Q: #543. Can you list some of the trials that God's prophets went through in the Old Testament?
A: Do you feel like life is sometimes too much to bear? Are there times you want to give up? Are there times that you just want to go and be with God permanently? You are not alone. Many of God’s prophets in the Old Testament had these same thoughts and issues. God asked a lot of His prophets, and often required them to go through many difficult things. However, He also used them to accomplish GREAT things. God can use us to accomplish great things too! However, trials and suffering are often a part of this process.
I mention the above because if you think that God is asking too much of you, perhaps the trials that some of the Old Testament prophet’s went through will help you to put things in perspective, and to see that just as they made it through, you can also make it!
Moses:
(Ex 2:15) Pharaoh sought to kill him, so he fled through the desert to the land of Midian.
(Ex 4:10-17) He had some kind of speech impediment.
(Ex 4:24-26) His life was threatened by God for failing to circumcise his son.
(Ex 14:10-12)(Ex 15:22-25)(Ex 16:2-3)(Ex 17:2-4)(Num 11:4-6)(Num 14:1-4)(Num 16:41-42)(Num 20:2-5)(Num 21:4-5) The Israelites constantly “grumbled” against Moses (and God).
(Num 11:14-16) After one episode of grumbling, Moses asked God to kill him.
(Num 12:1-2) Aaron and Miriam criticized Moses because he had married an Ethiopian (Cushite) woman, then they attacked (were jealous of) his leadership.
(Num 16:1-40) Korah, Dathan, Abiram, On, and 250 other leaders challenged the leadership of Moses and Aaron.
(Num 20:12-14)(Num 27:12-14)(Deut 3:23-28) He was not allowed to enter the Promised Land because he “rebelled” against God by striking the Rock when God told him to speak to it.
(Deut 8:2)(Acts 7:36) He had to wander in the desert for 40 years.
Ezekiel:
(Eze 3:25-26) Ezekiel was confined to his house and not able to speak until God allowed it (His tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth).
(Eze 4:4-6) He was told to lay on his left side for 390 days, then on his right side for 40 days.
(Eze 4:12) God told him to cook his food using human dung, but then decided to allow him to use animal dung instead after Ezekiel pleaded (Eze 4:15).
(Eze 24:14-18) God told Ezekiel his wife would die, and he was not to mourn, weep, or cry.
Isaiah:
(Isa 20:3) Isaiah was told to walk naked for 3 years.
Tradition says that Isaiah was sawed in two and killed while hiding in a hollow log during Manasseh’s reign of terror. (Possibly alluded to in Heb 11:37.)
Jeremiah:
(Jer 16:2) Jeremiah was forbidden to marry. (He was the only man in the Bible ever forbidden to marry.)
(Jer 20:14-18) His persecutions became so bad, he wished he had never been born.
(Jer 37:15-16) He was beaten and imprisoned.
(Jer 38:6) He was cast into a cistern and left to die in the mud.
Jonah:
(Jonah ch. 1 & 2) Jonah was cast into a raging sea, swallowed by a great fish, and forced to live inside of the fish for 3 days and nights for failing to obey God.
Hosea:
(Hos 1:2) Hosea was told by God to marry a prostitute who would commit adultery. Then, once she did this, he was told to get her back from the man she had gone with (Hos 3:1-5).
Elijah:
(1 Kin 19:1-14) Queen Jezebel sought to kill him. He became so upset, he asked God to take his life.
Daniel:
(Dan ch. 6) Daniel was thrown into a den of lions for failing to pray to the king only.
Joseph:
(Gen 37:18-28) His brothers first wanted to kill him, but instead sold him into slavery.
(Gen ch. 39) Was thrown into prison by his master after his master’s wife accused him trying to rape her.
I speak of the Apostle Paul’s Trials here.