Monday 14 August 2017

False Prophets Abound

Squawks of Malarkey

Readers of the Bible are well aware that the history of God's people is cursed at times with false prophets.  These were "gentlemen" who told the king or the political authorities what they wanted to hear.  Therefore, it's not unexpected that in our day false prophets claiming to speak in the name of God would arise, endeavouring to lead the faithful astray.

We are now told that Hillary Clinton wants to become a preacher--according to an article in The Atlantic.
Hillary Clinton wants to preach. That’s what she told Bill Shillady, her longtime pastor, at a recent photo shoot for his new book about the daily devotionals he sent her during the 2016 campaign. Scattered bits of reporting suggest that ministry has always been a secret dream of the two-time presidential candidate: Last fall, the former Newsweek editor Kenneth Woodward revealed that Clinton told him in 1994 that she thought “all the time” about becoming an ordained Methodist minister. She asked him not to write about it, though: “It will make me seem much too pious.” The incident perfectly captures Clinton’s long campaign to modulate—and sometimes obscure—expressions of her faith.
 What are we to make of this?
 Nothing, really.  We would merely point out that the phenomenon of false prophets is ages-old.  In I Kings 22 we are confronted with the trope.  About four hundred false prophets gathered to tell King Ahab that he was brilliant, wunnerful even, and would most surely be successful in battle against Syria.  But in his heart Ahab knew that all his courtier prophets were false.  He asked for a "true prophet".  But when Micaiah told him he was about to fall into the crush of divine vengeance, he threw a tanty and cast him into prison.  Ahab declared he would deal with Micaiah after he returned from the battle.  The true prophet replied to Ahab, "If you return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me."  So Ahab died, Micaiah was vindicated, and four hundred false prophets were out of a job.

Clinton would have us believe that her second most preferred occupational choice--after national political office--would be clergyperson.  According to an interview in 1994 with Kenneth Woodward, she claimed she "thought all the time about becoming an ordained minister".  [TheBlaze]

Clinton redivivus: governor's wife, First Lady, Senator, Secretary of State, twice rejected presidential candidate . . . minister of religion, false prophet.  One can see her now--tickling Ahab's ears, telling that old Baalist what he wants to hear.

The irony is that,  then as now, any old Baalist knows his house prophets always parrot squawks of malarkey.

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