Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
God destroyed Pharaoh and his men by drowning them in the Red Sea and delivered Israel ... Almost immediately the people began complaining about Moses who was leading them as assigned by God.
Ex. 15 ... 22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter:therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? 25 And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet:there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,
26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians:for I am the Lord that healeth thee.
27 And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees:and they encamped there by the waters.
Exodus 16 ... 1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. 2 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:3 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
4 Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
God gave Moses instruction for the people for the gathering of the Manna. Some of the people kept the instructions while others did not keep those instructions.
This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. 17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. 18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. 19 And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. 20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank:and Moses was wroth with them.
Moses was simply telling them what God told him to tell them but they wouldn't listen and didn't believe him and were stubborn in their own way.
Ex. 16 ... 28 And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep MY commandments and MY laws?
... 32 And Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commandeth,
... 35 And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.
Ex. 17 ... 1 And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim:and there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink.
And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord?
... 4 And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.
5 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?
Ex. 19 ... 1 In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai. 2 For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.
3 And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; 4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles 'wings, and brought you unto myself. 5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people:for all the earth is mine:6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
God gave many judgments for Moses to deliver to the people. And Moses was on the mountain with God ...
Ex. 24 ... 18 And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount:and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.
Being separated to God 40 days and night ... and then having to return to the people had to have been a terrible shock, especially when Moses returned to find them worshiping a golden calf ... made by Arron, his own brother!
It is amazing that Moses could have stood this after being with God.
(Ex. 25-Ex. 31 God gives Moses instruction for the people)
Ex. 32 ... 1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. 3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. 4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf:and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord. 6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
7 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them:they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
(In the NT church we see a similar thing. The apostle Paul says to the people ... Gal. 1 ... I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.)
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When Moses saw what the people were doing he was horrified ... and very angry.
Ex. 32 ... 19 And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing:and Moses 'anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.
(I can picture the frustration of Moses ... These people do not deserve the good word of God ... as he cast the tables written by the hand of God and broke it to pieces.)
20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.
21 And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?
22 And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot:thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. 23 For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us:for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 24 And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me:then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.
25 And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:) 26 Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord' s side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. 27 And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. 28 And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses:and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. 29 For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.
30 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin:and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. 31 And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. 32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
33 And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
34 Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee:behold, mine Angel shall go before thee:nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.
35 And the Lord plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.
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In the NT Church, Jesus is the atonement for our sin.
But we are warned ...
Heb. 10 ... For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses 'law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Gal. 6 ... 7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
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God uses prophets in the NT church in ways that are similar to HIS use of prophets in the OT.
However in the NT church everyone who is of God is given the Spirit of God so they no longer have to go to a prophet to know the will of God.
Heb. 8 ... 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts:and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord:for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
This is certainly not a license to permit sin without penalty. Rather this is a way to depart from sins, with the power of God by the Holy Spirit to live as a new creature, serving God instead of serving our own flesh.
And the following shows us there are still prophets in the NT church.
Eph. 4 ... 8 Wherefore HE saith, When HE (Jesus) ascended up on high, HE led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men...11 And HE gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Paul is example of NT apostle for Paul was placed by JESUS as an apostle after Jesus arose into heaven, thus the NT church.
Agabus is example in Bible of a prophet working in the NT Church.
Acts 21 ... 7 And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day. 8 And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea:and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. 9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.
10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. 11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. 12 And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. 14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
God uses prophets in today's church in ways very similar to the use of the OT prophet. Often the prophets will be shown sin in the congregation and will have to try to deal with those sins. (Prophets are a bit like policemen driving cars with flashing red lights ... most of us shudder when such approaches us.)
The clearest definition I know of concerning prophets is the following.
Hosea 12 ... And by a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt,
and by a prophet was he preserved.
God uses prophets to deliver messages to the church, both to individuals in the church as-well-as to the entire body of Christ. Prophets deliver warnings. Prophets help to turn the people back to God.
You can read the examples of use of prophets in OT and for the most part see the same working today in the NT church.
God gives prophets the spiritual gifts of wisdom and knowledge (I Cor. 12) in specific situations that the church may be freed and go in the way of God.
A woman named Ava was called on to meet with a congregation where I once lived. Pastor and elder planned to go into business together. They called Ava (prophet) in to bless their planned venture. Instead Ava warned them about this business. They went into the business and ended up suing each other later when disaster occurred.
As you read these writing telling of the prophets of the Bible, you will often recognize working of prophets in today's church although many of these people do not even know they are prophets when they are troubled and warn people.
Several years ago, two Baptist women were speaking of a woman in their church who stood up against the new building pastor was building. One of these women said to me, "What do you think might be wrong with this woman?" Out my my mouth, without thinking, I said: "Maybe she is a prophet."