You Never Tell Me What I Want To Hear!

I Kings 22

Today, we come to the end of another book. In some ways, this chapter is comical and in others it is quite sad. The pouty king of Israel has not changed. He still wants his way and surrounds himself with those who tell him what he wants to hear, even if what they say is completely wrong. That is what happens in today's reading.

Ahab has a visit from Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. Ahab expresses that he wants the city of Ramoth-Gilead back. It is occupied by Syria. He asks Jehoshaphat if he will help him in reclaiming the city for Israel. Jehoshaphat asks him to inquire of God by the prophets.

Ahab gets his 400 prophets, on his payroll, to come and tell them if they should fight against the Syrians or not. What do you think they said? "Gee your royal highness, you really want this city back so of course God will bless you in reclaiming it." That is the kind of "God" that most people want, a "God" who does what they want.

Jehoshaphat asks Ahab if there is not another prophet, a prophet of God. Ahab's answer is "Yes but I don't listen to him because he never tells me what I want to hear." I am going to refrain from commenting on this for the moment, but we will come back to this. Jehoshaphat tells him to call the prophet and so he does.

Micaiah comes and the kings ask their questions. Micaiah tells that king that they can go and that the army will be scattered and Ahab will die. Ahab responds with "See this is why I never ask him what to do. He never tells me what I want to hear." Ahab tells his men to throw Micaiah into jail until he returns safely from the battle. Micaiah responds, "If you return safely from the battle then I am not a true prophet of God."

Ahab and Jehoshaphat decide to go against the prophet and go to war. Ahab decided to disguise himself and a soldier and Jehoshaphat remains in his royal robes. The Syrian's come after Jehoshaphat until they realize that he is not the king of Israel. During the battle, Ahab is shot between the joints of his breastplate. Ahab died from his injuries and was taken back to Samaria. The army scattered, just like Micaiah prophesied. The blood from Ahab's chariot was washed out and the dogs lapped it up, just like Elijah prophesied. God's word, spoken by God's men, was true!

Today, many people do not want to hear what preachers have to say, unless they are the prosperity preachers who tell what they want to hear. Just like Ahab, they refuse to listen to the message. When they do hear it, instead of changing for the message, they want to silence the preacher. Ahab had many opportunities to change and serve God. Instead, he served a powerless idol and surrounded himself with prophets who proclaimed the message he wanted to hear. In the end, it cost him his life.

The same is true for us. We may listen and read the messages of preachers who tell us what we want to hear, but if we ignore the word of God, it will cost us. A pagan king rebelled against the word of God and it cost him his life. A Godly king also rebelled against the word of God and he was chased by the enemy. He was also corrected by God. The prophet Jehu came to Jehoshaphat and reprimanded him for going to battle with evil Ahab (II Chronicles 19:1-4).

As Christians, we must be careful who we allow to influence us. This reminds me of what Paul wrote:

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2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

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Paul also said, "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8). Jehoshaphat was a good king. Ahab was an evil king. Jehoshaphat had no business getting into a relationship with someone so obviously evil. Instead, he should have been light in Ahab's life. It just might have saved his life, or not. We will never know.