COURAGE TO SPEAK
OBSERVATION: THE WRITINGS IN FIRST AND SECOND KINGS IS ORGANIZED AROUND THE REIGNS OF KINGS BEGINNING WITH SOLOMON AND CONTINUES THROUGH THE DIVIDING OF TWO DIFFERENT KINGDOMS (ISRAEL AND JUDAH). THE EMPHASIS IN BOTH KINGDOMS IS THE DECLINE OF MORALITY. BOTH KINGDOMS CAME TO AN END BUT GOD PRESERVED SOME MEN AND WOMEN TO DECLARE GOD’S MORAL STANDARDS. ONE THEME RUNS THROUGHOUT BOTH BOOKS: GOD BRINGS BLESSINGS THROUGH OBEDIENCE AND JUDGMENT FOR DISOBEDIENCE.
INTERPRETATION: FIRST KINGS 22:14 (NKJV) AND MICAIAH SAID, AS THE LORD LIVES, WHATEVER THE LORD SAYS TO ME, THAT I WILL SPEAK.
POINTS TO PONDER:
AHAB WAS KING OVER THE TEN NORTHERN TRIBES OF ISRAEL FROM 874-853 B.C. HE IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE WORST RULERS AMONG MANY ANCIENT RULERS. HIS WIFE JEZEBEL WAS WICKED, MALICIOUS AND VINDICTIVE.
MICAIAH (WHO IS LIKE YAHWEH) WARNED KING AHAB OF HIS DOWNFALL IF HE CHOOSES NOT TO CALL ON GOD FOR GUIDANCE.
KING AHAB’S PROPHETS, PREDICTED SUCCESS IN WAR AGAINST SYRIA. THEY ENCOURAGED MICAIAH TO DO THE SAME. MICAIAH KNEW THE PROPHETS SPOKE FALSELY TO KING AHAB. HE MIMICS HIS PROPHETS TO MAKE A POINT: THEY WERE NOT TELLING THE TRUTH. KING AHAB IMMEDIATELY SCOLDED THE PROPHET FOR NOT TELLING THE TRUTH. MICAIAH IMMEDIATELY PREDICTED THE TRUTH. HE PREDICTED THE KING WOULD DIE IN BATTLE, WHICH WAS THE TRUTH.
A SUPREME LOYALTY TO TRUTH WAS MICAIAH’S MESSAGE TO AHAB.
APPLICATION: BELIEVERS MUST ALWAYS COURAGEOUSLY SPEAK TRUTH.
