'And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” '(1)
Old Prophets are old prophets because they have seen much, much they have seen and witnessed over the sands of time. They have witnessed the overcomer and the defeated. They have bore witness to the righteous and the wicked. The young prophets have seen very little if not anything at all. All they know is this amazing and powerful God who has called them and is willing and able to do all things and that nothing is impossible for Him. All they know is this new faith with no reservations but with full strength and power that nothing is impossible for God.
The young prophets have not witnessed in as much the truths of the disappointments and failures of life as the old prophets have bore. So we are able to consider why God Himself is more inclined and able to use and count on the young prophets who know very little of life's experiences compared to the old prophets who have seen and known much (i).
Both are useful as the proverbs goes, 'The glory of the young is their strength; the grey hair of experience is the splendour of the old. ' (i). We can also note that this wisdom and experience also comes with a burden and weight that only God Himself is able to bear in all His supremacy and holiness.
' “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. ' (i)
This understanding brought to mind the case of Elijah. In his unmatched faith and power through his faith in God; the stand off on the mountain with the 100s of the prophets of Baal, awakening the faith of the people; proclaiming a famine on the land to provoke repentance. In a moment of time, the fearless man of God ran away at the threat of a woman named Jezebel. In Elijah's defence, she was not any simple woman, she was responsible for executing 100s of the prophets of the Lord and a great influencer in turning the hearts of the people of God to serve false idols. Yet in Elijah's wisdom, knowledge and experience of life; witnessing his own nation falling into apostasy at the mercy of this woman. This knowledge and wisdom the prophet had, made him in a moment of time to become as a type of "old prophet". He overcame that phase, becoming revived and strengthened there in the mountain where he had fled. There in that mountain he was also given the order to recruit a somewhat "young prophet" a new disciple, Elisha, who would continue his work. Now this is by no means to diminish Elijah in any way. He still continued to be one of the greatest prophets in those times; calling down fire and even departing to his new mission in the kingdom of Heaven in a chariot of fire (i).
There is also the example of the old generation who perished in the desert and did not enter the promised land. As well as the new generation who God used instead to take possession of it. Why? Why was God unable to use that old generation? What was this distinction between them that made it only possible for the young to inherit that which He promised and would fulfil? Because the old generation bore witness and had the knowledge of much suffering, disappointments and pain that made them to become weary. Though they witnessed great miracles, deliverance and the power of God which is the GOOD; their exposure to evil bore the burden of the bad, having both the knowledge of GOOD and EVIL. Even Moses Himself in all his meekness, humility and patience succumbed to the years of exposure of both the knowledge of good and evil, journeying with the people of God through the desert. He even in his wisdom had to separate himself from the people and distribute the weight of the burden after some good advice, to the tribe leaders; in order to endure the heat and length of the journey through the desert.
Jesus Himself the Son of God who witnessed the journey of mankind from the beginning of time concluded the choice of His disciples and foundation of His ministry here on earth; to be founded on the simple and adolescent minds of twelve young disciples. In correlation to the "old prophets" of the pharisees who attempted in their own wisdom, experience and understanding over the years of their appointment; concluded the impediment of the plan of salvation.
In all this talk of the old... it is not in anyway to denote the honour and respect of the experience and value of those of a mature age and authority. We have precious examples in the Word of God even at the beginning of Jesus' journey here on earth, right at His birth, how God used Elizabeth the cousin of Mary to have the honour of opening the stage for the start of the Messiah's mission here on earth (i). In her old age God counted on and honoured this mature couple to bring forth John the Baptist who would pave the way for His Son's ministry. There was also those who lived a long old age to bear witness of the prophecy being fulfilled at Jesus' registration Anna, the widow who lived all her life serving God in the temple and the other old man who also proclaimed the arrival of the Messiah there in the temple. Abraham a classic example of the impartiality that God shows to the mature in age and experience; called and chosen by God at the age of 75 and used to fulfil His promise even at the age of 100 with Sarah at the age of 90. Not to mention more significantly the authority, responsibility and reverence towards mothers, fathers, grandparents and all in some form of authority, maturity and experience to impart knowledge, wisdom and guidance to those beginning the pinnacle of their journey throughout life.
'Do not move the ancient landmark that your fathers have set. '(i)
No it's not at all to diminish the old; both are important and serve their own purpose and function that is indisputable and a necessity in our development, growth and evolvement into the unknown future and our society. Nonetheless, it is rather the exploration and highlighting of the newness and sensibility of the young as an effective tool in God's plans to impact the future generation.
This notion and understanding began right there in the garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve were created, what was their most valuable asset? Their innocence and total dependence on God. They were as the fresh young generation in the desert and the young disciples of Jesus' ministry. As their lack of knowledge, experience and exposure made them more dependent on God with a faith that was unblemished and fresh to believe in the impossibility of nothing.
The secret lies in the Garden...
“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” ' (i).
So what is this death today that Adam and Eve had not known and leads us to understand the strength of the youth? What is this death that only God in His omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence is able to bear the knowledge and exposure and still remain Holy, good and righteous eternally? This death is evil, the knowledge of evil, witnessing evil and enduring it throughout a lifetime. Failures, disappointments, weakness, unfaithfulness, dishonesty and many more. Who can endure it? And what is it that dies? What is it that this death swallows up in its presence and exposure?
Faith...
Faith is the oxygen of the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of heaven. It was what sustained life in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve living in peace and harmony with the animals, nature and God Himself in perfect peace and eternity. Faith sustained them in trusting in the simple command of God that would spare them from a suffering and pain they had not yet known or understood. That was until death came and polluted the air. What was good, pure and innocent and the knowledge of it tasted the first dose of death... disobedience. Being exposed to this lethal enemy, they hid themselves from God. Consumed by fear as their oxygen level of faith started to slowly diminish... and the poison of death started to take its affect. Their hearts griped with fear, anxiety and guilt...
Another classic example to emphasise this conception is the correlation between young David and King Saul. King Saul was used by God to fight many battles and had many experiences exposed to years of warfare, losses and wins. Unfortunately King Saul in His case made many errors and carried within him the burden of guilt so that he was distant from God and carried the weight of all the experience and knowledge he had acquired over the years upon his own shoulders and strength. So much so that there came a time when Isreal was at war and was confronted with a great threat and humiliation from their enemies the philistines as their warrior Goliath reproached the people of God with insults and challenged them to battle. King Saul with all the weight of knowledge and his own strength succumbed to fear and disbelief in the possibility of overcoming such an affront from the great and mighty Goliath. Until God allowed this little shepherd boy to enter the camp of the army of Isreal with no knowledge or experience only the knowledge and faith in a God who faithfully delivered him from a lion and a bear and that He was the God of the armies of Isreal. Armed with 5 stones and the name of the Lord, young David fearlessly confronted the shame of Isreal and defeated him putting an end to the affront of their enemies.
Irrespectively, this same David after he became king and ruled many years with this same acquirement of knowledge wisdom and experience though still faithful to God in a moment in time manifested this old prophet syndrome based on his own understanding to number the people which was in those times a show of strength and accrediting the success of the Kingdom to himself as well as its continuation dependent on the knowledge he would acquire in numbering them rather than crediting his victory and serval to his faith and dependence on God as he had done in his youth. After years of exposure to great victories and losses and all the knowledge he had in his mature age, dependency and humility was tainted towards God. This moment of imbalance resulted in the spiritual repercussion on the nation that led to an outbreak of sickness and disasters with many losses.
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