Men Mandated for a Mission

The six men of God we read about this week were fashioned by God for a specific mission. They were men mandated by God for a mission to be accomplished and God’s purposes to be fulfilled.

Hosea was known as the prophet of Israel’s zero hour. He was in the midst of great spiritual depravity in Israel. Hosea’s mandated mission was to give a call “to return to the Lord,” as the word return is written 15 times in scripture. The Lord used Hosea’s marriage as an analogy of Israel’s sin against God. Even his children’s names symbolized the impending judgment to come on Israel.  Hosea would ultimately prophecy redemption for the future of Israel.

Joel was a prophet to Judah. His mandated mission was to give the clarion call of the great “day of the Lord,” and the prophetic signs to come with it. Joel had the mission to lay out the great tribulation and millenial kingdom to come. This was a foreshadowing of future events on all people. Like Hosea, Joel also prophecies the restoration of Israel when there is repentance.

Amos was a herdsman. His mandated mission was to prophecy to the Northern kingdom of Israel, specifically to the house of Jacob. He was called to bring unity as the central message of his mission was “can two walk together, except they be agreed?” Like Hosea and Joel, Amos is also used to foretell the impending judgment against all of Israel.And just like his fellow prophets, Amos is also privileged to see the future kingdom and David’s tabernacle.

Obadiah  was a “servant of Jehova,” and was God’s messenger to Edom. Though it is the shortest of all Old Testament books, Obadiah still drives home a powerful warning that pride deceives a person or a nation. Obadiah is no different from his fellow prophets in that he too sees the destruction of judgment meded out to Israel. Though Edom would completely perish, Israel would not, as he too would see the restoration of Israel and God’s protective mercy for His people.

Jonah means dove. He is a good example of divinity using humanity in all it’s frailty and pride for God’s mission to get accomplished. Jonah’s mandated mission was to arise, go ,and preach to the Gentile capital city of Nineveh. Jonah was reluctant to go to the heathen city of Nineveh and decided to take a literal detour as his disobedience would land him in the belly of a large fish. This fish would be used as an act of preservation not punishment so that praise and rededication could spring forth causing a heart change in Jonah. Jonah exemplifies a type of Christ himself as a sign in that he represents Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection.

Micah whose name means “Who is like Jehova,” was a man of the fields. He was a prophet to Judah whose mandated mission was to prophecy and declare the coming judgment to the house of Israel. It is Micah that gives the prediction of the place of Christ’s birth. Micah is no different from his prophetic counterparts in that he too would see the future kingdom and king to come. He would tell of the blessing promised and exhort the people to repentance. We also see in Micah that God pardons and forgets. Micah also speaks of things to come and the millenial era that awaits us.

In conclusion all these men were mandated for a mission by God and had they not been in position at the right place and time we would not have the bible in its entirety as we do today. These six prophets exemplify being used by God to a mighty degree regardless of status or qualifications. When one says yes to the mandate given by God it activates supernatural power to accomplish the mission at hand.