Tag: prophet

When Jude Quoted Books God Didn’t Write

Twenty-five verses. That’s all Jude needed to expose false teachers, rally believers, and deliver one of Scripture’s mightiest doxologies. Yet within this compact letter lie two startling citations—neither from Moses, the prophets, nor the Psalms, but from Jewish apocryphal writings. Why would an inspired writer quote uninspired sources?

Brent Pollard

Twenty-five verses. That’s all Jude needed to expose false teachers, rally believers, and deliver one of Scripture’s mightiest doxologies. Yet within this compact letter lie two startling citations—neither from Moses, the prophets, nor the Psalms, but from Jewish apocryphal writings. Why would an inspired writer quote uninspired sources?

The Arrogance That Mocks What It Cannot See

Jude writes his general epistle with a sense of urgency. False teachers have misused grace to justify immoral behavior and show disrespect for authority. By verse 8, their pride has become demonic, and they “speak evil of dignitaries,” which most likely refers to angelic beings. Jude does not intend to promote the worship of angels; instead, he warns against hubris. These false teachers behaved as if they had authority over realms they did not have, and that is the pride Jude exposes. Therefore, these men slander realities beyond their understanding.

To expose such folly, Jude reaches for an unlikely illustration.

When Even Angels Know Their Limits

Jewish tradition, preserved in the Assumption of Moses, tells of Michael the archangel disputing with Satan over Moses’ body. The devil claimed ownership—perhaps because Moses had killed an Egyptian, perhaps because Satan styled himself lord of the earth.

Michael’s response? He refused to pronounce judgment on his own authority. Though heaven’s chief warrior, he simply said, “The Lord rebuke you.”

Here is Jude’s blade: If Michael—commander of celestial armies—dared not revile even Satan, what business have mortals mocking spiritual powers they neither respect nor understand?

True strength bows before God’s sovereignty. Pride pretends to authority it does not possess.

The Prophet Who Saw Judgment Coming

Jude then quotes 1 Enoch, a Jewish apocalyptic text known to his audience:

“Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all who are ungodly of all their ungodly deeds.”

This inclusion is no blanket endorsement of Enoch’s book any more than Paul’s citations of pagan poets made them Scripture. Instead, the Spirit guided Jude to extract one true statement—a warning echoing throughout divine revelation—and press it into service for eternal purposes.

God can take a fragment of human tradition and forge it into revealed truth without sanctifying its source.

How Inspiration Actually Works

Jude’s method reveals three vital principles:

1. Authority lies in God’s selection, not the source’s pedigree.

The Spirit determines what enters Scripture. Truth remains truth wherever it appears, but only God’s breath makes it authoritative. Jude’s quotes became inspired not because of their origin, but because God chose them.

2. God meets people where they live.

Jude’s Jewish Christian readers knew these traditions. Using familiar examples, he illustrated the truth vividly. We do the same, quoting, say, Shakespeare or Einstein—not to canonize them, but to communicate clearly.

3. The message matters infinitely more than the medium.

Both stories serve one purpose: to contrast human arrogance with divine authority and to warn that God judges all rebellion.

Three Applications for Your Life Today

First, guard your tongue when speaking of spiritual realities.

If Michael, who stands before God’s throne, refused to speak presumptuously, how much more should we? Reverence isn’t weakness; it’s wisdom. Before you dismiss spiritual truths or mock what you don’t understand, remember who you’re dealing with.

Second, rest in the certainty of God’s judgment.

False teachers may flourish now. Arrogance may strut across platforms. But Enoch’s prophecy stands: God will judge every ungodly deed. Your job isn’t to play God. It’s to trust Him.

Third, quote wisely, but verify everything.

You’ll find truth scattered across literature, philosophy, and even secular observation. Quote it when it serves God’s truth. But never confuse a helpful quote with Scripture’s authority. Test everything against the Word (1 Thessalonians 5:21). All other lights are dim candles held up to Scripture’s blazing sun.

The Weight of a Short Letter

Don’t mistake brevity for shallowness. In twenty-five verses, Jude wields ancient tradition, angelic authority, and divine judgment to demolish pride and call the church back to truth.

Michael’s humility rebukes the arrogant. Enoch’s prophecy warns the rebellious. Together they sound Jude’s central note: “Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”

In a world drowning in opinions, that call has never been more urgent.

God has spoken. The question is whether we’ll listen with the humility of angels or the arrogance of fools.

The difference is eternal.

Even when he quotes from outside Scripture, Jude points us back to Scripture’s heart—the unchanging authority of God and the sure destiny of all who defy it.

“Son of Man”: Ezekiel, Jesus, and the Pattern of Prophetic Humility

God repeatedly reminds Ezekiel that he is not superhuman. He is a mortal man, chosen to carry the very words of God to a rebellious and hard-hearted people. His identity itself—son of man—becomes a walking testimony to humility.

Brent Pollard

When God called Ezekiel to his prophetic ministry, He chose not to address him by name, but by a title that would echo through the corridors of time: “Son of Man.” Ezekiel heard this title over ninety times from God’s lips throughout the book that bears his name. The Hebrew, ben adam, means “descendant of man” or “human one.” At first glance, it might seem like a poetic flourish. Since the title “son of man” is intentionally repeated and later used by Jesus of Nazareth, we should pause and ask: Why did He choose this title for both figures?

Isaiah may rightly bear the title “Messianic Prophet” for his remarkable prophecies of Christ’s birth, suffering, and coming reign (Isaiah 7.14; 9.6; 53). But Ezekiel’s role as “son of man” unveils something equally profound—it foreshadows the very form the Messiah would take, especially in His humble incarnation and prophetic ministry.

A Title That Humbles and Separates

Adam Clarke observed with penetrating insight that this term serves to humble Ezekiel, preventing him from being exalted in his mind because of the extraordinary revelations granted to him. Here is God’s gentle yet firm reminder of Ezekiel’s frailty and mortality—set against the backdrop of those overwhelming divine visions, particularly that awe-inspiring glimpse of the Almighty’s throne in Ezekiel 1. Matthew Henry echoes this truth, observing that despite the abundance of revelations, Ezekiel remains “a son of man, a mean, weak, mortal creature.”

God repeatedly reminds Ezekiel that he is not superhuman. He is a mortal man, chosen to carry the very words of God to a rebellious and hard-hearted people. His identity itself—son of man—becomes a walking testimony to humility.

John Gill observes deeper significance in this choice, noting that this title connects Ezekiel to the coming Christ. He points out that “this is a name which our Lord frequently took to himself in his state of humiliation” and that “the reason of it is, because he was an eminent type of Christ.” Thus, “son of man” becomes more than humiliation—it points forward to the One who would perfectly embody both human weakness and divine mission.

Prophetic Suffering and True Representation

Beyond its humbling power, the term “son of man” positions Ezekiel as one who truly represents his people. He stands not as an outsider hurling judgment from afar, but as a fellow exile (Ezekiel 1.1-3). God called Ezekiel to speak as one of them—and more, to suffer in symbolic ways that would paint vivid pictures of their coming condition (Ezekiel 4–5).

Burton Coffman observes that Ezekiel’s very actions embodied the message he delivered: lying upon his side for appointed days, shaving his head with a sword, cooking with defiled fuel, refusing to mourn when his beloved wife died—each act a living parable of Israel’s approaching judgment. In this suffering service, Ezekiel points forward to a greater Prophet yet to come, One who would bear not symbolic griefs but actual sorrows, not representative suffering but substitutionary sacrifice.

Daniel’s Vision: The Title Transformed

In Daniel 7.13-14, something remarkable happens. “Son of Man” takes on entirely different colors. Daniel sees in his night visions “one like a son of man” coming with the clouds of heaven, receiving dominion that shall never pass away. What a contrast! Ezekiel’s “son of man” is lowly, suffering, and representative of human weakness. Daniel’s “Son of Man” is exalted, glorious, clothed with eternal authority.

Yet both point toward the same magnificent Person: Jesus Christ. In the Gospels, our Lord refers to Himself as “the Son of Man” more than eighty times—more than any other title He claims. In taking this name, Jesus gathers up both streams—Ezekiel’s humble suffering and Daniel’s eternal glory.

Jesus bears the full weight of human suffering, as Ezekiel did in shadow and type. Yet He also inherits that eternal kingdom promised in Daniel’s soaring vision.

Ezekiel: Pattern of the Incarnate Christ

Here then is the glory of it: if Isaiah introduces us to the person and mission of the coming Messiah, Ezekiel shows us the very form He would take—a suffering servant, fully human, yet burning with divine purpose. The constant repetition of “son of man” in Ezekiel prepares our hearts to recognize the breathtaking paradox of the incarnation itself—God in human flesh, humble yet holy, obedient unto death, acquainted with our griefs (Isaiah 53.3; Philippians 2.5-8).

Jesus, the true and ultimate Son of Man, fulfilled every aspect of Ezekiel’s prophecy, not only through His words but also through His life. He was the ideal representative of all people, carrying God’s final message as well as everyone’s sins.

Conclusion: The Seed of Eternal Purpose

It was not God’s caprice leading him to employ the phrase “son of man” to reference Ezekiel. The expression was a designation of Ezekiel’s humanity, prophetic duty, and role as the people’s representative. Yet, we understand it also served as a divinely planted seed, preparing hearts and minds to understand the Messiah—not only as conquering King and eternal Savior, but as One who would walk among us in perfect humility and carry all our sorrows.

In this “son of man,” we glimpse the wisdom of our God, who chooses frail vessels for eternal purposes—and who, when the fullness of time had come, became one Himself.

“Son of Man” represents grace beyond measure since the God calling a mortal man by that title would Himself take it for Himself, taking our nature and our place—that we might share in His glory forever.

The Man Of God From Judah

Neal Pollard

THE OBEDIENT MAN OF GOD FROM JUDAH

To me, maybe the most fascinating and mysterious person of this entire time period is the focus of 1 Kings 13. His name is not revealed, but he is simply said to be “a man of God from Judah” (1). His story is utterly tragic and serves as a reminder of how important steadfast obedience to God is. Yet, the first part of his story, as disclosed in Scripture, reveals him to be one worthy of imitation. Consider the positive attributes of this “man of God.”

He was courageous. His commission was to prophesy against the altar of the powerful, first king of the northern kingdom—Jeroboam, the man whose wicked reign is shown in the previous chapter. Given what Jeroboam started and tried to do to him (4), he had to be a man of moxie and bravery. There are portions of God’s message that require readiness, all patience, and instruction (2 Tim. 4:2). The ability to tell the truth even at great personal cost is a mark of highest integrity.

He was faithful. Notice how the text conveys this. He came “by the word of the Lord” (1). He cried against the altar “by the word of the Lord” (2). His message was, “thus says the Lord” (2). He said, “This is the sign which the Lord has spoken” (3). Again, his message was “given by the word of the Lord” (5). He was true to his message as was commanded him by the word of the Lord (9). Thoroughly, from beginning to end in this high-pressure, delicate situation, this prophet was faithful to God’s Word. No greater tribute could be paid any follower of God. 

He was compassionate. Though Jeroboam was going to have his men seize him, this man of God showed the king mercy when God afflicted him. The king pleaded, “Please entreat the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” So the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him, and it became as it was before (6). Jeroboam’s generosity after this act shows that the prophet did not have to do this, and a lesser man would not have. What a great combination to find someone who boldly shares God’s Word but does so with gentleness and kindness (2 Tim. 2:24-26). 

He was steadfast. Apparently, before the man of God made his journey to Bethel, God told him not to delay even to eat or drink there (9). No less than the king of Israel offered to reward him, feed him, and give him drink, but he would not do it. Verse ten says he went home another way, true to the completion of this daunting mission. What an example!

All these admirable traits make what happens next unbelievable! But, this snapshot of the man of God provides an example worthy of imitation as we are going in this world. The world needs Christians who are courageous, faithful, compassionate, and steadfast. They don’t expect it, and even if they oppose the word we share we can know that God is most pleased with such attributes! 

THE DISOBEDIENT MAN OF GOD FROM JUDAH

After his great moral victory in addressing wicked Jeroboam, the man of God from Judah teaches us a different, tragic lesson. Despite his faithfulness in that earlier mission, this prophet allowed himself to be deceived into disobeying God’s Word. In a strange incident, an old prophet whose motives are not revealed persuades him to go against God’s instructions. The result was, literally, deadly. 

An old prophet living in Bethel hears about how the man of God had handled himself with the wicked king of Israel. He appears to want to just spend time with the valiant prophet, but he inexplicably lies to him. When he offers his hospitality to the man of God, the unnamed man repeats his solemn charge. He tells the old prophet, “I cannot return with you, nor go with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place” (16). He again cites the Lord’s command and word (17), but he allows himself to be duped. The old prophet persuaded him, saying, “I also am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’ ” But he lied to him (18). The man of God goes with him. Then, God actually does speak to the old man and tells him the fate of the man of God from Judah. He would die for his disobedience. On his way home, a lion mauls him to death. The old prophet mourns him and buries him, bearing the guilt of the man of God’s death. What can we learn from this?

Always take God’s Word over man’s word. God had directly told him his mission and responsibility. Without further revelation from Him, the man of God had no business taking anyone else’s word over what he already knew. No matter how persuasive or reasonable man’s word sounds, reject it if it contradicts God’s.

It’s easy to claim divine guidance. How often do people try to change God’s Word by saying God led them to new truth? Sometimes, church leadership has changed course and positions on biblical matters regarding worship, salvation, gender roles, etc., claiming the Spirit is moving among them and leading them to the changes. Some claim to hear the voice of God, disclosing new truth. Under the law of Moses, there was this warning: “When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him” (Deut. 18:22). Under Christ, there is this principle: “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!” (Gal. 1:6-8). The bottom line is that any claim at odds with God’s revealed Word must always be rejected, no matter what. 

Obedience is serious to God. There can be no doubt of that from this account. God says what He means and means what He says. We violate His Word to our own peril. The disobedient man of God learned that in graphic terms.

The man of God’s disobedience did not nullify God’s Word or His purpose. The old prophet understood this, in the aftermath of the man of God’s death. What he prophesied “shall surely come to pass” (32). Jeroboam persisted in evil and disobedience, and it would end his dynasty and set up a legacy Israel would never recover from. What the man of God foretold would happen (1 Ki. 14:10; 15:29-30; 2 Ki. 17:21). Both the man of God’s death and His judgment against Jeroboam proves a changeless truth, that “the testimony of the LORD is sure” (Psa. 19:7; 2 Pet. 1:21).

Off Your Face & On Your Feet (Part 2)

Dale Pollard

Six hundred years before Christ would make His providential appearance, a righteous man finds himself in captivity. While exiled, Ezekiel was able to witness the spirit of God in a very intimate way. Even so, he was still living under the thumb of the Babylonians just like every other Israelite with him. Even while living in these unideal circumstances he is privileged to see awe inspiring visions from God. 

After years spent with no success or response from his people, Ezekiel has become frustrated with the fact that Israel won’t listen to him or Him. He’s lost hope in their ability to change— they’re just too far gone. Chapter nineteen is one long lament as Ezekiel cries over his hard-hearted Israelite brothers. Why won’t they listen to him? Even after Ezekiel performs some radical visual illustrations like eating his bread over dung and laying on his side for an entire year, they won’t respond to the “invitation.” God never abandons His faithful servant but His confused prophet is still left to wonder what God is going to do about the mess which makes up his reality. A familiar feeling for Christians to this day.  

At this low point Ezekiel is then taken even lower. God takes him to the bottom of a valley where piled on its floor is— death. Heaps of dry human bones; not belonging to strangers but of fellow Israelites. He may have wondered why God decided to bring him to such a terrible place. Maybe his view of God was an embittered one and so he wasn’t that surprised. After all, God allowed him to endure misery from the beginning of his prophetic ministry. He faced more hardship than even the godless captives that he was called to preach to. Perhaps it wouldn’t have been too out of character, in Ezekiel’s mind, for God to now bring him into a valley of bones. 

God asks His servant a question, “Can these dry bones live again?” Ezekiel’s response isn’t one of confidence and certainty but rather a safe, “O Lord, only you know.”  

The God of Resurrection doesn’t bring the vast pile of Israelite bones to life in the blink of an eye— though we know He could have. Instead, He allows Ezekiel to hear the bones, flesh, and sinews as they rattled (literally, rumbled) together (37.7).  He wanted the “Son of man” to see and hear His hand at work in a way that was and is— unforgettable. God’s desire was to leave a lasting impression on Ezekiel and to demonstrate the might of the Almighty. Ezekiel didn’t know how God brought the bones to life, but he knew God did it. You may not understand why God has allowed you to enter your valley, but you can be certain that He has the power to see you through it. 

Off Your Face And On Your Feet

Dale Pollard

The God whose presence will bring us to our knees, is also the God who sets us on our feet. 

That stormy wind, felt by the prophet on the banks of the Chebar river, carried with it sights, sounds, feelings, and tastes, allowing us to experience God in a profound way. The text demands our attention like the very voice of the Almighty (v.24), an appropriate name for God that’s found repeatedly in Ezekiel. From the first chapter it becomes clear that if the Spirit hadn’t breathed through the prophet and guided his pen, these preserved glimpses into the spiritual realm would not have been possible. The liberal use of words and phrases such as, appearance, then I saw, then I  looked, it’s likeness, it was likened to, sounded like, then I heard, it felt as if, the taste was like— all these attempt to describe the indescribable so that the earthly reader may vaguely comprehend them.

God first appeared to Ezekiel as a rainbow in the midst of a great storm. The symbolism is one that reminds us that God’s promise will remain even in the midst of peril. At the sight of His glory the prophet would fall on his face. God’s response is a command, “son of man, stand on your feet” (1.28). That term “son of man” is a telling one. It highlights Ezekiel’s humanity and in the presence of the Almighty— the contrast is a sharp one. It’s obvious that he can’t stand on his own so the Spirit enters into him and sets him on his feet (2.2). 

That act of raising up one who otherwise couldn’t is a thematic one; showing up again in the valley of the dry bones. This time, God doesn’t raise a single living man to his feet, He brings up the dead by the thousands. The Author writes, “…the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.” God demonstrates that He can lift up one, and He can also lift up every one. How long a person has been spiritually dead or how decomposed sin has turned a Christ-less corpse—  doesn’t matter. The God whose presence will bring us to our knees, is also the God who sets us on our feet. 

RIGHTEOUS OR RAVENS?

Tuesday’s Column: Dale Mail

dale and janelle

Dale Pollard

Elijah is known as one of the greatest prophets. We’re introduced to him in 1 Kings 17 and God is preparing him to accomplish great things. As God leads him he begins to grow in faith while following His lead. Ahab wears the crown after his father Omri, but he is significantly more wicked. In fact, he’s more wicked than all before him. It’s fitting that during such a terrible time someone like Elijah makes his appearance. 

There’s an interesting event that takes place while the prophet shelters by a brook that God had led him to. Ravens fly in with bread and meat to keep him sustained. The raven was an unclean animal, yet God is helping Elijah grow in several ways during this period. He’s leading, and Elijah follows in faith. He could not deny that God sent him the ravens, yet it went against his upbringing. Even so, he still ate. 

One lesson we can pull from this account is that God can use the unclean for His purposes. God can use the evil people and nations to accomplish His will. An unfaithful Christian can share the gospel and a sinful man can make good and godly decisions, all the while remaining unclean. That’s a humbling lesson. We can act faithful, but we can remain filthy. We don’t want that! It’s my prayer that today we can make a fresh commitment to be faithful to God in all things. He can lead us through even the darkest times, if we have the faith to follow. 

A Message From The Rattling Bones

Tuesday’s Column: Dale Mail

Dale Pollard

Six hundred years before Christ would make His providential appearance, a righteous man finds himself in captivity. While exiled, Ezekiel, was able to witness the spirit of God in a very intimate way (Ezekiel 1). Even so, he was still living under the thumb of the Babylonians like every other Israelite with him. While under these unideal circumstances though, he is privileged to see awe-inspiring visions from God. Have you ever paid attention to the eerie sensations described throughout this book? In Ezekiel 1:4 the prophet feels a great and stormy wind on the bank of the river Chebar. The wind brings with it a massive cloud with fire flashing around it and a substance like glowing metal in the center of it. The wings of the creatures he saw (verse 24) made sounds like that of roaring waters. The voice of the Almighty was like the sound of a great army camp. What sights he was able to see! This great connection to God didn’t take away his pain or sorrow, though.

 Chapter 19 is one long lament as Ezekiel cries over his hardhearted Israelite brothers. Why won’t they listen to him? Even after Ezekiel performs some radical visual illustrations like eating his bread over dung and laying on his side for an entire year, they won’t respond to the “invitation.” How frustrating is that, preachers? God never abandons His faithful servant, but His confused prophet is still left to wonder what God is going to do about the mess which makes up his reality. A familiar feeling for many faithful Christians today.  

Never underestimate the hand of the Almighty. This truthful statement can be pulled from Ezekiel 37, when the prophet is taken up and then placed in the middle of a dark valley. Ezekiel is surrounded on all sides by heaps of dry human bones and he’s probably wondering why in the world God has taken him to such a place. The text answers the question by asking a question. God speaks to Ezekiel and says, “Can these dry bones live again?” What an odd thing to ask. However, Ezekiel responds, “Only you know, O Lord.”

 It’s always when we’re deep in the valley’s of life that we’re forced to answer the difficult questions about God’s abilities. When we’re surrounded by darkness, the question we have to ask is, “Does God have the power to see me through this?” If you remember, Ezekiel has become frustrated with the fact that Israel just won’t listen to him or Him. He’s lost hope in their ability to change— they’re just too far gone. However, God demonstrates to His prophet in a dramatic way that NOTHING is impossible for Him. 

He doesn’t bring the bones to life in the blink of an eye, but we know He could have. Instead, He allows Ezekiel to hear those bones rattle and to hear the sounds of fibers and flesh sticking together. He wanted to leave an impression on Ezekiel to demonstrate the might of the Almighty. Ezekiel had no idea how those bones came to life, but he knew one thing for certain. God did it. You may not understand why God has allowed you to enter your valley, but you can be certain that He has the power to see you through. You are standing on your two feet because God has given you the strength to do so. God has promised His faithful servants a heavenly light at the end of our tunnels and whatever God says— He will always accomplish (Ezekiel 37:14). 

The Art of Excuses (Jeremiah 1)

Thursday’s Column: Captain’s Blog

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Carl Pollard

Someone once said, “Excuses are tools of the incompetent, and those who specialize in them seldom go far.” Ben Franklin is quoted saying, “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” 

Jeremiah had a complete list of excuses ready when God called on him to be a prophet to the people of Israel. Many times the excuses of Jeremiah become ours when we are called on to proclaim God’s Word to this world. We see that with every excuse Jeremiah made, God gave promises in return. 

First, Jeremiah said, “the task ahead is difficult.” Jeremiah 1:5 says, ““Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” This is God speaking to Jeremiah, and notice what He says, “I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” The task ahead is difficult, so Jeremiah gives off a list of excuses for why he isn’t the one for this job. God gives a promise for Jeremiah’s excuses. He says, “before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” God knew that Jeremiah was the one for the job, even if Jeremiah didn’t think so. 

Second, Jeremiah said, “I don’t have the talent.” Jeremiah 1:6 says, “Then I said, “Alas, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, because I am a youth.” Many times people blame their cowardice on a lack of talent. They say that it isn’t natural to them, that there are others more suited for the job. But God knows Jeremiah and the great good he can accomplish. In Jeremiah 1:9, God promises that He would put His words in Jeremiah’s mouth.  

As Christians today we have these same promises for our worries and excuses. Let’s not blame our cowardice on a lack of talent or the difficulty of the task. That isn’t a good excuse to God. Nothing is. He has promised that He will be with us, and we have HIS Word to teach to others. Let’s trust in that. 

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THE NON-LITERARY PROPHETS: GAD

Neal Pollard

There are several prophets whose writings, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, make up part of the Old Testament canon. We often refer to them as the Major Prophets (Isaiah-Daniel) and the Minor Prophets (Hosea-Malachi). In addition, there is a biblical sense in which the remaining Old Testament writers would be rightly called prophets (from Moses to Samuel, but also including those who lived thereafter as they wrote by inspiration). Then, there are prophets whose labors are recorded by these writing prophets. Some we know very well: Elijah, Elisha, and Micaiah, for example. But, there are others whose works either take up less space in the inspired canon or whose work is lesser known. Let us look more deeply at some of these other, more unsung heroes, starting with the prophet Gad.

His Background

Nothing is said about where Gad is from, but it’s an educated guess to say it might be the tribe of Gad or perhaps he was from the Valley of Gad (cf. 2 Sam. 24:5). However, without that fact disclosed, that’s a mere conjecture. We do not know when he began his work as prophet, but the first mention of him is during Saul’s relentless hunt for David (1 Sam. 22:5). 

His Service

He is referred to as “David’s seer,” sometimes alongside Nathan his prophet and Samuel his seer (1 Chron. 29:29; 2 Chron. 29:25). He was quite a versatile man of God, a fact succinctly and well put by J.R. Dummalow: “He became the king’s seer after David was king (2S 24:11); he rebuked David for the sin of numbering Israel; and after David’s death, he wrote a history of that monarch’s reign (1C 29:29)” (193). So, he had the courage to rebuke the king when it was warranted, though his loyalty to him seems very clear. He appears to have been God’s man most of all.

His Value

  • His work was respected. When he told David to leave the stronghold, David did it (1 Sam. 22:5). David pleaded with Gad after the king had sinned (2 Sam. 24:14). He listened to Gad’s instructions for how to show fruits of repentance (2 Sam. 24:18ff). The respect was not derived from his wealth, power, education, looks, or worldly influence. The text does not even mention them. It was the work and the way Gad conducted it. So, the respect people have for us should come from the same place it did for Gad. We shouldn’t have to command or demand it. As we follow God faithfully, others will follow us (cf. 1 Cor. 11:1). 
  • His work was God-ordained. Gad’s authority derived from its source. He spoke in the name of the Lord (1 Chron. 21:19). He spoke with a “thus says the Lord” (1 Chron. 21:11). He spoke, “just as the Lord had commanded” (2 Sam. 24:19). God’s messengers’ clout and credibility is intrinsically connected to its God-ordained nature!
  • His work was versatile. He helped to strengthen the worship of God’s people (2 Chron. 29:25). He preached (2 Sam. 24:19). He ministered (2 Sam. 24:11ff). He wrote (1 Chron. 29:29). He was multi-talented, and he used his resources to God’s glory. That’s the challenge for us today (cf. Mat. 25:14-30), to use all God gives us to promote His work.

luca-giordano-king-david-reproached-by-the-prophet-gad
Oil painting of the depiction of Gad addressing David (Luca Giordano, Italian, 1634-1705)