true prophets

As we meditate on these verses in 1 Kings it is interesting to see what we can glean.
Here are the key components:
1) Ahab, King of Israel, had his 400 prophets (he had surrounded himself with people who’s only aim was to please the king)
2) Along comes a true prophet of God (the true prophet who hears from God and stands firm on His truth has become the one who is hated by the king)
3) Ahab does not like what he hears of God’s truth as revealed through a true prophet (Ahab believes that since the truth is not ‘pleasing’ to him that this word is not from God but evil)

What is the lesson: the word of truth to those who do not want to truly hear from God, those who have their own agenda, becomes an unpleasant word – he does not prophecy good but evil.

As the church do we only want to hear the ‘positive’ and count as ‘evil’ the difficult words from the Lord (ie: our sin nature and its consequence, the call to repentance, the price of the cross, obedience to the truth, waiting on God, self sacrifice, dying to self, self control, warfare, deliverance, humbleness, meekness, forgiveness)?

Do we have too many who only desire to have a ‘favorable word’ for leadership knowing that leadership does not want to listen to those who have a ‘difficult word’ ? Those who are only concerned about moving forward with their own conceived agendas and surround themselves with their own ‘400 prophets’ ?

The Lord will make the whole counsel of His word known to those who truly seek Him and do not rely on the ‘prophets’ who wish to tickle the ear with worldly wisdom.


Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Please inquire first for the word of the LORD." Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men…

But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?" The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil…

Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, "Behold now, the words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably." But Micaiah said, "As the LORD lives, what the LORD says to me, that I shall speak."

Then the king said to him, "How many times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?"

Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, " Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?"

"Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD and said, 'I will entice him.' "The LORD said to him, 'How?' And he said, 'I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' Then He said, 'You are to entice him and also prevail. Go and do so.' "Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and the LORD has proclaimed disaster against you."

Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, "How did the Spirit of the LORD pass from me to speak to you?"
(1 Kings 22:5-24)