June 20
1 Kings 22:1-53 | PS 138:1-8 | Prov 17:17-18 | Acts 13:16-41
We should never minimize the influence of those around us. Many mistakenly believe that they are so strong in the faith that they are beyond the grips of the evil which lurks in every arena. This involves our choice of school friends, work associates, neighbors, etc. In 1 Corinthians 15:33, we read, "Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.” We get a glimpse of King Jehoshaphat of Judah in 1 Kings 22:41-50, but his good character is better expanded upon in 2 Chronicles 19-20. There were only 8 good kings of Judah and he was one of them, yet we read of the evil King Ahab of Israel's request in 1 Kings 22:4, "Then he turned to Jehoshaphat and asked, “Will you join me in battle to recover Ramoth-gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “Why, of course! You and I are as one. My troops are your troops, and my horses are your horses.” King Jehoshaphat had no business aligning himself with evil King Ahab.
Now when it comes to receiving counsel we should remember it is never about numbers or following the majority opinion, but we are to discern, even if there is only one solitary voice worth listening to. We read that Jehoshaphat recommends consulting the Lord before embarking on a battle with Ahab against Aram, to which we read in 1 Kings 22:6, "So the king of Israel summoned the prophets, about 400 of them, and asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?” They all replied, “Yes, go right ahead! The Lord will give the king victory.”" King Jehoshaphat was able to discern the fallacy behind these 400, which leads him to ask for a true prophet in 22:8, "The king of Israel replied to Jehoshaphat, “There is one more man who could consult the Lord for us, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything but trouble for me! His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.” Micaiah is threatened by the false prophets but we see clearly who he seeks and answers to in 22:13-14, "Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah said to him, “Look, all the prophets are promising victory for the king. Be sure that you agree with them and promise success.” But Micaiah replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, I will say only what the Lord tells me to say.”" The true prophet even explains why the 400 lied in 22:23, "So you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all your prophets. For the Lord has pronounced your doom.” Yet, incredulously, good King Jehoshaphat decides to join Ahab in battle against the words of the one true prophet and even allows himself to foolishly place himself in danger due to the despicable and cowardly plans of Ahab as we read in 22:29-30, "So King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah led their armies against Ramoth-gilead. The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “As we go into battle, I will disguise myself so no one will recognize me, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle."
Never minimize our desire to be liked or accepted. Never minimize the power of the voices that surround us. Do you really believe that your child spending one hour per week in church, perhaps drawing a picture of Jesus or Noah's Ark will combat countless hours of godless banter in public school? Do you believe that your child who was raised in your household is so strong that he or she will not be negatively influenced by the utter pervasive godlessness which exists in most universities both from the faculty and the student body and probably your child's roommate? Do you believe that you are so strong that you can go on business meetings, business lunches day after day with godless individuals and not be influenced? No, we are not to live in a bubble or be enclosed in a monastery. But we must all choose which voices we will listen to and ignore. We must decide if we want to fit in the majority or join the less popular remnant. We must decide if it is more important to be liked and accepted or to be God's ambassador with often very important words and messages. These decisions are made daily and frequently. So, please choose wisely.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: