The Reveal.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? (Luke 1:41-43)

In this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Sam mentioned a few aspects of prophetic ministry. In the engagement of prophecy, a person becomes privy to what God is seeing and saying.

• God reveals what is hidden;
• God reinforces what He has already said;
• God encourages the obedient.

Today, let's consider the first aspect: revelation of hidden things.

Revelation. The writer of Hebrews made a statement about the revelatory nature of prophecy: For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:12-13)

This would not have been a surprise to the Hebrews, but a reminder. Old Testament Scripture contains several examples of priests and prophets speaking things that only God could have told them. In fact, it was such a known occurrence that even non-Israelites asserted God's power to bring specific words of knowledge to His prophets.

Now the king of Aram was warring against Israel; and he counseled with his servants saying, “In such and such a place shall be my camp.” The man of God sent word to the king of Israel saying, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Arameans are coming down there.” The king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God had told him; thus he warned him, so that he guarded himself there, more than once or twice. Now the heart of the king of Aram was enraged over this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you tell me which of us is for the king of Israel?” One of his servants said, “No, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” (Second Kings 6:8-12)

During the sermon, Pastor Sam made a passing comment about God being the revealer of what happens in our bedrooms. Scripture supports his assertion. It is not a reason to be angry; it is a reason to be grateful that God is so earnest to rescue His people. God is not joking. He has a deep love for us, and will use every means to bring salvation and deliverance-- even using a seemingly ignorant person to tell us things they shouldn't know.

God again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, “Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.” (Hebrews 4:7)

Elizabeth, simple woman in the hills of Judah.
Elizabeth, infilled with the Holy Spirit of God.
Elizabeth, privy to the work of God.
See. Hear. Speak. Love.