The Presence Of The Prophet

And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. 1 Samuel 16:4‭-‬5 KJV

A few years ago, there were two persons whose arrival in a home or a village in Africa would have caused this same reaction. They were: the Teacher and the Pastor. The teacher was the community repository and the letter writer. He was known for rebuke and discipline. The Pastor was the New Priesthood that protected the people from the incursions of the old priesthood. Without the Pastors, it was believed that the deities would finish the communities. The denomination did not matter much. The King and other elders acknowledged their place. Today, by the reason of education, everyone is his letter writer. There’s a preponderance of Pastors that some are just freelance. What took us to this sociological comparison is the arrival of Samuel to Bethlehem. The elders were moved, until Samuel assured them. That became a good cover to invite Jesse and his sons to the sacrifice. The story then zeroed in on the choice of the new King. Until then it didn’t look like what Samuel uttered to Saul had meaning. God may not appear to move immediately, but when the word is spoken, you can rely on it happening. Whose presence moves you? If you are not stirred by anyone’s presence in life, you may be like Saul about to loose your throne. Be careful.