17/10/2026
_Sabbath School Summary_
*Old Testament Prophets*
_Lesson 3_
_Memory Text: 2 Chronicles 20:20_
*Introduction*
*SABBATH*: A Global Positioning System (GPS) lets travelers know where they are, where they’re going, & alert them of hazards. Similarly, God used the OT prophets to help His people know their spiritual state, correct their course, & warn them of dangers. This was done through songs, counsel, poetry, & prophecies. As spiritual travelers, we need heavenly guidance. This week’s lesson will help us know how the gift of prophecy was shown by OT prophets. They were frail human beings like us.
*The Humanity of Prophets*
*SUNDAY*: Prophet Elijah was a man just like us. Last week we learnt how God used him immensely despite hostility (James 5:17-18). At Mount Carmel, he had great success when he offered the prayer of rain (1 Kings 18). At the sound of his words, fire could come down (1 Kings 18:38). Yet, he was not a happy man. He momentarily lost his hold on God due to the threat of Jezebel & the unrepentant attitude of the Israelites (1 Kings 19:4). When he looked at himself, he felt less & less of his ministry. We’re to cling to God. He gives the victory.
*Identifying True Prophets*
*MONDAY*: In these days, there are many who claim to be God’s prophets but are against the cause of Christ. In ancient Israel, there’s proof of false prophets (Deut. 18:20). So, God didn’t leave His people without guidance on who His true prophets were. They’re faithful & honest messengers of God even if a prophecy made them unpopular. They give accurate prophecies & live a godly life. They give glory to only God. A true prophet was Micaiah who was bold in speaking the truth (1 Kings 22:1-14). Prophet Samuel as well (1 Sam. 9:3-14).
*Functions of Prophets*
*TUESDAY*: The duties of OT prophets included their interaction with kings in bad & good times, interactions with priests, & serving as teachers of God’s people. They were humans but men & women of prayer, the Word, & servants of God (1 Sam. 8:4-22, Lev. 8:10-13). Israel asked for a human king despite warnings & Samuel anointed Saul. Bad kings outnumbered good ones (1 Kings 18:4-19, 2 Chron. 24:20-22). Moses anointed Aaron & his sons as priests (Hos. 6:9, Mal. 2:1-3). See 2 Chron. 34, Jer. 5:31, Ezek. 22:26, Isa. 60:1-3, 62:1-2, Jer. 42:4, 2 Kings 22:15-17).
*Women Prophets*
*WEDNESDAY*: There’s rich evidence in Scripture that God called women to be prophets. Miriam is listed with Moses & Aaron as those sent to the people. She sang the song of victory about the Red Sea crossing, yet she had her flaws like her attitude toward Moses’ Ethiopian wife (Exod. 15:20, Micah 6:4). There’s also Anna (Luke 2:36). Deborah was a prophet who served as a judge (Judges 4:1-9, 14-22, 5:2-31). Huldah was also a prophetess who inspired Josiah’s reforms that averted God’s judgment (2 Kings 22:8, 11-14, 2 Chron. 34:22).
*False Prophets*
*THURSDAY*: No matter what God does, Satan has his counterfeits. It’s the same with prophets. Israel faced true & false prophets. False prophets are drunken with error & denies God’s teachings. Jeremiah gave a true prophecy which was countered by a false prophecy (Jer. 14:1-15). False prophets are corrupt & worship false “gods” (Jer. 23:13-14). God told Ezekiel to prophesy against false prophets (Ezek. 13:2). They often follow popular views (1 Kings 22); 400 of them kowtowed to Ahab (1 Kings 22:6, 13, 14). But Micaiah was faithful.
*Not Perfect but Willing*
*FRIDAY*: Ellen G. White faced many of the same struggles as the OT prophets when she received God's call, feeling anxious and reluctant to accept her role. Despite being young, shy, and in poor health, she prayed for the burden to be placed on someone else, but God urged her to share His revelations. After much prayer and support from fellow believers, she accepted her calling and dedicated her life to serving God. She became a key figure in the SDA Church, using her writings to inspire & connect believers to biblical truths.
—Ellen G. White, Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, p. 35, 36, 38.
*Keywords*
_Functions of Prophets- They presented messages from God to the priests, kings, and the nation (Jer. 5:31, Ezek. 22:26). Prophets also spoke to surrounding nations, outlining God's plan for them, a theme repeated several times in the messages of the Old Testament prophets (Isa. 60:1-3; Isa. 62:1-2). Prophets were expected not only to pass on faithfully the messages God gave them but were sometimes instructed to write them down and preserve them (2 Chron. 13:22). Again, no matter how human the prophets were (and all the attending frailties that go with that), they were men and women of prayer, the Word, and service to God and His people (Jer. 42:4; 2 Kings 22:15-17)._
_OT- Old Testament_
_SDA- Seventh-day Adventist Church_
_Ellen G. White- By 1860, she had played a leading role in the development of the fledgling Seventh-day Adventist denomination and its mission to proclaim the three angels' messages to the world._
_Micaiah- He stood alone against 400 false prophets as he presented the truth revealed to him._
_For October 10-16. Happy Sabbath._
