5 Smooth Stones

Samuel was an example of one with great gifting, such was his caliber that as he grew in his ministry the Lord did not allow any of his words fail. Yet Samuel did not have a perfect mentor. In fact his mentor, Eli, was not very discerning or even prophetic. Yet Samuel was of such character that he was able to glean the wisdom presented to him from a less than perfect vessel. A wise person can receive from reproof which is not deserved more than a fool will from correction which is well deserved (Proverbs17:10). Perhaps Samuel learned this from his mother Hannah who turned an unjust rebuke from Eli into favor which blessed her life and brought children to replace her barrenness. Samuel set up a school of the prophets, which put into place a process by which those with prophetic gifts could grow and mature under guidance and relational protection. Without a good solid foundation of the principles of good character, a person may enter into a ministry with power exhibited and yet have bad fruit, and even lose any chance of a heavenly reward. Balaam is no doubt one of the more powerful prophetic voices in the scripture. He was never called a false prophet in either the Old or New Testament. Yet Peter describes him as a man fi lled with iniquity, loving unrighteousness, a mad man in his actions. 2 Peter 2:15 “They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man's voice restrained the madness of the prophet. 17 These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. 18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the fl esh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. 19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.” Balaam’s prophecies were all true and he even prayed, “Let me die the death of the righteous, And let my end be like his!” (Numbers 23:10b) requesting that he would receive the blessings that he prophesied for Israel. This would have been available to him if he were obedient. However, he received the violent death of an enemy of God’s people because his actions did not match his gifting (Joshua 13:22). Jesus said that we would know a prophet by the fruit, Ma tt hew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or fi gs from thistles? 1 7 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” 76