Who Will We Listen To?  by Carl McMurray

 

In I Kings 22 there is recorded a wonderful life lesson for us when Ahab, the King of Israel, attempts to draw Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, into a partnership for war with Syria.

 

Jehoshaphat was agreeable to the plan but wisely requested that first inquiry be made for the word of the Lord. Ahab gathered 400 prophets together to oblige and they promptly told the king, “Go up...”. Victory lay ahead, was the message of Ahab’s prophets. Jehoshaphat must have picked up on something however that told him that these were not prophets of God. He asked, “Is there not here another prophet of the Lord of whom we might inquire?” Four hundred false prophets in agreement did not seem to convince the king who wanted to hear from a true prophet of the Lord.

 

Ahab’s response was telling. Ahab said, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micaiah... but I hate him for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil.” Ahab didn’t want to hear from Micaiah because he told the truth rather than telling Ahab what he wanted to hear.

 

Micaiah proceeded to tell the truth on this occasion also. In spite of threats, warnings, and assaults he told Ahab that the battle would be lost and his life would be forfeit. This death sentence for Ahab resulted in Micaiah being thrown into prison, but the truth of his prophecy came about. Israel lost the battle. Ahab was killed and Jehoshaphat barely escaped with his life.

 

Now the question in the heading comes to the surface. Who will we listen to? Will we listen to the 400 who tell us agreeable things that stroke our egos? Or, will we seek the truth, even though it comes from just one person of integrity? Will we continue to ask for truth, like Jehoshaphat, when we suspect that something is just not right? And even more important, will we stupidly sacrifice truth after asking for it, just to “go along and get along”?

 

The media, advertisers, our peer group, and those who wish to manipulate us will always have something to tell us to move us in the direction they wish. Jesus Christ also continues to speak. Who will we listen to?