Fake Prophets With Fake News - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 22:18,

"The king of Israel [Ahab] said to Jehoshaphat, 'Didn't I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?'"

Ahab wanted to go to war against Ramoth Gilead and asked Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, to join with him in the attack. Jehoshaphat agreed as long as they first had a prophet inquire of the Lord to see if they would be victorious.

Ahab brought in the good ole' religious boys, the fake prophets of the fake gods, the idols worshiped in Israel, with fake news. Recognizing the worthlessness of the effort of consulting with these religious impostors, Jehoshaphat wanted a real prophet to inquire of the real God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Reluctantly Ahab called for Micaiah, a true prophet of God.

Ahab's comment to Jehoshaphat is quite revealing here. He knew if he brought in a real prophet, the real prophet would undoubtedly bring a contradictory message from the Lord. Ahab wanted to avoid that so he brought in the counterfeits. He absolutely knew he would have a more favorable "reading" from the fake prophets than he would from the Lord through a real prophet. That is the exact point why he avoided the real prophet, Micaiah in the first place. Jehoshaphat insisted, however, and when Micaiah was done, Ahab turned to Jehoshaphat and made the comment in our verse above.

Micaiah told the kings they would not be victorious and that King Ahab would be killed. And, of course, that is exactly what happened.

Ahab's refusal to allow himself to be confronted with the truth appears bizarre at first blush. However, given a little thought, it is a behavior we see all around us today. We have God's truth in our Bibles, yet so many avoid being confronted with the truth. It is fancied that the Scriptures were not written by whom they were claimed to be written by. It is fancied that the Scriptures were not written when they were claimed to be written. It is fancied that the people and events documented in the Scriptures never existed. It is fancied that the truths about our sinful condition, the revelations of God about himself, his justice, his kindness and mercy are unreliable.

From what we hear from so many of these lofty theologians and ecclesiastical leaders who question the veracity of God's word, the Bible, nothing at all has changed since Ahab's day. The voices of those who are unwilling to be confronted with their sinfulness are many and loud.

As Micaiah, we need to go to the Lord to seek truth. 

As Ahab, these theologians and church leaders today who reject the inerrancy, the infallibility of God's word, need to be ignored and left to their own demise, just as Ahab and all of his fake prophets.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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