The Men’s Group Trinity

Then King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” And they came into the king’s presence.  1 Kings 1:32  NASB

Prophet, Priest, King – There are only a few verses in the Bible that include all three words “prophet,” priest,” and “king.”  In fact, more than half of them are about a single incident – the delegation of Solomon as the true heir of the Davidic throne.  But the fact that this combination is so rare doesn’t stop us from proclaiming the male triumvirate.  Every man needs to be prophet, priest and king.  At least that’s what many have been taught.  The message is now so common that even Mark Driscoll of famed Mars Hill includes these three is his statement about the major themes of the Bible.

“The Bible has three main themes. Kings focus on the theme of stewardship. Prophets focus on the theme of sin. Priests focus on the theme of suffering. Kings appreciate knowing the numbers at their church and how resources are being stewarded. Prophets appreciate the teaching at their church and like hearing about what God and we are to do with sin. Priests appreciate hearing the stories of people loved and served through suffering. Kings are best with things, prophets are best with ideas, and priests are best with people.”[1]

Now I know that Mark is being dramatic and is generalizing, but is what he says actually true?  Do kings really focus on stewardship?  Do prophets focus on sin?  Are priests preoccupied with suffering?  It sounds good, but . . . when I look at the texts I find something else.  I find that the biblical idea of “king” is usually associated with rebellion and the denial of God’s sovereignty.  And when “king” is tied to Messiah, I’m not so sure it is about stewardship.  It seems to me that it is about power, rescue and deliverance.  If we want to talk about stewardship, then we should probably employ the Hebrew word for work (avodah).  We are all expected to work, worship and serve.  That’s what avad means and it is the focus of stewardship of God’s assets.

Prophet?  Are the prophets of Scripture focused on sin?  Again, I don’t think so.  Heschel convinces me that the prophets are men and women called to feel as God feels.  They are human barometers of the broken heart of YHWH.  They warn.  They cajole.  They agonize.  But a focus on sin?  No, I think they are much more focused on God.  Sin is a Christian problem.  Devotion to God is a Jewish problem.

And what about “priest”?  If I think that the role of the priest is to suffer, then why is it such a special, singularly significant task?  Anyone (and every follower) is called to suffer on behalf of the Messiah, but that doesn’t make everyone a priest.  A priest is an intercessor between God and another.  That is not the role of suffering.  That is the role of mediator.  Driscoll’s analysis is marked by a lack of appreciation for the office of the Levitical priesthood.  He sees “priest” only in terms of the Christ and that means the cross, i.e., suffering.  Eighty percent of the biblical text is sacrificed in the process.

We come to an odd conclusion.  The three roles are almost never found together in Scripture.  And none of the roles seem to fit Driscoll’s “three main themes.”  So where did he get this idea?  Where did he come up with the thought that kings are best with things, prophets with ideas and priests with people?  Look at the text.  Does that seem right to you?  Oh, it’s popular among men.  It makes us feel important.  It gives us “spiritual status.”  But is it biblical?  Or does it matter?

Topical Index:  prophet, priest, king, sin, stewardship, suffer, 1 Kings 1:32