Micaiah and Ahab - “Mark my Words”

“But Micaiah said, As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.” 1 Kings 22:14

Israel enjoyed years of peace—no fighting with Syria, Israel’s nemesis. It didn’t mean King Ahab was content. In fact, when his colleague Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, came to visit Ahab took the occasion to address an old score he wanted to settle. Years earlier the king of Syria had taken the city of Ramoth (one of Israel’s Cities of Refuge) in Gilead and the situation was eating at Ahab. 

“Do you realize that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us, and we’re sitting around on our hands instead of taking it back from the king of Syria?” Ahab proclaimed. He turned to Jehoshaphat and asked “Will you join me in fighting for Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat said, “You bet. I’m with you all the way—my troops are your troops, my horses are your horses.” He then continued, “But before you do anything, ask God for guidance.”

Good advice...

King Ahab got 400 prophets together—and asked: “Should I attack Ramoth Gilead?

“Go for it,” they said. “God will hand it over to the king.” One of them, Zedekiah, had even made a set of iron horns, and brandishing them called out, “God’s word! With these horns you’ll gore the King of Syria until there’s nothing left of him!” 

And all the prophets chimed in, “Yes!”...

But Jehoshaphat dragged his heels: “Is there another prophet of God around here we can consult?” Ahab told Jehoshaphat, “As a matter of fact, there is still one such man—Micaiah son of Imlah—but I hate him because he never has anything good to say.”

“You shouldn’t talk about a prophet like that,” said Jehoshaphat.

So Ahab ordered one of his men to get Micaiah...The messenger said to Micaiah, “The prophets have all said Yes to the king. Make it unanimous—vote Yes!” But Micaiah said, “As surely as God lives, what God says, I’ll say.” So, Ahab  asked him, “Micaiah—do we attack Ramoth Gilead, or do we hold back?” “Go ahead,” he said. “An easy victory. God’s gift to the king. Since Ahab never heard a good word from Micaiah he got curious. “How many times have I made you promise under oath to tell me the truth and nothing but the truth?”

“All right,” said Micaiah, “since you insist, I saw all of Israel scattered over the hills, sheep with no shepherd.Then God spoke: ‘These poor people have no one to tell them what to do. Let them go home and do the best they can for themselves.’”

Ahab turned to Jehoshaphat, “See! What did I tell you?” 

He never has a good word for me from God, only doom.”

”Wait!” Micaiah said: “I’m not done yet; listen...

I saw God enthroned, and all the angel armies of heaven

standing at attention ranged on his right and his left.

And God said, ‘How can we seduce Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead?’ Some said this, and some said that. Then a bold angel stepped out, stood before God, and said,

“I’ll seduce him.”

“And how will you do it?” Asked God.

“Easy,” said the angel, “I’ll get all the prophets to lie to him.”

“That should do it,” said God, and that’s what happened. 

Ahab had heard enough and said: “Get Micaiah out of here! Lock him up in jail; keep him on bread and water until I’m back in one piece.’”

Micaiah said, “If you ever get back in one piece, I’m no prophet of God. MARK MY WORDS!”

Ahab was killed in battle and was brought home. They washed down the chariot at the pool of Samaria where the town whores bathed, and the dogs lapped up the blood, just as God’s word had said.

“Mark my words...”

As I contemplate this story I recall that Ahab was the most evil King Israel ever had. I’m not surprised a prophet of Yahweh would not have any encouraging word for him. So, Ahab hired several phony priests who would tell him what he wanted to hear. This is a huge problem. I suspect Jehoshaphat had an inkling of this and that’s what prompted him to ask for a second opinion.

We should never accept advise simply because it’s what we want to hear. We can always find somebody who will try to curry favor by telling us exactly what we want to hear. Some of us quit reading the Bible because we don’t like what it says. Some of us quit going to church because we don’t like what the pastor says. Many of us go “church shopping” until we find one that “tickles our ears,” even when, deep in our hearts, we know better.

That’s what Ahab did. It didn’t end well...

We need to be Jehoshaphat. We need to ask “isn’t there a prophet of the true God around here? That’s a start. Of course. The next step is to heed what that prophet says. MARK MY WORDS!

Live boldly out there today...

Elijah on Mount Carmel - time to make a decision

“How much longer will you waver, between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” 

1 Kings 18:21

The famine had become so severe in Samaria, because of the drought Elijah had prophesied, that King Ahab was forced to scour every hill and valley in hopes of finding enough grass to save at least some of my horses and mules.

In the third year of the drought, the Lord said to Elijah, “Go and tell King Ahab that I will soon send rain!”

Obadiah, a devoted follower of the Lord, saw Elijah coming toward him while he was out searching for provisions. He recognized Elijah and bowed before him. Elijah said. “Go and tell your master, Elijah is here.” 

When Ahab saw him, he exclaimed, “So, is it really you, you troublemaker of Israel?”

“I have made no trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the Lord and have worshiped the images of Baal instead.Now summon all Israel to join me at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who are supported by Jezebel.” 

So Ahab summoned everyone to Mount Carmel. Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” 

But the people were completely silent...they were genuinely torn between the two choices.

Elijah said, “bring two bulls.” The prophets of Baal may choose whichever one they wish and cut it into pieces and lay it on the wood of their altar, but without setting fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood on the altar, but not set fire to it. Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!” 

And all the people agreed...

The prophets of Baal prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. They called on the name of Baal from morning until noontime, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no reply. 

So they shouted louder, and cut themselves until they bled. They raved until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no response.

Then Elijah called to the people, “Come over here!” He took twelve stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the Lord. Then he dug a trench around the altar, piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood. Then he had the people pour water over the offering and the wood Until it ran around the altar and even filled the trench.

Elijah walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”

Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! When all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”

And...then it rained.

How often do we endure spiritual drought and famine in our lives because we are stuck in the middle...between the God of heaven and the god of this world? The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob will send spiritual rain upon our lives if we will simply get off the fence. He will even go to great lengths to make the decision crystal clear for us.

We are told in John’s first epistle, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” (2:15-17). There is a reason why churches in many cities across our nation  named themselves “Mount Carmel ______Church”. They are saying...at least by name...they have made a decision. 

How long will it take us to decide between what will last and what will perish? It just doesn’t seem that complicated but...there are hundreds of false prophets out there encouraging us to make the wrong choice. Let’s be careful who we listen to.

Live boldly out there today...