Do You Really Want To Hear The Truth?
Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, and he aligned himself with Ahab by marriage. Some years later, he went down to see Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him and urged him to attack Ramoth Gilead. Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?"
Jehoshaphat replied, "I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war." But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, "First seek the counsel of the LORD."
So the king of Israel brought together the prophets -- four hundred men -- and asked them, "Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall we not?"
"Go," they answered, "for God will give it into the king's hand."
But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there no longer a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?"
The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, "There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah." "The king should not say such a thing," Jehoshaphat replied. So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, "Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once." 2 Chronicles 18:1-8
Jehoshaphat replied, "I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war." But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, "First seek the counsel of the LORD."
So the king of Israel brought together the prophets -- four hundred men -- and asked them, "Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall we not?"
"Go," they answered, "for God will give it into the king's hand."
But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there no longer a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?"
The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, "There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah." "The king should not say such a thing," Jehoshaphat replied. So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, "Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once." 2 Chronicles 18:1-8
Solomon, the richest and wisest king who ever lived wrote that there is nothing new under the Sun. Since the days of Adam and Eve, humans have made themselves liable to the pleasures of deception. We would rather receive deception and be doomed by false hope, than acknowledge the truth, as unpleasant as it may taste, and be saved out of our situations. The truth might hurt, but it is the only path to true life! Deception only gives false hope.
The encounter between Jehoshaphat and Ahab gives us great insight into how to make critical decisions as children of God. Here are a few:
First: Jehoshaphat aligned himself with Ahab by way of marriage. Ahab was a wicked and godless king whose wife Jezebel was a notorious hater of the Almighty God. This marriage alignment put Jehoshaphat in a rather precarious position. He was forced into a "natural" family relationship which opened him up for all kinds of demands to be made on him. Needless to say, the alliances we forge with people might elevate or pull us down. Scripture cautions not to be unequally yoked. Unholy alliances can force us into unholy decisions and actions.
Second: We must exercise great discernment before we enter into alliances with people, no matter how close they might be to us. Without discernment, we can be drawn into "wars" that have not been sanctioned by God. Life is full of "wars" and the wrong wars must be avoided at all cost. It leads to a needless waste of time and resources.
Third: We must critically discern what we hear as we enter into alliances with people. Ahab brought four hundred prophets who falsely assured him of divine help and victory when God had said absolutely nothing to them! Godly King Jehoshaphat was saved by discernment. In spite of the four hundred prophets assuring them of victory, he still asked, "Is there no longer a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?" Jehoshaphat discerned the truth from the false. That is a very important lesson.
These are days of nauseating deception. There are so many false prophets preying on the ignorance of desperate people by simply telling them what their itching ears want to hear. They tell lies which they shamelessly attribute to God. We must be discerning.
Finally, we must understand that it is only the truth of God that can set us free and bring us true victory in our situation. Ahab was unwilling to hear the truth and the end proved deadly for him.
Question: Are you facing some tough choices in life? Are these marital, relational, financial, job, ministry or business related? Have you sought godly counsel? Are you willing to apply that godly counsel to your situation? Do you really want to hear the truth and attain lasting victory or are you looking for four hundred lying prophets to tell you what your itching ears want to hear?
May God bring the right people to give you godly counsel based upon His word, and may you accept it no matter how unpleasant it may sound. Amen
The encounter between Jehoshaphat and Ahab gives us great insight into how to make critical decisions as children of God. Here are a few:
First: Jehoshaphat aligned himself with Ahab by way of marriage. Ahab was a wicked and godless king whose wife Jezebel was a notorious hater of the Almighty God. This marriage alignment put Jehoshaphat in a rather precarious position. He was forced into a "natural" family relationship which opened him up for all kinds of demands to be made on him. Needless to say, the alliances we forge with people might elevate or pull us down. Scripture cautions not to be unequally yoked. Unholy alliances can force us into unholy decisions and actions.
Second: We must exercise great discernment before we enter into alliances with people, no matter how close they might be to us. Without discernment, we can be drawn into "wars" that have not been sanctioned by God. Life is full of "wars" and the wrong wars must be avoided at all cost. It leads to a needless waste of time and resources.
Third: We must critically discern what we hear as we enter into alliances with people. Ahab brought four hundred prophets who falsely assured him of divine help and victory when God had said absolutely nothing to them! Godly King Jehoshaphat was saved by discernment. In spite of the four hundred prophets assuring them of victory, he still asked, "Is there no longer a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?" Jehoshaphat discerned the truth from the false. That is a very important lesson.
These are days of nauseating deception. There are so many false prophets preying on the ignorance of desperate people by simply telling them what their itching ears want to hear. They tell lies which they shamelessly attribute to God. We must be discerning.
Finally, we must understand that it is only the truth of God that can set us free and bring us true victory in our situation. Ahab was unwilling to hear the truth and the end proved deadly for him.
Question: Are you facing some tough choices in life? Are these marital, relational, financial, job, ministry or business related? Have you sought godly counsel? Are you willing to apply that godly counsel to your situation? Do you really want to hear the truth and attain lasting victory or are you looking for four hundred lying prophets to tell you what your itching ears want to hear?
May God bring the right people to give you godly counsel based upon His word, and may you accept it no matter how unpleasant it may sound. Amen
Prayer: Father, your word is the only path to true life. Every other word leads to doom and destruction. Please help me to receive and apply your word to my life; no matter how unpleasant it might sound. Amen.