Bible Prophets: Their Lives and Lessons to Learn

The Bible is divided into the Old and New Testaments. Each of these testaments focuses on the gospel of Christ and includes mighty men and women used by God in the scriptures. In the Old Testament, we call them the Prophets, while in the New Testament, we have the Apostles, consisting of the disciples and the likes of Paul.

In today’s discussion, I will shed light on the prophets of old and how God manifested through them. Without even mentioning names, I am sure our minds will quickly go to the likes of Elijah, who called fire from Heaven, or Moses, who parted the Red Sea through God’s instructions. But what about Ezekiel, Hosea, and Amos? There are other prophets who do not have as much recognition. This writing will shed more light on them. For some, there is more to them than we commonly perceive; for example, Ezekiel is mostly associated with the valley of the dry bones, but there are many other aspects of his life that can be studied.

Sit back as we dissect the lives of some of the prophets, discussing their unique characters, their missions, the Bible passages that detail them, and key lessons you can learn from them.

 1. Moses

Obviously, we will start with Moses, the author of the first five books of the Old Testament, popularly called the “Books of Moses.” Moses' life began as a young baby who found his way to the Egyptian royal home, was pampered, and was raised in the palace. Regardless of how he was raised, he stepped out of the palace and became a murderer. From there, he became known for leading the Israelites out of Egypt and receiving the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai. He was a mediator between God and the Israelites. He almost led the Israelites to the promised land, but as a result of his anger, they got there without him.

His standout attributes were his leadership traits, anger, and humility.
Lesson: Leadership and Faith
Scriptures: Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy
Notable Things: The burning bush, seeing God, and the parting of the Red Sea.
Key Lesson: Moses teaches the importance of trusting and obeying God, even in difficult circumstances.

2. Elijah

When you think of Elijah, you automatically think of fire. Elijah was known for confronting idolatry, we can see this in his encounters with the prophets of Baal. Elijah is one of the few persons recorded in the Bible who didn’t die; instead, he was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind. Nothing gives "main character energy" like this. His standout attributes were his fearlessness and courage. One standout thing was raising a follower like Elisha, showcasing his mentorship skills. Besides that, he had a deep commune with God, so much so that God sent ravens, known to be vicious, to feed him.

Notable Things: Calling down fire from heaven, outpacing the chariots of Ahab on foot.
Lesson: Courage and Zeal for God
Scriptures: 1 Kings 17-19, 2 Kings 1-2
Key Lesson: Elijah's life shows the power of faith and boldness in confronting falsehood and idolatry. His unwavering commitment to God, even when he felt alone, inspires courage and faithfulness.

 3. Isaiah

From being born into wealth, Isaiah chose to pursue a life with Christ rather than follow a secular career. Isaiah, like David, was gifted with words and knew how to weave them together for his readers. He spoke meticulously about being holy. If you study the book of Isaiah well enough, you might feel the need to repent with almost every chapter read, even if you are living a sin-free life (Praise be to God). He was also a man of vision; the birth of Jesus was richly discussed by him, showing that God entrusted him to talk about the coming of the Messiah and the salvation of the Lord.
Lesson: Vision, Humility, Trust in God, and Hope
Scriptures: Book of Isaiah
Key Lesson: Isaiah's prophecies highlight the importance of seeing God's bigger plan and holding onto hope because he lived years before his prophecies came to pass and still believed it. He emphasizes repentance and the promise of salvation through the coming Messiah.

4. Jeremiah

Known as the "weeping prophet" because of his heartfelt laments over the sins of his people and the impending destruction of Jerusalem, Jeremiah saw doom ahead and kept warning his people about it, despite being thrown into a pit. He lived like a main character in a soon-to-be horror movie, warning people that horror was coming, and indeed, it was unleashed upon them. He was a patient prophet who showed endurance in his communication with people, demonstrating a higher dimension of endurance.
Lesson: Perseverance and Compassion
Scriptures: Book of Jeremiah, Lamentations
Key Lesson: Jeremiah's persistent call to repentance, despite opposition and personal suffering, teaches endurance and compassion for others' spiritual well-being.

5. Ezekiel

Ezekiel was a prophet given to visions, with vivid ones like the valley of dry bones and the wheel within a wheel. When God needed a man, Ezekiel arose, and with him, God’s people were restored, having understood the sovereignty of God. He lived among God’s people who refused to see things God’s way, but he saw things they couldn’t see. He explained all the ruins that would happen, but still, from the ruins, he communicated that they should hold on to God, and from the ruins, God brought a new people.
Notable Things: Visions
Lesson: God's Sovereignty and Restoration
Scriptures: Book of Ezekiel
Key Lesson: Ezekiel's visions and symbolic acts underscore God's control over history and His promise to restore His people. His ministry encourages trust in God's plan and His power to renew.
Today we have been able to look at the lives of 5 Prophets. In the next part of this article, I will be looking at 5 or more prophets and also talk about the segmentation of Prophets by the time of exile. As we wait for the second part, let’s look at the key lessons that we can imbibe into our lives from these Prophets, some are being humble, being given to the word of God among others. 



In today's discussion, we'll be concluding our in-depth exploration of the lives of the prophets. These remarkable individuals played pivotal roles in biblical history, delivering God's messages with unwavering faith and courage. If you haven't yet, I encourage you to read the earlier sections to fully grasp the profound lessons their lives offer.

6. Daniel

Popularly known for his deliverance from the lion’s den, Daniel started as a young man who was saved by his brains as the Babylonians invaded his country. He and his friends were enrolled in the Babylonian Royal Academy to train; and from there, he ended up working for the empire. While working for the empire, Daniel ensured that he held on to his faith in God. Asides from being famous for his unwavering faith in God despite being in exile, he was known for interpreting dreams and visions, which included the writing on the wall and his own apocalyptic visions.
Notable things: God delivered Daniel in the Lion’s Den.
Lesson: Faithfulness and Integrity
Scriptures: Book of Daniel
Key Lesson: Daniel's unwavering faith in God, even in exile, demonstrates the importance of integrity and trust in God's deliverance and wisdom.

Jonah

Famous for him being swallowed by the fish. One thing that singles Jonah’s story out is the fact that he wasn’t held too high; he was kind of relatable, if you know what I mean. He was known for his reluctance to obey God's command to go to Nineveh and as a result, he was swallowed by a great fish and was there for three days. His story highlights God's mercy and forgiveness. When people read the story of Jonah, people laugh, but mostly one key thing that shouldn’t be taken for granted is that he returned, and his story is important to show that not everyone is built like Elijah; sometimes we have this kind of Jonah-like experience, and we shouldn’t be slow in asking for forgiveness. 
Notable things: Swallowed by the fish
Lesson: Mercy and Obedience
Scriptures: Book of Jonah
Key Lesson: Jonah's story highlights God's mercy and the importance of obedience. It teaches that God desires repentance and is willing to forgive, even those who seem undeserving.

Amos

A famous story of an everyday guy being singled out and called by God. He didn’t have affiliations with any prophet; he was a regular shepherd this minute, and his trajectory was going to be changed. When God needed someone to send North, he picked the shepherd who had his business in the southern kingdom to deliver the message. He was called by God to prophesy against the social injustices and religious complacency of Israel. He emphasized justice and righteousness.
Lesson: Justice and righteousness
Scriptures: Book of Amos
Key Lesson: Amos emphasizes the importance of social justice and righteousness. His message calls for genuine worship and ethical living, caring for the oppressed and marginalized. God can use anyone to deliver a message and everyone is useful in the hands of God.

Hosea

Known for his marriage to an unfaithful wife, which symbolized Israel's unfaithfulness to God. His life and prophecies highlighted God's enduring love and willingness to forgive. The life of Hosea is the life of love—not love as we know it but love through the lens of God. God instructed Hosea, not just your regular guy, but a prophet, to marry an unfaithful wife; he did so, and even after that, she still went back to her ways, but just like God is there to help us retrace our steps back, he went back and brought her back to the house. 
Lesson: Love and Forgiveness
Scriptures: Book of Hosea
Key Lesson: Hosea's marriage symbolizes God's steadfast love and willingness to forgive despite human unfaithfulness. It teaches about God's boundless love and the call for repentance.
Samuel: From his inception, he had always been someone that had been created for the purpose of God. His mother, while praying for his birth, already set him apart for God’s use, and just like that, it was so. Regardless of his mother’s prayer, he as a person was sold on being God’s servant and he gave his life to the cause. From being a miracle child to being under the care of Eli, he grew to become the last judge of Israel and a prophet who anointed the first two kings of Israel, Saul and David. He played a crucial role in transitioning Israel from a confederation of tribes to a monarchy. 
Lesson: Obedience and Servant Leadership
Scriptures: 1 Samuel
Key Lesson: Samuel's life exemplifies obedience to God and the qualities of servant leadership. His dedication to God's will over personal ambition provides a model for humility and service.
Elisha: A man that understood the essence of followership; just because he understood the concept of followership and stayed through to his master, a double portion of Elijah’s anointing was upon him. Just as people attribute rain of fire with Elijah, people can say that he parted River Jordan with a mantle and even his corpse raised a man. What a mighty man of God he was. 
Notable things: Parted river Jordan, his corpse rose the dead. 
Lesson: Service and Miracles
Scriptures: 1 Kings 19:19-21, 2 Kings 2-13
Key Lesson: Elisha's life demonstrates the power of God working through faithful service. His ministry is marked by numerous miracles, showing God's care and provision for His people. Elisha's willingness to serve Elijah and take up his mantle teaches the importance of mentorship and commitment.
Having seen some of these Prophets for who they are, I will be concluding with the segmentation of the Prophets. Each prophet had a specific role and message tailored to the needs and circumstances of their time, often calling for repentance, delivering God's judgment, and providing hope for future redemption. Lastly, I am going to segment the prophets with their The prophets were present before, during, and after the exiles. 

The Prophets Before the Exile:

These prophets warned Israel and Judah about impending judgment due to their disobedience and called them to repentance.
  • Isaiah
  • Jeremiah
  • Hosea
  • Amos
  • Micah
  • Nahum
  • Habakkuk
  • Zephaniah

The Prophets During the Exile:

These prophets encouraged the Israelites during their captivity in Babylon and spoke of future restoration.

Ezekiel
Daniel
Jeremiah

The Prophets After the Exile:

These prophets encouraged the returning exiles to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple and to renew their covenant with God.

Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Joel
Obadiah

Conclusion

The lives of these prophets offer timeless lessons that remain relevant today. Each prophet, with their unique experiences and challenges, demonstrated unwavering faith, obedience, and commitment to God's will. Whether through calls for repentance, visions of hope, or acts of courage, their stories remind us of the power of faith and the importance of staying true to our convictions. As we reflect on their lives, let us strive to embody the lessons they taught and apply them in our own spiritual journeys.


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