Minority Report

The story of 1 Kings 22 is an interesting one. The king of Israel, Ahab, asks the king of Judah, Jehoshaphat, to go to war with him (1 Kings 22:2-3). All well and good. Then it gets interesting. Jehoshaphat was a godly king, so his only requirement is, "Inquire first for the word of the Lord" (1 Kings 22:5). Ahab trots out 400 guys to affirm his war plans (1 Kings 22:6). (Where did he find 400 "prophets of God" when his wife was in the business of killing them? I'd say they weren't prophets of God.) Jehoshaphat says, essentially, "I'd like a second opinion" (1 Kings 22:7). Ahab said there was another, "but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me" (1 Kings 22:8). So they summoned Micaiah with instructions to agree with the other prophets (1 Kings 22:13). So here comes Micaiah. The kings are there in all their regalia and 400 prophets giving them a cheerleading session (1 Kings 22:10-12) and says, "Your plan is golden, king" (1 Kings 22:15). Ahab knew better. "Speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord" (1 Kings 22:16). So, he does. He tells them God showed him Israel scattered with no king (1 Kings 22:17). He told them of his vision, where God asked the host of heaven how to kill Ahab and one piped in and said, "I'll go lie to his prophets," and God said, "Go" (1 Kings 22:19-23). It cost Micaiah. Ahab had him locked up on bread and water "until I return" which, of course, wasn't going to happen. But Micaiah was right and Ahab died by a random arrow. Good story, really.

It's interesting, though, to look at it in terms of the principles embodied. Note, first, the importance of "the word of the Lord." Jehoshaphat, the godly king, wasn't going anywhere without it. That's important for you and me. Jehoshaphat heard 400 prophets ... and sensed that they weren't telling the "word of the Lord." Could you? Only one guy told them what God said. The messenger told Micaiah, "Tell him what he wants to hear." He dictated to Micaiah what God was supposed to say. But when they summoned him, Micaiah told them, "What the LORD says to me, that I will speak" (1 Kings 22:14). He wasn't intimidated by "experts" or "the crowd." One thing and one thing only was true -- whatever God said. It should be to us as well. I noticed an interesting juxtaposition in the text. Micaiah came to a threshing floor with not one but two kings in robes and crowds, but he wasn't impressed. Why? Because his message came from God "sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside Him on His right hand and on His left" (1 Kings 22:19). The human throng didn't compare. It shouldn't to us, either.

These are lessons for today. God's word is reliable and authoritative. It isn't dictated by the loudest or most numerous voices. It says what it says clearly and truthfully. Our job is not to reinterpret it. This message was, "The LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets" (1 Kings 22:23). That's a message that might cause most of us to hesitate. "Can He do that?" But it's what Micaiah was told and what he faithfully reported. We don't get to correct God's word or deny it or modify it. The lead prophet, Zedekiah, essentially called Micaiah arrogant (1 Kings 22:24), but Micaiah wasn't being arrogant. He was reporting the truth from the clear word of God. Even though it cost him. So what about you? Are you going with the crowd and the experts that modify what God says to suit what they want, or are you willing to stand on what God says regardless of the consequences? They will hate you because you don't tell them the things they want to hear. Micaiah's was the ultimate "minority report," but he was right and God was served. Your turn.