Good Morning Yamon Ki Yesepar and Nevim Arith Hayomim:
Deuteronomy 32:2: “My doctrine shall drop as rain, my speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass.”
There are many self acclaimed prophets who manage to get on the radio or television and warn of impeding doom. They dress in Brook Brother’s suits and fly in private jets. Most of the people in this country pay them mind except the few who help pay for the Brook Brother’s suits and private jets.
Actually, true Old Testament prophets are strategically placed by God into the culture of the nation and minister within their own vocation and life experience. Hosea prophesied from his personal marital problems, Amos prophesied from the vantage point of a farmer and share cropper and Jonah from his position as a statesmen. Their personal lives preached their message.
We learn in Deuteronomy that God sends his doctrine as the rain or the dew. Actually, the word used for “doctrine in Hebrew is “lakach’ which really means to influence. The Lord influences us as the “drop of rain.” The word “drop” in Hebrew is “araph” which means to “trickle.” This is not a pouring rain or a rain storm, but a gentle rain or small rain that falls on the tender herb but does not harm it. It is like the “dew.” The word in Hebrew for “dew” is “katal” which comes from the root word “talal.” It means to moisten, to be soft and tender. It is spelled “Teth, Lamed, Lamed.” The “teth” is a picture of shedding the old and allowing the new to enter. The Lamed speaks of teachings. Esoterically the dew represents a bringing in of the new in a gentle, tender way.
Too often when we think of a prophet we think of someone preaching doom and gloom. Actually, the message of a prophet is to turn back to God. It may come as a warning of doom or gloom, but just as often it comes as a life example and tender nudging toward God.
We hear some prophet on the radio or TV talk of coming destruction and we cheer him on, yet we tend to crucify the gentle prophets. Recently, I have been following the adventures of one such gentle prophet that I believe has been call to such a prophetic ministry, at least for a short time, which was the way of many Old Testament prophets.
This prophet has been stategically placed by God right in the center of the American culture. He simply prophesies from his own life experience but has been given a dramatic platform. His will not be a life long prophetic ministry like Billy Graham or David Wilkerson, it will be short, maybe a year or two, but for that duration he is prophesying a powerful message to America and the world. It is a gentle message like a gentle rain or fallen dew. It is not a message of doom or impeding destruction, it is a simple call to live a pure life before God.
You would have had to have been in a coma or a prisoner of the Taliban not to have heard of Tim Tebow. Time Magazine called Tim Tebow, the quarterback for the NFL Broncos, the most influential voice for the evangelicals today. What is this voice? He simply thanks “His Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” when he is interviewed by the press. He also started a new fad and entered a new word into the English vocabulary called: “Tebowing” which is bending on one knee in a prayerful stance in the most unlikely places.
Now Tim Tebow is not the first and only Christian athlete. I read about a baseball player, I don’t even remember his name, who just signed a $250 million dollar contract and also thanks “”His lord and Savior Jesus Christ” in press interviews. Michael Vick whose career was all but over when he was sent to prison found Jesus and he is also talking about His Lord and Savior” as he reestablishes his career. As far as Tebowing goes, I watch very little football but the little I have watched I have seen players genuflecting and making the sign of the cross for years without nary a word from the sports broadcasters.
Yet for some reason Tim Tebow is vilified by the press for his comments and his prayerful gesture. Even Christians have condemned him for being too expressive in his faith. Yet, here is a guy who not only talks the talk but walks the walk. While other players party and get drunk after a game, Tebow is spending time with a family of a disabled child that he invited to the game and paid all their expenses. Before and after each game he meets with a disable child and his family for dinner and discussions. A young, handsome, famous, millionaire athlete doesn’t even have a girl friend, is a virgin and wears a promise keeper’s ring promising to remain a virgin until he gets married and he seems to have people all over America upset. One radio station in Florida has started a campaign: “Get Tebow laid.”
I have a theory as to why Tebow is singled out and persecuted for his faith when others like Michael Vick are praised. To the world Michael Vick was damaged, evil unlike us. He needs God to straighten him out and good for him he found God to do that. But someone like Tebow who has not been in trouble, has lived a pure life and yet praises God in public, that is very disturbing because he causes us to examine ourselves. We look at ourselves and we do not see a Michael Vick who served time in prison. But we look at ourselves and we do not see a Tebow either, we see someone better than ourselves as yet this guy is giving his all to Jesus and he strikes right at our conscience.
You can bet this prophet, who is doing nothing more than letting people know there is a loving God our there, will be crucified before long. Reporters are biting at the bit just looking for some scandal to bring him down. There are photographers who would sell their soul for a photo of Tebow in a compromising position.
Just as in the Old Testament there are prophets today declaring the love of God and sharing the message of Jesus Christ. Their messages are like those of Tim Tebow, simple gentle loving messages like a gentle rain that will not harm a flower or like a gentle dew or mist that settles on the ground. Theirs is a simple message to believe in a loving caring God.
Unfortunately, these prophets do not last long enough to build an organization, fly in private jets or be honored by presidents. They are usually killed off very quickly. Because their gentle messages strike at the very conscience of a person.
I believe God put Tim Tebow right in the heart of our culture, so that every beer guzzling, couch potato, is going to receive that call to a better, more pure life. If they kill off Tebow in the press, bring him down in some exaggerated scandal, you will know America’s response to God’s gentle prophets. The next prophet just might be an Elijah who will call fire down from heaven.
Excusing me while I do a little “Tebowing.”
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