The Hated Messenger

1 Kings 22:8 ~ "And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, 'There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, Micaiah the son of Imlah, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil.' And Jehoshaphat said, 'Let not the king say so.'"

The most hated messenger is the one who will speak a difficult truth when the listener would prefer a comfortable lie. This type of lie started in the garden when the enemy of God closed ranks upon the pinnacle of God's creation and deceived them into believing that God's judgment for eating the forbidden fruit was merely a myth. We read it in Genesis 3:4-5, "But the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'" 

We are sorely misinformed when we believe that the deceiver will always come with blatant and outright slanderous and vile temptations. No, beloved. The enemy of God slithers near with the promise of good tidings, fair weather and certain victories. He comes disguised as an "angel of light" and the servants of the enemy pose as servants of righteousness (see 2 Corinthians 11:13-15). You will always hear from the enemy exactly what you want to hear, unless you actually want to hear the truth.

In our text today, we find a man who I've always admired--the prophet Micaiah. King Ahab of Israel brought Jehoshaphat the king of Judah to his city in order to partner with him in a war. He wanted to join forces with the kingdom of Judah and strengthen his hand against Ramoth-gilead. Jehoshaphat was very willing to join his forces to those of Ahab, but first he wanted to inquire of the LORD.

Enter the false prophets. As one voice they all declared with unwavering certainty that there was no doubt about the victory that stood before them. In 1 Kings 22:6 we read, "Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, 'Shall I go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?' And they said, 'Go up, for the LORD will give it into the hand of the king.'" But the king of Judah would not be so easily persuaded. Unlike Ahab, Jehoshaphat wanted to hear the truth from God and not just the pandering niceties of the false prophets. Micaiah was urged to agree with the false prophets, but would not say anything beyond what the LORD God would say (see 1 Kings 22:13-14). And, thus, Ahab hated the prophet for, as he said, "he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil."

And, today, we are inundated with false prophets who always seem to proclaim certain political victories, financial blessings, supernatural encounters and a host of other, positive and affirming words. No matter the actual word of God, written for the believer's instruction, these proclaimers will pander to the moment and deliver a message that would make the enemy proud. 

Be careful, my friends, when you start to listen to the words of those who call themselves the voice of the Almighty God. When phrases like "I have a word from the LORD" are hanging in the air, make sure that what is said next comes from the actual word of God. It is a great risk to listen to the comfortable lie. The false prophets of Ahab testified to his victory, and the king was struck down in battle. 

And, one thing more. Micaiah's prophecy agreed with the already revealed word of God, written down by Moses and the prophets. The false prophets only agreed with Ahab and each other. When you listen to those who proclaim a message from the LORD, make sure it agrees with the Scriptures. You and I have no other source by which we can make an accurate assessment. Paul warned Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:3, "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions."

Beloved, God will comfort you with His word. It is not always a difficult truth that we hear. But He also chastises His people and corrects them. So let us do as Jehoshaphat, and listen to the true word of the LORD.

In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

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