I’ve been thinking about something for a while now – that in the Old Testament only Messiah (or a Messiah-type) can be all three of these things – Prophet, Priest and Prince (should be King, I know, but I’ll call it Prince for alliteration’s sake). Try to be all three yourself and you’re in deep trouble. Whether it’s one of God’s ‘rules’ I don’t know, but it seems to be consistent.

Melchizedek is the first example in Gen 14:18-20. He’s already the Prince of Peace (Salem or shalom, later to be known as Jeru-salem) as noted in v. 18, and we read that he is also the Priest of the most high God. He then goes on to speak for God (which is what a Prophet does) and blesses Abram and so, as a type of the Messiah (cf. Heb 5-7), he certainly legitimizes the thought about the three ‘P’s.

On the other hand, there’s Saul. In I Sam 10:1 we read that Saul is anointed to be Prince of Israel (which office, of course, he later fills). Then in verse 6 he’s told that he will prophesy (which he does in verse 11 – and for that matter, again in I Sam 19:23-24). For Saul, who starts off in humility (I Sam 10:22, hiding in the baggage when he is being picked to be king) and is inspired by God to defeat the Ammonites (I Sam 11:6), the downward spiral really starts when he acts as priest (I Sam 13:9-14) in Samuel’s prolonged absence. Because he did this, he is told that the dynasty which was going to be his would be torn from him and given to another. Again, here is someone trying to ascribe to himself all three loci of God-given authority – Prophet, Priest and Prince – and so also legitimizes the thought.

Of other notables, there is Samuel who was prophet and priest, but never prince; Moses perhaps came closest as prophet and priest and leader, but again not formally Prince. King Uzziah was punished with leprosy (2 Chron 26:18-19) when he tried to burn incense himself (and he didn’t even prophesy as far as we’re told). Solomon made sacrifices on several occasions, but I think we should assume he gave the animals to the priests for the actual ritual – and again, no prophesying.

For Saul and Uzziah, who chose to act as priests for a short while, the reason for their punishment lies in Heb 5:4 (speaking about being called to the priesthood) –

“And no one takes the honor to himself, but {receives it} when he is called by God, even as Aaron was.” (NASB).

In the New Testament, however, once the Messiah has come indeed, this rule is abandoned – as it must be. For as believers we are each, male and female alike, a Prince by adoption into His family (Gal 4:7). We are each called to speak the Word of God at His command (Matt 28:18-20; Isa 59:21) and so to be Prophets. And we are each called to intercede for ourselves (Heb 4:16) and others (I Tim 2:1, I Pet 3:12; Rev 5:8) and thus to act as Priests (Heb 5:1).

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