DIRECT, IMMEDIATE COMMUNICATION WITH GOD IS RARE AND VALUABLE
Periods of lack of communications from the Almighty existed in Israel and it indicated spiritual decadence in the nation. Much of the leadership of Eli the high priest was during just such a time period. Note I Samuel 2:27-29 for the corruption. Note further:
1 Samuel 3:1, “Then the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.”
A DIRECT MESSAGE FROM GOD IS PRECIOUS.
Note during righteous king Josiah's life, when people had found the lost and forsaken Bible, how did he find out what God's message was to the nation?
2 Kings 22:13-15, “Go, inquire of the LORD for me, for the people and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found; for great is the wrath of the LORD that is aroused against us…14 So Hilkiah the priest…went to Huldah the prophetess… 15 Then she said to them, ‘Thus says the LORD God of Israel, “Tell the man who sent you to Me…””
This was a crucial moment in the history of God's people and God chose to use a Prophetess as His direct link. Why? We will speculate logically. Three options come to mind:
- God's unique calling of individuals for His own unfathomable reasons, possibly something about that individual or similar reasons. God may desire the right type of person for each unique role.
- God is not biased based on gender. Galatians 3:27-29, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.Everyone is equal in God's eyes, and when Paul wrote these words this was quite an enlightened statement. While leadership is a male defined role, God can call anyone for the vital role of direct contact with Him.
- Is it possible that at this point in Judah's history all the male Levites were too decadent for God to use? Isaiah 3:12 , “As for My people, children are their oppressors, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, And destroy the way of your paths.”
This statement is not a condemnation of youth or women but a condemnation of the absence or shortage of good strong male leadership as the nation degenerates. Does America also show signs of declining strong godly male leadership?
FEMALE LEADERSHIP IN ISRAEL AND POSSIBLY WHY?
During Israel early years their were times when women were called to leadership possibly because many of the men were cowardly!
Judges 4:4-5, “Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time. 5 And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.”
She also may have simply been called because she was the best leader and poet and judge available. However note the lack of courage among males.
Judges 4:8-9, “And Barak said to her, ‘If you will go with me, then I will go;but if you will not go with me, I will not go!’ 9 So she said, ‘I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.’ Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.”
Barak would not serve as leader of the troops without her, which is an indictment of him.
PROPHETESSES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Prophets are close to God and are used to communicate information to believers. Anna, a prophetess, was one of the first to send the message that the Messiah, as a child, had arrived in Israel.
Luke 2:36-39, “Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age…who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord,and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. 39 So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.”
Another example is a message given to the apostle Paul with regard to his visit to Jerusalem to witness to the nation of Judah.
Acts 21:8-12, “On the next day we who were Paul's companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. 9 Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied. 10 And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 When he had come to us, he took Paul's belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, ‘Thus says the Holy Spirit, “So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’’’”
Agabus and the four female prophetesses all warned Paul of arrest in Jerusalem. We can assume from the totality of all Paul's letters that the female prophets were not pastors or public speakers in the church. Therefore the messages must have been delivered to others in more informal settings. But they are still vitally important messages. We need to also be on guard against false prophets of the Jezebel typology.
Revelation 2:20, “Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.”
Obviously the word of God warns against apostasy (spiritual adultery) and the great falling away before the second coming. False prophets both male and female will probably exist in the end of this age based on this verse.
2 Thessalonians 2:2-3, “…not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition…”
Will Satan use both male and female false prophets in the future further apostasy in America?
ISSUES
HOW MIGHT SATAN USE FALSE PROPHETESSES IN THE FUTURE, OR WILL HE ONLY USE MALE FALSE TEACHERS?
