Greetings again my Brethren. Well, another teaching for the glory of God. As I said last month this month we will start a brand new series called “The Oracles of God.” Before we get going we need to lay a solid Scriptural foundation for this teaching. Now, the word “oracle” means a person who is inspired by God to speak for God. Please know not everyone who says they speak for God is an oracle and not everyone who says they speak for God, speaks for God. Most who say they speak for God in reality speak for themselves for profits of money and power. Please pay close attention here. Speaking for God is authorized ONLY in the capacity of being an oracle of God. In 1 Peter 4:11, we see this truth “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:11) Now please notice this verse starts off with the most important word in the Bible, “if.” “If” always sets up the condition to be or to receive something in God. In this case, speaking for God, Let him speak as the oracle of God. Or in other words only an oracle of God can speak for God. All of those phony guys on “Christian” TV and on social media need to understand this verse well. The next point we need to discuss is an oracle is a “mouthpiece” speaking on behalf of someone else. In Exodus 4 Moses tried to run from the call of God on his life by saying he was slow of speech and slow of tongue (verse 10), but God wanted nothing to do with this dribble. In Exodus 4:15-16 he told Moses, “And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.” (Exodus 4:15-16) You can run and you can hide, but God has His ways of putting His words in your heart and mouth. And why not? Out of your mouth speaks your heart. So God told Moses He will teach Him and he (Moses) will tell Aaron his brother and Aaron will tell the people what to do. You know it is strange Moses being trained in the palace as a prince all the days of his life, mighty in combat, yet he was slow of speech and slow of tongue when God called him to serve. Today we think we have to be well spoken, a great teacher, a great writer, gifted to represent God, even as a oracle, but not so. In Moses’ case remember Moses just spent 40 years taking care of Jethro’s sheep in the wilderness, the training grounds for all who desire to speak for God. The next point we need to look at is such a “mouthpiece” when speaking for God is commonly called a prophet. Now this is NOT the so called prophets of today who you see on “Christian” TV or on social media telling you God is going to bless you with a chicken in every pot and a new car. These guys are thieves and liars and will pay dearly some day for all of their lies and deception. In the Bible the prophet was a man who just opened their mouth and God spoke though them. In Jeremiah 1:4-9 we read, “Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. 6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. 7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. 8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. 9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.” (Jeremiah 1:4-9) Here Jeremiah was not a man with fancy robes, wealth, power to control people, but a child. And we see all that God did was to touch his mouth and put His words in His mouth. Prophets in the Old Testament were powerful men so please do not get me wrong here, but not powerful in the way of the world, but in ways of God and the people knew they were speaking as a oracle of God and respected them as they respected God. and the last point is a prophet, therefore, is a “mouthpiece” of God speaking for God. God laid this truth out Himself in Deuteronomy 18-20, “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. 20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.” (Deuteronomy 18:18-20) Yes, God uses people like us, but if you notice three of my four Scriptural references come from the Old Testament, way before the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. I will be honest I struggle often to see the need for a “prophet” to speak to the people when they are to have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them guiding and leading them to all truths. But make no mistake God is serious about people speaking for Him, His word is truth and life. In the end, “even the prophet shall die” for disobedience.
Next month we will continue looking at the “Oracles of God.” Do you hear Him draw near? He is speaking to us, but do we have the hearing ears to heard what the LORD is say to us? Written by David Stahl
