prophets

In the Old Testament we discover prophets with strange names (to us) speaking to God’s people. Usually their writings were simply titled by their name. They were an eclectic bunch. Amos was a breeder of sheep. Hosea married a prostitute. Some are identified by their father – Joel the son of Pethuel. One, Jeremiah, was the son of a priest.


Each of them has one thing in common. Their words are passionate. Passionate in the way they pointed out where the people of God had left the ways of God. Passionate as they communicated the heart of God and His love toward His people.

One other thing they hold in common. While they spoke for God, they largely operated outside the religious and political systems of the day. They spoke to the systems and the people within the systems but they were not really connected to the systems.

Why would God not choose priests or kings to be His prophets? I am convinced that it is difficult if not impossible to speak prophetically to those who write your paycheck. The human nature subtly tempers the prophetic voice if it is pointed at the ones who give us a sense of security. So God gave His words to those who would clearly communicate them, to those who were not tied to a religious or political system. Might it still be the same today?