Father Son Prophets Father Son Prophets Background to

Father & Son Prophets

Father & Son Prophets • Background to Father #1: Hanani – Prophesied to King Asa, 3 rd king of Judah (ruled 41 years, 911 -870 B. C. ) • First years – peaceful & prosperous (2 Chr. 14: 7) – He banished the perverted persons from the land – He removed the altars of the foreign gods – He broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images. – He commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment. – The kingdom was quiet under him. – He had no war in those years, because the Lord had given him rest (2 Chr. 14: 2 -6)

Father & Son Prophets • Background to Father #1: Hanani – Prophesied to King Asa, 3 rd king of Judah (ruled 41 years, 911 -870 B. C. ) • First years – peaceful & prosperous (2 Chr. 14: 7) – Zerah the Ethiopian came to battle with one million men – Asa turned to the Lord for help – The Lord defeated Israel’s enemies (2 Chr. 14: 9 -15) – Azariah prophesied to him, “The Lord is with you while you are with Him…” (2 Chr. 15: 1 -7) – Asa removed the idols – He restored the altar of the Lord – He gathered all of Judah at Jerusalem to renew the covenant with God, where they offered 700 bulls & 7, 000 sheep (15: 8 -15)

Father & Son Prophets • Background to Father #1: Hanani – Prophesied to King Asa, 3 rd king of Judah (ruled 41 years, 911 -870 B. C. ) • First years – peaceful & prosperous (2 Chr. 14: 7) – He removed his grandmother from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of Asherah – He cut down her obscene image and burned it – But the high places were not removed (2 Chr. 15: 16 -17) • His heart was loyal to the Lord all his days (1 Kgs. 15: 14)

Father & Son Prophets • Background to Father #1: Hanani – Prophesied to King Asa, 3 rd king of Judah (ruled 41 years, 911 -870 B. C. ) – In 36 th year of his reign, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and built Ramah, as a frontier fortress, that none from Israel might go out or come in to Asa • Asa took silver & gold from the house of the Lord and paid Ben-Hadad king of Syria to break his treaty with Baasha, make a treaty with Asa, and attack Israel to get them out of Ramah (2 Chr. 16: 1 -6)

Father & Son Prophets • Father #1: Hanani – Prophesied to King Asa, 3 rd king of Judah – Hanani, the seer, prophesied (2 Chr. 16: 7 -10) • Asa, “you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God. ” • Asa, remember the Ethiopians, “a huge army…”? Yet, because you relied on the Lord, He delivered. • Asa, “the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. ” • Asa, “In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars. ” – Hanani was thrown in prison, because Asa was angry and enraged at him because of this

Father & Son Prophets • Background to Son #1: Jehu – Jehu grew up the son of Hanani, no doubt knowing the consequences of his prophesying – Prophesied to King Baasha, 3 rd king of Israel (ruled 24 years, 909 -885 B. C. ) • Baasha assassinated King Nadab that he might rule in his place and murdered every remaining descendent of Jeroboam (1 Kings 15: 27 -30). • He started reigning in the 3 rd year of King Asa • “He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin by which he had made Israel sin” (1 Kings 15: 34).

Father & Son Prophets • Son #1: Jehu – Prophesied to King Baasha, 3 rd king of Israel • • “The word of the Lord came to Jehu against Baasha: Baasha, “I lifted you out of the dust made you ruler Baasha, “You have walked in the way of Jeroboam Baasha, “You have made My people Israel sin Baasha, you provoked “Me to anger with their sins Baasha, “I will take away the posterity of Baasha, “The dogs shall eat whoever belongs to B” “The word of the Lord came by the prophet Jehu against Baasha and his house, because of all the evil he did in the sight of the Lord” (1 Kgs. 16: 1 -7).

Father & Son Prophets • More Background to Son #1: Jehu – Prophesied to King Jehoshaphat, 4 th king of Judah (ruled 25 years, 873 -848 B. C. ) • King Jehoshaphat was much like his father, Asa (2 Chron. 17: 1 -9) • He sought God & walked in His commandments • His heart took delight in the ways of the Lord • He sent his leaders & Levites to teach the people • He trusted in God & prayed to God in time of danger (2 Chron. 20: 5 -12)

Father & Son Prophets • Son #1: Jehu – Prophesied to King Jehoshaphat, 4 th of Judah • Jehoshaphat made some serious mistakes when he allied himself with Israel’s King Ahab – His son, Jehoram, married Ahab’s daughter (2 Chr. 18: 1) – He allied with Ahab in battle (2 Chr. 18: 2, 28 -34) • Jehu spoke to Jehoshaphat: – “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Therefore the wrath of the LORD is upon you” (2 Chr. 19: 2). – “Nevertheless good things are found in you, in that you have removed the wooden images from the land, and have prepared your heart to seek God” (2 Chr. 19: 3).

Father & Son Prophets • Background to Father #2: Zacharias – Priest of division of Abijah, served in temple for one week every six months (Luke 1: 5 ff) – Wife, Elizabeth, of the daughters of Aaron – While burning incense in the temple, the angel Gabriel appeared & revealed God’s plan to give him a son, like unto Elijah (Luke 1: 8 -17) – Sign given to Zacharias – mute (Luke 1: 18 -25) – When the child was born, he was circumcised & named on the eighth day (Luke 1: 59 -66) – His father named him “JOHN”

Father & Son Prophets • Father #2: Zacharias – First thing he spoke was prophecy (Lk. 1: 67 -79) • “Blessed is the Lord God” – Visited, redeemed, raised up, spoke (1: 68 -70) – That we should be saved (1: 71) – To perform the mercy, remember His covenant, grant to serve Him (1: 72 -74) • “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest” (Luke 1: 76 -79; cf. 1: 16 -17) – To go before the Lord to prepare His ways – To give knowledge of salvation to His people – To give light to those in darkness – To guide our feet into the way of peace

Father & Son Prophets • Background to Son #2: John (the Baptizer) – Angel announced his birth & foretold of his divine mission (Luke 1: 13 -17) – Filled with Holy Spirit in his mother’s womb (Luke 1: 15) – His father announced, “You…will be called the prophet of the Highest…” (Luke 1: 76) – Grew up “in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel” (Luke 1: 80), no doubt knowing the prophecy that had been made about his life’s purpose/mission

Father & Son Prophets • Background to Son #2: John (the Baptizer) – The prophets spoke of him • Isaiah 40: 3 -4; Malachi 3: 1; 4: 5 -6 – He fulfilled Old Testament prophecies • Mark 1: 2 -3; Luke 3: 4 -6; Matthew 11: 10 – His father said he would be a prophet • Luke 1: 76 – Jesus called him a prophet – Luke 7: 26 -28 • “a prophet…and more than a prophet…not a greater prophet than John” – John never called himself a prophet

Father & Son Prophets • Son #2: John (the Baptizer) – John prophesied: • • • • “Repent, for the kingdom…is at hand” (Matt. 3: 2) “God is able to raise up children from stones” (Matt. 3: 9) “Every tree that does not bear fruit is cut down” (Matt. 3: 10) “He who is coming…will baptize you…” (Matt. 3: 11) “His winnowing fan…clean out…gather…burn” (Matt. 3: 12) “A baptism of repentance for remission” (Mark 1: 4) “There comes One…who is mightier than I” (Mark 1: 7) “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin” (Jn. 1: 29) “I have seen & testified that this is the Son of God” (Jn. 1: 34) “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3: 30) “He who comes from above is above all” (John 3: 31) Continually rebuked Herod for unlawful marriage (Luke 3: 19) Died rather than compromise truth (Matt. 11: 7; 14: 3 -4)

Father & Son Prophets • Conclusion – Father & Son Prophets were rare • Each man is his own person/individual before God – Being a prophet was a choice of God • Sometimes even before one’s birth – The will of God, with correction and punishment, came even to those who were mostly righteous (ex: Asa & Jehoshaphat) – man’s salvation is critical! – The message of God must be delivered faithfully, even if it brings reproach, hardship or even death. • It should be the first thing we speak, rather than the last. – Evil must be addressed! • Not relying on God, associating with evil companions • Not bearing fruits worthy of repentance – No matter what, we need to point the weak, the straying & the sinners back to God! For HIS glory!