“HAVE YOU INQUIRED OF THE LORD?”

 

DISCUSSION              

                In the final days of Ahab, King of Israel, he is faced with a battle against the King of Syria.  In his estimation, he was not allowed to defeat them himself, so he solicits Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah to join him.  Jehoshaphat agrees and unites with Ahab on one condition; that they inquire of the LORD first.  Ahab agrees and calls in 400 prophets and asked them, “Should I go and face Syria in battle and Ramaoth- Gilead?”.  “Go up” they replied.  Jehoshaphat interjects “Is there not a prophet of the LORD that we could ask?” (Evidently, Jehoshaphat noticed that these prophets were not true prophets of the LORD.).  Ahab replied, “There is one, Micaiah; but I hate him, for he never prophecies good concerning me”.  Don’t you just have to laugh at Ahab?  Here he is, seeking out advice from those that agree with him, rather than looking to a true prophet from God that will reveal to him the truth.  His reasoning is that the true prophet of God never prophecies anything good for him.  I wonder, does he ever think that maybe he doesn’t get any good prophecies because he has been evil and hasn’t lived a life that is pleasing to the LORD?  The point being, he was willing to accept lies just because he got to hear what he wanted to hear.   People still do this today.  They search for books and preachers that will tell them the things they want to hear.  They know that the Bible condemns their behavior, yet they don’t want to hear that they are wrong.  Instead, they have “itching ears” as Paul told Timothy.  “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, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).  To us as Christians it seems unthinkable to look for answers outside of the Word of God, yet when peoples ears itch…they want them scratched and they don’t care who does it.  Let’s make sure we treat the Bible as the only source from God. When it condemns our actions, we repent and confess our sins, rather than look to someone to say what we want them to say.

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