Presumptuous Prophets

Presumptuous Prophets
Thursday, March 12, 2020
by Dr. Paul Chappell

“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. 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. 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

There are a lot of people in our world today who claim to be speaking for God, but whose actual words either contradict or add to the Bible. They tell us that God wants us to do certain things and not do others and if we do, we will be healthy and wealthy. They tell us that if we follow their advice, or (more often) if we send them money, God will do things which He has not actually promised to do. No matter what the name on the sign outside the building reads, and no matter how pretty the pulpit and platform on which such a person stands, they are not speaking the truth.

God takes a dim view of those who go beyond what He has spoken. “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar” (Proverbs 30:5–6). When we speak for God, either in a public setting or a private conversation, we must be diligent that we are accurately relaying His Word rather than our own opinions and ideas. The only reliable standard of truth is not how something sounds or whether it makes sense to our reasoning, but how it measures up against the Bible.

Today's Growth Principle:
Do not listen to or be influenced by those who falsely claim to be speaking for God.