The Broken Prophets

Pay attention, heavens, and I will speak; listen, earth, to the words of my mouth. Let my teaching fall like rain and my word settle like dew, like gentle rain on new grass and showers on tender plants. For I will proclaim the LORD's name. Declare the greatness of our God! The Rock--His work is perfect; all His ways are entirely just. A faithful God, without prejudice, He is righteous and true. - Deuteronomy 32:1-4 HCSB

Until the arrival of John the Baptist, Moses was the greatest prophet that Israel had ever known.[1] Moses didn’t have visions, dreams or oracles. He spoke directly to the Son of God face to face. Yet he acknowledged that another was coming who would speak everything that the Lord commanded.[2]

Moses did not always obey Hashem completely. There was that one time when God told him to simply speak to a rock in order to get water from it, and in a fit of temper, Moses disobeyed, striking the rock and ruining God’s lesson.[3]

John the Baptist did not completely trust God. As his death approached in the guise of a beautiful young dancing girl, John doubted the Christ and sent someone to ask the Messiah, "Are You the One who is to come, or should we expect someone else?"[4]

We could go on. Solomon, the wisest human ever, allowed beautiful women to lead him astray. David, the man after God’s own heart, fell into adultery with another beautiful woman and murdered to cover it up. Isaiah was honest enough that when he saw the Lord in His glorious temple he cried out, “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips…”[5]

There is only one perfect Prophet – the Lord Jesus the Messiah. Moses was a faithful household servant, but Jesus is more worthy of glory because He is the Head of the household.[6]

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to disrespect the prophets. It’s just that if we say that the Scriptures are inerrant in their original, we are not saying that the prophets themselves were infallible. Far from it. They were human just like us.[7] The doctrine of Scriptural inerrancy is not about the human vessels, but about the Great King who used them. We can honestly admit to their human frailty while rejoicing in the message they brought to us.

The message that they brought should wonderful news to us. It should fall like a gentle rain; settling upon us like dew upon the grass and tender plants. Hashem is a great God. His work is perfect, even when we are not. He is so powerful that he can take broken vessels and use them to bring living waters of salvation to humanity.[8]

We may be sinners, but M’kadesh, the One Who makes holy[9], can touch our lips and sanctify our testimony. [10] And if Yahweh can use someone like Jonah the racist or Paul the mass murderer, then He can use us.[11]

[1] Deuteronomy 34:10 cp Luke 7:28
[2] Deuteronomy 18:15-19
[3] Numbers 20:8-12
[4] Matthew 11:13
[5] Isaiah 6:1-5
[6] Hebrews 3:1-3
[7] James 5:17
[8] Romans 8:28
[9] Exodus 31:13; Leviticus 20:8; Ezekiel 37:28
[10] Isaiah 6:6-8; Romans 8:1
[11] Joel 2:28-29; Ephesians 4:11