Sabbath: The Call of a Prophet
Daily Lesson for Sabbath 3rd of October 2026
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study
Genesis 15:6, Galatians 3:6-9, 1 Kings 18:19-39, Isaiah 53:1-12, Daniel 2:46-48, Mark 1:2-5, Matthew 11:1-6.
Memory Text:
“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me’ ” (Isaiah 6:8, NKJV).
In biblical times, prophets often played key roles in the history of God’s people. Sometimes they were center stage, taking powerful, if not crucial, positions in the life of the community.
However, being a prophet was a difficult calling. Their lives were often not easy but filled with sorrow, rejection, misunderstanding, and frustration.
Often God’s prophets did not readily accept their call to the prophetic office. And no wonder. Many prophets were strongly opposed by those who should have welcomed their messages. God’s prophets were ignored, ridiculed, beaten, or jailed. Others were stoned or hunted like wild animals. Several were martyred.
Today, in a generation flooded with violence, greed, immorality, exploitation, and all manner of satanic influences, the prophetic voice is often rejected or simply ignored. We are called to heed the voice of God’s prophets and to be messengers of the hope given to us through the prophets.
Last week we learned that, after the Fall in Eden, God worked to reestablish communication with human beings. This week we will examine some monumental times in history when God called prophets to realign His people with His messages for a fallen world.
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 10.
Being a prophet is not a career choice. It is a divine appointment where God exercises His sovereign authority to appoint a particular individual for a specific purpose to fulfil a divine goal. God initiates the calling and makes a divine invitation to individuals to act as God’s agents. Many prophets of the old did not want to be prophets. It was God’s own initiative.
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5,NLT).
Prophets are commissioned by God for a divine assignment. It is important to note that the individuals called need to respond to God’s invitation. Some prophets (Jeremiah, Jonah, Moses) tried to evade the invitation, but the sovereign God prevailed. One critical point that I want to emphasise is that not all are called to be prophets, but God has called each one of us.
1. First and foremost, God has called us to Himself. “God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:9). No calling is more important than this one. If we fail to response to this calling, well will be lost forever.
2. All of us have been called to holiness. As the prophets were set apart, we too have been called to live an exemplary life worth to be emulated by others. Prophets were beacons of light, we too have been called to be light to the world (Matthew 5:14-16).
As God appointed and assigned the prophets to specific assignments, we too God has assigned us certain responsibilities in this life. We are not where we are by accident. We are not in our specific families by accident. Our opportunities, blessings, and privileges are not a matter of random chances. God has a purpose for our lives. “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”>/b> (Ephesians 2:10). The Apostle Peter also confirms that we not just random numbers.
“But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9, NLT).
Mah man brother Omwenga.Always blessed by your remarks on the lesson.God bless
thanks for that powerful message
God called different prophets often at critical moments in history, when God needed someone willing to stand for His truth. Moses was called when Israel was suffering in Egypt: “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt” (Exodus 3:7–10). Isaiah was called at a time when Judah needed a prophetic voice: “Whom shall I send?” and he answered, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8). Jeremiah was called during a period of national crisis and spiritual decline, with God telling him, “Before you were born I set you apart” (Jeremiah 1:5). This shows us that when God called he never called during convenient moments; but rather He called prophets during moments of a great need.
We are living in times that also requires men and women who recognise that God has called them for a purpose and a time such as this. Like the prophets, our calling is not primarily about position, recognition, or personal advancement, but about faithfully responding to God’s assignment. Esther’s words, “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14), remind us that God places people in particular seasons for particular purposes. When we understand our calling, difficulties may challenge us we may be ignored, ridiculed or even misunderstood, but non of the above will easily turn us away from the mission, because the call of God is greater than our comfort, reputation, or personal ambition.The church today desperately needs a renewed sense of calling— of a people who are not merely working for the church, but answering God’s call and faithfully completing the mission entrusted to them.
Adventist are we called out of Babylon. However, some tend to return back to Babylon.
The prophetic gift and role are not self proclaimed. A self proclaimed prophet was a false prophet. Rather they are chosen by God. They are also empowered and inspired by God, not of themselves. God’s prophets were his field generals, his Special Forces, which is why they often were targeted by the satanic forces. Yet, through it all, the Holy Spirit gave them special abilities and strength in spite of their human weaknesses. The life of a genuine prophet was totally devoted to God and his cause. If they could see ahead prior to receiving the divine gift most would be tempted to refuse the calling.
As I commented yesterday, we must remember that the prophets were real people with real emotions, strengths, and weaknesses. They weren’t “superheroes ” with super powers. They were ordinary people used by God to accomplish extraordinary things. A testimony of what a life totally surrendered to God looks like.
If we want to have a clear and perfect vision of God’s will and ways then we need to follow the biblical admonition of 2 Chronicles 20:20; “Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.”
Perhaps we are not even listening to the “regular” people around us who warn us about simple things we may need to change. Why then should we hear much higher calls? God can use strange people to communicate important things; we must learn to listen to His messages.
Thanks for the reminder that God can use “regular people” to speak to us.
In our class, this last Sabbath, one of the men pointed out that workmates may have things to say that we should listen to. It’s one of the ways we can see ourselves as others see us. (Our view of ourselves may be severely skewed.)
IT is obvious that all will agree that God is the one that does the calling of any Prophet. However how many are able to identify a Prophet as a Prophet?
There is a time and place for everything. There was a time for Prophets to be used and many were called and they allowed God to use them effectively and efficiently. However in today’s context there is a much closer connection to heaven available to each and every person who accept Jesus as his or her personal Lord and Savior, and. Each one can function to the equivalent of a Prophet. Some may say there is no new revelation to be made. However there are still many in darkness who may at some point get a Devin visitation from christ. And to them it will be of a prophetic nature. Even still how will any one know if or when someone is under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit?
Powerfully stated. We are reminded God calls us daily to live a life filled His divine presence to affect those around us or those God send into our spaces.
Who are modern day prophets?
It depends on your definition of a prophet. There are a lot of unnamed people on both the Old and New Testaments who are recorded as prophesying. The fact that their prophecies were not recorded leads me to think they were perhaps singing and praising God. Of course, some folk wrote down both their foretelling and forthtelling, and we still have their writings today. The label “prophet” has been attached to them. But they are few in number. We should not overlook the singing, praising kind of prophet just because they are unnamed.
God can call you to do his work at any place and time.it can be at work,at the market,at the farm etc,he can still call you so we need to be careful not to end ignoring the call of God.