[It looks like this video was deleted on the original site! I wonder why! He has, however, expressed similar sentiments elsewhere and in other videos, such as the one which I have already responded to here. At around 28:22 minutes into the video he says the same kind of thing.]
I was watching the above video by John MacArthur in which at 2.2 minutes he makes the following comment:
“… and just to support that, there is no woman in the Old Testament that had an ongoing prophetic ministry. There are a couple of occasions where God used a woman to speak; but there is no woman in the Old Testament with an ongoing prophetic ministry, none.”
That is obviously incorrect. There are at least two great prophetesses mentioned in the Old Testament who had an “ongoing prophetic ministry”. The first was Deborah, who was not only a great prophetess, but also the (chief) “judge” in the land during the reign of the “Judges,” which was a leadership position equivalent to being the chief ruler of the land (as well as a military position)—and was very much an “ongoing prophetic ministry”. It was like being the President of the United States—but much more powerful. It was a prophetic as well as a political, legal, and military position at the same time. She led successful military campaigns, presided over army generals and military officers—and did so by her prophetic office. It combined a prophetic office with that of a political, legal, and military one at the same time. It can’t get more powerful than that. And it was very much an “ongoing” ministry. It was a mission for life. It was not a “fixed term” appointment, and there were no “elections”. It was the same kind of prophetic office or ministry that Samuel had, no difference. Anything that Samuel could do, Deborah could do. It was as much an “ongoing prophetic ministry” for her as it was for Samuel:
Judges 4:
“… and just to support that, there is no woman in the Old Testament that had an ongoing prophetic ministry. There are a couple of occasions where God used a woman to speak; but there is no woman in the Old Testament with an ongoing prophetic ministry, none.”
That is obviously incorrect. There are at least two great prophetesses mentioned in the Old Testament who had an “ongoing prophetic ministry”. The first was Deborah, who was not only a great prophetess, but also the (chief) “judge” in the land during the reign of the “Judges,” which was a leadership position equivalent to being the chief ruler of the land (as well as a military position)—and was very much an “ongoing prophetic ministry”. It was like being the President of the United States—but much more powerful. It was a prophetic as well as a political, legal, and military position at the same time. She led successful military campaigns, presided over army generals and military officers—and did so by her prophetic office. It combined a prophetic office with that of a political, legal, and military one at the same time. It can’t get more powerful than that. And it was very much an “ongoing” ministry. It was a mission for life. It was not a “fixed term” appointment, and there were no “elections”. It was the same kind of prophetic office or ministry that Samuel had, no difference. Anything that Samuel could do, Deborah could do. It was as much an “ongoing prophetic ministry” for her as it was for Samuel:
Judges 4:
4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.
8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.
Judges 5:
14 Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.
15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.
That does not fit the description of the role of a “prophetess” in the Old Testament that John MacArthur gives. Another good example is that of Huldah the prophetess, who didn’t have quite such a powerful position as Deborah had, but came close to it. Kings, priests, rulers, and chief ministers of the land would approach her for advice, and to obtain the word of the Lord by revelation through her:
2 Kings 22:
12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king’s, saying,
13 Go ye, enquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.
14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her.
15 And she said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,
16 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read:
17 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.
18 But to the king of Judah which sent you to enquire of the Lord, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard;
19 Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord.
20 Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.
2 Chronicles 34:
14 And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the Lord given by Moses.
15 And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.
16 And Shaphan carried the book to the king, and brought the king word back again, saying, All that was committed to thy servants, they do it.
17 And they have gathered together the money that was found in the house of the Lord, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and to the hand of the workmen.
18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.
19 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.
20 And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king’s, saying,
21 Go, enquire of the Lord for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do after all that is written in this book.
22 And Hilkiah, and they that the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college:) and they spake to her to that effect.
23 And she answered them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell ye the man that sent you to me,
24 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah:
25 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched.
26 And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of the Lord, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard;
27 Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the Lord.
28 Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again.
She wasn’t the kind of powerful ruler that Deborah was, but she came close. Kings, priests, and chief ministers of the land approached her for advice, for divine guidance, and to inquire of the Lord through her. That made her position almost higher than that of the king. And her position was very much one of an “ongoing ministry”. She didn’t suddenly appear out of nowhere, and disappear into nothing. How did those people know that she was a “prophetess,” to want to go and “inquire of the Lord” through her, unless she had an “ongoing reputation” as such? Another renowned prophetess mentioned in the Old Testament is Moses’ sister Miriam:
Exodus 15:
20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
Numbers 12:
1 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.
2 And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it.
3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
4 And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.
5 And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.
6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
9 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed.
10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.
11 And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.
12 Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother’s womb.
13 And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.
14 And the Lord said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.
15 And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.
16 And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran.
Numbers 20:
1 Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.
Micah 6:
4 For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
She is put on a par with Moses and Aaron in her leadership position and prophetic ministry—although Moses took the lead over the two. Isaiah refers to his wife as a “prophetess (Isaiah 8:3); and Joel informs us that there shall be prophetesses which shall arise in the future (Joel 2:28). So it appears that John MacArthur has got his understanding of the OT somewhat skewed. Now how that compares with Beth Moore, I wouldn’t like to say! This is a critique John’s commentary on the Bible, not his comments about Beth Moore! But I guess Beth Moore can take comfort from the fact that John’s biblical exegesis doesn’t quite meet all expectations.
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