Therefore look! The LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has declared disaster against you. —
1 Kings 22:23
The spirit of falsehood has been with us for ages. Truth is often sacrificed on the altar of expediency. The kings of Israel and Judah were preparing to fight against Syria. Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, recommended that they seek God’s guidance before the battle. King Ahab of Israel then gathered 400 false prophets who unanimously declared victory for them. God had already determined to carry out a death sentence on Ahab. Since he preferred the lies of his false prophets over the truth given by God’s prophets, God chose to use these false prophets to carry out His plan.1 Kings 22:23
Somehow, Jehoshaphat was unconvinced by the prophets. In spite of the overwhelming assurance, he asked if there was a prophet of the LORD they could inquire from. When you pervert justice or compromise on your sense of integrity and professionalism, no one believes you. The king of Israel knew about the genuineness of Micaiah’s ministry. The king’s only challenge was that because of his own devious ways, he could not predict a favourable message. He therefore branded Micaiah as a consistent bearer of bad tidings. His servant even attempted to bribe him to repeat what the 400 were saying. When all that failed, Micaiah was slapped and threatened with imprisonment. But he remained resolute and his word of prophecy eventually came to pass.
The majority is not always right. A widely-held opinion is not automatically the mind of God. From the passage, we see the possibility that a large number of people can be promoting falsehood in the name of the Lord. Don’t be swayed by titles or positions. Hold fast to the truth.
Prayer:
Father, strengthen me to stand firm for what is right in the face of falsehood and deception.Scripture Reading:
1 Kings 22:1-28
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