Resisting the New Normal
“And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good. And Micaiah said, “…as the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak.”(1 Kings 22:13-14)
Saul was Israel’s first king, then David, then Solomon, then Rehoboam. Many people rebelled against Rehoboam and Israel was divided into two nations, Israel and Judah. Jeroboam, Israel’s first king, did not care about God or His word. He expelled the Levites, the tribe God had commanded for ministry, and “…ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves [idol statues] which he had made.” (2 Chronicles 11:15) The next five kings after Jeroboam were as bad or worse.
Sixty-two years of idol worship and bad government later, Ahab came to power. Ahab “…did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.” (1 Kings 16:33) He built a house of worship and an altar for the false god Baal. He also married Jezebel, the daughter of a heathen king. She executed prophets of God. Such was the new normal in Israel.
One day Ahab offered to buy a vineyard from a man named Naboth. Naboth wouldn’t sell it. Jezebel heard what happened. She had Naboth falsely charged with blasphemy and stoned to death. Thus Ahab got the vineyard for free. Government takeover. Again, the new normal.
Later on, Ahab wanted to take back land the Syrians had captured. He asked Jehoshaphat, Judah’s king, for help. Jehoshaphat agreed, but said “Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day.” (1 Kings 22:5) Ahab called for his prophets, his phony yes-men, who all agreed he would win the battle.
Jehoshaphat, a good king, was obviously suspicious. He asked, “Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him?” (1 Kings 22:7) Ahab replied, “There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” (1 Kings 22:8) Nevertheless, Micaiah was called.
As our passage says, Micaiah was determined to obey God. He warned that Ahab would be killed in battle. He also said Ahab’s prophets who encouraged him spoke under the guidance of a lying spirit. Ahab did not listen. He ordered Micaiah imprisoned and fed with bread and water of affliction, “…until I [Ahab] come [back from the battle] in peace.” (1 Kings 22:27) Ahab was killed in the battle.
2 Samuel 23:3 says, “He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.” Yet many in leadership do not fear God. It happened in Israel, the nation God had founded. It happens in America, where people are “…endowed by their Creator [not the government] with certain unalienable rights,” and where President Lincoln quoted Psalm 19:9, “…the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.” in sadly speculating that Civil War deaths were God’s judgment on America for slavery.
Doing right is never easy, especially when wicked people are in power. It wasn’t easy for Micaiah. Yet as he said, “…the LORD liveth,” Things may look bad, but God is still in charge. Don’t give up and let wicked people win by default. Don’t settle for the new normal, especially if you are a leader. “Trust in the LORD, and do good;” (Psalm 37:3) Pray for grace. Do what’s right. Trust God for the results.
Most of all, if you want to know how to have eternal life by receiving Jesus as your personal Saviour, please go to www.clevelandbaptist.org, click “Helpful Links,” then “How Do I Go to Heaven?”
Brian Miller 6/23/2023
Cleveland Baptist Church 4431 Tiedeman Road, Brooklyn, Ohio 44144 216/671-2822