Intro to the Divine Assembly Part 1: Bravery Against all Adversity

Before we begin I have an assignment for you. Read 1 Kings 22: 1-40. Also if you want to read the intro to this three part lesson click here for the Grizzly Newsletter. Go ahead I'll wait.

If you did your homework, and read the passage you might have noticed one or two things your average pastor or priest won’t touch with a ten foot long pole. We’re going to save that bit of juicy strangeness for part two. For now, rather than concentrating on the oddness of the prophecy let’s observe the actions of the Prophet of God himself Micaiah

We come to Israel and her sister kingdom Judah in one of there darker hours. For all of you new to the Bible or needing a refresher we could spend entire books and dragging dissertations on King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. Suffice to say that they were some of if not the most evil of the monarchs that ruled over the northern Kingdom of Israel. Known for killing and torturing the Prophets of the most high left right and center even as they pursued foreign gods of dubious origins. Needless to say this was not the kind of king that you disagreed with to his face.

As we see Ahab wanted to regain territory he’d lost to the Kingdom of Aram. To this end he enticed the King of Judah to ally with him in an attempt to regain the city of Ramoth Gilead. Here see our lovely monarch in question gathering to him every prophet that would sing to him a sweet tune of victory to convince his ally, and one argue himself, of their inevitable success. 

Question 1: Does this remind you of something in your own lives? 

Covid 19 was chock full of “experts”, doctors, and scientists screeching about how we needed to lock down and stay in our homes, businesses must close, and most insidious of all Churches must shut their doors. Yet these very same experts were mum or straight up sang the opposite tune when Black Live Matter provocateurs, who have been proven to have very questionable sources of funding, scheduled protests that turned to riots. Now people could be crammed in tighter than a mosh pit at a pre geezer era Metallica concert without spreading so much as a sniffle. False prophets and teachers will always be found to parrot the desires of evil minded people.

In more recent years we are on the fifth or sixth round of Putin’s Russian armed forces running out of ammo, and being soundly driven from Ukraine. Here we see the experts seem to almost fool themselves even as reality laughs in their faces in the form of Russian blockades and missile strikes. Evil men who contort the truth will always be susceptible to their own lies for the truth repels them.

Question 2: How many times in your on life have you seen people lie to themselves?

Like in the Covid 19 days and to a lesser extent staying mostly on the social level of pressure in the Russian and Ukraine conflict we can see that Micaiah was facing similar to even more attempts to force him in line. 

“The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.” 1Ki 22:13

All the prophets were crying the same call. All were telling the King what he wanted to hear, but there was more to this than simple desire to not be punished or brown nose to the arrant monarch. As we will see in the next episodes there was a spiritual element behind the lockstep march to the trap at Ramath Gilead. But Micaiah isn’t daunted. He even gets a little cheeky with our violent tyrant.

When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or not?” “Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for the LORD will give it into the king’s hand.”

“The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?” 1Ki 22: 15-16

What was the problem? King Ahab heard what he wanted to hear shouldn’t that be enough? No, even King Ahab knew somewhere in his proud addled mind that God was not on his side. Micaiah’s mocking tone didn’t help by any means, but later on we see that the King took precautions showing that he indeed believed his life was in danger.

  

The king of Israel (Ahab) said to Jehoshaphat, “I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. 1 Kings 22:30

Now why if our wonderful tyrant thought that victory was all but assured, and Micaiah prophecy was the false one, would the King need to disguise himself? One may ask then why did he go to his death? Was it pride? Greed? All the above? Perhaps all of these things and more, but Ahab’s decisions are less important in this episode we will explore them in part three. No what we want to see is Micaiah who saw instant consequences for his actions. He knew what would happen if he gave the word of the Lord, but chose God’s way over giving in.

His peers in the prophets, the messenger, and the Kings were all against him, but as the prophet said God’s will was more important than man’s will.

But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the LORD tells me.” 1 Kings 22: 14

For this he was sent to prison, and held for the return of the “victorious” king. If you read ahead, and as you might guess, things don’t go well for old Ahab. That and the main antagonist false prophet Zedekiah who struck Micaiah would meet his just end as well. We can only hope that all our “experts” and such meet similar ends in this life as well as in their eternal reward when the trumpets sound and Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior returns with a sword coming out of his mouth.

In Part Two and Three we will explore why and how God set up Ahab’s demise, and why Micaiah’s part was integral to the tyrant's judgment. For now take a look at the Prophet Micaiah. Let his courage in the face of dire consequences and false prophets, experts, and peers bringing to bear all the pressure allotted to them. Like him, face their attacks with mockery and stoic bravery. With calm tenacity do your Lord's will, and watch his enemies crumble before you both in this life and the next.

        “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Be on the look out for the next two parts of this Lesson. There we get into the weird. The paths that no churchian dare tread. It's gonna be a wild ride.

        Part Two: Facing Down High Strangeness

        Part Three: Testing the Spirits (Ahab’s Last chance)

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Grizzly signing out.