Why TRUE PROPHETS ARE SCARCE!
Bible Reading: 1 Kings 22:1-12
1 And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.
2 And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.
3 And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?
4 And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramothgilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.
5 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord to day.
6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
7 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might enquire of him?
8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
9 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah.
10 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the Lord, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.
12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the king’s hand.
Why TRUE PROPHETS ARE SCARCE! 1 Kings 22:1-12
One more sign of evil times is that the voice of truth and the proclaimers of the true messages from God are the unheard minority. What can we learn from the utterances of Jehoshaphat so far from the passage (vs.4,5, &7)? What is good and what is bad in his statements? Over the past 22 years of his reign, Ahab should have demonstrated enough of his evil behaviour for Jehoshaphat to be weary of partnering with him (v.4). Jehoshaphat however did well by asking to know God’s mind on the planned invasion to reclaim Ramoth-Gilead and for discerning the voices of the 400 praise-singing false prophets with whom Ahab surrounded himself. In times of evil, ungodly messages abound. False teachers who act religiously but reject the power that could make them godly (2Tim. 3:5 NLT) often dominate the media. Do you have examples of such proclaimers of false doctrines around you today? The only solution to this is fearless proclamation of the truth. What other good example do we learn from Jehoshaphat from v.8? May God grant us goof and courageous rulers like Jehoshaphat who can gently rebuke fellow rulers. (v.8b).
And So? One feature of the evil times is that the true Word of God become scarce.
Prayer: Pray for grace to stand for God in all areas of life and never compromise your faith for fear of man.
Missions: THAILAND-Structures of sin and vice continue to prosper, despite increasing efforts to combat them. Corruption allows unscrupulous men – in business, politics, the military and police – to enrich themselves while oppressing others. The moral blights of the sex trade, drug networks, crime syndicates and ecological degradation will remain as long as they are profitable and tolerated. Pray for the breaking of these structures of sin by God’s power.
Why TRUE PROPHETS ARE SCARCE! 1 Kings 22:1-12
Bible In One Year: Ezekiel 15-18
Verse: But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?” (1Kgs. 22:7)
