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Word in the Wild is a one year Bible adventure with friends. Join from anywhere and enjoy a fun, rewarding, and doable 12-month journey through the Bible where you read it from cover to cover and understand it. It’s not a devotional or recap. It’s a guide by your side through God’s Word. With support from a weekly podcast and an online community of fellow travelers, this is the year when you finally explore the Bible in its own words and on its own terms for yourself.
This is Word and the Wild...a one year Bible adventure with friends. My name is Owen. I'm your host and your guide, and together we are on a 12-month journey as a podcast plus community...where we read the Bible for ourselves, but not by ourselves.
This week...WEEK 25...An iconic cast of characters zoom in from absolute nowhere. We're talking about prophets. Who are these people and why are they so extra??
So... hello and welcome we're rolling though this journey together. It's not a recap where we feed you bite-sized bits of the Bible... No this is free-wheeling walk where we watch the story the Bible unfold like the epic movie it is... So, subscribe here on your favorite podcast platform and share with a friend.
And, a special welcome to our Word and the Wild PLUS community members. Their support of this non-profit endeavor is making space for all of us on this Bible reading adventure. They enjoy access to our private, safe online space where no honest question is a dumb question... along with a weekly livestream Q&A, and bonus content like articles, interactions, meet-ups, and even some livestream teaching gatherings with yours truly.
If any of that sounds like your cup of tea, then check the show notes for how to become a member yourself. Or get all the details over at wordandthewild.com.
Now, we drift into a dangerous, confusing timeline in this season of our epic adventure where some strange characters emerge from the dark...
We've seen a few of these guys before... scattered here and there in our story. At moments we've seen Abraham fill the role. Joseph has his moments. Moses, too. Even Nathan.
But in this season of our epic movie -- the one we're calling "A House Divided" this guys are showing up everywhere.
I'm talking about "prophets." You can't miss them. Elijah. Elisha. Isiah. Jonah. They are iconic figures who pull legendary stunts. Fire from the sky. Fingers in the face of powerful kings. Floating ax heads. Bear attacks. And even, this week, mysterious predictions that look far into the foggy future.
It's easy to spot where they are. Can't miss them. But why they're here? That takes a little more thought.
And, since we're talking about prophets, we may as well take a page from their playbook and be direct. So, why are these prophets popping up in our story?
Well.... When leadership breaks down, prophets arise. Prophets are God's way of directly injecting his voice and his values into dark places and desperate times.
To understand what I mean, we have to rewind the story and roll tape on the first day we began to experience it. Day one for us. Day six for the story.
Things were quiet and beautiful then. No pings workman's hammers. No clash of swords. No shouts of battle. No cries of pain.
Instead, the sounds of nature. Happy. Thriving. Fearless. Alive. And, as we hit plan one other sound. The sound that set all others in motion. The Voice. We hear the voice of God as he speaks the first human beings to life. Then speaks INTO their lives. God sets their value and sets them on their path. They receive their purpose. Remember this from Genesis chapter one?
“So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”
Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food.
And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened.
Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.
So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed.” (Genesis 1:27–2:1, p. 2 NLT)
This, to me is the perfect moment. The moment I wish we could freeze and live inside forever. Everything that happened before leads up to this moment. Everything that has happened since, leads us back to it.
This is the moment when everything was very good. It's the moment when God launches human beings into his creation to lead. What does that leadership look like? To lead is for men and women to fill the earth as representatives of the Creator God and to extend God's loving leadership over all his creation.
To inhabit this earth. To walk it. To tend it. To grab it with both hands and shape it into a place where no living creature exists without the essential experience of God's care, comfort, correction.
To provide and protect an environment where everyone knows God and grows God's way.
We've come a long way, haven't we?
Nevermind the sorry state of affairs in our own time. Let's fast forward back to where we are in the epic story of the Bible.
Quality leaders aren't the norm. They're the exception. Leaders who simply do their duty to walk God's way and embody his values shine like blazing stars against the black sky of their peers.
In our story, God has split the kingdom of Israel off from David's royal line. He handed the keys of the 10 tribes off to Jeroboam. Another fresh start in God's search for a king who will love Him and lead his people. Jeroboam no sooner drives the car off the bridge and into the river. Israel's sunk.
Judah has an occasional king who steers his people back toward the path of keeping their covenant relationship with God alive. But only just enough to keep them on life support.
So when leadership breaks down, prophets arise. They are God's direct injection of his voice and his values into a place void of godly leaders.
When the activity of prophets goes up, it's because bad things are going down.
Prophets do what God ended Adam and Eve to do... to represent him and extend his care to creation.
But, they do it in much less peaceful and appealing ways.
While I can imagine Adam and Eve stepping softly in the grassy garden of Eden pruning thornless rose bushes and scratching fluffy lambs behind the ears while birds chip and brooks babble...
Now we have rugged men like Elijah wearing leather belts hidding out in the wilderness pointing their boney fingers in the face of evil dictators. Men who you could see -- and probably smell -- coming from miles away. There's nothing subtle about these prophets or their mission. In cluttered and confusing times, their extreme words and behavior stands out as God shouts out his message through them with shocking urgency.
With prophets, things get wild because God wants to get his people's attention. Their message is so essential and their times are so chaotic they have to speak up and speak out. Subtly won't cut through the noise.
To survive, God's people MUST hear from God and MUST head his words.
While the methods these prophets often employ would be incredibly out of place in the peaceful confines of Eden, their message and their role as leaders of God's people come straight from the beginning of this epic story.
They do what godly leaders do: they carry God's presence, they present God's viewpoint, and they predict a hopeful future for all who love God and walk in friendship with Him. All of it empowered by God's Spirit. Why? Because all along, God has wanted his people to carry him and his heart into every corner of this earth.
So, we see prophets confront Ahab on Mt. Carmel and call the people back to God. We see them comfort and care for forgotten widows. We see them bring healing, justice, and encouragement to those who have been abused and neglected.
And, we see them with strong words that predict the future triumph of God's plans and on-going strength of God's promises.
Words of comfort and reassurance to the faithful few that God's plan is on track and his promises stand firm. Words of warning for all who rebel against God and walk their own path.
Prophets bring news from God. For some, it's good news. For others... it's news of doom.
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We often long to see miracles in our day. And, sometimes we do. But miracles aren't really a good thing. Sure, the miracle itself is amazing. But, a miracle is nothing more than God's merciful relief in the middle of a broken down world.
Think twice before you pray for a miracle. Think twice before you ask God to deliver a word or a message to you. Spend some of those prayers on asking God for leaders who love and represent Him in our world... and pray to be that kind of leader yourself.
The kind of leader who carries God's presence to forgotten corners of this earth, presents God's views and values in the dark, and predicts good news and a hopeful future for those are willing to live in friendship with God.
And now, you're ready to mix it up with the colorful characters we'll be seeing this week.
I'm grateful for the time with you ... share it with someone you know... and make sure you've subscribed.
All you Word and the Wild PLUS community members, special thanks to you for your financial support of this non-profit endeavor. You guys are real gems. I'll be seeing you in THE WILD... our private online community space..... Be on the look out for a handy breakdown of how to crack a proverb as some bonus content for you this week.
Word and the Wild is a LineHouse Community. It's part of the LineHouse Community Network, a nonprofit organization with a mission to bring neighbors together to promote awareness, appreciation, and understanding of the Bible.
Because friendship and God's Word change lives and change cities.
And... presented by the LumaVoz podcast network.
And with that, we're out. I'm Owen, I'm your host and your guide. Until next time, I'll see you out there on the trail in the Word and the Wild.