Today’s devotion comes from 1 Samuel 28:15-25. Here is a link to this Scripture – 1 Samuel 28 NASB1995 – – Bible Gateway
I quote only the following verses.
“Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” And Saul answered, “I am greatly distressed; for the Philistines are waging war against me, and God has departed from me and no longer answers me, either through prophets or by dreams; therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I should do.” Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has departed from you and has become your adversary? The LORD has done accordingly as He spoke through me; for the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, to David. As you did not obey the LORD and did not execute His fierce wrath on Amalek, so the LORD has done this thing to you this day. Moreover the LORD will also give over Israel along with you into the hands of the Philistines, therefore tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. Indeed the LORD will give over the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines!” 1 Samuel 28:15-19.
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Generally, in a nutshell summary, a prophet represents God and is a messenger of God. A priest represents the people and offers sacrifices to God from the people.
The words of Samuel show that he was a true prophet. He represented God and delivered a true message from God. It was not easy for true prophets to deliver messages that the prophet knew the people would fear and hate to receive, but they still delivered true messages from God.
False prophets represent themselves and delivers false messages tailored to further their own gain, position, or other of their own interests. False prophets would often tell the people what they wanted to hear even though the false prophets knew or should have known that the message was not true and did not come from God.
Scriptures both warn us that many false prophets will arise, and Scriptures teach us how we can discern true prophets from false prophets.
“Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.” Matthew 24:11.
“When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.” Deuteronomy 18:22.
“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?” Matthew 7:15-16.
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” 1 John 4:1-6.
But, there is hope!
We have a true prophet: Jesus Christ.
Consider the following from the Westminster Larger Catechism.
Q. 43. How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet?
A. Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in his revealing to the Church in all ages, by his Spirit and Word, in divers ways of administration, the whole will of God, in all things concerning their edification and salvation.
“While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” Matthew 17:5.
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