God used the prophets to prepare the world for the great work of salvation. It is His manner to do nothing until He has made it known to the people through the prophets. Therefore it is written,"Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7). Throughout history, the Lord has functioned this way. He did not send the flood until it had been revealed through Noah. He did not deliver Israel from Egypt until it had been revealed through Moses and Joseph. The Messiah did not come until the prophets had told of His coming. He did not begin His ministry until John the Baptist went before Him. Throughout Scripture, it is the ungodly that are surprised by the working of the Lord. His people are apprized of what He will do. It is no different in the matter of being "taught by God." The prophets foretold the time when God would teach all of His people. We are in those times, praise the Lord!

Ineffective teaching under the Law

Employing means, God taught Israel. He was timely in the instruction, speaking through the prophets at critical periods, before Israel lapsed into spiritual insensitivity. Yet, the ancient people did not learn. How tragic the lament of the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah. "And they have turned unto Me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction" (Jer 32:33).The point to be seen here is that God taught the people. Once again, He employed means, but He did teach. That is how He stated the situation, and that is how it is to be received! A day is foretold, however, when God would effectively teach the people.

A sign of Divine favor

Though unworthy, the people of God were promised a time when all the people would be taught byGod. How revolutionary this must have sounded. Of old time, only a few people were taught by God. Moses, David, and the prophets occupied unique places among the sons of men. God's intention, however, was for "all" to be taught by Him, not merely a select few. Thus it is written, "O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children" (Isa 54:11- 13). Isaiah was announcing a time of Divine favor; a time of unparalleled blessing. Divine tutelage would be preceded by a time of spiritual turbulence and unrest--a time that would require comfort that could only be given by God Himself. Indeed, this would be the case! The people of God would be characterized by beauty, comeliness, and stability. It would take place because all their children would be "taught by the Lord." The outcome of this teaching would be "great peace," or a peace that "passes understanding" (Phil 4:7).This is the promise to which our Lord alluded, and it is to be embraced by everyone calling upon the name of the Lord. It does not have to be reconciled to man's understanding of other apparently contradictory Scriptures. It is to be believed, for by the promises we "become partakers of the Divine nature" (2 Pet 1:4).