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Sep 29, 2006

What!!! You didn't know how famous you are???


1 Kings 22

Now Jehoshaphath and Ahab have joined hands to fight for Naboth Gilead and get it back Jehoshaphath has shown his dependence on the Living Lord for guidance and support and in spite of 400 prophets prophesying, he asks for a prophet who would give the real Word of God regarding the direction they needed to take.

"v7 But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there not a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?"
8 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah." "The king should not say that," Jehoshaphat replied.
On Jehoshaphath's request Micaiah is called. Now here is an event in which once again majority doesn't win. It doesn't work that way with God. 400(prophets):1 (Micaiah) and previously we have read the event about sacrifice requiring fire from heaven Elijah versus prophets of Baal(450) and prophets of Asherah (450) so that was about 1:900.
In these verses about Micaiah I learnt a lot of valuable lessons
  1. Just one true and obedient man of God is more than enough to fight against any large number of false witnesses or disobedient people- Leviticus 26:8 says "8 Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you." And this verse is from the verses about Blessings for Obedience. Thats how powerful "a" and I stress "a" child of God is. Now from what I mentioned before this ratio is even greater for the prophet of God, man totally dedicated to doing God's will. Now you tell me how much light is needed to remove darkness from a room, we don't need a big large 5000 bulbs lighting, just 1 bulb is enough, just 1 candle is enough, just 1 light source no matter how tiny, is enough to give light in an absolutely dark place, even the tinted glasses give out light so even in darkness we can see (may not be totally clear, but we can atleast see the source of light no matter how dark it is) When everything is dark, JUST ONE SOURCE OF LIGHT in enough to expel darkness.
  2. No one lights a lamp and puts it under cover-In simple words I'd like to say, the children of God are never under-cover agents. Micaiah is one prophet who hasn't been mentioned so far in this episode, which talks more of Elijah and Elisha, yet this one man's prophecy was going to change the course for Ahab. How did Ahab know of Micaiah? Even I don't know but I got this thought while reading and meditating on it-When our Living Lord God lights up our eyes to see His face and know Him, when our God lights up our lamp of knowledge of His love, He keeps us in the place where we will shine out brightest. Elijah was hiding by the brooks and the caves but people knew him, people around knew that God was with Elijah. David was hiding in caves of Adullam, yet people knew him. Jesus was a man of Jerusalem and from a tiny country of Israel, yet people around the world know Him. In this dark world, the children of God can be easily spotted, they are the ones that stand out, their life shines out. Whether they know it or not their lives are shining out before someone else. I don't think the fishermen in Galilee ever knew that half way across the globe there would be people learning from their experience. Thats the specialty of God's children. David says "You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light".Psalm 18:27-29
  3. Sticking out like a sore thumb- How can we never notice a sore thumb, which automatically sticks out. Ahab wasn't very happy with Micaiah's prophecies."but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. " I have this notion that everyone should like me. But now I've come to the realisation that not everyone will like me. When you start giving the Word of God, Word for Word as God said, I don't think many people will be happy about it. People like to hear good things about themselves and it is a good thing to encourage the good in others, but when there is need of correction, a strong word is needed. Jesus was giving the Pharisees a drink of their own medicine, they had become haughty in their doings of the Word, their hearts were far away from God, only their actions seemed like they were holy. Yet when God started dealing with them personally and in detail, they didn't like it. Not everyone will like you for being bluntly truthful about the Word of God. Yes, I have made the mistake of compromising the Word of God many times in my life just to please someone. However the sooner the sore thumb gets treated, the better. Its not that God just highlights all the bad, but always and always makes a way out for His children. Remember Lot, he was staying in one of the worst places on the earth, well it was his choice and people there didn't like him luch, yet you know what the Bible says "4For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,[a] putting them into gloomy dungeons[b] to be held for judgment; 5if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men 8(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment." 2 Peter 2:4-10 You've stood your ground and stuck out like a sore thumb and it hurts you that you're the only one or only few who stand for God, don't worry, God has a way out.

Conclusion: When one of God's child has decided to be obedient to God's Word in whatever way he or she knows best, God's power surrounds them, they suddenly match up with a bigger ratio, they no longer are people who fight 1:1, but they can now face even 1(child of God):100(principles of darkness). Seldom do we realise how much power there is in being an obedient child of God, we don't because we can only see the physical side of our lives, yet for the children who are lighted by God, have a spiritual side which is much more powerful and they are recognised there. From the episode of Sceva's sons trying to imitate Paul's mission of healing people in Jesus Name "13Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." 14Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15(One day) the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?"(Acts 19 :13-15). Those evil spirits knew Paul and you obedient children of God , if you thought you were in hiding, remember this, your obedience and love for Lord Jesus has made you known in a realm that even you don't know. So I exhort you my brethren, "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.Matthew 5:15-17 If we haven't been obedient before but would want to turn our lives around right now, we can do it by reconciling with God and God will snatch you out from darkness and no matter how tiny a light you are, you can still shine out in darkness, like a crack in the wall of a dark cave. You will shine. So Shine out for Jesus.

2 comments :

SeePearrl said...

wonderful read!

Anonymous said...

Golden! thanks for assisting me with my paper upon the prophet Micaiah