"I hate that guy..."

I came to one of my absolute favorite Bible passages today. It's neatly tucked away in 1 Kings. Chapter 22 gives the account of the death of Ahab, one of Israel's most ungodly kings. In the first 28 verses we're given the scene that leads up to his death.

Ramoth-Gilead was a city in northern Israel, east of the Jordan River (transjordon) and was one of the cities God gave to the Levites as their inheritence instead of land. Anyway...I digress. Ramoth-Gilead was under the control of the Arameans (Aram-Damascus). The king of Aram wast trying to pick a fight with king Ahab and Ahab took the bait. But Ahab thought he might need some help winning the battle so he called Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, to lend a hand. Jehoshaphat agreed to help but wanted to consult the Lord first. So Ahab called 400 of his prophets to seek and give a word regarding what they should do. All 400 prophets agreed that the kings should go to battle because "the LORD" would with them and give them the victory. Jehoshaphat knew that Ahab wasn't very well known as a follower of the God of Israel so he wisely asked if there were any more prophets who had a better audience with God.

The next part of the story is what causes me to laugh every time I read it. In my mind, king Ahab looks like Danny DeVito. I don't know why, Ahab just seems like a complete slime ball to me who's like a foot shorter than his "lovely bride" Jezebel. On the old TV show Taxi, Danny DeVito played the part of Louie De Palma, a taxi service manager/dispatcher...and slime ball. In fact, I think DeVito almost always plays the part of a slime ball. Again, I digress. In the story, king Ahab (Danny DeVito in my mind) agrees that there is at least one prophet in the area who serves the God of Israel, Micaiah son of Imlah. But the king doesn't want to hear from Micaiah because he "hates that guy...he never has any good stuff to tell me, only bad stuff." You can read it in verse 8. And if you keep reading you'll see another probable reason why Ahab hates Micaiah - it seems like he's kind of a smart alec with a mission (like maybe Robert Downey Jr. in my mind). So Micaiah shows up and tells Ahab and Jehoshaphat just what God has said. God had revealed that they should indeed go up and fight because that's where Ahab's life was going to end. Can't you just see Ahab turning to Jehoshaphat and saying "See there, that's why I hate that guy; nothing good only bad." So Ahab gets mad and has Micaiah thrown into prison.

To sum up the story, that I hope you'll read for yourself, they do go to battle and Ahab is killed just like God's prophet said. I know I took the long way to get here but I really do have a point. Here it is. How do you feel about the folks that tell you what you need to hear even when you don't want to hear it? I know that some people feel it's their lot in life to "set everybody straight" and those aren't the folks I'm talking about. They annoy me too. At the same time, God can even use them to speak on His behalf. The bottom line is that we all hate being told where we are falling short. And just so no one gets any wrong ideas...we all fall short all the time. Ahab didn't hate Micaiah because he stole his girlfriend in High School or edged him out of a job promotion or had the superior Christmas light display in their neighborhood. Ahab hated Micaiah because he told the king what he needed to hear & Ahab didn't like what he had to say - what God had said.

In this passage we can see some things to do and some things not to do.

• Unlike Ahab, we should eagerly want to hear what God thinks about what we are planning.
• Unlike Ahab, we should willingly accept what God has to say and respond correctly no matter who the messenger is.
• Unlike Ahab, we should never want to do something that we know God is not pleased with.
  
• Like Micaiah, we should always be ready to share the truth of God's word.
• Like Micaiah, we should speak God's truth even when doing so is dangerous.
• Like Micaiah, we should not worry a whole lot about what people might think of us when we speak out on God's behalf. But do try not to be a smart alec.
  

Humility out of Dependence

I've been a Steven Curtis Chapman fan ever since I arrived at Liberty in 1992. One of my favorite SCC songs is "Declaration of Dependence." For one, it's got a catchy little hook but more important it's a reminder of our absolute dependence on Christ for everything. I know, nothing you've never heard before.

My reading this morning took me to the 123rd Psalm. Psalm 123 is one of the fifteen Psalms (120-134) identified as "Songs of Ascent." Traditionally, these songs were sung by Israelite pilgrims as they approached Jerusalem at the scheduled Feast times. This particular Psalm is a cry for God's mercy (also translated grace & favor). The pilgrim is crying out to God on behalf of the nation seeking His merciful provision or relief from the continual taunts of the proud & arrogant (neighboring nations). One commentator describes how that Israel's neighbors who worshiped false gods would constantly hurl insults at God's people. They did this because they appeared to be prospering while Israel struggled. Israel knew the promises that God had made to their forefathers and they desperately wanted Him to bring it to pass. It's a wonderful Psalm with which I can relate because I too run to God when I get beat down by the words and actions of others.

However, this morning what struck me most was the picture used to describe the relationship between the pilgrim and God. The Psalmist said that he looked to God like "the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master." I so often get backward in how I see myself in relation to God. I get caught up in the blessing of being adopted into God's family, having become an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ having forgotten that I have never brought anything whatsoever to God's table. At best, I have always been helpless and I remain so. Apart from Jesus, he tells me, I can do nothing. I have nothing to offer but what He gives me. I, like the pilgrim of Psalm 123, look to my God as a slave looks to his Master in complete dependence. This humbles me. Notice that I didn't say "I'm humble." In fact, more often than not, I'm as proud and arrogant as Israel's enemies. God's word and it's ability to remind me that I am absolutely without hope apart from the God who loves me...humbles me.

Here's the really great thing about God being your master and you being completely helpless; you are absolutely depending on the One who never acts apart from your best interest. He does hear your cries. He does see your hurts. He does know your weakness. He will always give you all you need to accomplish His purposes in and through you.

Keep going pilgrim.