The Integrity of the Prophets

Sabbath School Class—Life as Discovery and Hope

http://ssclassnotes.blogspot.com 

February 28, 2009
Larry R Evans

 Introduction

It happened last Sabbath.  After a wonderful Sabbath School and a great sermon Carrie and I went home to enjoy a nice Sabbath meal and then made a hospital visit.  Later we looked at our mail and noticed that we had received what appeared to be free trial samples of different products.  A little closer look and we discovered that they were not free and not only had we been charged but some had actually been ordered on a perpetual plan! A call to our credit card company led to the discovery that many more packages had been ordered and from several international companies.  More have now arrived.  Someone, not us, used my name, my address and my credit card and ordered things I would have never thought about ordering.  Someone misrepresented me and that is not a happy experience.  This week’s lesson is all about prophetic integrity.  If there are genuine prophets there are also prophets who are not and whose pretense actually leads away from God. We need to beware not only that there are false prophets but that false prophets often discredit honest prophets because of their own deceitful ways.  Not everyone values integrity.  This is an important lesson.  We need to be alert.   

 Reflective Quiz

1.    A true prophet first determines the response to his or her message before making it known.  True or False?  [1 Ki 22:13,14; 2 Chron 18:13] 

2.    Criticisms of biblical prophets are similar to those leveled against Ellen White.  True or False?  [Jer 43:1-4] 

3.    Both Jeremiah and Ellen White were accused of lacking integrity because of their literary assistants.  True or False?  [Jer 43:2-4] 

4.    As a “lesser light” the writings of Ellen White are less important than Scripture.  True or False?  [Jer 1:4; Ezek 7:1]

5.    To be expedient prophets were normally given one vision that covered everything he or she would need to know or share.  True or False?  [Dan 8:27; 9:2, 20-23] 

6.    The later writings of a prophet often reveal a keener understanding of God’s plans than earlier writings.  True or False?  [Gal 2:11-16; 1 Pet 1:10] 

7.    Whatever a true prophet of God says reflects God’s will.  True or False?  [2 Sam 7:1-7; 1 Chron 22:8] 

8.    Ellen White’s claim to infallibility sets her apart from other prophets.  True or False?  

9.    The kind of inspiration that Ellen White had was the same kind that Martin Luther and John Calvin experienced.  True or False? 

Conclusion

We have been conditioned to reject what we don’t understand.  One of the reasons we do this is because we have learned that we can’t trust everything that is said.  This isn’t all bad. There are those who wish to take advantage of us for their own purposes. At the same time we must remember that throughout Scripture there are those who are honest but who have been accused of being dishonest.  True men and women of God have been persecuted for speaking for God and have refused to compromise what God has asked them to share.  Their integrity with God held firm when all around them truth was being rejected.  We have also seen in our studies that God’s revelation is progressive.  Prophets are human after all. God “grows” a prophet’s own understanding so that he or she might relay the full import of the message.  There are times when a prophet may not fully understand but he delivers the message from God anyway.  Their connection with him is clear and they respond to His directions.  We live in a time when we need to hear God’s voice speak. The integrity of His prophets adds authority to the message they share.

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