Truth Giver of Truth Receiver

In 1 Kings 22 we see another faithful prophet of the Lord and 400 unfaithful prophets who claim to prophesy in the name of Lord. Throughout King Ahab’s 22 years of reign over Israel, he was given multiple opportunities to turn from his willing wickedness from faithful prophets such as Elijah, an anonymous prophet and lastly Micaiah. Of these opportunities, only once did Ahab have a repentant humble heart shown towards the end of 1 Kings 21. Yet, he chose to yoke himself with Jezebel who served the false god of Baal and surrounded himself with false prophets who spoke words that tickled his ears, instead of truth and when he heard the truth, he rejected the truth.

King Ahab’s final opportunity to truly humble himself and listen to the true word of the Lord from the prophet Micaiah is shown in 1 Kings 22. But instead of listening to the truth which gave him warning of his demise, in his arrogance he chose to listen to the 400 false prophets who said only what Ahab wanted to hear.

It’s crucial as followers of Christ that we surround ourselves with Godly counsel and understand we will receive correction and truth. While truth and correction may not always feel good or be what we want to hear, it’s important to know the Lord is sending a message through His messenger for our benefit. Additionally, there will be specific opportunities in our lives where we are the messengers of God and we’re called to speak truth to those around us. Like Micaiah, we must speak the uncompromising truth of God no matter the cost. We will be truth givers or truth receivers. Whether you’re receiving or giving, we must be humble before the Lord, willing to follow Him.

Pastor Emily Christenson