Speaking Truth to Power

May 2, 2021 Background Scripture: 1 Kings 22:1 – 40 Lesson Passage: 1 Kings 22:15 – 23, 26 – 28 When we boast today of speaking truth to power, we do so in a very tame environment where those in power have pledged to protect our rights to speak. In essence, in this country today, that expression has very little meaning other than one clearing one’s own conscience. This would not have been the case for minorities prior to the 1970’s in the southern part of this country. Today’s lesson takes us back to a time and a place where the danger of speaking truth to power was always looming. Ironically, it was in Israel, of all places. Israel was established by God as a theocracy, or a God-governed nation. The truth should have been welcomed by all there. The truth should have been spoken by all there. God told Israel that their government was different and warned them that they should not seek to be like the people around them. However, although the nation was founded as a theocracy, and they were warned, Israel had become a monarchy like the other nations around it. The disposition of the nation depended almost solely on the disposition of the king. If the king was god-fearing, then the nation was led to be a god-fearing nation. But when the king was ungodly, then the governed were at the mercy of the king. Such an environment was not a favorable one wherein one could be at ease to speak one’s mind. The latter was the case involving today’s text. At the time, the northern kingdom of Israel was being led by an ungodly king, and the southern kingdom of Judah was being led by a god-fearing king. Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went to visit Ahab, king of Israel. Ahab desired to go to war to take back some land that should have been Israel’s, but he wanted Judah to join with them in battle. Jehoshaphat knew that a decision of that magnitude needed God’s direction. When he was asked about joining in battle with Israel, he quickly asked that inquiry be made for the word of the Lord. In other words, is this battle something that God will sanction. Ahab had a group of prophets who were going to say whatever was favorable to the king. Israel’s four hundred prophets endorsed Ahab’s plan. Jehoshaphat recognized that this was not the word of the Lord. So, he asked if the Lord had any prophets there. The god-fearing king knew he was not hearing the word of the Lord. Four hundred lies were not sufficient to replace the truth. Ahab told him about one prophet there who he hated because he did not prophesy things that were good concerning him. And therein lies the problem: Ahab would rather have four hundred lies that felt good to him rather than the truth of God’s word that warned him of his faults! Jehoshaphat assured Ahab that the word of the Lord is what is desirable. Even the messenger who went to get the prophet told him how the other prophets were all in agreement and suggested that he should speak in accord with the others. What is unanimous might feel good and still be wrong. So, the prophet of the Lord spoke to the king, apparently with sarcasm, what the others were saying. Ahab recognized that the prophet was not being honest. So, Ahab commanded him to give the correct prophecy. He prophesied that Ahab would die in the battle. He also exposed the four hundred prophets as being controlled by a lying spirit. One of those prophets hit him in the face. Then he told him what his fate would be as well. He knew that the truth would cause him to be mistreated by Ahab. However, the only word he had was what God gave him. It was the truth and he spoke that truth to the powers that be. Robert C. Hudson April 16, 2021