Despite the actions and activities of false prophets and fake men/women of God in our society. Nevertheless, there are still genuine oracles of God, men, and women that command heaven’s attention.
If there is any warning you need to heed is the warning to try to avoid anything that could warrant any man/woman of God to make that statement that says, “if I be a man of God”
The reason is that that statement is invoked heaven’s attention to intervene and confirm that he/she is a man or a woman of God. I warn you to be careful because heaven always reacts when such a statement is made.
The first time such a statement appeared in the Bible was with respect to Elijah having an issue with King Ahaziah. The said King Ahaziahl because he thought that he had an army surrounded him obeys his every command, thought that he can molest and mess up with Elijah.
It was for that reason that the king sent some soldiers to go and arrest him. The captain of the 50-man army in his over zealousness and arrogance came to Elijah and he spake unto him, saying,” Thou man of God, the king hath said, come down”.
Please note something here. The captain called Elijah “thou man of God” indicating that he and his men knew that he was a man of God.
However, Elijah did not take it kindly as in 2 Kings 1:10 as Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, “If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty”. And instantly, there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
Because the king had enough soldiers, when the captain and his fifty men did not return, the king in 2 Kings 1:11 again also sent unto Elijah another captain of fifty with his fifty. The captain answered Elijah as the first captain and said unto him, “O man of God”, thus hath the king said, come down quickly.
In 2 Kings 1:12 prophet, Elijah equally answered and said unto them, “If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty”. And instantly the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
King Ahaziah, because he was desperate to see that Elijah was arrested yet sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty who came to Elijah as seen in 2 Kings 1:13-14.
However, the third captain of fifty was wise for he went up and came him and his men fell on their knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, “O man of God”, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.
Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight.
In 2 Kings 1:15 And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose and went down with him unto the king.
The lessons I want us to learn from the story above and in this study is that provoking a prophet of God can cause him/her to utter or speak a negative word against you, and heaven will back those words.
One instance where a positive utterance of a prophet of God was a blessing can be seen in 2 Kings 4:16-17; Here, Elisha looked at a woman that was barren for years and spoke to her saying, “About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son”
Even though that woman did not believe as she said to Elisha, “Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. However, because the prophet of God had spoken. And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.
One negative side where a prophet of God made a negative utterance can be seen in what happened in Numbers chapter 16 with respect to Korah and his rebellious group. As we can see in Numbers 16:28-32, where Moses spoke, saying, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.
Moses further said, If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me.
But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth opens her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.
And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
Please, we should be careful not to attract negative utterances of men/women of God against us. According to Proverbs 26:2, it says, As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come. What this place is saying is that a merited curse can never come upon us.
However, some people ignorantly and unknowingly attract merited curses on themselves due to their ignorance in partaking of other men’s sins, thereby sharing in their curses as well.
Are you sure that you are not partaking in other men’s sin in ignorance by joining them to speak evil of men of God or in mocking men of God?
Please be warned, unless you should be ready to share in their punishment as well. This is the end of part one. We shall continue our discourse, in part two, so keep a date. Shalom!
