Listen and Learn

In case you didn't get a chance to be at Buckhead Church on Sunday (or one of the other NPCC campuses earlier), Andy Stanley started up a great talk about "who you listen to."  Given the influences that we invite into our lives, the questions he posed to us on Sunday were extremely important.  

(if you want to get the questions, I highly encourage you to listen to the talk... www.buckheadchurch.org/messages) :-)

In a little bit of a transition point in my quiet times this week, I turned to read the story Andy pulled from on Sunday (2 Chronicles 18).  What I found in the story got me noodling a little bit, and it was related to the part of the story that was left out of the talk on Sunday.  

Now, I'm going to entice you to both read and listen to the talk :-)

Ahab obviously listened to the wrong voices in his decision making, as did his ally from Judah.  To paraphrase, Ahab wanted to go attack this city of the Arameans to increase his power and in "inquiring of the LORD," got his 400 staff prophets to come out and rubber stamp his decision before the king of Judah.  Obviously, Jehoshsphat wasn't really buying the pep rally so he got Ahab to go find someone who could actually speak for God to come and weigh in.  

So this guy Micaiah was brought in... "encouraged" to go along with the pep rally, and when brought before Ahab and asked if he should do it...  Micaiah initially responded with:

"Attack and be victorious, for they will be given into your hand" - 2 Chron 18:14

Something keyed Ahab that he wasn't being told the truth... Andy was talking in the sermon as if Micaiah was being sarcastic... Maybe, the Bible doesn't really tell us what his tone was, but Ahab wasn't buying that this was what Micaiah was sent to tell him.  Perhaps he was sarcastic, knowing what was about to transpire.  But perhaps...

He initially said it because he, deep in his gut, didn't want to tell Ahab the truth.  Perhaps there was a voice of "common sense" inside of him telling him to tell Ahab what he wanted to hear...

What wasn't told in the talk on Sunday was that Micaiah related a vision (after going into truth mode) God showed him of this conference up in Heaven where God decides to entice Ahab to his death by getting him to attack this town.  A "lying spirit" came and offered up the suggestion of getting the 400 prophets to entice him, which is what happened.  

So, the one prophet who is not possessed to serve up lies in a pep rally comes with this knowledge, and I'm not so sure he wants to divert Ahab from danger.  I mean, Ahab isn't exactly on the top 10 of most true prophets' Christmas card list.  Ahab was not a friend... far from it... I'm sure he knows what Jezabel did to Elijiah the prophet as well as I'm sure other godly peeps that weren't toting the party line (bad things, man... bad things).  I wonder if... for a second... he was tempted to think, "if I can avoid telling him the truth about what I saw, he'll go along with this hairbrained plan and be out of my hair.  Good riddance.  I don't want Ahab to repent... look at all the harm he's done!"  Of course, Ahab wasn't going to listen to the voice of God -or- the voice of reason (as if they are mutually exclusive), and of course he went to battle (listen to the talk :) )

Of course, regardless of whether Micaiah was being sarcastic or just trying to make a quick escape to avoid conflict with an enemy... he did give Ahab the word.  

You know, this got me thinking because at times and seasons of our lives, God puts people into our lives that defy godly wisdom and/or have sided themselves against us... and He gives us opportunities for influence at strategic moments like Micaiah to speak grace into their lives.  Because you live in wisdom and can see the destinations of that person's path, you know you probably should lovingly say something... but you just don't WANT to because a.) you believe that it will create too much conflict, and if this is family over the Holidays then you don't want to "ruin Christmas," b.) you know that person won't listen, and/or c.) you'd secretly like to see that person fail.  

Perhaps this is listening to the "voice of reason," but it isn't listening to the voice and heart of God.  I for one am not really that great at loving people that antagonize me (who is?), but that is the heart of Jesus.  I believe that in Micaiah, God was giving Ahab one last chance to turn, knowing the outcome, and wanted Micaiah to give the grace of this warning to him, which he was faithful in carrying out.  Jonah (another prophet asked to talk to his enemies) needed to be coerced a little bit more.  IF Micaiah listened to his emotions, perhaps, he would not have played the movie and seen that not warning the King would damage his integrity as a prophet and his ability to minister to the people, which would have been far more damaging than the immediate consequence of telling the truth (which was getting thrown in prison by Ahab).  In that case, the prophet made the right decision in the end to listen to God versus his desire for comfort and self-preservation.  

I know it's hard... but will you?  Will I?  Tell the truth in love?  Live out the heart of our great God?  

Because everyone needs Jesus... even the difficult person.