1 Kings 22:22: “‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said.”
I thank God for a pastor who preaches from the Bible and doesn’t say only what is socially acceptable or politically correct.
When Ahab, the king of Israel wanted to fight against the king of Aram, he asked King Jehoshaphat of Judah to join him. The king of Judah said, “First seek the counsel of the LORD.”
Each of us will face major decisions in life. We will choose such things as a career, a marriage partner, the number of children to have if any, a home, and a car. I wasn’t a Christian until after I married. I wish I had known the Lord sooner and followed King Jehoshaphat’s advice on several decisions in my life.
In verse six, the king of Israel asked four hundred prophets, and they said, “Go, for the LORD will give it into the king’s hand.” They told him what he wanted to hear.
But King Jehoshaphat asked in verse seven, “Is there not a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?”
The king of Israel answered in verse eight as so many in our day would, “There is still one man 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.”
The king sent for Micaiah, and Micaiah told him, “Attack and be victorious.” However, in verse sixteen, the king said, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?”
The king knew he heard a lie, but he didn’t like the truth when Micaiah told him a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets would entice him to go to attack Aram and lead him to his death.
People haven’t changed. Many still choose to ignore God’s Word and lead lives that will only lead to heartache and destruction.
The rest of the chapter tells us, “The king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle,” but he was killed anyway. Don’t we sometimes think if people don’t know who we are, we can get away with disobedience?
Dear God, help me not to pay attention to a lying spirit. Amen.
Application: Will you listen to God this week?
Copyright © by Yvonne Ortega July 3, 2012