov. Stephenson, of Texas, had something to say about the prophets of old foretelling automobile tire rationing. He, or his ghost writer, should have checked the reference (Isa. 3: 18) with greater care; and two or three verses of context would have helped a lot too. The round tires like the moon of K.J., become crescents in the A. S., with headtires in verse 20. The context would have shown Isaiah spake of the women of Jerusalem, and the pending captivity which would take away the golden ornaments of the people.
Some current radio prophet has offered Nahum 2:4 as prophecy concerning our traffic problems with today's automobile. The chariots rage in the streets... etc. Thats it, surely. Unless you read the context and find that Nahum speaks of the destruction of Nineveh throughout all three chapters. One would have to be a dolt to miss it.
This Ouija Board treatment of the prophets shows a gross misunderstanding of the prophet and his work. His primary function was NOT to tell the future, but to preach the word of God which was given him by inspiration. As someone has put it, he was more of a forth-teller than a foreteller. Aaron was Moses prophet (Ex. 7 :1), his spokesman -— to set forth what Moses told him to speak. (Ex. 4 :14-f) What the priest was to the Law (ministering at the alter, etc. ), and the wise were to counsel (as Solomon, and the counsel of Proverbs, etc.), the prophet was to the word. (Jer. 18:18) (Verses 5-11 give an excellent case of the function of a prophet.)
As Gods spokesman, the prophet set forth His will. Basically, he differed from a preacher only in that his message was inspired — holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Pet. 1:21) Abraham was a prophet; Moses was a prophet; and the name was applied to many who were moved by the Spirit. (Gen. 20:7; Deut. 34:10) But as the nations of Israel and Judah rebelled more and more against God, the messengers (prophets) of God were moved to devote more time to warning the sinners of their punishment. Great sections of their message called for repentance, and foretold (often in detail) the burden or woe that would come upon them.
And as the horizons darkened with regard to physical Israel, the hope of the Redeemer was set before them. Thus Isaiah promised salvation to the remnant in the shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and It is too light a thing that the preserved of Israel should be restored; I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles. So the prophets paved the way for the coming of Christ — the golden apex of their great work. Yet the greatest of prophets (Lu. 7:28) and forerunner of Christ was still a preacher of righteousness, who called for repentance.
How shallow then, how puerile, how utterly absurd for so-called radio- prophets to play games with bits of the divine message of prophets of old and propose to find there a sort of crystal ball for todays headlines. Automobiles moon-walks indeed!! Such preaching appeals to the sensation seeker, but has not the value of a nickels worth of dog food.