The History of Prophets is Not a Safe One

The Rat Trap

Acts 7:51-53 (BSB)

You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers— you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.

In Acts 7 Stephen recounts the history of Israel and tries to show those listening the hard time people have in accepted the Lord and his prophets throughout all of history. Prophets have been prosecuted, rejected, hated, and killed. Even the Lord was treated this way. Messages, teachings, and prophecies have been rejected, mocked, and disrespected.

This should be a warning and call to action for each of us individually.  Where am I holding out my will over the Lords will?  Where do I feel I’m smarter or wiser than the Lord?  Do I reject his prophets, and leaders or their teachings?  Is my first (as well as my later) reactions to say “no, that can’t be right”?  Where do I make fun of or ridicule teachings of righteousness? Do I fully sustain all my local and general leaders in the gospel?

I should be “reasoning with the Lord”, working out my doubts, or working to better accept the teachings. This takes time and effort. I should not be rejecting them or putting my own understanding before the Lord's.  This will not happen all at once or even quickly in most cases. It can be a long process. But, this process never includes disagreement, ridicule, walking away, or contention. The Lord does not ask for blind faith, he wants real faith, he wants are very heart. He wants a broken heart with a contrite sprite.  This sometimes comes about after long periods of time not understanding. It comes with doubts, and worries. Put the effort in rather than rejecting, ridiculing, hating, or killing the messenger.